CIEMAT

Description of the legal entity
 

CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas) is a public research body assigned to the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, focusing on energy and environment, and the technologies related to them. It owns offices in several different regions of Spain, and its activity is structured around projects which form a bridge between R&D&I and social interest goals.

It collaborates with other R&D&I institutions, universities, and business in the sector to transfer their generated knowledge and technology, supporting and encouraging innovation and changing the economic model.

The historical development of CIEMAT and its vocation for approaching the needs of society and industry in current energy technologies and development have made the following scientific-technological areas the framework of its R&D&I activities: renewable energies and energy savings; nuclear fission; nuclear fusion; energy valuation; elementary particles and astroparticles; biology and biomedicine; environment; ionizing radiations; scientific instrumentation and medical physics; materials analysis and characterisation; computer and information technology sciences; and, energy and environmental system studies.
Another characteristic of CIEMAT is the Nuclear Fusion R&D&I programme, in which it has a fundamental role in Spain and in Europe, where it holds the Spanish representation in the EUROfusion Consortium, so it channels and coordinates all activity in fusion in the country’s various centres and universities.

As a result of its long history of research, CIEMAT owns a wide range of facilities that enable laboratory and preindustrial projects to be carried out in very different scientific-technological areas. Two unique Scientific and Technological Infrastructures (SSTF) stand out, the Stellerator TJ-II, in the National Fusion Laboratory, and the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA), international centre of excellence in the field of solar concentrating technologies, both with consolidated programmes for access and use by researchers from other institutions and bodies.
The National Ionizing Radiations Metrology Laboratory (LMRI) is the depositary for primary measurement standards for ionizing radiations.
In addition to its capacity for carrying out projects, the CIEMAT’s facilities provide a direct service to society through technology transfer, generated by its technology offer and technical services performed both for business and public bodies.

Profile of staff members involved
 

• Mrs Rebeca Hernández-Pascual (female): PhD in Materials Engineering at UC3M, 2015. Post-doc at CIEMAT since 2016. Her activities are focused on the study of the mechanical characterization and deformation mechanisms studies of structural materials currently operating at nuclear reactors as well as candidate materials for future ones.  She is an expert in SEM characterization and testing of miniature samples to assess materials behavior.
• Prof. Marta Serrano Garcia: PhD in in Engineering (UPM, 2007). Head of the Division of Materials of Energy Interest at the Department of Technology. She is being working at CIEMAT since 1995. Her activities are focused on the study of effect of irradiation on mechanical properties on nuclear reactor structural materials as well as in developing and characterizing candidate materials for innovative reactors.

Relevant publications, and/or products, services
 

• Arbeiter F., Diegele E., Fischer U., Garcia A., Serrano M., “Planned material irradiation capabilities of IFMIF-DONES” (2019), Nuclear Materials and Energy, 16: 245 – 248
• Stratil L., Siska F., Dlouhy I., Serrano M., “The Application of Miniaturized Three-Point-Bend Specimens for Determination of the Reference Temperature of A533 Cl.1 Steel” (2017), Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, Transactions of the ASME, 139(4)
• Altstadt E., Serrano M., Houska M., Garcia-Junceda A., “Effect of anisotropic microstructure of a 12Cr-ODS steel on the fracture behaviour in the small punch test” (2016), Materials Science and Engineering, A. 654, Elsevier: 309-316
• Serrano M., Fernandez P., Lapeña J., “Fracture toughness evaluation of Eurofer’97 by testing small specimens” (2008), Journal of ASTM International, 5 – 4: 1 - 6. 2008
• International Atomic Energy Agency, Guidelines for Application of the Master Curve Approach to Reactor Pressure Vessel Integrity in Nuclear Power Plants, Technical Reports Series No. 429, IAEA, Vienna (2005)

Relevant previous projects or activities

 
Projects where CIEMAT has participated/is participating applying the use of sub-sized and/or miniature specimens:

• MATTER
• GEMMA
• ATLAS+
• National project: FerroNESS.
• EUROFUSION project

Significant infrastructure and/or any major items of technical equipment
 

Fracture toughness tests:  Two MTS 810 Servo-Hydraulic Machine. Capacity 100 kN. Cooling-Heating from -150°C up to 1000°C,  Clip Gauge for crack mouth opening measurement, Extensometers for strain measurements

Microscopy: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) HITACHI 30 kV Backscattered Electron Detector (BSE) and Dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis system. Resolution: 5 nm. Maximum specimen size: 20 cm; Scanning Electron Microscopy (Field emission gun) (STEM). Hitachi. EDX, BSE, EBSD, TEM detectors. Analytical variable pressure. Resolution 1.2 nm. Sample size: 150 mm diameter (maximum).