Deadline: January 29, 2021

TechConnect’s client, The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), seeks immediate expressions of interest from individuals or organizations with innovative solutions or expertise to enable flanged connections between components in next-generation nuclear power systems.

All solutions, including novel flange designs, materials of construction (e.g., alloys, cladding, etc.), and the capabilities to design and evaluate suitable solutions are of interest.

background:

Historically, power utilities have designed nuclear plants to last for 40-80 years of use. They designed systems to last as long as possible and be permanent for the life of the plant. Now, the nuclear community is considering a new design paradigm—to reduce overall lifecycle costs by enabling replacement or refurbishment of systems and components that have lifetimes shorter than intended plant lifetime. Flanged connections have been identified as a solution which should enable disassembly of the system, but they must be sufficiently robust to withstand operating conditions.

Ideally, the technologies required to solve this issue should be:

• Durable at temperatures ranging from 250 to 850 °C and pressures ranging from ambient to 25 MPa
• Compatible (or potentially compatible) with at least one of the following process fluids: molten salt (chloride and fluoride salts), helium, water/steam, liquid metal lead, and liquid metal sodium
• Compatible with flow path diameters ranging from 4 to 30 inches
• Adaptable to construction with materials that withstand radiation exposure

The Client understands that adaptation of existing rugged-service solutions is likely to be necessary, and that many prospective solutions may not yet be validated for use in all conditions described above.