The Use of Accelerator Techniques to Study Irradiation Damage

Abstract

AbstractThe modification of microstructure and the concomitant changes in mechanical properties associated with irradiation damage in zirconium are described, with reference to the CANDU™ reactor. The engineering problems arise from irradiation-induced deformation of the fuel channel components, comprising the pressure tubes and the calandria tubes. To ensure a useful lifetime for these components, the design engineer must have accurate, predictive, design equations that relate plastic strain to the major variables. The design equations rely on an empirical data base. However, extrapolations beyond the envelope of such data depend on a knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. Recent developments in the understanding of these are briefly reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the recent development of experimental techniques based on the use of an accelerator as a source of irradiation. Thus, at the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment, a dedicated 5 MeV Van de Graaff accelerator, operating primarily in the p...