$1M U.S. Department of Energy Grant Funds Research on Additive Manufacturing for Nuclear Reactors
A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been awarded to Sougata Roy, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, to explore the use of additive manufacturing for producing shields and other components for nuclear reactors. The research aims to leverage 3D printing techniques to create tungsten-based alloys for reactor use, offering a potential alternative to conventional manufacturing processes.
The project, led by Roy, includes collaborations with Yachao Wang, an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota, and researchers from three DOE laboratories: Ames National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The initiative is part of the DOE's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which is investing $36 million to advance energy research capabilities across the country.
The team will focus on tungsten due to its advantageous properties, such as high-temperature strength, high melting point, erosion resistance, and low radioactive tritium retention. These features make tungsten a promising material for extreme conditions like those found in nuclear reactors. However, tungsten is also notoriously hard and brittle, posing challenges for traditional manufacturing. Roy's team will address this by using laser powder-blown directed-energy deposition, a process that involves printing tungsten layer by layer under controlled conditions.
In addition to additive manufacturing, the project will incorporate physics-based modeling and computational simulations, including machine learning and artificial intelligence tools, to support experimental work and develop new tungsten alloy recipes. The modeling aims to enhance the understanding of the printing process and tackle challenges such as cracking in printed tungsten components. Roy emphasizes that this computational approach is a key aspect of the project, providing a foundation for developing materials capable of withstanding the extreme environment within nuclear reactors.
