NUclear COmponents Based on Additive Manufacturing

NUCOBAM aims at developing the qualification process and provide the evaluation of the in-service behaviour allowing the use of additively manufactured components in nuclear installation. Additive Manufacturing (AM) will allow nuclear industry (i) to tackle component obsolescence challenges and (ii) to manufacture and operate new components with optimised design in order to increase reactor efficiency and safety. NUCOBAM will conduct the required studies to implement AM process in nuclear design codes and standards to produce components for nuclear power generation equipment. The project will be based on two coupled strategies. The first part will consist of a collection of the physical, mechanical and microstructural characterization of the materials that result from AM process in order to establish a qualification and codification process. The second part will be dedicated to the evaluation of AM material behaviour in service, especially regarding main degradation mechanisms that occur in LWR (thermal ageing, irradiation…). Materials will be manufactured and some of them will be submitted to post-treatment (heat treatment or high isostatic pressure). The results will be analysed and compared with existing approved manufacturing processes by design codes. This work will lead to evaluate and deduce the main parameters required for specification. NUCOBAM will gather leading edge organisations able to pull the complementary expertise and capabilities mandatory to demonstrate the use of AM components in a nuclear installation. The consortium will thus involve electricity utilities, operating nuclear assets, component manufacturers, design owners, public service experts in nuclear and radiation risks as well as research and competence centres involved in mechanical assessment, metal powder qualification, metallurgical characterization, materials irradiation capabilities and nuclear power research.