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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/L504701/1
Title: Advancement of Castings in the Nuclear Supply Chain
Principal Investigator: Palmiere, Professor E
Other Investigators:
Wynne, Professor BP
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Materials Science and Engineering
Organisation: University of Sheffield
Scheme: Technology Programme
Starts: 01 July 2013 Ends: 30 June 2015 Value (£): 179,963
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Energy - Nuclear
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd (SFIL) is a World leader in the production of cast recirculation pump casings

(RPC) for nuclear power stations, and this application is closely aligned with the 'Materials and Modelling' and 'Advanced

Manufacturing & Construction' technical themes. SFIL wants to enter the Eastern European market for civil nuclear power

station components by offering a cast solution for the RPC to replace the current forged design. Successful qualification of

a cast design could result in orders of up to 12 castings per year and would establish a presence in the Eastern European

supply chain. The steel grades specified are new to the company, and a cast design for the RPC in these reactors is a

major technical challenge due to the large section sizes and current unknowns regarding the physical metallurgy of the

candidate alloys specified. There are questions concerning the castability of the candidate alloys, the optimum casting

methods that should be employed, the mechanical properties that can be achieved, welding procedures and the limits on

detectability of the non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. A collaborative R&D project with The Welding Institute (TWI)

and The University of Sheffield is proposed that will address these issues and deliver a proven cast RPC solution for this

new market.
Key Findings
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Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.shef.ac.uk