The National Composites Centre (NCC) has recently announced a collaborative effort with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to develop fusion-grade Silicon Carbide Ceramic Matrix Composites (SiC/SiCs) to drive nuclear fusion reactor development efforts.
Operating temperatures of nuclear fusion reactors present a real challenge when it comes to reactor design. As mentioned in the announcement, SiC/SiCs exhibit excellent radiation resistance and can withstand operating temperatures of up to 1600°C. SiC/SiCs are thus a very suitable candidate when it comes to fusion reactor design. However, scaling, and associated costs, of SiC/SiCs limit their current applications.
The collaboration has already identified a 'step change' in the manufacturing of SiC/SiCs which could provide a scalable and cost-effective manufacturing route for 'fusion-grade' SiC materials. As can be expected, these innovation efforts could also facilitate the use of SiC/SiCs in other applications, such as aerospace and space (to name just two examples).
It's also great to see an awareness of Intellectual Property (IP) in the announcement. In particular, aspects which could be protectable by patents alone, just one form of IP, include:
- Material compositions;
- Manufacture methods;
- Inspection/verification/other quality control methods and technologies;
- Applications/uses of the materials; and
- Innovations around the computational modelling of SiC/SiCs, and Metal Matrix Composites more generally.
Watch this space!
Silicon carbide composites have the potential to enhance fusion by enabling reactors to operate at higher temperatures for improved thermal efficiency, greatly increasing the commercial viability of fusion energy production. We are pleased to be working closely with the National Composite Centre to address concerns around the scalability, formability, and performance of current SiC/SiC grades, bringing about the generation of new UK IP in the process
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