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AMALIA, assessment of nuclear power plants core internals (EMMA)

The AMALIA laboratory is used in order to study the effect of environment on the mechanical performance and characterisation including life assessment and qualification of structural materials for present and next generation of nuclear systems. It...

Details

Status
Closed
Reference
2019-1-RD-EMMA-AMALIA
Publication date
2 February 2022 in Petten, The Netherlands
Opening date
Deadline model
Single-stage
Deadline date
31 January 2020, 01:00 (CET)

Description

The AMALIA laboratory, is part of the EMMA laboratories.

The EMMA laboratories provides the infrastructure for mechanical tests in ambient and corrosive environments from cryogenic to high temperatures at the macro and micro scales.

AMILIA is situated at the Joint Research Centre in Petten (the Netherlands), consists of 5 water loops for providing and analysing water for AMALIA autoclave test facilities.

The water loops include:

  • State of the art water chemistry sensors such as Conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen and hydrogen sensors.
  • Low and high pressure pump including the back pressure regulators and pulsation dampeners to provide water circulation and needed water pressure for test facilities.

The AMALIA water loops are connected to six autoclave testing systems:

  1. Autoclave 1 (max. temp. 360°C, max. pressure 200 bar) includes pneumatic bellows based loading device to conduct mechanical tests in environment such as: Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) Crack Growth Rate (CGR), Corrosion Fatigue (CF), Three Point Bend (3PB) or 0.5RC(T) Fracture Toughness Tests
  2. Autoclave 2 (max. temp. 360°C, max. pressure 200 bar) is primarily used for conducting electrochemistry based in-situ measurements of corrosion rate in particular for cladding materials: Zr-alloys or Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF). Alternatively the same loading devices as in 1) can be installed.
  3. Autoclave 3 (max. temp. 650°C, max. pressure 350 bar) is primarily used for conducting electrochemistry based in-situ measurements of corrosion rate in particular for cladding materials: Zr-alloys or Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF). Moreover. Corrosion and mechanical tests up to 650°C 25 MPa SCW can be performed. Alternatively the similar loading devices as in 1) can be installed.
  4. Autoclave 4 (max. temp. 650°C, max. pressure 350 bar) includes electromechanical loading device to conduct mechanical tests in water environment such as: Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) Crack Growth Rate (CGR), Corrosion Fatigue (CF), Three Point Bend (3PB) or 0.5RC(T) Fracture Toughness Tests. Corrosion and mechanical tests up to 650°C 25 MPa SCW can be performed. Alternatively Contact Electrical Resistance device for in-situ corrosion measurement up to 650°C 25 MPa SCW can be installed.
  5. Autoclave 5 (max. temp. 650°C, max. pressure 350 bar) includes pneumatic bellows based loading device to conduct mechanical tests in water environment such as: Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) Crack Growth Rate (CGR), Corrosion Fatigue (CF), Three Point Bend (3PB) or 0.5RC(T) Fracture Toughness Tests. Corrosion and mechanical tests up to 650°C 25 MPa SCW can be performed.
  6. Autoclave 6 (max. temp. 360°C, max. pressure 200 bar) includes three pneumatic loading devices to conduct mechanical tests in water environment such as: Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) Crack Growth Rate (CGR), Corrosion Fatigue (CF), Three Point Bend (3PB) or 0.5RC(T) Fracture Toughness Tests.
amalia-thumb.jpg

Priority topics of AMALIA

  1. Safety and reliability of nuclear components for current and future nuclear systems
  2. Support to the development and adaptation of European Codes and Standards
  3. Development of advanced test methods for material characterization
  4. Characterisation of mechanical properties of candidate and new corrosion-resistant high-temperature materials, incl. surface modifications and welded joints
  5. Prediction of design life of new materials, remaining life of service-exposed materials including welded joints subjected to operational conditions by mechanical tests, modelling and microstructural analysis.
  6. Characterization of tensile and creep properties using standard and sub-size specimen and small punch tests
  7. Characterization of ageing effects for key material properties.

Definition and conditions of access

The Amalia facilities can be continuously operated with duration depending on the test programme. The typical duration is 1-60 AUs. The latter is representative for performing a SCC initiation tests in high-temperature and pressure water with controlled oxygen or hydrogen content.
Up to three SCC initiation tests can be performed simultaneously in Autoclave 4. Otherwise only one test per autoclave is usually under way.
Moreover, corrosion tests (without any load) can be conducted as well with AUs extending 60.

  • Estimated total number of Access Unit allocated to the call: 40 AU
  • Average number of Access Unit per Project: 20 AU (corresponding to mechanical and corrosion tests in six Autoclaves)

Access Unit (AU) = 1 day

Options for the allocation of intellectual property rights:

  • The JRC and the entitled party (person or organisation that has been granted access) become co-owners in equal shares of all raw data, treated data and documentation data developed with respect to the access.

or, when the users run the Research Infrastructure

  • Raw data, treated data and documentation data will be solely owned by the entitled party. The JRC receives a non-exclusive, royalty free, unlimited and world-wide license to use (meaning in particular to access, exploit, adapt, merge, translate, copy and store) the raw data, processed data and documentation data in all fields of exploitation. Where relevant, the license will include all the data / information necessary to replicate the tests.

Eligibility criteria

Selection criteria

Any proposal will be scrutinised in accordance with weighted selection criteria such as:

  • Scientific implementation
  • Collaboration and access to new Users
  • Strategic relevance to the JRC
  • Strategic importance for Europe

How to apply

The proposal must be prepared by using the template given in Annex 3.1 of the Framework.

During preparation of the proposal, applicants are encouraged to:

The proposal should be submitted to JRC-RI-OPEN-ACCESSatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-RI-OPEN-ACCESS[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) by the closing date of the call.

Additional instructions: contact JRC-OPEN-AMALIAatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-OPEN-AMALIA[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) before or during the preparation of proposal on:

  • Material,
  • Test parameters,
  • Specimen geometry.
  • Specimens prepared by the user.

Communication of the assessment of proposals:2020-04-01 00:00:00

Related Content

Selection Criteria Background Documents

The 6 Priorities of the European Commission

JRC Thematic Focus Areas