SCK โขCEN Launches Limets 6โ to Advanceโ Lead-Cooled Small Modular Reactor โDevelopment
Mol, Belgium – SCK CEN has activated โฃLimets 6, a new test โคstation designed โtoโข characterize material performance in liquid lead environments, crucial for the development of its Eagles-300 Small Modular Reactor (SMR).โ The facility will assess properties like tensile strength and corrosion resistance under conditions mirroring those within the reactor’s lead coolant system.
Limets 6 allows researchers to evaluate how materials – designated X, Y, or Z – behave underโข load and exposureโฃ to liquid lead atโฃ 500ยฐC.Dataโข gathered will inform โคmaterial selectionโ and design choices,reducing uncertainties in theโ Eagles-300 project.โ
Testing involves securing โขmaterial samples within a Test โขAutoclave, heating โขthem to 500ยฐCโ in liquid lead, and then subjectingโค themโข to tensile orโฃ creep tests, stretching the material โขuntil failure.โ A 380ยฐCโ dump tank,continuously rinsed with hydrogen โgas to control oxygen content,safely โฃcontains the liquid lead when the โautoclave isโข opened,creating a โฃcontrolled corrosiveโ environment forโค long-termโค exposure studies. Limets 6 can apply forces upโ to 50 โคkN to โcandidate materials.
SCK CEN anticipates the completion of Limets 5 by the end of 2025. This complementary installation will focus on dynamically oriented material properties,examining responses to repeated or โขsudden loadsโค like vibrations and shocks โฃusing a hydraulic piston system.
Theโ Limetsโค facilities – Liquid Metal Test Stations – represent a thorough researchโ program intoโค liquid metal environments.Limets 1, 3, and โฃ4 are โdedicated to โคheavy liquid metal โคmaterial research, while Limets 2, originally built for PB-LI fusion applications, now supports lead-cooled โฃreactor โขdevelopment.