UJV Rez, a.s. (NRI)

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Description of the legal entity

ÚJV Řež provides a wide range of services, including applied research, design, and engineering activities in the fields of energy, industry, and health. For more than 60 years ÚJV Řež has been among the top technology centers in the Czech Republic and Europe. The priority of ÚJV Řež is nuclear power engineering, i.e. support of the operating units and preparation of new nuclear units. In addition, institute focuses on conventional energy, heating, including small energy sources and renewable resources. ÚJV Řež also fully covers the entire service chain of radioactive waste management. Company has long-term and extensive experience with the assessment of nuclear power plants structural materials degradation, using wide portfolio of experimental methodologies (e.g. mechanical testing and evaluation of irradiated materials) and analytical expertise (modelling, FEM analyses, etc.). With respect to the current trend of industrial components lifetime extension, institute also focuses on the development and standardization of perspective testing methods of sub-sized specimens and their implementation into procedures of NPP components lifetime assessment. Long-term experience and international cooperation within the field of the nuclear energy sector, together with the large team of scientific personnel, makes ÚJV Řež a reliable partner for the achievement of the FRACTESUS project objectives.          

Profile of staff members involved

  • Mr Radim Kopriva (male): MSc. In Material Science from Czech Technical University in Prague (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering), ongoing PhD in Material Science to be completed during 2019 at Czech Technical University in Prague (Faculty on Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering). Working at the NRI from the 2006, from 2009 as a Head of Mechanical Testing Department. Responsible for the management of accredited hot-cell laboratory and mechanical testing within the frame of surveillance programs of Czech and Slovak NPPs.

  • Mrs Ivana Schnablova (female): Senior Research and Development Specialist: Research activities in accredited laboratory for irradiated material properties quantification (wide range of destructive testing techniques and analyses - fracture toughness, impact, high temperature tensile, hardness, fatigue, SEM)  Evaluation of the experimental results of irradiated specimens within the frame of RPV surveillance programs (Czech, Slovak NPPs) Experience with the development of methods for the irradiated sub-sized specimen preparation, testing and evaluation (e.g. SPT – Small Punch Tests)  Experience with the grant project preparation and realization (EU FP projects – MATTER, LONGLIFE, SOTERIA, Czech national grant projects)

Relevant publications, and/or products, services

  • Brumovsky M., Kopriva R., “Interlaboratory study for small punch testing preliminary results” (2018), American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Pressure Vessels and Piping Division PVP, DOI: 10.1115/PVP201884142

  • Kopriva R., Eliasova I., Kytka M., “Implementation of small punch testing and automated ball indentation in the process of irradiated NPP materials degradation evaluation (2016),  International Conference on Nuclear Engineering, Proceedings, ICONE24, DOI: 10.1115/ICONE24-60620

  • Kopřiva R., Falcník M., Eliášová I., Siegl J., “Implementation of Semi-Destructive Mechanical Testing Techniques for Quantification of Irradiated NPP Components Materials Operational Degradation” (2015), Procedia Engineering, 130: 1598-1602, DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2015.12.333

  • Brumovsky M., Kopriva R., Kytka M., Falcnik M., “Austenitic cladding and Master Curve” (2015), American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Pressure Vessels and Piping Division PVP, DOI: 10.1115/PVP2015-45502

  • Kopriva R., Brumovsky M., Kytka M., Lasan M., Siegl J., Matocha K., “Application of miniature small punch test specimen in determination of tensile properties”, ASTM Special Technical Publication, STP 1576: 160-167

Relevant previous projects or activities

Active participation within EU projects:

  • PERFECT
  • PERFORM60
  • LONGLIFE
  • SOTERIA
  • TACIS TAREG 2.01/03

Significant infrastructure and/or any major items of technical equipment

From 1970, ÚJV Řež, a. s., Division of Integrity and Technical Engineering, operates the experimental facility with the fleet of 51 hot cells. In the first period of operation until 1978, considerable attention was paid to verifying operational abilities of fuel elements. After the  year 1980, most of activities are focused on the determination of degradation of NPP irradiated structural materials, especially from WWER components. At present, the main purpose of the facility is to support the Czech (Dukovany NPP, Temelín NPP), Slovak and several Ukrainian NPPs within the frame of their reactor pressure vessel surveillance programs. Besides the portfolio of standard accredited mechanical tests (impact testing, fracture toughness, etc.) the laboratory is also focused on the development of innovative methods of sub-sized specimens testing and their employment in the determination of irradiated material operational degradation, e.g. SPT, instrumented hardness, miniature CT specimens. Facility has necessary portfolio of methods and equipment for the irradiated specimens preparation and testing to fulfill the goals of the FRACTESUS project (universal testing machines – electromechanical, servo-hydraulic, electric discharge machining, metallography hot cell, scanning electron microscopes for fractography, etc.).

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