Takeaway: If we talk about nuclear power, we're usually talking about it as a solution to our climate change problem, but at the same time it's a dangerous technology. Because of Fukushima and other nuclear accidents, nuclear power has always been associated with risks. There are currently 53 nuclear power plants under construction. Each build costs about $5 to $9 billion. In some cases, cost overruns doubled cost estimates. Now with interest rates rising, the cost of building a plant far exceeds that of other energy sources . Overall, however, nuclear power is a very efficient power generation technology that makes countries energy independent and independent of the weather. There are currently about 440 nuclear reactors in operation, and their maintenance is also a major business. So3D printingtechnology play in the field of nuclear power?
in the field of nuclear power 3D printing research
●The University of Pittsburgh looks at using additive manufacturing to improve manufacturing efficiency in the nuclear energy industry.
●GE and Hitachi have collaborated on a nuclear power project to reduce AM costs.
● At Purdue University, researchers are trying to 3D print microreactors.
● Desktop Metal 's printers are also used to print silicon carbide parts for Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC).
△ Impeller; 3D printed prototype; and the resulting 3D printed replacement part (Photo: Siemens )
● Siemens has installed at least one 3D printed part on a working nuclear power plant. The parts were first made in 2017 for Krško Nuclear Power in Slovenia Plant (NEK), these parts help reduce maintenance costs. Siemens' first component is a metal impeller with a diameter of 108 mm for a fire pump.
● Westinghouse also has 3D printed components for the reactor. When parts are expensive and critical, reducing assembly steps through 3D printing can significantly reduce costs.
●Idaho National Laboratory is also researching 3D printing safety testing and qualification equipment to make new parts faster and more cost-effective for the nuclear industry.
△32783D, CFCT Chemist Group: Andrew Breshears, Peter Kozak, Alex Brow
● Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory use 3D printing to improve the efficiency of nuclear fuel recovery. Scientists believe they can recover up to 97 percent of the spent fuel produced by nuclear reactors through the continuous ALSEP process. They used a lot of 3D printed parts in their designs, some of which were made on Formlabs desktop 3D printers . 3D printing increases the efficiency of fluid movement and allows more components to be integrated.
△These fuel assembly brackets, manufactured by ORNL in partnership with Framatome and the Tennessee Valley Authority, are the first 3D printed safety-related components to be inserted into a nuclear power plant.
●ORNL manufactured for TVA Components of a nuclear reactor. These components, manufactured in collaboration with Framatome, are safety-critical components. The assembly secures fuel passages to the boiling water reactor fuel assembly, the fuel passages surround the assembly and direct coolant through the fuel rods. ORNL Refractory metal electron beam melting technology is also used, as well as chemical vapor infiltration 3D Binder jetting of printing methods for 3D printing of reactor components. In addition, ORNL uses DED to manufacture nuclear reactor cores.
●In my country, researchers are using powder bed fusion to 3D print steel fusion reactor cladding components. Others are looking to optimize the core tritium production unit for fusion reactors using composition-optimized ceramic slurries, such as those made by Admatec or Lithoz .
△ Ceramic paste printing
3D printing can play an increasing role in the development of new generation fusion reactors. 3D printing technology can bring many advantages:
1. For example , parts integration and assembly costs are lower . Also, fewer assembly steps mean lower risk. Eliminating steps also means eliminating human error, and failures like fasteners, welding, brazing, and glue don't happen.
2. Fluid transport can be optimized by making highly complex internal channels that direct the flow of the fluid , slow it down, speed it up, or heat and cool the fluid more efficiently. Weight can also be reduced by 3D printing. Because every cubic centimeter of space we save in a nuclear reactor means we use less steel and concrete to wrap it around. This can have a huge impact on construction projects. We also save money when developing and manufacturing new parts.
3. Optimised surface shapes or component properties can also have a huge impact on the life cycle of the plant and its efficiency. All 440 currently in existence The number of aging parts is also high in the factory. Nuclear power plants and other power plants also have many impellers and turbines, and 3D printing is particularly well suited for making these parts. Nuclear energy also uses many hard materials that are difficult to manufacture through curing processes, as well as a large number of materials that are often difficult to manufacture. On the whole, the application of 3D printing in the nuclear industry is still relatively small. The nuclear industry is an area that is currently neglected and should receive more attention!
