For release: August 13, 2001
Contacts:
R. Bruce Thompson, CNDE Director, (515)294-7864
Norio Nakagawa, CNDE, (515) 294-9741
Mary Jo Glanville, IPRT Public Affairs, (515) 294-5635
AMES LAB RESEARCHERS SEEK TO ENSURE SAFETY OF FUTURE NUCLEAR REACTORS
New sensor systems will continuously monitor structural integrity
AMES, Iowa – A research project proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory to help ensure the safety of future nuclear power systems is being awarded $940,000 funding for a three-phase project under the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative. The DOE NERI program supports innovative, investigator-initiated research and development to advance next-generation nuclear technologies. Only 13 out of 145 projects were selected to receive funding.
The Ames Lab project, On-Line Nondestructive Evaluation for Advanced Reactor Designs, will receive $300,000 for the first phase projected to start on October 1. Norio Nakagawa, physicist in the Iowa State University Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, will lead the research team that includes R. Bruce Thompson, CNDE director; Feyzi Inanc, CNDE engineer; and collaborators from Westinghouse Electric.
"Energy sources for the future is a very timely topic, and we are excited to be working with one of our corporate sponsors to examine ways to ensure safety in the design of new energy systems," said Thompson, who also is director of Ames Laboratory’s Nondestructive Evaluation Program. This project links Ames Laboratory and CNDE expertise in research of inspection systems with the practical perspective of a company that is on the cutting edge of nuclear reactor technology, he explained.
The DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology has encouraged wide-ranging discussion on the design of next generation nuclear energy systems known as Generation IV. The long-term goal is one or more systems designed and certified by 2030.
"Our project is to develop sensor systems to implant into the nuclear power system itself to continuously monitor the structural integrity while the system is operating," Nakagawa said. On-line inspection and monitoring are necessary to take advantage of projected extended refueling intervals in Generation IV systems.
Nondestructive evaluation advanced measurement techniques, including electromagnetic, ultrasonic and radiation detectors, will be used in the monitoring system. As the system concept is developed, the researchers will use physics-based simulation models to evaluate and characterize performance. These models will provide information essential to designers as they develop and modify plans for the next generation of nuclear reactors, according to Nakagawa.
Ames Laboratory is operated for the DOE by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new materials. The Center for Nondestructive Evaluation and Ames Lab are members of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology, a network of research and technology-transfer centers and industrial-outreach programs at Iowa State University.
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