Business from technology

Materials performance in new energy technologies

Competence

Future nuclear energy concepts cover Fusion and plasma technology, Generation IV nuclear fission power plant concepts and technology development for materials performance testing under novel process environments and for future test reactor uses. VTT’s special competences are:

• Fusion and plasma technology
  
• Co-ordination of Finnish EU programme for fusion technology, co-operation with universities and industry.
  
• New fission energy concepts (GenIV), growing interest in SCWR, GFR and SFR concepts
  
• Materials engineering and materials performance under service stressors
  
• Materials testing and monitoring devices for high service requirements (innovative testing devices).
  
• JHR MTR (Jules Horowitz Materials Testing Reactor, CEA France) - Finnish contribution and technology project.
  

Challenges

Global challenges for future nuclear technologies aim at zero emission and high efficiency energy production and for the minimisation of spent nuclear fuel deposition needs. High reactor safety is the priority for all R&D work:

• Reactor materials performance under high neutron fluence (100 dpa) and the development of new radiation-resistant materials
  
• Compatibility of materials under high temperatures and high heat loads, and in novel coolant environments
  
• Development of monitoring technologies
  
• Modelling tools for materials long term service behaviour
  
• Modelling of edge plasmas and plasma-wall interactions
  
• Modelling and simulation of thermohydraulics and coupled neutronics for generation IV reactor development.
  

Solutions

• Participation in international test reactor consortium JHR MTR and related research programmes, development of innovative technologies for materials testing, part of national research infrastructures
  
• Participation in joint European fusion experiments (JET and AUG)
  
• Materials testing under neutron radiation in-reactor campaigns in BR2 test reactor at Mol (Belgium) in 2000-2008
  
• Participation in GenIV Euratom programmes HPLWR and GETMAT, and Euratom Fusion programme
  

Benefits

• Contributions to international agreements aiming at low emission energy production
  
• Building national knowledge on future nuclear energy technologies through participation in international networks and large programmes (Fusion and Gen IV)
  
• Building high-level research teams qualified for international programmes and large-scale energy research facilities,
  
• Training of future nuclear experts