NSERC Research Chair in Nuclear Materials

The Qinshan Nuclear Generating Station - Canadian Technology in China - photo courtesy of AECL

Update: RMTL has a new website, check it out by clicking this LINK!

The Research group

The Nuclear Materials group at Queen's is carrying out world leading research in the area of structural materials for nuclear power applications. The group has domestic collaborations with McGill University, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Toronto and McMaster University, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Kinectrics Inc., Nu-Tech Precision Metals Inc. Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation Inc. and international collaborations in the USA, the UK, France, Argentina, Hong Kong and Australia. The group published ~30 refereed journal papers in the last 2 years (2011 and 2012). The Nuclear Materials group is supported by an extensive research portfolio including a dozen active grants from NSERC, ORF, CFI and OCE totalling a $4.7M investment at Queen's, with the project totals, including spending at partner institutions, of ~$11M (figures do not include overheads). See more details of the research being carried out by individual group members here.

The group is presently leading the construction of a $17M ion accelerator facility to simulate the radiation damage that occurs in materials inside a reactor; more details of the planned facility can be found here.

Present members of the group

Mark Daymond, Chair, Prof.
Zhongwen Yao, Asst. Prof.

Rick Holt, Emeritus Prof.

Malcolm Griffiths, Adjunct Prof.

Levente Balogh, Asst. Prof.

Laurent Beland, Asst. Prof.

Suraj Persaud, Asst. Prof.

Tom Feurestake, Manager, RMTL

Curtis McDonald, Operator, RMTL

Candace Chabot, Admin. Research Asst.

Fei Long, Post Doc.

Peyman Said, Post Doc.

Matthew Topping, Post Doc.

Kazi Ahmmed, Post Doc.

Hong Qin, Post Doc.

Travis Skippon, Post Doc.

Chris Cochrane, Post Doc.

Pooyan Changizan, Post Doc.

Jason Wang , Post Doc.

Zhouyao Wang, Post Doc.

Cong Dai, Post Doc.

Alice Mao, PhD student

Nima Badr, PhD student

Oksana Shiman, PhD student

Qinshan Dong, PhD student

Segun Aiyeru, PhD student

Igor Cherubin, PhD student

Yubin Zhao, PhD student

Shengze Yin, PhD student

Keyvan Ferasat, PhD student

Kevin Daub, PhD student

 

 

 

Opportunities in the group

Graduate student - materials engineering / applied physics

  • Multiscale modelling of materials
  • Micro-mechanics of deformation
  • Formation and impact of hydrides
  • Irradiation damage of materials

Summer student -

  • Experimental or data analysis based, suitable for physicists or mechanical / materials engineers

Previous members of the group and where they went

Song Cai (PhD & RA), Fort Wayne Metals, Indiana.

David Durance (MSc), Bruce Power Inc.

Barbara Szpunar (Senior Research Associate), University of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Jenevieve Fredette (MSc), Atomic Energy Canada Ltd., Chalk River Labs.

Yue (Leon) Li (MSc), Masters of Engineering Management, Dartmouth College

Alison Mark (PDF), PDF at Manchester University, Dept. of Materials, UK.

Damon Pickard (MSc), Frontenac County Health Services

Stephanie Stafford (MSc), Kinectrics Inc.

Feng Xu (PhD & PDF), Candu Energy Inc..

Pingshoun Zhao (PDF), Caterpillar

Richard Zhang (PDF), Gerdau Ameristeel

Corey Hamelin (PDF), ANSTO, Australia

Justin Huneault (Undergraduate), McGill University

Wenjing Li, Atomic Energy Canada Ltd., Chalk River Labs.

Sharon Goldthorpe (MSc), Humber College, Toronto

Colin Judge (MSc), Atomic Energy Canada Ltd., Chalk River Labs.

Matthew Kerr (Ph.D.), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Ravi Kumar (MSc), Black Cat Blades, Edmonton

Charles Mareau (PDF), University of Angers, France

Rebecca Toda (MASc), SNC-Lavalin Nuclear

Paula Mosbrucker (MASc), Kinectrics, Toronto

Greg Allen (MASc), AMEC-Nuclear Safety Solutions

Abdul Khan, (PDF), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg

Andrew Barrow, PDF, Rolls Royce Ltd, UK

Laura Barrow, PDF, London Scandinavian Metallurgical Co Ltd

Eric Tulk (MASc), Los Alamos National Lab., USA

Sarah Wan (MASc)

Hamid Abdolvand (PhD), Manchester University, UK

Mohammad Sattari (PhD), Chalmers University, Sweden

Marta Majkut (MASc), Technical Uni. Copenhagen, Denmark

Prakash Srirangam (PDF), Diamond Facility, UK

Background

The NSERC/UNENE/Nu-Tech Industrial Research Chair in Nuclear Materials was established in 2002 at the initiative of the Canadian Nuclear Industry, with Prof. Holt as the Senior Chair. In 2004 Prof. Daymond joined the group as Associate Chair, before becoming Senior Chair in 2012 following on from Prof. Holt's retirement. The Chair was the first in a series of seven chairs established as part of the University Centre of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) sponsored by Ontario Power, Bruce Power, the CANDU Owners Group COG and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The main thrusts are to supplement the R&D capabilities of AECL, and Kinectrics Inc. (formerly Ontario Hydro Research) and to train new highly qualified staff to work in engineering or research and development, both to manage and extend the life of existing plants, and to develop new reactors. The Chair program also offers the opportunity for part or all of a student's research to be carried out at the industrial nuclear R&D laboratories, co-supervised by the staff of those laboratories, either during a paid work term, or as a full time employee.

The Canadian nuclear industry currently employs more than 30,000 workers and is quickly expanding to meet domestic and international demands of current and future refurbishment projects totaling ~B$10. Canada is expected to have sustained future reliance on clean, environmentally sound and reliable nuclear power as base load electricity generation. It is also expected that Canada will supply reactors to what is now a rapidly expanding international market. This necessitates the development of advanced nuclear reactor concepts (the Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR) and the Super Critical Water Generation 4 Reactor (SCWR) that will be designed in Canada with major manufacturing input from Canada's nuclear industry. These reactors operate at higher temperatures and will require the use of new materials that are presently not employed in nuclear reactors.

Useful information about nuclear technology in Canada can be found at http://www.nuclearfaq.ca

Industrial Sponsors of the Chair

UNENE

Nu-Tech Precision Metals

Ontario Power

CANDU Owners Group

Other Nuclear Industry Links

AECL

New Brunswick Power

Hydro Quebec

Canadian Nuclear Society

Canadian Nuclear Association

American Nuclear Society