Delayed hydride cracking of zirconium alloys

锆合金的延迟氢化物裂解

• 批准号: 386370-2010
• 负责人: McRae, Glenn
• 金额: $ 1.53万
• 依托单位: Carleton University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2010-01-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=463763
• 关键词: Delayed; hydride; cracking; zirconium; alloys

Delayed hydride cracking (DHC) is a failure mechanism of certain metals in which hydrogen precipitating as brittle hydride leads to cracking of the metal. This is a particular problem for zirconium alloys that are used as pressure boundaries and radioactivity boundaries in nuclear reactors. When failure of these boundaries occurs there are severe consequences for an operating nuclear reactor and also for the nuclear fuel, both during operation and later when the spent fuel is in long-term storage. Currently, safe operation with zirconium alloys is ensured by placing limits on operating conditions based on empirical data for a limited number of experimental conditions. Models of DHC were developed over the years with the hope of enabling predictions of DHC under a wider range of conditions than can be experimentally measured. In the last five years the models used to explain the rates of DHC developed in the 80s and 90s have been critically questioned, and very recently the applicant et al. have shown that existing models to predict DHC velocity are based on faulty concepts and wrong assumptions. In addition, the applicant et al. have introduced a new model for DHC velocity that has successfully been used to predict a broad spectrum of experimental results; this is unprecedented and exciting, and incorporates a better understanding of the underlying physics. The goal of this proposal is to deepen this understanding while testing and developing further this new predictive model of DHC velocity. A reliable robust physical model of DHC will lead to better predictions of failures of zirconium components and, thus, improved safety for operating nuclear reactors and spent nuclear fuel in long-term storage.

延迟氢化物开裂（DHC）是某些金属的一种失效机制，其中氢以脆性氢化物的形式沉淀，导致金属开裂。 对于在核反应堆中用作压力边界和放射性边界的锆合金来说，这是一个特殊的问题。 当这些边界发生故障时，无论是在运行期间还是在乏燃料长期储存期间，都会对正在运行的核反应堆以及核燃料造成严重后果。 目前，锆合金的安全操作是通过基于有限数量的实验条件的经验数据对操作条件进行限制来确保的。 DHC 模型多年来不断发展，希望能够在比实验测量更广泛的条件下预测 DHC。 在过去五年中，用于解释 80 年代和 90 年代发展的 DHC 比率的模型受到了严重质疑，最近申请人等人。已经表明，预测 DHC 速度的现有模型基于错误的概念和错误的假设。 此外，申请人等人。引入了一种新的 DHC 速度模型，该模型已成功用于预测广泛的实验结果；这是前所未有的、令人兴奋的，并且包含了对基础物理的更好理解。 该提案的目标是加深这种理解，同时进一步测试和开发这种新的 DHC 速度预测模型。 可靠稳健的 DHC 物理模型将能够更好地预测锆部件的故障，从而提高核反应堆运行和长期储存乏核燃料的安全性。