Nuclear power plant structures and materials must withstand long-term degradation under coupled radiation and moisture in high-temperature extreme environments at the microscopic scale, while simultaneously ensuring structural robustness against seismic and external loads at the macroscopic scale. This makes nuclear systems inherently complex and multiscale in nature. With the rapid expansion of AI-driven industries and data infrastructure, electricity demand is rising sharply, further elevating the importance of nuclear energy as a stable power source. Accordingly, computational mechanics–based predictive modeling and design technologies are emerging as critical research areas.

In response to these growing technological and industrial demands, our laboratory conducts research from both Nanomechanics and CAE perspectives. Our nanomechanics research establishes methodologies to analyze the property degradation and interfacial stability of coatings and protective materials used inside nuclear facilities at the electronic and atomic scales, particularly under moisture absorption and radiation-induced aging. These atomistic insights are extended to the continuum scale to build multiscale simulation frameworks capable of capturing interfacial delamination behavior over realistic time scales. This research has been carried out through a two-year collaborative project with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power CO., Ltd. (KHNP) and is being continuously advanced within our laboratory.

On the CAE side, we have developed expertise in quantitatively evaluating the dynamic stability and seismic qualification required in the design of reactors and related structures. Finite element–based modal and response spectrum analyses are used to characterize structural eigenfrequencies and seismic responses, while systematically examining how design variables influence structural integrity. Through ongoing collaborative projects with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, these methodologies are actively applied to real design verification and safety assessments. The accumulated experience is expanding beyond reactor systems to a broader range of earthquake-resistant structures.