China3D printingNet, May 19, the US Department of Energy (DoE) awarded QuesTek Innovations, a computational material design expert, a $1.1 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) second phase of funding.The company will use the funds to design and appraise new materials and3D printingProcess, especially for the development of future nuclear reactors.
QuesTek hopes that the Phase II project will produce a cost-effective method of manufacturing cold spray additives and use new compatible refractory alloys. These refractory alloys will be used as the surface layer of ASME-certified structural materials to provide nuclear reactors with improved corrosion resistance and temperature stability.
The company also works with3D printingMaterials developer Solvus Global and Professor Vilupanur Ravi of Cal Poly Pomona collaborated to use materials expertise to support the project.
QuesTek chief researcher Dr. Lu Pin explained: “Cold spray is one of the most effective and economical coating technologies that can greatly extend the service life of next-generation nuclear reactors. We are very pleased to have this opportunity to design our well-tested computational materials The method is applied to a novel high-performance cold sprayed refractory design, thereby improving economic feasibility and future clean energy performance.”
QuesTek has previously developed a high-temperature aluminum alloy for powder bed fusion. Picture from QuesTek.
Molten salt reactor
The project involves a very special type of nuclear fission reactor called Molten Salt Reactor (MSR). MSR is special in that they use molten salt mixture as the main fuel and/or nuclear coolant. Unlike typical light water reactors that usually operate at very high pressures, MSR can operate at atmospheric pressure. This means that they are generally smaller, cheaper, and safer because the risk of catastrophic explosions is reduced.
Another key feature of MSRs is that they do not release radioactive fission gases because they are naturally absorbed into molten salt. According to reports, this eliminates the risk of pollution of the surrounding land, which is a major safety hazard for wildlife and humans.
Unfortunately, ASME-certified materials used in MSR often lack salt corrosion resistance, which limits their potential for long-term clean energy applications. Therefore, there is a need for corrosion-resistant coatings-the challenge faced by QuesTek.
Molten salt reactor developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Picture from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Refractory alloys and cold spray
As part of the first phase of the project, QuesTek has designed a set of molybdenum-based alloys using its Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) technology.The material has been cold sprayed3D printingTests were carried out in the test, and the 316 stainless steel structure was successfully coated and its resistance to molten salt corrosion was improved. Now, the company will use its technology to explore other refractory alloy designs involving niobium, tungsten, and tantalum.
Dr. Aaron Birt, co-founder and CEO of Solvus Global, added: “Further development of functionally graded coatings applied by cold spray will facilitate the commercialization of key technologies. This project team combines the successful transfer of material solutions from the laboratory To all the key aspects required in the industrial sector, from modeling to mass production. We look forward to continuing to participate in the project and are ready to provide this material solution to the nuclear industry on a large scale.”
In the field of nuclear energy3D printing
With metal3D printingWith the advancement of materials research, additive manufacturing is being used more and more in nuclear applications. Earlier this year, 3D scientists from the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute printed a large safety valve with sufficient resistance characteristics to enable it to be used in a nuclear reactor.By putting3D printingCombined with CNC machining, the team is able to manufacture a 30kg faucet and is equipped with a set of complex internal cooling channels to make it reach the “level 1” nuclear safety level.
Elsewhere, Purdue University has previously received a $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate3D printingDevelopment of nuclear reactor cores.The project is led by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and aims to use Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology to build and launch the world’s first3D printingMicro reactor.
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