Development of microstructural simulation tools for fusion materials

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A key limitation in the advancement of nuclear fusion technologies is the development of materials for critical reactor components capable of withstanding enormous heat fluxes and stresses during service. To accelerate the materials development process, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has undertaken a large-scale modelling research effort to predict the response of these materials under extreme conditions and have identified an urgent need for new material models at the microstructural scale. During your PhD, you will develop these microstructural modelling capabilities for the fusion community with a multi-physics framework that is flexible, adaptable and user-friendly. The framework development will be driven by specific materials problems spanning the extremes of fusion materials: the effect of cyclic high heat flux on deformation in refractory W and the effect of evolving precipitation on the mechanical properties of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys. You will start by using full-field crystal plasticity and precipitation modelling to assess the dependence of plasticity on temperature and solute diffusion during the over-aging of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys while in service. Later, this will be combined with thermally activated dislocation-driven models for non-Schmid effects in BCC crystals to address the problem of cyclic heat loads and secondary stresses that develop in pure W during service.Local stresses (right) and strains (mid) mapped onto the deformed configuration of the 30% cold-rolled and recrystallized representative volume element (left). Crystal plasticity simulations performed using DAMASK. This work will be performed using the DAMASK simulation kit (damask.mpie.de), and you will have the opportunity to contribute to its development. You will work closely with other PhD students and senior researchers, using their data to help develop new models and obtain materials parameters. You will also have access to high-performance computing facilities at the University of Manchester and national facilities