Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/M019446/1
Title:	Advanced structural analysis for the UK nuclear renaissance
Principal Investigator:	Coules, Dr HE
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	EDF
Department:	Mechanical Engineering
Organisation:	University of Bristol
Scheme:	EPSRC Fellowship
Starts:	30 November 2015	Ends:	29 November 2018	Value (£):	289,499
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Energy - Nuclear
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 23 Feb 2015 Eng Fellowship Interviews Feb 2015 Announced 03 Dec 2014 Engineering Prioritisation Panel Meeting 3rd December 2014 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Nuclear power reactors contain large steel pressure vessels and high-pressure pipework which must be carefully designed and regularly inspected when they are service to guarantee safety. When a reactor is operating, these systems are loaded not just by internal pressure, but also by thermal stresses which arise from temperature gradients, and by residual stresses which are 'locked-in' during construction. Thermal and residual stresses are often termed 'secondary' stresses and they are generally more difficult to measure and predict than the stresses which result from directly applied forces. Often, this means that parts which are in fact safe are pre-emptively taken out of service due to secondary stress concerns, incurring large costs in addition to plant downtime. In this project, new techniques will be developed to accurately predict how complex and multi-axial secondary stresses in components behave as they are further stressed in-service. This will require the development of a generalised mathematical framework to describe multi-axial stress relaxation, along with new computational methods to enable the analysis of complicated real-world structures. The predictive accuracy of the new analysis techniques will be tested in a series of experiments using neutron and synchrotron diffraction to observe how residual stresses deep inside metallic components change as they are subjected to changing external loads. The analysis techniques developed during this project will be integrated with existing structural integrity assessment procedures, allowing them to be readily used in industry, and leading to cheaper and more reliable power plants.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.bris.ac.uk