Materials Issues In Modern Reactor Safety

Abstract

ABSTRACTNuclear power currently supplies about 20% of the nation's electrical power needs. The nuclear power industry is going through evolutions that will lead to greater efficiency and competitiveness. Many changes in the nuclear power industry are limited by materials issues. This paper discusses a representative range of the materials issues that are arising in the industry. Materials issues are associated with prolonged use of reactor fuel, extended operation of power plants and realistic analyses of power plant safety. The issues include questions of fuel stability at high burnups, metallurgical issues of fuel cladding, embrittlement of pressure boundaries, detecting and sizing flaws in steam generators and issues of environmental qualification of reactor control and instrumentation systems. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future of nuclear power and the continuing need for better materials for power plants.