Researchers at ORNL built a rig that allows high-quality continuous imagery of critical components in complex testing environments.
Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US have devised a new method that allows first-of-its-kind optical measurement of commercially irradiated nuclear fuel cladding. This can help better understand how nuclear fuel cladding behaves under accident conditions, thereby improving safety.
With a focus on reducing emissions, nuclear energy is poised to make a major comeback. Unlike renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which only operate for a limited number of hours per day, nuclear energy can meet energy demands round-the-clock without releasing any carbon into the atmosphere. However, the use of nuclear energy on a large scale also brings its own set of problems. Concerns of radioactive waste as well as risks from accidents have forced countries to scale down their nuclear ambitions. The way forward is ensuring the improved safety of nuclear equipment. Complex to see nuclear fuel cladding under accidentNuclear energy facilities need a wide range of materials to operate. These are tested heavily before being incorporated into the final reactor design. Yet, nuclear facility accidents reveal areas that have been overlooked or properties of materials that cannot deliver 100 percent safety. One major reason for this shortfall is the complex testing environment for nuclear facilities. It is not possible to test all types of scenarios at a nuclear facility. For one, replicating an accident at scale is not feasible. Two: the test equipment cannot withstand the extreme conditions of a nuclear accident. In extreme environments with high heat and radiation, electronic components cannot withstand the heat or operate efficiently, thereby limiting data collection. Researchers at ORNL decided to overcome these challenges by building a camera system that can capture images in accident-like conditions. How did they do it? The ORNL team used their expertise in materials and nuclear science to modify a camera system to remotely capture high-quality photos of samples from outside a heavily shielded area, a press release said. The shielded area, known as a hot cell, protects the camera as it captures continuous images of samples. This new ability enabled the team to run simulations that would otherwise be impossible. On this occasion, the researchers simulated a loss-of-coolant accident, which is quite rare. The team built a rig to collect images during the simulation. The camera mounted on the rig collected high-quality images at four frames per second. Using Digital Image Correlation , the researchers captured detailed measurements of the cladding behavior during the simulated event. This is an important advance and a test of qualifying nuclear materials and fuel. “DIC gives us a clearer, more complete picture of what happens during these rare events,” said ORNL’s Mackenzie Ridley in the press release. “These measurements feed models that can refine and expand safety qualification parameters for high burnup and accident-tolerant fuel.”Knowing how nuclear fuel cladding behaves under accident conditions provides researchers with a fuller picture and will help in designing better materials for future nuclear reactors.
Camera Energy &Amp Environment Hot Cell Inventions And Machines Nuclear Energy Nuclear Fusion Nuclear Safety Oak Ridge National Laboratory Testing Environments
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Researchers increasingly distinguish between lifespan and healthspan.Living well longer should be the real goal of longevity. The secret to a life well lived goes beyond our biomarkers.
Read more »
Spanish researchers develop low-cost artificial cornea from fish scalesResearchers at Spain's University of Granada have developed an artificial cornea made from the scales of several fish species commonly found in markets.
Read more »
Florida facing ‘demographic cliff’ as deaths outpace births, researchers sayFlorida’s population boom has defined the state for years, but new data suggests another trend is emerging: The state isn’t just growing — it’s aging.
Read more »
Researchers Create a Nanoengineered Light Sail That Won't MeltTraditional chemical rockets, though they are the most commonly used propulsion method for space exploration today, are beholden to the tyranny of the rocket equation.
Read more »
How news researchers investigated Iran school strikePresident Donald Trump blamed Iran for a missile strike that hit a girls’ school and killed 175 people. Using open-source intelligence, news organizations and researchers analyzed footage contradicting that.
Read more »
Nearly half of seniors improve with age — and researchers think they know whyFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »