Neutron irradiation damage modelling of interface strengthened ferritic superalloys for high temperature fusion applications

该项目由英国原子能机构Culham聚变能源中心支持，将探索一种新型钢的辐照损伤，这种钢通过添加Ni和Al来增强，从而产生沉淀，从而可以调整与铁基体的界面性能。析出物使这些高温合金钢能够在比现有钢高得多的温度下工作，其行为类似于燃气轮机中使用的镍基高温合金。这对于像DEMO这样的聚变反应堆来说是至关重要的，在这些反应堆中，现有的钢既不能承受高温，也不能承受强烈的中子损伤。我们假设，在原子尺度上，沉淀-基体界面也可以作为缺陷（如由辐照损伤产生的空位）的吸收槽，从而有助于提高辐射耐受性。该项目将使用、测试和开发Fe-NiAl系统的现有原子势，并将使用分子动力学级联模拟辐照。这项工作将与伯明翰大学正在进行的实验项目一起进行，学生也有望与他们在Culham聚变能源中心的工业主管进行密切的互动。

This project supported by UKAEA at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy will explore irradiation damage in a new class of steels strengthened by additions of Ni and Al to create precipitates where the interfacial properties with the Fe-matrix can be tuned. The precipitates allow these superalloy steels to operate at much higher temperatures than current steels, with behaviours similar to Ni-based superalloys used in the gas turbines. This will be crucial for fusion reactors, such as DEMO where current steels will neither be able to survive the high temperatures or the intense neutron damage. We hypothesise that at the atomic scale the precipitate-matrix interfaces can also be useful for imparting radiation tolerance by acting as sinks for defects such as the vacancies created by the irradiation damage. The project will use, test and develop existing atomic potentials for the Fe-NiAl systems and irradiation will be simulated using molecular dynamics cascades. This work will be alongside experimental projects being run at the University of Birmingham and the student is also expected to have strong interactions with their industrial supervisors at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy.