Effects of process-generated hydrogen on RPV walls

Preface

A little more then one year ago, I started this study to satisfy my interest in the field of nuclear science and engineering. However, as time passed and I became more involved in this topic, it became so much more than just an interest. The complete project allowed me to use all of my previous acquired knowledge in a new and hot topic. However, this did not make it any easier to progress. The project made me step in the middle of a very instable land were various opinions were thrown at me. Therefore, it was very important during the complete project to act independent and unbiased, which was one of many great lessons to learn for me. Everything I achieved in this thesis, would not have been possible without the help and involvement of my promotor prof. dr. ir. Walter Bogaerts and prof. Digby D. Macdonald. As mentioned, prof. Bogaerts gave me the opportunity to work on this very interesting and hot topic. His guidance and knowledge on various disciplines in this work, e.g. corrosion and material degradation, helped me to complete the project as it is today. Therefore, I want to express my sincere gratitude to him. Furthermore, I want to thank prof. Digby D. Macdonald. Especially for all the opportunities he gave me during the project. Furthermore, he was a big help for the radiolysis calculations and much more. He definitely was an indispensable factor in the complete project. Furthermore, I would like to thank dr. George Engelhardt. Together with prof. Macdonald, he provided me with the basic radiolysis program used during this work. Last but not least, I want to express some words of gratitude for everyone else involved in this project. Without all of them, this work would not have been possible.

Thanks to all of you.

Kristof Dockx

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