Damage tolerance in the graphite cores of UK power reactors and implications for new build

INL Funded (No INL Authors); Martin Metcalfe

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112237

Damage tolerance in the graphite cores of UK power reactors and implications for new build

INL Funded (No INL Authors)
, Martin Metcalfe

Energy & Environmental Science & Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

The United Kingdom has been operating graphite-moderated gas-cooled commercial nuclear power reactors for more than 60 years. Both Generation I Magnox reactors and Generation II Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors have operated beyond their nominal design lifetimes and the safety cases for continued operation have had to address the issue of damage tolerance of the graphite cores. This review describes the designs of the reactors and the methodologies employed for their assessment. Emerging issues arising from extended operation and ageing of the cores are discussed together with the evolution of assessment methodologies to address predicted and observed damage. The UK nuclear regulator perspective is summarised and some conclusions are drawn on the implications for new build.

Original language	English
Article number	112237
Journal	Nuclear Engineering and Design
Volume	406
Early online date	Mar 3 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112237
State	Published - May 2023

Keywords

Cracking
Damage tolerance
Graphite
Safety case

INL Publication Number

INL/JOU-23-71197
148537

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112237

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title = "Damage tolerance in the graphite cores of UK power reactors and implications for new build",

abstract = "The United Kingdom has been operating graphite-moderated gas-cooled commercial nuclear power reactors for more than 60 years. Both Generation I Magnox reactors and Generation II Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors have operated beyond their nominal design lifetimes and the safety cases for continued operation have had to address the issue of damage tolerance of the graphite cores. This review describes the designs of the reactors and the methodologies employed for their assessment. Emerging issues arising from extended operation and ageing of the cores are discussed together with the evolution of assessment methodologies to address predicted and observed damage. The UK nuclear regulator perspective is summarised and some conclusions are drawn on the implications for new build.",

keywords = "Cracking, Damage tolerance, Graphite, Safety case",

author = "\{INL Funded (No INL Authors)\} and Martin Metcalfe and \{Author B\}, Hidden",

note = "Funding Information: This work was commissioned in support of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for the design, manufacture and maintenance of boiler and pressure vessels, power-producing machines and nuclear power plant components. The author gratefully acknowledges that funding for this work was provided by the Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program under the DOE Idaho Operations Office, Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 with Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC. Funding Information: This work was commissioned in support of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for the design, manufacture and maintenance of boiler and pressure vessels, power-producing machines and nuclear power plant components. The author gratefully acknowledges that funding for this work was provided by the Department of Energy{\textquoteright}s Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program under the DOE Idaho Operations Office, Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 with Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author",

year = "2023",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112237",

language = "English",

volume = "406",

journal = "Nuclear Engineering and Design",

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AU - INL Funded (No INL Authors)

AU - Metcalfe, Martin

AU - Author B, Hidden

N1 - Funding Information: This work was commissioned in support of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for the design, manufacture and maintenance of boiler and pressure vessels, power-producing machines and nuclear power plant components. The author gratefully acknowledges that funding for this work was provided by the Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program under the DOE Idaho Operations Office, Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 with Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC. Funding Information: This work was commissioned in support of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for the design, manufacture and maintenance of boiler and pressure vessels, power-producing machines and nuclear power plant components. The author gratefully acknowledges that funding for this work was provided by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Program under the DOE Idaho Operations Office, Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 with Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - The United Kingdom has been operating graphite-moderated gas-cooled commercial nuclear power reactors for more than 60 years. Both Generation I Magnox reactors and Generation II Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors have operated beyond their nominal design lifetimes and the safety cases for continued operation have had to address the issue of damage tolerance of the graphite cores. This review describes the designs of the reactors and the methodologies employed for their assessment. Emerging issues arising from extended operation and ageing of the cores are discussed together with the evolution of assessment methodologies to address predicted and observed damage. The UK nuclear regulator perspective is summarised and some conclusions are drawn on the implications for new build.

AB - The United Kingdom has been operating graphite-moderated gas-cooled commercial nuclear power reactors for more than 60 years. Both Generation I Magnox reactors and Generation II Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors have operated beyond their nominal design lifetimes and the safety cases for continued operation have had to address the issue of damage tolerance of the graphite cores. This review describes the designs of the reactors and the methodologies employed for their assessment. Emerging issues arising from extended operation and ageing of the cores are discussed together with the evolution of assessment methodologies to address predicted and observed damage. The UK nuclear regulator perspective is summarised and some conclusions are drawn on the implications for new build.

KW - Cracking

KW - Damage tolerance

KW - Graphite

KW - Safety case

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VL - 406

JO - Nuclear Engineering and Design

JF - Nuclear Engineering and Design

M1 - 112237

ER -

Damage tolerance in the graphite cores of UK power reactors and implications for new build

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Keywords

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