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Distinguished Merit Award: Fuel Channel Life Management

Alex Reavie, Dylan Broad, James Slattery, Joe Bida, Joe Chartrand, Kyle Baker, Kyle Breen, Lance Broome, Larkin Mosscrop, Scott Holyomes, Serge Bertrand, Sterling St. Lawrence, Todd Gale, and Zia Haque

For the work on the irradiated pressure tube burst tests for the CANDU Owners Group (COG) Fuel Channel Life Management.

CANDU pressure tubes ingress hydrogen and deuterium during service through corrosion from the heavy water coolant and at the ends of the pressure tubes through the Rolled Joints. Hydrogen content in pressure tubes build over time and can impact material properties, especially fracture toughness. As many of the current operating domestic reactors were approaching their initial design life, about 10 years ago the CANDU industry initiated a major research and development program known as the Fuel Channel Life Management (FCLM) through the Candu Owners Group (COG). The FCLM program has allowed the utilities to develop a solid technical basis to regain operating safety margins in aging reactors and to extend the number of years of continued operation until refurbishment. One of the core areas of research within the FCLM is fracture toughness of pressure tubes at late-in-life conditions. In order to demonstrate pressure tube integrity at high hydrogen concentrations, many burst tests of irradiated pressure tube sections have been performed at CNL through the various phases of FCLM.

These high value experiments have provided critical data that had direct impact on the operations of the domestic CANDU reactors, and the favorable experimental results have allowed regulator confidence in continued operation.

Distinguished Merit Award: Cyber Security

Alex Amos, Anna Shi, Dave Trask, and Richard Brown

For developing and hosting cyber security incident response exercises.

In 2018, CNL declared cyber security as a strategic research initiative within S&T, to address emergent threats to the security of digital instrumentation and controls systems that are critical for the safe operation of nuclear power plants and other constituents of current and future energy infrastructure. This was timely as cyber security requirements were issued by CSA (formerly Canadian Standards Association) in late 2014, and became a licensing condition for nuclear facilities in Canada. The strategic initiative enables CNL to focus resources in this area to advance the security capabilities of facilities and other critical infrastructure, and thereby the security of Canadians.

The cyber security incident response project is a key research area that is being executed as part of the strategic initiative, and responds to the need for facilities to demonstrate an effective response capability to cyber events. The research, which has culminated in four exercises being held, has resulted in new knowledge and capabilities that have contributed significant practical improvements in incident response that has been shared not only with Canadian nuclear power plants, but international facilities and government organizations.

The work has informed standards and regulation, it has established CNL as a leader in cyber security incident response thus improving the safety and security of Canadians, it has strengthened relationships with numerous national and international industry partners as listed above, and it opens up commercial opportunities in both nuclear and non-nuclear industries – all of these are performance goals that are consistent with CNL’s mission.

Distinguished Merit Award: Multiscale materials modelling

Andrew Prudil, Blair Bromley, Catalina Anghel, Chris Maxwell, Cong Dai, Edmanuel Torres, Ibrahim Cheik Njifon, Karen Colins, Michael Welland, and Thaneshwor Kaloni

For developing expertise in multiscale materials modelling.

From 2016 to 2022, project members brought their unique expertise together to develop a comprehensive suite of mechanistic models of fuel and cladding behaviour. This work contributes to the international effort of accelerating the design and qualification cycle of advanced / Small Modular Reactors (SMR) using modern computational material science techniques to interpret and guide experimental campaigns and extend the range of applicability of fuel performance predictions.

This project advanced many aspects of the Multiscale Modelling paradigm, an established framework within the computational materials science communities due to its robust predictive capabilities. This approach tailors modelling techniques to phenomena of interest according to spatio-temporal scale, with overlap to pass information. The move to mechanistic, multiscale materials models has been widely adopted by the international nuclear community, a fact this project has leveraged through supporting participation in several collaborations facilitated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD NEA) and peer institutions.

Besides establishing CNL as a leader in the field of multiscale fuel modelling, many of the tools developed are transferrable to other materials.

As this project supported staff’s enthusiasm and scientific interests, staff massively exceeded the planned deliverables. While 14 journal articles were planned, 45 articles were supported with a further 30 conference presentations.

Distinguished Merit Award: MCR chemical decontamination

Arshad Toor, Chris Sanzo, Chris Stewart, Christine Le Ber, Daniel Arnold, Jaleh Semmler, Jody Lynn Tessier, Lori Walters, Louise Newton, and Zahid Khan

For the work on the Bruce Unit 3 MCR chemical decontamination. 

In order to reduce the overall worker dose during a reactor component replacement, CNL’s customer decided to conduct a sub-system primary side decontamination.

CNL staff members in Advanced Reactor Materials and Chemistry Branch were sub-contracted to conduct tests to qualify the CAN-DEREM™ process (developed at CNL) decontamination. This was the first CANDU® decontamination in the last 20 years and the choice of the CAN-DEREM™ process over processes offered by competitors highlights CNL’s expertise in decontamination technologies.

Preparation for series of tests started in November 2021. Decontamination tests using inlet and outlet feeder pipes specimens were performed using CNL’s state-of-the-art Research Decontamination (RD) test loop. Tests qualifying the process for application were successfully completed in May 2022.

The customer was very appreciative with CNL’s dedication, capability, and innovative solutions to a number of technical issues such as reagent injection, reducing oxygen concentration in the loop and development of novel analytical procedures.

Distinguished Merit Award: Clean up criteria change

Bill Daly, Jennifer Turner, Kathy Ackland, Mitch Conan, Paul Northey, Sandra Faught, and Steve Morris

For the work on the arsenic criteria change in the Port Hope Area Initiative Community Report.

The Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) Arsenic – Impacted Legacy Waste Remediation – Community Report (2023/07/25) is the public facing document for the recommendation of a new cleanup standard for arsenic in soil that can be utilized by the PHAI for the remediation of legacy waste.

The change of clean-up criteria for arsenic in the PHAI project would result in more trees and wildlife being protected within the project area while simultaneously protecting the soil health of the project area due to less soil being taken to storage and less trees being taken down. This clean-up criteria change involved developing a Port Hope-specific arsenic clean-up value using federal guidance while ensuring that a human health and ecological risk assessment were carried out.

Distinguished Merit Award: Conventional New Builds delivery

Al Levoy, Anne-Marie Darowny, Darroch Elliott, Deanna Shields, Derek Campbell, Eben Hamilton, Emma Etmanskie, Gail Adams, Hilary Avery, Jaclyn Cummins, Janice de Hann, Jeff Strack, Kaitlin McMillan, Karey Leach, Kathy Barnett, Kelly Fawcett, Kristen Campbell, Mark Bruce, Mark Lamarche, Matt Weiss, Paul Rabishaw, Phil Colwill, Robyn Mercer, Steve Innes, and Tim Zadow

For the work on the Conventional New Builds (CNB) projects. 

The Conventional New Builds (CNB) Project team has safely and successfully delivered on its commitments to construct three beautiful mass timber buildings for CNL and did so, right through the pandemic.

The three project buildings, the Minwamon Building, the Support Facility, and the Science Collaboration Centre (SCC), provide world-class facilities for CNL’s scientists, researchers, and technical support staff as they advance CNL’s strategic mission and tackle some of the world’s toughest technological challenges. These buildings replace dated buildings which then can be turned over to Facilities Decommissioning for the reduction of the liability. The facilities also help drive the message of “revitalization” of the Chalk River Campus and demonstrate how CNL can work together effectively managing this large portfolio of work.

The ability of the team to continually solve challenges with delivery of these three new buildings, while continuing to maintain stakeholder satisfaction and ensure the final product is something CNL can be proud of, is attributed to a dedicated team that continually goes above and beyond, stepping out of traditional role boundaries to ensure the success of the project. This was brought to the forefront during the pandemic. The team has continually worked to meet any challenge head on, and provide solutions to issues time and time again.

Distinguished Merit Award: Lead for the ERM Program Management Office

Oana Lungu

For the work as Mission Lead for the ERM Program Management Office (PMO). 

Oana is a key asset to the Program Management Office. She has an exceptional skill set to build integrations between systems to allow for automation and is always improving daily processes, such as building tools (macros) for the Environmental Remediation Management (ERM) mission to make their job easier.

Her work saves hundreds of hours for both the PMO and all project control coordinators across all mission areas annually.

Distinguished Merit Award: AOPFN Long Term Relationship Agreement

Mitch MacKay, Noelle Dykman and Pat Quinn

For the engagement of Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation regarding the negotiation and signing of the landmark Long Term Relationship Agreement.

This core team achieved a relationship agreement with Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation. They demonstrated many values of CNL, including respect, integrity, teamwork and excellence, in doing so.

Their achievement has huge implications for CNL, including furthering its goal of licensing the NSDF and creating a real platform for CNL to demonstrate its ability to listen to First Nations neighbouring communities and incorporate Indigenous feedback and guidance into its projects at CRL.

Distinguished Merit Award: Examination of light water reactor (LWR) Fuel

Dan Cadieux, Dan McDonald, Dave Trudell, David Dean, Gaige Moore, Gary Shultz, Guy Leblond, Ike Dimayuga, Jeff Armstrong, Kevin Rochon, Mark Sequin, Michael Gharghouri, Nathan Lee, Nick Simpson, Noel Harrison, Scott Read, Sherry Laroche, Stavros Corbett, Sterling St. Lawrence, Tijmen Van Lindenberg, Tyler Chaput, and Zia Haque

For the work on the post-irradiation examination of light water reactor (LWR) fuel. 

The team successfully developed capabilities, applied high quality standards, and delivered Light Water Reactor (LWR) Fuel Post Irradiation Examination and Testing services for an international commercial customer. This was a multi-year effort to deliver a commercial contract that commenced in 2018, continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and finished testing in 2023.

This work is the first time CNL delivers post-irradiation examination (PIE) of fuel services to the LWR industry in more than 30 years. This is a key area of future business for CNL as evidenced by the Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre hot cell design which explicitly addresses examination of LWR fuel. These capabilities support the nuclear industry in North America and support the effort to restore the environment by the reduction of green-house gases around the world. The team persisted through multiple challenges with the firm belief that building and demonstrating CNL’s LWR fuel PIE capabilities are key for the future of CNL as a national lab.

Distinguished Merit Award: Nuclear education and outreach activities

Alison Jones, Belinda Samson, Bernadette Beebe, Dylan Verburg, Gabrielle Psotka, Jennifer Gardner, Julie Ryan, Larkin Mosscrop, Marisa Breeze, Philip Kompass, and Shane Matte

For the work in leading nuclear education and outreach. 

CNL has been working to increase the volume and engagement of communications about our science and technology programs. The Corporate Communications team responded to this challenge, and coming out of the COVID pandemic, delivered an unprecedented level of programming intended to engage a wide variety of stakeholders, notably including students and youth.

New initiatives were introduced, and existing programming was revitalized and renewed, all with the intention of building CNL’s brand and reputation as a leader in Canadian nuclear science and technology.