A collaboration between the US energy agencies Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has optimized the testing of additively manufactured nuclear components. Using a software algorithm developed by ORNL, the quality of 3D-printed metal components is tested to identify promising materials and alloys for the next generation of nuclear reactors. The algorithm, known as “Simurgh”, has proven so effective that it is now also being used to inspect ceramic fuel cladding.
Traditionally, qualifying new materials and manufacturing technologies for nuclear reactors can take decades. Simurgh not only reduces X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scan time by up to 90 percent, but also improves worker safety and speeds up the evaluation process. This is particularly evident with highly radioactive samples, which can often only be examined after a long cooling time due to their radiation. Shorter scanning times reduce the radiation dose and extend the service life of the sensitive detectors.
“If we use this algorithm to reduce the scan time for radioactive fuels by 90%, it will increase worker safety and the rate we can evaluate new materials,” said Bill Chuirazzi, an instrument scientist and leader of INL’s Diffraction and Imaging group. The ramifications for the nuclear field extend far beyond the current project. “Down the road, it enables us to expedite the life cycle of new nuclear ideas from conception to implementation in the power grid,” he said.
The algorithm combines physics-based simulations with design data to create accurate images of the internal structure of components. In the core area, this enables faster development and characterization of new materials for reactor designs such as TRISO fuel particles and small modular reactors. TRISO fuel, consisting of a fuel core in a carbon and ceramic layer, is increasingly seen as promising.
“Nuclear is a high-cost environment with extremely high standards for precision, materials and safety,” said Ryan Dehoff, director of DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, at ORNL. “The fact we’re using this tool suite in the nuclear sphere speaks to the quality and reliability of the technology.”
“Including prep, it now takes about 15% of the time it did to scan something with our setup,” Chuirazzi said. “We can do three scans in the amount of time it took us to complete one.”
Die Anwendung von Simurgh in der Kerntechnik ist das Ergebnis jahrelanger Forschung und Entwicklung. Amir Ziabari, Forscher am ORNL, sagte: “As Simurgh continues to evolve, it cements its role in X-ray CT imaging, revolutionizing the approach to analyzing complex components with enhanced efficiency, cost-effectiveness and safety.”
These advances pave the way for more efficient inspections and faster material qualification, a crucial step towards wider implementation of advanced reactors.
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