Education and Training Series #53: Opportunities for Generation-IV Reactors Designers through Advanced Manufacturing Techniques
Part of a webinar series hosted by the GIF Education and Training Working Group since 2016.
Who should attend?
Policymakers, industry professionals, regulators, researchers, students, the general public.
About the "GIF Education and Training" Webinars
These webinars, organised by the GIF Education and Training Working Group are streamed live monthly. The recordings and slide decks are accessible after the webinar on this website. These webinars cover a very broad range of technical and policy related topics. At the end of 2023 they have been viewed by more than 15000 people (approximately half of the views during the live streams and the other half views being of the archives on the public GIF website). In total, the GIF webinars have reached Generation IV enthusiasts, scientists, and engineers in more than 80 countries.
These webinars are organised and hosted by the GIF Education and Training Working Group (ETWG).
About this Webinar
The development of critical design criteria for new advanced reactor systems, components, and materials requires an understanding of both fabrication and the irradiation environment during normal operating and accident conditions. Next-generation researchers and designers are therefore challenged not only by demands for improved performance, they must also work to shorten the development and commercialization lifecycle for new nuclear reactors and systems to remain competitive. This provides unique and exciting opportunities for all contributors to this field of study. This presentation will offer a strategic overview of the impact that advanced manufacturing has on the lifecycle of new generation reactors. By evaluating state-of-the-art practices found in other large manufacturing industries, this presentation provides an overview of major innovation areas that are considered to benefit the GEN-IV systems (SFR, GFR, LFR, FSMR...). Synergetic advanced manufacturing approaches beneficial to the collective GEN-IV systems, with some examples of differentiating approaches necessary for specific reactor designs, are discussed. Furthermore, new paradigms in licensing approaches for additively manufactured parts will be discussed.
Presentation made during the webinar
Meet the presenter
Dr. Isabella J. van Rooyen holds a PhD in physics, an MSc in metallurgy, and an MBA. She is the National Technical Director for Advanced Methods for Manufacturing Programs for the Department of Energy-Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies. She is also a distinguished staff scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) where she has led as principal investigator (PI) a variety of research projects for nuclear applications through competitive awards by industry strategic partners, lab-directed research funds, National Scientific User Facility (NSUF), and the Nuclear Engineering University Program (NEUP). These research projects focus on tristructural isotropic (TRISO)-coated particles, U3Si2, integrated fuel fabrication processes, high-temperature compact heat exchangers, SiC-ODS alloy gradient nano-composite cladding, fission product transport mechanisms, additive manufacturing qualification reviews, and advanced manufacturing methods. Dr. van Rooyen also led the advanced electron microscopy and micro-analysis examinations for the Advanced Gas Reactor TRISO fuel development program from May 2011–January 2021. Dr. van Rooyen’s engineering and scientific exposure includes hands-on experience in a wide variety of pursuits; examples include heat treatment, surface treatments and coatings, welding procedures, casting processes, powder fabrication, and consolidation processes. Prior to joining INL in 2011, Dr. van Rooyen held various technical leadership roles in the nuclear, aerospace, and automotive industries in South Africa, most notably the research at Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) Company and NECSA and DENEL Aviation. Dr. van Rooyen has more than 50 peer-reviewed journal publications, more than 40 conference papers and presentations, over 100 company-specific technical and scientific reports, seven invention disclosures, one additive manufacturing patent awarded in 2020, one patent in process of issuing, and five patents filed on additive manufacturing in 2018– 2020.