Dr F Scenini, Prof G Burke
No more applications being accepted
About the Project
Boiling water reactors (BWRs) operates in high-purity water at temperatures up to 288oC in saturated steam and water at pressure ~70 Bar and most structural components and piping are made out of stainless steel thanks to their good strength and corrosion resistance properties.
However, when stainless steel corrodes in high temperature water, non-radioactive cobalt 59, which is an impurity in structural materials, is released into the water, gets activated and become radioactive Co-60. This Co-60 in the reactor coolant water can then be incorporated within the oxide film of the structural materials in the BWR and cause workers to be irradiated during inspection and maintenance.
To reduce occupational exposure of workers, water chemistry of coolant is adequately controlled and new build plants will probably apply on-line NobleChem (OLNC) with hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) in combination with zinc injection in the water to reduces the Co-60 incorporation and mitigate the corrosive behaviour of structural materials. However the mechanistic understanding of the Co incorporation in the oxide is not fully understood. Therefore the aim of this project is to develop a scientific understanding of the synergisms of different water chemistry treatments on oxide evolution so that the water chemistry of the next generation power plants can be optimized.
The project will be carried out at the Materials Performance Centre, part of the School of Materials and one the centres of the Nuclear Dalton Institute at the University of Manchester. The centre has extensive expertise in microstructural characterization, metallurgy, oxidation, and structural integrity of nuclear components and has a large number of state-of-the-art material characterization facilities and autoclaves for replicating nuclear environments. The successful candidate will acquire skills in materials performance and will become proficient in the materials and microstructural characterization, which include secondary electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and other advanced characterization techniques.
The project will also strongly benefit from the professional guidance and the significant expertise of the Hitachi Centre for Technology Innovation -Energy.
Hitachi Ltd. encourages the students to undertake an industrial placement which has the aim to enhance the student’s understanding of the subject of their PhD and give them the opportunity to put their research in context. It is therefore envisaged that the student will be offered the possibility to carry out an internship at Centre for Technology Innovation-Energy, Hitachi, Ltd. in Japan.
Advanced Metallic Systems Centre for Doctoral Training
The Advanced Metallic Systems CDT is a 4 year programme hosted jointly by the universities of Manchester and Sheffield building on their complimentary expertise and international reputations in materials science and engineering research. In year 1, students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds undertake taught courses in core materials topics. PhD research begins after 6 months. Our transferable skills and personal development programme leads to a Diploma in Professional Skills. Visit our website for more information www.metallicsCDT.co.uk.
Funding Notes
Applicants should have or expect to obtain a first class, upper second class or postgraduate masters degree (Merit or above) in Physics, Chemistry, Materials or Engineering. Please contact us if you wish to discuss your suitability for the programme.
The four-year studentship includes tuition fees and a minimum stipend of £16,777pa, supported by Hitachi and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.