Advanced Nuclear Materials Design: Computational and Experimental Investigations

核电占英国电力生产的20%，是支持英国社会和经济的关键能源。安全核技术的发展是至关重要的，它取决于反应堆堆芯极端环境下材料的反应。在这里，中子轰击引起辐射损伤，改变了材料的微观结构，降低了材料的性能。结合哈德斯菲尔德大学的高性能计算（HPC）和世界一流的材料研究显微镜和离子加速器（MIAMI）设施，我们将确定非氧化物陶瓷对辐射损伤的响应。这类材料对未来的第四代核裂变反应堆具有特别重要的技术意义。这些研究将在中子轰击下对这些材料的结构变化提供原子水平的见解。这种互补模型和实验数据的结合将为非氧化物陶瓷的三维纳米结构的设计提供更大的抗辐射损伤弹性。最终目标是为具有从辐射损伤中恢复和适应能力的先进核材料的合成提供信息。

Nuclear power is a critical energy source to support UK society and economy as it accounts for 20% of UK electricity production. The development of safe nuclear technologies is of paramount importance and depends on the response of materials in the extreme environment of a reactor core. Here, neutron bombardment causes radiation damage which modifies the microstructure of materials and deteriorates their performance.Combining high-performance computing (HPC) and the world-class Microscopes and Ion Accelerators for Materials Investigations (MIAMI) facilities at the University of Huddersfield, we will determine the response of non-oxide ceramics to radiation damage. This class of materials is of particular technological importance for future Generation IV nuclear fission reactors. These investigations will deliver atom-level insights into the structural modification of these materials under neutron bombardment. This combination of complementary modelling and experimental data will feed into the design of 3D nanostructures of non-oxide ceramics with greater resilience to radiation damage. Ultimately the goal is to inform the synthesis of advanced nuclear materials with the ability to recover from and accommodate radiation damage.