Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The influence of high C martensite on the strength and impact behavior of C-Mn-Nb-Al steels has been determined for two distributions: films surrounding the ferrite grains and distinct colonies. In the former case, the impact behavior markedly deteriorated, this deterioration increasing with martensite level. The changes in impact behavior could be explained by regarding the films of martensite as being similar to the brittle grain boundary carbides that are present in ferrite-pearlite steels. These films readily crack, yet are always thick enough to produce a sufficient wide crack to render crack propagation easy. The critical event in fracture then becomes the ability to propagate the cracks through the grain boundaries. The greater the grain boundary coverage by these films, the easier this becomes and the worse is the impact behavior. When the martensite is present as colonies, ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The shrinkage of the cement paste with low water-cement ratio at different relative humidity was observed and analyzed with ESEM and deformation map technique. The crack morphology was observed with different magnification with SEM and FESEM, and the formation of the crack was observed with AFM between two C-S-H nano particles. The observation by multi technique at multi scale indicated that the shrinkage was increase with the decrease of the humidity due to the increase of the pressure of the capillary pressure, the morphology of the crack in smaller scale was similar to that in the bigger scale, the smaller crack distributed in the latticework of the bigger ones, and the crack propagated along the gap between two nano particles of C-S-H with weaker bonding.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The subscale Varestraint test has been used to determine the relative hot cracking susceptibility of the fusion zone in four commercial heats of alloy 800. Although all four heats were susceptible to cracking, one heat exhibited a significant increase in cracking relative to the other three. Optical metallography revealed that nearly all the cracking was localized along fusion zone grain boundaries. Microprobe analysis of the grain boundaries detected high concentrations of titanium, silicon, and niobium resulting from partitioning during solidification. The fusion zone hot cracking mechanism in alloy 800 involves the complex interaction of titanium, silicon, niobium, and carbon along the solidification boundaries. SEM and Auger analyses of the hot crack fracture surfaces revealed the presence of (Ti, Nb)-rich carbides, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Up to 90% of the life time of cyclically loaded components is determined by short crack initiation and propagation. This stage of the fatigue damage process is strongly influenced by microstructural features, e.g. grain boundaries and crystallographic grain orientation. Therefore LEFM can not be applied in a reasonable manner explaining the demand for a mechanism-related modelling method. The present study deals with mechanical testing and microstructural examinations applied to the relatively new #beta#-titanium alloy LCB. The results are used as data base to develop a new short crack model that is based on the model of Navarro and de los Rios. By using various techniques such as electron back-scattered diffraction and finite-element calculations the origin of crack initiation is revealed and the characteristics of crack propagation is determined. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Detection of fatigue damage cracks in aircraft skin structures is an ongoing NDT challenge. Cracks growing rate is difficult to predict, and for this reason, it is important to detect them as soon as possible to avoid a catastrophic break. Eddy current methods are known and well-accepted techniques which are relatively simple to carry out. However, with conventional inspection of airframe structures using standard driver-pickup eddy current probes, it is difficult to detect small fatigue cracks initiated in the second layer of the skin and in the shadow region at fastener holes. Such difficulty is related to fasteners length and their spacing which reduces test sensitivity. This report explains the development of improved eddy current probe/technique to detect and visualize fatigue cracks in fasteners. In this study, an eddy current array probe was evaluated and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A study of stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Zircaloy-4 in chloride-containing aqueous methanolic media is presented. The influence of water content is investigated in the 5-100 vol. % water range. The dependence of stress corrosion cracking on potential is evidenced. A close correlation is established with pitting susceptibility determined by a statistical analysis of induction times. A correlation with the repassivation potential is observed in the water-rich solutions. In the low water content solutions, two repassivation curves are determined according to the experimental technique. Pit morphology and fractography show a transition from aqueous to organic media. (author).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The results of studies performed for the development of a new process of the thermal cracking of tar as a suspension with ground Baltic oil shale in order to obtain motor fuel components are reported. The experimental results suggest undoubted advantages of the process over industrial thermal cracking because the deep degradation of tar (the yields of a gasoline fraction with bp to 180?C, middle distillates with bp of 180?360?C, and feedstock for catalytic cracking with bp of 360?520?C were ~12, 43?44, and ~15?16 wt % on an initial tar basis) was achieved upon the single-stage processing of the raw material under relatively mild conditions (5 MPa, 425?C, and a feed space velocity of 1.0 h?1). The resulting coke-like products and V and Ni contained in the raw material were deposited on the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

As an application of ART2 neural networks, computer aided monitoring of pump efficiency is successfully examined for an industrial waste-liquid treatment process with measured data of valve openness and liquid flow rates. By running the neural networks in parallel, we confirm that accuracy to detect system changes is good, and the adjustment of classifier parameters is relatively easy. Investigating the resulting classes carefully, frequency of each class is correlated with pump efficiency. The relative amount of variables are also related to the classes. (author)

CERN Document Server

Over three years ago, the Core Integration team of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) implemented a digital library based on metadata aggregation using Dublin Core and OAI-PMH. The initial expectation was that such low-barrier technologies would be relatively easy to automate and administer. While this architectural choice permitted rapid deployment of a production NSDL, our three years of experience have contradicted our original expectations of easy automation and low people cost. We have learned that alleged "low-barrier" standards are often harder to deploy than expected. In this paper we report on this experience and comment on the general cost, the functionality, and the ultimate effectiveness of this architecture.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

As a basic research to consider aging deterioration of the operating nuclear power plant to seismic fragility analysis, aging deteriorations occurring safety related equipment of both Kori unit 1 and Wolsung unit 1, are investigated in this study. First of all, 378 and 152 safety related equipment are selected at Kori unit 1 and Wolsung unit 1 respectively. Seismic review team including seismic capability engineer, is organized and seismic walkdown is carried out using the nondestructive tests. As a results of seismic walkdown, crack is a typical aging deterioration which can reduce the seismic safety of safety related equipment and the other aging deteriorations such as concrete compressive strength, corrosion, and tightness of anchor bolt, have a much smaller influence than crack. In order to manage the aging deterioration data collected through the seismic walkdown in effective ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The patent describes a method for repairing leakage-causing cracks and fissures in a cryogenic heat exchanger. It comprises: reducing the interior pressure of the heat exchanger to a level which does not exceed the external pressure upon the hear exchanger while maintaining the temperature of the heat exchanger at a low level relative to the ambient external temperature; applying a curable liquid filler composition to the surface of the heat exchanger proximal the leakage site for seepage into the cracks and fissures located at the leakage. The composition upon a relatively short period of cure at low temperature forming a solid material which fills the cracks and fissures; curing the filler composition; and, applying a sealant composition to the surface of the heat exchanger at the filled leakage site. The sealant composition having long-term sealing performance under cyrogenic ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alloy 800 has been proposed for use in the receiver tube panel arrays of advanced solar central receiver (SCR) designs. In this application the alloy will be exposed to a molten mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate salts at temperatures ranging up to approximately 600/sup 0/C While these salts are routinely used in a variety of applications including metal heat treating and process heat transfer, common industrial experience has been limited to maximum temperatures of 400/sup 0/C - 450/sup 0/C. There is, therefore, considerable interest in the compatibility of these salts with containment alloys at the higher temperatures associated with SCR designs. Additionally, the containment alloy may be subject to thermally induced fatigue damage resulting from intermittent cloud cover and diurnal cycling. Previous work has found that slower near-threshold fatigue crack growth rates (FCGR) in Alloy 800 result when it is tested in molten nitrate salt at 600/sup 0/C ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briefly described is knowledge of crevice corrosion, corrosion cracking and denting. In evaluating the corrosion resistance of steam generator materials it is necessary to distinguish corrosion problems caused by the primary coolant eide and by the secondary circuit side. At present tubes are manufactured of 7 austenitic alloys of a different chemical composition, and available information shows that views on their corrosion resistance differ. Greatest attention has been devoted to corrosion cracking in the presence of HaOH. Findings related to I-600, I-800, I-690 and AISI 316 are given. Corrodibility by sulfur-containing products is now being studied, namely the intercrystalline corrosion cracking caused by the presence of H_2S_4O_6. Knowledge gained in this respect is summed up. (J.P.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The failure took place on a welded elbow pipe which exhibited a catastrophic transverse rupture. The failure was located on the welding HAZ region, parallel to the welding path. Branching cracks were detected at the edge of the rupture area. Deposits of corrosion products were also spotted. The optical microscope analysis showed the presence of transgranular failures which were related to the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and were predominantly caused by the welding residual stress. The significant difference in hardness between the welded area and the pipe confirmed the findings. Moreover, the failure was also caused by the low Mo content in the stainless steel pipe which was detected by means of spark emission spectrometer. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We propose triplet superconductors, such as ruthenates, as prospective materials for qubit construction. The vectorial nature of the order parameter in triplet superconductors makes it conceptually easy to estimate the performance of the qubits. The Cooper condensate of pairs in triplet superconductors has all the attributes of Bose-Einstein condensates and should facilitate long decoherence times for these qubits, relative to other vectorial schemes for qubits, such as small ferromagnets. There are other benefits, which the superconducting state provides for requirements such as entanglement between qubits via the proximity effect, etc. We consider these benefits in detail, although our consideration is only preliminary and further experimental and theoretical research will undoubtedly introduce correctives.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A theoretical model was developed to simulate this phenomenon, under some specific assumptions. The model simulates: the generation and decay of radon within the soil; its transport throughout the soil due to diffusion and convection induced by the pressure disturbance applied at a crack in the basement; its entrance into the house through the crack; and the resultant indoor radon concentration. The most important assumptions adopted in the model were: a steady-state condition; a house with a basement; a geometrically well-defined crack at the wall-floor joint in the basement; and a constant negative pressure applied at the crack in relation to the outside atmospheric pressure. Two three-dimensional finite-difference computer programs were written to solve the mathematical equations of the model. The first program, called PRESSU, was used to calculate: the pressure distribution ...

Science.gov (United States)

In this work, energy-based features for gear fault diagnosis and prediction are proposed. The instantaneous energy density is shown to obtain high values when defected teeth are engaged. Three methods are compared in terms of sensitivity, reliability and computation effectiveness. The Wigner Ville distribution is contrasted to the wavelet transform and the newly proposed empirical mode decomposition scheme. It is shown that all three methods are capable of a reliable prediction. An empirical law, which relates the energy content to the crack magnitude is established.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Effect of hydroxide nature, concentration and temperature on corrosion resistance of domestic steels and alloys to hot NaOH, KOH, LiOH solutions is considered. It is ascertained that by corrosion growth in relation to stainless steels and nickel alloys, the hydroxides are placed in the following sequence: LiOHcracking is manifested, are determined. 12 refs., 12 figs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A plane stress constitutive relation is developed for laminate composites undergoing matrix cracking and therefore displaying significant nonlinear stress-strain behavior. The constitutive relation is similar in some respects to a phenomenological theory of plasticity in that it is fit to data from uniaxial tests. The constitutive equations are specialized to brittle matrix composites (especially CMCs) in the form of cross-piles and quasi-isotropic laminates. Several problems involving stress redistribution at holes and notches due to nonlinear stress-strain behavior are investigated with the aid of the constitutive law.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Investigation of an HP-blade damage in 1996 and an MP-blade damage in 1007 at the mounting showed that fretting and creep fatigue had caused the damage. Break-down occurred when creep-related cracks developed between radial bridge to the upper blade tooth and weight relief boreholes. After disassembly of the HP-blades the lower blade tooth was found to be cracked after fretting (some cracks along the whole length of the tooth). The lower teeth of MP-bladedes showed merely superficial cracks (depth about 0.4mm). The massive cracks of the lower blade tooth were caused by instationary clearance changes combined with hard blade underground.(orig.) [German] Das Ergebnis der Untersuchung nach einem HD-Schaufelschaden 1996 sowie einem MD-Schaufelschaden 1997 an der Vierzackenfussbefestigung ergab Zeitstanderschoepfung und Fretting als auszuloesende Schadensmechanismen. ...

CERN Document Server

Finding interesting rule in the sixth strategy step about threshold control on generalized relations in attribute oriented induction, there is possibility to select candidate attribute for further generalization and merging of identical tuples until the number of tuples is no greater than the threshold value, as implemented in basic attribute oriented induction algorithm. At this strategy step there is possibility the number of tuples in final generalization result still greater than threshold value. In order to get the final generalization result which only small number of tuples and can be easy to transfer into simple logical formula, the seventh strategy step about rule transformation is evolved where there will be simplification by unioning or grouping the identical attribute. Our approach to measure interesting rule is opposite with heuristic measurement approach by Fudger and Hamilton where the more complex concept hierarchies, more ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this paper, we develop a batch fuzzy learning vector quantization algorithm that attempts to solve certain problems related to the implementation of fuzzy clustering in image compression. The algorithm's structure encompasses two basic components. First, a modified objective function of the fuzzy c-means method is reformulated and then is minimized by means of an iterative gradient-descent procedure. Second, the overall training procedure is equipped with a systematic strategy for the transition from fuzzy mode, where each training vector is assigned to more than one codebook vectors, to crisp mode, where each training vector is assigned to only one codebook vector. The algorithm is fast and easy to implement. Finally, the simulation results show that the method is efficient and appears...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper, for an acceleration of utilization of magnesium alloy which is being interested in recent years, friction welding of AZ31 magnesium alloy was carried out, and the joint performance was discussed in relation to the deformation heat input in the upset stage and upset loss as a evaluation factor. Where, the deformation heat input in the upset stage is mechanical work represented by the product of upset speed and axial pressure. As a result, it was made clear that the friction welding of AZ31 magnesium alloy was easy in the atmosphere, and good welded joints without a non- adhesion area at the weld interface could de obtained. Moreover, the evaluation factors discussed were possible to evaluate to joint performance. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No abstract prepared.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A singular stress field can occur at the edge of the joint plane in a thermally or mechanically loaded material compound. This stress field was calculated analytically and was compared with the results from the finite element method. If one of the two partners consists of ceramic material, unstable crack spread starting from faults in this strongly stressed area can lead to failure. In linear elastic material, the behaviour of a crack is clearly described by the stress intensity factors. These can be calculated for a known stress distribution in the uncracked structure by the method of the weight function. The corresponding weight functions for surface cracks parallel to the boundary surface were determined with the aid of suitable reference load cases. The effect of the position of the crack in the compound and the elastic constants of the compound are discussed. For examples, the stress intensity ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Fatigue crack growth tests of three ferrite-pearlite steels with different size and spacing of pearlite particles, which were uniformly distributed in the ferrite matrix, were carried out to investigate the effect of microstructure on fatigue crack growth behavior in the Paris regime. The fatigue crack growth rates for the three materials did not coincide with each other, even when the crack growth curves were arranged by the effective stress intensity factor range. From in situ observations, crack tip stress shielding phenomena, such as interlocking and branching, were found on the crack wake, which enhanced fatigue crack growth resistance. A small size and spacing of pearlite particle seemed to induce small but frequent crack deflections, which resulted in crack closure phenomena. On the...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The paper presents experimental investigations of main features of plasma surface interaction and energy transfer to the material surface in dependence on plasma heat loads. The experiments were performed with QSPA repetitive plasma pulses of the duration of 0.25 ms and the energy density up to 2.5 MJ/m2. Surface morphology of the targets exposed to QSPA plasma screams is analyzed. Relative contribution of the Lorentz force and plasma pressure gradient to the resulting surface profile is discussed. development of cracking on the tungsten surface and swelling of the surface are found to be in strong dependence on initial temperature of the target.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Existing applications of Alloy 800 are summarized, with particular reference to its use in various types of reactor. The need for a co-ordinated research and development programme is stressed, and the variables to be explored are outlined. The papers relating to the problem of corrosion and cracking in water and steam are considered. the strength and ductility of Alloy 800 is considered. Finally, sections of the summary deal with the use of Alloy 800 for (a) sodium cooled fast reactor boiler tubes; (b) the high temperature gas cooled reactor; and (c) PWR steam generator tubes. (U.K.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of the present work is to investigate the effects of matrix resin and fiber content on the behavior of fatigue crack propagation in continuous-glass-fiber-mat reinforced CP-resin composites. For this purpose, ductile matrix resin and brittle one are used. These two kinds of resins have the characteristic that the elastic modulus and tensile strength are nearly the same with each other while the elongation is different. The composite specimens are made of these resins and continuous grass fiber mat of 20 wt.% and 60 wt% fiber contents. The fatigue crack propagation test was conducted by using the tapered DCB specimens to control the stress intensity factor range, {delta}K, during the test. The results obtained are as follows; (1) The relation between the crack propagation rate, da/dN, and {delta}K for all the present materials is shown by a straight line in logarithmic representation. (2) For ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text of publication follows: As SiCf/SiC composites are very low activation materials, their use as structural material for the reactor blanket and first wall components appears essential to demonstrate the potential of D-T fusion power reactor. Positive features of SiCf/SiC are their high performances at elevated operating temperature and the ability to produce a specific component. Critical issues of SiCf/SiC are the mechanical properties, radiation stability and, with regard to technological issues, their hermeticity and joining processes. Improvement of joining processes for SiC/SiC components is also needed. Recently, several blanket designs have been studied: the TAURO blanket concept in the European Union, the ARIESAT concept in the US and the DREAM concept in Japan. In those reactors, hermetic SiCf/SiC or self-sealing coatings are mandatory. The basic idea of self sealing concept is to manufacture a coating with specific requirements (CTE and wettability suitable for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Long-term disposal and management of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste is a major project of the nuclear power industry. Therefore, the selection of an underground waste repository has to be a geologically and seismologically stable storage. Easy transportation and emplacement is essential. The Wolsung nuclear power plant (NPP) of unit no. 1/2/ 3/ 4, which is responsible for the future of the energy industry, has already been constructed at the Wolsung site and a New NPP has recently been created at the Sinwolsung site. Radioactive waste used in the plant facilities, has piled up increasingly every year, but it should be taken to be managed at long-term underground storage disposal facilities. The Wolsung site for radioactivity waste repository was known to be relatively stable through various geological surveys, earthquakes, groundwater, engineering testing and analysis, but still more research related to the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudden changes in the temperature of flowing liquids can result in transient buoyancy forces which strongly impact the flow hydrodynamics via flow stratification. These effects have been studied for the case of potential flow of stratified liquids to line sinks, but not for moderator flow in SRS reactors. Standard codes, such as TRAC and COMMIX, do not have the capability to capture the stratification effect, due to strong numerical diffusion which smears away the hot/cold fluid interface. A related problem with standard codes is the inability to track plumes injected into the liquid flow, again due to numerical diffusion. The combined effects of buoyant stratification and plume dispersion have been identified as being important in operation the Supplementary Safety System which injects neutron-poison ink into SRS reactors to provide safe shutdown in the event of safety rod failure. The MODFLOW code discussed here provides transient moderator flow pattern ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leak-before-break (LBB) analyses for circumferentially cracked pipes are currently being conducted in the nuclear industry to justify elimination of pipe whip restraints and jet impingement shields which are present because of the expected dynamic effects from pipe rupture. The application of the LBB methodology frequently requires calculation of leak rates. These leak rates depend on the crack-opening area of a through-wall crack in the pipe. In addition to LBB analyses, which assume a hypothetical flaw size, there is also interest in the integrity of actual leaking cracks corresponding to current leakage detection requirements in NRC Regulatory Guide 1.45, or for assessing temporary repair of Class 2 and 3 pipes that have leaks as are being evaluated in ASME Section 11. This study was requested by the NRC to review, evaluate, and refine current analytical models for ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Results of hot cracking on welds with compositions between alloy 800 and AWS ER NiCr 3. Investigation of the influence of Si, Mn, Ti and Al on the hot cracking suscpetibility of the alloy 800. (orig.).

Science.gov (United States)

The family of natriuretic peptides consists of the atria natriuretic peptide (ANP), the cerebral natriuretic peptide (BNP), the type C natriuretic peptide (CNP) and the peptide isolated from the dendroaspis snakes' poison (DNP), whose presence in humans has not been confirmed. The physiological function of ANP is in the control of arterial blood pressure by regulation of systemic vascular resistance of blood vessels. BNP is produced as one of the factors in the acute response to inflammatory tissue damage, mainly in coronary vessels. Increased serum concentrations of natriuretic peptides have been found in stress situations, such as trauma or major surgery, systemic hypotension, and in intrinsic myocardial dysfunction. High concentrations of natriuretic peptides were observed in severe sepsis, septic shock and in multiple organ failure, probably due to increased secretion by mediators of the inflammatory process.The highest concentrations of ANP and BNP were found in lethal conditions. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Household demand for better environmental quality is the key factor in the long-term global applicability of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. We argue that, for given consumer preferences, the threshold income level at which the EKC turns downwards or the equilibrium income elasticity changes sign from positive to negative depends on the ability to spatially separate production and consumption. We test our hypothesis by estimating the equilibrium income elasticities of five pollutants, using 1990 data for the United States. We find that the change in sign occurs at lower income levels for pollutants for which spatial separation is relatively easy as compared to pollutants for which spatial separation is difficult. Our results suggest that even high-income households in the United States have not yet reached the income level at which their demand for better environmental quality is high enough to cause the income-pollution ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Software quality assurance is an area of concern for DOE, EPA, and other agencies due to the poor quality of software and its documentation they have received in the past. This report briefly summarizes the software development concepts and terminology increasingly employed by these agencies and provides a workable approach to scientific programming under the new requirements. Following this is a practical description of how to qualify a simulation code, based on a software QA plan that has been reviewed and officially accepted by DOE/OCRWM. Two codes have recently been baselined and qualified, so that they can be officially used for QA Level 1 work under the DOE/OCRWM QA requirements. One of them was baselined and qualified within one week. The first of the codes was the multi-phase multi-component flow code TOUGH version 1, an already existing code, and the other was a geochemistry transport code STATEQ that was under development The way to accomplish qualification for both types of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

There has been considerable interest in producing and studying nanoparticle materials because of the effect of size on their structure, physical and chemical structure. Most studied nanoparticle semiconductors belong to the II-VI group, as they are relatively easy to synthesize and are generally prepared as particulates or in thin film form. Among II-VI compounds, CdS is one of the most studied materials. There are different ways to synthesize CdS nanoparticles such as colloidal particles, chemical decomposition, sol-gel, gas evaporation, magnetron sputtering, electrostatic deposition, and etc. {gamma}-irradiation is one of the effective methods for synthesis of nanomaterials. These nonomaterials have been extensively used in the preparation of nanocrystalline metals, metal oxides, and metal-polymer composites. However, The preparation of CdS nanoparticle and CdS/ polyacrylonitrile nanocomposite by {gamma}-irradiation method at room temperature ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

For the risk estimate of fatal malignancies, an effective dose was proposed on the basis of the assumption that the risk should be equal whether the whole body irradiated uniformly or whether there is non-uniform irradiation. The effective dose was defined by the product of organ or tissue doses and a weighting factor representing the proportion of risk factor for a fatal malignancy resulting from organ or tissue irradiation to the total malignant factor. The risk of malignancies can be derived by multiplying the malignant significant factor by the product of the risk factor and the effective dose. For the genetic risk, a significant factor was a relative child expectancy and organ or tissue doses were gonad doses. And, for the leukemogenic risk, a significant factor was the leukemia significant factor and organ or tissue dose was mean bone marrow dose. The present method makes it easy to estimate the risk for individuals and population from ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper summarizes results of reviews on the safety, critical software performed during the licensing process for the new Wolsung units. Each of these CANDU-type nuclear power plants has two micro-computerized shutdown systems. The SDS No. 1 program is graphically programmed in such a manner that its development process does not essentially differ from the design process of the conventional analog counterpart. This approach is understandable even to a reviewer in the regulatory agency without additional training in software engineering. The confidence in the reliability of this system is strengthened by the reverse verification and increased by extensive testing such as the reliability test. Concerning SDS No. 2, the development process is significantly influenced by the {open_quotes}software cost reduction project{close_quotes} of the U.S. naval research laboratory, and is, as a whole, clear and well structured except for the modules related to the operation of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In the utilization of the thermal energy by ocean temperature difference and factory waste heat, the high performance heating surfaces in pipes from which scale can be removed are required. As the method of removing scale, the method using sponge balls seems most suitable, but for applying this method, as the form of the protrusions attached to the inner surfaces of pipes, smooth circular are form is desirable. The promotion of heat transfer with the rows of circular arc protrusions like this is strongly related to the mode of flow and such structure as separation, recirculation flow, readhesion and turbulent energy generation. In this study, as the basic research to optimize the heating surface with the rows of smooth protrusions, the flow characteristics and the heat transfer characteristics including the turbulent structure of the wake of protrusions were experimentally determined, and the essence of the heat transfer characteristics was to be clarified on the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Since natural pyrite is easy to obtain and cheap as coal liquefaction catalyst, it is to be used for the 150 t/d scale NEDOL process bituminous coal liquefaction pilot plant. NEDO and NCOL have investigated the improvement of catalytic activity of pulverized natural pyrite for enhancing performance and economy of the NEDOL process. In this study, coal liquefaction tests were conducted using natural pyrite catalyst pulverized by dry-type bowl mill under nitrogen atmosphere. Mechanism of catalytic reaction of the natural pyrite was discussed from relations between properties of the catalyst and liquefaction product. The natural pyrite provided an activity to transfer gaseous hydrogen into the liquefaction product. It was considered that pulverized pyrite promotes the hydrogenation reaction of asphaltene because pulverization increases its contact rate with reactant and the amount of active points on its surface. It was inferred that catalytic ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Studies conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington have focused on developing and evaluating the reliability of nondestructive testing (NDT) approaches for coarse-grained stainless steel reactor components. The objective of this work is to provide information to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the utility, effectiveness and limitation of NDT techniques as related to inservice testing of primary system piping components in pressurized water reactors. We examined cast stainless steel pipe specimens containing thermal and mechanical fatigue cracks located close to the weld roots and having inner and outer diameter surface geometrical conditions that simulate several water reactor primary piping configurations. In addition, segments of vintage centrifugally cast piping were examined to characterize the inherent acoustic noise and scattering caused by grain structures and to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Even though the currently intensive research efforts on high- temperature superconducting materials have not yet converged on a well specified practical material, the indications are that such a material may be quite brittle, anisotropic, and may contain many flaws such as microcracks and voids at grain boundaries. Consequently, practical applications of high temperature superconducting materials will require a very careful strength analysis based on fracture mechanics considerations. Because of the high sensitivity of the strength of such materials to the presence of defects, methods of quantitative non-destructive evaluation may be expected to play an important role in strength determinations. This proposal is concerned with the use of ultrasonic methods to detect and characterize isolated cracks, clusters of microcracks and microcracks distributed throughout the material. Particular attention has been, and will continue to be devoted to ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A review of tests on earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete structural walls is presented. Laboratory tests of isolated walls and construction joints are discussed. Where appropriate, design recommendations are given. The review indicates only few experimental data are available for short walls which are directly applicable to nuclear power plant design. In particular, tests of short rectangular walls subjected to load reversals are needed. Tests are also needed to determine the damping and frequency characteristics of cracked short walls. Analytical and experimental results should be correlated so that the hysteretic response observed in tests can be realistically related to the analytical response 'demand' of nuclear power plant structures. (Auth.).

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

An application that provides a flexible and easy to use interface to the GAMMA spectral simulation package is described that is targeted at investigations using in vivo MR spectroscopic methods....Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The Baldwin-Lomax model is used in many CFD codes because it is quick and easy to implement. In this

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

High-throughput genomic and proteomic technologies have generated a wealth of publicly available data on ageing. Easy access to these data, and their computational analysis, is of great importance in...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A focused ion beam (FIB) system has been applied to prepare a thin foil specimen of Si, MgO and alumina which contained cracks in the plan of foil. It was possible to observe a much larger area at and near a crack tip than has been hitherto possible. FIB was also applied to observation of microstructure near a crack tip evolved during severe rolling contact fatigue in a steel.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No abstract prepared

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No abstract prepared.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The varestraint cracking test was carried out to assess the hot cracking tendency of alloy 800 at different welding conditions and augmented strain levels. The test results revealed that the hot cracking susceptibility of alloy 800 increases with increasing the heat input and augmented strain levels. This emphasizes the role of constraint either internally induced or externally applied to the welded structure. A cracking threshold or the minimum augmented strain ([epsilon][sub min]) below which no hot cracking takes place has been found to be 0.25 for alloy 800. Also, the Critical Strain Rate to Time (CSS) required to cause cracking was found to be 6.42x10[sup -3] sec[sup -1] at welding condition of 100 Amp, 13 Volt and 140 mm/min. (author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuclear grade production tubing of Alloy 600 was evaluated for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility in high purity water at 365, 345, 325, and 290 C. Reverse tube U-bend specimens provided crack initiation data and constant extension rate tests were employed to determine the crack velocities experienced in th crack propagation stage. Initial results indicate that a linear extrapolation of data received from high temperature tests can be used to predict the service life of steam generator tubing that has been plastically deformed or is continually deforming by ''denting.''.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The crack growth behavior and fracture toughness of two laminated metal composites (6090/SiC/25p laminated with 5182 and ultrahigh-carbon steel laminated with brass) have been studied in both ``crack arrester`` and ``crack divider`` orientations. The mechanisms of crack growth were analyzed and extrinsic toughening mechanisms were found to contribute significantly to the toughness. The influence of laminate architecture (layer thickness and component volume function), component material properties and residual stress on these mechanisms and the resulting crack growth resistance are discussed.

Science.gov (United States)

Given sufficient time, the extraction of heat from geothermal reservoirs formed by the hydraulic fracturing of competent rock will eventually result in the formation of thermal stress cracks in the reservoir. These cracks penetrate the rock in a manner such that the penetration-to-spacing ratio is approximately one. The penetration depends upon the extent of cooling and the square root of time. Initially then, the cracks are closely spaced and penetrate but little, so that a crazing pattern is apparent; but with increasing time some of these cracks, now more widely spaced, grow deeper. Eventually these larger cracks attain a critical aperture such that significant rates of water flow can be established within them and thus the newly created heat transfer area becomes useful for heat extraction. At the same time that cracks are forming within the main reservoir, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this study, growth measurements of fatigue cracks in air and various simulated media for steam turbines were made by means of rupture-mechanical methods. In this connection, it was detected that even pure water leads to a clear increase in the fatigue crack rates of low-pressure rotor steels. In this connection, it was striking to observe that the crack propagation velocities at 100"0C were higher than at 160"0C. It is probable that the kinetics of the film formation at the crack tip was of importance. The inhibiting effect of the alkaline solutions is explained by the increasing stability of a film of Fe(OH)_2 at an increased pH value. Neither the frequency response nor the fractographic result indicate an influence of the stress crack corrosion. This can be explained by the fact that the incubation period (= the period to initiate an intercrystalline crack ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PWR steam generators have suffered from a variety of degradation phenomena. This paper identifies the corrosion-related defects and their probable causes and suggests approaches to correct and prevent corrosive activity. In the attempt to solve the degradation problems, research programs have concentrated on modifying materials, stresses, and the chemical environment in both new and operating steam generators. The following corrosion-related defects have been studied: tube wastage, denting, primary side (ID) intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC), OD-initiated intergranular attack (IGA), pitting, and corrosion fatigue. Plants affected by wastage have greatly reduced their problem by adopting an all volatile treatment (AVT). In the case of denting, a less aggressive chemical environment is recommended. Primary side IGSCC responds to temperature reduction, stress relief, and material improvements, while flushing and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

ABSTRACT Crack tip opening angle (CTOA) is becoming one of the most accepted methods for characterizing fully plastic fracture. It provides a measure of the resistance to fracture for a material in cases where there is a large degree of stable-tearing crack extension during the fracture process. Our current pipeline research uses the CTOA test as an alternative, or addition, to the CTOD (crack tip opening displacement) and the fracture energy characterization provided by the J-integral approach. A test technique was developed for measurement of CTOA that uses a modified double cantilever beam (MDCB) specimen. A digital camera and image analysis software were used to record the progression of the crack tip and to estimate the CTOA. In this article, CTOA data on crack growth orientations per...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudden changes in the temperature of flowing liquids can result in transient buoyancy forces which strongly impact the flow hydrodynamics via flow stratification. These effects have been studied for the case of potential flow of stratified liquids to line sinks, but not for moderator flow in SRS reactors. Standard codes, such as TRAC and COMMIX, do not have the capability to capture the stratification effect, due to strong numerical diffusion which smears away the hot/cold fluid interface. A related problem with standard codes is the inability to track plumes injected into the liquid flow, again due to numerical diffusion. The combined effects of buoyant stratification and plume dispersion have been identified as being important in operation of the Supplementary Safety System which injects neutron-poison ink into SRS reactors to provide safe shutdown in the event of safety rod failure. The MODFLOW code discussed here provides transient moderator flow pattern ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Effect of water injection/draining on elastic waves penetrating through cracks is examined by measuring elastic waves before, during, and after the injection/draining of water into/from cracks in presence in granite. Two blocks of rock, with their crack-containing surfaces in contact with each other, are placed in a vessel, and water injection/draining is done through a hole on a vessel bottom side so that water will penetrate into the cracks. When the blocks are dry, there is almost no contact between the cracks, and so no crack penetrating waves are observed. Crack penetrating waves are produced when water is injected, and the position of the receiver sensing the penetrating waves changes as the water level rises. When the water level is lowered from the high water level, the waveform changes again as the level changes. The change in ...

Science.gov (United States)

Dust detection and control in real time, represent one of the most challenging problem in all those environments where fine and ultrafine airborne particulate solids products are present. The presence of such products can be linked to several factors, often directly related and influenced by the working-production actions performed. Independently from the causes generating dust, airborne contaminants are an occupational problem of increasing interest as they are related to a wide number of diseases. In particular, airborne dusts are well known to be associated with several classical occupational lung diseases, such as the pneumoconiosis, especially at high levels of exposure. Nowadays there is also an increasing interest in other dust related diseases, from the most serious as cancer and asthma, to those related with allergies or irritation and other illnesses, also occurring at lower levels of ...

Science.gov (United States)

To study the effects of atmospheric species on the fatigue crack growth behavior of an a+B titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bench Scale methane cracking tests have been completed using a stack of ten whole SAES(R) St909 pellets - a 6 gram sample size. Methane was found to be the most difficult impurity to process and can impact diffuser operation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report describes the results of EPRI Program S404-28, titled Experimental Modeling of Eddy Current Response'', conducted by the Westinghouse Science and Technology Center (STC). The Westinghouse STC demonstrates that its mercury modeling technique provides an unique bridge between steam generator eddy current field inspection conditions and predictions obtained using recently developed analytical models. The mercury modeling technique was used systematically to explore factors which contribute to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) sizing inaccuracy, including probe design, coil excitation frequency, crack length, and crack morphology. Two new proposed techniques for inverting crack lengths from eddy current data are compared with the technique commonly used in field data analysis for PWSCC. The performance of uniform field eddy current probes is compared with the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In support of a project on lifetime calculation experiments were carried out to evaluate the resistance to environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of steam generator tubes during operation. Estimations of the incubation period for crack initiation and the threshold K value, K{sup Iscc}, and the crack growth rate were made to predict evolution of damage in tube walls. The paper summarizes results of experiments of C ring specimen for the initiation testing and results of SENT (single edge notch tensile) specimen for the crack growth rate (CGR) testing. The specimens were exposed to concentrated environments at elevated temperatures simulating crevice environments in secondary side crevices in horizontal steam generators. The results show that the material of SG tubes is sensitive to transgranular environmentally assisted cracking in the three basic concentrated environments used, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The titanium stabilized austenitic steel similar to the type of 321 is sensitive to the stress corrosion crackingunder horizontal steam generator operating condition. SCC was observed under crevice corrosion parameters and has resulted in the transgranular or intergranular cracking at the both, components primary collectors and heat exchange tubes. The crevice environment is characterized by aggressive impurities and 'non aggressive' compounds. Sulfates and chlorides as aggressive species and silicates and alumino-silicates as 'non aggressive' species on the other hand are present in significant amount in the crevice environment under operating condition. Local water chemistry parameters were evaluated with MULTEQ Code. As input data the measured operational values of local and bulk environments have been used. The determined parameters were compared with the results of thread hole environment analyses and tube surface ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The effect of uniaxial tensile stress on intergranular corrosion (IGC) of AA2024-T3 was studied using the foil penetration technique. Standard ASTM G49 fixed-displacement jigs were modified to allow the use of sheet samples, which were then attached to an electrochemical cell as in the foil penetration setup. The time for IGC to penetrate samples of varying thickness was monitored. This method provides a new approach to bridge the gap between IGC and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). Samples with various orientations relative to the rolling direction were studied in 1.0 M NaCl at controlled anodic potentials. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicated that the two breakdown potentials typically observed for AA2024-T3 were lower for stressed samples than for unstressed samples, and the current at a given potential was higher. The penetration rate depended on potential and was higher for stressed samples than for ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The threshold stress intensities for stress corrosion crack propagation in beta titanium alloy 38-6-44, Ti3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr, has been determined in salt water and methanolic solutions. The alloy was immune to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in aqueous sodium chloride solutions (marine atmosphere). However, in methanolic solutions, the alloy was very susceptible to SCC. This marked susceptibility in methanolic solutions can be mitigated by the addition of an inhibitor: sodium nitrate. Crack extension in the alloy was transgranular and failure occurred by brittle quasi-cleavage in methanolic solutions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the power station West Block 2 at Voerde (Federal Republic of Germany), cracks in the final stage of the shaft were determined at the ND1 rotor of the 350 MW condensation tube was determined. A purely mechanical preparation of the crack was not possible due to the depth of the crack. A substitute rotor was not available. A repair solution was developed covering a welding of a new shaft section to the existing rotor. The authors of the contribution under consideration report on the damage, cause of the damage, repair solution and the process of repair.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... Industry, Material Science Research Laboratory, Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Japan)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Results of investigation of stress corrosion cracking of steam turbine materials in nuclear, fossil and geothermal power plants have been analysed. The role of factors that cause damage to rotor discs, mono block and welding rotors of steam turbines has been shown. These are yield stress and steel composition, stress intensity coefficient and crack growth rate, composition and temperature of the condensed steam and water, electrochemical conditions. The conclusion has been made about the state of stress corrosion cracking of the rotors materials, and main investigation trends which are necessary to solve this problem have been listed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crack arrest of fast running cracks is an important issue for the safety of steel structures. Crack arrest design can prevent fatal damage of large structures by restricting the influence of the incidents. Therefore crack arrest design is important especially for very large structure, where accidents may cause huge economical and social losses. Propagating shear fracture, long running ductile crack propagation in pipelines and brittle crack propagation in heavy thick shipbuilding steels have been investigated. For the propagating shear fracture issue, a new HLP simulation model, applicable to various backfill conditions, including underwater backfill, was developed. The proposed backfill model can be applied to the prediction of the crack arrest of propagating shear fracture under various backfill conditions. The new HLP simulation was ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

For a given linac design, the dosimetric characteristics of a photon beam are determined uniquely by the energy and radial distributions of the electron beam striking the x-ray target. However, in the usual commissioning of a beam from measured data, a large number of variables can be independently tuned, making it difficult to derive a unique and self-consistent beam model. For example, the measured dosimetric penumbra in water may be attributed in various proportions to the lateral secondary electron range, the focal spot size and the transmission through the tips of a non-divergent collimator; the head-scatter component in the tails of the transverse profiles may not be easy to resolve from phantom scatter and head leakage; and the head-scatter tails corresponding to a certain extra-focal source model may not agree self-consistently with in-air output factors measured on the central axis. To reduce the number of adjustable variables in beam modelling, we replace ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The WAND (Waste Assay for Nonradioactive Disposal) system can scan thought-to-be-clean, low-density waste (mostly paper and plastics) to determine whether the levels of any contaminant radioactivity are low enough to justify their disposal in normal public landfills or similar facilities. Such a screening would allow probably at least half of the large volume of low-density waste now buried at high cost in LANL`s Rad Waste Landfill (Area G at Technical Area 54) to be disposed of elsewhere at a much lower cost. The WAND System consists of a well-shielded bank of six 5-in.-diam. phoswich scintillation detectors; a mechanical conveyor system that carries a 12-in.-wide layer of either shredded material or packets of paper sheets beneath the bank of detectors; the electronics needed to process the outputs of the detectors; and a small computer to control the whole system and to perform the data analysis. WAND system minimum detectable activities (MDAs) for point sources range from ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to make it easy for the reader to see the specific research carried out and the progress made, the following report of progress is done by topic. Each item has a format layout of Topic, Investigators, Objective, Significance, and Description of Progress, followed at the end by the relevant references. As is clear from the topics listed, the emphasis of the GW nuclear theory group has been on the structure and electromagnetic interactions of few-body nuclei. Both low- and intermediate-energy electromagnetic disintegration of these nuclei is considered, including coherent photoproduction of {pi} mesons. When the excitation energy of the target nucleus is low, the aim has been to handle the continuum part of the theoretical work numerically with no approximations, that is, by means of full three- or four-body dynamics. When structure questions are the issue, numerically accurate calculations are always carried through, limited only by the underlying two-body ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

When materials such as metal are into the secondary side of steam generator, they, so called foreign objects, may have influences on the integrity of the steam generator tubes. They cause the tube wear due to the relative motion between the tubes and foreign objects and the tube impact due to flow. The best way to avoid the effects is to remove all the foreign objects. However, it is not easy to remove the foreign materials thoroughly due to their condition such as the location. If the locations of the foreign materials are in the middle of tube bundle and the tube arrangement of the steam generator is the triangle type, the equipment such as FOSAR(Foreign Object Search and Retrieval) can not reach their locations. If the foreign materials stick together with the tubes or tube sheet, they can not be removed. In the case of operating the steam generator with the foreign materials, the licensee must prove that the materials do not affect the tube ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The warm caliber rolling was experimented using the AZ31 magnesium alloy round bar of 20 mm in diameter machined from cast ingot materials. In warm caliber rolling in final size of 10 mm in diameter at 623 K via 8passes, each width-spreading, the change of each microstructure, X-ray analysis of final texture and final mechanical properties were investigated. Microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of warm caliber rolled round bar at 473 K via latter 4passes were compared with those at 623 K consistently. Obtained results are as follows: (1) The width-spreading in caliber rolling of round bar is relatively large, compared with that in flat rolling of the flat bar. The largeness of width-spreading of round bar makes the shape control of cross section difficult, and causes the cracks around the free surface. (2) Finer microstructure and inclined c axis of hexagonal lattice of 10 degrees to vertical direction of the rolled surface are ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A model describes the effect of changes to the pore structure on the mechanical properties of semi-coke during coking. The gap tensile experiment makes it possible to determine the mechanical properties of the coke and semi-coke; a theoretical analysis is valid for the deformation of samples in the gap tensile test, by which the gap tensile strength of the coke can be determined, and by which a method for the simultaneous determination of the effective modulus of elasticity was developed. The effect of the pore structure on the mechanical properties is given in semi-empirical equations. The main point here is to check whether a pore in the coke can be regarded as a Griffith crack, and whether the interaction of pores can be neglected. A model which takes the pore distribution into account was also developed and tested. A model for the change of pore structure during coking, which includes the contraction of the semi-coke, and which presupposes a difference in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corrosion in drilling and well stimulation is described in relation to acid corrosion inhibition, acid inhibitors, acetylenic inhibitors, synergistic blends, metallurgy, wellbore tubulars, coiled tubing, and high alloy tubular materials. Acidizing is a procedure for stimulating oil and gas wells. Factors that have an important influence on the reaction rate and the way in which acid reacts with rock include temperature, acid concentration, acid volume, injection velocity, acid viscosity, and fluid loss properties of the formation. The cost of drill pipe failures are $1 per fot of hole drilled, which is a significant fraction of the drilling cost. Steps in a test procedure are listed, as well as factors which determine the extent of acid corrosion in a given situation including acid type and strength, metal type, temperature, contact time; pressure, and volume/surface area ratio. Underbalanced drilling is a method for completing oil and gas wells that minimizes the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Science and technology could be revolutionized by quantum computers, but building them from solid-state devices will not be easy. Robert W Keyes of IBM's research division outlines the challenges in scaling up the technology from lab experiments to practical devices. (U.K.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This book provides differential diagnostic possibilities of specific scan abnormalities in one volume for easy reference. This book is organized by organ systems and covers the central nervous system, the endocrine, skeletal, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and cardiovascular systems. The gamuts are designed to teach differential diagnosis and to assist in the actual interpretation of patient slides.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The potential material class for use at 600"0C and more, e.g. for steam turbines with improved thermal efficiency, are austenitic steels. Using these steels with welded joints, it is to be considered that, by superposition of weld residual stresses and service stresses, extensive creep strains - and in the worst case crack formation - can occur locally. To assess the influence of these effects on service behaviour, different material states of CrNi-steels and Incoloy 800 were investigated with respect to strength, ductility and, especially, to crack and creep crack growth in the temperature range around 600"0C. It is shown that creep embrittlement, not microstructural changes as effected by weld heat input, causes heat affected zone (HAZ)-reheat cracking. Creep embrittlement can be avoided by special design and fabrication rules. (orig.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Damage and cyclic fatigue failure under alternating loading in transformation-toughened zirconia ceramics is reviewed and compared to corresponding behavior under quasi-static loading (static fatigue). Current understanding of the role of transformation toughening in influencing cyclic fatigue-crack propagation behavior is examined based on studies which altered the extent of the tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation in MG-PSZ through subeutectoid aging. These studies suggest that near-tip computations of the crack-driving force (in terms of the local stress intensity) can be used to predict crack-growth behavior under constant amplitude and variable-amplitude (spectrum) loading, using spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy to measure the extent of the transformation zones. In addition, results are reviewed which rationalize distinctions between the crack-growth behavior of preexisting, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The combined effects of environment, yield strength and stress state on the cracking susceptibility of beta-extruded Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn have been examined. At a constant yield strength and under plane strain conditions, the stress intensity required for slow crack propagation decreased as the severity of the environment increased, i.e., from laboratory air to 3.5% NaCl. Furthermore, the crack propagation rates were a function of both stress intensity, and environmental severity. Although the fracture toughness and threshold stress intensities for slow crack growth generally decreased with increasing yield strength, aging, which resulted in the precipitation of ordered Ti3Al particles in the primary alpha phase, tended to accentuate the susceptibility of this alloy to sustained load/stress corrosion cracking. Finally, at constant yield strength, the sustained load ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Microstructural analyses by several advanced metallographic techniques were conducted on austenitic stainless steel mockup and core shroud welds that had cracked in boiling water reactors. Contrary to previous beliefs, heat-affected zones of the cracked Type 304L, as well as 304 SS core shroud welds and mockup shielded-metal-arc welds, were free of grain-boundary carbides, which shows that core shroud failure cannot be explained by classical intergranular stress corrosion cracking. Neither martensite nor delta-ferrite films were present on the grain boundaries. However, as a result of exposure to welding fumes, the heat-affected zones of the core shroud welds were significantly contaminated by oxygen and fluorine, which migrate to grain boundaries. Significant oxygen contamination seems to promote fluorine contamination and suppress thermal sensitization. Results of slow-strain-rate tensile tests also indicate that fluorine ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Effect of the coverage of shot peening, the surface roughness and shot shape, etc. on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Alloy 800 in alkaline solutions was studied. Alloy 800 specimens were cracked in boiling alkaline solutions at the potntial range of {minus} 100 to 0mV in the boiling 50%NaOH+0.3%SiO {sub 2} solution. U bend specimens were tested under the polarized condition at the controlled potential to 0mV, showing that shot peened specimens cracked more easily. Tests of specimens with the same hardness showed that specimens hardened by cold working showed the higher susceptivity than that of surface hardened specimens. In these connections, U bend specimens of higher shot peened coverage were cracked at conditions of 593K and 10%NaOH solution. O-ring specimens of smaller stress level did not show any cracks independent of surface treatments. 8 refs., 9 figs., 5 tabs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The solar central receiver at the Barstow Pilot Plant is a once-through steam boiler consisting of vertical arrays of Alloy 800 tubes. Water/steam leaks associated with tube bends near the receiver outlet were observed after 16 service months. The leaks resulted from through-wall cracks localized in the crown of tube bends operating in the temperature range from 550 to 650/sup 0/C. Initiation occurred on the ID (steam side) of the tube and propagated transgranular through the tube wall. Cracking was axial and circumferential; in general, the circumferential cracks were more severe than the axial cracks. Thick oxide layers showed on the ID of the receiver tubes; a 25-..mu..m thick oxide layer had formed on tubing which operated at 650/sup 0/C. In addition, an enhanced oxidation layer was observed along a narrow band in the crown of the tube. This band was up to five times thicker than the oxide elsewhere ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It has been found out that 30HGSNA steel undergo cracking under action of stresses in aqueous solutions containing oxygen, while it show high resistance in deoxidated solutions. The purpose of such phenomena is the existence of sulfur inclusions in steel which are a centers of denting corrosion. That points acting as a stresses concentrators where pH factor decreases including hydrogen formation and its absorption in the metal. That mechanism is the main purpose of brittle steel cracking observed in oxygen rich solutions. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The cracking of 2-methylpentane on USHY at 300, 400, 450, and 500[degrees]C is interpreted in detail in terms of a chain mechanism. The kinetic equation developed from this mechanism fits the experimental data very well. The contribution of chain processes to the overall rate of conversion depends on the kinetic chain length, which in turn depends on the surface coverage by carbenium ions and their reactivities. Kinetic parameters were obtained at all four temperatures. A detailed examination of the kinetics shows that chain processes are more important at low reaction temperatures, whereas protolytic cracking dominates at higher temperatures. The parameters also show that both competitive inhibition by products and the rate of catalyst decay increase with increasing reaction temperature. Furthermore, they show that carbenium ions formed on Broensted sites are more stable than carbonium ions. 39 refs., 12 figs., 5 tabs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Advances in the theory and practice of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) are reviewed for the period 1965-1990. The proceedings of two landmark conferences are used as a basis for discussion: Ohio State University (1967) and Kohler, WI (1988). The discussion is developed around the following topics: metal-environment combinations, testing, fractography, metallurgical aspects, electrochemical aspects and crack chemistry, mechanisms, and prediction and mitigation. It is concluded that the main developments since 1967 are the recognition of the lack of specificity of SCC environments, the use of slow strain rate and fracture mechanics testing, quantitative SEM fractography, studies of grain boundary structure and compositions, transient electrochemistry of bare metal surfaces, measurement and modelling of crack chemistry, elaboration of several SCC models, including slip-dissolution and film induced cleavage, and mitigation by ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the present paper an attempt is made to describe transverse cracking of cross-ply ([0{sup o}{sub n}/90{sup o}{sub m}]{sub s}) laminates subjected to an external applied load and a temperature change. For this purpose a new method is suggested which was developed on the basis of the energy balance based finite fracture criterion suggested by Hashin (1996) [Hashin, Z., 1996. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 44, 1129]. In this approach the value of the specific surface energy (the critical energy release rate) is assumed to be dependent on a random microdamage distribution in the material. Hence, it is assumed to be a random function of location. A new probabilistic technique is developed to take this randomness into consideration. It is shown that only one unknown probabilistic function is required, namely the probability density function of the specific surface energy. This is determined by fitting the external stress and the corresponding crack density ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... Masatsune IHI Technology Service Co., Ltd., Yokohama, Kanagawa (Japan)

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We conduct the static and dynamic loading fracture experiments on magnesium alloy (AZ31B) under the equitable and inequitable biaxial stress. We process specimens as cross type with cracks. There are different kinds of cracks defined by their crack angles. By using a hydraulic high-speed biaxial experiment machine, we put the equitable and inequitable stresses on the specimen. We analyze results using the caustic method. The experiments reveal a few important results. There is negative correlation between the fracture toughness value and the plate thickness in the magnesium alloy sheet specimen. The fracture toughness value decrease in the case the crack has the angle different from the loading direction. The fracture toughness value decreases significantly under the inequitable biaxial stress. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... SCIENCE SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS

Science.gov (United States)

... A few applications, such as magnetic forming and levitation, have exploited the dynamic force pro- ducing capability of eddy currents. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Discussions were given on mullite/SiC composite ceramics as to crack size dependence of their crack healing behavior, and high-temperature strength properties. Test specimens used in the experiment are sinters of mullite powder added with SiC powder at 20% by volume, and hot-pressed under conditions of a sintering temperature of 1650 degC, time of four hours, and a pressure of 35 MPa. In the experiment, a pre-crack was introduced at the center of a test specimen by using a Vickers hardness meter, and a heat treatment was performed in atmosphere at 1300 degC for one hour. A four-point bending test was conducted in atmosphere as a strength test. Conditions in test specimens were investigated by using SEM observation, a laser microscope and X-ray diffraction. The following findings were obtained as a result of the experiment: the bending strength for the pre-cracked material is about 140 MPa against that ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Different semi precious alloys (Pd-Ag, Pd-Au) have been studied after thermal oxidation treatments to analyze the mechanical improvement of the interface between the metal and the ceramic. Using the four point bending test, the authors have analyzed the different steps corresponding to the mechanical evolution of the bi-material : cracking energy on the surface, relaxation energy after first cracking, propagation energy of cracks at the interface zone. It has been shown that some alloys only have a high resistance to the interface cracking and the role played by the interface reactions to improve this property. (orig.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Construction and commissioning period of NPP are reduced world over drastically by stringent schedule for financial and economic reasons. For meeting the schedule, commissioning of components and systems are started immediate after installation, while construction activities are continued in parallel at the same place. Parallel activities' and 'Time Constraint' have brought new challenges to 'Management of Fire and Industrial Safely' during commissioning. An innovative approach was used during such phase of commissioning of TAPP-3 and 4. This paper outlines challenges encountered during this phase and special approach and measures used to meet those challenges. This paper also outlines problems encountered during implementation of these measures and subsequent change in approach to ensure smooth and safe execution of activities. Primarily, challenges were conflicting requirements by various agencies to carryout commissioning in parallel with construction activities concurrently. Main ...

CERN Document Server

An in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy has been observed in thin Co films normally deposited onto obliquely sputtered Ta and Pt underlayers. Associated with this anisotropy is an augmented easy axis coercivity. The in-plane easy axis is, in most cases, perpendicular to the incident deposition plane. Microstructural results indicate that grains are well connected along the magnetic easy axis but are separated by long continuous voids along the hard axis, which is ascribed to a geometric shadowing effect due to the oblique incidence deposition of the underlayer. Hence, the magnetic anisotropy mimics the film growth anisotropy. It is therefore believed that the observed magnetic properties are due to magnetostatic shape anisotropy effects. In-plane coercivity and anisotropy field are shown to increase with underlayer deposition angle, underlayer thickness and magnetic layer thickness. The choice of capping layer is also ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

As part of a coordinated program, AECL is developing a set of tools to aid with the prediction and management of steam generator performance. Although stress corrosion cracking (of Alloy 800) has not been detected in any operating steam generator, for life management it is necessary to develop mechanistic models to predict the conditions under which stress corrosion cracking is plausible. Therefore, constant extension rate tests were carried out for Alloy 800 under various steam generator crevice chemistry conditions at applied potentials. These tests were designed to evaluate the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Alloy 800 under CANDU( steam generator operating conditions. Based on the experimental results, the recommended electrochemical corrosion potential/pH zone for Alloy 800 determined by electrochemical polarization measurements was verified with the respect of stress corrosion cracking ...

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The CASTOC project addresses environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) phenomena in low alloy steels used for pressure boundary components in both Western type boiling water reactors (BWR) and Russian type pressurised water reactors (VVER). It comprises the four work packages (WP): inter-laboratory comparison test (WP1); EAC behaviour under static load (WP2), EAC behaviour under cyclic load and load transients (WP3); evaluation of the results with regard to their relevance for components in practice (WP4). The use of sophisticated test facilities and measurement techniques for the on-line detection of crack advances have provided a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms of environmentally assisted cracking and provided quantitative data of crack growth rates as a function of loading events and time, respectively. The effect of several major parameters controlling EAC was investigated with ...

CERN Document Server

With the rapid growth of Information and Communication Technology, Electronic commerce is now acting as a new means of carrying out business transactions through electronic means such as Internet environment. To avoid the complexities associated with the digital cash and electronic cash, consumers and vendors are looking for credit card payments on the Internet as one possible time-tested alternative. This gave rise of the on-line payment processing using a third-party verification; which is not suitable for the developing countries in most of the cases because of the excessive costs associated with it for maintenance and establishment of an online third-party processor. As a remedy of this problem, in this paper, we have proposed a framework for easy security incorporation in credit card based electronic payment system without the use of an on-line third- party processor; which tends to be low cost and effective for the developing countries.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The principle for working out the time-temperature schedule of the carbonization was determined through the investigation on the carbonization process of the green body and the phenol formaldehyde resin. During the carbonization process, the crack at lower temperatures is due to strain inhomogeneity produced in press. But the crack at higher temperatures results from the improper increasing rate of temperature. The application of the autoclave-carbonization process can increase the mechanical properties of the spherical fuel elements.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A phosphorus-containing low alkali metal content zeolitic catalyst made from a clay starting material is provided. The catalyst is obtained by contacting a partially cation exchanged calcined zeolite-containing catalyst with a dihydrogen phosphate anion or a dihydrogen phosphite anion. A hydrocarbon catalytic cracking process utilizing the phosphorus-containing catalyst is also provided.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nature of tube degradation was studied in support of horizontal steam generator lifetime calculations. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the resistance to environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of steam generator tubes during operation. Estimations of the incubation period for crack initiation and the threshold K value, K(ISCC), and the crack growth rate were made to predict evolution of damage in tube walls. Experimental results were compared with in-service inspections experience. The paper summarizes results of experiments of C ring specimen for the initiation testing and results of SENT (single edge notch tensile) specimen for the crack growth rate (CGR) testing. The specimens were exposed to concentrated environments at elevated temperatures simulating crevice environments in secondary side crevices in horizontal steam generators. The results show that material of SG (steam generator) tubes ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Explicit analytical formulas are derived for the stress intensity factors at the tips of a main crack and of a microcrack for the two-dimensional case of a collinear microcrack. This configuration is used to derive an estimate of the toughness degradation due to microcracks linking up with an advancing main crack. The implications of this estimate for theoretical predictions of the toughening due to stress-induced microcracking are discussed.

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Two kinds of Si3N4/SiC composite ceramics having different sintering auxiliaries were fabricated to investigate reproduction of crack healing phenomenon, effects of sintering auxiliaries on crack healing behavior, optimal crack healing conditions, and high-temperature strength characteristics of crack healed portions. The experiment used sinters added with SiC powder at 20% by volume, and hot-pressed under conditions of a sintering temperature of 1850 degC, time for two hours, and a pressure of 35 MPa. The sintering auxiliaries used are Y2O3 and Al2O3. In the experiment, pre-cracks were introduced into test specimens, and heat treatments were given in atmosphere and in argon gas atmosphere at 1300 degC for one hour. A four-point bending test was conducted in atmosphere as a strength test. The result of the experiment revealed that the materials which were heat-treated in atmosphere ...

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Stress corrosion cracking tests in constant extension rate tensile (CERT) and constant load tensile (CLT) tests were conducted on Ni-xCr- 9Fe-yC in Ar, water, and a LiOH-boric acid solution. Cr and C improve the resistance of Ni-base alloys to IG cracking in both Ar and water at 360C. Since creep plays a role in IG cracking, one possible explanation for the role of the environment involves its effect on the creep. Experiments were conducted on the role of C in the deformation behavior and failure mode of Ni-16Cr-9Fe. Constant load experiments were conducted on Ni-16Cr-9Fe to determine if the CLT test is more aggressive than CERT. The electron backscattering technique in a SEM is being developed in order to extend the IG cracking studies to grain sizes typical of commercial alloys, 20-30 microns.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A common evaluation is given for creep crack growth and fatigue crack growth experiments which have been performed at the companies ABB, Siemens-KWU and KFA. The materials under investigation were X10NiCrAlTi32 20 (Alloy 800) and NiCr22Col2Mo (Alloy 617). Several production lots and semi-finished materials as well as welded materials have been tested. Testing techniques differed at the different labs. In order to eliminate the influence of individual testing techniques, material from some production lots was investigated at different labs. The given data cover fatigue crack growth (the materials were tested between room temperature and 1050[sup o]C; the influence of temperature, R-ratio, and frequency was investigated) and creep crack growth (Alloy 800 was tested between 550sup(o)C and 900sup(o)C, Inconel 617 between 800sup(o)C and 1000sup(o)C; the evaluation was done on the basis of the fracture ...

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Tar sand bitumen is petroleum-based ultra-heavy oil, and has a great amount of reserve like coal. However, there are still a lot of problems for its highly effective utilization. This paper discusses whether the light components in bitumen show independent behavior during the thermal cracking of heavy components, or not. Solvent effect and reaction mechanism during the thermal cracking are also derived from the change of their chemical structures. Athabasca tar sand bitumen was separated into light and heavy fractions by vacuum distillation based on D-1660 of ASTM. Mixtures of the both fractions at various ratios were used as samples. Negative effect of the light fraction on cracking of the heavy fraction was observed with dealkylation and paraffin formation Polymerization of the dealkylated light fraction to the heavy fraction was suggested due to lack of hydrogen in the thermal cracking under nitrogen ...

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Significant ion irradiation during film growth is required for the formation of cubic boron nitride (cBN) films. Meanwhile, a huge level of intrinsic stress possibly induced by the ion bombardment has been frequently reported to result in cracking and/or lack of adhesion of deposited cBN films. The present work has been performed to investigate the interfacial and/or the buffer layer structures with better matching to the cBN film by relaxation of the film stress using ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD). Boron nitride films have been synthesized on Si(100) wafer and tungsten carbide (WC) substrates by depositing boron vapor under simultaneous bombardment with nitrogen ions and nitrogen-argon mixture ions in the energy range of 0.5-10 keV. Cubic BN films with enhanced tribological properties have been explored by inserting a BN layer with various B/N compositions as a controlled buffer at the interface. Significant relaxation of the film stress has been observed ...

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Crankshafts of the pearlitic-sorbitic nodular cast iron type JUS NL.80 (similar to DIN GGG-80) heat treated to get a tensile strength of 820-900 GPa (i.e. a Vickers hardness of 268-295 HV) were plasma and ammonia gas nitrided. The glow discharge plasma nitriding was performed for 20 h at about 500degC in a gas mixture of 55% N{sub 2} and 45% H{sub 2}. The gas nitriding was performed for 28 h at 510degC in the ammonia gas. Evaluation of the nitrided surfaces was conducted by optical microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and microhardness measurements. Journal and crank pin dimensions and surface roughness were measured both before and after nitriding. Bending fatigue testing of crankshafts was performed using a fatigue testing rig. The fatigue limit was evaluated at 5.0x10{sup 6} cycles. The fractures happened at the transition radius of the journal with cracks starting beneath the nitrided layer. It was found that the nitrided crankshafts had 18% higher dynamical ...

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We have demonstrated in this work (1) that methane is readily activated at mild conditions (100[degree]C, 1 torr) over a relatively noble metal, Pd. This was observed using a stepped and kinked Pd(679) crystal (1), and other crystal faces are now being investigated to establish whether the cracking of the C-H bond of methane on Pd is structure sensitive or structure insensitive. Oxygen chemisorption is extremely structure sensitive: weakly bonded, highly reactive oxygen overlayers form on Pd(100) surface (2), while strongly bonded, moderately reactive oxygen overlayers form on Pd(111) and Pd(679). Reaction of the weakly bonded oxygen with surface carbide gives rise to CO[sub 2] over clean Pd(100) but to CO over halogen-doped Pd(100) (3--5). The effect of halogens is primarily ensemble-controlling, or oxygen-supply restricting, but long range influence of surface Cl on the strength of the Pd-O bond has also been observed (3). Because the overall ...

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This paper presents the results of an experiment conducted in the BN-350 fast reactor in Kazakhstan that involved the irradiation of argon-pressurized thin-walled tubes (0--2000 MPa hoop stress) constructed from Fe-16Cr-15Ni-3Mo-Nb stabilized steel in contact with the sodium coolant, which enters the reactor at {approximately}270 C. Tubes in the annealed condition reached 75 dpa at 335 C, and another set in the 20% cold-worked condition reached 81 dpa at 360 C. Upon disassembly all tubes, except those in the stress-free condition, were found to have failed in an extremely brittle fashion. The stress-free tubes exhibited diameter changes that imply swelling levels ranging from 9 to 16%. It is expected that stress-enhancement of swelling induced even larger swelling levels in the stressed tubes. The embrittlement is explained in terms of the sensitivity of the swelling regime to displacement rate and the large, unprecedented levels of swelling reached at 335--360 C at these high neutron ...

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The intermetallic phase NiAl is a potential material for high-temperature applications; however, its technical application was prevented so far by its high brittleness at room temperature. This problem may be solved by incorporating relatively high-ductility particles into the NiAl matrix. Controlled crack propagation experiments, tensile and pressure tests were carried out in order to analyze the toughness and deformation characteristics of NiAl composite materials containing niobium or molybdenum particles at room temperature and in ambient atmosphere. Both the niobium and the molybdenum particles increase the toughness as compared to the pure NiAl matrix, but no ductilisation was observed in the composite materials investigated. Model experiments in consideration of experimental data suggest, hovewer, that the toughness and ductility of NiAl may be enhanced by optimizing the microstructural and production parameters of the incorporated ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alloy 690 and Alloy600 are used as a material for the steam generator tubing in the pressurized water reactor(PWR) of nuclear power plants due to its high corrosion resistance. Although those are a highly corrosion resistance material, their stress corrosion cracking(SCC) have been found on occasion, which are deeply related to a surface oxide film on a base material which have occurred on the primary side as well as the secondary side of a tubing. And The SCC is accelerated in the existing Pb which is the impurity of secondary steam generator components. The Oxide on a steel surface in an aqueous solution above 100 .deg. C is composed of a duplex film structure. The inner layer of the oxide is dense and less porous, which is formed by a growth of the oxide layer on the metal surface. The outer layer of the oxide is less adhesive, which is formed by a dissolution and precipitation mechanism. Growth processes of the inner layer and the outer ...

Wastenet

... One 20 litre and one 15 litre removable bins Quick and easy installation Slides in and out on ball bearing track W248 x D455 x H485mm In Stock Email a Friend Quantity : 㿝.95 inc VAT Segregated Bins Stacked Bins Built-In Bins Office Bins Can Crushers Bags and Liners Accessories ...

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The primary purpose of the Rocky Flats Field Office of the US Department of Energy is to decommission the entire plant. In an effort to improve the basis and the accuracy of the future decommissioning cost, Rocky Flats has developed a powerful but easy-to-use tool to determine budget cost estimates to characterize, decontaminate, and demolish all its buildings. The parametric cost-estimating tool is called the Facilities Disposition Cost Model (FDCM).

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In the paper, a potential of solar energy for drying of medicinal plants in Polish conditions is estimated and development of solar drying technologies is presented. The results of economic assessment of flat-plate solar collectors applied for drying of medicinal plants on a farm are promising. In some specific conditions, e.g. drying of wild grown medicinal plants in remote areas, even application of photovoltaic modules for driving of a fan of a solar dryer is a profitable option and enables easy control of the drying air temperature.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An extremely simple and convenient method is presented for computing eigenvalues in quantum mechanics by representing position and momentum operators in matrix form. The simplicity and success of the method is illustrated by numerical results concerning eigenvalues of bound systems and resonances for Hermitian and non-Hermitian Hamiltonians as well as driven quantum systems. Various MATLAB program codes are listed. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Due to thermal gradients and load changes steam-turbine casings suffer combined creep-fatigue loading. Creep and fatigue portions depend on service conditions. Special interest is focused on the behaviour of creep-fatigue cracks, originated from potential defects due to construction and manufacturing weldments, on residual lifetime assessment. The project deals with the crack-growth behaviour at 530deg C and r.t. of welded and unwelded heat-resistant cast steels: 1% CrMoV-cast (GS-17 CrMoV 5 11, two melts: low and high V-content) and 12% CrMoV-cast (G-X 22 CrMoV 12 1). The crack planes of CT-specimens investigated, taken from manual arc-welded plates, were situated in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The fatigue, creep and combined creep-fatigue crack-growth behaviour was investigated by means of low-frequency (0.5 and 0.05 Hz) tests, holding-time (20 min) tests and constant load tests up to about 5 000 h. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The fatigue life variability of the #alpha#+#beta# titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo increased with decreasing stress level. The variability in life was found to be due to segregation of lives due to two failure mechanisms. A bimodal cumulative distribution model was shown to accurately describe the combined failure modes. The nominal failure processes for the two regimes were similar, with crack nucleation occurring in equiaxed #alpha#p particles, irrespective of life or stress level. However the variability in life was not controlled by the size of the crack-nucleating #alpha#p, but rather by the ability of the material to distribute deformation and avoid early crack nucleation.

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An effect of load conditions on Corrosion Fatigue Crack Propagation (CFCP) behavior of High Performance Steel (HPS) under seawater environment was investigated. Fatigue crack propagation tests under several load conditions including stress ratio and load frequency were conducted in air and 3.5% NaCl solution environments. Corrosion/fatigue ratio factor, C/F, particularly was defined to analyze the effect of such conditions. As shown in the results, a decrease of load ratio and frequency leads to an increase of C/F factor. Consequently, under lower loading frequency and stress ratio, the seawater condition causes much more significant effect on CFCP behavior of HPS.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The electrochemical behaviour and fracture morphology of homogenized and sensitized type SAE 304 stainless steel U bent specimens, in 3% NaCl solution, at pH=2.0 and pH=7.0 both at room temperature and 100"0C was studied. Polarization curves, galvanostatic and potentiostatic experiments were run. It could be observed that high temperature and low pH favour transgranular cracking and longer sensitization times lower fracture time and tend to give rise to intergranular fracture. Light sensitization can produce transgranular cracking even at room temperature, when the homogenized alloy does not present stress-corrosion cracking for the same condition. (Author).

Science.gov (United States)

Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) has been used with Eddy current testing to detect small defects not only in thin film structures but also in multilayered metallic structures. This work detected small scratches in the thin film under the surface where these defects were unable to be inspected or monitored by regular testing. In addition, rotational GMR magnetic sensor based Eddy current probes were used for detecting buried corner cracks at the edge of holes in metallic structures. The results of this study proved that giant magnetoresistance is very powerful and effective to sense the magnetic field, which is the result from the perturbation of the Eddy currents caused by a defect. This method can be used for quality control of metallization layers on silicon wafer and to detect cracks in thick structures such as cracks in aging aircraft.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The nucleation of microdamage under dynamic loading was investigated through planar impact experiments accomplished with a light gas gun. The microscopic observation of recovered and sectioned specimens showed that microcracks were nucleated only by cracking of brittle particles inside material. However, for comparison the in situ static tensile tests on the same material conducted with a scanning electron microscope showed that the microcracks were nucleated by many forms those were fracture of ductile matrix, debonding particles from matrix and cracking of brittle particles. The quantitative metallographic observations of the specimens subjected to impact loading showed that most of the cracked particles were situated on grain boundaries of the aluminum matrix. These facts suggested the concept of critical size and incubation time of submicroscopic cavities in the dynamic case and the mechanism of embryo-damage induced ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alloy 800 has been used for steam generator (SG) tubing for more than 30 years, primarily in CANDU reactors and in reactors in Germany. The grade of Alloy 800 tubing used for this service has a controlled Ti/C ratio ({>=}12 for CANDU SGs), and this specification is sometimes termed Alloy 800 M or Alloy 800 NG . There have been very few corrosion-related flaws detected in this material in SG service, and, until recently, no incidences of cracking. There has been extensive R and D carried out on Alloy 800 tubing, both in Canada and elsewhere, under a variety of operating conditions, including shutdowns, which show that it has excellent resistance to corrosion-related degradation under specified and appropriate operating conditions. These R and D findings are reflected in the in-service experience. It has been shown from the R and D that Alloy 800 is susceptible to corrosion under acidic conditions, in particular those ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

According to the present concept, the low and intermediate level wastes generated during the Cernavoda NPP operation will be disposed in a near surface repository. The Saligny site, placed in the NPP protected area, has been proposed for their disposal. Geologically, the main components of this site are the quaternary loess, the Precambrian and Pre-quaternary clays, the Eocene and Barremian limestone. Hydrologically, the site can be divided into a vadose zone down to 45-50 m and three distinct aquifers, two of them in the limestone beds and the third in the lenses of sand and limestone existing in the pre-quaternary clay layer. A large research program for site characterization was initiated in 1996. At present, the site characteristics requested for safety analysis have been experimentally measured on soil samples or calculated by different computer programs. Hundreds of experimental values of the density, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, soil-water retention, moisture content or ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Microstructural analyses by advanced metallographic techniques were conducted on mockup welds and a cracked BWR core shroud weld fabricated from Type 304L stainless steel. heat-affected zones of the shroud weld and mockup shielded-metal-arc welds were free of grain-boundary carbide, martensite, delta ferrite, or Cr depletion near grain boundaries. However, as a result of exposure to welding fumes, the heat-affected zones of the welds were significantly contaminated by fluorine and oxygen which migrate to grain boundaries. Significant oxygen contamination promotes fluorine contamination and suppresses classical thermal sensitization, even in Type 304 steels. Results of slow-strain-rate tensile tests indicate that fluorine exacerbates the susceptibility of irradiated steels to intergranular stress corrosion cracking. These observations, combined with previous reports on the strong influence of weld flux, indicate that oxygen and fluorine ...

Science.gov (United States)

From this literature study it was found that ferrocement is a composite material of superior mechanical properties when compared to reinforced concrete. This superiority is reflected in greater flexural crack strength, tensile strength, ductility, and imp...

Science.gov (United States)

Probabilistic sensitivities using the score function method are developed for a lifing analysis of an alpha + beta titanium alloy in a round bar under axial fatigue load. Sensitivities with respect to the statistical inputs of the crack initiation size (a...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

EPRI has sponsored an experimental program in the pipe whip impact and pipe rupture and depressurization areas. Sixteen pipe whip tests were performed with 3 in Schedule 80 (or 10) carbon steel pipes impacting on rigid target or concrete slab. The major testing parameters include distance, impact location, pipe rupture location, and concrete slab thickness and strength. The piping crushing at impact correlates with impact force and target response behavior. Conservatism was established by comparing measured and calculated impact forces. The pipe rupture and depressurization tests were carried out using 6 in stainless steel and carbon steel pipes under either PWR or BWR fluid conditions. These tests are of axial crack with initial machined-in surface flaw. It was found that pipe rupture would occur only if a long unstable through-wall crack was embedded in a sufficiently long unstable part-through crack (in the pipe wall). ...

Science.gov (United States)

This report is a continuation of the former efforts to elucidate the behavior of ferrocement concrete in static and dynamic stress fields. The influence of various reinforcements on pre and post cracking of thin sections forms the main topic of this repor...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report summarizes work performed by Argonne National Laboratory on fatigue and environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) in light water reactors from January 1997 to June 1997. Topics that have been investigated include (a) fatigue of carbon, low-alloy, and austenitic stainless steels (SSs) used in reactor piping and pressure vessels, (b) irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking of Types 304 and 304L SS, and (c) EAC of Alloys 600 and 690. Fatigue tests were conducted on ferritic and austenitic SSs in water that contained various concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) to determine whether a slow strain rate applied during various portions of a tensile-loading cycle is equally effective in decreasing fatigue life. Slow-strain-rate-tensile tests were conducted in simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) water at 288 C on SS specimens irradiated to a low fluence in the Halden reactor and the results were compared with similar data from a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

(Dec 1970). United States Feeney, JA Boeing Co., Renton, Wash.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In order to develop competitive and reliable nuclear power generation systems, development of innovative structural design methods is indispensable and risk-based design approach based on the assessment of failure probability is being developed. Fatigue is commonly considered as an important contributor to failure probability in many components of reactor systems and its assessment gives a large influence on total reliability of the plants. In order to assess its effect on the reliability, propagation of cracks needs to be evaluated as well as their initiation and pre-existence probability. As a part of new design approach, efforts are being taken to develop a simplified estimation method for fatigue crack growth under cyclic application of thermal and thermo-mechanical loading. A simplified estimation method of J-integral based on reference stress method and elastic follow-up factor was developed based on many finite element analyses and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An ampoule corrosion tests technique is presented for making a comparative corrosion-proof estimation of austenitic steels and alloys which are candidate materials for the ITER first wall and shield blanket. Influence of Cl"- on the rate and character of corrosion cracking has been determined. The dependence of time before destruction on Cl"- contents was obtained by experiments in twice-distilled water at a Cl"- content value of less than 0.05 mg/l. Kinetics of a corrosion crack growth has been determined by way of acoustic emission and measurement of electrical resistance. It has been revealed, that corrosion cracking of 316L and 316Ti steels in water with 100 mg/l of Cl"- takes place at temperatures over 50 C. For 316L (Russian analogue), 316Ti, 08Cr18Ni10Ti (type 304), 00Cr16Ni15Mo3Nb (type 316) steels and CrNiMo-1 (42-47%Cr, 1%Mo, Ni-base) alloy corrosion long-term strength and crack-resistance ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper describes two research programs which are currently underway in the author's laboratory to investigate the effect of fluid flow on the degradation of power plant materials in high temperature/high pressure aqueous environments. These programs include the design and operation of a controlled hydrodynamic corrosion testing apparatus that can be used to study the general and localized corrosion characteristics of alloys in simulated nuclear reactor environments, and a study of the effect of flow velocity on the stress corrosion cracking of ASTM A508 C1.2 steel and Type 304SS in simulated BWR heat transport fluids.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Some examples are given of design adaptations, e.g. U-bend support, tube spacer grid, flow distribution baffle, triangular tube pitch, tube-tubeplate sheet connection, which reduce the tendency to various types of corrosion (stress corrosion cracking, tube denting, tube wastage, intergranular cracking). A basic diagram of the secondary circuit is shown. Oxygen, corrosion product and impurity control in the secondary circuit is described. (E.J.). 19 figs., 6 refs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The report summarizes ten years of experience in the analysis and evaluation of ultrasonic testing data measured in turbine and generator rotors. Apart from the information on type, position, size and distribution of flaws, the expert knowledge achieved in an interpretation of ultrasonic signals yields further insight, as e.g.: - Confirmation of assumptions taken as a basis for fracture-mechanical analysis of these flaws with regard to crack initiation and crack growth under low-cycle fatigue conditions (O=0.7-1 Rp 0.2, N<25.000 growth in length); - enhanced information on a correlation of ultrasonic testing data with the real flaw size. (orig.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An Al-5%Mg-0.18%Mn-0.2%Sc-0.08%Zr-0.002%Be was subjected to equal-channel angular extrusion up to true strains of #approx#3 and #approx#8, that resulted in the formation of partially recrystallized and fully recrystallized structure, respectively. It was shown that the alloy with partially recrystallized structure exhibits highest strength and ductility. The material with fully recrystallized structure showed lowest fatigue crack growth rate and highest value of fracture toughness. Reasons of this unusual effect of microstructure on crack propagation resistance under fatigue are discussed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This work contains 27 chapters which cover recent advances in fracture mechanics applied to cement-based composites: concrete, reinforced concrete, and fiber reinforced concrete. The book, based on a NATO Advanced Study Institute, is a comprehensive survey of treating nonlinearity associated with crack growth in brittle materials such as cement composites, rocks and ice. The book is divided into 8 major themes: advances in nonlinear fracture mechanics; fracture processes; numerical modelling of fracture; experimental methods of determining fracture parameters; damage and continuum modelling; strain-rate and dynamic effects of crack propagation; stress-corrosion, time and temperature effects on fracture; and implications for concrete structures.

Science.gov (United States)

This paper obtains the acidity spectra of modernites and SVK-zeolites from the heats of adsorption of NH/sub 3/ at 300 C and compares the catalytic activity of these zeolites with the cracking of n-octane and the isomerization of o-xylene. It is shown that the calculation of the specific catalytic activity of centers of different strengths by the method of regional rates allows one to predict the activity of the zeolites from the acidity spectra. It follows from the calculation that only the centers of Bronsted acidity are active towards cracking but that the centers of Lewis acidity are also active towards isomerization.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

During the Bruce A Nuclear Generating Station (BNGS-A) Unit 1 1997 planned outage, a dew point search method identified a leak in one steam generator(SG) tube. Subsequently, the tube was inspected with all available eddy current probes and removed for examination. The initial inspection results and metallurgical examination of the removed tube confirmed that the leak was due to intergranular attack/stress corrosion cracking (IGA/SCC) emanating from the secondary side of the tube at the top of the tubesheet location. Subsequently, eddy current and ultrasonic indications were found at the top of the tubesheet of other Alloy 600 SG tubes. To investigate the source of the indications and to validate the inspection probes, sections of 40 tubes with various levels of damage were removed. The metallurgical examination of the removed sections showed that both secondary side and primary side initiated, circumferential, stress corrosion cracking and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The creep crack growth properties of two versions of Alloy 800 have been compared at 500 and 600"0C in the Grade II condition in tests up to 10"4 hours duration. The two alloys were a low carbon alloy containing (wt.%) 0.024 C, 0.5 Ti, 0.3 Al (Alloy B) and a higher carbon alloy containing (wt.%) 0.038 C, 0.2-0.3 Ti, 0.2-3.0 Al (Alloy J). At 600"0C, Alloy B attained maximum age hardening in 10"2 hours, whereas J did not harden significantly in time up to 10"4 hours. Both alloys age hardened at 550"0C with Alloy J hardening more rapidly than B. The creep displacements and displacement rates in small compact tension specimens at 600"0C were smaller than Alloy B than in Alloy J. However, failure times were shorter in Alloy B because of lower displacements for crack initiation and propagation and higher crack growth rates. At 550"0C the displacements for initiation and propagation in Alloy J were smaller than at 600"0C. A ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A new eddy current array probe has been implemented as a straightforward and promising technique for detection of outer diameter (OD) surface-breaking cracks on the extrados of feeder bends. The design is based on previous work performed at AECL, which had demonstrated that eddy current probes with laterally displaced transmit-receive coils can overcome some of the limitations of inspecting ferritic steel components for surface-breaking cracks. The Feeder Integrity Joint Program-CANDU Owners Group Inc. (FIJP-COG) Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) Team members commissioned AECL to work in collaboration with the probe manufacturer ZETEC, to develop a field usable eddy current array probe. The objective was to acquire a technique with the following capabilities: fast scanning non-contact inspection technique for surface breaking discontinuities; full inspection of the bend extrados OD surface in a single scan; ability to inspect first and second ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Constant pull rate tests were conducted on tensile specimens of Inconel Alloy 600, Incoloy Alloy 800, and Type 304 stainless steel in deaerated 10% NaOH solution at 288 C (550 F) with a cover gas of 5% H_2 in N_2. The pull rate used for most experiments was 3.3 x 10"-"6 cm/s, which corresponds to an initial strain rate of 3 x 10"-"6 s"-"1. The electrical potential of the specimens was controlled by a potentiostat using a nickel wire as a hydrogen reference electrode. Under open circuit conditions, Type 304 stainless steel specimens cracked rapidly, but Alloys 600 and 800 specimens exhibited only ductile fracture. However, cracks readily formed in Alloy 800 specimens at potentials in the +50 to +300 mV range and in Alloy 600 specimens at potentials in the +150 to +250 mV range. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of some of the cracked specimen surfaces showed the transition from ductile to brittle fracture as a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ternary R_2TSi_3 intermetallic compounds (R=Rare Earth, T=Transition Metal) with hexagonal AlB_2-type crystallographic structure are known because of their interesting physical properties. Pr_2PdSi_3 single crystals were grown by a vertical floating zone method. The compound exhibits congruent melting behavior at a liquidus temperature of about 1770 C. Single crystalline samples show a huge anisotropy at low temperatures due to the crystal electric field effect and order antiferromagnetically below the Neel temperature T_N=2.17 K. This value approximately obeys the linear de Gennes scaling for this class of compounds. The [001] orientation was identified as the magnetic easy axis at room temperature. At lower temperature (#approx#20 K) magnetic easy and hard axes interchange with each other. Two additional magnetic phase transitions were observed at temperatures below 1 K.

Science.gov (United States)

We have grown crack-free antiferroelectric (AFE) Pb{sub 0.92}La{sub 0.08}Zr{sub 0.95}Ti{sub 0.05}O{sub 3} (PLZT) films on nickel foils by chemical solution deposition. To eliminate the parasitic effect caused by the formation of a low-permittivity interfacial oxide, we applied a conductive buffer layer of lanthanum nickel oxide (LNO) on the nickel foil by chemical solution deposition prior to the PLZT deposition. Use of the LNO buffer allowed high-quality film-on-foil capacitors to be prepared at high temperatures in air. With the AFE PLZT deposited on LNO-buffered Ni foils, we observed field-induced phase transformations of AFE to ferroelectric (FE). The AFE-to-FE phase transition field, E{sub AF} = 260 kV cm{sup -1}, and the reverse phase transition field, E{sub FA} = 220 kV cm{sup -1}, were measured at room temperature on a {approx}1.15 {micro}m thick PLZT film grown on LNO-buffered Ni foils. The relative permittivities of the AFE and FE ...

CERN Document Server

The whole computer hardware industry embraced multicores. For these machines, the extreme optimisation of sequential algorithms is no longer sufficient to squeeze the real machine power, which can be only exploited via thread-level parallelism. Decision tree algorithms exhibit natural concurrency that makes them suitable to be parallelised. This paper presents an approach for easy-yet-efficient porting of an implementation of the C4.5 algorithm on multicores. The parallel porting requires minimal changes to the original sequential code, and it is able to exploit up to 7X speedup on an Intel dual-quad core machine.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In most previous studies of topology optimization, commercial programs, such as Optistruct, ANSYS, and MSC Patran, usually were used during implementation. Such commercial programs are not easy to use and entail time and cost. In addition, it is difficult to confirm results with reference to individual stages of optimization. For addressing this disadvantage, a topology optimization program, which is based on the C language, is developed in this study. This is a very convenient and powerful program for users to conduct topology optimization by using all density methods and homogenization methods in compliance with the methodology. For verifying the developed program, first of all, topology optimization was implemented by using density methods to evaluate the strain energy density of a cant...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A simple method allowing easy calculation of the spatial damage energy distributions for ion-implanted materials is presented. The direct procedure takes account of the variation with depth of the lateral spreading of implanted ions, as well as the effects of energy transport by the recoiling target atoms. The subsequent computer program LUPIN-3D provides three-dimensional damage distributions and allows the construction of damage energy mappings. Various substrates of technological interest are investigated and several fields of application of the calculation are envisaged. The density of cascades can therefore be determined and heterogeneous amorphization models can be implemented. (orig.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The author presents a new technique for production of yellow cake with double precipitation, thus solving a series of problems for precipitating uranium with traditional double precipitation. The new technique can not only remove ferric ions and sulfate radicals but also make solid-liquid separation easy, utilize effectively the sulfuric acid produced in ferric ions precipitation process, and increase uranium concentration of leaching liquor. To take it as producing yellow cake will save investment, simplify operation, and cut down the consumption of raw materials and energies. It is more competitive than ion-exchange or solvent extraction in the process of extracting-purifying and preparing yellow cake.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A new simple multi-well plate-based assay to determine monocyte differentiation-inducing activity was developed. It is based on the increase of macrophage adherence after the induction of monocyte differentiation. The assay was conducted using a human monocytic leukemia cell line, THP-1, treated with either 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate or cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-? and interferon-?. This method is sensitive and easy to perform, especially in case of analyzing a large number of samples.

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Self-expanding metallic stent insertion has been widely applied for the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal strictures. Although it is known as an easy, safe, and effective procedure, complications are well known and include things such as stent migration and esophageal stent occlusion caused by tumor in growth. However, metallic stent fractures have been rarely reported in the esophagus, especially for nitinol stents. We report a case of a stent fracture associated with migration in a patient with a malignant esophageal stricture near the gastroesophageal junction. It is highly probable that the stent fracture was due to chemical erosion of the stent caused by gastric juice

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This paper describes estimation of a stress field in the earth`s crust in the Kakkonda geothermal field. Formation micro imager (FMI) logging known as a crack detecting logging was performed in the well WD-1. This FMI logging has made observation possible on cracks along well axis thought to indicate size and direction of the crust stress, and drilling-induced tensile fractures (DTF). It was verified that these DTFs are generated initially in an azimuth determined by in-situ stress (an angle up to the DTF as measured counterclockwise with due north as a starting point, expressed in {theta}) in the well`s circumferential direction. It was also confirmed that a large number of cracks incline at a certain angle to the well axis (an angle made by the well axis and the DTF, expressed in {gamma}). The DTF is a crack initially generated on well walls as a result of such tensile stresses as mud pressure and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proposals for use of Alloy 800 as a H.T.R. boiler material have prompted studies of its creep and high temperature fatigue properties in impure helium with comparative tests in air. In impure helium, as expected in a H.T.R., reactions of potential importance are selective oxidation (of chromium, aluminium and titanium) and possibly carburisation from carbon monoxide or methane. In air, general oxidation will occur, possibly accompanied by nitridation. The effects of these reactions will depend on specimen geometry and the nature of the deformation. Two important possibilities are: (i) that environment affects the structure and properties of a surface zone of material undegoing uniform deformation (this may modify creep rate and crack nucleation); and (ii) that environment affects behaviour of a small region (e.g. at the root of a notch or ahead of a crack) in a specimen undergoing non-uniform deformation (this will modify ...

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Progress reports are presented for the following two areas: catalytic cracking studies with water-wet silica-alumina catalysts; and Fischer-Tropsch reactor studies where similarities and differences between fixed bed and slurry type reactors are investigated and further experiments conducted to measure mass transfer coefficients and reaction kinetics which are to be used in a model slurry reactor. The following are some of the conclusions. (1) The premise that the presence of liquid water might increase catalytic cracking activity was found to be invalid. It was demonstrated that cracking can occur at previously unobserved low temperatures (though at low conversions) and that an anomaly exists in that one of the catalysts tested shows an entirely different cracking behavior and probably follows a different cracking mechanism. (2) the diameter of a fixed-bed Fischer-Tropsch reactor ...

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A CANDU nuclear reactor was shut down for over one year because steam generator (SG) tubes had failed with outer diameter stress-corrosion cracking (ODSCC) in the U-bend section. Novel, single-pass eddy current transmit-receive probes, denoted as C3, were successful in detecting all significant cracks so that the cracked tubes could be plugged and the unit restarted. Significant numbers of tubes with SCC were removed from a SG in order to validate the results of the new probe. Results from metallurgical examinations were used to obtain probability-of-detection (POD) and sizing accuracy plots to quantify the performance of this new inspection technique. Though effective, the above approach of relying on tubes removed from a reactor is expensive, in terms of both economic and radiation-exposure costs. This led to a search for more affordable methods to validate inspection techniques and procedures. Methods are presented for ...

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In situ fracture studies on thin-film NiTi intermetallic compounds have been carried out in the high-voltage electron microscope at Argonne National Laboratory. Local stress-induced amorphization of regions directly in front of moving crack tips has been observed under tensile loading conditions. The stress-induced amorphization at crack tips exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of ion-induced amorphization of NiTi. The upper limiting temperature for stress-induced amorphization is the same as that for ion-induced amorphization of crystalline NiTi and for amorphous phase formation during ion-beam mixing of Ni and Ti multilayer specimens. This upper limiting temperature of 600K is also the lowest temperature at which stress-induced amorphous phase crystallizes during isothermal annealing. This isothermal crystallization temperature is nearly 200K less than the kinetic crystallization temperature during heating of unrelaxed NiTi ...

Science.gov (United States)

Catalytic reactions of 3-methylpentane and 2,3-dimethylbutane on HY, amorphous silica-alumina, and HZSM-5 have been studied at 500{degree}C. Both kinetic phenomena and product selectivities have been reported. Cracking reactions an HZSM-5 can be attributed to initiation through protonation occurring at Bronsted sites. Bimolecular processes leading to chain reaction via hydride transfer are restricted within the narrow pore pentasil zeolite. On HY and amorphous silica-alumina, initiation of cracking also occurs at Bronsted sited. No direct evidence was found for participation of Lewis acid sites on the catalyst framework itself. Following initiation, reactions on these catalysts are accelerated through a chain process occurring at Lewis sites generated by adsorption of product olefins at Bronsted sites. The resulting change in the dominant cracking mechanism is reflected in the product selectivity, illustrated here by a ...

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The corrosion behaviour of friction stir welded (FSW) joints of AA 5083 has been compared to that of MIG welded joints. Pitting and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance in 3.5% NaCl + 0.3 g/l H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and in EXCO (4 M KCl + 0.5 M KNO{sub 3} + 0.1 M HNO{sub 3}) solutions has been determined at 25 C. SCC susceptibility was evaluated by slow strain rate tests (SSRT), at a strain rate of 1 x 10{sup -6}s{sup -1}. Welds obtained by FSW technique showed a higher corrosion resistance in EXCO solution and a lower pitting tendency than the base alloy. Electrochemical measurements (corrosion potential measurements, polarization curves recording) evidenced that FSW weld was cathodic to base alloy. FSW joints were not susceptible to SCC in both test solutions, whereas MIG joints cracked in both solutions. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The inspection of PFR evaporator tubing, superheater and reheater tubing, and tube plate examinations, are described. Ferritic steel U tubes in the evaporator have been examined by an eddy current system operating at 400 kHz using flexible rotating probes. Surface defects as shallow as 0.1 mm can be detected and sized in the range 0.1 to 0.5 mm deep. An ultrasonic method is under development for wall thickness. Special test coil probes have been developed for examination of the type 316 stainless steel superheater and reheater tubing. Crack-life defects in the bore are detectable at approximately 10% wall thickness and 20% on the outside diameter. Tube plate examinations from the tube holes, have been conducted using eddy current probes which identify surface breaking cracks in the holes. For detecting curtain cracks between tube plate holes, ultrasonic compression wave probes have been used. (U.K.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ten different alloys of zirconium have been tested with regard to the effect of irradiation on their mechanical properties and their sensitivity to environmentally induced failure. Two different environments were used: iodine vapour and liquid cesium with an addition of 2% cadmium. The neutron dose was 10"2"1n/cm"2 (E>1MeV) and the irradiation temperature was about 300 degrees C. All alloy additions increased the irradiation hardening. Especially notable was the large effect of titanium and tin on irradiation hardening. A limited amount of transmission electron microscopy was carried out in order to find an explanation to the effects. The testing in different environments showed that there is no clear correlation between environmental sensitivity and yield stress. For materials of similar yield stress an alloyed material tends to be more sensitive to environmental cracking than a material which only contains oxygen as an impurity. There also seems to be an ...

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Modelization of crack propagation and theoretical prediction of rupture are the two main objectives of researchers in stress corrosion cracking. Nevertheless, to reach this aim, the behavior of the passive film which appears spontaneously on the substrate in contact with an environment has to be known. This structural and mechanical characterization is all the more difficult because the number of parameters is important: crystallinity rate, defects concentration, thickness (about a few nanometers), electric field, chemical composition (a lot of oxides are present), peeling layers (atomic structure for example) and some hypothesis can be made about their multi-layer structure, their chemical composition or their epitaxial character... Passive films formed on 316L or 304L stainless steels in different aqueous solutions (in ambient air, in MgCl{sub 2} at 117 deg. C...) have been studied and some important remarks about their mechanical properties ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A personal computer based single specimen unloading technique has been demonstrated using a nuclear grade pressure vessel material, A533B Class I steel, and an #alpha#-#beta# titanium alloy, CORONA-5. Experimental parameters investigated in the case of steel include the effect of test temperature, loading rate and neutron irradiation. Results revealed the effect of dynamic strain aging (DSA) as a drop in the critical crack initiation fracture toughness (Jsub(q)); the minimum in Jsub(q) shifts to higher temperatures at higher test speeds as predicted from DSA models. In CORONA-5, the effects of microstructure and heat treatment for two different sizes of equiaxed #alpha# morphology in a #beta#-matrix heat treated to different yield strengths were investigated. It is found that the observed higher values of Jsub(q) and tearing modulus result from a greater tortuosity of the crack path and ease of crack blunting. The largest ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this study, the influence of Beryllium (Be) content on the fracture behaviour of Al?15%Mg2Si composite was investigated. The results showed an increase in mechanical properties with increasing of Be content. The stress?strain curves of samples showed a same category of serrations reflecting non-uniform deformation. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to examine the crack nucleation and fracture model. The results indicate that Al?15%Mg2Si composite shows different behaviours of crack initiation and fracture for samples with and without Be. Differences observed in the fracture behaviour were attributed to microstructural changes as well as morphological aspects of primary Mg2Si particles.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appraisals of the isothermal general corrosion of Incoloy 800 in steam at 595 and 650 deg.C indicated good long-term resistance (<7 mg/cm"2 weight gained in 20 years) whether surfaces were ground or electropolished. Electropolished surfaces corroded much faster than ground surfaces in earlier stages, (39 and 15 times as fast in 3000 hr at 595 and 650 deg.C, respectively), but the corrosion rate decreased with time and gave comparable estimates over the long term for both surface preparations. Both nonwelded and welded Incoloy 800 were definately susceptible in chloride stress-corrosion cracking tests of U-bend specimens in a cyclic, wet-dry steam environment. However, C-configuration specimens of Incoloy 800, which were less severly strained, did not crack in this environment. (author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper is concerned with the real time automatic discriminating of flaws from two categories; i. cracks (planar defect) and ii. Non-cracks (volumetric defect such as cluster porosity and slag) using pulse-echo ultrasound. The raw ultrasonic flaws signal were collected from a computerized robotic plane scanning system over the whole of each reflector as the primary source of data. The signal is then filtered and the analysis in both time and frequency domain were executed to obtain the selected feature. The real time feature analysis techniques measured the number of peaks, maximum index, pulse duration, rise time and fall time. The obtained features could be used to distinguish between quantitatively classified flaws by using various tools in artificial intelligence such as neural networks. The proposed algorithm and complete system were implemented in a computer software developed using Microsoft Visual BASIC 6.0 (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A concentric reducer tube, which was a part of the top exit roughing hydraulic descaler in a hot strip mill failed prematurely under working pressure. A detailed metallurgical investigation comprising physical examination, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis was carried out to find out the genesis of the failure. Physical examination revealed cracks located symmetrically around the circumference of the tube that ran along its full length, up to the weld beads at both ends. Optical microscopy of etched samples revealed a banded ferrite-pearlite structure and the existence of forging folds near the change-in-section(160? fillets). Cracks were found to initiate from these forging folds. No structural abnormalities were found in the weld beads and...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this work, a pre-cracked semi-circular shaped explosive simulant was loaded using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). A high-speed camera was used to capture the deformation and fracture process of the specimen in situ. The digital images were processed using the digital image correlation (DIC) method. Next, full displacement and strain fields were obtained. The displacement vector field shows that the specimen fractured under tensile stress action. The strain field can be used to predict the crack propagation. Results show that the method of combined DIC and SHPB is effective to study the dynamic deformation and fracture behavior of explosive simulants. In addition, the specimen was loaded using a drop weight. The fracture toughness of the specimen was preliminary measured.

Science.gov (United States)

The kinetic rate constants for the cracking, isomerization, and disproportionation of n-heptane over a CrHNaY (32% chromium exchanged) zeolite catalyst at 400, 450, and 470/sup 0/C have been calculated. The interaction of n-heptane with a model Lewis acid such as BF/sub 3/ and progress along the reaction coordinate have been studied by means of molecular orbital calculations. From the kinetic results, i.e., activation energies and frequency factors, and the theoretical calculations, it can be concluded that the controlling step in these reactions is not the formation of the carbonium ion, but the subsequent transformation of this carbonium ion. In addition, the theoretical calculations show that the attack of a Lewis acid is more likely to occur on a carbon atom than on a C-H bond.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to develop the filler metal for Hastelloy alloy XR structure with thick wall, the weldability and high temperature strength properties of Hastelloy alloy XR weldment were investigated using the filler metals, which were alloy-designed on the basis of multiple regression analysis. The former was examined through the chemical analysis in the deposited metal, bend test, FISCO cracking test, optical microscopy and hardness measurement. The latter was investigated by means of tensile and creep test. It was found from these results that the crack susceptibility in the weldment was apparent to be lowered without degrading the high temperature strength properties. Therefore, it is concluded that these filler metals possess excellent performance as the filler metal for Hastelloy alloy XR structure with thick wall. (author).

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Hydrous pyrolysis of immature Monterey Phosphatic or Siliceous rock at progressively higher temperatures causes systematic changes in biomarker thermal maturity parameters of the generated hydrocarbons. Biomarker ratios based on proposed carbon-carbon cracking or aromatization reactions increase during hydrous pyrolysis along similar pathways for both Siliceous and Phosphatic members. An increase in these biomarker ratios is also observed for oils of increasing thermal maturity from the offshore Santa Maria Basin, although the rates of changes for each parameter differ between the hydrous pyrolysis and natural samples. Changes in some cracking parameters during maturation appear to result from differential thermal stability of the compounds rather than conversion of precursors to products. (author).

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Microstructural observations of damage around indentations in Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} are presented. The Vickers hardness decreased with increasing load and asymptotically approached 4 GPa at the highest loads. No indentation cracks were observed even at loads as high as 300 N. Preliminary strength versus indentation plots indicate that, at least for the large-grained material ({approx}100 {micro}m) studied here, Ti{sub 3}SiC{sub 2} is a damage-tolerant material able to contain the extent of microdamage to a small area around the indent. The following multiple energy-absorbing mechanisms have been identified from scanning electron micrographs of areas in the vicinity of the indentation: diffuse microcracking, delamination, crack deflection, grain push-out, grain pull-out, and the buckling of individual grains.

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The following subjects were discussed at the conference: Stability of welded joints, creep stress in CrMo steels, life prediction, developments in modern power plant steels, testing, calculation of deformation, crack propagation and crack analysis under complex loads. [German] Die Autoren der Tagung referieren ueber folgende Themen: Stabilitaet von Schweissverbindungen, Kriechbeanspruchung von Chrom-Molybdaen Staehlen, Lebensdauervorhersage, Entwicklungen fuer die Anwendung in modernen Kraftwerken, Prueftechnik, Berechnung von Verformung, Rissentwicklung und -bewertung bei komplexer Beanspruchung. (uke)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Gigabit Link Interface Board (GLIB) is an evaluation platform and an easy entry point for users of high speed optical links in high energy physics experiments. Its intended use ranges from optical link evaluation in the laboratory to control, triggering and data acquisition from remote modules in beam or irradiation tests. The GLIB is an FPGA-based Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) conceived to serve a small and simple system residing either inside a Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture (?TCA) crate, or on a bench with a link to a PC. This paper presents the architecture of the GLIB, its features as well as examples of its use in different setups.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In order to build the safety culture for nuclear power industry, it is important to evaluate the safety culture scientifically. Considering the traits of safety culture in the nuclear power industry, 24 safety culture assessment indexes are established from 4 aspects such as Safety consciousness, Safety attitude, Safety action and Safety actuality by using the SMART criteria. Safety culture star-class assessment criterion is presented and safety culture star-class assessment system is developed by using Visual Basic 6.0 and BP neural network. The system has a better generalization ability, and it can show exactly which phase the safety culture is in. Experimental results show that safety culture star-class assessment is practical and easy to perform. (authors)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modern commercial alloys are not suited for future steam turbines of operating temperatures beyond 700 C. #gamma#'-hardened alloys like Waspaloy have good mechanical characteristics but have defects when large batches are melted. #gamma#'/#gamma#''-hardened alloys like Inconel 706, on the other hand, are easy to produce but have insufficient microstructural long-term stability and insufficient creep strength. Mixed crystal solidified alloys like Inconel 617 have excessive yield stress at forging temperatures. Two new alloys were therefore developed. Results so far show that they have good production characteristics but insufficient mechanical characteristics. The reasons for this are currently under investigation. (orig.)

Science.gov (United States)

Narrative medicine is one of medicine's most important internal reforms, and it should be a critical dimension of healthcare debate. Healthcare reform must eventually ask not only how do we pay for healthcare and how do we distribute it, but more fundamentally, what kind of healthcare do we want? It must ask, in short, what are the goals of medicine? Yet, even though narrative medicine is crucial to answering these pivotal and inescapable questions, it is not easy to describe. Many of its core claims go against the grain of common sense thinking about medicine. This article argues that the best way to understand narrative medicine is to tell a story that puts its emergence in historical context. PMID:21053060

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A computer modelling has been developed for the calculation of mass balance of monazite ore break-down by alkali process at Rare Earth Research and Development Center. The process includes the following units : ore digestion by concentrate NaOH, dissolution of digested ore by HCl, uranium and thorium precipitation and crystallization of Na3PO4 which is by-product from this process. The model named RRDCMBP was prepared in Visual Basic language. The modelling program can be run on personal computer and it is interactive and easy to use. User is able to choose any equipment in each unit process and input data to get output of mass balance results. The model could be helpful in the process analysis for the further process adjustment and development.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Commercial polyolefin, such as poly(propylene), are widely used because of their easy processing and their excellent mechanical and thermal properties. Although their recycling is well established, the mechanical and thermal properties of the recycled waste poly(propylene)(WPP) are normally lower than those of the virgin material. The introduction of talc can improve the toughness, without compromising the processability and recycling capabilities. However, the thermal properties of these blends should be assessed to limit degradation during recycling. The effect of gamma radiation on the thermal and mechanical properties of WPP/High Crystallinity Poly(propylene)/Talc was studied. TGA, DSC, and electrical conductivity performed the characterization of WPP composites. Mechanical properties ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hydrogen seems to possess all the characteristics to store the excess of electrical energy produced during off-peak periods. Hydrogen energy storage plants could be environmentally non-polluting, easy to place, not sensible to load variation, unbounded in size, efficient and safe. These last two features seem to contradict one another. An option that could give a reliable solution is the storage of hydrogen in metal hydride and the storage of oxygen as a liquid. Such a choice is probably the safest one to make and allows the achievement of efficiencies comparable to those obtainable with gaseous storage of both electrolytic products. The power consumption for H{sub 2} and O{sub 2} storage is only 3% of the total energy stored and the charging ratio approaches the values obtained with hydro-pumped storage plants. (Author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report presents the findings of a U.S. DOE Environmental Management technology transfer initiative of waste-reducing ground water sampling systems between Savannah River Site (SRS) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) which occurred during fiscal years 2001 and 2002. The report describes the collaboration between the two sites, the deployment of the Savannah River Site Purge Water Management System at LLNL, the changes made to that system for use at LLNL, and documents the return-on-investment derived from the system's use at LLNL as well as other benefits generated through this inter-laboratory collaboration. An evaluation of the deployment of the LLNL EasyPump sampling technology at SRS will be covered in a separate report from SRS.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

During fluoroscopy the examiner is usually protected by a radiation-reducing body shield, leaving the thyroid unprotected. The fact that the thyroid is located in a region of the neck usually covered by the shirt collar led to the idea of designing a tie with lead core, providing easy and ''decorative'' reduction of the radiation dose. Sonographic examinations were carried out in 20 volunteers (10 men, 10 women) to determine the size of the gland and its coverage by such a tie. The reduction of the surface and organ dose was assessed using film dosimetry with scattered radiation, the body of the examiner being simulated by an Alderson phantom. On average 88% of the thyroid gland surface area was covered. Surface dose was reduced to 1%, and organ dose to 10% of the value without the protection tie. (Author).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Evidence for dietary/nutritional treatments of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) varies widely, from double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to anecdotal. In guiding patients, clinicians can apply the SECS versus RUDE rule: treatments that are Safe, Easy, Cheap, and Sensible (SECS) require less evidence than those that are Risky, Unrealistic, Difficult, or Expensive (RUDE). Two nutritional treatments appear worth general consideration: Recommended Daily Allowance/Reference Daily Intake multivitamin/mineral supplements as a pediatric health intervention not specific to ADHD and essential fatty acids, especially a mix of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and ?-linolenic acid as an ADHD-specific intervention. Controlled studies support the elimination of artificial fo...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

IHI has developed a new Three-Dimensional Computer-Aided Design (3D-CAD) system to improve the design efficiency and quality of the steel structure of nuclear power plants. This system covers every design phase from the initial arrangement of structure to the production design sharing the same database. The system incorporates the design rules and professional expertise of designers, and enable easy and efficient design. The system can easily generate the three-dimensional data for structures, model data for stress analyses and composite arrangement data. The system has already been applied to several plants under construction and has achieved excellent results. The outline of the new CAD system is introduced. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

While it is quite obvious that photons have an essential role in photochemical and photocatalytic processes, it is not simple to analyse the radiation process. A simple approach is presented on the assumption that photons can be treated as immaterial reactants. It is then possible to evaluate the radiation process in terms of parameters such as conversion, selectivity and yield, which are common in the conventional reaction engineering, and of an additional parameter, a volume efficiency factor, which accounts for the exploitation of the reaction volume as the result of the inevitable attenuation of the radiation in the transport through the participating medium. Attention has also been focused on the validation of kinetic data when, as it is usually done, they are interpreted in terms of volume averages. Finally, guidelines have been prepared to support preliminary phases of analysis and/or design of a photocatalytic reactor. (author)