Structural integrity of the graphite cores in the UK AGR

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• Professor James Marrow, Oxford University
• Thursday 31 January 2013, 16:30-18:00
• Cambridge University Engineering Department, Lecture Room 6.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Jo Boyle.

One of the factors that may affect the operating lifetime of the UK Advanced Gas Reactors (AGR) is the ageing of the neutron-moderating graphite core; the combined effects of neutron irradiation and radiolytic oxidation gradually change the material properties of the graphite. The continued operation of the reactors relies on a sound understanding of these changes and their consequences, supported by regular monitoring and inspection to verify the conservatism of the predictive models. The methodology is multi-scale, from the physics of graphite crystals to the behaviour of the entire reactor core; the talk will describe some of the elements of this methodology, using current research on the mechanical properties of graphite structures (strength, toughness, stiffness) as an example.

This talk is part of the Engineering Department Nuclear Energy Seminars series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Cambridge Energy Seminars
• Cambridge University Engineering Department, Lecture Room 6

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