INcreasing safety in NPPs by Covering gaps in Environmental Fatigue Assessment - focusing on gaps between laboratory data and component SCALE

The objective is to continue work, advancing ability to predict lifetimes of Nuclear Plant components when subjected to Environmental Assisted Fatigue loading. Over the five years proposed for INCEFA-SCALE, EPRI in the USA is leading a series of component scale environmental fatigue tests. These are expected to advance data availability significantly; however, advances in addressing transferability of laboratory scale tests to real component geometries and loadings will still be constrained by limited test data. This knowledge gap is recognised worldwide as significant.

INCEFA-SCALE will generate significantly increased understanding of the transferability of laboratory scale test data to component scale. The project strategy will be (1) the development of comprehensive mechanistic understanding developed through detailed examination of test specimens and MatDB data mining, and (2) testing focussed on particular aspects of component scale cyclic loading. Examples of tests possible include, uniaxial specimens with notches (to address complex loads), membrane tests (to address biaxiality), thermo-mechanical tests (to address thermal cycling and thermal gradient effects), and complex wave tests (to address real plant transient effects). The project will begin by “data mining” to extract maximum understanding from the vast amount of test data within JRC’s MatDB database (from the predecessor INCEFA-PLUS project, and from other external sources such as USNRC, EPRI, MHI and the AdFaM project). In parallel the test program needs will be agreed. Testing will commence after one year and run for 3 years. Finally, the project will deliver guidance on use of laboratory scale data for component scales.

Industrial support, is demonstrated by over €3M matching funds and positive endorsements from EPRI, ENEN and NUGENIA. EC support will enable maximum consistency and coordination of testing and assessment.