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6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

Preliminary Study on the Remaining Life Estimation Method

for Research Reactor Tank Liner

Diah Hidayanti Sukarno1, Bintoro Aji2, Yudi Pramono3

1,2,3
Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN),
Jl. Gajah Mada 8 Jakarta Pusat 10120

1
d.hidayanti@bapeten.go.id
2
b.aji@bapeten.go.id

Abstract. The reactor tank liner is one of the most crucial safety barriers in a research reactor
as it retains the radioactive material released from the fuel during the accident condition. It also
contains the primary coolant for fission heat removal. The integrity of the tank liner determines
the service life of the research reactor. So far, the remaining life estimation of pressure vessels
in nuclear power plants is more widely applied and established than that of the research reactor
tank liner. Therefore, a study on the remaining life estimation method of the research reactor
tank liner is needed to ensure the research reactor operation safety. This paper aims to
preliminarily study several methods applied to estimate the remaining life of a research reactor
tank liner. The preliminary study consists of a qualitative assessment and a quantitative
assessment. The qualitative assessment aims to propose several techniques or methods applied
in estimating the remaining life of the reactor tank liner. The quantitative assessment applies
one of the remaining life estimation methods discussed in the previous assessment. Generally,
the remaining life of the research reactor tank liner can be estimated using the theoretical
method and the experimental method. The theoretical methods are applied by calculating the
neutron fluence received by the tank liner or by analyzing the fracture mechanics using
numerical modeling if the cracks or other defects exist. The calculation of atom displacement
number (dpa), as a standard measure of the neutron-induced radiation damage of the materials,
can support the neutron fluence calculation. The experimental method is conducted by
measuring several parameters of the tank liner material, such as the corrosion rate or the
mechanical properties. In the quantitative assessment, the remaining life estimation of the
Kartini Reactor tank liner was performed by neutron fluence calculation method using MCNP6
computer code. The result shows that the maximum neutron fluence received by the tank wall
is 2.950E+17 n/cm2 for 40 years operating period. By comparing the cumulative neutron
fluence received for 40 years to the thermal neutron fluence limit value of 1.18E+23 n/cm2, the
Kartini Reactor tank liner can still be used for the next 1.6E+07 operation years. The result of
the quantitative assessment implicitly shows that the remaining life estimation of the tank liner
needs to: 1) consider all defects experienced by the tank liner and all factors (e.g., thermal,
radiation, chemical, cyclic loading) which affect the tank liner material condition, and 2)
perform the combination of theoretical and experimental methods. For an open-pool type
reactor, corrosion monitoring and corrosion rate measurement are essential to perform the
remaining life assessment of the tank liner.

Keywords: Preliminary study, remaining life estimation, research reactor, tank liner, neutron
fluence.
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution
of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

1. Introduction
A tank liner in the research reactor is a crucial component for reactor safety. The tank liner becomes
one of the physical barriers which retains the solid radioactive material released from the leaking fuel
element during the accident. The leakage of the tank liner will also cause the reduction in the primary
coolant mass, which can threaten the integrity of the fuel in the reactor core. Thus, the integrity of the
tank liner becomes the main factor that determines the sustainability of the research reactor operation.
The lifetime of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) in the nuclear power plant is commonly designed for
40 years. However, the average design lifetime of research reactor tank liners is difficult to determine
due to the wide range of reactor characteristics variation, such as power level and number and types of
reactor utilization. The remaining life of the tank liner needs to be estimated in the license renewal
process, especially if the reactor has entered a long-term operation (LTO) period. Nowadays, many
research reactors plan to do long-term operations due to the increasing necessity of reactor utilization
for research, isotope production, and education. Therefore, the study of the remaining life estimation
method for the reactor tank liner is essential.
The remaining life estimation for the research reactor tank liner is still rarely studied. It is not as
many as that for the pressure vessels in nuclear power plants. The application of the remaining life
estimation for RPV has existed longer than that for the research reactor tank liner. This is due to the
higher potential risk of a power reactor than a research reactor. Moreover, the RPV is subjected to
many stressors that contribute to the degradation of the RPV, such as high mechanical pressure, high
thermal loads due to high operation power level, and long operation time. The remaining life
estimation of the pressure vessels is complex and rigorous. The methods used include several studies,
measurements, monitoring, and analysis of various parameters and factors that affect the condition of
the pressure vessel. According to the NUREG/CR-4731, life assessment methods of a light water
reactor (LWR)’s main components include surveillance specimen testing to assess radiation
embrittlement, monitoring operating parameters to analyze component performance trends, testing of
samples taken from operating components, and prediction of damage accumulation processes [1]. A
sample taken from operating components is performed to measure its mechanical properties and
investigate the metallurgical aging and cracking mechanisms. In Bulgaria, radiation embrittlement,
thermal aging, and cyclic fatigue are aging mechanisms considered in assessing and justification the
pressure vessel’s life extension [2]. In considering the radiation embrittlement effect, the cumulative
neutron fluence is monitored through measurements, analytical calculation, and periodic study of
irradiation specimens. The strength calculation of the RPV considered the effect of thermal aging. The
effect of cyclic fatigue was analyzed by the calculations considering the change in the properties of
materials and actual loading cycles during operation. The remaining life study of the pressure vessel at
the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant in the Czech Republic was carried out based on the analysis of
surveillance specimen testing (coupons) conducted periodically every year [3]. The parameters
analyzed included yield strength, tensile strength, the critical temperature of brittleness from the notch
toughness tests, transition temperature from fracture toughness tests, and neutron fluence. The
radiation damage monitoring of the pressure vessel’s austenite cladding is also carried out to support
the study of the pressure vessel’s life extension.
Many investigations of the neutron radiation effect on material damage have been carried out due
to the increasing interest in extending the life of LWR-type commercial nuclear power plants
operating currently. However, the studies on the modeling of material damage due to neutron radiation
are still developed. The methods used include the calculation of atomic displacement (dpa) as a
parameter that represents material damage due to neutrons using the MCNP code [4,5] and non-
destructive testing using the magnetic hysteresis method [6].
The pressure vessel is also utilized in the oil and gas industries. Agyenim-Boateng et al. [7] studied
the estimated remaining life of pressure vessels in the oil and gas industry based on the vessel wall
thickness and the corrosion rate measurements. A study by Feng et al. performed [8] acoustic emission
and risk-based inspection to analyze the corrosion and predict the remaining life of a large storage tank.
However, the estimated remaining life of the pressure vessel in the non-nuclear industries certainly
does not take into account the influence of the neutron radiation factor on material degradation.

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6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

The applications of the remaining life estimation of the research reactor tank liner found in the
literature are not as much as those of the RPV. This may be due to the lower potential risk of research
reactor operation than that of power reactor operation. Compared to the RPV, the tank liner in the
research reactor experiences lower thermal loads, pressure load, and loading time. Syarip and Stathers
[9] carried out a comprehensive in-service inspection using the NDT method to determine the
feasibility of the Kartini research reactor tank liner for continued safe operation. The NDT methods
applied were visual examination, replication survey, hardness test, thickness test, and dye penetrant
test. The theoretical method was used by Santa and Suwoto [10] to estimate the remaining life of the
structural components of the RSG-GAS research reactor core based on the level of material damage
caused by neutron radiation. They calculated atomic displacement (dpa) as a parameter that represents
material damage using SRAC2006 computer code. The calculation of material damage due to neutrons
was also carried out by Nabbi and Wolters [11] in predicting the remaining life of the FRJ-2 research
reactor in Germany. They used MCNP to calculate neutron fluence and the number of Si atoms
formed by neutron exposure to aluminium. The use of surveillance specimen testing (coupons) to
monitor the integrity of the tank liner in the research reactor is not mandatory. That is why the
remaining life estimation of the research reactor tank liner using the experimental method is rarely
applied.
The limited application of the tank liner residual life estimation becomes a challenge in
investigating the applicable remaining life estimation methods for the research reactor liner. This
paper aims to conduct a preliminary study on the methods used to estimate the remaining life of the
research reactor tank liner. The application of the remaining life estimation methods discussed in this
paper will be studied further in the future. The preliminary study is performed through a qualitative
assessment of the methods used to estimate the remaining life of the research reactor tank liner. The
preliminary study is also performed through a quantitative case study to give an example of applying
one of the estimation methods discussed in the quantitative assessment, i.e., the neutron fluence
calculation, to predict the remaining life of the research reactor tank liner. The results of this
preliminary study are expected to provide an overview of the remaining life estimation methods of the
research reactor tank liner, both for the operating reactor facility and for the regulatory body.

2. Methodology
In this paper, the preliminary study of the remaining life estimation method of the research reactor
tank liner is carried out through a qualitative and quantitative assessment.

2.1. Qualitative assessment

The qualitative assessment aims to propose several techniques or methods applied in estimating the
remaining life of the reactor tank liner. The qualitative assessment is performed by referring to 1) the
application practices of the remaining life estimation for the pressure vessels in nuclear power plants
and non-nuclear industries, 2) the existing remaining life estimation practices for the research reactor
tank liner, and 3) the related studies such as the studies on the neutron radiation-induced material
damage. The application of the methods proposed in this paper on the remaining life estimation of
research reactor tank liners will be explored further in future studies.

2.2. Quantitative assessment

One of the remaining life estimation methods discussed in the qualitative assessment is applied to the
quantitative evaluation to give a simple example of applying the remaining life estimation method for
the research reactor tank liner. The remaining life of the Kartini Research Reactor tank liner is
estimated as a case study. The remaining life is estimated by calculating the neutron fluence received
by the liner using the MCNP6 computer code and comparing the result to the accepted limit. The
neutronic calculation assumes that all the control rods (three control rods) are in the fully-up position
and all fuel elements are fresh fuels. Figure 1 shows the configuration of the reactor core used in the
calculation.

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6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

Figure 1. The core configuration of Kartini Reactor [12]

The Kartini research reactor is a TRIGA MARK II type reactor. The fuel material is U-ZrH1.6. Each
fuel has 8.5% uranium content, 38 g of U-235, and 19.75 % enrichment. The material and dimension
data of all components inside the Kartini Reactor tank refers to Hidayat et al. [13]. The tank liner
material is aluminium AA 1050 (99.5% Al) [9]. In calculating the neutron flux, the tank liner is
divided axially into 18 segments to get the more precise neutron flux data, as listed in Table 1. The
maximum neutron flux received by the tank liner wall will be used to calculate the neutron fluence.

Table 1. The axial division of the tank liner modeled in the MCNP6
Segment Dimension from the bottom of the tank (cm)
1 0 – 25
2 25 – 50
3 50 – 75
4 75 – 100
5 100 – 125
6 125 – 150
7 150 – 175
8 175 – 200
9 200 – 225
10 225 – 250
11 250 – 275
12 275 – 325
13 325 – 375
14 375 – 425
15 425 – 475
16 475 – 525
17 525 – 575
18 575 – 614.68

The quantitative assessment of the remaining life of the Kartini Reactor tank liner in this study does
not consider the effects of thermal load and corrosion factors. The remaining life calculation assumes
that there are no defects in the tank liner.

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6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

3. Results and Discussions

In general, the remaining life estimation of the research reactor tank liner can be done theoretically and
experimentally. The theoretical estimation of the tank liner’s remaining life can be done using the
neutron fluence calculation and fracture mechanics analysis methods.

3.1. Neutron fluence calculation

The neutron fluence calculation aims to determine the extent of material damage in the tank liner
material due to neutron radiation exposure. The analysis of the neutron fluence received by the tank
liner needs the neutron flux calculation and the reactor operating period data. Various neutronic
computer codes are available to calculate the neutron flux received by the liner.
The mechanisms of material damage due to thermal neutron radiation are in the form of the
transmutation of irradiated material atoms into atoms of other elements, displacement (dislocation) of
material atoms that capture neutrons, formation of cavities, and atomic precipitation. These
mechanisms will cause changes in the mechanical properties of the irradiated material. However, the
impact of material damage caused by the thermal neutrons is not as significant as that caused by fast
neutrons [14]. The number of atomic displacements (displacements per atom = dpa) is a standard
measure of the degree of material neutron-induced radiation damage. Like the neutron fluence
calculation, the atom displacement number (dpa) within the tank liner can also be calculated using
neutronic computer codes such as MCNP. The dpa calculation requires neutron flux data as a function
of energy and cross-section data of radiation damage.

3.2. Fracture mechanics analysis

Fracture mechanics analysis is required when cracks or other defects exist in the tank liner during
operation. Cracks can occur, either due to corrosion or fatigue. The fracture mechanics analysis needs
the cracks characteristics data (e.g., location, size, shape), tank liner material specification, and applied
loads (e.g., mechanical and thermal loads). The crack characteristics data can be obtained from the
results of the in-service inspection. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is one of the methods used to
model and numerically simulate crack growth. The result of fracture mechanics analysis should
provide information, such as cracks growth, tolerated crack size, the allowed loads, and the tank
liner’s remaining life.
Estimating the tank liner’s remaining life can also be done through several experimental methods,
such as the measurement of tank liner corrosion rate and the measurement of tank liner mechanical
properties.

3.3. Measurement of tank liner corrosion rate

The corrosion rate measurement is considered the most important method in estimating the remaining
life of the research reactor tank liner, especially for the open-pool type reactor. In the open-pool
reactor, the presence of dust and other particles which fall on the pool will promote the corrosion
attack, like pitting corrosion, to the tank liner material. General corrosion is not the main problem in
power reactors due to the closed geometry of RPV, so the water can be kept very clean.
The tank liner corrosion rate measurement needs to be done periodically, for example, every year.
The corrosion rate measurement can be carried out directly using measuring instruments, such as
linear polarization resistance (LPR), or indirectly based on the measurement data of the tank liner’s
actual thickness (tactual) formulated with Equation (1)

(1)

where t1 is the first measurement time, and t2 is the second measurement time, so t2-t1 is the time
difference between the two measurements. According to Agyenim-Boateng [7], the tank liner wall
thickness measurement using ultrasonic testing gives the most accurate results compared to other
techniques.

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6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

In the fabrication process of the tank liner, an additional thickness is added to the minimum
thickness (tminimum) of the liner to accommodate the corrosion allowance. The minimum thickness of
the tank is the thickness required to withstand all the loads received by the tank. By referring to the
specification data of the minimum tank liner thickness, the remaining life of the tank liner is estimated
using Equation (2)

(2)

3.4. Measurement of tank liner mechanical properties

The remaining life of the tank’s liner can also be assessed based on the measured mechanical
properties data of the liner’s material. The mechanical properties of the liner that need to be measured
include tensile stress, elongation, and fracture toughness. The tensile stress and elongation can be
measured using a tensile test, while fracture toughness can be measured using the Charpy V-Notch test.
The fracture toughness data is essential because it is a quantitative measure of the material's resistance
to crack growth. The measured mechanical properties are compared to the limit values available in the
literature to estimate the remaining life. Figure 2 shows the tensile stress and elongation limit values
for aluminium material due to neutron radiation.

Figure 2. The tensile properties of aluminium as the function of neutron fluence [11]

The tank liner mechanical properties are measured using a destructive test on a surveillance
specimen (coupon) placed in specific locations on the tank wall that have a high probability of
material damage, for example, in locations with high neutron flux or the weld area. The testing of
coupons in power reactors has become a mandatory requirement because the primary degradation
mechanisms in RPV are embrittlement and fatigue.
The applicability of the methods discussed above still needs to be investigated further in other
research. However, a simple example of estimating the tank liner’s remaining life is given below to
provide a more transparent overview. The remaining life of the Kartini Reactor tank liner will be
estimated using the neutron fluence calculation method. Before calculating the neutron fluence, it is
necessary to calculate the neutron flux received by the reactor tank wall. Figure 3 presents the axial
distribution of the neutron flux on the tank liner wall calculated by the MCNP6.

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6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

Figure 3. The neutron flux distribution on the Kartini Reactor tank liner

The maximum neutron flux, which is about 1.423E+09 n/cm2.s, is accepted by the 3rd segment of
the tank liner wall. The 4th segment of the tank wall also receives the high neutron flux, which is about
1.418E+09 n/cm2.s. The 3rd and 4th segments of the tank wall are at the same level as the active part of
the fuels, which is about 0.5 to 1 m from the bottom of the tank. By assuming the operating hour
number of the Kartini Reactor is 1440 hours/year [15], the neutron fluence received by the tank liner
for 40 years is 2.950E+17 n/cm2. The cumulative neutron fluence value for 40 operation years is still
far below the acceptable thermal neutron limit received by aluminium material, which is 1.18E+23
n/cm2[11]. According to Nabbi and Wolters [11], the transmutation of Al atoms into Si atoms through
the Al(n,β)Si reaction becomes the material damage mechanism due to neutrons in the thermal energy
spectrum. The formation of Si atoms will cause dislocations, cavities, and precipitation. In the absence
of other metal alloys in aluminium, the solvability of Si atoms in aluminium material becomes very
low. The thermal neutron fluence limit value of 1.18E+23 n/cm2 results in the formation of Si atoms
as much as 5 wt%. Consequently, the formed Si atoms are precipitated at the grain boundaries through
the crystallization process. The precipitation of Si atoms increases tensile strength and decreases
ductility.
By comparing the cumulative neutron fluence received for 40 years to the thermal neutron fluence
limit value of 1.18E+23 n/cm2, the Kartini Reactor tank liner can still be used for approximately the
next 1.6E+07 operation years. The estimated remaining life seems unrealistic because the calculation
ignores the defects in the tank liner and the influence of thermal loads and chemical factors on the
corrosion resistance of the liner material. The short operation time also results in low neutron fluence
and significant long estimated remaining life. Therefore, the remaining life assessment of tank liners
cannot rely only on the calculated neutron fluence because research reactors have a discontinuous and
shorter operating time than the power reactor. The result of this case study implicitly indicates that the
use of the theoretical and experimental methods combination is needed to provide the accurate
remaining life. For the open-pool type reactor, the corrosion monitoring and the corrosion rate
measurement need to be performed in the remaining life estimation of the tank liner.

4. Conclusions
A preliminary study on the remaining life estimation methods of the research reactor tank liner has
been carried out. The remaining life of the research reactor tank liner can be estimated theoretically
and experimentally. The theoretical methods could be conducted by calculating the neutron fluence
received by the liner or analyzing the fracture mechanics using numerical modeling if the cracks or
other defects exist. The experimental method could be performed by measuring several parameters of
the tank material, such as the corrosion rate and the actual wall thickness or the mechanical properties.
The case study on the remaining life estimation of the Kartini Reactor tank liner using the neutron

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6th International Energy Conference (Astechnova 2021) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 927 (2021) 012046 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/927/1/012046

fluence calculation method implicitly shows that using a single method cannot give an accurate result.
The combination of theoretical and experimental methods by taking into account all defects
experienced by the liner and all affecting factors (e.g., thermal, radiation, chemical, cyclic loading) are
needed to perform to obtain a more accurate result. For an open-pool type reactor, corrosion
monitoring and corrosion rate measurement are essential in the remaining life assessment of the tank
liner.

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