Impact of the microstructural and micromechanical variability on the long term behavior prediction of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes used in CANDU reactors

微观结构和微观机械变化对 CANDU 反应堆中使用的 Zr-2.5Nb 压力管的长期行为预测的影响

• 批准号: 364827-2009
• 负责人: Gauvin, Raynald
• 金额: $ 4.9万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2010-01-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=460824
• 关键词: Impact; microstructural; micromechanical; variability; long

This project aims to understand the variability of the creep behavior of the pressure tubes in CANDU reactors and its relations to microstructural differences found within these pressure tubes. This variability results in an uncertainty in the lifetime prediction for these materials (typically Zr-Nb alloys), a major problem for this industry. We propose a combined experimental approach including extensive characterization of the microstructure and bulk creep testing on representative microstructures. This will provide direct correlation between creep behavior and the microstructure of a pressure tube. Advanced microscopy techniques will identify and characterize representative microstructures and dislocation sub-structures found in CANDU reactor tubes with micro structural parameters obtained with statistical methods. These advanced electron microscopy techniques are electron backscattering diffraction patterns (EBSD) obtained in a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), three dimensional microstructure with combined focus ion beam (FIB) and FE-SEM microscopes using EBSD and x-ray microanalysis and start of the art field emission scanning transmission electron microscopy (FE-STEM) with a Cs aberration corrector having sub - Angstrom resolution equipped with an EDS x-ray detector. Nanoindentation will also be used to evaluate the mechanical properties of these microstructures and also of their individual phases. The parameters describing the microstructure of these alloys will be used to create model, based on Levitin's theory [1], to predict the lifetime of Zr-Nb alloys for CANDU pressure tubes. An accurate prediction of the lifetime of pressure tubes for CANDU reactors will allow for more efficient use of nuclear energy at a time when green house gas are an issue and a reduced dependence on conventional fuels, such as oil and coal, is needed. Since Gentilly II will be refurnished in 2011, this project needs to generate predictive data by the end of 2010.

该项目旨在了解Candu反应器中压力管的蠕变行为的可变性及其与这些压力管中发现的微观结构差异的关系。这种可变性导致这些材料的终生预测不确定性（通常是ZR-NB合金），这是该行业的主要问题。我们提出了一种合并的实验方法，包括对代表性微观结构的微观结构和大量蠕变测试的广泛表征。这将提供蠕变行为与压力管的微观结构之间的直接相关性。先进的显微镜技术将识别并表征在Candu反应器管中发现的代表性显微结构和位错子结构，并具有具有统计方法的微结构参数。这些先进的电子显微镜技术是在田间发射扫描电子显微镜（Fe-SEM）中获得的电子反向散射衍射模式（EBSD），具有联合焦点离子束（FIB）和Fe-SEM显微镜的三维显微结构，使用EBSD和X射线微观分析并使用具有EDS X射线检测器的子 - Angstrom分辨率的CS畸变校正器的ART场排放扫描透射电子显微镜（Fe-STEM）开始。纳米引导还将用于评估这些微观结构以及其各个相的机械性能。 描述这些合金微观结构的参数将用于基于Levitin的理论[1]来创建模型，以预测candu压力管的ZR-NB合金的寿命。准确预测压力管的candu反应器的寿命将允许在核能上更有效地利用核能，而需要降低对常规燃料（例如石油和煤炭）的依赖。由于Gentilly II将于2011年翻新，因此该项目需要在2010年底之前生成预测数据。