The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program's Materials Research pathway conducts research and development to understand long-term environmental degradation behavior and create technologies for its mitigation in key materials in nuclear power plants.
Understand and predict the long-term behavior of materials.
Provide data and methods to assess performance and damage mitigation options for systems, structures, and components essential to safe and economically sustainable nuclear power plant operations.
Deliver a sustainable business model that enables the US nuclear industry to remain cost competitive.
Research Areas
Reactor Pressure Vessels
Reactor Core and Primary Systems
Concrete Aging and Degradation
Cable Aging and Detection
Mitigation Methods and Technologies
Outcomes
Reduce uncertainty at extended operations Increase operational efficiencies
Assess potential damage at extended operations
Reduce inspections needs and outages
Reduce costs and improve reliability