STUBA

Description of the legal entity

Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (hereinafter referred to as "STUBA") is an educational and scientific institution. At present, it consists of seven faculties. All the faculties provide a study in accredited study programmes within the complex system of a bachelor, master and PhD. study. Faculties realise credit system compatible with the European credit transfer system enabling mutual mobility of students within European Union member countries and a larger European space. In the area of scientific and research activities the STU successfully joints European Union programmes. STU is a public university and offers education mainly in technical, technological, technical-economical, technical-information and technical-artistic fields of study. International cooperation is a significant area based on interactive contact with educational as well as scientific-research institutions of the countries all over the world. First of all, it is focused on solution of the joint projects within the EU framework and other international programmes, mobility of students, etc.

Institute of Nuclear and Physical Engineering (STUBA-INPE) at Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of Slovak University of technology is focusing on research of NPPs long/term operation and nuclear safety. Nuclear material science and applications of spectroscopic methods are traditionally important areas of activities.
STUBA-INPE staff is based on 8 professors in physics, nuclear power engineering and material science. There are approximately 40 employees (scientific or research workers) and 10 PhD students.
This institute is also a base for activity of Slovak Nuclear Society (SNUS) and the Slovak Centre for Operation and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities. STUBA-INPE has a long tradition in the NDS investigation of RPV materials by use of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy as well as TEM or SEM. The partner role to the project: research organization.
The partner contribution to the project: performance of R&D work mainly in field of application of non/destructive methods mentioned above (PAS, AFM, TEM, SEM) on selected specimens. Knowledge management in the area of non-destructive evaluation of reactor pressure vessel steels in form of seminars or summer schools for graduate and PhD students are offered as well.
STUBA will contribute in characterization of actual state of art, mapping and development of the structural changes in selected RPV steels specimens as well as in analyses of possible long term operation conditions of PWR.

Profile of staff members involved
 

• Prof. Vladimir Slugen (male): DSc. graduated at the Slovak University of Technology (MSc. 1985, PhD. 1993, Prof. 2005, DSc. 2010). Professional experience in: operation and safety of NPPs, radiation damage of nuclear materials, nuclear fuel cycle, non/destructive testing methods. President of European Nuclear Society (2009- 2011). President of Slovak Nuclear Society (since 2004). Member of several EC framework projects as: PERFECT, COVERS, TRASNUSAFE, NULIFE. About 70 CC scientific publications and 300 citations.
• Dr Jana Simeg Veternikova (female):  PhD. graduated at Slovak University of Technology (2013). Investigation area: non-destructive testing, corrosion tests, nuclear steels, superconductors and ceramics. Education  activities in operation and safety of NPPs. National prize for the best young scientist under 35 years (2014) and a member of the best Slovak scientific team  together with prof. Slugen (2014). About 20 publications in current contents journals and more than 80 citations.

Relevant publications, and/or products, services
 

• Slugen V., “Safety of VVER-440 reactors: barriers against fission products release” (2011), Springer-Verlag London limited, ISBN 978-1-84996-419-7: 178
• Slugen V., Gokhman O., Pecko S., Sojak S., Bergner F., “JRQ and JPA irradiated and annealed reactor pressure vessel steels studied by positron annihilation” (2016), Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids, Vol. 171, No. 3-4: 231-241
• Slugen V., Pecko S., Sojak S., “Experimental studies of irradiated and hydrogen implantation damaged reactor steels” (2016), Journal of Nuclear Materials, 468, 285-2882
• Slugen V., Hein H., Sojak, S., Veternikova J., Petriska M., Sabelova V., Pavuk M., Hinca R., Stacho M., “Evaluation of the Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels by Positron annihilation” (2013), Journal of Nuclear Materials, ISSN 0022-3115, Vol. 442: 490-506
• Pecko S., Heintze C., Bergner F., Anwand W., Slugen V., “Fe2+ ion irradiated JRQ steel investigated by nanoindentation and slow-positron Doppler broadening spectroscopy” (2018), Nuclear Instr. And Methods in Physics Research B 415: 1-8
• J. Simeg Veternikova, J. Degmova, F. Simko, M. Pekarcikova, S. Sojak, V. Slugen: “Positron study of steel NF 709 after irradiation and thermal strain.” Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section B - Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 365. s. 309--312.
• J. Simeg Veternikova, J. Degmova, M. Pekarcikova, F. Simko, M. Petriska, M. Skarba, P. Mikula: ”Thermal stability study for candidate stainless steels of GEN IV reactors.” Applied Surface Science, 387. s. 965--970.
• J. Simeg Veternikova, M. Fides, J. Degmova, S. Sojak, M. Petriska, V. Slugen: “Positron and nanoindentation study of helium implanted high chromium ODS steels.” Journal of Electrical Engineering, 68. s. 62--65.
• J. Degmova, V. Krsjak, J. Veternikova, V. Sabelová: “Destructive & Non-Destructive Testing of Model Materials for NPP`S Applications.” Journal of Electrical Engineering, 2011, s. 112--114.
• J. Veternikova, M. Chudy, V. Slugen, M. Eisterer, H.W. Weber, S. Sojak, M. Petriska, R. Hinca, J. Degmova, V. Sabelova, “Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy Study of Neutron Irradiated High Temperature Superconductors YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) for Application in Fusion Facilities.” Journal of Fusion Energy, 31. s. 89--95. ISSN 0164-0313.

Relevant previous projects or activities
 

• FP6 PERFECT no. F16O-CT-2003-508840 (2004-2008): Prediction of Irradiation Damage Effects in Reactor Components.
• FP7 TRASNUSAFE no. 249674 (2010-2014): Training schemes on nuclear safety culture
• FP7 NUGENIA Plus no. 604965 (2013-2016): Preparing NUGENIA for HORIZON2020, Sub-project ASATAR
• H2020 MEACTOS, Project of the European atomic energy community. (2017-2020): Mitigating Environmentally Assisted Cracking Through Optimisation of Surface Condition
• Benchmarking of Advanced Materials Pre-selected for Innovative Nuclear Reactors, Project of International Atomic Energy Agency, 16735/RO-IAEA (2011).
• European fusion development agreement, Project of European commission, EFDA-WP2 - WP4 (2011-2013).

Significant infrastructure and/or any major items of technical equipment

Several laboratories for radioactivity measurements and simulations, dosimetry, release measurements, decontamination etc. are available at the STUBA laboratories in Bratislava. Different non-destructive techniques (MS, PAS, CDB, SEM, TEM, AFM,…) are available as well. Since 2014 the STUBA Material science centre for non-destructive testing of high treated materials is in operation in Jaslovské Bohunice NPP. Relevant computer codes as well as computing capacities are available, too.