Samantha Gateman with copper samples used to examine possible corrosion in nuclear waste containers.Supplied
Western University is using advanced research to strengthen nuclear safety
Hamidreza Abdolvand and Samantha Gateman are spearheading efforts to ensure the safety of small modular reactors (SMRs), which are heralded as the future of nuclear energy.
SMRs, more compact and typically safer than their traditional counterparts, represent a significant advancement in nuclear reactor technology, generating about one-third of the power capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
Powering Ontario homes
The Ontario government is currently building four SMRs at the Darlington Nuclear Station in Bowmanville. Expected to come online between 2034 and 2036, these new SMRs will produce a total 1,200 megawatts of electricity, equivalent to powering 1.2 million Ontario homes.
“About 60 per cent of electricity in Ontario already comes from nuclear reactors, which is close to 15 per cent of the electricity for all of Canada. Nuclear energy is here to stay, and we need to ensure the safe disposal of the fuel once it is used,” says Dr. Gateman, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) Research Chair at Western.
Samantha Gateman“ About 60 per cent of electricity in Ontario already comes from nuclear reactors, which is close to 15 per cent of the electricity for all of Canada. Nuclear energy is here to stay, and we need to ensure the safe disposal of the fuel once it is used.
Nuclear Waste Management Organization Research Chair, Western University
Hamidreza Abdolvand and Bolin Fu (PhD student) observing deformation behaviour of nuclear reactor materials live inside a scanning electron microscope.Supplied
Advancing long-term nuclear storage
Along with industry, government and university partners, Dr. Gateman is examining the effects of various used nuclear fuels from proposed SMR technologies on containers designed by NWMO to store nuclear waste from plants like Darlington.
The research project is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Alliance program and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
“At Western, we hold expertise in corrosion and materials degradation and have many of the specialized tools and equipment needed to puzzle all the pieces together and really understand what’s happening in terms of the long-term safety of disposing nuclear fuels,” says Dr. Gateman, a chemistry professor and expert in electrochemistry and corrosion science.
X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, used to identify the elements and their oxidation states that exist within the surface region of a material.Supplied
Ensuring greater safety in fuel particles
Dr. Abdolvand, Canada Research Chair in advanced materials for low-emission energies, studies the safe, short-term, real-time use of tri-structural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles in SMRs.
Traditionally used in the core of high-temperature, gas-cooled nuclear reactors, TRISO fuel particles consist of uranium, carbon and oxygen fuel kernels. The kernels are surrounded by layers of carbon- and ceramic-based materials that prevent the release of radioactive fission products.
Dr. Abdolvand and Dr. Robert Klassen, a Western mechanical and materials engineering professor, study the micromechanics of deformation and fracturing of non-radioactive substitute TRISO. They have launched a new project in partnership with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and funded by NSERC Alliance program and NSERC-NRCan.
“The way they’re designed for SMRs, TRISO fuels are inherently safe. At least, this is the expectation,” says Dr. Abdolvand, a mechanical and materials engineering professor and expert in deformation and failure of materials. “But the question is, how safe? This is what we want to see and test.”
Through computational modelling and experimental data analysis, the project will lead to a better understanding of how thermomechanical loads impact TRISO fuel safety and integrity, and could lead to improvements in reactor design and safety measures.
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