NTW Exploratory Workshop, 19th March 2014, Brussels
"Ageing of nuclear power plants: a threat to nuclear safety?"
Related Issues:
Ageing of human know-how, design and technology
What does the JRC do in this respect?
Peter Hhner
DG JRC, Institute for Energy and Transport
Petten, NL
Established in
1957
7 institutes in 5
countries
991 scientific
publications in 2013
1360 documents in support
to EU policies
in 2013
provides support to European Union policies
and technology innovation to ensure sustainable, safe,
secure and efficient energy production, distribution and
use and to foster sustainable and efficient transport
in Europe
Petten (NL)
Ispra (IT)
Interdisciplinary Study
Benefits and Limitations of
Nuclear Fission
for a Low-Carbon Economy
February 2013
Recommendation # 10:
The role of the Commissions Joint Research Centre as an EU centre for nuclear safety, safeguards and security science should be reinforced;
Consideration should be given to the JRC playing an active role in collecting and disseminating Euratom research results.
Content
Examples of JRC research into ageing mechanisms
Management of materials data from EU research
Ageing knowledge base
EHRO-N: HR monitoring in the nuclear field
ECVET: European Credit System for Vocational E&T
EU Stress Tests: JRC contribution
Corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking in LWR environments Materials degradation depends on a hierarchy of interacting environmental factors: - temperature - mechanical stress - water chemistry - neutron irradiation
Recirculation loop with controlled water chemistry
With its state-of-the-art test installations JRC investigates corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking phenomena of reactor internals and fuel cladding materials.
Environmental mechanical testing at JRC
High Flux Reactor (HFR) - PSF LYRA-10:
A joint JRCNRG irradiation project
Is there accelerated RPV embrittlement due to Late Blooming Phases (LBP) appearing at high n fluence during long-term operation?
If yes, identify decisive factors for LBP - chemical composition - critical elements (Mn, Ni, Cr, Si) - initial microstructure (BM/WM, etc.)
High Flux Reactor in Petten
JRC investigates the microstructural damage processes in RPV base metals and welds under neutron irradiation to a relatively high fluence (LTO).
Materials under irradiation in LYRA-10
Model steels
12 batches
Fixed Mo (0,7%)
V (0% & 0.1%)
Si (~0.3% & 0.5%)
Ni (
FP7 Indirect Action Project MULTIMETAL:
Motivation: There is no experimental test standard
and no agreed numerical scheme for fracture resistance
assessment of dissimilar metal welds (DMW).
Objectives:
Develop a standard for experimental fracture resistance testing of DMW specimens.
Develop harmonized numerical procedures for toughness assessment of DMW.
JRC contributes to experimental and numerical benchmark exercises (pre-
normative research) for the development of best-practice recommendations for the
integrity assessment of DMW components.
Fracture resistance of different specimen types containing multi-metallic welds
Thermal fatigue (TF) is a degradation mechanism under complex loading conditions.
Instrumented pipe in an NPP
Thermal fatigue test installation at IET
X-ray CT scan of a TF test specimen
JRC has developed TF test methodologies to underpin the monitoring of real components through laboratory testing.
Knowledge Base for Ageing Mechanisms Research
In the frame of an MoU between JRC and GRS (Gesellschaft fr Anlagen und Reaktorsicherheit) development of an ageing knowledge base has been initiated building on the experience gained by GRS developing their AlmaMater system.
The content of the knowledge base will be based on critical reviews of the outputs of European research projects on the topic of aging of materials in the nuclear power sector.
The purpose of the knowledge base is threefold:
Expert system
Training and education
Consolidation of European research
JRC is conducting a feasibility study to identify the initial scope and system architecture: Aging mechanisms associated with specific NPPs Aging mechanisms associated with certain operational events Aging mechanisms in nuclear codes and guidelines
Migration of the PC-based IAEA Surveillance Database
to the web-enabled JRC-IET MatDB Online
https://odin.jrc.ec.europa.eu
40,000 data sets on RPV steel embrittlement from 190 reactor units
in 7 countries, mainly US, France, Korea
Transfer and data validation completed
JRC is currently working on
extending the MatDB data
evaluation tools library by
tools based on the
Master Curve Approach
(ductile-brittle transition).
Data Citation
Data citation provides a means to support the Horizon 2020 Open Data policy
by promoting sharing, aggregation and reuse of experimental data from
FP projects.
Test data are labelled by Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
Registries host metadata about data sets
Researchers are acknowledged in derivative works
Data citation promotes European research and innovation
Contributes to the generation of new knowledge
Guards against redundancy and the abundance of 'data silos'
JRC has enabled its MatDB Online to support data citation through
DataCite DOIs (digital object identifiers) in much the same way as
conventional publications are cited. This serves as a pilot to promote the
Open Data initiative under Horizon 2020.
ENEF WG Risk SWG Education and Training
Nuclear Human Resource Observatory Administrative Arrangement DG ENERJRC
2008
2009
2011
2009 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations
Article 7: Expertise and skills in nuclear safety
Member States shall ensure education and training relating to the nuclear safety of nuclear installations in order to maintain and to further develop expertise and skills in nuclear safety.
European Nuclear
Energy Forum
Bratislava - Prague
European Nuclear
Energy Forum
Bratislava - Prague
JRC Operating Agent of
EHRO-N Senior Advisory Group Members
ehron.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Website
Large-scale
retirements
Cross-border
recognition of skills;
mobility of
experts
Attracting
more students
Main Challenges
JRC puts into perspective the supply and demand of experts and their career expectations within the EU nuclear energy sector.
ECVET
European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training
Tool designed to make qualifications systems more easily understood and flexible
and to support more mobility for workers and learners throughout the EU
JRC as facilitator of its implementation
in the nuclear energy sector
From knowledge creation ....... to competence building
knowledge => skills & attitudes
REACTOR
VESSEL
INTERMEDIATE HEAT
EXCHANGER (IHX)
MODULE FUEL
STORAGE AREA
REACTOR CAVITY
COOLING SYSTEM
(RCCS) TANKSHEAT RECOVERY
STEAM GENERATOR
(HRSG)
GENERATOR
L.P. TURBINE
CONDENSERH.P./I.P. TURBINE
COMPRESSOR
GAS TURBINE
MAIN
TRANSFORMER
RCCS HEADERS
AND STANDPIPES
FUEL TRANSFER
TUNNEL
SECONDARY GASISOLATION
VALVES (TYPICAL)
SECONDARY
GAS BYPASS
CONDENSER
COOLING WATER
Graduate or young professional will no longer be asked:
What did you do to obtain your degree
(or your qualification)?
but rather:
What can you do
now that you have obtained your degree?
Emphasis on Learning Outcomes: competences as the ability to
apply knowledge, skills, attitudes
Report on ECVET implementation in the nuclear energy sector
of EU-27 & Croatia (October 2013)
Seminars for nuclear ECVET providers
Database and Expert System for employment and education;
Taxonomy in Design, Operation and Decommissioning (November
2013), comprising ~ 150 Job Descriptions and ~ 4000 LOs so far
ECVET Nuclear
JRC, through EHRO-N, facilitates and promotes the implementation
of a nuclear ECVET system.
The EU Clearinghouse for Operational Experience Feedback
OEF Clearinghouse
Centralized Office (JRC)
Coordination & Communication
Technical & Scientific work
OE knowledge repository
EU Safety Authorities
EU Technical
Support Organizations
IRSN, GRS
Bel-V
International
Community
IAEA
OECD-NEA
Members
Finland
Hungary
Lithuania
The Netherlands
Romania
Slovenia
Switzerland
Main deliverables:
-Topical reports
- Quarterly reports on events
- Improved draft IRS reports
+ Areva
Observers
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Slovakia
Spain
Observers
Czech Republic
Spain
Observers
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
JRC Role in the post-Fukushima
EU Stress Tests
Scientific Secretariat for the Stress Tests
Provision of 9 experts for the peer reviews
Participation to 3 Topical Peer-Reviews and
17 National Peer-Reviews
Answering 10 EP Questions
Contributing to the EC report to the Council
3000 pages of National Reports reviewed
www.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Serving society
Stimulating innovation
Supporting legislation
Joint Research Centre
The European Commissions in-house science service