The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has pegged GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) to research and advance the use of 3D manufacturing systems to build prototype parts for nuclear power plants, the company said.
“The potential of 3D printing to speed delivery time and reduce the cost of manufacturing performance-enhancing replacement parts for nuclear power plants is quite significant,” said GEH President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Wileman.
The $2 million project is part of the recently announced $82 million research package announced by the DOE for advancement of nuclear power technology. GEH in this case will manufacture sample parts at the GE Power Advanced Manufacturing Works facility, which it operates in Greenville, S.C.
The parts will be shipped to the Idaho National Laboratory for testing. The parts are to be irradiated in the laboratory's Advanced Test Reactor as a preliminary step prior to testing.
The test results will then be compared to parts that have not been irradiated.
The parts to be tested serve a variety of functions in nuclear reactors.
GEH is working on another DOE-funded research project in conjunction with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. That project involves the use of advanced stainless steel compounds designed to withstand heat, pressure and irradiation stress.