VRC Metal Systems, LLC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase II: 13a

Description

The problem being addressed is that electrical generation capacity is expected to fall short in the near future for two reasons. One is that many coal-fired power plants are reaching the end of their life, and the other is that demand for electrical power is expected to increase steadily through year 2050. From emissions concerns, new coal-fired power plants are less likely to be built. While natural gas-powered power plants can cover some of this shortfall, there are concerns with long-term natural gas prices. To this end, small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are looked upon for a solution. They are inherently much safer than older nuclear power plant designs and less expensive to build and operate. They can also provide process heat for desalination of seawater, manufacture of hydrogen gas, and other industrial processes. To aid economical construction and safe operation of SMRs, Cold Spray, a solid-state materials deposition technology, is developed to apply robust corrosion-protective coatings on SMR components. This process lets many components be made of carbon steel, a less expensive and easier to use material than stainless steels and other high-performance alloys. Cold Spray can apply several different materials, such as 304L stainless steel, pure nickel, pure titanium, or Inconel 625 onto carbon steel for excellent corrosion protection that can tolerate high temperatures. In Phase I, those four materials were successfully deposited onto A516 carbon steel, and in Phase II the long-term corrosion behavior of those coatings will be thoroughly tested. A modular and flexible system to apply these coatings on an industrial scale will be developed and ready to provide to SMR manufacturers and operators. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The process and equipment developed in this effort can be used on an industrial scale to apply robust and durable corrosion-protective coatings to a very wide range of carbon steel components prior to installation, and also to repair damaged components on-site. Examples include truck suspension parts, bridge components, welds in ships, storage containers for hazardous materials, and many others.