NUCOBAM European project: NUclear COmponents based on additive manufacturing

Abstract

NUCOBAM is an EU-funded project that aimed at developing the qualification process and providing the evaluation of the in-service behaviour allowing the use of Additively Manufactured (AM) components in a nuclear installation. Once qualified, the use of AM allows nuclear industry to tackle component obsolescence challenges and to manufacture and to operate new components with optimized design in order to increase reactor efficiency and safety. To make this ambition a success, NUCOBAM conducted studies to implement AM process in nuclear design codes and standards to manufacture nuclear reactor components. The project was based on two coupled strategies: the first part consists of a collection of the physical, mechanical, and microstructural characterization of the materials from four manufacturers that result from the AM process (using four heat treatments) in order to establish a qualification and codification process. The second part is dedicated to the evaluation of AM material behaviour in-service, especially regarding main degradation mechanisms that occur in Light Water Reactors (LWR) (thermal ageing, irradiation). Materials are manufactured and some of them submitted to post-treatment (heat treatment or high isostatic pressure). This work allows manufacturers and designers to evaluate and deduce the main parameters required for specification. The project participants involved electricity utilities, operating nuclear assets, component manufactures, design owners, public service experts in nuclear and radiation risks as well as research and competence centres involved in mechanical assessment, metal powder qualification, metallurgical characterization, materials irradiations capabilities and nuclear power research.