| Project summary |
Generation IV (Gen-IV) nuclear fission technology aims at the development of more sustainable nuclear power, including better utilization of uranium resources, minimization of radioactive waste, as well as improved economics and safety.
In the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) maintaining European competitiveness in fission technologies and the development of Gen-IV reactors is a priority for the long-term energy planning. Challenges for materials selection for Gen-IV nuclear reactors are related to maximization of the nuclear fuel efficiency and minimization of the disposed wastes. Furthermore, the challenges are identification and development of materials and alloys that can safely operate under the corresponding environmental conditions present in Gen-IV reactors. Other issues include reactor physics, dynamics and diagnostics, core and fuel design. The thermal-hydraulic design is also important, as well as questions of reactor safety, waste disposal and infrastructure in the form of experimental facilities and in the form of personnel competence.
A Nordic network, NOMAGE4, that brings together students, scientist and experts from the Nordic countries working with Generation IV issues has been initiated by Studsvik and VTT in 2009 within a collaborative NKS and Vattenfall project. The activities of the first year have been summarized in a report that is available for the network members on our website (available also on NKS website).
In 2010, a Gen-IV seminar was organized by GEN4FIN and VTT in Lappeenranta, Finland, between 30.09.2010 - 01.10. The network was welcomed by the European Commission and was mentioned as an exemplary network with representatives from industries, universities, power companies and research institutes. NOMAGE4 has been invited to participate to the "European Energy Research Alliance, EERA, workshop for nuclear structural materials" as external observer.
In 2011, a NOMAGE4 seminar is organized to take place at Halden between 31.10.2011- 01.11. In this seminar, Gen-IV experts from outside the Nordic countries (Belgium, France,The Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, USA, Algeria) will be present as well, showing increased interest in this network and its activities. Participants will have the possibility to visit the reactor site, the hot cells and the workshops.
Over the years, the number of organizations (institutions, universities and other interested parties) that are represented in the network has increased, now comprising 27 organizations from Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. We have totally about 100 network members from which about 40 members are PhD students at Nordic universities. The network has a website www.studsvik.com/Generation_IV. Presently, the partners are IFE, VTT, Studsvik Nuclear and Risų DTU.
In 2012, the seminar is planned to be organized by Risų DTU.
The network has shown its usefulness in bringing together different universities, institutes, and companies, to share knowledge and to make the existing facilities (hot cells, the Low Radioactive Materials laboratory, the Corrosion and Water Chemistry Laboratory at Studsvik, the supercritical water loop facility at VTT, and the Halden reactor) better known to all the network members. One of the key strengths of the NOMAGE4 network is that it encompasses research for the different generation IV reactor concepts (sodium-cooled, lead-cooled, supercritical water, etc.), thereby compensating for the strongly focussed research in some countries on one particular reactor concept. Some aspects, such as instrumentation and protective coatings are of interest to all the GenIV concepts and also for the present generation of reactors.
Besides the yearly seminars, various small meetings have resulted in an increased level of collaboration between universities and institutes. The network has stimulated the interest for Generation IV reactors, not only among the experts, but also towards the general public. Besides the pure networking and knowledge sharing function, material research has been actively going on as part of the NOMAGE4 network. As an example, instrument development as well as the testing of various coatings has been performed by IFE, in collaboration with VTT and KTH. Another example is the collaboration between Risų DTU and IFE on the design of a heat exchanger for a supercritical water loop, by means of a 6 month internship of a French student.
It has become clear over the last years that the NOMAGE4 network is no longer limited to materials research but that it encompasses all aspects of Gen-IV research, including fuel, reactor physics, heat transfer, safety, waste, etc. Therefore, the name "Nordic Nuclear Materials Forum for Generation IV reactors" (NOMAGE4) no longer describes its real content or mission. The network will therefore be renamed into "Nordic-Gen4" as this emphasises better the Nordic aspect as well as the more general Gen-IV aspects. Furthermore, a new website will be made, building onto the existing one, with the domain name www.nordic-gen4.org. This website will be made such that it eases the organization of the yearly seminars (organized each year by a different participant). On-line registration will for instance be one of the important new features.
For the continuation, our main aims will be to ensure the understanding of Gen-IV possibilities and benefits within the Nordic countries and to enhance the Nordic cooperation as well as to define a roadmap to assure the sustainability of this network. It will be attempted to increase also the experimental work within Nordic-Gen4 at the different institutes, universities and companies. Inspiring young people to Gen-IV related R&D is also important as well as the build-up of competence. The results will be used to enhance new project ideas for international programs, e.g., Euratom FP7, calls with a strong Nordic partnership. |
NKS-R 