Research for a greener tomorrow

from The Complete Engineer - Fall 2015

by Yorkminster Stakeholder Communications

Raising the speed limit on the information highway

The new $17.5-million Reactor Materials Testing Laboratory (RMTL), which opened on September 1, gives researchers a rare opportunity to study how materials behave under conditions like those in the core of a nuclear power reactor. The goal is to better understand and predict the behaviour of materials in reactors, which can help to improve the safety, efficiency and longevity of nuclear power plants as a source of low carbon emission electricity.

Professor Mark Daymond gives a tour of the RMTL.

The project originated in 2008 with Dr. Rick Holt, now Professor Emeritus. The RMTL has a powerful proton accelerator, which is used to generate damage inside materials found in the reactor core, such as zirconium and nickel-based alloys. It also includes state-of-the-art TEM and SEM (transmission and scanning electron microscopy) tools for characterization of the materials. “The experiments are done in situ, inside the accelerator beam, to simulate the conditions within a reactor and investigate how materials respond when you mix irradiation with stress, temperature and/or a corrosive environment. We want to understand the dynamics of these interactions and their impact on materials to help prolong the lives of nuclear reactors,” says Dr. Mark Daymond, director of the RMTL, NSERC/UNENE Industrial Research Chair in Nuclear Materials, Canada Research Chair in Mechanics of Materials, and professor in the Queen’s Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

Nearly 60 per cent of electricity in Ontario is generated by nuclear power, and internationally there is a continued investment in nuclear power. “Utilities are looking for opportunities to make improvements. We work closely with “ ” It’s a unique facility in Canada, with an unusual suite of equipment that allows people to do science they can’t really do in other places. industry partners and will be studying new materials to see if they last longer under these conditions and can improve the lifespan and efficiency of reactors,” says Dr. Daymond.

Research at the facility, which was made possible with the generous support of the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, is also contributing to a safe environment for people working in the nuclear power industry. “We’re collaborating with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) on a project to help improve monitoring of radiation through the development of better detectors,” says Dr. Daymond.

The RMTL is sure to attract researchers and graduate students from across Canada and around the world. “It’s a unique facility in Canada, with an unusual suite of equipment that allows people to do science they can’t really do in other places. There is an opportunity for graduate students and post-docs to do experiments that few others can attempt and meet with collaborators from around the world, which is an immense advantage for their future careers,” says Dr. Daymond.