Information about the project

↓Description          ↓Goals          ↓Impact         ↓Target        ↓Structure         ↓Work_packages        ↓Advisory_Board

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

  • The main scope of the DELISA-LTO project is the implementation of the non-destructive monitoring and/or testing, validation of this approach on the materials from the real plant operation with well-described operation history and supported by simulation and modeling with straight influence on the design phase of the component.

  • One of the main contributions of the project is to ensure a safe, predictable and reliable long-term operation. The outputs of the project will lead to the increase of operational safety over the lifetime and LTO period due to the in-time prediction and avoiding the potential failure.

  • This is joined with the composition of the consortium –the local distribution of the project partners covers all regions operating VVER and the investment in the safety of this technology, using the best practices and deep knowledge base will increase the safety level in the EU region as well as Ukraine to provide the maximized contribution to the European community.

  • Achieved experimental results will have a great potential to provide strong
    tool/ evidence     in process of estimation of the added values of these new eddy current inspection methods to operators and inspection vendors.

  • The summarized elaborated recommendations for improving the guidelines proposals will be taken to the regulatory authorities, discussed with the End-User Group, safety authorities and standardization bodies and proposed to outcomes for dissemination activities.

GOALS OF THE PROJECT

  • To develop the tool for the assessment of the prolongation of the lifetime of the LWR NPPs and to propose the industrial implementation of the selected NDT techniques to the nuclear power plants.

  • To propose the methodology of the qualification of materials/components for the design life extension.

  • To provide the international benchmark on swelling modeling. This project goal was specifically selected to harmonize the procedures and explicitly assess the relevancy between the used tool and assess the applicability to the VVER units with a link to other LWR technologies.

  • To provide the set of recommendations for future LTO-related assessments in general based on the main project outputs –specifically for the detection of swelling and thermal aging by the NDT.

  • To harmonize the national methodologies and techniques in order to obtain the generally acceptable set of recommendations for the assessment of the swelling and thermal aging from the (not only) LTO point of view.

PROJECT IMPACT

Societal impacts

The project results will be applied for safer are more effective long-term operation of NPPs, which besides the economic effect maintains workplaces that would be lost in the case of premature closure of plants. A laboratory that will host the databank of extracted samples and process all data from the project will create several workplaces and provide work to several young professionals.

Economic impacts

Material data from the project will serve for the improvement of lifetime management and efficiency of operating units and optimization of LTO programs, including identification of the available margins in the operation of NPP equipment, which are items with a positive economic impact on the operation of NPPs.

Scientific impacts

In the scientific field, the proposed project will provide information necessary for the development of new, more exact models and tools for predicting material behavior on NPP operation. The databank of collected material samples and their properties will serve as a unique source of information for any future material problems involving VVER units beyond the national borders, and also for academic research and education of university students in the nuclear field.

Environmental impacts

Nuclear power technologies are low carbon technologies and the replacement of fossil energy sources with nuclear reduces CO2 emissions. Extended operation of the existing nuclear units will maintain a higher ratio of low-carbon energy sources in Europe’s energy mix. The proposed project is one of the measures that support the operation of NPPs beyond their design lifetimes and hence contributes to the production of clean energy.

TARGET GROUP

General public

The main impact of the project is to enable the safe prolonged operations of the NPPs –ensuring the stable and effective energy source to support the sustainable development of society.

Operators

The increase of the monitoring level due to the implementation of the NDT methods – can be easily employed for continuous monitoring of the characteristics of interest. The continuous reporting contributes to the shortening of the planned maintenance shutdowns –which has a positive influence on the economical balance of the plant.

Regulators

The NDT monitoring gives continuous information about the integrity of the selected components. The proposed solution of the validated non-destructive tool brings the regulators the tool for future decisions about the safe LTO.

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

WORK PACKAGES

WP1 - Project management
(leader CVŘ )

WP1 is dedicated to project coordination and managing all internal activities, i.e. planning of the project meetings, technical coordination of the project with the assistance of the Project Management Board, communication between Partners and communication with the European Commission. WP1 monitors tasks with respect to the overall management of the project and the technical progress of the works.

WP2 - Methodology and assessment
(leader VUJE)

WP2 collects the project Partners' wide experience and knowledge of the degradation of primary circuit components in VVER units and the skills in the testing of their material change. The goal of WP 2 is to indicate the most critical components and their parts in order for long-term operation and to propose the methodology of material tests.

WP3 - Simulation and modelling
(leader SSTC)

WP3 includes modelling and simulation of swelling and thermal ageing with the aim of understanding and predicting the behaviour of materials and components with different mechanical properties in different operational conditions and states that may change over time during long-term operation.


WP4 - Experimental validation and tests
 (leader UJV)

The goal of the WP4 is to create a solid and reliable basis of experimental data to evaluate of thermal ageing of materials during NPP operation. Results from the experiments will be used for the detailed assessment of degradation mechanisms' effects on selected structural NPP materials and for the determination of impact on current LTO procedures and methodologies.

WP5 - Synthesis of the guidelines
 (leader EK)

The goal of WP5 is to analyze existing safety guidelines for available materials that could affect safe long-term operation expected for 60+ years. Based on the theoretical knowledge processed in WP2, the model and simulation data in WP3 and the experimental results from WP4, improving recommendations for procedures and techniques of testing and sample preparation will be formulated and submitted to authorities and vendors.

WP6 - Dissemination, education and training
(leader STUBA)

WP6 includes the dissemination and exploitation of results to the general public and professionals, which is an important issue within the project implementation. WP6 will also support to transfer of knowledge to a new generation of technicians through effective education, training and organizing of workshops.

Advisory Board

  • representative of  EDF – representing SNETP/NUGENIA

  • representative of CIEMAT –representing EERA JPNM

  • representative of EPRI

  • representative of IAEA

Technology Transfer Board
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