WorldWideScience

Sample records for thermo-hydro mechanical characteristics

  1. Thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom clay; Comportement thermo-hydro-mecanique de l'argile de Boom

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Le, T.T

    2008-01-15

    This thesis studied the thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of Boom clay, which was chosen to be the host material for the radioactive waste disposal in Mol, Belgium. Firstly, the research was concentrated on the soil water retention properties and the hydro-mechanical coupling by carrying out axial compression tests with suction monitoring. The results obtained permitted elaborating a rational experimental procedure for triaxial tests. Secondly, the systems for high pressure triaxial test at controlled temperature were developed to carry out compression, heating, and shearing tests at different temperatures. The obtained results showed clear visco-elasto-plastic behaviour of the soil. This behaviour was modelled by extending the thermo-elasto-plastic model of Cui et al. (2000) to creep effect. (author)

  2. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. Outline report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Neyama, Atsushi; Iwata, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Koichi; Ishihara, Yoshinao; Shiozaki, Isao; Sagawa, Hiroshi

    2002-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, this study has been studied on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and preliminary coupling analysis by using development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis. (1) In order to prepare the strategy on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES), we have studied on the requirement of THAMES-Transport and methodology of coupling analysis. After that we set out modification plan by the Eulerian-Lagrangian (EL) method. (2) Based on the document of modification plan, we have done addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and carried out verification analysis in order to confirm on the accuracy of THAMES-Transport. (3) In order to understand on the behavior of NaCl in the porewater under the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the HLW engineered barrier system, we have calculated coupling phenomenon by using THAMES-Transport. Transportation and concentration phenomena of NaCl are calculated but precipitation of NaCl is not occurred under the analysis conditions in this report. (4) In order to confirm about feasibility of coupling analysis under the development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis, we have carried out on the design work and writing program of the preliminary coupling system. In this study, we have adopted existing transport model (HYDROGEOCHEM) and geochemical model (phreeqe60) for preliminary coupling system. (5) In order to confirm program correctness of preliminary coupling system, we have carried out benchmarking analysis by using existing reactive-transport analysis code (HYDROGEOCHEM). (6) We have been prepared short-range development plan based on through the modification study of THAMES and writing program of the preliminary coupling

  3. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. Result report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Shiozaki, Isao; Neyama, Atsushi; Iwata, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Koichi; Ishihara, Yoshinao; Sagawa, Hiroshi

    2002-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, this study has been studied on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and preliminary coupling analysis by using development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis. (1) In order to prepare the strategy on the addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES), we have studied on the requirement of THAMES-Transport and methodology of coupling analysis. After that we set out modification plan by the Eulerian-Lagrangian (EL) method. (2) Based on the document of modification plan, we have done addition of the mass transport model to the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code (THAMES) and carried out verification analysis in order to confirm on the accuracy of THAMES-Transport. (3) In order to understand on the behavior of NaCl in the porewater under the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the HLW engineered barrier system, we have calculated coupling phenomenon by using THAMES-Transport. Transportation and concentration phenomena of NaCl are calculated but precipitation of NaCl is not occurred under the analysis conditions in this report. (4) In order to confirm about feasibility of coupling analysis under the development environmental tool (Diffpack) for numerical analysis, we have carried out on the design work and writing program of the preliminary coupling system. In this study, we have adopted existing transport model (HYDROGEOCHEM) and geochemical model (phreeqe 60) for preliminary coupling system. (5) In order to confirm program correctness of preliminary coupling system, we have carried out benchmarking analysis by using existing reactive-transport analysis code (HYDROGEOCHEM). (6) We have been prepared short-range development plan based on through the modification study of THAMES and writing program of the preliminary coupling

  4. Development of a finite element code to solve thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling and simulate induced seismicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    María Gómez Castro, Berta; De Simone, Silvia; Rossi, Riccardo; Larese De Tetto, Antonia; Carrera Ramírez, Jesús

    2015-04-01

    Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling is essential for CO2 storage because of (1) large amounts of CO2 will be injected, which will cause large pressure buildups and might compromise the mechanical stability of the caprock seal, (2) the most efficient technique to inject CO2 is the cold injection, which induces thermal stress changes in the reservoir and seal. These stress variations can cause mechanical failure in the caprock and can also trigger induced earthquakes. To properly assess these effects, numerical models that take into account the short and long-term thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling are an important tool. For this purpose, there is a growing need of codes that couple these processes efficiently and accurately. This work involves the development of an open-source, finite element code written in C ++ for correctly modeling the effects of thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in the field of CO2 storage and in others fields related to these processes (geothermal energy systems, fracking, nuclear waste disposal, etc.), and capable to simulate induced seismicity. In order to be able to simulate earthquakes, a new lower dimensional interface element will be implemented in the code to represent preexisting fractures, where pressure continuity will be imposed across the fractures.

  5. Thermo-hydro-mechanical tests of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pintado, X.; Hassan, Md. M.; Martikainen, J.

    2013-10-01

    MX-80 bentonite is the reference clay material for the buffer component planned to be used in the deep geological repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. The buffer presents complex thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior which is modeled with different constitutive models for heat flow, water flow and stress-strain evolution in the buffer. Thermo, hydro and mechanical models need parameters to evaluate the THM-behavior. These modeling parameters were determined by performing series of laboratory experiments as follows: Water retention curve tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1397 to 1718 kg/m 3 as the initial water content was around of 5-8 %. The water retention curve was determined by imposing different suctions to the samples and the suctions were then checked using capacitive hygrometer and chilled mirror psychrometer. Oedometer tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1590 to 1750 kg/m 3 as the initial water content was around of 6 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Infiltration tests were performed on compacted unsaturated bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1400 to 1720 kg/m 3 as the initial water content was approximately between 4-7 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 0.87, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Tortuosity tests were performed on bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1460 to 1750 kg/m 3 and the degree of saturation varied between 33-93 %. Thermal conductivity tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1545 to 1715 kg/m 3 and the degree of saturation varied between 31-88 %. The measurement was performed using a thermal needle probe. The general trend of all analyzed parameters was as expected when dry density, water content, and

  6. Thermo-hydro-mechanical tests of buffer material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pintado, X.; Hassan, Md. M.; Martikainen, J. [B and Tech Oy, Helsinki (Finland)

    2013-10-15

    MX-80 bentonite is the reference clay material for the buffer component planned to be used in the deep geological repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. The buffer presents complex thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior which is modeled with different constitutive models for heat flow, water flow and stress-strain evolution in the buffer. Thermo, hydro and mechanical models need parameters to evaluate the THM-behavior. These modeling parameters were determined by performing series of laboratory experiments as follows: Water retention curve tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1397 to 1718 kg/m{sup 3} as the initial water content was around of 5-8 %. The water retention curve was determined by imposing different suctions to the samples and the suctions were then checked using capacitive hygrometer and chilled mirror psychrometer. Oedometer tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1590 to 1750 kg/m{sup 3} as the initial water content was around of 6 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Infiltration tests were performed on compacted unsaturated bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1400 to 1720 kg/m{sup 3} as the initial water content was approximately between 4-7 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 0.87, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Tortuosity tests were performed on bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1460 to 1750 kg/m{sup 3} and the degree of saturation varied between 33-93 %. Thermal conductivity tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1545 to 1715 kg/m{sup 3} and the degree of saturation varied between 31-88 %. The measurement was performed using a thermal needle probe. The general trend of all analyzed parameters was as expected when dry

  7. Experimental study of thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of Callovo-Oxfordian Clay-stone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohajerani, M.

    2011-01-01

    During the different phases of the exothermic radioactive waste deep disposal (excavation, operation) and after permanent closure, the host rock is submitted to various coupled mechanical, hydraulic and thermal phenomena. Hence, a thorough investigation of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the rock is necessary to complete existing data and to better understand and model the short and long term behaviour of the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) clay formation in Bure (Meuse/Haute-Marne - M/HM), considered by ANDRA as a potential host rock in France.In this work, the compression - swelling behaviour of the COx Clay-stone was first investigated by carrying out a series of high-pressure oedometric tests. The results, interpreted in terms of coupling between damage and swelling, showed that the magnitude of swelling was linked to the density of the fissures created during compression. In a second step, the hydro-mechanical and thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the saturated Clay-stone under a mean stress close to the in situ one were investigated by using two devices with short drainage path (10 mm), namely a isotropic cell and a newly designed hollow cylinder triaxial cell with local displacement measurements. These devices helped to solve two majors problems related to testing very low permeability materials: i) a satisfactory previous sample saturation (indicated by good Skempton values) and ii) satisfactory drainage conditions. Some typical constitutive parameters (Skempton and Biot's coefficients, drained and undrained compressibility coefficients) have been determined at ambient temperature through isotropic compression tests that also confirmed the transverse isotropy of the Clay-stone. The consistency of the obtained parameters has been checked in a saturated poro-elastic framework. Two aspects of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the COx Clay-stone have then been investigated through different heating tests and through drained and undrained isotropic

  8. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. 2. Result report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishihara, Yoshinao; Ito Takaya; Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Shiozaki, Isao; Neyama, Atsushi; Tanaka, Yumiko

    2003-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, the coupling analysis code on the thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena by THAMES, Dtransu and phreeqe60, which are existing analysis code, is developed in this study. And we carried out the case analysis on the thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena by this code. (1) We have developed coupling analysis system to manage coupling analysis and to control coupling process automatically for THAMES (thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis code), Dtransu (mass transport analysis code) and phreeqe60 (geochemical analysis code). (2) Some supporting module, which includes transfer of dissolution concentration and total concentration (dissolution + precipitation concentration), was prepared as a functional expansion. And in order to treat multi-chemical elements, we have codified mass transport analysis code. (3) We have prepared hydraulic conductivity module of buffer material depending on change of dry density due to chemical equilibrium (dissolution and precipitation of minerals), and change of concentration of NaCl solutions. After THAMES, Dtransu, phreeqe60 and hydraulic conductivity module were installed in the COUPLYS, sensitivity analysis was carried out to check basic operation. (4) In order to confirm the applicability of the developed THMC analysis code, we have carried out case analysis on 1-dimensional and 3-dimensional model which including vitrified waste, over-pack, buffer material and rock in the HLW near-field. (author)

  9. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical experiment at Kamaishi mine. Technical note 15-99-02. Experimental results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Sugita, Yutaka; Fujita, Tomoo [Tokai Works, Waste Management and Fuel Cycle Research Center, Waste Isolation Research Division, Barrier Performance Group, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Amemiya, Kiyoshi [Hazama Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1999-07-01

    It is an important part of the near field performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal to evaluate coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) phenomena, e.g., thermal effects on groundwater flow through rock matrix and water seepage into the buffer material, the generation of swelling pressure of the buffer material, and thermal stresses potentially affecting porosity and fracture apertures of the rock. An in-situ T-H-M experiment named Engineered Barrier Experiment' has been conducted at the Kamaishi Mine, of which host rock is granodiorite, in order to establish conceptual models of the coupled T-H-M processes and to build confidence in mathematical and computer codes. In 1995, fourteen boreholes were excavated in order to install the various sensors. After the hydraulic tests, mechanical tests were carried out to obtain the rock properties. After that, a test pit, 1.7 m in diameter and 5.0 m in depth, was excavated. During the excavation, the change of pore pressure, displacement and temperature of rock mass were measured. In 1996, the buffer material and heater were set up in the test pit, and then coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical test was started. The duration of heating phase was 250 days and that of cooling phase was 180 days. The heater surface was controlled to be 100degC during heating phase. Measurement was carried out by a number of sensors installed in both buffer and rock mass during the test. The field experiment leads to a better understanding of the behavior of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near field. (author)

  10. Thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured rock mass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coste, F.

    1997-12-01

    The purpose of this research is to model Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical behavior of fractured rock mass regarding a nuclear waste re-depository. For this, a methodology of modeling was proposed and was applied to a real underground site (EDF site at Nouvelle Romanche). This methodology consists, in a first step, to determine hydraulic and mechanical REV. Beyond the greatest of these REV, development of a finite element code allows to model all the fractures in an explicit manner. The homogenized mechanical properties are determined in drained and undrained boundary conditions by simulating triaxial tests that represent rock mass subject to loading. These simulations allow to study the evolution of hydraulic and mechanical properties as a function of stress state. Drained and undrained boundary conditions enable to discuss the validity of assimilation of a fractured rock mass to a porous medium. The simulations lead to a better understanding of the behavior of the fractured rock masses and allow to show the dominant role of the shear behavior of the fractures on the hydraulic and mechanical homogenized properties. From a thermal point of view, as long as conduction is dominant, thermal properties of the rock mass are almost the same as those the intact rock. (author)

  11. Thermo-hydro mechanical modeling in unsaturated hard clay: application to nuclear waste storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Y.

    2006-07-01

    This work presents an elastoplastic damage model for argillite in unsaturated conditions. A short resume of experimental investigations is presented in the first part. The results obtained show an important plastic deformation coupled with damage induced by initiation and growth of microcracks. Influences of water content on the mechanical behaviour are also investigated. Based on experimental data and micro-mechanical considerations, a general constitutive model is proposed for the poro-mechanical behavior of argillite in unsaturated conditions. The time dependent creep has also been incorporated in they model. The performance of the model is examined by comparing numerical simulation with experimental data in various load paths under saturated and unsaturated conditions. Finally, the model is applied to hydro-mechanical coupling study of the REP experiment and thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling study of the HE-D experiment. A good agreement is obtained between experimental data and numerical predictions. It has been shown that the proposed model describe correctly the main features of the mechanical behaviour of unsaturated rocks. (author)

  12. Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling of buffer, synthesis report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toprak, E.; Mokni, N.; Olivella, S.; Pintado, X.

    2013-08-01

    This study addresses analyses of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in a scheme considered for the spent nuclear fuel repository in Olkiluoto (Finland). The finite element code CODE B RIGHT is used to perform modelling calculations. The objective of the THM modelling was to study some fundamental design parameters. The time required to reach full saturation, the maximum temperature reached in the canister, the deformations in the buffer-backfill interface, the stress-deformation balance between the buffer and the backfill, the swelling pressure developed and the homogenization process development are critical variables. Because of the complexity of the THM processes developed, only a single deposition hole has been modelled with realistic boundary conditions which take into account the entire repository. A thermal calculation has been performed to adopt appropriate boundary conditions for a reduced domain. The modelling has been done under axisymmetric conditions. As a material model for the buffer bentonite and backfill soil, the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) has been used. Simulation of laboratory tests conducted at B and Tech under supervision of Posiva has been carried out in order to determine the fundamental mechanical parameters for modelling the behaviour of MX-80 bentonite using the BBM model. The modelling process of the buffer-backfill interface is an essential part of tunnel backfill design. The calculations will aim to determine deformations in this intersection, the behaviour of which is important for the buffer swelling. The homogenization process is a key issue as well. Porosity evolution during the saturation process is evaluated in order to check if the final saturated density accomplishes the homogenization requirements. This report also describes the effect of the existence of an air-filled gap located between the canister and the bentonite block rings in thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the future spent nuclear fuel repository in

  13. Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling of buffer, synthesis report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toprak, E.; Mokni, N.; Olivella, S. [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Pintado, X. [B and Tech Oy, Helsinki (Finland)

    2013-08-15

    This study addresses analyses of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in a scheme considered for the spent nuclear fuel repository in Olkiluoto (Finland). The finite element code CODE{sub B}RIGHT is used to perform modelling calculations. The objective of the THM modelling was to study some fundamental design parameters. The time required to reach full saturation, the maximum temperature reached in the canister, the deformations in the buffer-backfill interface, the stress-deformation balance between the buffer and the backfill, the swelling pressure developed and the homogenization process development are critical variables. Because of the complexity of the THM processes developed, only a single deposition hole has been modelled with realistic boundary conditions which take into account the entire repository. A thermal calculation has been performed to adopt appropriate boundary conditions for a reduced domain. The modelling has been done under axisymmetric conditions. As a material model for the buffer bentonite and backfill soil, the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) has been used. Simulation of laboratory tests conducted at B and Tech under supervision of Posiva has been carried out in order to determine the fundamental mechanical parameters for modelling the behaviour of MX-80 bentonite using the BBM model. The modelling process of the buffer-backfill interface is an essential part of tunnel backfill design. The calculations will aim to determine deformations in this intersection, the behaviour of which is important for the buffer swelling. The homogenization process is a key issue as well. Porosity evolution during the saturation process is evaluated in order to check if the final saturated density accomplishes the homogenization requirements. This report also describes the effect of the existence of an air-filled gap located between the canister and the bentonite block rings in thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the future spent nuclear fuel

  14. Hydro-thermo-mechanical response of a fractured rock block

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelkar, S.; Zyvoloski, G.

    1990-01-01

    Hydro-thermo-mechanical effects in fractured rocks are important in many engineering applications and geophysical processes. Modeling these effects is made difficult by the fact that the governing equations are nonlinear and coupled, and the problems to be solved are three dimensional. In this paper we describe a numerical code developed for this purpose. The code is finite element based to allow for complicated geometries, and the time differencing is implicit, allowing for large time steps. The use of state-of-the-art equation solvers has resulted in a practical code. The code is capable of fully three dimensional simulations, however, in this paper we consider only the case of two dimensional heat and mass flow coupled to one dimensional deformation. Partial verification of the code is obtained by comparison with published semianalytical results. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the effects of matrix expansion, due to pore pressure and heating, on fracture opening due to fluid injection. 16 refs., 11 figs

  15. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes associated with a radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, C.F.

    1988-01-01

    The performance assessment of a nuclear waste geologic repository presents a scientific and technical problem of a scope far beyond the evaluation of most civil and geologic constructions. First performance prediction must be made for tens of thousands of years, and a secondly, in calculating potential leakage rates from a repository to the biosphere the authors must determine not only the mean or average travel time but also the shorter travel times of low concentrations. These two criteria demand an understanding of all significant physical and chemical processes likely to occur around a nuclear waste repository. In particular, processes coupling thermal transfer fluid flow, mechanical deformation and chemical reactors, which may be slow in a laboratory time scale, may become very important. This paper gives a general survey on the subject, with specific examples of a number of relevant coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes associated with nuclear waste repository

  16. Study of the water retention and the consolidation of partially saturated soils in a thermo-hydro-mechanical framework

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salager, Simon

    2007-01-01

    This work is concerned with the study of water retention and consolidation of unsaturated soils in a thermo-hydro-mechanical framework. It is organized into two parts which deal respectively with deformation and temperature effects on hydric behaviour, and suction and temperature effects on mechanical behaviour. In the first part, we point out the relevance of the characteristic surface concept for soils as opposed to the retention curve, which has limited modelling power in the case of deformable media. The characteristic surface concept is experimentally illustrated for the example of a clayey silty sand. Its modelling is based on a large sample of experimental investigations with about 240 measurements of the triplet void ratio, water content, suction. In addition, a thermo-hydric behaviour model is proposed in order to determine the characteristic surface and the retention curve for a given temperature. This model is validated for the case of two materials: a ceramic and a clayey silty sand through direct testing, and for other materials on the basis of an analysis of the literature. Finally, we present an application to the determination of the permeability of unsaturated soils taking into account deformation and temperature. In the second part, temperature and suction effects on the mechanical behaviour are studied through consolidation tests on 'Sion' silt. These tests are performed for different temperatures and suctions. For each test, swelling and compression indexes, as well as the pre-consolidation pressure are measured. The influence of temperature and suction on these essential parameters of mechanical behaviour is determined. Finally, we propose a theoretical model which account for pre-consolidation pressure as a function of temperature and suction. (author)

  17. OpenGeoSys: An open-source initiative for numerical simulation of thermo-hydro-mechanical/chemical (THM/C) processes in porous media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolditz, O.; Bauer, S.; Bilke, L.

    In this paper we describe the OpenGeoSys (OGS) project, which is a scientific open-source initiative for numerical simulation of thermo-hydro-mechanical/chemical processes in porous media. The basic concept is to provide a flexible numerical framework (using primarily the Finite Element Method (FEM...

  18. A coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-damage model for concrete subjected to moderate temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bary, B.; Carpentier, O. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DPC/SCCME/LECBA, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France); Ranc, G. [CEA VALRHO, DEN/DTEC/L2EC/LCEC, F-30207 Bagnols Sur Ceze, (France); Durand, S. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DM2S/SEMT/LM2S, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France)

    2008-07-01

    This study focuses on the concrete behavior subjected to moderate temperatures, with a particular emphasis on the transient thermo-hydric stage. A simplified coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model is developed with the assumption that the gaseous phase is composed uniquely of vapor. Estimations of the mechanical parameters, Biot coefficient and permeability as a function of damage and saturation degree are provided by applying effective-medium approximation schemes. The isotherm adsorption curves are supposed to depend upon both temperature and crack-induced porosity. The effects of damage and parameters linked to transfer (in particular the adsorption curves) on the concrete structure response in the transient phase of heating are then investigated and evaluated. To this aim, the model is applied to the simulation of concrete cylinders with height and diameter of 0.80 m subjected to heating rates of 0.1 and 10 degrees C/min up to 160 degrees C. The numerical results are analyzed, commented and compared with experimental ones in terms of water mass loss, temperatures and gas pressures evolutions. A numerical study indicates that some parameters have a greater influence on the results than others, and that certain coupling terms in the mass conservation equation of water may be neglected. (authors)

  19. Gross greenhouse gas fluxes from hydro-power reservoir compared to thermo-power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Marco Aurelio dos; Pinguelli Rosa, Luiz; Sikar, Bohdan; Sikar, Elizabeth; Santos, Ednaldo Oliveira dos

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of gross carbon dioxide and methane emissions measurements in several Brazilian hydro-reservoirs, compared to thermo power generation. The term 'gross emissions' means gas flux measurements from the reservoir surface without natural pre-impoundment emissions by natural bodies such as the river channel, seasonal flooding and terrestrial ecosystems. The net emissions result from deducting pre-existing emissions by the reservoir. A power dam emits biogenic gases such as CO 2 and CH 4 . However, studies comparing gas emissions (gross emissions) from the reservoir surface with emissions by thermo-power generation technologies show that the hydro-based option presents better results in most cases analyzed. In this study, measurements were carried in the Miranda, Barra Bonita, Segredo, Tres Marias, Xingo, and Samuel and Tucurui reservoirs, located in two different climatological regimes. Additional data were used here from measurements taken at the Itaipu and Serra da Mesa reservoirs. Comparisons were also made between emissions from hydro-power plants and their thermo-based equivalents. Bearing in mind that the estimated values for hydro-power plants include emissions that are not totally anthropogenic, the hydro-power plants studied generally posted lower emissions than their equivalent thermo-based counterparts. Hydro-power complexes with greater power densities (capacity/area flooded-W/m 2 ), such as Itaipu, Xingo, Segredo and Miranda, have the best performance, well above thermo-power plants using state-of-the-art technology: combined cycle fueled by natural gas, with 50% efficiency. On the other hand, some hydro-power complexes with low-power density perform only slightly better or even worse than their thermo-power counterparts

  20. Long-term stability of the near-field about high-level radioactive waste repository in thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling action condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Yuemiao; Wang Ju; Ke Dan; Cai Meifeng

    2008-01-01

    It is a long-term process for the high-level radioactive waste repository, from opening, construction to end of its service. The long-term stability of the near-field is the key issue for the design of HLW repository because the opening and heat generated from the HLW. Through a nationwide investigation, Beishan area, a Gobi desert in Gansu province, is considered as a suitable candidate and GMZ bentonite deposit which located in Xinghe County, Inner Mongolia has been proposed for the supplier of buffer/backfill material for HLW geological repository in China. According to the R and D guide of high-level radioactive waste disposal in China, the 3D model of HLW repository with high-level radioactive waste, canister and buffer/backfill material is established using FLAC3D. To take into account in situ stress, geothermal gradient, groundwater, thermal relief of HLW and swelling pressure of buffer/backfill material, the evolution of temperature, stress and displacement of HLW repository under thermo-mechanical coupling, hydro-mechanical coupling and thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling conditions was analyzed respectively. The long-term stability of HLW repository in Beishan area was studied. (authors)

  1. Development of finite element code for the analysis of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviors of saturated-unsaturated medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnishi, Y.; Shibata, H.; Kobayashi, A.

    1985-01-01

    A model is presented which describes fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of porous geologic medium. The mathematical formulation for the model utilizes the Biot theory for the consolidation and the energy balance equation. The medium is in the condition of saturated-unsaturated flow, then the free surfaces are taken into consideration in the model. The model, incorporated in a finite element numerical procedure, was implemented in a two-dimensional computer code. The code was developed under the assumptions that the medium is poro-elastic and in plane strain condition; water in the ground does not change its phase; heat is transferred by conductive and convective flow. Analytical solutions pertaining to consolidation theory for soils and rocks, thermoelasticity for solids and hydrothermal convection theory provided verification of stress and fluid flow couplings, respectively in the coupled model. Several types of problems are analyzed. The one is a study of some of the effects of completely coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior on the response of a saturated-unsaturated porous rock containing a buried heat source. Excavation of an underground opening which has radioactive wastes at elevated temperatures is modeled and analyzed. The results shows that the coupling phenomena can be estimated at some degree by the numerical procedure. The computer code has a powerful ability to analyze of the repository the complex nature of the repository

  2. Results of laboratory and in-situ measurements for the description of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in clays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goebel, Ingeborg; Alheid, Hans-Joachim [BGR Hannover, Stilleweg 2, D-30655 Hannover (Germany); Jockwer, Norbert [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, Theodor-Heuss-Str. 4, 38122 Braunschweig (Germany); Mayor, Juan Carlos [ENRESA, Emilio Vargas 7, E-Madrid (Spain); Garcia-Sineriz, Jose Luis [AITEMIN, c/ Alenza, 1 - 28003 Madrid (Spain); Alonso, Eduardo [International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering, CIMNE, Edificio C-1, Campus Norte UPC, C/Gran Capitan, s/n, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); Weber, Hans Peter [NAGRA, Hardstrasse 73, CH-5430 Wettingen (Switzerland); Ploetze, Michael [ETHZ, Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zuerich, ETH Zentrum, HG Raemistrasse 101, CH-8092 Zuerich (Switzerland); Klubertanz, Georg [COLENCO Power Engineering Ltd, CPE, Taefern Str. 26, 5405 Baden-Daettwil (Switzerland); Ammon, Christian [Rothpletz, Lienhard, Cie AG, Schifflaendestrasse 35, 5001 Aarau (Switzerland)

    2004-07-01

    The Heater Experiment at the Mont Terri Underground Laboratory aims at producing a validated model of thermo-hydro-mechanically (THM) coupled processes. The experiment consists of an engineered barrier system where in a vertical borehole, a heater is embedded in bentonite blocks, surrounded by the host rock, Opalinus Clay. The experimental programme comprises permanent monitoring before, during, and after the heating phase, complemented by geotechnical, hydraulic, and seismic in-situ measurements as well as laboratory analyses of mineralogical and rock mechanics properties. After the heating, the experiment was dismantled for further investigations. Major results of the experimental findings are outlined. (authors)

  3. Basic rock properties for the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis of a high-level radioactive waste repository

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jhin Wung; Kang, Chul Hyung

    1999-04-01

    Deep geological radioactive waste disposal is generally based on the isolation of the waste from the biosphere by multiple barriers. The host rock is one of these barriers which should provide a stable mechanical and chemical environment for the engineered barriers. In the evaluation of the safety of the high-level radioactive waste disposal systems, an important part of the safety analysis is an assessment of the coupling or interaction between thermal, hydrological, and mechanical effects. In order to do this assessment, adequate data on the characteristics of different host rocks are necessary. The properties of the rock and rock discontinuity are very complex and their values vary in a wide range. The accuracy of the result of the assessment depends on the values of these properties used. The present study is an attempt to bring together and condense data for the basic properties of various rock masses, which are needed in the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis for the deep geological radioactive waste repository. The testing and measurement methods for these basic properties are also presented. Domestic data for deep geological media should be supplemented in the future, due to the insufficiency and the lack of accuracy of the data available at present. (author). 28 refs., 21 figs.

  4. Basic rock properties for the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis of a high-level radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jhin Wung; Kang, Chul Hyung

    1999-04-01

    Deep geological radioactive waste disposal is generally based on the isolation of the waste from the biosphere by multiple barriers. The host rock is one of these barriers which should provide a stable mechanical and chemical environment for the engineered barriers. In the evaluation of the safety of the high-level radioactive waste disposal systems, an important part of the safety analysis is an assessment of the coupling or interaction between thermal, hydrological, and mechanical effects. In order to do this assessment, adequate data on the characteristics of different host rocks are necessary. The properties of the rock and rock discontinuity are very complex and their values vary in a wide range. The accuracy of the result of the assessment depends on the values of these properties used. The present study is an attempt to bring together and condense data for the basic properties of various rock masses, which are needed in the thermo-hydro-mechanical analysis for the deep geological radioactive waste repository. The testing and measurement methods for these basic properties are also presented. Domestic data for deep geological media should be supplemented in the future, due to the insufficiency and the lack of accuracy of the data available at present. (author). 28 refs., 21 figs

  5. Thermo-Hydro Mechanical Characteristics and Processes in the Clay Barrier of a High Level Radioactive Waste Repository. State of the Art Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villar, M. V.

    2004-01-01

    This document is a summary of the available information on the thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of the bentonite barrier of a high-level radioactive waste repository and of the processes taking place in it during the successive repository operation phases. Mainly the thermal properties, the volume change processes (swelling and consolidation), the permeability and the water retention capacity are analysed. A review is made of the existing experimental knowledge on the modification of the these properties by the effect of temperature, water salinity, humidity and density of the bentonite, and their foreseen evolution as a consequence of the processes expected in the repository. The compiled evolution refers mostly to the FEBEX (Spain), the MX-80 (USA) and the FoCa (France) bentonite, considered as reference barrier materials in several European disposal concepts. (Author) 102 refs

  6. Thermo-Hydro Mechanical Characteristics and Processes in the Clay Barrier of a High Level Radioactive Waste Repository. State of the Art Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villar, M. V.

    2004-07-01

    This document is a summary of the available information on the thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of the bentonite barrier of a high-level radioactive waste repository and of the processes taking place in it during the successive repository operation phases. Mainly the thermal properties, the volume change processes (swelling and consolidation), the permeability and the water retention capacity are analysed. A review is made of the existing experimental knowledge on the modification of the these properties by the effect of temperature, water salinity, humidity and density of the bentonite, and their foreseen evolution as a consequence of the processes expected in the repository. The compiled evolution refers mostly to the FEBEX (Spain), the MX-80 (US) and the FoCa (France) bentonite, considered as reference barrier materials in several European disposal concepts. (Author) 102 refs.

  7. Analysis and modeling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in 3D fractured media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canamon Valera, I.

    2006-11-01

    This doctoral research was conducted as part of a joint France-Spain co-tutelage PhD thesis in the framework of a bilateral agreement between two universities, the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). It concerns a problem of common interest at the national and international levels, namely, the disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological repositories. The present work is devoted, more precisely, to near-field hydrogeological aspects involving mass and heat transport phenomena. The first part of the work is devoted to a specific data interpretation problem (pressures, relative humidities, temperatures) in a multi-barrier experimental system at the scale of a few meters - the 'Mock-Up Test' of the FEBEX project, conducted in Spain. Over 500 time series are characterized in terms of spatial, temporal, and/or frequency/scale-based statistical analysis techniques. The time evolution and coupling of physical phenomena during the experiment are analyzed, and conclusions are drawn concerning the behavior and reliability of the sensors. The second part of the thesis develops in more detail the 3-Dimensional (3D) modeling of coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical phenomena in a fractured porous rock, this time at the scale of a hundred meters, based on the data of the 'In-Situ Test' of the FEBEX project conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. As a first step, a reconstruction of the 3D fracture network is obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account through optimization the geomorphological data collected around the FEBEX gallery. The heterogeneous distribution of traces observed on the cylindrical wall of the tunnel is fairly well reproduced in the simulated network. In a second step, we develop a method to estimate the equivalent permeability of a many-fractured block by extending the superposition method of Ababou et al. [1994] to the case where the permeability of the rock matrix is not

  8. Multi-scale modelling and simulation of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of concrete with explicit representation of cracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tognevi, Amen

    2012-01-01

    The concrete structures of nuclear power plants can be subjected to moderate thermo-hydric loadings characterized by temperatures of the order of hundred of degrees in service conditions as well as in accidental ones. These loadings can be at the origin of important disorders, in particular cracking which accelerate hydric transfers in the structure. In the framework of the study of durability of these structures, a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model denoted THMs has been developed at Laboratoire d'Etude du Comportement des Betons et des Argiles (LECBA) of CEA Saclay in order to perform simulations of the concrete behavior submitted to such loadings. In this work, we focus on the improvement in the model THMs in one hand of the assessment of the mechanical and hydro-mechanical parameters of the unsaturated micro-cracked material and in the other hand of the description of cracking in terms of opening and propagation. The first part is devoted to the development of a model based on a multi-scale description of cement-based materials starting from the scale of the main hydrated products (portlandite, ettringite, C-S-H etc.) to the macroscopic scale of the cracked material. The investigated parameters are obtained at each scale of the description by applying analytical homogenization techniques. The second part concerns a fine numerical description of cracking. To this end, we choose to use combined finite element and discrete element methods. This procedure is presented and illustrated through a series of mechanical tests in order to show the feasibility of the method and to proceed to its validation. Finally, we apply the procedure to a heated wall and the proposed method for estimating the permeability shows the interest to take into account an anisotropic permeability tensor when dealing with mass transfers in cracked concrete structures. (author) [fr

  9. Coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical modeling of hydraulic fracturing in quasi-brittle rocks using BPM-DEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingrid Tomac

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an improved understanding of coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical (HTM hydraulic fracturing of quasi-brittle rock using the bonded particle model (BPM within the discrete element method (DEM. BPM has been recently extended by the authors to account for coupled convective–conductive heat flow and transport, and to enable full hydro-thermal fluid–solid coupled modeling. The application of the work is on enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs, and hydraulic fracturing of hot dry rock (HDR is studied in terms of the impact of temperature difference between rock and a flowing fracturing fluid. Micro-mechanical investigation of temperature and fracturing fluid effects on hydraulic fracturing damage in rocks is presented. It was found that fracture is shorter with pronounced secondary microcracking along the main fracture for the case when the convective–conductive thermal heat exchange is considered. First, the convection heat exchange during low-viscosity fluid infiltration in permeable rock around the wellbore causes significant rock cooling, where a finger-like fluid infiltration was observed. Second, fluid infiltration inhibits pressure rise during pumping and delays fracture initiation and propagation. Additionally, thermal damage occurs in the whole area around the wellbore due to rock cooling and cold fluid infiltration. The size of a damaged area around the wellbore increases with decreasing fluid dynamic viscosity. Fluid and rock compressibility ratio was found to have significant effect on the fracture propagation velocity.

  10. Experiments on thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of Opalinus Clay at Mont Terri rock laboratory, Switzerland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Bossart

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Repositories for deep geological disposal of radioactive waste rely on multi-barrier systems to isolate waste from the biosphere. A multi-barrier system typically comprises the natural geological barrier provided by the repository host rock – in our case the Opalinus Clay – and an engineered barrier system (EBS. The Swiss repository concept for spent fuel and vitrified high-level waste (HLW consists of waste canisters, which are emplaced horizontally in the middle of an emplacement gallery and are separated from the gallery wall by granular backfill material (GBM. We describe here a selection of five in-situ experiments where characteristic hydro-mechanical (HM and thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM processes have been observed. The first example is a coupled HM and mine-by test where the evolution of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ was monitored around a gallery in the Opalinus Clay (ED-B experiment. Measurements of pore-water pressures and convergences due to stress redistribution during excavation highlighted the HM behaviour. The same measurements were subsequently carried out in a heater test (HE-D where we were able to characterise the Opalinus Clay in terms of its THM behaviour. These yielded detailed data to better understand the THM behaviours of the granular backfill and the natural host rock. For a presentation of the Swiss concept for HLW storage, we designed three demonstration experiments that were subsequently implemented in the Mont Terri rock laboratory: (1 the engineered barrier (EB experiment, (2 the in-situ heater test on key-THM processes and parameters (HE-E experiment, and (3 the full-scale emplacement (FE experiment. The first demonstration experiment has been dismantled, but the last two ones are on-going.

  11. Modelling of thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings and damage of viscoplastic rocks in the context of radioactive waste storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kharkhour, H.

    2002-12-01

    Trying to develop a model taking into account the complex rheology of a geologic media characterized by visco-plasticity, damage and thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings is unusual in geotechnics. This is not the case for radioactive waste storage that presents specificities from several viewpoints. Indeed, the scales of time and space concerned by this type of storage are disproportionate to those of civil engineering works or mines. Another specificity of the radioactive waste storage lies in the coupled processes involved. No effect likely to compromise the long-term security of the storage could be ignored. For example this is the case of damage, a phenomenon which does not necessarily lead to a major change of the mechanical behavior of the works but can influence the permeability of the medium in relation with a migration of radionuclides. It can be conceived that this phenomenon finds all its importance in the context of the thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings of a waste storage with high activity. However, the interaction between the damage and the THM coupled processes was the object of very few research subject up to now. This. is even more true for viscoplastic media considered as ductile, and therefore, less prone to cracking than brittle media. It is exactly in this 'original' but difficult context that took place the research presented in this report. This study was dedicated to the analysis of the phenomena and the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical couplings occurring in the near and far field of a high activity radioactive waste storage. Two examples of geological media were considered in this report: the clayey rock of Callovo-Oxfordian, called ' Argilites de l'Est ', target rock of the ANDRA project to carry out a subterranean laboratory for the study of long life radioactive waste storage; and the salt rock of the. subterranean laboratory in the old salt mine of Asse in Germany. (author)

  12. Thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of argillite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tran, Duy Thuong; Dormieux, Luc; Lemarchand, Eric; Skoczylas, Frederic

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Argillite is a very low permeability geo-material widely encountered: that is the reason why it is an excellent candidate for the storage of long-term nuclear waste depositories. This study focuses on argillites from Meuse-Haute-Marne (East of France) which forms a geological layer located approximately 400 m and 500 m depth. We know that this material is made up of a mixture of shale, quartz and calcite phases. The multi-scale definition of this material suggests the derivation of micro-mechanics reasonings in order to better account for the mechanisms occurring at the local (nano and micro-) scale and controlling the macroscopic mechanical behavior. In this work, up-scaling techniques are used in the context of thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings. The first step consists in clarifying the morphology of the microstructure at the relevant scales (particles arrangement, pore size distribution) and identifying the mechanisms that take place at those scales. These local informations provide the input data of micro-mechanics based models. Schematic picture of the microstructure where the argillite material behaves as a dual-porosity, with liquid in both micro-pores and interlayer space in between clay solid platelets, seems a reasonable starting point for this micro-mechanical modelling of clay. This allows us to link the physical phenomena (swelling clays) and the mechanical properties (elastic moduli, Poisson's ratio). At the pressure applied by the fluid on the solid platelets appears as the sum of the uniform pressure in the micro-pores and of a swelling overpressure depending on the distance between platelets and on the ion concentration in the micro-pores. The latter is proved to be responsible for a local elastic modulus of physical origin. This additional elastic component may strongly be influenced by both relative humidity and temperature. A first contribution of this study is to analysing this local elastic

  13. Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Modeling of Water Leak-Off Process during Hydraulic Fracturing in Shale Gas Reservoirs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Wang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The water leak-off during hydraulic fracturing in shale gas reservoirs is a complicated transport behavior involving thermal (T, hydrodynamic (H, mechanical (M and chemical (C processes. Although many leak-off models have been published, none of the models fully coupled the transient fluid flow modeling with heat transfer, chemical-potential equilibrium and natural-fracture dilation phenomena. In this paper, a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC model based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, thermo-poroelastic rock mechanics, and non-isothermal chemical-potential equations is presented to simulate the water leak-off process in shale gas reservoirs. The THMC model takes into account a triple-porosity medium, which includes hydraulic fractures, natural fractures and shale matrix. The leak-off simulation with the THMC model involves all the important processes in this triple-porosity medium, including: (1 water transport driven by hydraulic, capillary, chemical and thermal osmotic convections; (2 gas transport induced by both hydraulic pressure driven convection and adsorption; (3 heat transport driven by thermal convection and conduction; and (4 natural-fracture dilation considered as a thermo-poroelastic rock deformation. The fluid and heat transport, coupled with rock deformation, are described by a set of partial differential equations resulting from the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. The semi-implicit finite-difference algorithm is proposed to solve these equations. The evolution of pressure, temperature, saturation and salinity profiles of hydraulic fractures, natural fractures and matrix is calculated, revealing the multi-field coupled water leak-off process in shale gas reservoirs. The influences of hydraulic pressure, natural-fracture dilation, chemical osmosis and thermal osmosis on water leak-off are investigated. Results from this study are expected to provide a better understanding of the

  14. Multi-scale modeling of the thermo-hydro- mechanical behaviour of heterogeneous materials. Application to cement-based materials under severe loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grondin, Frederic Alain

    2005-01-01

    The work of modeling presented here relates to the study of the thermo-hydro- mechanical behaviour of porous materials based on hydraulic binder such as concrete, High Performance Concrete or more generally cement-based materials. This work is based on the exploitation of the Digital Concrete model, of the finite element code Symphonie developed in the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB), in coupling with the homogenization methods to obtain macroscopic behaviour laws drawn from the Micro-Macro relations. Scales of investigation, macroscopic and microscopic, has been exploited by simulation in order to allow the comprehension fine of the behaviour of cement-based materials according to thermal, hydrous and mechanical loads. It appears necessary to take into account various scales of modeling. In order to study the behaviour of the structure, we are brought to reduce the scale of investigation to study the material more particularly. The research tasks presented suggest a new approach for the identification of the multi-physic behaviour of materials by simulation. In complement of the purely experimental approach, based on observations on the sample with measurements of the apparent parameters on the macroscopic scale, this new approach allows to obtain the fine analysis of elementary mechanisms in acting within the material. These elementary mechanisms are at the origin of the evolution of the macroscopic parameters measured in experimental tests. In this work, coefficients of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour law of porous materials and the equivalent hydraulic conductivity were obtained by a multi-scales approach. Applications has been carried out on the study of the damaged behaviour of cement-based materials, in the objective to determine the elasticity tensor and the permeability tensor of a High Performance Concrete at high temperatures under a mechanical load. Also, the study of the strain evolution of cement-based materials at low

  15. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes around a bentonite buffer embedded in Opalinus Clay - Comparison between measurements and calculations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goebel, Ingeborg; Alheid, Hans-Joachim [BGR Hannover, Stilleweg 2, D-30655 Hannover (Germany); Jockwer, Norbert [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, Theodor-Heuss-Str. 4, 38122 Braunschweig (Germany); Mayor, Juan Carlos [ENRESA, Emilio Vargas 7, E-Madrid (Spain); Garcia-Sineriz, Jose Luis [AITEMIN, c/ Alenza, 1 - 28003 Madrid (Spain); Alonso, Eduardo; Munoz, Juan Jorge [International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering, CIMNE, Edificio C-1, Campus Norte UPC, C/Gran Capitan, s/n, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); Weber, Hans Peter [NAGRA, Hardstrasse 73, CH-5430 Wettingen (Switzerland); Ploetze, Michael [ETHZ, Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zuerich, ETH Zentrum, HG Raemistrasse 101, CH-8092 Zuerich (Switzerland); Klubertanz, Georg [COLENCO Power Engineering Ltd, CPE, Taefern Str. 26, 5405 Baden-Daettwil (Switzerland); Ammon, Christian [Rothpletz, Lienhard, Cie AG, Schifflaendestrasse 35, 5001 Aarau (Switzerland)

    2004-07-01

    The Heater Experiment at the Mont Terri Underground Laboratory consists of an engineered barrier system composed of compacted bentonite blocks around a heater. The bentonite barrier is embedded in Opalinus Clay. The aim of the project is improved understanding of thermo-hydro mechanically (THM) coupled processes. Calculations are performed by 2 Finite-Element programs, CODE-BRIGHT and MHERLIN, the former for the near-field modeling and the latter for the rock modeling. Numerical modeling is carried out during all phases of the project to give input for design tasks such as cooling and dismantling, and to finally produce verified models of the THM coupled engineered barrier system. Results of both programs are discussed in the light of the experimental findings. (authors)

  16. Computational thermo-hydro-mechanics for freezing and thawing multiphase geological media in the finite deformation range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, W.; Na, S.

    2017-12-01

    A stabilized thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element model is introduced to investigate the freeze-thaw action of frozen porous media in the finite deformation range. By applying the mixture theory, frozen soil is idealized as a composite consisting of three phases, i.e., solid grain, unfrozen water and ice crystal. A generalized hardening rule at finite strain is adopted to replicate how the elasto-plastic responses and critical state evolve under the influence of phase transitions and heat transfer. The enhanced particle interlocking and ice strengthening during the freezing processes and the thawing-induced consolidation at the geometrical nonlinear regimes are both replicated in numerical examples. The numerical issues due to lack of two-fold inf-sup condition and ill-conditioning of the system of equations are addressed. Numerical examples for engineering applications at cold region are analyzed via the proposed model to predict the impacts of changing climate on infrastructure at cold regions.

  17. Full-scale test on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in engineered barrier system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moro, Yoshiji; Fujita, Tomoo; Kanno, Takeshi; Kobayashi, Akira.

    1994-01-01

    On dynamic behavior within artificial barrier in ground layer disposal of high level radioactive wastes, some phenomena such as exotherm from the wastes, penetration of groundwater from surrounding base rock, swelling pressure formation of buffer material due to penetration of groundwater, ground pressure change of the surrounding base rock, and so forth are supposed to affect each other. It is one of important problems from a viewpoint of elucidation of near field environment in the property evaluation study to evaluate such thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled phenomena. As results of the investigation from such reason and its application to actual test in accompany with execution of heating and water inserting test in the Big-Ben (Big-Bentonite facility), the following informations were obtained: (1) In heating and water inserting test, data on temperature distribution, water content ratio distribution and swelling pressure of each portion for 5 months could be obtained. (2) water migration due to water slope was divided to migrations due to steam and liquid water, of which models were made according to Fick and Darcy laws, respectively. (3) As a simulation of water migration, water diffusion coefficient due to temperature slope could be expressed almost by a model with nonlinearity to temperature. (G.K.)

  18. A Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Model of Jointed Hard Rock for Compressed Air Energy Storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoying Zhuang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Renewable energy resources such as wind and solar are intermittent, which causes instability when being connected to utility grid of electricity. Compressed air energy storage (CAES provides an economic and technical viable solution to this problem by utilizing subsurface rock cavern to store the electricity generated by renewable energy in the form of compressed air. Though CAES has been used for over three decades, it is only restricted to salt rock or aquifers for air tightness reason. In this paper, the technical feasibility of utilizing hard rock for CAES is investigated by using a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM modelling of nonisothermal gas flow. Governing equations are derived from the rules of energy balance, mass balance, and static equilibrium. Cyclic volumetric mass source and heat source models are applied to simulate the gas injection and production. Evaluation is carried out for intact rock and rock with discrete crack, respectively. In both cases, the heat and pressure losses using air mass control and supplementary air injection are compared.

  19. Hydro-methane and methanol combined production from hydroelectricity and biomass: Thermo-economic analysis in Paraguay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rivarolo, M.; Bellotti, D.; Mendieta, A.; Massardo, A.F.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We investigate H 2 /O 2 production from large hydraulic plant by water electrolysis. • We produce methanol and hydro-methane from H 2 /O 2 obtained. • We investigate two different configurations of the plant. • We perform a thermo-economic analysis for three scenarios in Paraguay. • We find plants optimal size using a time-dependent thermo-economic approach. - Abstract: A thermo-economic analysis regarding large scale hydro-methane and methanol production from renewable sources (biomass and renewable electricity) is performed. The study is carried out investigating hydrogen and oxygen generation by water electrolysis, mainly employing the hydraulic energy produced from the 14 GW Itaipu Binacional Plant, owned by Paraguay and Brazil. Oxygen is employed in biomass gasification to synthesize methanol; the significant amount of CO 2 separated in the process is mixed with hydrogen produced by electrolysis in chemical reactors to produce hydro-methane. Hydro-methane is employed to supply natural gas vehicles in Paraguay, methanol is sold to Brazil, that is the largest consumer in South America. The analysis is performed employing time-dependent hydraulic energy related to the water that would normally not be used by the plant, named “spilled energy”, when available; in the remaining periods, electricity is acquired at higher cost by the national grid. For the different plant lay-outs, a thermo-economic analysis has been performed employing two different software, one for the design point and one for the time-dependent one entire year optimization, since spilled energy is strongly variable throughout the year. Optimal sizes for the generation plants have been determined, investigating the influence of electricity cost, size and plant configuration

  20. Summary report of research on evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior in the engineered barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Yamashita, Ryo

    2002-02-01

    After emplacement of the engineered barrier system (EBS), it is expected that the near-field environment will be impacted by phenomena such as heat dissipation by conduction and other heat transfer mechanisms, infiltration of groundwater from the surrounding rock in to the engineered barrier system, stress imposed by the overburden pressure and generation of swelling pressure in the buffer due to water infiltration. In order to recognize and evaluate these coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) phenomena, it is necessary to make a confidence of the mathematical models and computer codes. Evaluating these coupled THM phenomena is important in order to clarify the initial transient behavior of the EBS within the near field. DECOVALEX project is an international co-operative project for the DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against EXperiments in nuclear waste isolation and it is significance to participate this project and to apply the code for the validation. Therefore, we tried to apply the developed numerical code against the subjects of DECOVALEX. In the above numerical code, swelling phenomenon is modeled as the function of water potential. However it dose no evaluate the experiment results enough. Then, we try to apply the new model. (author)

  1. Modelling of thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings and damage of viscoplastic rocks in the context of radioactive waste storage; Modelisation des couplages thermo-hydro-mecaniques et de l'endommagement des roches viscoplastiques dans le contexte du stockage de dechets radioactifs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kharkhour, H

    2002-12-01

    Trying to develop a model taking into account the complex rheology of a geologic media characterized by visco-plasticity, damage and thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings is unusual in geotechnics. This is not the case for radioactive waste storage that presents specificities from several viewpoints. Indeed, the scales of time and space concerned by this type of storage are disproportionate to those of civil engineering works or mines. Another specificity of the radioactive waste storage lies in the coupled processes involved. No effect likely to compromise the long-term security of the storage could be ignored. For example this is the case of damage, a phenomenon which does not necessarily lead to a major change of the mechanical behavior of the works but can influence the permeability of the medium in relation with a migration of radionuclides. It can be conceived that this phenomenon finds all its importance in the context of the thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings of a waste storage with high activity. However, the interaction between the damage and the THM coupled processes was the object of very few research subject up to now. This. is even more true for viscoplastic media considered as ductile, and therefore, less prone to cracking than brittle media. It is exactly in this 'original' but difficult context that took place the research presented in this report. This study was dedicated to the analysis of the phenomena and the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical couplings occurring in the near and far field of a high activity radioactive waste storage. Two examples of geological media were considered in this report: the clayey rock of Callovo-Oxfordian, called ' Argilites de l'Est ', target rock of the ANDRA project to carry out a subterranean laboratory for the study of long life radioactive waste storage; and the salt rock of the. subterranean laboratory in the old salt mine of Asse in Germany. (author)

  2. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishihara, Yoshinao; Sagawa, Hiroshi; Matsuoka, Fushiki; Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi

    2005-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, the coupling analysis code 'COUPLYS (Coupling analysis system)' on the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) phenomena by THAMES, Dtransu-3D·EL and PHREEQC, those are existing analysis code, is developed in this study. (1) We have introduced 8 nodes element for THAMES code in order to solve the coupled thermal, hydraulic and mechanical phenomena. Furthermore, in order to obtain the reliable resolution, each phenomenon is solved separately instead of full coupling. (2) In order to upgrade Dtransu-3D·EL model, we have introduced gas diffusion independent on aqueous element. (3) We have adopted surface site density for the bentonite depend on water content and CSH solid phase based on the ratio of C/S for cementitious material in the geochemistry module, and studied on the methodology of time mesh for kinetic model and separate method for pore water chemistry in the bentonite. (4) In order to develop THMC code, we have modified Multi p hreeqc to keep efficiency distributed processing for geochemical calculation and modified COUPLYS to calculate continuous treatment, and studied on the coupling module. After THAMES, Dtransu, PHREEQC and the hydraulic conductivity module were installed in COUPLYS, verification study was carried out to check basic function. (5) In order to ensure efficiency of analysis processor, we have developed supporting tool for graphic processor for THMC code and supporting tool of interpretation for geochemistry results. (author)

  3. Thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in long-term sedimentary rock response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makhnenko, R. Y.; Podladchikov, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Storage of nuclear waste or CO2 affects the state of stress and pore pressure in the subsurface and may induce large thermal gradients in the rock formations. In general, the associated coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical effect on long-term rock deformation and fluid flow have to be studied. Principles behind mathematical models for poroviscoelastic response are reviewed, and poroviscous model parameter, the bulk viscosity, is included in the constitutive equations. Time-dependent response (creep) of fluid-filled sedimentary rocks is experimentally quantified at isotropic stress states. Three poroelastic parameters are measured by drained, undrained, and unjacketed geomechanical tests for quartz-rich Berea sandstone, calcite-rich Apulian limestone, and clay-rich Jurassic shale. The bulk viscosity is calculated from the measurements of pore pressure growth under undrained conditions, which requires time scales 104 s. The bulk viscosity is reported to be on the order of 1015 Pa•s for the sandstone, limestone, and shale. It is found to be decreasing with the increase of pore pressure despite corresponding decrease in the effective stress. Additionally, increase of temperature (from 24 ºC to 40 ºC) enhances creep, where the most pronounced effect is reported for the shale with bulk viscosity decrease by a factor of 3. Viscous compaction of fluid-filled porous media allows a generation of a special type of fluid flow instability that leads to formation of high-porosity, high-permeability domains that are able to self-propagate upwards due to interplay between buoyancy and viscous resistance of the deforming porous matrix. This instability is known as "porosity wave" and its formation is possible under conditions applicable to deep CO2 storage in reservoirs and explains creation of high-porosity channels and chimneys. The reported experiments show that the formation of high-permeability pathways is most likely to occur in low-permeable clay-rich materials (caprock

  4. Mechanical and Tribological Characteristics of the AMC, Prepared by P/M Route along with Thermo-Mechanical Treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohapatra, Sambit Kumar; Maity, Kalipada; Bhuyan, Subrat Kumar; Prasad Satpathy, Mantra

    2018-03-01

    Thermo mechanical treatments have the ameliorated impacts on the mechanical and tribological properties of powder metallurgy components. In this investigation an aluminium matrix composite (AMC) {Al (92) + Mg (5) + Gr (1) + Ti (2)} has been prepared by following powder metallurgy technique, with double axial compaction and ulterior sintering. Secondary thermo-mechanical treatment i.e. hot extrusion through mathematical contoured cosine profiled die was considered. The die causes minimum velocity relative differences across the extrusion exit cross-section, which provides smooth material flow. Comparative result analysis for the mechanical and tribological characteristics of the specimen before and after extrusion was concentrated. Extrusion engenders significant amount of improvements of the properties those are attributed to excellent bond strength and uniform density distribution due to high compressive stress. Oxidative and delaminated wear mechanisms were found predominating type. To furnish the suitable explanation scanning electron microscopies have been performed for the wear surfaces.

  5. Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of a 3D fractured porous rock: preliminary study of coupled matrix-fracture hydraulics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canamon, I.; Javier Elorza, F.; Ababou, R.

    2007-01-01

    We present a problem involving the modeling of coupled flow and elastic strain in a 3D fractured porous rock, which requires prior homogenization (up-scaling) of the fractured medium into an equivalent Darcian anisotropic continuum. The governing equations form a system of PDE's (Partial Differential Equations) and, depending on the case being considered, this system may involve two different types of 'couplings' (in a real system, both couplings (1) and (2) generally take place): 1) Hydraulic coupling in a single (no exchange) or in a dual matrix-fracture continuum (exchange); 2) Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical interactions between fluid flow, pressure, elastic stress, strain, and temperature. We present here a preliminary model and simulation results with FEMLAB R , for the hydraulic problem with anisotropic heterogeneous coefficients. The model is based on data collected at an instrumented granitic site (FEBEX project) for studying a hypothetical nuclear waste repository at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. (authors)

  6. Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of a 3D fractured porous rock: preliminary study of coupled matrix-fracture hydraulics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canamon, I.; Javier Elorza, F. [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Dept. de Matematica Aplicada y Metodos Informaticas, ETSI Minas (UPM) (Spain); Ababou, R. [Institut de Mecanique des Fluides de Toulouse (IMFT), 31 (France)

    2007-07-01

    We present a problem involving the modeling of coupled flow and elastic strain in a 3D fractured porous rock, which requires prior homogenization (up-scaling) of the fractured medium into an equivalent Darcian anisotropic continuum. The governing equations form a system of PDE's (Partial Differential Equations) and, depending on the case being considered, this system may involve two different types of 'couplings' (in a real system, both couplings (1) and (2) generally take place): 1) Hydraulic coupling in a single (no exchange) or in a dual matrix-fracture continuum (exchange); 2) Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical interactions between fluid flow, pressure, elastic stress, strain, and temperature. We present here a preliminary model and simulation results with FEMLAB{sup R}, for the hydraulic problem with anisotropic heterogeneous coefficients. The model is based on data collected at an instrumented granitic site (FEBEX project) for studying a hypothetical nuclear waste repository at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. (authors)

  7. Analysis and modeling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in 3D fractured media; Analyse et modelisation des phenomenes couples thermo-hydromecaniques en milieux fractures 3D

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canamon Valera, I

    2006-11-15

    This doctoral research was conducted as part of a joint France-Spain co-tutelage PhD thesis in the framework of a bilateral agreement between two universities, the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). It concerns a problem of common interest at the national and international levels, namely, the disposal of radioactive waste in deep geological repositories. The present work is devoted, more precisely, to near-field hydrogeological aspects involving mass and heat transport phenomena. The first part of the work is devoted to a specific data interpretation problem (pressures, relative humidities, temperatures) in a multi-barrier experimental system at the scale of a few meters - the 'Mock-Up Test' of the FEBEX project, conducted in Spain. Over 500 time series are characterized in terms of spatial, temporal, and/or frequency/scale-based statistical analysis techniques. The time evolution and coupling of physical phenomena during the experiment are analyzed, and conclusions are drawn concerning the behavior and reliability of the sensors. The second part of the thesis develops in more detail the 3-Dimensional (3D) modeling of coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical phenomena in a fractured porous rock, this time at the scale of a hundred meters, based on the data of the 'In-Situ Test' of the FEBEX project conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in the Swiss Alps. As a first step, a reconstruction of the 3D fracture network is obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account through optimization the geomorphological data collected around the FEBEX gallery. The heterogeneous distribution of traces observed on the cylindrical wall of the tunnel is fairly well reproduced in the simulated network. In a second step, we develop a method to estimate the equivalent permeability of a many-fractured block by extending the superposition method of Ababou et al. [1994] to the case where the permeability of

  8. Development of finite element code for the analysis of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviors of a saturated-unsaturated medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnishi, Y.; Shibata, H.; Kobsayashi, A.

    1987-01-01

    A model is presented which describes fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of a porous geologic medium. The mathematical formulation for the model utilizes the Biot theory for the consolidation and the energy balance equation. If the medium is in the condition of saturated-unsaturated flow, then the free surfaces are taken into consideration in the model. The model, incorporated in a finite element numerical procedure, was implemented in a two-dimensional computer code. The code was developed under the assumptions that the medium is poro-elastic and in the plane strain condition; that water in the ground does not change its phase; and that heat is transferred by conductive and convective flow. Analytical solutions pertaining to consolidation theory for soils and rocks, thermoelasticity for solids and hydrothermal convection theory provided verification of stress and fluid flow couplings, respectively, in the coupled model. Several types of problems are analyzed

  9. Research on evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near-field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Imai, Hisashi; Fukutome, Kazuhito; Kayukawa, Koji; Sasaki, Hajime; Moro, Yoshiji

    2004-02-01

    After emplacement of the engineered barrier system (EBS), it is expected that the near-field environment will be impacted by phenomena such as heat dissipation by conduction and other heat transfer mechanisms, infiltration of groundwater from the surrounding rock in the engineered barrier system, stress imposed by the overburden pressure and generation of swelling pressure in the buffer due to water infiltration. In order to recognize and evaluate these coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) phenomena, it is necessary to make a confidence of the mathematical models and computer codes. Evaluating these coupled THM phenomena is important in order to clarify the initial transient behavior of the EBS within the near field. DECOVALEX project is an international co-operative project for the DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against EXperiments in nuclear waste isolation and it is significance to participate this project and to apply the code for the validation. Therefore, we tried to apply the developed numerical code against the subjects of DECOVALEX. We carried out the simulation against the Task 1 (simulation of FEBEX in-situ full-scale experiment), Task 3 BMT1 (Bench Mark Test against the near field coupling phenomena) and Task 3 BMT2 (Bench Mark Test against the up-scaling of fractured rock mass). This report shows the simulation results against these tasks. Furthermore, technical investigations about the in-situ full-scale experiment (called Prototype Repository Project) in Aespoe HRL facility by SKB of Sweden were performed. In order to evaluate the coupled phenomena in the engineered barrier, we use the new swelling model based on the theoretical approach. In this paper, we introduce the modeling approach and applicability about the new model. (author)

  10. Role of temperature and composition on the thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling of concretes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brue, Flore

    2009-01-01

    The French project of the storage of nuclear wastes, which is managed by the Andra, needs some experimental data on the durability of the concrete. Loadings which are taken into account are the desaturation/re-saturation processes, the heat load and the mechanical evolution. Hence this study focuses on the coupling thermo-hydro-mechanical on concretes of the research program of Andra, made with CEM I and CEM V/A cement type. The water saturation degree and shrinkages of materials, which are subjected to desiccation or re-saturation, are dependent on the imposed thermal and hydrous conditions and on their microstructural characteristics. Moreover the study of the mechanical evolution is gone further at 20 C in function of the water saturation degree. Different short-term tests highlight a hydrous damage, which determine the mechanical behaviour. The long-term study of desiccation creep shows the coupling between the durability, the mechanical evolution and the desiccation. (author)

  11. FEBEX II Project Final report on thermo-hydro-mechanical laboratory tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lloret, A.; Romero, E.; Villar, M. V.

    2004-01-01

    The results of the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) study of the FEBEX bentonite performed during FEBEX II are presented. The laboratory test program continued in part with the works carried out during FEBEX I, particularly in activities related to tests aimed to the calibration of the models, the acquisition of parameters by back-analysis and the improvement of the knowledge on the behaviour of expansive clays. But the program has also included tests on new areas: investigations about the influence of the microstructure changes in bentonite, of temperature and of the solute concentration on the behaviour of clay. Besides, several tests were proposed in order to understand the unexpected behaviour observed in the mock-up test, towards the end of year 2. Temperature effects on water retention curves in confined and unconfined conditions were determined, and swelling pressure, hydraulic conductivity and swelling and consolidation strains as a function of temperature were successfully measured. Different experimental techniques and equipments were developed to study thermal induced changes under partially saturated states, covering a wide range of suctions. FEBEX bentonite remains suitable as a sealing material in HLW repositories (from the hydro- mechanical point of view) for temperatures of up to 80 C, as it keeps its high water retention capacity, low permeability and self-healing ability. The extrapolation of results points out to the preservation of properties for at least up to 100 C. Mercury intrusion porosimetry and environmental scanning electron microscopy provided promising results in order to characterise the bentonite microstructure and to give information about the mechanisms influencing pore size distribution changes on high active clays. The use of digital imaging techniques allowed verifying that at micro-scale level, where chemical phenomena prevail, strains are almost reversible as it is considered in the two-level elasto-plastic models. The swelling

  12. FEBEX II Project Final report on thermo-hydro-mechanical laboratory tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lloret, A.; Romero, E.; Villar, M. V.

    2004-07-01

    The results of the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) study of the FEBEX bentonite performed during FEBEX II are presented. The laboratory test program continued in part with the works carried out during FEBEX I, particularly in activities related to tests aimed to the calibration of the models, the acquisition of parameters by back-analysis and the improvement of the knowledge on the behaviour of expansive clays. But the program has also included tests on new areas: investigations about the influence of the microstructure changes in bentonite, of temperature and of the solute concentration on the behaviour of clay. Besides, several tests were proposed in order to understand the unexpected behaviour observed in the mock-up test, towards the end of year 2. Temperature effects on water retention curves in confined and unconfined conditions were determined, and swelling pressure, hydraulic conductivity and swelling and consolidation strains as a function of temperature were successfully measured. Different experimental techniques and equipments were developed to study thermal induced changes under partially saturated states, covering a wide range of suctions. FEBEX bentonite remains suitable as a sealing material in HLW repositories (from the hydro- mechanical point of view) for temperatures of up to 80 C, as it keeps its high water retention capacity, low permeability and self-healing ability. The extrapolation of results points out to the preservation of properties for at least up to 100 C. Mercury intrusion porosimetry and environmental scanning electron microscopy provided promising results in order to characterise the bentonite microstructure and to give information about the mechanisms influencing pore size distribution changes on high active clays. The use of digital imaging techniques allowed verifying that at micro-scale level, where chemical phenomena prevail, strains are almost reversible as it is considered in the two-level elasto-plastic models. The swelling

  13. Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling of fractured rock masses application to radioactive wastes storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vuillod, E.

    1995-01-01

    This work belongs to the Decovalex project (international cooperative project for the development of coupled models and their validation against experiments in nuclear waste isolation) of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) modeling of fractured rock massifs inside which high level radioactive waste disposal sites are simulated. The mathematical laws controlling the behaviour of the environment are resolved analytically in the case of a continuous environment (definition of an equivalent environment) and numerically if the environment is discontinuous (modeling of joints behaviour). The coupled THM models strongly influence the behaviour of a model. Modeling performed with the UDEC code shows the importance of HM couplings depending on whether the calculations are made in permanent or transient regime, and the influence of the loading path in the case of TM modeling. The geometry of fractures also influences the behaviour of the model. Studying the connexity of a fractures network allows to determine its degree of homogeneity. The comparison between two methods, continuous environment and discontinuous environment, has been carried out by determining the permeability tensor and the stress-deformation relations on fractured test-samples. It shows the differences in behaviour between an homogenized environment and a discrete environment. Finally two exercises of THM modeling of radioactive waste disposal sites illustrate the researches carried out. A far field model has permitted to compare the results obtained with calculation codes using different logics. The second model, a near field one, focusses more on the importance played by fracturing on the behaviour of the massif. The high density of the reference network has required some mathematical developments, in order to determine the representative equivalent volume (continuous approaches), and some mathematical analyses, to correctly simplify the environment (discontinuous approaches). These methods and analyses are

  14. Rôles de la température et de la composition sur le couplage thermo-hydro-mécanique des bétons

    OpenAIRE

    Brue , Flore

    2009-01-01

    The French project of the storage of nuclear wastes, which is managed by the Andra, needs some experimental data on the durability of the concrete. Loadings which are taken into account are the desaturation/resaturation processes, the heat load and the mechanical evolution. Hence this study focuses on the coupling thermo-hydro-mechanical on concretes of the research program of Andra, made with CEM I and CEM V/A cement type. The water saturation degree and shrinkages of materials, which are su...

  15. Numerical analysis of thermal impact on hydro-mechanical properties of clay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuerui Wang

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available As is known, high-level radioactive waste (HLW is commonly heat-emitting. Heat output from HLW will dissipate through the surrounding rocks and induce complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC processes. In highly consolidated clayey rocks, thermal effects are particularly significant because of their very low permeability and water-saturated state. Thermal impact on the integrity of the geological barriers is of most importance with regard to the long-term safety of repositories. This study focuses on numerical analysis of thermal effects on hydro-mechanical properties of clayey rock using a coupled thermo-mechanical multiphase flow (TH2M model which is implemented in the finite element programme OpenGeoSys (OGS. The material properties of the numerical model are characterised by a transversal isotropic elastic model based on Hooke's law, a non-isothermal multiphase flow model based on van Genuchten function and Darcy's law, and a transversal isotropic heat transport model based on Fourier's law. In the numerical approaches, special attention has been paid to the thermal expansion of three different phases: gas, fluid and solid, which could induce changes in pore pressure and porosity. Furthermore, the strong swelling and shrinkage behaviours of clayey material are also considered in the present model. The model has been applied to simulate a laboratory heating experiment on claystone. The numerical model gives a satisfactory representation of the observed material behaviour in the laboratory experiment. The comparison of the calculated results with the laboratory findings verifies that the simulation with the present numerical model could provide a deeper understanding of the observed effects.

  16. Thermo-hydro-mechanical mode of canister retrieval test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zandarin, M.T.; Olivella, S.; Gens', A.; Alonso, E.E.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The Canister Retrieval Tests (CRT) is a full scale in situ experiment performed by SKB at Aespoe Laboratory. The experiment involves placing a canister equipped with electrical heaters inside of a deposition hole bored in Aespoe diorite. The deposition hole is 8.55 metres deep and has a diameter of 1.76 metres. The space between canister and the hole is filled with a MX-80 bentonite buffer. The bentonite buffer was installed in form of blocks and rings of bentonite. At the top of the canister bentonite bricks occupy the volume between the canister top surface and the bottom surface of the plug. Due to the bentonite ring size there are two gaps; once between canister and buffer which was left empty and another one between buffer and rock that was filled with bentonite pellets. The top of the hole was sealed with a retaining plug composed of concrete and a steel plate. The plug was secured against heave caused by the swelling clay with nine cables anchored in the rock. An artificial pressurised saturation system was used because the supply of water from the rock was judged to be insufficient for saturating the buffer in a feasible time. A large number of instruments were installed to monitor the test as follows: - Canister - temperature and strain. - Rock mass - temperature and stress. - Retaining system - force and displacement. - Buffer - temperature, relative humidity, pore pressure and total pressure. After dismantling the tests the final dry density and water content of bentonite and pellets were measured. The comprehensive record of the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) processes in the buffer give the possibility to investigate theoretical formulations and models, since the results of THM analyses can be checked against experimental data. As part of the European project THERESA, a 2-D axisymmetric model simulation of CRT bas been carried out. Some of the main objectives of this simulation are the study of the

  17. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical experiment at Kamaishi mine. Technical note 08-96-01. Measurement data related to excavation of the test pit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujita, T.; Chijimatsu, M.; Sugita, Y.; Ishikawa, H.

    1997-07-01

    It is an important part of the near field performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal to evaluate coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) phenomena, e.g., thermal effects on groundwater flow through rock matrix and water seepage into the buffer material, the generation of swelling pressure of the buffer material, and thermal stresses potentially affecting porosity and fracture apertures of the rock. An in-situ T-H-M experiment named Engineered Barrier Experiment ' has been conducted at the Kamaishi Mine, of which host rock is granodiorite, in order to establish conceptual models of the coupled T-H-M processes and to build confidence in mathematical models and computer codes. In 1995, fourteen boreholes were excavated in order to install the various sensors. After the hydraulic tests, mechanical tests were carried out to obtain the rock properties. After that, a test pit, 1.7 m in diameter and 5.0 m in depth, was excavated. During the excavation, the change of pore pressure, displacement and temperature of rock mass were measured. Furthermore, pit convergence was measured. This note shows the results of mechanical tests and measurement data during the excavation of test pit. (author)

  18. On a morphological approach of the meso-structure for the multi-scale analysis of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of cementitious materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le, T.T.H.

    2011-01-01

    The investigation of the behavior of heated concrete is a major research topic which concerns the assessment of safety level of structures when exposed to high temperatures, for instance during a fire. For this purpose, several modeling approaches were developed within thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) frameworks in order to take into account the involved physic-chemical and mechanical processes that affect stability of heated concrete. However, existing models often do note account explicitly for the heterogeneity of the material: concrete is composite material that may be schematized as an assembly of inclusions (aggregates) embedded in a cementitious matrix (cement paste). This latter may be described as a partially saturated open porous medium. The aggregates are characterized by their mineralogical nature together with their morphology and size distribution. The material heterogeneity bring an additional complexity: the need to take into account the microstructure in order to quantify the effect of matrix-inclusion thermal, hygral and mechanical incompatibilities on the THM behavior of concrete. This work is a first step in this direction. For this purpose, a three-dimensional (3D) multi-scale finite element model is developed. It allows affecting specific behaviors to matrix and inclusions. For the former, where mass transports occur within the connected porous network, a three-fluids approach (liquid water, vapor and dry air) is adopted and is coupled to a poro-mechanical damage based approach. For inclusions (aggregates) no hygral component arises a pure thermo-mechanical model is considered. The developed model is then used to investigate, either by 2D or 3D numerical simulations, effects of mineralogical nature, morphology and distribution of aggregates. Studied effects have mainly concerned the influence of these parameters on local fluctuations of simulated temperature, gas pressure and damage fields with regard to experimentally observed dispersion. The

  19. FEBEX Full-Scalle Engineered Barriers Experiment in Crystalline Host Rock Preoperational Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) Modelling of the Mock Up Test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The object of this report is to present and discuss the results of a series of 1-D and 2-D coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) and 2-D coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) analyses modelling the FEBEX mock-up test. The analyses have been carried out during the preoperational storage of the test and attempt to incorporate all available information obtained from laboratory characterisation work. The aim is not only to offer the best estimate of test performance using current models and information but also to provide a basis for future model improvements. Both the theoretical framework adopted in the analysis and the computer code employed are briefly described. The set of parameters used in the computation is then presented with particular reference to the source from which they have been derived. Initial and boundary condition are also defined. The results of a 1-D radially symmetric analysis are used to examine the basic patterns of thermal, hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of the test. A set of sensitivity analyses has been carried out in order to check the effects that the variation of a number of important parameters has on test results. Only in this way it is possible to acquire a proper understanding of the internal structure of the problem and of the interactions between the various phenomena occurring in the buffer. A better reproduction of the geometry of the test is achieved by means of a 2-D mesh representing and axisymmetric longitudinal section. Due to two-dimensional effects, the analyses carried out using this geometry exhibit some differences when compared with the results of the 1-D case, but the basic test behaviour is very similar. The test was started with an initial flooding stage with the purpose of closing the gaps between bentonite blocks. A limited number of compilations using recently developed joint elements have been performed to assess approximately the effect of this initial step on subsequent test behaviour. The analyses reported

  20. Objective thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling of the damaged zone around a radioactive waste storage site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marinelli, Ferdinando

    2013-01-01

    We present two different approaches to describe the hydro-mechanical behaviour of geo-materials. In the first approach the porous media is studied through an equivalent continuum media where the interaction between the fluid and solid phases characterize the coupling behaviour at the macro-scale. We take into account this approach to model experimental tests performed over a hollow cylinder sample of clay rock (Boom Clay), considered for nuclear waste storage. The experimental results clearly show that the mechanical behaviour of the material is strongly anisotropic. For this reason we chose an elasto-plastic model based on Drucker-Prager criterion where the elastic part is characterized by cross anisotropy. The numerical results of boundary value problem clearly show localised strains around the inner hollow section. In order to regularize the numerical problem we consider a second gradient local continuum media with an enriched kinematic where an internal length can be introduced making the results mesh independent. The uniqueness study is carried out showing that changing the temporal discretization of the problem leads to different solutions. In the second approach we study the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a porous media that it is characterised by the microstructure of the material. The microstructure taken into account is composed by elastic grains, cohesive interfaces and a network of fluid channels. Using a periodic media a numerical homogenization (square finite element method) is considered to compute mass flux, stress and density of the mixture. In this way a pure numerical constitutive law is built from the microstructure of the media. This method has been implemented into a finite element code (Lagamine, Universite de Liege) to obtain results at the macro-scale. A validation of this implementation is performed for a pure mechanical boundary value problem and for a hydro-mechanical one. (author)

  1. Effect of the heating rate on residual thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of a high-strength concrete in the context of nuclear waste storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galle, C.; Pin, M.; Ranc, G.; Rodrigues, S.

    2003-01-01

    Concrete is likely to be used in massive structures for nuclear waste long-term storage facilities in France. In the framework of vitrified waste and spent fuel management, these structures could be submitted to high temperatures. In standard conditions, ambient temperature should not exceed 60 degC but in case of failure of a cooling system, concretes could be temporarily exposed to temperatures up to 250 degC. Depending on the temperature rise kinetics, concretes could be damaged to a greater or lesser extent. In this context, an experimental study on the effect of heating rate on concrete thermo-hydro-mechanical properties exposed to high temperatures (110 - 250 degC) was carried out at the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). Data analysis and interpretation provided enough arguments to conclude that, at local scale, the impact of heating rate on residual properties was real though relatively limited. (author)

  2. Investigation research on the evaluation of a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical phenomena. 3. Result Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishihara, Yoshinao; Ito, Takaya; Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Amemiya, Kiyoshi; Shiozaki, Isao

    2004-02-01

    In order to realize a coupling analysis in the near field of the geological disposal system, the coupling analysis code 'COUPLYS (Coupling analysis system)' on the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) phenomena by THAMES, Dtransu and phreeqc, which are existing analysis code, is developed in this study. And some case analyses on THMC phenomena are carried out by this code. (1) Some supporting modules, which include the transfer of dissolution concentration and total concentration (dissolution + precipitation concentration), were prepared as a functional expansion. And in order to add on the function of treat de-gases and gases diffusion, accumulation and dilution phenomena, the mass transport analysis code was modified. (2) We have modified reactive transport module to treat ionic exchange, surface reaction and kinetic reaction in the each barrier. (3) We have prepared hydraulic conductivity module of buffer material depending on change of dry density due to chemical equilibrium (dissolution and precipitation of minerals), degradation of buffer material such as Ca-type bentonite and change of concentration of NaCl solutions. After THAMES, Dtransu, phreeqc and the hydraulic conductivity module were installed in COUPLYS (Coupling Analysis), verification study was carried out to check basic function. And we have modified COUPLYS to control coupling process. (4) In order to confirm the applicability of the developed THMC analysis code (existing analysis code and COUPLYS), we have carried out case analyses on 1-dimensional and 3-dimensional model which are including vitrified waste, over-pack, buffer material and rock in the HLW near-field. (author)

  3. Thermo-Hydro-Micro-Mechanical 3D Modeling of a Fault Gouge During Co-seismic Slip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papachristos, E.; Stefanou, I.; Sulem, J.; Donze, F. V.

    2017-12-01

    A coupled Thermo-Hydro-Micro-Mechanical (THMM) model based on the Discrete Elements method (DEM) is presented for studying the evolving fault gouge properties during pre- and co-seismic slip. Modeling the behavior of the fault gouge at the microscale is expected to improve our understanding on the various mechanisms that lead to slip weakening and finally control the transition from aseismic to seismic slip.The gouge is considered as a granular material of spherical particles [1]. Upon loading, the interactions between particles follow a frictional behavior and explicit dynamics. Using regular triangulation, a pore network is defined by the physical pore space between the particles. The network is saturated by a compressible fluid, and flow takes place following Stoke's equations. Particles' movement leads to pore deformation and thus to local pore pressure increase. Forces exerted from the fluid onto the particles are calculated using mid-step velocities. The fluid forces are then added to the contact forces resulting from the mechanical interactions before the next step.The same semi-implicit, two way iterative coupling is used for the heat-exchange through conduction.Simple tests have been performed to verify the model against analytical solutions and experimental results. Furthermore, the model was used to study the effect of temperature on the evolution of effective stress in the system and to highlight the role of thermal pressurization during seismic slip [2, 3].The analyses are expected to give grounds for enhancing the current state-of-the-art constitutive models regarding fault friction and shed light on the evolution of fault zone propertiesduring seismic slip.[1] Omid Dorostkar, Robert A Guyer, Paul A Johnson, Chris Marone, and Jan Carmeliet. On the role of fluids in stick-slip dynamics of saturated granular fault gouge using a coupled computational fluid dynamics-discrete element approach. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 122

  4. Study of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of expanded graphite gaskets; Etude du comportement et de l`etancheite de joints en graphite expnase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patron, E. [Electricite de France (EDF), Direction des Etudes et Recherches, 92 - Clamart (France)

    1997-12-31

    The poro-mechanical behaviour models developed by O. Coussy permit to consider various phenomena observed experimentally: thermo-hydro-mechanical couplings, plasticity, etc. The aim of this study is to implement the simplest poro-mechanical model (i.e. the isotropic linear poro-elastic model) to model the gasket hydro-mechanical behaviour. First, isotropic poro-elastic characteristics of expanded graphite have been estimated from these tests conducted at Departement Mecanique et Technologie des Composants (MTC) and data from literature. Then, analytical solutions of the tightness tests developed at the MTC Department have been carried out. These calculations provide a first estimation of porosity variations during a tightness tests with metal/metal contact or in elastic recovery, and during a `hot thermal transient`. Thickness controlled numerical calculations have proved the analytical calculations relevance. With regard to simulation of tests with metal/metal contact or `hot thermal transient`, stress controlled numerical calculations have pointed out: - a greater vertical displacement on the inner side of the graphite ring and - a z dependence of the radial displacement and thus a porous differential variation between the upper and lower faces of the ring. (author). 21 refs.

  5. Integrated Modeling and Experiments to Characterize Coupled Thermo-hydro-geomechanical-chemical processes in Hydraulic Fracturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viswanathan, H. S.; Carey, J. W.; Karra, S.; Porter, M. L.; Rougier, E.; Kang, Q.; Makedonska, N.; Hyman, J.; Jimenez Martinez, J.; Frash, L.; Chen, L.

    2015-12-01

    Hydraulic fracturing phenomena involve fluid-solid interactions embedded within coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes over scales from microns to tens of meters. Feedbacks between processes result in complex dynamics that must be unraveled if one is to predict and, in the case of unconventional resources, facilitate fracture propagation, fluid flow, and interfacial transport processes. The proposed work is part of a broader class of complex systems involving coupled fluid flow and fractures that are critical to subsurface energy issues, such as shale oil, geothermal, carbon sequestration, and nuclear waste disposal. We use unique LANL microfluidic and triaxial core flood experiments integrated with state-of-the-art numerical simulation to reveal the fundamental dynamics of fracture-fluid interactions to characterize the key coupled processes that impact hydrocarbon production. We are also comparing CO2-based fracturing and aqueous fluids to enhance production, greatly reduce waste water, while simultaneously sequestering CO2. We will show pore, core and reservoir scale simulations/experiments that investigate the contolling mechanisms that control hydrocarbon production.

  6. Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Characterisation of the Bentonite of a Simulated HLW Repository after Five Years Operation ( In Situ Test of the FEBEX Project)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villar, M. V.

    2004-07-01

    After five years of operation, heater 1 of the FEBEX experimental at the Grimsel Test Sites was switched off in February 2002. Following cooling of the system, the bentonite barrier was dismantled and the heater extracted. During dismantling many bentonite samples were taken. Several determinations were carried out in these samples with the aim of: (1) characterise the actual state of the bentonite and (2) determine the possible changes in its properties occurred during the experiment. The results of the thermo-hydro-mechanical characterisation performed at CIEMAT are reported and analysed. The distribution of water content and dry density of the bentonite in vertical sections presents axial symmetry. The construction gaps of the barrier have been filled by the expansion of the bentonite. The water retention capacity, the hydraulic conductivity and the swelling capacity of the samples from Grimsel have not irreversible changed. The pre consolidation pressure of the Grimsel samples has decreased due to the microstructural changes associated to the volume increase experienced during hydration. The thermal conductivity is higher for the bentonite blocks of the external ring of the barrier. (Author)

  7. Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Characterisation of the Bentonite of a Simulated HLW Repository after Five Years Operation ( In Situ Test of the FEBEX Project)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villar, M. V.

    2004-01-01

    After five years of operation, heater 1 of the FEBEX experimental at the Grimsel Test Sites was switched off in February 2002. Following cooling of the system, the bentonite barrier was dismantled and the heater extracted. During dismantling many bentonite samples were taken. Several determinations were carried out in these samples with the aim of: (1) characterise the actual state of the bentonite and (2) determine the possible changes in its properties occurred during the experiment. The results of the thermo-hydro-mechanical characterisation performed at CIEMAT are reported and analysed. The distribution of water content and dry density of the bentonite in vertical sections presents axial symmetry. The construction gaps of the barrier have been filled by the expansion of the bentonite. The water retention capaciaty, the hydraulic conductivity and the swelling capacity of the samples from Grimsel have not irreversible changed. The preconsolidation pressure of the Grimsel samples has decreased due to the microstructural changes asswociated to the volume increase experienced during hydration. The thermal conductivity is higher for the bentonite blocks of the external ring of the barrier. (Author)

  8. Simulation of Thermal, Neutronic and Radiation Characteristics in Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radwaste Facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poskas, P.; Bartkus, G.

    1999-01-01

    The overview of the activities in the Division of Thermo hydro-mechanics related with the assessment of thermal, neutronic and radiation characteristics in spent nuclear fuel and radwaste facilities are performed. Also some new data about radiation characteristics of the RBMK-1500 spent nuclear fuel are presented. (author)

  9. Near-field NanoThermoMechanical memory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elzouka, Mahmoud; Ndao, Sidy

    2014-01-01

    In this letter, we introduce the concept of NanoThermoMechanical Memory. Unlike electronic memory, a NanoThermoMechanical memory device uses heat instead of electricity to record, store, and recover data. Memory function is achieved through the coupling of near-field thermal radiation and thermal expansion resulting in negative differential thermal resistance and thermal latching. Here, we demonstrate theoretically via numerical modeling the concept of near-field thermal radiation enabled negative differential thermal resistance that achieves bistable states. Design and implementation of a practical silicon based NanoThermoMechanical memory device are proposed along with a study of its dynamic response under write/read cycles. With more than 50% of the world's energy losses being in the form of heat along with the ever increasing need to develop computer technologies which can operate in harsh environments (e.g., very high temperatures), NanoThermoMechanical memory and logic devices may hold the answer

  10. Thermo-mechanical ratcheting in jointed rock masses

    KAUST Repository

    Pasten, C.

    2015-09-01

    Thermo-mechanical coupling takes place in jointed rock masses subjected to large thermal oscillations. Examples range from exposed surfaces under daily and seasonal thermal fluctuations to subsurface rock masses affected by engineered systems such as geothermal operations. Experimental, numerical and analytical results show that thermo-mechanical coupling can lead to wedging and ratcheting mechanisms that result in deformation accumulation when the rock mass is subjected to a biased static-force condition. Analytical and numerical models help in identifying the parameter domain where thermo-mechanical ratcheting can take place.

  11. Thermo-mechanical ratcheting in jointed rock masses

    KAUST Repository

    Pasten, C.; Garcí a, M.; Santamarina, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    Thermo-mechanical coupling takes place in jointed rock masses subjected to large thermal oscillations. Examples range from exposed surfaces under daily and seasonal thermal fluctuations to subsurface rock masses affected by engineered systems such as geothermal operations. Experimental, numerical and analytical results show that thermo-mechanical coupling can lead to wedging and ratcheting mechanisms that result in deformation accumulation when the rock mass is subjected to a biased static-force condition. Analytical and numerical models help in identifying the parameter domain where thermo-mechanical ratcheting can take place.

  12. Development of Hydro-Mechanical Deep Drawing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Shi-Hong; Danckert, Joachim

    1998-01-01

    The hydro-mechanical deep-drawing process is reviewed in this article. The process principles and features are introduced and the developments of the hydro-mechanical deep-drawing process in process performances, in theory and in numerical simulation are described. The applications are summarized....... Some other related hydraulic forming processes are also dealt with as a comparison....

  13. Temperature buffer test. Hydro-mechanical and chemical/ mineralogical characterizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aakesson, Mattias; Olsson, Siv; Dueck, Ann; Nilsson, Ulf; Karnland, Ola; Kiviranta, Leena; Kumpulainen, Sirpa; Linden, Johan

    2012-01-01

    The Temperature Buffer Test (TBT) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modeling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at improving the understanding and to model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test has been carried out in a KBS-3 deposition hole at Aspo HRL. It was installed during the spring of 2003. Two steel heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter) and two buffer arrangements have been investigated: the lower heater was surrounded by rings of compacted Wyoming bentonite only, whereas the upper heater was surrounded by a composite barrier, with a sand shield between the heater and the bentonite. The test was dismantled and sampled during the winter of 2009/2010. This report presents the hydro-mechanical and chemical/mineralogical characterization program which was launched subsequent to the dismantling operation. The main goal has been to investigate if any significant differences could be observed between material from the field experiment and the reference material. The field samples were mainly taken from Ring 4 (located at the mid-section around the lower heater), in which the temperature in the innermost part reached 155 deg C. The following hydro-mechanical properties have been determined for the material (test technique within brackets): hydraulic conductivity (swelling pressure device), swelling pressure (swelling pressure device), unconfined compression strength (mechanical press), shear strength (triaxial cell) and retention properties (jar method). The following chemical/mineralogical properties (methods within brackets) were determined: anion analysis of water leachates (IC), chemical composition (ICP/AES+MS, EGA), cation exchange capacity (CEC, Cu-trien method) and exchangeable cations (exchange with NH4, ICPAES), mineralogical composition (XRD and FTIR), element distribution and microstructure (SEM and

  14. Two-Sided Estimates of Thermo-elastic Characteristics of Dispersed Inclusion Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. S. Zarubin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The composites, dispersion-reinforced with inclusions from high-strength and high-modulus materials are widely used in technology. Nanostructure elements can perform the role of such inclusions as well. Possible applications of such composites in heat-stressed structures under heavy mechanical and thermal influences significantly depend on a complex of thermo-mechanical characteristics including the values of the moduli of elasticity and coefficient of linear thermal expansion. There are different approaches to construction of mathematical models that allow calculating dependences to estimate elastic characteristics of composites. Relation between thermoelastic properties of matrix and inclusions of the composite with its temperature coefficient of linear expansion is studied in less detail. Thus, attention has been insufficient in estimating a degree of reliability and a possible error of derived dependencies.A dual variation formulation of the problem of thermo-elasticity in a non-uniform solids simulating the properties and structure of the composite with dispersed inclusions, makes it possible to define two-sided limits of possible values of the volume elasticity modulus, shear modulus, and coefficient of linear thermal expansion of such composite. These limits allow us to estimate the maximum possible error, if to take a half-sum of the limit values of these parameters as the thermoelastic characteristics of the composite. Implementing this approach to find possible errors, arising when using one or another calculating dependency, improves reliability of predicted thermo-elastic characteristics as applied to existing and promising composites.

  15. Long term thermo-hydro-mechanical interaction behavior study of the saturated, discontinuous granitic rock mass around the radwaste repository using a steady state flow algorithm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jhin Wung; Bae, Dae Suk; Kang, Chul Hyung; Choi, Jong Won [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea)

    2002-02-01

    The objective of the present study is to understand the long term (500 years) thermo-hydro-mechanical interaction behavior of the 500 m depth underground radwaste repository in the saturated, discontinuous granitic rock mass using a steady state flow algorithm. The numerical model includes a saturated granitic rock mass with joints around the repository and a 45 .deg. C fault passing through the tunnel roof-wall intersection, and a canister with PWR spent fuels surrounded by the compacted bentonite and mixed-bentonite. Barton-Bandis joint constitutive model from the UDEC code is used for the joints. For the hydraulic analysis, a steady state flow algorithm is used for the groundwater flow through the rock joints. For the thermal analysis, heat transfer is modeled as isotropic conduction and heat decays exponentially with time. The results show that the variations of the hydraulic aperture, hydraulic conductivity, normal stress, normal displacements, and shear displacements of the joints are high in the vicinity of the repository and stay fairly constant on the region away from the repository. 14 refs., 15 figs., 11 tabs. (Author)

  16. Computer code HYDRO-ACE for analyzing thermo-hydraulic phenomena in the BWR core

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, Kiyoharu; Naito, Yoshitaka

    1979-10-01

    A computer code HYDRO-ACE has been developed for analyzing thermo-hydraulic phenomena in the BWR core under forced or natural circulation of cooling water. The code is composed of two main calculation routines for single channels such as riser, separator, and downcommer and multiple channels such as the reactor core with a heated zone. Functionally the code is divided into many subroutines to be connected straightforwardly, and so that the user can choose a given course freely by simply arranging the subroutines. In the program, void fraction is calculated by Maurer's method, two-phase frictional pressure drop by Maltinelli-Nelson's, and critical heat flux ratio by Hench-Levy's. The coolant flow distributions in the JPDR-II core calculated by the code are in good agreement with those measured. (author)

  17. Numerical analysis of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the clay based material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Xuerui

    2016-10-06

    Clay formations are investigated worldwide as potential host rock for the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Usually bentonite is preferred as the buffer and backfill material in the disposal system. In the disposal of HLW, heat emission is one of the most important issues as it can generate a series of complex thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the surrounding materials and thus change the material properties. In the context of safety assessment, it is important to understand the thermally induced THM interactions and the associated change in material properties. In this work, the thermally induced coupled THM behaviours in the clay host rock and in the bentonite buffer as well as the corresponding coupling effects among the relevant material properties are numerically analysed. A coupled non-isothermal Richards flow mechanical model and a non-isothermal multiphase flow model were developed based on the scientific computer codes OpenGeoSys (OGS). Heat transfer in the porous media is governed by thermal conduction and advective flow of the pore fluids. Within the hydraulic processes, evaporation, vapour diffusion, and the unsaturated flow field are considered. Darcy's law is used to describe the advective flux of gas and liquid phases. The relative permeability of each phase is considered. The elastic deformation process is modelled by the generalized Hooke's law complemented with additional strain caused by swelling/shrinkage behaviour and by temperature change. In this study, special attention has been paid to the analysis of the thermally induced changes in material properties. The strong mechanical and hydraulic anisotropic properties of clay rock are described by a transversely isotropic mechanical model and by a transversely isotropic permeability tensor, respectively. The thermal anisotropy is described by adoption of the bedding-orientation-dependent thermal conductivity. The dependency of the thermal

  18. Numerical analysis of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the clay based material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xuerui

    2016-01-01

    Clay formations are investigated worldwide as potential host rock for the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Usually bentonite is preferred as the buffer and backfill material in the disposal system. In the disposal of HLW, heat emission is one of the most important issues as it can generate a series of complex thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the surrounding materials and thus change the material properties. In the context of safety assessment, it is important to understand the thermally induced THM interactions and the associated change in material properties. In this work, the thermally induced coupled THM behaviours in the clay host rock and in the bentonite buffer as well as the corresponding coupling effects among the relevant material properties are numerically analysed. A coupled non-isothermal Richards flow mechanical model and a non-isothermal multiphase flow model were developed based on the scientific computer codes OpenGeoSys (OGS). Heat transfer in the porous media is governed by thermal conduction and advective flow of the pore fluids. Within the hydraulic processes, evaporation, vapour diffusion, and the unsaturated flow field are considered. Darcy's law is used to describe the advective flux of gas and liquid phases. The relative permeability of each phase is considered. The elastic deformation process is modelled by the generalized Hooke's law complemented with additional strain caused by swelling/shrinkage behaviour and by temperature change. In this study, special attention has been paid to the analysis of the thermally induced changes in material properties. The strong mechanical and hydraulic anisotropic properties of clay rock are described by a transversely isotropic mechanical model and by a transversely isotropic permeability tensor, respectively. The thermal anisotropy is described by adoption of the bedding-orientation-dependent thermal conductivity. The dependency of the thermal

  19. Thermo-mechanical analysis of RMP coil system for EAST tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Songke; Ji, Xiang; Song, Yuntao; Zhang, Shanwen; Wang, Zhongwei; Sun, Youwen; Qi, Minzhong; Liu, Xufeng; Wang, Shengming; Yao, Damao

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermal design requirements for EAST RMP coils are summarized. • Cooling parameters based on both theoretical and numerical solutions are determined. • Compromise between thermal design and structural design is made on number of turns. • Thermo-mechanical calculations are made to validate its structural performance. - Abstract: Resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) has been proved to be an efficient approach on edge localized modes (ELMs) control, resistive wall mode (RWM) control, and error field correction (EFC), RMP coil system under design in EAST tokamak will realize the above-mentioned multi-functions. This paper focuses on the thermo-mechanical analysis of EAST RMP coil system on the basis of sensitivity analysis, both normal and off-normal working conditions are considered. The most characteristic set of coil system is chosen with a complete modelling by means of three-dimensional (3D) finite element method, thermo-hydraulic and thermal-structural performances are investigated adequately, both locally and globally. The compromise is made between thermal performance and structural design requirements, and the results indicate that the optimized design is feasible and reasonable

  20. Evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near field for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Fujita, Tomoo; Sugita, Yutaka; Taniguchi, Wataru

    2000-01-01

    , fracture survey, hydraulic test and the measurement of inflow rate into the test pit, which was excavated at the floor of the experiment drift, were conducted. In Chapter 4, hydraulic analyses were conducted using the rock properties obtained by the hydraulic test described in Chapter 3. Analyses were performed by tow kinds of methods; continuum approach and discrete approach. In Chapter 5, the results of in-situ coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical experiment at Kamaishi mine was described. The test pit, 1.7 m in diameter and 5.0 m in depth, was excavated. After the excavation of test pit, the buffer material and heater were set up in the test pit, and then coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical test was started. The duration of heating phase was 250 days and that of cooling phase was 180 days. The heater surface was controlled to be 100degC during heating phase. Measurement was carried out by a number of sensors installed in both buffer and rock mass during the test. In Chapter 6, development of coupled T-H-M model and the validation analyses of model were described. As validation, the analysis of BIG-BEN experiment at Tokai Works in JNC and the analysis of in-situ experiment at Kamaishi mine etc. were performed. In Chapter 7, the coupled T-H-M processes in the near field were simulated with fully coupled model. The material of buffer is bentonite-sand mixture and dry density is 1.6 g/cm 3 . From the results, the following results were obtained; re-saturation time of buffer is strongly dependent on the water pressure in the rock mass. However, it is not dependent on the permeability of rock mass if the intrinsic permeability of rock mass is in the 10 -13 - 10 -18 m 2 range. In the case that the intrinsic permeability of rock mass is approximately 10 -15 m 2 , the initial water content in the buffer does not exert influence on the re-saturation time of buffer. Two dimensional coupled T-H-M analysis in consideration of water drawdown due to the excavation of drift is carried our. As a

  1. Evaluation of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena in the near field for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Fujita, Tomoo; Sugita, Yutaka; Taniguchi, Wataru [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Tokai Works, Waste Management and Fuel Cycle Research Center, Waste Isolation Research Division, Barrier Performance Group, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)

    2000-01-01

    , fracture survey, hydraulic test and the measurement of inflow rate into the test pit, which was excavated at the floor of the experiment drift, were conducted. In Chapter 4, hydraulic analyses were conducted using the rock properties obtained by the hydraulic test described in Chapter 3. Analyses were performed by tow kinds of methods; continuum approach and discrete approach. In Chapter 5, the results of in-situ coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical experiment at Kamaishi mine was described. The test pit, 1.7 m in diameter and 5.0 m in depth, was excavated. After the excavation of test pit, the buffer material and heater were set up in the test pit, and then coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical test was started. The duration of heating phase was 250 days and that of cooling phase was 180 days. The heater surface was controlled to be 100degC during heating phase. Measurement was carried out by a number of sensors installed in both buffer and rock mass during the test. In Chapter 6, development of coupled T-H-M model and the validation analyses of model were described. As validation, the analysis of BIG-BEN experiment at Tokai Works in JNC and the analysis of in-situ experiment at Kamaishi mine etc. were performed. In Chapter 7, the coupled T-H-M processes in the near field were simulated with fully coupled model. The material of buffer is bentonite-sand mixture and dry density is 1.6 g/cm{sup 3}. From the results, the following results were obtained; re-saturation time of buffer is strongly dependent on the water pressure in the rock mass. However, it is not dependent on the permeability of rock mass if the intrinsic permeability of rock mass is in the 10{sup -13} - 10{sup -18} m{sup 2} range. In the case that the intrinsic permeability of rock mass is approximately 10{sup -15} m{sup 2}, the initial water content in the buffer does not exert influence on the re-saturation time of buffer. Two dimensional coupled T-H-M analysis in consideration of water drawdown due to the excavation

  2. Thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in the nearfield around a HLW repository in argillaceous formations. Vol. II. In-situ-investigations and interpretative modelling. May 2007 to May 2013

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Chun-Liang; Czaikowski, Oliver; Komischke, Michael; Wieczorek, Klaus

    2014-06-15

    Deep disposal of heat-emitting high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in clay formations will inevitably induce thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical disturbances to the host rock and engineered barriers over very long periods of time. The responses and resulting property changes of the natural and engineered barriers are to be well understood, characterized, and predicted for assessing the long-term performance and safety of the repositories. In accordance with the R and D programme defined by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), GRS has intensively performed site-independent research work on argillaceous rocks during the last decade. Most of the investigations have been carried out on the Callovo-Oxfordian argillite and the Opalinus clay by par-ticipation in international research projects conducted at the underground research laboratories at Bure in France (MHM-URL) and Mont-Terri in Switzerland (MT-URL). The THM-TON project, which was funded by BMWi under contract number 02E10377, in-vestigated the THM behaviours of the clay host rock and clay-based backfill/sealing materials with laboratory tests, in situ experiments and numerical modelling.

  3. Main outcomes from in situ thermo-hydro-mechanical experiments programme to demonstrate feasibility of radioactive high-level waste disposal in the Callovo-Oxfordian claystone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Armand

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In the context of radioactive waste disposal, an underground research laboratory (URL is a facility in which experiments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing and operating a radioactive waste disposal facility within a geological formation. The Meuse/Haute-Marne URL is a site-specific facility planned to study the feasibility of a radioactive waste disposal in the Callovo-Oxfordian (COx claystone. The thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM behaviour of the host rock is significant for the design of the underground nuclear waste disposal facility and for its long-term safety. The French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra has begun a research programme aiming to demonstrate the relevancy of the French high-level waste (HLW concept. This paper presents the programme implemented from small-scale (small diameter boreholes to full-scale demonstration experiments to study the THM effects of the thermal transient on the COx claystone and the strategy implemented in this new programme to demonstrate and optimise current disposal facility components for HLW. It shows that the French high-level waste concept is feasible and working in the COx claystone. It also exhibits that, as for other plastic clay or claystone, heating-induced pore pressure increases and that the THM behaviour is anisotropic.

  4. Modelling the hydro-mechanical behaviour of swelling unsaturated soils; Modelisation du comportement hydromecanique des sols gonflants non satures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mrad, M

    2005-10-15

    The use of compacted swelling soils in engineering practice is very widely spread, especially in geotechnical and environmental engineering. After their setup, these materials are likely to be subject to complex suction/stress paths involving significant variations of their hydro-mechanical properties which can affect their initial behaviour. It is important to be able to predict the hydro-mechanical behaviour of these materials taking into account the significant applications for which they are intended. Barcelona team developed a finite-element code (Code-Bright) for the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling (THM) integrating the BBM elastoplastic model for unsaturated soils based on the independent variables approach. This model is recognized to correctly describe the hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils but fails to take into account some particular observed aspects on swelling soils. A second model BExM was then proposed to address these aspects. The objective of this study is: (i) to implement the elastoplastic model BExM for the unsaturated swelling soils in the finite-element code (Code-Bright); (ii) to check the numerical model validity through the numerical simulation of laboratory tests made on swelling soils; and (iii) to apply this model to some practical problems. For this purpose, a new family of numerical procedures adapted to the BExM model was introduced into the code. The equation of the yield surface of this model for a given deviatoric stress states was given in a manner to facilitate calculations of its derivatives. The model was checked by the numerical simulation of suction-controlled odometric tests made on three different swelling soils. The simulation results showed that the numerical model is able to correctly reproduce the experimental data. Lastly, the model was applied to two practical problems: radioactive waste repository in deep geological layers and a shallow footing under the action of a swelling soil. The results obtained

  5. Effective Hydro-Mechanical Properties of Fluid-Saturated Fracture Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollmann, N.; Vinci, C.; Renner, J.; Steeb, H.

    2015-12-01

    Consideration of hydro-mechanical processes is essential for the characterization of liquid-resources as well as for many engineering applications. Furthermore, the modeling of seismic waves in fractured porous media finds application not only in geophysical exploration but also reservoir management. Fractures exhibit high-aspect-ratio geometries, i.e. they constitute thin and long hydraulic conduits. Motivated by this peculiar geometry, the investigation of the hydro-mechanically coupled processes is performed by means of a hybrid-dimensional modeling approach. The effective material behavior of domains including complex fracture patterns in a porous rock is assessed by investigating the fluid pressure and the solid displacement of the skeleton saturated by compressible fluids. Classical balance equations are combined with a Poiseuille-type flow in the dimensionally reduced fracture. In the porous surrounding rock, the classical Biot-theory is applied. For simple geometries, our findings show that two main fluid-flow processes occur, leak-off from fractures to the surrounding rock and fracture flow within and between the connected fractures. The separation of critical frequencies of the two flow processes is not straightforward, in particular for systems containing a large number of fractures. Our aim is to model three dimensional hydro-mechanically coupled processes within complex fracture patterns and in particular determine the frequency-dependent attenuation characteristics. Furthermore, the effect of asperities of the fracture surfaces on the fracture stiffness and on the hydraulic conductivity will be added to the approach.

  6. The importance of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical couplings and microstructure to strain localization in 3D continua with application to seismic faults. Part I: Theory and linear stability analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattez, Hadrien; Stefanou, Ioannis; Sulem, Jean

    2018-06-01

    A Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) model for Cosserat continua is developed to explore the influence of frictional heating and thermal pore fluid pressurization on the strain localization phenomenon. A general framework is presented to conduct a bifurcation analysis for elasto-plastic Cosserat continua with THM couplings and predict the onset of instability. The presence of internal lengths in Cosserat continua enables to estimate the thickness of the localization zone. This is done by performing a linear stability analysis of the system and looking for the selected wavelength corresponding to the instability mode with fastest finite growth coefficient. These concepts are applied to the study of fault zones under fast shearing. For doing so, we consider a model of a sheared saturated infinite granular layer. The influence of THM couplings on the bifurcation state and the shear band width is investigated. Taking representative parameters for a centroidal fault gouge, the evolution of the thickness of the localized zone under continuous shear is studied. Furthermore, the effect of grain crushing inside the shear band is explored by varying the internal length of the constitutive law.

  7. The hydro-mechanical modeling of the fractured media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadiri, I.

    2002-10-01

    The hydro-mechanical modeling of the fractured media is quite complex. Simplifications are necessary for the modeling of such media, but, not always justified, Only permeable fractures are often considered. The rest of the network is approximated by an equivalent continuous medium. Even if we suppose that this approach is validated, the hydraulic and mechanical properties of the fractures and of the continuous medium are seldom known. Calibrations are necessary for the determination of these properties. Until now, one does not know very well the nature of measurements which must be carried out in order to carry on a modeling in discontinuous medium, nor elements of enough robust validation for this kind of modeling. For a better understanding of the hydro-mechanical phenomena in fractured media, two different sites have been selected for the work. The first is the site of Grimsel in Switzerland in which an underground laboratory is located at approximately 400 m of depth. The FEBEX experiment aims at the in-situ study of the consecutive phenomena due to the installation of a heat source representative of radioactive waste in the last 17 meters of the FEBEX tunnel in the laboratory of Grimsel. Only, the modeling of the hydro-mechanical of the excavation was model. The modeling of the Febex enabled us to establish a methodology of calibration of the hydraulic properties in the discontinuous media. However, this kind of study on such complex sites does not make possible to answer all the questions which arise on the hydro-mechanical behavior of the fractured media. We thus carried out modeling on an other site, smaller than the fist one and more accessible. The experimental site of Coaraze, in the Maritime Alps, is mainly constituted of limestone and fractures. Then the variation of water pressure along fractures is governed by the opening/closure sequence of a water gate. Normal displacement as well as the pore pressure along these fractures are recorded, and then

  8. Application of a new thermo-mechanical model for the study of the nuclear waste disposal in clay rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dizier, A.; Li, X.L.; Francois, B.; Collin, F.; Charlier, R.

    2012-01-01

    (LY curve (Loading Yield)). This one may be considered analogous with the LC curve (Loading Collapse) met in the Barcelona Basic Model dedicated to unsaturated soil mechanics. This thermo-mechanical law has been used to model the PRACLAY experiment and particularly to analyse the evolution of the damaged zone with temperature. In this study, the damaged zone is considered as the sum of two plastic strain components, a deviatoric and a volumetric one. The deviatoric strains are induced when the internal friction criterion is reached while the volumetric strains are a consequence of the Cam - Clay model or the TY curve. The results of the evolution of the deviatoric strain show that the magnitude of this strain is modified near the wall but the extension of the size of the plastic deviatoric zone is not affected by temperature. The modification of the deviatoric strain near the wall can be explained by hydro-mechanical coupling caused by thermally induced excess pore water pressure which permits the stress path to reach the internal friction criterion. Concerning the volumetric plastic strains, these follow the effect of the thermal load and the size of the zone affected by these strains correspond to the zone affected by the temperature. On the contrary the magnitude of the strain depends on the state of stress of the clay as observed near the wall. Indeed, the stresses near the wall are reduced due to the process of excavation and the state of stress exhibits a kind of over-consolidation effect where only thermal dilation is possible. In that modelling, the set of parameters chosen doesn't allow the activation of the LY curve. Finally the results obtained with this new thermo-mechanical law have been compared with results obtained with other thermo-mechanical law, that is to say with ACMEG-T which is a thermo-plastic law developed at EPFL and a classical thermo-elastic law. The comparison shows that the results obtained with the two thermo-plastic constitutive laws

  9. Training and Research on Probabilistic Hydro-Thermo-Mechanical Modeling of Carbon Dioxide Geological Sequestration in Fractured Porous Rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gutierrez, Marte

    2013-05-31

    Colorado School of Mines conducted research and training in the development and validation of an advanced CO{sub 2} GS (Geological Sequestration) probabilistic simulation and risk assessment model. CO{sub 2} GS simulation and risk assessment is used to develop advanced numerical simulation models of the subsurface to forecast CO2 behavior and transport; optimize site operational practices; ensure site safety; and refine site monitoring, verification, and accounting efforts. As simulation models are refined with new data, the uncertainty surrounding the identified risks decrease, thereby providing more accurate risk assessment. The models considered the full coupling of multiple physical processes (geomechanical and fluid flow) and describe the effects of stochastic hydro-mechanical (H-M) parameters on the modeling of CO{sub 2} flow and transport in fractured porous rocks. Graduate students were involved in the development and validation of the model that can be used to predict the fate, movement, and storage of CO{sub 2} in subsurface formations, and to evaluate the risk of potential leakage to the atmosphere and underground aquifers. The main major contributions from the project include the development of: 1) an improved procedure to rigorously couple the simulations of hydro-thermomechanical (H-M) processes involved in CO{sub 2} GS; 2) models for the hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured porous rocks with random fracture patterns; and 3) probabilistic methods to account for the effects of stochastic fluid flow and geomechanical properties on flow, transport, storage and leakage associated with CO{sub 2} GS. The research project provided the means to educate and train graduate students in the science and technology of CO{sub 2} GS, with a focus on geologic storage. Specifically, the training included the investigation of an advanced CO{sub 2} GS simulation and risk assessment model that can be used to predict the fate, movement, and storage of CO{sub 2} in

  10. On the use of effective stress in three-dimensional hydro-mechanical coupled model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arairo, W.; Prunier, F.; Djeran-Maigre, I.; Millard, A.

    2014-01-01

    In the last decades, a number of hydro-mechanical elastoplastic constitutive models for unsaturated soils have been proposed. Those models couple the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils, and take into account the effects of the degree of saturation on the stress-strain behaviour and the effects of deformation on the soil-water characteristic response with a simple reversible part for the hysteresis. In addition, the influence of the suction on the stress-strain behaviour is considered. However, until now, few models predict the stress-strain and soil-water characteristic responses of unsaturated soils in a fully three-dimensional Finite Element code. This paper presents the predictions of an unsaturated soil model in a Three-dimensional Framework, and develops a study on the effect of partial saturation on the stability of shallow foundation resting on unsaturated silty soil. Qualitative predictions of the constitutive model show that incorporating a special formulation for the effective stress into an elastoplastic coupled hydro-mechanical model opens a full range of possibilities in modelling unsaturated soil behaviour. (authors)

  11. Thermo-mechanical properties of SOFC components investigated by a combined method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Teocoli, Francesca; Esposito, Vincenzo; Ramousse, Severine

    , and differential thermo-mechanical behavior at each layer. The combination of such factors can have a critical effect on the final shape and microstructure, and on the mechanical integrity. Thermo-mechanical properties and sintering mechanisms of important SOFC materials (CGO, YSZ, ScYSZ) were systematically...

  12. A study of thermo-mechanical stress and its impact on through-silicon vias

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ranganathan, N; Balasubramanian, N; Prasad, K; Pey, K L

    2008-01-01

    The BOSCH etch process, which is commonly used in microelectromechanical system fabrication, has been extensively investigated in this work for implementation in through-silicon via (TSV) technology for 3D-microsystems packaging. The present work focuses on thermo-mechanical stresses caused by thermal loading due to post-TSV processes and their impact on the electrical performance of through-silicon copper interconnects. A test vehicle with deep silicon copper-plated comb structure was designed to study and evaluate different deep silicon via etch processes and its effect on the electrical leakage characteristics under various electrical and thermal stress conditions. It has been shown that the leakage current between the comb interconnect structures increases with an increase in sidewall roughness and that it can be significantly lowered by smoothening the sidewalls. It was also shown that by tailoring a non-BOSCH etch process with the normal BOSCH process, a similar leakage current reduction can be achieved. It was also shown through thermo-mechanical simulation studies that there is a clear correlation between high leakage current behavior due to non-uniform Ta barrier deposition over the rough sidewalls and the thermo-mechanical stress induced by post-TSV processes

  13. Stability characteristics of compressible boundary layers over thermo-mechanically compliant walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettenrieder, Fabian; Bodony, Daniel

    2017-11-01

    Transition prediction at hypersonic flight conditions continues to be a challenge and results in conservative safety factors that increase vehicle weight. The weight and thus cost reduction of the outer skin panels promises significant impact; however, fluid-structure interaction due to unsteady perturbations in the laminar boundary layer regime has not been systematically studied at conditions relevant for reusable, hypersonic flight. In this talk, we develop and apply convective and global stability analyses for compressible boundary layers over thermo-mechanically compliant panels. This compliance is shown to change the convective stability of the boundary layer modes, with both stabilization and destabilization observed. Finite panel lengths are shown to affect the global stability properties of the boundary layer.

  14. Multi-scale modelling of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of argillaceous rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van den Eijnden, Bram

    2015-01-01

    theoretical developments of this extension are implemented in the finite element code Lagamine (Liege) as an independent constitutive relation. For the modelling of localization of deformation, which in classical FE methods suffers from the well-known mesh dependency, the double-scale approach of hydro-mechanical coupling is combined with a local second gradient model to control the internal length scale of localized deformation. By accepting the periodic boundary conditions as a regularization of the microscale deformation, the use of the multi-scale model in combination with the local second gradient model can be used for modelling localization phenomena in HM-coupled settings with material softening. The modelling capacities of the approach are demonstrated by means of simulations of odometer tests and biaxial compression tests. The approach is demonstrated to be a powerful way to model anisotropy in the mechanical as well as the hydraulic behaviour of the material both in the initial material state and as an effect of hydro-mechanical alterations. For the application to the modelling of Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stone, microstructural REVs are calibrated to geometrical characteristics of the inclusion that form the microstructure under consideration and to macro-scale experimental results of the mechanical behaviour. The calibrated constitutive relation is used in the simulation of gallery excavation processes. These computations give a proof of concept of the double-scale assessment of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the excavation damaged zones around galleries in the context of nuclear waste disposal. (author) [fr

  15. Simulation of thermo-mechanical effect in bulk-silicon FinFETs

    OpenAIRE

    Burenkov, Alex; Lorenz, Jürgen

    2016-01-01

    The thermo-mechanical effect in bulk-silicon FinFETs of the 14 nm CMOS technology node is studied by means of numerical simulation. The electrical performance of such devices is significantly enhanced by the intentional introduction of mechanical stress during the device processing. The thermo-mechanical effect modifies the mechanical stress distribution in active regions of the transistors when they are heated. This can lead to a modification of the electrical performance. Numerical simulati...

  16. Thermo-mechanical response and fatigue behavior of shape memory alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kusagawa, Masaki; Asada, Yasuhide; Nakamura, Toshiya [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

    1998-11-01

    Mechanical, thermo-mechanical and fatigue behaviors of Ni-Ti-Nb shape memory alloy (SMA) have been studied to prepare material data for a design purpose. Presented are testing devices, testing procedure and test results of monotonic tensile, recovery of inelastic deformation due to post heating (thermo-mechanical recovery) and fatigue for future use of the SMA as a structural material of nuclear incore structures. (orig.)

  17. Thermo-mechanical response and fatigue behavior of shape memory alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusagawa, Masaki; Asada, Yasuhide; Nakamura, Toshiya

    1998-01-01

    Mechanical, thermo-mechanical and fatigue behaviors of Ni-Ti-Nb shape memory alloy (SMA) have been studied to prepare material data for a design purpose. Presented are testing devices, testing procedure and test results of monotonic tensile, recovery of inelastic deformation due to post heating (thermo-mechanical recovery) and fatigue for future use of the SMA as a structural material of nuclear incore structures. (orig.)

  18. Enhanced thermo-mechanical performance and strain-induced ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Enhanced thermo-mechanical performance and strain-induced band gap reduction of TiO2@PVC nanocomposite films ... School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea; School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea ...

  19. Determination and Scaling of Thermo Acoustic Characteristics of Premixed Flames

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. R. Alemela

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper investigates the determination and the scaling of thermo acoustical characteristics of lean premixed flames as used in gas turbine combustion systems. In the first part, alternative methods to characterize experimentally the flame dynamics are outlined and are compared on the example of a scaled model of an industrial gas turbine burner. Transfer matrix results from the most general direct method are contrasted with data obtained from the hybrid method, which is based on Rankine-Hugoniot relations and the experimental flame transfer function obtained from OH*-chemiluminescence measurements. Also the new network model based regression method is assessed, which is based on a n – τ – σ dynamic flame model. The results indicate very good consistency between the three techniques, providing a global check of the methods/tools used for analyzing the thermo acoustic mechanisms of flames. In the second part, scaling rules are developed that allow to calculate the dynamic flame characteristics at different operation points. Towards this a geometric flame length model is formulated. Together with the other operational data of the flame it provides the dynamic flame model parameters at these points. The comparison between the measured and modeled flame lengths as well as the n – τ – σ parameters shows an excellent agreement.

  20. Damage mechanisms in PBT-GF30 under thermo-mechanical cyclic loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaaf, A.; De Monte, M.; Hoffmann, C.; Vormwald, M.; Quaresimin, M.

    2014-01-01

    The scope of this paper is the investigation of damage mechanisms at microscopic scale on a short glass fiber reinforced polybutylene terephthalate (PBT-GF30) under thermo-mechanical cyclic loading. In addition the principal mechanisms are verified through micro mechanical FE models. In order to investigate the fatigue behavior of the material both isothermal strain controlled fatigue (ISCF) tests at three different temperatures and thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) tests were conducted on plain and notched specimens, manufactured by injection molding. The goal of the work is to determine the damage mechanisms occurring under TMF conditions and to compare them with the mechanisms occurring under ISCF. For this reason fracture surfaces of TMF and ISCF samples loaded at different temperature levels were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, specimens that failed under TMF were examined on microsections revealing insight into both crack initiation and crack propagation. The findings of this investigation give valuable information about the main damage mechanisms of PBT-GF30 under TMF loading and serve as basis for the development of a TMF life estimation methodology

  1. Fracture mechanics in new designed power module under thermo-mechanical loads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Durand Camille

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Thermo-mechanically induced failure is a major reliability issue in the microelectronic industry. On this account, a new type of Assembly Interconnected Technology used to connect MOSFETs in power modules has been developed. The reliability is increased by using a copper clip soldered on the top side of the chip, avoiding the use of aluminium wire bonds, often responsible for the failure of the device. Thus the new designed MOSFET package does not follow the same failure mechanisms as standard modules. Thermal and power cycling tests were performed on these new packages and resulting failures were analyzed. Thermo-mechanical simulations including cracks in the aluminium metallization and intermetallics (IMC were performed using Finite Element Analysis in order to better understand crack propagation and module behaviour.

  2. Thermal stress analysis and thermo-mechanical fatigue for gas turbine blade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hyun, J. S.; Kim, B. S.; Kang, M. S.; Ha, J. S.; Lee, Y. S.

    2002-01-01

    The numerical analysis for gas turbine blades were carried out under several conditions by compounding temperature field, velocity field, thermal conduction of blade, and cooling heat transfer. The three types of 1,100 deg. C class 1st-stage gas turbine blades were analyzed. The analysis results are applied to the study on evaluating the remaining life for thermo-mechanical fatigue life. The thermo-mechanical fatigue experiments under out-of-phase and in-phase have been performed. The physical-based life prediction models which considered the contribution of different damage mechanisms have been applied. These models were applied to the temperature and strain rate dependences of isothermal cycling fatigue lives, and the strain-temperature history effect on the thermo-mechanical fatigue lives

  3. Hydro-mechanical processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laouafa, F.; Kazmierczak, J.B. [Institut National de l' Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Parc Technologique ALATA, 60 - Verneuil en Halatte (France); Armand, G. [Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs, Lab. de Souterrain de Meuse/Haute-Marne, 55 - Bure (France); Vaunat, J. [Catalonia UPC- Technical Univ., Barcelona (Spain); Jobmann, M.; Polster, M. [DBETEC- DBE Technology GmbH, Peine (Germany); Su, K.; Lebon, P.; Plas, F.; Armand, G.; Abou-Chakra Guery, A.; Cormery, F.; Shao, J.F.; Kondo, D. [ANDRA - Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs, 92 - Chatenay Malabry (France); Souley, M. [Institut National de l' Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), 54 - Nancy (France); Coll, C.; Charlier, R.; Collin, F.; Gerard, P. [Liege Univ., Dept. ArGEnCo (Belgium); Xiang Ling, Li [ESV EURIDICE, SCK.CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Mol (Belgium); Collin, F. [Liege Univ., Charge de Recherches FNRS (Belgium); Pellet, F.L.; Fabre, G. [University Joseph Fourier, Laboratory 3S-R, 38 - Grenoble (France); Garcia-Sineriz, J.L.; Rey, M. [AITEMIN - Asociacion para la Investigacion y Desarrollo Industrial de los Recursos Naturales, Madrid (Spain); Mayor, J.C. [ENRESA - Empresa Nacional des Residuos Radioactivos, Madrid (Spain); Castellanos, E.; Romero, E.; Lloret, A.; Gens, A. [Catalunya Univ. Politecnica, UPC (Spain); Villar, M.V. [CIEMAT - Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas, Madrid (Spain); Chambon, R. [Laboratoire 3S, UJF-INPG-CNRS, 38 - Grenoble (France); Czaikowski, O.; Lux, K.H. [Clausthal Univ. of Technology, Professorship for Waste Disposal and Geomechanics, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany); Van Geet, M.; Bastiaens, W.; Volckaert, G.; Weetjens, E.; Sillen, X. [SCK-CEN, Waste and Disposal dept., Mol (Belgium); ONDRAF/NIRAS, Brussel (Belgium); Imbert, Ch. [CEA Saclay, Dept. de Physico-Chimie (DPC/SCCME/LECBA), 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France)] [and others

    2007-07-01

    This session gathers 13 articles dealing with: three-dimensional and time stepping modelling of the whole Meuse/Haute-Marne ANDRA URL (F. Laouafa, J.B. Kazmierczak, G. Armand, J. Vaunat, M. Jobmann, M. Polster); a constitutive model for a deep argillaceous rock using Hoek-Brown criteria (K. Su, C. Chavant, M. Souley); the long term behaviour of the Boom clay: influence of viscosity on the pore pressure distribution (C. Coll, R. Charlier, X.L. Li, F. Collin); the microstructural changes induced by viscoplastic deformations in argillaceous rocks (F.L. Pellet, G. Fabre, K. Su, P. Lebon); the engineered barrier experiment at Mont Terri rock laboratory (J.L. Garcia-Sineriz, M. Rey, J.C. Mayor); the chemical influence on the Hydro-Mechanical behaviour of high-density FEBEX bentonite (E. Castellanos, M.V. Villar, E. Romero, A. Lloret, A. Gens); the influence of water exchanges on the gallery convergence (P. Gerard, R. Charlier, R. Chambon, F. Collin); a new method for ageing resistant storage of argillaceous rock samples to achieve reproducible experimental results even after long intermediate storage times (O. Czaikowski, K.H. Lux); the installation and evaluation of a large-scale in-situ shaft seal experiment in Boom clay the RESEAL project M. Van Geet, W. Bastiaens, G. Volckaert, E. Weetjens, X. Sillen, A. Gens, M.V. Villar, Ch. Imbert, M. Filippi, F. Plas); the hydro-Mechanical response of the Callovo-Oxfordian mud-stone around a deep vertical drift (J. Vaunat, B. Garitte, A. Gens, K. Su, G. Armand); the sensitivity of total stress to changes in externally applied water pressure in KBS-3 buffer bentonite (J.F. Harrington, D.J. Birchall, P. Sellin); the comparison of the poro-elastic behavior of Meuse/Haute Marne and Tournemire argillites: effect of loading and saturation states (E. Bemer, A. Noiret, F. Homand, A. Rejeb); and the multi-scale modelling of the argillites mechanical behaviour (A. Abou-Chakra Guery, F. Cormery, K. Su, J.F. Shao, D. Kondo)

  4. Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical calculations of the water saturation phase of a KBS-3 deposition hole. Influence of hydraulic rock properties on the water saturation phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, Lennart; Hernelind, J.

    1999-12-01

    The wetting process in deposition holes designed according to the KBS-3-concept has been simulated with finite element calculations of the thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in the buffer, backfill and surrounding rock. The buffer material has been modelled according to the preliminary material models developed for swelling clay. The properties of the rock have been varied in order to investigate the influence of the rock properties and the hydraulic conditions on the wetting processes. In the modelling of the test holes the permeability of the rock matrix, the water supply from the backfill, the water pressure in the surrounding rock, the permeability of the disturbed zone around the deposition hole, the water retention properties of the rock, and the transmissivity of two fractures intersecting the deposition hole have been varied. The calculations indicate that the wetting takes about 5 years if the water pressure in the rock is high and if the permeability of the rock is so high that the properties of the bentonite determine the wetting rate. However, it may take considerably more than 30 years if the rock is very tight and the water pressure in the rock is low. The calculations also show that the influence of the rock structure is rather large except for the influence of the transmissivity T of the fractures, which turned out to be insignificant for the values used in the calculations

  5. Optimization in Friction Stir Welding - With Emphasis on Thermo-mechanical Aspects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tutum, Cem Celal

    combined with classical single-objective and evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithms (i.e. SQP and NSGA-II), to find the optimum process parameters (heat input, rotational and traverse welding speeds) that would result in favorable thermo-mechanical conditions for the process.......This book deals with the challenging multidisciplinary task of combining variant thermal and thermo-mechanical simulations for the manufacturing process of friction stir welding (FSW) with numerical optimization techniques in the search for optimal process parameters. The FSW process...... is characterized by multiphysics involving solid material flow, heat transfer, thermal softening, recrystallization and the formation of residual stresses. Initially, the thermal models were addressed since they in essence constitute the basis of all other models of FSW. Following this, several integrated thermo-mechanical...

  6. Efficient thermo-mechanical generation of electricity from the heat of radioisotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooke-Yarborough, E.H.; Yeats, F.W.

    1975-01-01

    The thermomechanical generator uses a thermomechanical oscillator to convert heat efficiently into a mechanical oscillation which in turn excites a suitable transducer to generate alternating electricity. The thermomechanical oscillator used is based on the Stirling cycle, but avoids the need for rotary motion and for sliding pistons by having a mechanically-resonant, spring-suspended displacer, and by using an oscillating metal diaphragm to provide the mechanical output. The diaphragm drives an alternator consisting of a spring-suspended permanent magnet oscillating between fixed pole pieces which carry the electrical power output windings. Because a thermomechanical generator is much more efficient than a thermo-electric generator at comparable temperatures, it is particularly suitable for use with a radioisotope heat source. The amounts of radioisotope and of shielding required are both greatly reduced. A machine heated by radioisotopes and delivering 10.7W ac at 80Hz began operating in October, 1974. Operating experience with this machine is reported, and these results, together with those obtained with higher-powered machines heated by other means, are used to calculate characteristics and performance of thermo-mechanical radioisotope generators capable of using heat sources such as the waste-management 90 Sr radioisotope sources becoming available from the US nuclear waste management programme. A design to use one of these heat sources in a 52-W underwater generator is described

  7. Transformation behavior and shape memory characteristics of thermo-mechanically treated Ti–(45−x)Ni–5Cu–xV (at%) alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jang, Jae-young; Chun, Su-jin [Division of Materials Scince and Engineering and ERI, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinjudaero, Jinju, Gyeongnam 660-701 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Eunsoo [Department of Civil Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Liu, Yinong; Yang, Hong [School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Nam, Tae-hyun, E-mail: tahynam@gnu.ac.kr [Division of Materials Scince and Engineering and ERI, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinjudaero, Jinju, Gyeongnam 660-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-10-15

    Transformation behavior, shape memory characteristics and superelasticity of thermo-mechanically treated Ti–(45−x)Ni–5Cu–xV (at%) (x = 0.5–2.0) alloys were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractions, thermal cycling tests under constant load and tensile tests. The B2–B19′ transformation occurred when V content was 0.5 at%, above which the B2–B19–B19′ transformation occurred. The B2–B19 transformation was not separated clearly from the B19–B19′ transformation. Thermo-mechanically treated Ti–(45−x)Ni–5Cu–xV alloys showed perfect shape memory effect and transformation hysteresis(ΔT) of Ti–43.5Ni–5.0Cu–1.5V and Ti–43.0Ni–5.0Cu–2.0V alloys was about 9 K which was much smaller than that of a Ti–44.5Ni–5.0Cu–0.5V alloy(23.3 K). More than 90% of superelastic recovery ratio was observed in all specimens and transformation hysteresis (Δσ) of a Ti–44.5Ni–5.0Cu–0.5V alloy was about 70 MPa, which was much larger than that of a Ti–43.0Ni–5.0Cu–2.0V alloy (35 MPa).

  8. Effective thermo-mechanical properties and shape memory effect of CNT/SMP composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Qingsheng; Liu, Xia; Leng, Fangfang

    2009-07-01

    Shape memory polymer (SMP) has been applied in many fields as intelligent sensors and actuators. In order to improve the mechanical properties and recovery force of SMP, the addition of minor amounts of carbon nanotubes (CNT) into SMP has attracted wide attention. A micromechanical model and thermo-mechanical properties of CNT/SMP composites were studied in this paper. The thermo-mechanical constitutive relation of intellectual composites with isotropic and transversely isotropic CNT was obtained. Moreover, the shape memory effect of CNT/SMP composites and the effect of temperature and the volume fraction of CNT were discussed. The work shows that CNT/SMP composites exhibit excellent macroscopic thermo-mechanical properties and shape memory effect, while both of them can be affected remarkably by temperature and the microstructure parameters.

  9. THM-issues in repository rock. Thermal, mechanical, thermo-mechanical and hydro-mechanical evolution of the rock at the Forsmark and Laxemar sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoekmark, Harald; Loennqvist, Margareta; Faelth, Billy (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden))

    2010-05-15

    The present report addresses aspects of the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) evolution of the repository host rock that are of potential importance to the SR-Site safety assessment of a KBS-3 type spent nuclear fuel repository. The report covers the evolution of rock temperatures, rock stresses, pore pressures and fracture transmissivities during the excavation and operational phase, the temperate phase and a glacial cycle on different scales. The glacial cycle is assumed to include a period of pre-glacial permafrost with lowered temperatures and with increased pore pressures in the rock beneath the impermeable permafrost layer. The report also addresses the question of the peak temperature reached during the early temperate phase in the bentonite buffer surrounding the spent fuel canisters. The main text is devoted exclusively to the projected THM evolution of the rock at the Forsmark site in central Sweden. The focus is on the potential for stress-induced failures, i.e. spalling, in the walls of the deposition holes and on changes in the transmissivity of fractures and deformation zones. All analyses are conducted by a combination of numerical tools (3DEC) and analytical solutions. All phases are treated separately and independently of each other, although in reality construction will overlap with heat generation because of the step-by-step excavation/deposition approach with some 50 years between deposition of the first and last canisters. It is demonstrated here that the thermal and thermo-mechanical evolution of the near-field will be independent of heat generated by canisters that were deposited in the past, provided that deposition is made in an orderly fashion, deposition area by deposition area. Peak temperatures and near-field stresses can, consequently, be calculated as if all canisters were deposited simultaneously. The canister and tunnel spacing is specified such that the peak buffer temperature will not exceed 100 deg C in any deposition hole, i.e. not

  10. MX-80 Bentonite. Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Characterisation Performed at CIEMAT in the Context of the Prototype Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villar, M. V.

    2005-01-01

    This document details the results of the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) characterisation of the commercial MX-80 bentonite performed by CIEMAT from 2001 to 2004 in the context of a project carried out at the AEspoe Hard Rock Laboratory (Sweden), the Prototype Repository. The swelling pressure and the permeability of the bentonite compacted to different dry densities has been determined, as well as the influence of the permeant salinity on hydraulic conductivity. The influence of salinity on the retention capacity of the compacted bentonite has been studied. For that, a new methodology has been designed. Water retention curves have been determined at temperatures of 20 and 60 0 C. Suction controlled odometer tests have been performed at 20oC. Finally, the behaviour of the MX-80 bentonite has been compared to that of the Spanish FEBEX bentonite. (Author) 13 refs

  11. MX-80 Bentonite. thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Characterisation Performed at CIEMAT in the Context of the Prototype Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villar, M. V.

    2005-07-01

    This document details the results of the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) characterisation of the commercial MX-80 bentonite performed by CIEMAT from 2001 to 2004 in the context of a project carried out at the AEspoe Hard Rock Laboratory (Sweden), the Prototype Repository. The swelling pressure and the permeability of the bentonite compacted to different dry densities has been determined, as well as the influence of the permeant salinity on hydraulic conductivity. The influence of salinity on the retention capacity of the compacted bentonite has been studied. For that, a new methodology has been designed. Water retention curves have been determined at temperatures of 20 and 60oC. Suction controlled odometer tests have been performed at 20oC. Finally, the behaviour of the MX-80 bentonite has been compared to that of the Spanish FEBEX bentonite. (Author) 13 refs.

  12. Examination of the Thermo-mechanical Properties of E-Glass/Carbon Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hande Sezgin

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Eight-ply E-glass, carbon and E-glass/carbon fabric-reinforced polyester based hybrid composites were manufactured in this study. A vacuum infusion system was used as the production method. Dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis were conducted to examine the thermo-mechanical properties of composite samples. The effect of reinforcement type and different stacking sequences of fabric plies on the thermo-mechanical properties of composite samples were also investigated. Results showed that the type and alignment of reinforcement material has a signifi cant effect on the dynamic mechanical properties of composite samples.

  13. Thermo-mechanical design and testing of a microbalance for space applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scaccabarozzi, Diego; Saggin, Bortolino; Tarabini, Marco; Palomba, Ernesto; Longobardo, Andrea; Zampetti, Emiliano

    2014-12-01

    This work focuses on the thermo-mechanical design of the microbalance used for the VISTA (Volatile In Situ Thermogravimetry Analyzer) sensor. VISTA has been designed to operate in situ in different space environments (asteroids, Mars, icy satellites). In this paper we focus on its application on Mars, where the expected environmental conditions are the most challenging for the thermo-mechanical design. The microbalance holding system has been designed to ensure piezoelectric crystal integrity against the high vibration levels during launch and landing and to cope with the unavoidable thermo-elastic differential displacements due to CTE and temperature differences between the microbalance elements. The crystal holding system, based on three symmetrical titanium supports, provides also the electrical connections needed for crystal actuation, microbalance heating and temperature measurement on the electrode area. On the microbalance crystal surfaces the electrodes, a micro film heater (optimized to perform thermo-gravimetric analysis up to 400 °C) and a resistive thermometer are deposited through a vacuum sputtering process. A mockup of the system has been manufactured and tested at the expected vibration levels and the thermal control effectiveness has been verified in thermo-vacuum environment.

  14. Prediction of thermo-mechanical reliability of wafer backend processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gonda, V.; Toonder, den J.M.J.; Beijer, J.G.J.; Zhang, G.Q.; van Driel, W.D.; Hoofman, R.J.O.M.; Ernst, L.J.

    2004-01-01

    More than 65% of IC failures are related to thermal and mechanical problems. For wafer backend processes, thermo-mechanical failure is one of the major bottlenecks. The ongoing technological trends like miniaturization, introduction of new materials, and function/product integration will increase

  15. Prediction of thermo-mechanical integrity of wafer backend processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gonda, V.; Toonder, den J.M.J.; Beijer, J.G.J.; Zhang, G.Q.; Hoofman, R.J.O.M.; Ernst, L.J.; Ernst, L.J.

    2003-01-01

    More than 65% of IC failures are related to thermal and mechanical problems. For wafer backend processes, thermo-mechanical failure is one of the major bottlenecks. The ongoing technological trends like miniaturization, introduction of new materials, and function/product integration will increase

  16. Dosimetric characteristics of Thermo-Shield material for orthovoltage photon beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahmaid, Mohammad; Kim, Siyong; Liu, Chihray R.; Palta, Jatinder R.

    2003-01-01

    Conventionally, lead has been used for field shaping in orthovoltage radiation therapy. Recently, a compensator material named Thermo-Shield was presented for field shaping in electron beams. Thermo-Shield is composed of nontoxic, high atomic weight metal particles dispersed in a thermoplastic matrix. It is manually moldable and conforms to human anatomy or any shape at temperatures of 108-132 degree sign F. It is reusable and can be continuously reshaped to better fit the treatment field. Dosimetric characteristics of thermoplastic material were studied for Philips RT250 orthovoltage photon beams ranging from 75 to 250 kVp. It was found that Thermo-Shield should be four to five times thicker than lead to achieve the same transmission (less than 5%). However, it did not cause significant degradation in penumbra. Clinical procedures for use are discussed

  17. Thermo-mechanical design of the SINGAP accelerator grids for ITER NB Injectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agostinetti, P.; Dal Bello, S.; Palma, M.D.; Zaccaria, P.

    2006-01-01

    The SINGle Aperture - SINgle GAP (SINGAP) accelerator for ITER neutral beam injector foresees four grids for the extraction and acceleration of negative ions, instead of the seven grids of the Multi Aperture Multi Grid (MAMuG) reference configuration. Optimized geometry of the SINGAP grids (plasma, extraction, pre-acceleration, and grounded grid) was identified by CEA Association considering specific requirements for ions extraction and beam generation referring to experimental data and code simulations. This paper focuses on the thermo-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical design of the grids carried out by Consorzio RFX for the design of the first ITER NB Injector and the ITER NB Test Facility. The cooling circuit design (position and shape of the channels) and the cooling parameters (water coolant temperatures, pressure and velocity) were optimized with thermo-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical sensitivity analyses in order to satisfy the grid functional requirements (temperatures, in plane and out of plane deformations). A complete and detailed thermo-structural design assessment of the SINGAP grids was accomplished applying the structural design rules for ITER in-vessel components and considering both the reference load conditions and the maximum load provided by the power supplies. The design required a complete modelling of the grids and their support frames by means of 3D FE and CAD models. The grids were finally integrated with the support and cooling systems inside the beam source vessel. The main results of the thermo-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical analyses are presented. The open issues are then reported, mainly regarding the material properties characterization (static and fatigue tests) and the qualification of technologies for OFHC copper electro-deposition, brazing, and welding of heterogeneous materials. (author)

  18. Two scale damage model and related numerical issues for thermo-mechanical high cycle fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desmorat, R.; Kane, A.; Seyedi, M.; Sermage, J.P.

    2007-01-01

    On the idea that fatigue damage is localized at the microscopic scale, a scale smaller than the mesoscopic one of the Representative Volume Element (RVE), a three-dimensional two scale damage model has been proposed for High Cycle Fatigue applications. It is extended here to aniso-thermal cases and then to thermo-mechanical fatigue. The modeling consists in the micro-mechanics analysis of a weak micro-inclusion subjected to plasticity and damage embedded in an elastic meso-element (the RVE of continuum mechanics). The consideration of plasticity coupled with damage equations at micro-scale, altogether with Eshelby-Kroner localization law, allows to compute the value of microscopic damage up to failure for any kind of loading, 1D or 3D, cyclic or random, isothermal or aniso-thermal, mechanical, thermal or thermo-mechanical. A robust numerical scheme is proposed in order to make the computations fast. A post-processor for damage and fatigue (DAMAGE-2005) has been developed. It applies to complex thermo-mechanical loadings. Examples of the representation by the two scale damage model of physical phenomena related to High Cycle Fatigue are given such as the mean stress effect, the non-linear accumulation of damage. Examples of thermal and thermo-mechanical fatigue as well as complex applications on real size testing structure subjected to thermo-mechanical fatigue are detailed. (authors)

  19. Evaluation of thermo-mechanical properties data of carbon-based plasma facing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ulrickson, M.; Barabash, V.R.; Matera, R.; Roedig, M.; Smith, J.J.; Janev, R.K.

    1991-03-01

    This Report contains the proceedings, results and conclusions of the work done and the analysis performed during the IAEA Consultants' Meeting on ''Evaluation of thermo-mechanical properties data of carbon-based plasma facing materials'', convened on December 17-21, 1990, at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna. Although the prime objective of the meeting was to critically assess the available thermo-mechanical properties data for certain types of carbon-based fusion relevant materials, the work of the meeting went well beyond this task. The meeting participants discussed in depth the scope and structure of the IAEA material properties database, the format of data presentation, the most appropriate computerized system for data storage, retrieval, exchange and management. The existing IAEA ALADDIN system was adopted as a convenient tool for this purpose and specific ALADDIN labelling schemes and dictionaries were established for the material properties data. An ALADDIN formatted test-file for the thermo-physical and thermo-mechanical properties of pyrolytic graphite is appended to this Report for illustrative purposes. (author)

  20. Improvement of thermo-mechanical properties of ceramic materials for nuclear applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Decroix, G.M.; Gosset, D.; Kryger, B.; Boussuge, M.; Burlet, H.

    1994-01-01

    In order to improve the thermo-mechanical properties of materials used as neutron absorbers in nuclear reactors, cermet or cercer have been produced with two original microstructures: micro- or macro-dispersed composites. The composites thermal shock resistance has been evaluated in an image furnace. The microstructures we obtained involve different reinforcement mechanisms, such as crack deflection, crack branching, crack bridging or microcrack toughening, and improvement of thermal conductivity. The results reveal a significant improvement of the thermo-mechanical properties of the boron base neutron absorbers whose fabrication process leads to a macro-dispersed microstructure. (authors). 8 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs

  1. HYDRO-ABRASIVE RESISTANCE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE WITH ADDED FLY ASH

    OpenAIRE

    Ristić, Nenad; Grdić, Zoran; Topličić-Ćurčić, Gordana

    2015-01-01

    The durability of hydraulic engineering structures mostly depends on the resistance of their concrete surfaces to mechanical abrasion. In this paper, we study the hydro-abrasive resistance and mechanical properties of concrete in which cement is partially replaced with fly ash in various proportions. To evaluate these concretes, we measured their compressive strength, flexural strength, static modulus of elasticity, ultrasound velocity through concrete, and sclerometer rebound. The hydro-abra...

  2. Thermo-mechanical simulations of early-age concrete cracking with durability predictions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Havlásek, Petr; Šmilauer, Vít; Hájková, Karolina; Baquerizo, Luis

    2017-09-01

    Concrete performance is strongly affected by mix design, thermal boundary conditions, its evolving mechanical properties, and internal/external restraints with consequences to possible cracking with impaired durability. Thermo-mechanical simulations are able to capture those relevant phenomena and boundary conditions for predicting temperature, strains, stresses or cracking in reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, we propose a weakly coupled thermo-mechanical model for early age concrete with an affinity-based hydration model for thermal part, taking into account concrete mix design, cement type and thermal boundary conditions. The mechanical part uses B3/B4 model for concrete creep and shrinkage with isotropic damage model for cracking, able to predict a crack width. All models have been implemented in an open-source OOFEM software package. Validations of thermo-mechanical simulations will be presented on several massive concrete structures, showing excellent temperature predictions. Likewise, strain validation demonstrates good predictions on a restrained reinforced concrete wall and concrete beam. Durability predictions stem from induction time of reinforcement corrosion, caused by carbonation and/or chloride ingress influenced by crack width. Reinforcement corrosion in concrete struts of a bridge will serve for validation.

  3. Report on Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Laboratory Tests Performed by CIEMAT on Febex Bentonite 2004-2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villar, M. V.; Gomez-Espina, R.

    2009-01-01

    The results of the laboratory studies performed by CIEMAT with the FEBEX bentonite in the context of WP3.2 of the NF-PRO Project and of the Agreement ENRESA-CIEMAT Anexo V are presented and analysed in this report. They refer to the effect of the hydraulic gradient on the permeability of bentonite, the effect of the thermal gradient on the hydration kinetics of bentonite, and the repercussion of temperature on the hydro-mechanical properties of bentonite (swelling, permeability and water retention capacity). In all the cases the bentonite has been used compacted to densities expected in the engineered barrier of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The existence of threshold and critical hydraulic gradients has been observed, both of them dependent on bentonite density and water pressures. After more than seven years of hydration, the 40-cm high bentonite columns are far from full saturation, the thermal gradient additionally delaying the process, which is very slow. Temperatures below 100 degree centigrade slightly decrease the swelling and the water retention capacity of the bentonite and increase its permeability. The information obtained improves the knowledge on the behaviour of expansive clay and will help the development of constitutive models and the interpretation of the results obtained in the mock-up and the in situ tests. (Author) 35 refs

  4. Report on Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Laboratory Tests Performed by CIEMAT on Febex Bentonite 2004-2008

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villar, M. V.; Gomez-Espina, R.

    2009-11-25

    The results of the laboratory studies performed by CIEMAT with the FEBEX bentonite in the context of WP3.2 of the NF-PRO Project and of the Agreement ENRESA-CIEMAT Anexo V are presented and analysed in this report. They refer to the effect of the hydraulic gradient on the permeability of bentonite, the effect of the thermal gradient on the hydration kinetics of bentonite, and the repercussion of temperature on the hydro-mechanical properties of bentonite (swelling, permeability and water retention capacity). In all the cases the bentonite has been used compacted to densities expected in the engineered barrier of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The existence of threshold and critical hydraulic gradients has been observed, both of them dependent on bentonite density and water pressures. After more than seven years of hydration, the 40-cm high bentonite columns are far from full saturation, the thermal gradient additionally delaying the process, which is very slow. Temperatures below 100 degree centigrade slightly decrease the swelling and the water retention capacity of the bentonite and increase its permeability. The information obtained improves the knowledge on the behaviour of expansive clay and will help the development of constitutive models and the interpretation of the results obtained in the mock-up and the in situ tests. (Author) 35 refs.

  5. Operating experience with the Harwell thermo-mechanical generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooke-Yarborough, E.H.

    1980-06-01

    The Stirling-cycle thermo-mechanical generator (TMG) provides small amounts of electrical power continuously over long periods, while requiring much less fuel than other power sources running from hydrocarbon fuel or radio-isotopes. Two of these 25-watt generators, fuelled by propane, have been used to power the UK National Buoy on two successive missions. A total of more than three years experience at sea has now been accumulated. In addition, a 60-watt version has provided the power for a major lighthouse for more than a year. An early development version of the Thermo-mechanical Generator, adapted to run from the heat of a radio-isotope source, was loaded with strontium 90 titanate in October 1974 and has run continuously in the laboratory ever since. The improvements and changes found necessary in the course of 90,000 generator-hours of running time are described, and the improvements in operational performance and reliability which have resulted are outlined. (author)

  6. FEBEX Full-Scalle Engineered barriers experiment in crystalline host rock Preoperational thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) modelling of the in situ test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    This report contains the results of a set of 1-D and 2-D coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) analyses carried out during the preoperational stage simulating the in situ FEBEX test. The analyses incorporate available information concerning rock and bentonite properties as well as the final test layout and conditions. The main goals are: -To provide the best estimate of test performance given current models and information - To define a basis for future model improvements. The theoretical bases of the analyses and the computer code used are reviewed. Special reference is made to the process of parameter estimation that tries to incorporate available information on material behaviour obtained in the characterisation work carried out both in the laboratory and in the field. Data obtained in the characterisation stage is also used to define initial and boundary conditions. The results of the 1-D THM Base Case analysis are used to gain a good understanding of expected test behaviour concerning thermal, hydraulic and mechanical problems. A quite extensive programme of sensitivity analyses is also reported in which the effect of a number of parameters and boundary conditions are examined. The results of the sensitivity analyses place an appropriate context the information obtained from the Base Case showing, for instance, that rock desaturation and degree of buffer hydration depend on some critical parameters in a complex way. Two-dimensional effects are discussed on the basis of the results of 2-D axisymmetric THM analysis performed using a longitudinal section that provides a better representation of real test geometry. Quantitative but not qualitative differences are found with respect to the 1-D results. Finally, a 2-D THM cross section analysis has been performed under plane strain conditions. No specific 2-D effects are observed in this case as quasi-axisymmetric conditions have been prescribed. The models employed in the analyses included in this report have not

  7. Thermo-mechanical properties of polystyrene-based shape memory nanocomposites

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Xu, B.; Fu, Y.Q.; Ahmad, M.; Luo, J.K.; Huang, W.M.; Kraft, A.; Reuben, R.; Pei, Y.T.; Chen, Zhenguo; Hosson, J.Th.M. De

    2010-01-01

    Shape memory nanocomposites were fabricated using chemically cross-linked polystyrene (PS) copolymer as a matrix and different nanofillers (including alumina, silica and clay) as the reinforcing agents. Their thermo-mechanical properties and shape memory effects were characterized. Experimental

  8. Effect of Water on the Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Carbon Cloth Phenolic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Roy M.; Stokes, Eric; Baker, Eric H.

    2011-01-01

    The results of thermo-mechanical experiments, which were conducted previously by one of the authors, are reviewed. The strain in the direction normal to the fabric plane was measured as a function of temperature for a variety of initial moisture contents and heating rates. In this paper, the general features of the thermo-mechanical response are discussed and the effect of heating rate and initial moisture content are highlighted. The mechanical interaction between the phenolic polymer and water trapped within its free volumes as the polymer is heated to high temperatures is discussed. An equation for the internal stresses which are generated within the polymer due to trapped water is obtained from the total stress expression for a binary mixture of polymer and water. Numerical solutions for moisture diffusion in the thermo-mechanical experiments were performed and the results of these solutions are presented. The results of the moisture diffusion solutions help to explain the effects of heating rate and moisture content on the strain behavior normal to the fabric plane.

  9. A multi-scale computational scheme for anisotropic hydro-mechanical couplings in saturated heterogeneous porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mercatoris, B.C.N.; Massart, T.J.; Sluys, L.J.

    2013-01-01

    This contribution discusses a coupled two-scale framework for hydro-mechanical problems in saturated heterogeneous porous geomaterials. The heterogeneous nature of such materials can lead to an anisotropy of the hydro-mechanical couplings and non-linear effects. Based on an assumed model of the

  10. Review on Synthesis, Thermo-Physical Property, and Heat Transfer Mechanism of Nanofluids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahesh Suresh Patil

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Nanofluids are suspended nano-sized particles in a base fluid. With increasing demand for more high efficiency thermal systems, nanofluids seem to be a promising option for researchers. As a result, numerous investigations have been undertaken to understand the behaviors of nanofluids. Since their discovery, the thermo-physical properties of nanofluids have been under intense research. Inadequate understanding of the mechanisms involved in the heat transfer of nanofluids has been the major obstacle for the development of sophisticated nanofluids with the desired properties. In this comprehensive review paper, investigations on synthesis, thermo-physical properties, and heat transfer mechanisms of nanofluids have been reviewed and presented. Results show that the thermal conductivity of nanofluids increases with the increase of the operating temperature. This can potentially be used for the efficiency enhancement of thermal systems under higher operating temperatures. In addition, this paper also provides details concerning dependency of the thermo-physical properties as well as synthesis and the heat transfer mechanism of the nanofluids.

  11. Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Crack Growth of RR1000

    OpenAIRE

    Christopher John Pretty; Mark Thomas Whitaker; Steve John Williams

    2017-01-01

    Non-isothermal conditions during flight cycles have long led to the requirement for thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) evaluation of aerospace materials. However, the increased temperatures within the gas turbine engine have meant that the requirements for TMF testing now extend to disc alloys along with blade materials. As such, fatigue crack growth rates are required to be evaluated under non-isothermal conditions along with the development of a detailed understanding of related failure mechan...

  12. The hydro-mechanical modeling of the fractured media; Modelisation hydromecanique des milieux fractures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kadiri, I

    2002-10-15

    The hydro-mechanical modeling of the fractured media is quite complex. Simplifications are necessary for the modeling of such media, but, not always justified, Only permeable fractures are often considered. The rest of the network is approximated by an equivalent continuous medium. Even if we suppose that this approach is validated, the hydraulic and mechanical properties of the fractures and of the continuous medium are seldom known. Calibrations are necessary for the determination of these properties. Until now, one does not know very well the nature of measurements which must be carried out in order to carry on a modeling in discontinuous medium, nor elements of enough robust validation for this kind of modeling. For a better understanding of the hydro-mechanical phenomena in fractured media, two different sites have been selected for the work. The first is the site of Grimsel in Switzerland in which an underground laboratory is located at approximately 400 m of depth. The FEBEX experiment aims at the in-situ study of the consecutive phenomena due to the installation of a heat source representative of radioactive waste in the last 17 meters of the FEBEX tunnel in the laboratory of Grimsel. Only, the modeling of the hydro-mechanical of the excavation was model. The modeling of the Febex enabled us to establish a methodology of calibration of the hydraulic properties in the discontinuous media. However, this kind of study on such complex sites does not make possible to answer all the questions which arise on the hydro-mechanical behavior of the fractured media. We thus carried out modeling on an other site, smaller than the fist one and more accessible. The experimental site of Coaraze, in the Maritime Alps, is mainly constituted of limestone and fractures. Then the variation of water pressure along fractures is governed by the opening/closure sequence of a water gate. Normal displacement as well as the pore pressure along these fractures are recorded, and then

  13. On the hydro-mechanical behaviour of MX80 bentonite-based materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Jun Cui

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Bentonite-based materials have been considered in many countries as engineered barrier/backfilling materials in deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. During the long period of waste storage, these materials will play an essential role in ensuring the integrity of the storage system that consists of the waste canisters, the engineered barrier/backfill, the retaining structures as well as the geological barrier. Thus, it is essential to well understand the hydro-mechanical behaviours of these bentonite-based materials. This review paper presents the recent advances of knowledge on MX80 bentonite-based materials, in terms of water retention properties, hydraulic behaviour and mechanical behaviour. Emphasis is put on the effect of technological voids and the role of the dry density of bentonite. The swelling anisotropy is also discussed based on the results from swelling tests with measurements of both axial and radial swelling pressures on a sand-bentonite mixture compacted at different densities. Microstructure observation was used to help the interpretation of macroscopic hydro-mechanical behaviour. Also, the evolution of soil microstructure thus the soil density over time is discussed based on the results from mock-up tests. This evolution is essential for understanding the long-term hydro-mechanical behaviour of the engineered barrier/backfill.

  14. Insights into the Mechanism and Kinetics of Thermo-Oxidative Degradation of HFPE High Performance Polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunnikuruvan, Sooraj; Parandekar, Priya V; Prakash, Om; Tsotsis, Thomas K; Nair, Nisanth N

    2016-06-02

    The growing requisite for materials having high thermo-oxidative stability makes the design and development of high performance materials an active area of research. Fluorination of the polymer backbone is a widely applied strategy to improve various properties of the polymer, most importantly the thermo-oxidative stability. Many of these fluorinated polymers are known to have thermo-oxidative stability up to 700 K. However, for space and aerospace applications, it is important to improve its thermo-oxidative stability beyond 700 K. Molecular-level details of the thermo-oxidative degradation of such polymers can provide vital information to improve the polymer. In this spirit, we have applied quantum mechanical and microkinetic analysis to scrutinize the mechanism and kinetics of the thermo-oxidative degradation of a fluorinated polymer with phenylethenyl end-cap, HFPE. This study gives an insight into the thermo-oxidative degradation of HFPE and explains most of the experimental observations on the thermo-oxidative degradation of this polymer. Thermolysis of C-CF3 bond in the dianhydride component (6FDA) of HFPE is found to be the rate-determining step of the degradation. Reaction pathways that are responsible for the experimentally observed weight loss of the polymer is also scrutinized. On the basis of these results, we propose a modification of HFPE polymer to improve its thermo-oxidative stability.

  15. Fractures inside crystalline rocks. Effects of deformations on fluid circulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gentier, S.

    2005-01-01

    The modeling of fluid flows inside granite massifs is an important task for the evaluation of the feasibility of radioactive waste storage inside such formations. This document makes a synthesis of the works carried out since about 15 years, in particular by the French bureau of geological and mining research (BRGM), about the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a fracture and about the hydrodynamical characterization of fracture networks inside crystalline rocks: 1 - introduction; 2 - hydro-mechanical behaviour under normal stress: experimental results (hydro-mechanical behaviour, flow regimes, mechanical behaviour, test protocol, complementary tests, influence of samples size), geometrical interpretation of experimental results (relation with walls geometry, relation with voids geometry, relation with contacts geometry), hydro-mechanical modeling (hydraulic modeling, mechanical modeling); 3 - from the hydro-mechanical behaviour under normal stress to the coupling with heat transfers and chemistry: experiment for the study of the chemo-thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling (experimental results, relation with walls morphology), thermo-hydro-mechanical experiments, thermo-hydro-chemical experiments with fractures, conclusions; 4 - hydro-mechanical behaviour during shear: experimental results, geometrical interpretation (relation with the geometry of damaged zones, relation with voids geometry, relation with walls geometry), hydro-mechanical modeling (mechanical modeling, hydro-mechanical modeling of the behaviour during shear). (J.S.)

  16. Fractures inside crystalline rocks. Effects of deformations on fluid circulations; Fractures dans les roches cristallines. Effets des deformations sur les circulations de fluides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gentier, S

    2005-07-01

    The modeling of fluid flows inside granite massifs is an important task for the evaluation of the feasibility of radioactive waste storage inside such formations. This document makes a synthesis of the works carried out since about 15 years, in particular by the French bureau of geological and mining research (BRGM), about the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a fracture and about the hydrodynamical characterization of fracture networks inside crystalline rocks: 1 - introduction; 2 - hydro-mechanical behaviour under normal stress: experimental results (hydro-mechanical behaviour, flow regimes, mechanical behaviour, test protocol, complementary tests, influence of samples size), geometrical interpretation of experimental results (relation with walls geometry, relation with voids geometry, relation with contacts geometry), hydro-mechanical modeling (hydraulic modeling, mechanical modeling); 3 - from the hydro-mechanical behaviour under normal stress to the coupling with heat transfers and chemistry: experiment for the study of the chemo-thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling (experimental results, relation with walls morphology), thermo-hydro-mechanical experiments, thermo-hydro-chemical experiments with fractures, conclusions; 4 - hydro-mechanical behaviour during shear: experimental results, geometrical interpretation (relation with the geometry of damaged zones, relation with voids geometry, relation with walls geometry), hydro-mechanical modeling (mechanical modeling, hydro-mechanical modeling of the behaviour during shear). (J.S.)

  17. Assessment of thermo-mechanical behavior in CLAM steel first wall structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Fubin; Yao Man

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► China Low Activation Martensitic steel (CLAM) as FW the structural material. ► The thermo-mechanical behavior of the FW was analyzed under the condition of normal ITER operation combined effect of plasma heat flux and neutron heating. ► The temperature dependence of the material physical properties of CLAM is summarized. - Abstract: The temperature and strain distributions of the mockup with distinct structural material (SS316L or China Low Activation Martensitic steel (CLAM)) in two-dimensional model were calculated and analyzed, based on a high heat flux (HHF) test recently reported with heat flux of 3.2 MW/m 2 . The calculated temperature and strain results in the first wall (FW), in which SS316L is as the structural material, showed good agreement with HHF test. By substituting CLAM steel for SS316L the contrast analysis indicates that the thermo-mechanical property for CLAM steel is better than that of SS316 at the same condition. Furthermore, the thermo-mechanical behavior of the FW was analyzed under the condition of normal ITER operation combined effect of plasma heat flux and neutron heating.

  18. Assessment of thermo-mechanical behavior in CLAM steel first wall structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu Fubin, E-mail: liufubin_1216@126.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, Liaoning (China); Yao Man, E-mail: yaoman@dlut.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, Liaoning (China)

    2012-01-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer China Low Activation Martensitic steel (CLAM) as FW the structural material. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The thermo-mechanical behavior of the FW was analyzed under the condition of normal ITER operation combined effect of plasma heat flux and neutron heating. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The temperature dependence of the material physical properties of CLAM is summarized. - Abstract: The temperature and strain distributions of the mockup with distinct structural material (SS316L or China Low Activation Martensitic steel (CLAM)) in two-dimensional model were calculated and analyzed, based on a high heat flux (HHF) test recently reported with heat flux of 3.2 MW/m{sup 2}. The calculated temperature and strain results in the first wall (FW), in which SS316L is as the structural material, showed good agreement with HHF test. By substituting CLAM steel for SS316L the contrast analysis indicates that the thermo-mechanical property for CLAM steel is better than that of SS316 at the same condition. Furthermore, the thermo-mechanical behavior of the FW was analyzed under the condition of normal ITER operation combined effect of plasma heat flux and neutron heating.

  19. Effects of Microstructural Variability on Thermo-Mechanical Properties of a Woven Ceramic Matrix Composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldsmith, Marlana B.; Sankar, Bhavani V.; Haftka, Raphael T.; Goldberg, Robert K.

    2013-01-01

    The objectives of this paper include identifying important architectural parameters that describe the SiC/SiC five-harness satin weave composite and characterizing the statistical distributions and correlations of those parameters from photomicrographs of various cross sections. In addition, realistic artificial cross sections of a 2D representative volume element (RVE) are generated reflecting the variability found in the photomicrographs, which are used to determine the effects of architectural variability on the thermo-mechanical properties. Lastly, preliminary information is obtained on the sensitivity of thermo-mechanical properties to architectural variations. Finite element analysis is used in combination with a response surface and it is shown that the present method is effective in determining the effects of architectural variability on thermo-mechanical properties.

  20. Temperature buffer test. Hydro-mechanical and chemical/ mineralogical characterizations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aakesson, Mattias; Olsson, Siv; Dueck, Ann; Nilsson, Ulf; Karnland, Ola [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden); Kiviranta, Leena; Kumpulainen, Sirpa [BandTech Oy, Helsinki (Finland); Linden, Johan [Aabo Akademi, Aabo (Finland)

    2012-01-15

    The Temperature Buffer Test (TBT) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modeling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at improving the understanding and to model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test has been carried out in a KBS-3 deposition hole at Aspo HRL. It was installed during the spring of 2003. Two steel heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter) and two buffer arrangements have been investigated: the lower heater was surrounded by rings of compacted Wyoming bentonite only, whereas the upper heater was surrounded by a composite barrier, with a sand shield between the heater and the bentonite. The test was dismantled and sampled during the winter of 2009/2010. This report presents the hydro-mechanical and chemical/mineralogical characterization program which was launched subsequent to the dismantling operation. The main goal has been to investigate if any significant differences could be observed between material from the field experiment and the reference material. The field samples were mainly taken from Ring 4 (located at the mid-section around the lower heater), in which the temperature in the innermost part reached 155 deg C. The following hydro-mechanical properties have been determined for the material (test technique within brackets): hydraulic conductivity (swelling pressure device), swelling pressure (swelling pressure device), unconfined compression strength (mechanical press), shear strength (triaxial cell) and retention properties (jar method). The following chemical/mineralogical properties (methods within brackets) were determined: anion analysis of water leachates (IC), chemical composition (ICP/AES+MS, EGA), cation exchange capacity (CEC, Cu-trien method) and exchangeable cations (exchange with NH4, ICPAES), mineralogical composition (XRD and FTIR), element distribution and microstructure (SEM and

  1. Application of an enriched FEM technique in thermo-mechanical contact problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khoei, A. R.; Bahmani, B.

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, an enriched FEM technique is employed for thermo-mechanical contact problem based on the extended finite element method. A fully coupled thermo-mechanical contact formulation is presented in the framework of X-FEM technique that takes into account the deformable continuum mechanics and the transient heat transfer analysis. The Coulomb frictional law is applied for the mechanical contact problem and a pressure dependent thermal contact model is employed through an explicit formulation in the weak form of X-FEM method. The equilibrium equations are discretized by the Newmark time splitting method and the final set of non-linear equations are solved based on the Newton-Raphson method using a staggered algorithm. Finally, in order to illustrate the capability of the proposed computational model several numerical examples are solved and the results are compared with those reported in literature.

  2. Thermal and thermo-mechanical simulation of laser assisted machining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Germain, G.; Dal Santo, P.; Lebrun, J. L.; Bellett, D.; Robert, P.

    2007-01-01

    Laser Assisted Machining (LAM) improves the machinability of materials by locally heating the workpiece just prior to cutting. The heat input is provided by a high power laser focused several millimeters in front of the cutting tool. Experimental investigations have confirmed that the cutting force can be decreased, by as much as 40%, for various materials (tool steel, titanium alloys and nickel alloys). The laser heat input is essentially superficial and results in non-uniform temperature profiles within the depth of the workpiece. The temperature field in the cutting zone is therefore influenced by many parameters. In order to understand the effect of the laser on chip formation and on the temperature fields in the different deformation zones, thermo-mechanical simulation were undertaken. A thermo-mechanical model for chip formation with and without the laser was also undertaken for different cutting parameters. Experimental tests for the orthogonal cutting of 42CrMo4 steel were used to validate the simulation via the prediction of the cutting force with and without the laser. The thermo-mechanical model then allowed us to highlight the differences in the temperature fields in the cutting zone with and without the laser. In particular, it was shown that for LAM the auto-heating of the material in the primary shear zone is less important and that the friction between the tool and chip also generates less heat. The temperature fields allow us to explain the reduction in the cutting force and the resulting residual stress fields in the workpiece

  3. Thermo-mechanical stress analysis of cryopreservation in cryobags and the potential benefit of nanowarming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solanki, Prem K; Bischof, John C; Rabin, Yoed

    2017-06-01

    Cryopreservation by vitrification is the only promising solution for long-term organ preservation which can save tens of thousands of lives across the world every year. One of the challenges in cryopreservation of large-size tissues and organs is to prevent fracture formation due to the tendency of the material to contract with temperature. The current study focuses on a pillow-like shape of a cryobag, while exploring various strategies to reduce thermo-mechanical stress during the rewarming phase of the cryopreservation protocol, where maximum stresses are typically found. It is demonstrated in this study that while the level of stress may generally increase with the increasing amount of CPA filled in the cryobag, the ratio between width and length of the cryobag play a significant role. Counterintuitively, the overall maximum stress is not found when the bag is filled to its maximum capacity (when the filled cryobag resembles a sphere). Parametric investigation suggests that reducing the initial rewarming rate between the storage temperature and the glass transition temperature may dramatically decrease the thermo-mechanical stress. Adding a temperature hold during rewarming at the glass transition temperature may reduce the thermo-mechanical stress in some cases, but may have an adverse effect in other cases. Finally, it is demonstrated that careful incorporation of volumetric heating by means on nanoparticles in an alternating magnetic field, or nanowarming, can dramatically reduce the resulting thermo-mechanical stress. These observations display the potential benefit of a thermo-mechanical design of the cryopreservation protocols in order to prevent structural damage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Experimental study of thermo-mechanical behavior of a thermosetting shape-memory polymer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ruoxuan; Li, Yunxin; Liu, Zishun

    2018-01-01

    The thermo-mechanical behavior of shape-memory polymers (SMPs) serves for the engineering applications of SMPs. Therefore the understanding of thermo-mechanical behavior of SMPs is of great importance. This paper investigates the influence of loading rate and loading level on the thermo-mechanical behavior of a thermosetting shape-memory polymer through experimental study. A series of cyclic tension tests and shape recovery tests at different loading conditions are performed to study the strain level and strain rate effect. The results of tension tests show that the thermosetting shape-memory polymer will behave as rubber material at temperature lower than the glass transition temperature (Tg) and it can obtain a large shape fix ratio at cyclic loading condition. The shape recovery tests exhibit that loading rate and loading level have little effect on the beginning and ending of shape recovery process of the thermosetting shape-memory polymer. Compared with the material which is deformed at temperature higher than Tg, the material deformed at temperature lower than Tg behaves a bigger recovery speed.

  5. Methods of Assessing the Resource of the Crankshaft Bearing of Internal Combustion Engine Based on the Calculation of Hydro-Mechanical Characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.G. Levanov

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the article is to develop a tool to assess the theoretical resource crankshaft bearings of internal combustion engine. As a result, two methods for evaluating of the theoretical resource crankshaft bearings have been developed on the basis of the calculation of hydro-mechanical characteristics of bearings: the minimum film thickness and the extent of the zone of boundary friction. Under the theoretical resource of crankshaft bearing it is understood that during his work an increase of the radial clearance in the area of potential exposure (boundary friction is over the limit. The first technique is based on the bearing life dependence on the ratio between the minimum film thickness and its maximum allowable value. The second technique is based on the molecular-mechanical theory of friction and wear fatigue theory. Thus, these techniques may be used to estimate the resource of the crankshaft journal bearings at the design and finishing stage. However, some parameters of mathematical models have to be determined from the experimental test. The use of molecular-mechanical theory of friction and wear fatigue theory takes into account the influence of the physical and mechanical properties of a bearing material on his life.

  6. Thermo-mechanical properties and integrity of metallic interconnects in microelectronics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ege, Efe Sinan

    In this dissertation, combined numerical (Finite Element Method) and experimental efforts were undertaken to study thermo-mechanical behavior in microelectronic devices. Interconnects, including chip-level metallization and package-level solder joints, are used to join many of the circuit parts in modern equipment. The dissertation is structured into six independent studies after the introductory chapter. The first two studies focus on thermo-mechanical fatigue of solder joints. Thermo-mechanical fatigue, in the form of damage along a microstructurally coarsened region in tin-lead solder, is analyzed along with the effects of intermetallic morphology. Also, lap-shear testing is modeled to characterize the joint and to investigate the validity of experimental data from different solder and substrate geometries. In the third study, the effects of pre-machined holes on strain localization and overall ductility in bulk eutectic tin-lead alloy is examined. Finite element analyses, taking into account the viscoplastic response, were carried out to provide a mechanistic rationale to corroborate the experimental findings. The fourth study concerns chip-level copper interconnects. Various combinations of oxide and polymer-based low-k dielectric schemes, with and without the thin barrier layers surrounding the Cu line, are considered. Attention is devoted to the thermal stress and strain fields and their dependency on material properties, geometry, and modeling details. This study is followed by a chapter on atomistics of interface-mediated plasticity in thin metallic films. The objective is to gain fundamental insight into the underlying mechanisms affecting the mechanical response of nanoscale thin films. The final study investigates the effect of microstructural heterogeneity on indentation response, for the purpose of raising awareness of the uncertainties involved in applying indentation techniques in probing mechanical properties of miniaturized devices.

  7. Chemical influence on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of high-density bentonite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castellanos, E.; Romero, E.; Lioret, A. [Technical Univ. of Catalonia UPC, Barcelona (Spain); Musso, G. [Politecnico di Torino, Torino (Italy)

    2005-07-01

    In radioactive waste disposal schemes, during the operational period of clay barriers, solute transport an d thermal gradients may alter the solute concentration of pore water. These induced changes have important consequences on hydro-mechanical properties and microstructural alterations (mineral composition and pore size distribution changes) of the clay barrier. Chemically induced changes originated by different imbibition fluids and soil mineral compositions have been a subject with a long research tradition. These researches have been mainly focused on the behaviour of reconstituted soils starting from slurry and saturated wit h saline solutions at elevated concentrations, where hydro-mechanical changes (soil compressibility and water permeability changes) are clearly detected. In contrast, available information concerning the response of high-density clays subjected to chemically induced actions with a wide range of pore solution concentrations is very limited in spite of its practical relevance to environmental geotechnics. This situation has been caused, at least in part, by the difficulties in detecting important hydro-mechanical changes when clays with low water storage capacity have been used. Nevertheless, this paper will demonstrate that even in the case of high-density fabrics, considerable changes can be observed when high-activity clays (bentonites) are imbibed with different pore fluid compositions. (authors)

  8. Study of gap conductance model for thermo mechanical fully coupled finite element model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyo Cha; Yang, Yong Sik; Kim, Dae Ho; Bang, Je Geon; Kim, Sun Ki; Koo, Yang Hyun

    2012-01-01

    accurately, gap conductance model for thermomechanical fully coupled FE should be developed. However, gap conductance in FE can be difficult issue in terms of convergence because all elements which are positioned in gap have different gap conductance at each iteration step. It is clear that our code should have gap conductance model for thermo-mechanical fully coupled FE in three-dimension. In this paper, gap conductance model for thermomechanical coupled FE has been built using commercial FE code to understand gap conductance model in FE. We coded commercial FE code using APDL because it does not have iterative gap conductance model. Through model, convergence parameter and characteristics were studied

  9. A geometrical multi-scale numerical method for coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical problems in photovoltaic laminates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenarda, P; Paggi, M

    A comprehensive computational framework based on the finite element method for the simulation of coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical problems in photovoltaic laminates is herein proposed. While the thermo-mechanical problem takes place in the three-dimensional space of the laminate, moisture diffusion occurs in a two-dimensional domain represented by the polymeric layers and by the vertical channel cracks in the solar cells. Therefore, a geometrical multi-scale solution strategy is pursued by solving the partial differential equations governing heat transfer and thermo-elasticity in the three-dimensional space, and the partial differential equation for moisture diffusion in the two dimensional domains. By exploiting a staggered scheme, the thermo-mechanical problem is solved first via a fully implicit solution scheme in space and time, with a specific treatment of the polymeric layers as zero-thickness interfaces whose constitutive response is governed by a novel thermo-visco-elastic cohesive zone model based on fractional calculus. Temperature and relative displacements along the domains where moisture diffusion takes place are then projected to the finite element model of diffusion, coupled with the thermo-mechanical problem by the temperature and crack opening dependent diffusion coefficient. The application of the proposed method to photovoltaic modules pinpoints two important physical aspects: (i) moisture diffusion in humidity freeze tests with a temperature dependent diffusivity is a much slower process than in the case of a constant diffusion coefficient; (ii) channel cracks through Silicon solar cells significantly enhance moisture diffusion and electric degradation, as confirmed by experimental tests.

  10. Thermo-hydraulic characteristics of ship propulsion reactor in the conditions of ship motions and safety assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Michiyuki; Aya, Izuo; Inasaka, Fujio; Murata, Hiroyuki; Odano, Naoteru; Shiozaki, Koki

    1998-01-01

    A research project from 1995-1999 had a plan to make experimental studies on (1) safety of nuclear ship loaded with an integral ship propulsion reactor (2) effects of pulsating flow on the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of ship propulsion reactor and (3) thermo-hydraulic behaviors of the reactor container at the time of accident in a passively safe ship propulsion reactor. Development of a data base for ship propulsion reactor was attempted using previous experimental data on the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of the reactor in the institute in addition to the present results aiming to make general analytical evaluation for the safety of the engineering-simulation system for nuclear ship. A general data base was obtained by integrating the data list and the analytical program for static characteristics. A test equipment which allows to visualize the pulsating flow was produced and visualization experiments have started. (M.N.)

  11. Thermo-mechanical design of the SINGAP accelerator grids for ITER NB injectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Agostinetti, P. [Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I35127 Padova (Italy)], E-mail: piero.agostinetti@igi.cnr.it; Dal Bello, S.; Dalla Palma, M.; Zaccaria, P. [Consorzio RFX, Euratom-ENEA Association, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I35127 Padova (Italy)

    2007-10-15

    The SINGle Aperture-SINgle GAP (SINGAP) accelerator for ITER neutral beam injector foresees four grids for the extraction and acceleration of negative ions, instead of the seven grids of the Multi-Aperture Multi-Grid (MAMuG) reference configuration. The grids have to fulfil specific requirements coming from ion extraction, beam optics and thermo-mechanical issues. This paper focuses on the thermo-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical design of the grids carried out by Consorzio RFX for the design of the first ITER NB injector and the ITER NB Test Facility. The cooling circuit design (position and shape of the channels) and the cooling parameters (water coolant temperatures, pressure and velocity) were optimized with sensitivity analyses in order to satisfy the grid functional requirements (temperatures, stresses, in plane and out of plane deformations). The design required a complete modelling of the grids and their support frames by means of 3D FE and CAD models.

  12. Thermo-mechanical analysis of FG nanobeam with attached tip mass: an exact solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghadiri, Majid; Jafari, Ali

    2016-12-01

    Present disquisition proposes an analytical solution method for exploring the vibration characteristics of a cantilever functionally graded nanobeam with a concentrated mass exposed to thermal loading for the first time. Thermo-mechanical properties of FGM nanobeam are supposed to change through the thickness direction of beam based on the rule of power-law (P-FGM). The small-scale effect is taken into consideration based on nonlocal elasticity theory of Eringen. Linear temperature rise (LTR) through thickness direction is studied. Existence of centralized mass in the free end of nanobeam influences the mechanical and physical properties. Timoshenko beam theory is employed to derive the nonlocal governing equations and boundary conditions of FGM beam attached with a tip mass under temperature field via Hamilton's principle. An exact solution procedure is exploited to achieve the non-dimensional frequency of FG nanobeam exposed to temperature field with a tip mass. A parametric study is led to assess the efficacy of temperature changes, tip mass, small scale, beam thickness, power-law exponent, slenderness and thermal loading on the natural frequencies of FG cantilever nanobeam with a point mass at the free end. It is concluded that these parameters play remarkable roles on the dynamic behavior of FG nanobeam subjected to LTR with a tip mass. The results for simpler states are confirmed with known data in the literature. Presented numerical results can serve as benchmarks for future thermo-mechanical analyses of FG nanobeam with tip mass.

  13. Thermo-mechanical design of the extraction grids for RF negative ion source at HUST

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zuo, Chen; Liu, Kaifeng, E-mail: kfliuhust@hust.edu.cn; Li, Dong; Mei, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Zhe; Chen, Dezhi

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • An extraction system with cooling channels has been designed for HUST negative ion source. • Corresponding heat loads onto three grids has been used in thermo-mechanical analysis. • The analysis results could be very useful for driving the engineering design. - Abstract: Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) is developing a small radio frequency negative ion source experimental setup to promote research on neutral beam injection ion sources. The extraction system for the negative ion source is the key component to obtain the negative ions. The extraction system is composed of three grids: the plasma grid, the extraction grid and the grounded grid. Each grid is impacted by different heat loads. As the grids have to fulfil specific requirements regarding ion extraction, beam optics, and thermo-mechanical issues, grid cooling systems have been included for ensuring reliable operation. This paper focuses on the thermo-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical design of the grids. Finite element calculations have been carried out to analyse the temperature and deformation of the grids under heat loads using the fluid dynamics code CFX. Based on these results, the cooling circuit design and cooling parameters are optimised to satisfy the grid requirements.

  14. Damage evolution of TBC system under in-phase thermo-mechanical tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitazawa, R.; Tanaka, M.; Kagawa, Y.; Liu, Y.F.

    2010-01-01

    In-phase thermo-mechanical tests (TMF) of EB-PVD Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 thermal barrier coating (TBC) system (8 wt% Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 /CoNiCrAlY/IN-738 substrate) were done under a through-the-thick-direction thermal gradient from TBC surface temperature at 1150 deg. C to substrate temperature at 1000 deg. C. Deformation and failure behaviors of the TBC system were observed at the macroscopic and microscopic scales and damage evolution of the system under in-phase thermo-mechanical test was discussed. Special attention was paid to TBC layer cracking, thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer formation and void formation in bond coat and substrate. Effect of TMF conditions on the damage evolution behaviors was also discussed.

  15. Cyclic life of superalloy IN738LC under in-phase and out-of-phase thermo-mechanical fatigue loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Hongjun; Wahi, R.P.; Wever, H.

    1995-01-01

    The cyclic life of IN738LC, a widely used nickel base superalloy for blades in stationary gas turbines, was investigated under thermo-mechanical fatigue loading using a temperature variation range of 1023 to 1223 K, with temperature variation rate in the range of 6 to 15 K/min. Simple thermo-mechanical cycles with linear sequences corresponding to in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) tests were performed. Both the IP and OP tests were carried out at different constant mechanical strain ranges varied between 0.8 to 2.0% and at a constant mechanical strain rate of 10 -5 s -1 . Thermo-mechanical fatigue lives under both test conditions were compared with each other and with those of isothermal LCF tests at a temperature of 1223 K. The results show that the life under thermo-mechanical fatigue is strongly dependent on the nature of the test, i.e. stress controlled or strain controlled. (orig.)

  16. The importance of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical couplings and microstructure to strain localization in 3D continua with application to seismic faults. Part II: Numerical implementation and post-bifurcation analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattez, Hadrien; Stefanou, Ioannis; Sulem, Jean; Veveakis, Manolis; Poulet, Thomas

    2018-06-01

    In this paper we study the phenomenon of localization of deformation in fault gouges during seismic slip. This process is of key importance to understand frictional heating and energy budget during an earthquake. A infinite layer of fault gouge is modeled as a Cosserat continuum taking into account Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) couplings. The theoretical aspects of the problem are presented in the companion paper (Rattez et al., 2017a), together with a linear stability analysis to determine the conditions of localization and estimate the shear band thickness. In this Part II of the study, we investigate the post-bifurcation evolution of the system by integrating numerically the full system of non-linear equations using the method of Finite Elements. The problem is formulated in the framework of Cosserat theory. It enables to introduce information about the microstructure of the material in the constitutive equations and to regularize the mathematical problem in the post-localization regime. We emphasize the influence of the size of the microstructure and of the softening law on the material response and the strain localization process. The weakening effect of pore fluid thermal pressurization induced by shear heating is examined and quantified. It enhances the weakening process and contributes to the narrowing of shear band thickness. Moreover, due to THM couplings an apparent rate-dependency is observed, even for rate-independent material behavior. Finally, comparisons show that when the perturbed field of shear deformation dominates, the estimation of the shear band thickness obtained from linear stability analysis differs from the one obtained from the finite element computations, demonstrating the importance of post-localization numerical simulations.

  17. Damage evolution of TBC system under in-phase thermo-mechanical tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kitazawa, R.; Tanaka, M.; Kagawa, Y. [Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904 (Japan); Liu, Y.F., E-mail: yfliu@hyper.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904 (Japan)

    2010-10-15

    In-phase thermo-mechanical tests (TMF) of EB-PVD Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} thermal barrier coating (TBC) system (8 wt% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2}/CoNiCrAlY/IN-738 substrate) were done under a through-the-thick-direction thermal gradient from TBC surface temperature at 1150 deg. C to substrate temperature at 1000 deg. C. Deformation and failure behaviors of the TBC system were observed at the macroscopic and microscopic scales and damage evolution of the system under in-phase thermo-mechanical test was discussed. Special attention was paid to TBC layer cracking, thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer formation and void formation in bond coat and substrate. Effect of TMF conditions on the damage evolution behaviors was also discussed.

  18. Characterisation of Ground Thermal and Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour for Shallow Geothermal Energy Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Vieira

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Increasing use of the ground as a thermal reservoir is expected in the near future. Shallow geothermal energy (SGE systems have proved to be sustainable alternative solutions for buildings and infrastructure conditioning in many areas across the globe in the past decades. Recently novel solutions, including energy geostructures, where SGE systems are coupled with foundation heat exchangers, have also been developed. The performance of these systems is dependent on a series of factors, among which the thermal properties of the soil play a major role. The purpose of this paper is to present, in an integrated manner, the main methods and procedures to assess ground thermal properties for SGE systems and to carry out a critical review of the methods. In particular, laboratory testing through either steady-state or transient methods are discussed and a new synthesis comparing results for different techniques is presented. In situ testing including all variations of the thermal response test is presented in detail, including a first comparison between new and traditional approaches. The issue of different scales between laboratory and in situ measurements is then analysed in detail. Finally, the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of soil is introduced and discussed. These coupled processes are important for confirming the structural integrity of energy geostructures, but routine methods for parameter determination are still lacking.

  19. Thermo-mechanical modelling of salt caverns due to fluctuating loading conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böttcher, N.

    2015-12-01

    This work summarizes the development and application of a numerical model for the thermo-mechanical behaviour of salt caverns during cyclic gas storage. Artificial salt caverns are used for short term energy storage, such as power-to-gas or compressed air energy storage. Those applications are characterized by highly fluctuating operation pressures due to the unsteady power levels of power plants based on renewable energy. Compression and expansion of the storage gases during loading and unloading stages lead to rapidly changing temperatures in the host rock of the caverns. This affects the material behaviour of the host rock within a zone that extends several meters into the rock mass adjacent to the cavern wall, and induces thermo-mechanical stresses and alters the creep response.The proposed model features the thermodynamic behaviour of the storage medium, conductive heat transport in the host rock, as well as temperature dependent material properties of rock salt using different thermo-viscoplastic material models. The utilized constitutive models are well known and state-of-the-art in various salt mechanics applications. The model has been implemented into the open-source software platform OpenGeoSys. Thermal and mechanical processes are solved using a finite element approach, coupled via a staggered coupling scheme. The simulation results allow the conclusion, that the cavern convergence rate (and thus the efficiency of the cavern) is highly influenced by the loading cycle frequency and the resulting gas temperatures. The model therefore allows to analyse the influence of operation modes on the cavern host rock or on neighbouring facilities.

  20. Experimental Hydro-Mechanical Characterization of Full Load Pressure Surge in Francis Turbines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, A.; Favrel, A.; Landry, C.; Yamamoto, K.; Avellan, F.

    2017-04-01

    Full load pressure surge limits the operating range of hydro-electric generating units by causing significant power output swings and by compromising the safety of the plant. It appears during the off-design operation of hydraulic machines, which is increasingly required to regulate the broad integration of volatile renewable energy sources into the existing power network. The underlying causes and governing physical mechanisms of this instability were investigated in the frame of a large European research project and this paper documents the main findings from two experimental campaigns on a reduced scale model of a Francis turbine. The multi-phase flow in the draft tube is characterized by Particle Image Velocimetry, Laser Doppler Velocimetry and high-speed visualizations, along with synchronized measurements of the relevant hydro-mechanical quantities. The final result is a comprehensive overview of how the unsteady draft tube flow and the mechanical torque on the runner shaft behave during one mean period of the pressure oscillation, thus defining the unstable fluid-structure interaction responsible for the power swings. A discussion of the root cause is initiated, based on the state of the art. Finally, the latest results will enable a validation of recent RANS flow simulations used for determining the key parameters of hydro-acoustic stability models.

  1. Thermal, thermo-hydraulic and thermo-mechanic analysis for fuel elements of IEA-R1 reactor at 5MW

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teixeira e Silva, A.; Silva Macedo, L.V. da

    1989-01-01

    In connection with the on going conversion of IEA-R1 Research Reactor, operated by IPEN-CNEN/SP, from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to the use of low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel, steady-state thermal and thermo-hydraulic analysis of both existing HEU and proposed LEU cores under 2 MW operating conditions have been carried out. Keeping in mind the possibility of power upgrading, steady-state thermal, thermo-hydraulic and thermomechanical analysis of proposed LEU core under 5 MW operating conditions have also been carried out. The thermal and thermo-hydraulic analysis at 2 MW show that the conversion of the existing HEU core to be proposed LEU core will not change the reactor safety margins. Although the upgrading of the reactor power to 5 MW will result in safety margins lower than in case of 2MW, these will be still sufficient for optimum operation and safe behaviour. The thermomechanical analysis at 5 MW show that the thermal stresses induced in the fuel element will satisfy the design limits for mechanical strenght and elastic stability. (author) [pt

  2. Monitoring and modelling of thermo-hydro-mechanical processes - main results of a heater experiment at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ingeborg, G.; Alheid, H.J. [BGR - Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover (Germany); Jockwerz, N. [Gesellschaft fur Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) - Final Repository Research Division, Braunschweig (Germany); Mayor, J.C. [ENRESA - Empresa Nacional des Residuos Radioactivos, Madrid (Spain); Garcia-Siner, J.L. [AITEMIN -Asociacion para la Investigacion y Desarrollo Industrial de los Recursos Naturales, Madrid, (Spain); Alonso, E. [CIMNE - Centre Internacional de Metodos Numerics en Ingenyeria, UPC, Barcelona (Spain); Weber, H.P. [NAGRA - National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Wettingen (Switzerland); Plotze, M. [ETHZ - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, IGT, Zurich, (Switzerland); Klubertanz, G. [COLENCO Power Engineering Ltd., Baden (Switzerland)

    2005-07-01

    The long-term safety of permanent underground repositories relies on a combination of engineered and geological barriers, so that the interactions between the barriers in response to conditions expected in a high-level waste repository need to be identified and fully understood. Co-financed by the European Community, a heater experiment was realized on a pilot plant scale at the underground laboratory in Mont Terri, Switzerland. The experiment was accompanied by an extensive programme of continuous monitoring, experimental investigations on-site as well as in laboratories, and numerical modelling of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes. Heat-producing waste was simulated by a heater element of 10 cm diameter, held at a constant surface temperature of 100 C. The heater element (length 2 m) operated in a vertical borehole of 7 m depth at 4 to 6 m depth. It was embedded in a geotechnical barrier of pre-compacted bentonite blocks (outer diameter 30 cm) that were irrigated for 35 months before the heating phase (duration 18 months) began. The host rock is a highly consolidated stiff Jurassic clay stone (Opalinus Clay). After the heating phase, the vicinity of the heater element was explored by seismic, hydraulic, and geotechnical tests to investigate if the heating had induced changes in the Opalinus Clay. Additionally, rock mechanic specimens were tested in the laboratory. Finally, the experiment was dismantled to provide laboratory specimens of post - heating buffer and host rock material. The bentonite blocks were thoroughly wetted at the time of the dismantling. The volume increase amounted to 5 to 9% and was thus below the bentonite potential. Geo-electrical measurements showed no decrease of the water content in the vicinity of the heater during the heating phase. Decreasing energy input to the heater element over time suggests hence, that the bentonite dried leading to a decrease of its thermal conductivity. Gas release during the heating period occurred

  3. Effect of thermo-mechanical treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an ODS ferritic steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oksiuta, Z.; Mueller, P.; Spaetig, P.; Baluc, N.

    2011-01-01

    The Fe-14Cr-2W-0.3Ti-0.3Y 2 O 3 oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) reduced activation ferritic (RAF) steel was fabricated by mechanical alloying of a pre-alloyed, gas atomised powder with yttria nano-particles, followed by hot isostatic pressing and thermo-mechanical treatments (TMTs). Two kinds of TMT were applied: (i) hot pressing, or (ii) hot rolling, both followed by annealing in vacuum at 850 deg. C. The use of a thermo-mechanical treatment was found to yield strong improvement in the microstructure and mechanical properties of the ODS RAF steel. In particular, hot pressing leads to microstructure refinement, equiaxed grains without texture, and an improvement in Charpy impact properties, especially in terms of the upper shelf energy (about 4.5 J). Hot rolling leads to elongated grains in the rolling direction, with a grain size ratio of 6:1, higher tensile strength and reasonable ductility up to 750 deg. C, and better Charpy impact properties, especially in terms of the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (about 55 deg. C).

  4. Effect of thermo-mechanical treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an ODS ferritic steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oksiuta, Z., E-mail: oksiuta@pb.edu.pl [Bialystok Technical University, Mechanical Department, Wiejska 45c, 15-351 Bialystok (Poland); Mueller, P.; Spaetig, P.; Baluc, N. [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Association Euratom-Confederation Suisse, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

    2011-05-15

    The Fe-14Cr-2W-0.3Ti-0.3Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) reduced activation ferritic (RAF) steel was fabricated by mechanical alloying of a pre-alloyed, gas atomised powder with yttria nano-particles, followed by hot isostatic pressing and thermo-mechanical treatments (TMTs). Two kinds of TMT were applied: (i) hot pressing, or (ii) hot rolling, both followed by annealing in vacuum at 850 deg. C. The use of a thermo-mechanical treatment was found to yield strong improvement in the microstructure and mechanical properties of the ODS RAF steel. In particular, hot pressing leads to microstructure refinement, equiaxed grains without texture, and an improvement in Charpy impact properties, especially in terms of the upper shelf energy (about 4.5 J). Hot rolling leads to elongated grains in the rolling direction, with a grain size ratio of 6:1, higher tensile strength and reasonable ductility up to 750 deg. C, and better Charpy impact properties, especially in terms of the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (about 55 deg. C).

  5. Fuel element thermo-mechanical analysis during transient events using the FMS and FETMA codes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez Lopez Hector; Hernandez Martinez Jose Luis; Ortiz Villafuerte Javier

    2005-01-01

    In the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares of Mexico, the Fuel Management System (FMS) software package has been used for long time to simulate the operation of a BWR nuclear power plant in steady state, as well as in transient events. To evaluate the fuel element thermo-mechanical performance during transient events, an interface between the FMS codes and our own Fuel Element Thermo Mechanical Analysis (FETMA) code is currently being developed and implemented. In this work, the results of the thermo-mechanical behavior of fuel rods in the hot channel during the simulation of transient events of a BWR nuclear power plant are shown. The transient events considered for this work are a load rejection and a feedwater control failure, which among the most important events that can occur in a BWR. The results showed that conditions leading to fuel rod failure at no time appeared for both events. Also, it is shown that a transient due load rejection is more demanding on terms of safety that the failure of a controller of the feedwater. (authors)

  6. Nuclear, thermo-mechanical and tritium release analysis of ITER breeding blanket

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosaku, Yasuo; Kuroda, Toshimasa; Enoeda, Mikio; Hatano, Toshihisa; Sato, Satoshi; Miki, Nobuharu; Akiba, Masato

    2003-06-01

    The design of the breeding blanket in ITER applies pebble bed breeder in tube (BIT) surrounded by multiplier pebble bed. It is assumed to use the same module support mechanism and coolant manifolds and coolant system as the shielding blankets. This work focuses on the verification of the design of the breeding blanket, from the viewpoints which is especially unique to the pebble bed type breeding blanket, such as, tritium breeding performance, tritium inventory and release behavior and thermo-mechanical performance of the ITER breeding blanket. With respect to the neutronics analysis, the detailed analyses of the distribution of the nuclear heating rate and TBR have been performed in 2D model using MCNP to clarify the input data for the tritium inventory and release rate analyses and thermo-mechanical analyses. With respect to the tritium inventory and release behavior analysis, the parametric analyses for selection of purge gas flow rate were carried out from the view point of pressure drop and the tritium inventory/release performance for Li 2 TiO 3 breeder. The analysis result concluded that purge gas flow rate can be set to conventional flow rate setting (88 l/min per module) to 1/10 of that to save the purge gas flow and minimize the size of purge gas pipe. However, it is necessary to note that more tritium is transformed to HTO (chemical form of water) in case of Li 2 TiO 3 compared to other breeder materials. With respect to the thermo-mechanical analyses of the pebble bed blanket structure, the analyses have been performed by ABAQUS with 2D model derived from one of eight facets of a blanket module, based on the reference design. Analyses were performed to identify the temperature distribution incorporating the pebble bed mechanical simulation and influence of mechanical behavior to the thermal behavior. The result showed that the maximum temperature in the breeding material was 617degC in the first row of breeding rods and the minimum temperature was 328

  7. Investigation on thermo-acoustic instability dynamic characteristics of hydrocarbon fuel flowing in scramjet cooling channel based on wavelet entropy method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zan, Hao; Li, Haowei; Jiang, Yuguang; Wu, Meng; Zhou, Weixing; Bao, Wen

    2018-06-01

    As part of our efforts to find ways and means to further improve the regenerative cooling technology in scramjet, the experiments of thermo-acoustic instability dynamic characteristics of hydrocarbon fuel flowing have been conducted in horizontal circular tubes at different conditions. The experimental results indicate that there is a developing process from thermo-acoustic stability to instability. In order to have a deep understanding on the developing process of thermo-acoustic instability, the method of Multi-scale Shannon Wavelet Entropy (MSWE) based on Wavelet Transform Correlation Filter (WTCF) and Multi-Scale Shannon Entropy (MSE) is adopted in this paper. The results demonstrate that the developing process of thermo-acoustic instability from noise and weak signals is well detected by MSWE method and the differences among the stability, the developing process and the instability can be identified. These properties render the method particularly powerful for warning thermo-acoustic instability of hydrocarbon fuel flowing in scramjet cooling channels. The mass flow rate and the inlet pressure will make an influence on the developing process of the thermo-acoustic instability. The investigation on thermo-acoustic instability dynamic characteristics at supercritical pressure based on wavelet entropy method offers guidance on the control of scramjet fuel supply, which can secure stable fuel flowing in regenerative cooling system.

  8. Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of T15 high speed steel prepared by twin-atomiser spray forming and thermo-mechanical processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Guoqing; Yuan, Hua; Jiao, Dongling; Li, Zhou; Zhang, Yong; Liu, Zhongwu

    2012-01-01

    Spray formed T15 high speed steel (HSS) billets were deposited using a state-of-the-art twin-atomiser spray forming facility. The effects of post thermo-mechanical processing (hot isostatic pressing and hot forging) and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. As-deposited billet has a density over 99.3% of the theoretical value and no measurable macro-segregation was observed. The microstructure consists of the equiaxed grains with mean size of ∼18 μm and MC- and M 6 C-type carbides non-uniformly distributed inside the grains and along the grain boundaries. After optimal thermo-mechanical processing and heat treatment, the microstructure was composed of equiaxed fine tempered martensites, and refined M 6 C and MC spherical carbides particles uniformly distributed along the grain boundaries and inside the grains. The hardness reached HRC68 after thermo-mechanical processing, and the corresponding impact toughness and bending strength reached 27 J/cm 2 and 4600 MPa respectively. Although HIP cannot increase the bending strength significantly, it can effectively improve the impact toughness through refining and globurizing carbides.

  9. Thermal and thermo-mechanical behavior of butyl based rubber exposed to silicon oil at elevated temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, S.; Ramzan, S.; Raza, R.; Ahmed, F.; Hussain, R.; Ullah, S.; Ali, S.

    2013-01-01

    Silica reinforced rubbers are used as chemical resistant seals at high temperature. In this study the effect of alkali and silicon oil on the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the silica reinforced butyl rubber exposed as an interface between two liquid media at elevated temperature is investigated. Rubber bladder containing alkaline solution was immersed in silicon oil at 195+-5 degree C for multiple cycles and loss in its thermal, thermo-mechanical and mechanical properties were studied by TGA, DMA and Tinius Olsen Testing Machine supported by FTIR and Optical microscopy. It was observed that the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of butyl rubber were negatively affected due to leaching out of silica filler embedded in an organic matrix at elevated temperature. The thermal stability of exposed rubber was decreased around 200 degree C and the loss of storage modulus was observed up to 99.5% at -59 degree C. (author)

  10. Chemo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of unsaturated clays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mokni, N.; Olivella, S.; Alonso, E.E.; Romero, E.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Understanding of the chemical effects on clays is essential for many problems ranging from pollution studies and waste-containment. Several studies examined the effect of changes in pore fluid composition on the mechanical and hydraulic properties. Volume changes (contraction/ expansion) have been measured on clay specimens upon exposure to salt solutions or permeation with organic liquids. Moreover, it was shown that permeation of clay with brine induces an increase of the shear strength. In addition, several models have been proposed to describe the chemo-mechanical behaviour of saturated clays under saturated conditions. A new chemo-hydro-mechanical model for unsaturated clays is under development. The chemo-mechanical effects are described within an elasto-plastic framework using the concept that chemical effects act on the plastic properties by increasing or decreasing the pre-consolidation stress. The model is based on the distinction within the material of a microstructural and a macro-structural levels. Chemical loading has a significant effect on the microstructure. The negative pressure associated with the capillary water plays its role in the interconnected macro pores. By adopting simple assumptions concerning the coupling between the two levels it is intended to reproduce the features of the behaviour of unsaturated clays when there is a change in pore fluid composition (increase or decrease of concentration). A yield surface which defines the set of yield pre-consolidation stress values, for each associated capillary suction and concentration of pore fluid should be defined. In addition, the behaviour of clays under unsaturated condition and the behaviour at full saturation under chemical loading represent two limiting cases of the framework. Studies on the compatibility of Boom Clay with large amounts of nitrate- bearing bituminized radioactive waste have recently raised a particular interest on the

  11. Numerical modeling for hydro-mechanical coupled problems in the context of geo-materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandes, R.

    2009-01-01

    The main technical purpose of this PhD Thesis is to build up and validate a regularisation method, able to remedy to the spurious mesh dependency of post localized computations, in order to make possible hydro-mechanical coupling studies for geo-materials. The proposed model is based on the framework of second gradient models and is called the micro-dilation model. It allows to predict robustly the hydro-mechanical coupled behaviors related to the degradation of natural soils and rocks. This modeling is a clear enhancement with respect to classical second gradient computations since it requires less degrees of freedom and consequently is less time consuming. Its efficiency is shown through hydro-mechanical coupled simulations of underground excavations. Finally, an algorithm to detect several solutions in the direction of singular modes associated with negative eigenvalues is presented. It allows us to deal with the non-linear nature of the irreversible behavior of soils and rocks. The scope of this bifurcation analysis is restricted to symmetrical operators. Through the simulations of homogeneous biaxial tests and underground excavations under drained conditions, it is shown that this algorithm is an efficient and robust tool not only to detect several solutions but also to overcome numerical instabilities near singular points or due to snap-back. (author)

  12. Experimental study on the thermo-mechanical behaviour of stiff clay under non-isotropic stress state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Anh Minh; Cui, Yu-Jun; Li, Xiang-Ling

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Stiff clay is usually considered as possible host-rock for geological radioactive waste disposal due to its low permeability and its self-sealing capacity. Boom Clay, for instance, is one of the clays currently considered by the Belgian radioactive waste management agency Ondraf/Niras as a potential host for a geological repository. In order to analyse the performance of this material, it is important to understand its behaviour under the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical solicitations. In laboratory, several studies have been performed to study the volume change of clay under coupled thermomechanical loading. The results show that heating under drained conditions can induce thermal dilation at low confining stress and thermal contraction at high confining stress. On the other hand, compression tests performed at constant temperature show that the compressibility parameters of soil can be modified by temperature change. These features are now well considered in constitutive laws based on the framework of elasto-plasticity. Under undrained conditions, heating can increase pore-water pressure and this behaviour can be simulated using the theoretical thermo-poro-elastic framework. The temperature effect on the soil behaviour under triaxial compression is also often considered. It is commonly accepted that heating decreases the shear strength of clay but this softening can be hidden by the thermal contraction that occurs during heating which can induce at the same time soil hardening. In spite of these existing works, laboratory tests considering the thermo-mechanical loading path that the soil can be subjected to are still rare. Actually, in the case of geological radioactive waste disposal, after the installation of waste canisters, the soil is expected to be heated under non-isotropic stress state. Most of the existing laboratory works show heating tests in odometer cell or triaxial cell under isotropic stress

  13. DECOVALEX I - Bench-Mark Test 3: Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Israelsson, J.

    1995-12-01

    The bench-mark test concerns the excavation of a tunnel, located 500 m below the ground surface, and the establishment of mechanical equilibrium and steady-state fluid flow. Following this, a thermal heating due to the nuclear waste, stored in a borehole below the tunnel, was simulated. The results are reported at (1) 30 days after tunnel excavation, (2) steady state, (3) one year after thermal loading, and (4) at the time of maximum temperature. The problem specification included the excavation and waste geometry, materials properties for intact rock and joints, location of more than 6500 joints observed in the 50 by 50 m area, and calculated hydraulic conductivities. However, due to the large number of joints and the lack of dominating orientations, it was decided to treat the problem as a continuum using the computer code FLAC. The problem was modeled using a vertical symmetry plane through the tunnel and the borehole. Flow equilibrium was obtained approx. 40 days after the opening of the tunnel. Since the hydraulic conductivity was set to be stress dependent, a noticeable difference in the horizontal and vertical conductivity and flow was observed. After 40 days, an oedometer-type consolidation of the model was observed. Approx. 4 years after the initiation of the heat source, a maximum temperature of 171 C was obtained. The stress-dependent hydraulic conductivity and the temperature-dependent dynamic viscosity caused minor changes to the flow pattern. The specified mechanical boundary conditions imply that the tunnel is part of a system of parallel tunnels. However, the fixed temperature at the top boundary maintains the temperature below the temperature anticipated for an equivalent repository. The combination of mechanical and hydraulic boundary conditions cause the model to behave like an oedometer test in which the consolidation rate goes asymptotically to zero. 17 refs, 55 figs, 22 tabs

  14. Seismo-thermo-mechanical modeling of subduction zone seismicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dinther van, Y.

    2013-07-01

    geological observations, albeit for their coseismic speeds. They show a surprisingly good agreement with inter- and coseismic displacements measured before and during the 2010 M8.8 Maule earthquake. I further discuss on implications for several outstanding problems, including the contribution of cyclic to long-term deformation, physical mechanisms governing seismogenic zone limits and the low strength of megathrust faults. Finally, I demonstrate one of the main advantages of this approach; the spontaneous unstable rupturing of both on- and off-megathrust events. Simulated outerrise and splay and antithetic normal events geometrically resemble natural observations. They are triggered by megathrust-induced quasi-static stress changes and agree with analytical predictions of dynamic Coulomb wedge theory. Their impact is distinct, both on megathrust cycling, due to premature updip triggering of megathrust events, and for tsunami hazards that are increased due to steeply dipping off-megathrust fault planes. The innovative character of this seismo-thermo-mechanical approach opens a world of interdisciplinary research between geodynamics and seismology. This can relate to the generation and characteristics of megathrust earthquakes and beyond. (author)

  15. Seismo-thermo-mechanical modeling of subduction zone seismicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinther van, Y.

    2013-01-01

    observations, albeit for their coseismic speeds. They show a surprisingly good agreement with inter- and coseismic displacements measured before and during the 2010 M8.8 Maule earthquake. I further discuss on implications for several outstanding problems, including the contribution of cyclic to long-term deformation, physical mechanisms governing seismogenic zone limits and the low strength of megathrust faults. Finally, I demonstrate one of the main advantages of this approach; the spontaneous unstable rupturing of both on- and off-megathrust events. Simulated outerrise and splay and antithetic normal events geometrically resemble natural observations. They are triggered by megathrust-induced quasi-static stress changes and agree with analytical predictions of dynamic Coulomb wedge theory. Their impact is distinct, both on megathrust cycling, due to premature updip triggering of megathrust events, and for tsunami hazards that are increased due to steeply dipping off-megathrust fault planes. The innovative character of this seismo-thermo-mechanical approach opens a world of interdisciplinary research between geodynamics and seismology. This can relate to the generation and characteristics of megathrust earthquakes and beyond. (author)

  16. Thermo-mechanical behavior of retro-reflector and resulting parallelism error of laser beams for Wendelstein 7-X interferometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, X.B.; Hirsch, M.; Köppen, M.; Fellinger, J.; Bykov, V.; Schauer, F.; Vliegenthart, W.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The criterion for thermo-mechanical design of W7-X interferometer retro-reflector. • Thermo-mechanical analysis of retro-reflector with two different methods. • The most flexible part in the retro-reflector is spring washer. • Calculation of parallelism error between the incoming and reflected laser beams. • The parallelism error is much lower than the design limit 28 arcs. - Abstract: A 10 channels interferometer will be used in the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) for plasma density control and density profile tracking with laser beams passing through the plasma. Due to complex shape of non-planar modular coils and divertor structure, there are no large poloidally opposite ports on the plasma vessel (PV). Therefore 10 in-vessel Corner Cube Retro-reflectors (CCRs) will be used. The CCRs are integrated in the water cooled heat shield and exposed directly to thermal loads from plasma radiation. Thermo-mechanical issues are very important for the design of the CCR because deformation and flatness as well as mutual angles of the three reflecting surfaces would affect the parallelism of the laser beams and the functionality of the interferometer. Intensive work has been done to explore a suitable design for the CCR concerning thermo-mechanical behavior. Previous studies Ye et al. (2008, 2009) and Köppen et al. (2011) focused on structural optimization to decrease thermal stress in the reflecting plates under the thermal loads, and on computation and check of curvature radii of the deformed reflecting surfaces with the design criterion that the curvature radius must be bigger than 200 m. The paper presents detailed thermo-mechanical analysis of the current improved CCR under thermal loads and bolt preloads. The results of the thermo-mechanical analysis were used for the study of the resulting parallelism error of the laser beams with newly developed and more reasonable design criterion

  17. Thermo-mechanical behavior of retro-reflector and resulting parallelism error of laser beams for Wendelstein 7-X interferometer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng, X.B., E-mail: pengxb@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1126, 230031 Hefei Anhui (China); Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Wendelsteinstr. 1, 17491 Greifswald (Germany); Hirsch, M.; Köppen, M.; Fellinger, J.; Bykov, V.; Schauer, F. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Wendelsteinstr. 1, 17491 Greifswald (Germany); Vliegenthart, W. [TNO, Stieltjesweg 1, P.O. Box 2600, 2628 CK Delft (Netherlands)

    2014-04-15

    Highlights: • The criterion for thermo-mechanical design of W7-X interferometer retro-reflector. • Thermo-mechanical analysis of retro-reflector with two different methods. • The most flexible part in the retro-reflector is spring washer. • Calculation of parallelism error between the incoming and reflected laser beams. • The parallelism error is much lower than the design limit 28 arcs. - Abstract: A 10 channels interferometer will be used in the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) for plasma density control and density profile tracking with laser beams passing through the plasma. Due to complex shape of non-planar modular coils and divertor structure, there are no large poloidally opposite ports on the plasma vessel (PV). Therefore 10 in-vessel Corner Cube Retro-reflectors (CCRs) will be used. The CCRs are integrated in the water cooled heat shield and exposed directly to thermal loads from plasma radiation. Thermo-mechanical issues are very important for the design of the CCR because deformation and flatness as well as mutual angles of the three reflecting surfaces would affect the parallelism of the laser beams and the functionality of the interferometer. Intensive work has been done to explore a suitable design for the CCR concerning thermo-mechanical behavior. Previous studies Ye et al. (2008, 2009) and Köppen et al. (2011) focused on structural optimization to decrease thermal stress in the reflecting plates under the thermal loads, and on computation and check of curvature radii of the deformed reflecting surfaces with the design criterion that the curvature radius must be bigger than 200 m. The paper presents detailed thermo-mechanical analysis of the current improved CCR under thermal loads and bolt preloads. The results of the thermo-mechanical analysis were used for the study of the resulting parallelism error of the laser beams with newly developed and more reasonable design criterion.

  18. Global thermo-mechanical effects from a KBS-3 type repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakami, E.; Olofsson, Stig-Olof

    1998-01-01

    The objective of this study has been to identify the global thermo-mechanical effects in the bedrock hosting a nuclear waste repository. Numerical thermo-mechanical modeling using distinct element models was performed. The number of fracture zones, the heat intensity of the waste, the material properties of the rock mass and the boundary conditions of the models were varied. Different models for multi-level repositories were also analyzed and compared to the main single-level case. Further, the global influence from the excavation of repository tunnels and deposition holes was examined by introducing weaker rock mass material properties in the repository region of one model. The maximum compression stress obtained for the main model is 44 MPa and occurs at the repository level after about 100 years of deposition. Due to thermal expansion, the rock mass displaces upward, and the maximum heave at the ground surface after 1000 years is calculated to be 16 cm. In the area close to the ground surface the horizontal stresses reduce, causing the rock to yield in tension down to a depth of about 80 meters. The fracture zones show opening displacements at shallow depths and closing and shearing at the repository level. The maximum displacements are 0.3-2.5 cm for closing, 0.0-0.8 cm for opening and 0.2-2.2 cm for shearing. The resultant stresses and displacements depend in large part on the assumptions made concerning the heat intensity of the waste. In the main model, an initial heat intensity of 10 W/m 2 is assumed, which gives larger effects than the case with 6 W/m 2 . Another important input parameter for the analysis is the Young's modulus of the rock mass. In the main model, a value of 30 GPa is assumed. Higher values of Young's modulus give larger thermo-mechanical effects. All multi-level repository layouts give rise to higher temperatures than the single-level layout, causing the compressive stresses to increase more at the repository level. The multi

  19. Thermo-mechanical tests on W7-X current lead flanges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhard, Chandra Prakash; Rummel, Thomas; Zacharias, Daniel; Bykov, Victor; Moennich, Thomas; Buscher, Klaus-Peter

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • There are significant mechanical loads on the cryostat and radial flanges for W7-X current leads. • These are due to evacuation of W7-X cryostat, cool-down of cold mass, electro-magnetic forces and self weight of leads. • The actual mechanical loads were reduced to simplify the experimental set-up. • The tests were carried out on mock-up flanges test assembly at ambient temperature and at 77 K. • The thermo-mechanical tests on W7-X current lead flanges validate the design and joints of these flanges to the leads. -- Abstract: Fourteen pieces of high temperature superconducting current leads (CL) arranged in seven pairs, will be installed on the outer vessel of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator. In order to support the CL, it is provided with two glass fiber reinforce plastic (GFRP) flanges, namely, the lower cryostat flange (CF) remaining at room temperature and upper radial flange (RF) at about 5 K. Both the flanges i.e. CF and RF experience high mechanical loads with respect to the CL, due to the evacuation of W7-X cryostat, cool-down of cold mass including the CL, electro-magnetic forces due to current and plasma operations and self weight of CL. In order to check the integrity of these flanges for such mechanical loads, thermo-mechanical tests were carried out on these flanges at room temperatures and at liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperatures. The details of test set-up, results and modeling are described in the paper

  20. Thermo-Mechanical Modeling of Laser-Mig Hybrid Welding (lmhw)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kounde, Ludovic; Engel, Thierry; Bergheau, Jean-Michel; Boisselier, Didier

    2011-01-01

    Hybrid welding is a combination of two different technologies such as laser (Nd: YAG, CO2…) and electric arc welding (MIG, MAG / TIG …) developed to assemble thick metal sheets (over 3 mm) in order to reduce the required laser power. As a matter of fact, hybrid welding is a lso used in the welding of thin materials to benefit from process, deep penetration and gap limit. But the thermo-mechanical behaviour of thin parts assembled by LMHW technology for railway cars production is far from being controlled the modeling and simulation contribute to the assessment of the causes and effects of the thermo mechanical behaviour in the assembled parts. In order to reproduce the morphology of melted and heat-affected zones, two analytic functions were combined to model the heat source of LMHW. On one hand, we applied a so-called "diaboloïd" (DB) which is a modified hyperboloid, based on experimental parameters and the analysis of the macrographs of the welds. On the other hand, we used a so-called "double ellipsoïd" (DE) which takes the MIG only contribution including the bead into account. The comparison between experimental result and numerical result shows a good agreement.

  1. Decomposition mechanism of melamine borate in pyrolytic and thermo-oxidative conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoffendahl, Carmen; Duquesne, Sophie; Fontaine, Gaëlle; Bourbigot, Serge, E-mail: serge.bourbigot@ensc-lille.fr

    2014-08-20

    Highlights: • Decomposition of melamine borate in pyrolytic and thermo-oxidative conditions was investigated. • With increasing temperature, orthoboric acid forms boron oxide releasing water. • Melamine decomposes evolving melamine, ammonia and other fragments. • Boron oxide is transformed into boron nitride and boron nitride-oxide structures through presence of ammonia. - Abstract: Decomposition mechanism of melamine borate (MB) in pyrolytic and thermo-oxidative conditions is investigated in the condensed and gas phases using solid state NMR ({sup 13}C and {sup 11}B), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (py-GCMS) and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (TGA–FTIR). It is evidenced that orthoboric acid dehydrates to metaboric and then to boron oxide. The melamine is partially sublimated. At the same time, melamine condensates, i.e., melem and melon are formed. Melon is only formed in thermo-oxidative conditions. At higher temperature, melem and melon decompose releasing ammonia which reacts with the boron oxide to form boron nitride (BN) and BNO structures.

  2. Microstructure and Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical effects as an explanation for rate dependency during seismic slip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefanou, I.; Rattez, H.; Sulem, J.

    2017-12-01

    Rapid shear tests of granulated fault gouges show pronounced rate-dependency. For this reason rate-dependent constitutive laws are frequently used for describing fault friction.Here we propose a micromechanical, physics-based continuum approach by considering the characteristic size of the microstructure and the thermal- and pore-pressure-diffusion mechanisms that take place in the fault gouge during rapid shearing. It is shown that even for rate-independent materials, the apparent, macroscopic behavior of the system is rate-dependent. This is due to the competition of the characteristic lengths and time scales introduced indirectly by the microstructure and the thermal and hydraulic diffusivities.Both weakening and shear band thickness are rate dependent, despite the fact that the constitutive description of the material was considered rate-independent. Moreover the size of the microstructure, which here is identified with the grain size of the fault gouge (D50), plays an important role in the slope of the softening branch of the shear stress-strain response curve and consequently in the transition from aseismic to seismic slip.References Dieterich, J. H. (1979). Modeling of rock friction: 1. Experimental results and constitutive equations. Journal of Geophysical Research, 84(B5), 2161. http://doi.org/10.1029/JB084iB05p02161 Scholz, C. H. (2002). The mechanics of earthquakes and faulting (Second). Cambridge. Sulem, J., & Stefanou, I. (2016). Thermal and chemical effects in shear and compaction bands. Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 6, 4-21. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2015.12.004

  3. Chaotic dynamic characteristics of pressure fluctuation signals in hydro-turbine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Wen Tao; An, Shi [School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin (China); Li, Xiao Bin; Lan, Chao Feng; Li, Feng Chen [School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin (China); Wang, Jian Sheng [Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin (China)

    2016-11-15

    The pressure fluctuation characteristics in a Francis hydro-turbine running at partial flow conditions were studied based on the chaotic dynamic methods. Firstly, the experimental data of pressure fluctuations in the draft tube at various flow conditions was de-noised using lifting wavelet transformation, then, for the de-noised signals, their spectrum distribution on the frequency domain, the energy variation and the energy partition accounting for the total energy was calculated. Hereby, for the flow conditions ranging from no cavitation to severe cavitation, the chaos dynamic features of fluctuation signals were analyzed, including the temporal-frequency distribution, phase trajectory, Lyapunov exponent and Poincaré map etc. It is revealed that, the main energy of pressure fluctuations in the draft tube locates at low-frequency region. As the cavitation grows, the amplitude of power spectrum at frequency domain becomes larger. For all the flow conditions, all the maximal Lyapunov exponents are larger than zero, and they increase with the cavitation level. Therefore, it is believed that there indeed exist the chaotic attractors in the pressure fluctuation signals for a hydro-turbine.

  4. Thermo-cured glass ionomer cements in restorative dentistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorseta, Kristina; Glavina, Domagoj

    2017-01-01

    Numerous positive properties of glass ionomer cements including biocompatibility, bioactivity, releasing of fluoride and good adhesion to hard dental tissue even under wet conditions and easy of handling are reasons for their wide use in paediatric and restorative dentistry. Their biggest drawbacks are the weaker mechanical properties. An important step forward in improving GIC's features is thermo-curing with the dental polymerization unit during setting of the material. Due to their slow setting characteristics the GIC is vulnerable to early exposure to moisture. After thermo curing, cements retain all the benefits of GIC with developed better mechanical properties, improved marginal adaptation, increased microhardness and shear bond strength. Adding external energy through thermocuring or ultrasound during the setting of conventional GIC is crucial to achieve faster and better initial mechanical properties. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings.

  5. Thermo-mechanical properties of mixed ion-electron conducting membrane materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Bingxin

    2011-07-01

    The thesis presents thermo-mechanical properties of La{sub 0.58}Sr{sub 0.4}Co{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 0.8}O{sub 3-{delta}} (LSCF) and Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}Co{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BSCF) perovskite materials, which are considered as oxygen transport membranes (OTM) for gas separation units. Ring-on-ring bending test with disk-shaped samples and depth-sensitive micro-indentation have been used as macroscopic and microscopic tests, respectively. In addition, the thermo-mechanical properties of a third OTM candidate material La{sub 2}NiO{sub 4+{delta}} (LNO) were investigated. The results of the thermo-mechanical measurements with the BSCF revealed an anomaly between 200 C and 400 C. In particular, the temperature dependence of Young's modulus shows a minimum at {proportional_to} 200 C. Fracture stress and toughness exhibit a qualitatively similar behavior with a minimum between 200 C and 400 C, before recovering between 500 C and 800 C. X-ray diffraction analyses verified that BSCF remains cubic in the relevant temperature range. Hence the anomalies were assumed to be related to the transition of Co{sup 3+} spin states reported for other Co-containing perovskites. This assumption could be experimentally confirmed by magnetic susceptibility measurements. The fracture surfaces of the specimens are not affected by the mechanical anomalies at intermediate temperatures, since only a transgranular fracture mode has been observed. Complementary to the mechanical characterization of BSCF, also the temperature dependency of fracture stress and elastic behavior of LSCF have been determined. Phase compositions of LSCF have been studied by in-situ high temperature XRD. Changes in phase composition with temperature are observed. At ambient temperature the LSCF perovskite material comprises two phases: rhombohedral and cubic symmetry. The ratio of the two phases depends on both cooling rate and atmosphere. The transition of rhombohedral to cubic occurs between 700 C and

  6. Study of the Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of the CLIC Two-Beam Modules

    CERN Document Server

    Rossi, F; Riddone, G; Österberg, K; Kossyvakis, I; Gudkov, D; Samochkine, A

    2013-01-01

    The final luminosity target of the Compact LInear Collider (CLIC) imposes a micron-level stability requirement on the two-meter repetitive two-beam modules constituting the main linacs. Two-beam prototype modules are being assembled to extensively study their thermo-mechanical behaviour under different operation modes. The power dissipation occurring in the modules will be reproduced and the efficiency of the corresponding cooling systems validated. At the same time, the real environmental conditions present in the CLIC tunnel will be studied. Air conditioning and ventilation systems have been installed in the dedicated laboratory. The air temperature will be changed from 20 to 40°C, while the air flow rate will be varied up to 0.8 m/s. During all experimental tests, the alignment of the RF structures will be monitored to investigate the influence of power dissipation and air temperature on the overall thermo-mechanical behaviour. \

  7. Effect of Nb2O5 doping on improving the thermo-mechanical stability of sealing interfaces for solid oxide fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qi; Du, Xinhang; Tan, Shengwei; Tang, Dian; Chen, Kongfa; Zhang, Teng

    2017-07-13

    Nb 2 O 5 is added to a borosilicate sealing system to improve the thermo-mechanical stability of the sealing interface between the glass and Fe-Cr metallic interconnect (Crofer 22APU) in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The thermo-mechanical stability of the glass/metal interface is evaluated experimentally as well as by using a finite element analysis (FEA) method. The sealing glass doped with 4 mol.% Nb 2 O 5 shows the best thermo-mechanical stability, and the sealing couple of Crofer 22APU/glass/GDC (Gd 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9 ) remains intact after 50 thermal cycles. In addition, all sealing couples show good joining after being held at 750 °C for 1000 h. Moreover, the possible mechanism on the thermo-mechanical stability of sealing interface is investigated in terms of stress-based and energy-based perspectives.

  8. A Rock Mechanics and Coupled Hydro mechanical Analysis of Geological Repository of High Level Nuclear Waste in Fractured Rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min, Kibok

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces a few case studies on fractured hard rock based on geological data from Sweden, Korea is one of a few countries where crystalline rock is the most promising rock formation as a candidate site of geological repository of high level nuclear waste. Despite the progress made in the area of rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanics, extensive site specific study on multiple candidate sites is essential in order to choose the optimal site. For many countries concerned about the safe isolation of nuclear wastes from the biosphere, disposal in a deep geological formation is considered an attractive option. In geological repository, thermal loading continuously disturbs the repository system in addition to disturbances a recent development in rock mechanics and coupled hydro mechanical study using DFN(Discrete Fracture Network) - DEM(Discrete Element Method) approach mainly applied in hard, crystalline rock containing numerous fracture which are main sources of deformation and groundwater flow

  9. Exact solution for stresses/displacements in a multilayered hollow cylinder under thermo-mechanical loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeo, W.H.; Purbolaksono, J.; Aliabadi, M.H.; Ramesh, S.; Liew, H.L.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, a new analytical solution by the recursive method for evaluating stresses/displacements in multilayered hollow cylinder under thermo-mechanical loading was developed. The results for temperature distribution, displacements and stresses obtained by using the proposed solution were shown to be in good agreement with the FEM results. The proposed analytical solution was also found to produce more accurate results than those by the analytical solution reported in literature. - Highlights: • A new analytical solution for evaluating stresses in multilayered hollow cylinder under thermo-mechanical loading. • A simple computational procedure using a recursive method. • A promising technique for evaluating the operating axial and hoop stresses in pressurized composite vessels.

  10. Thermo-mechanical design of the Plasma Driver Plate for the MITICA ion source

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pavei, Mauro, E-mail: mauro.pavei@igi.cnr.it [Consorzio RFX, EURATOM-ENEA Association, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I-35127 Padova (Italy); Palma, Mauro Dalla; Marcuzzi, Diego [Consorzio RFX, EURATOM-ENEA Association, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I-35127 Padova (Italy)

    2010-12-15

    In the framework of the activities for the development of the Neutral Beam Injector (NBI) for ITER, the detailed design of the Radio-Frequency (RF) negative ion source has been carried out. One of the most heated components of the RF source is the rear vertical plate, named Plasma Driver Plate (PDP), where the Back-Streaming positive Ions (BSI+) generated from stripping losses in the accelerator and back scattered on the plasma source impinge on. The heat loads that result are huge and concentrated, with first estimate of the power densities up to 60 MW/m{sup 2}. The breakdowns that occur into the accelerator cause such heat loads to act cyclically, so that the PDP is thermo-mechanically fatigue loaded. Moreover, the surface of the PDP facing the plasma is functionally required to be temperature controlled and to be molybdenum or tungsten coated. The thermo-hydraulic design of the plate has been carried out considering active cooling with ultra-pure water. Different heat sink materials, hydraulic circuit layout and manufacturing processes have been considered. The heat exhaust has been optimized by changing the channels geometry, the path of the heat flux in the heat sink, the thickness of the plate and maximizing the Heat Transfer Coefficient. Such optimization has been carried out by utilizing 3D Finite Element (FE) models. Afterwards all the suitable mechanical (aging, structural monotonic and cyclic) verifications have been carried out post-processing the results of the thermo-mechanical 3D FE analyses in accordance to specific procedures for nuclear components exposed to high temperature. The effect of sputtering phenomenon due to the high energy BSI+ impinging on the plate has been considered and combined with fatigue damage for the mechanical verification of the PDP. Alternative solutions having molybdenum (or tungsten coatings) facing the plasma, aiming to reduce the sputtering rate and the consequent plasma pollution, have been evaluated and related 3D FE

  11. Thermo-power in Brazil: diagnosis of control and monitoring of gas emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xavier, E.E.; Magrini, Alessandra; Rosa, L.P.; Santos, M.A. dos

    2004-01-01

    In parallel to Brazil's recent supply crisis, the privatization process of its power sector has drastically reshaped the nation's energy matrix. From a profile based mainly on hydro-power generation, this sector is being reshaped through a thermo-power plant construction program whose environmental repercussions will certainly be felt over the next few years. This paper offers a description of the thermo-power segment currently in operation, under construction and on the drawing board in Brazil, followed by the results of a diagnosis of the control and monitoring of the gas emissions by this segment. The methodology used for the exploratory analysis and to prepare the diagnosis consists of surveys through questionnaires completed by companies owning the thermo-power plants. After consolidating, processing and analyzing the findings reached through the replies sent in by the companies, it is concluded that thermo-power plants currently in operation lack control systems that would help reduce atmospheric pollution, and are not equipped with monitoring systems for these emissions. The thermo-power plants currently under construction and on the drawing board indicate a trend towards including these systems in their project designs, due to more stringent licensing processes

  12. Multiscale Thermo-Mechanical Design and Analysis of High Frequency and High Power Vacuum Electron Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamzina, Diana

    Diana Gamzina March 2016 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Multiscale Thermo-Mechanical Design and Analysis of High Frequency and High Power Vacuum Electron Devices Abstract A methodology for performing thermo-mechanical design and analysis of high frequency and high average power vacuum electron devices is presented. This methodology results in a "first-pass" engineering design directly ready for manufacturing. The methodology includes establishment of thermal and mechanical boundary conditions, evaluation of convective film heat transfer coefficients, identification of material options, evaluation of temperature and stress field distributions, assessment of microscale effects on the stress state of the material, and fatigue analysis. The feature size of vacuum electron devices operating in the high frequency regime of 100 GHz to 1 THz is comparable to the microstructure of the materials employed for their fabrication. As a result, the thermo-mechanical performance of a device is affected by the local material microstructure. Such multiscale effects on the stress state are considered in the range of scales from about 10 microns up to a few millimeters. The design and analysis methodology is demonstrated on three separate microwave devices: a 95 GHz 10 kW cw sheet beam klystron, a 263 GHz 50 W long pulse wide-bandwidth sheet beam travelling wave tube, and a 346 GHz 1 W cw backward wave oscillator.

  13. Poly-Lactide/Exfoliated C30B Interactions and Influence on Thermo-Mechanical Properties Due to Artificial Weathering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wendy Margarita Chávez-Montes

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Thermal stability as well as enhanced mechanical properties of poly-lactide (PLA can increase PLA applications for short-use products. The conjunction of adequate molecular weight (MW as well as satisfactory thermo-mechanical properties, together, can lead to the achievement of suitable properties. However, PLA is susceptible to thermal degradation and thus an undesired decay of MW and a decrease of its mechanical properties during processing. To avoid this PLA degradation, nanofiller is incorporated as reinforcement to increase its thermo-mechanical properties. There are many papers focusing on filler effects on the thermal stability and mechanical properties of PLA/nanocomposites; however, these investigations lack an explanation of polymer/filler interactions. We propose interactions between PLA and Cloisite30B (C30B as nanofiller. We also study the effects on the thermal and mechanical properties due to molecular weight decay after exposure to artificial weathering. PLA blank and nanocomposites were subjected to three time treatments (0, 176, and 360 h of exposure to artificial weathering in order to achieve comparable materials with different MW. MW was acquired by means of Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC. Thermo-mechanical properties were investigated through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC, X-ray Diffraction (XRD, Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR.

  14. Thermo-mechanical Modelling of Pebble Beds in Fusion Blankets and its Implementation by a Return-Mapping Algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gan, Yixiang; Kamlah, Marc

    2008-01-01

    In this investigation, a thermo-mechanical model of pebble beds is adopted and developed based on experiments by Dr. Reimann at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK). The framework of the present material model is composed of a non-linear elastic law, the Drucker-Prager-Cap theory, and a modified creep law. Furthermore, the volumetric inelastic strain dependent thermal conductivity of beryllium pebble beds is taken into account and full thermo-mechanical coupling is considered. Investigation showed that the Drucker-Prager-Cap model implemented in ABAQUS can not fulfill the requirements of both the prediction of large creep strains and the hardening behaviour caused by creep, which are of importance with respect to the application of pebble beds in fusion blankets. Therefore, UMAT (user defined material's mechanical behaviour) and UMATHT (user defined material's thermal behaviour) routines are used to re-implement the present thermo-mechanical model in ABAQUS. An elastic predictor radial return mapping algorithm is used to solve the non-associated plasticity iteratively, and a proper tangent stiffness matrix is obtained for cost-efficiency in the calculation. An explicit creep mechanism is adopted for the prediction of time-dependent behaviour in order to represent large creep strains in high temperature. Finally, the thermo-mechanical interactions are implemented in a UMATHT routine for the coupled analysis. The oedometric compression tests and creep tests of pebble beds at different temperatures are simulated with the help of the present UMAT and UMATHT routines, and the comparison between the simulation and the experiments is made. (authors)

  15. Thermo-mechanical analysis of an acceleration grid for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor-neutral beam injection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujiwara, Yukio; Hanada, Masaya; Okumura, Yoshikazu; Suzuki, Satoshi; Watanabe, Kazuhiro

    2001-01-01

    In the engineering design of a negative-ion beam source for a high-power neutral beam injection (NBI) system, one of the most important issues is thermo-mechanical design of acceleration grids for producing several tens of MW ion beams. An acceleration grid for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor-neutral beam injection (ITER-NBI) system will be subjected to the heat loading as high as 1.5 MW. In the present paper, thermo-mechanical characteristics of the acceleration grid for the ITER-NBI system were analyzed. Numerical simulation indicated that maximum aperture-axis displacement of the acceleration grid due to thermal expansion would be about 0.7 mm for the heat loading of 1.5 MW. From the thin lens theory of beam optics, beamlet deflection angle by the aperture-axis displacement was estimated to be about 2 mrad, which is within the requirement of the engineering design of the ITER-NBI system. Numerical simulation also indicated that no melting on the acceleration grid would occur for a heat loading of 1.5 MW, while local plastic deformation would happen. To avoid the plastic deformation, it is necessary to reduce the heat loading onto the acceleration grid to less than 1 MW

  16. Sensitivity analysis of a coupled hydro-mechanical paleo-climate model of density-dependent groundwater flow in discretely fractured crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Normani, S.D.; Sykes, J.F.

    2011-01-01

    A high resolution three-dimensional sub-regional scale (104 km 2 ) density-dependent, discretely fractured groundwater flow model with hydro-mechanical coupling and pseudo-permafrost was developed from a larger 5734 km 2 regional-scale groundwater flow model of a Canadian Shield setting. The objective of the work is to determine the sensitivity of modelled groundwater system evolution to the hydro-mechanical parameters. The discrete fracture dual continuum numerical model FRAC3DVS-OPG was used for all simulations. A discrete fracture network model delineated from surface features was superimposed onto an approximate 790 000 element domain mesh with approximately 850 000 nodes. Orthogonal fracture faces (between adjacent finite element grid blocks) were used to best represent the irregular discrete fracture zone network. Interconnectivity of the permeable fracture zones is an important pathway for the possible migration and subsequent reduction in groundwater and contaminant residence times. The crystalline rock matrix between these structural discontinuities was assigned mechanical and flow properties characteristic of those reported for the Canadian Shield. The variation of total dissolved solids with depth was assigned using literature data for the Canadian Shield. Performance measures for the sensitivity analysis include equivalent freshwater heads, environmental heads, linear velocities, and depth of penetration by conservative non-decaying tracers released at the surface. A 121 000 year North American continental scale paleo-climate simulation was applied to the domain with ice-sheet histories estimated by the University of Toronto Glacial Systems Model (UofT GSM). Hydro-mechanical coupling between the rock matrix and the pore fluid, due to the ice sheet normal stress, was included in the simulations. The flow model included the influence of vertical strain and assumed that areal loads were homogeneous. Permafrost depth was applied as a permeability reduction

  17. 3-D electromagnetic and thermo-mechanical simulation of a RF cavity

    CERN Document Server

    Launay, F

    2003-01-01

    A 3-D thermo-mechanical study of the edge of entrance blade of IPHI's RFQ was conducted by means of I-DEAS code. The aim is to compare the temperatures reached, the constraints, and the deformations calculated on the basis of RF power density stored on the blade obtained by means of two different electromagnetic computational codes, SOPRANO and MAFIA.

  18. Thermo-mechanical efficiency of the bimetallic strip heat engine at the macro-scale and micro-scale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnaud, A; Boughaleb, J; Monfray, S; Boeuf, F; Skotnicki, T; Cugat, O

    2015-01-01

    Bimetallic strip heat engines are energy harvesters that exploit the thermo-mechanical properties of bistable bimetallic membranes to convert heat into mechanical energy. They thus represent a solution to transform low-grade heat into electrical energy if the bimetallic membrane is coupled with an electro-mechanical transducer. The simplicity of these devices allows us to consider their miniaturization using MEMS fabrication techniques. In order to design and optimize these devices at the macro-scale and micro-scale, this article proposes an explanation of the origin of the thermal snap-through by giving the expressions of the constitutive equations of composite beams. This allows us to evaluate the capability of bimetallic strips to convert heat into mechanical energy whatever their size is, and to give the theoretical thermo-mechanical efficiencies which can be obtained with these harvesters. (paper)

  19. Heater test in the Opalinus Clay of the Mont Terri URL. Gas release and water redistribution - Contribution to heater experiment (HE); Rock and bentonite thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the nearfield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jockwer, N.; Wieczorek, K.

    2006-06-01

    Beside salt and granite, clay formations are investigated as potential host rocks for disposing radioactive waste. In Switzerland in the canton Jura close to the city of St. Ursanne, an underground laboratory was built in the vicinity of the reconnaissance gallery of a motorway tunnel. Since 1995, a consortium of 12 international organisations is running this laboratory for investigating the suitability of the Opalinus clay formation with regard to disposal of radioactive waste. In 1999, the Heater Experiment B (HE-B) was started for investigating the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes of the Opalinus clay in interaction with the bentonite buffer. The principal contractors of this project were the Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), the Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos S. A. (ENRESA), the Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, and the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA). GRS participated in that experiment for determining the subjects of gas generation, gas release, water content, and water redistribution in the Opalinus clay during heating. This was achieved by analysing gas and water samples from the test field before, during, and after the heating period and by performing geoelectric tomography measurements in the heated region. The in-situ measurements were supported by an additional laboratory programme. This report deals with the work of GRS performed in this project during the years 1999 to 2005. All the results obtained in the frame of the project are presented. Additional laboratory measurements conducted by the Pore Water Laboratory at CIEMAT in Madrid are also presented. The participation of GRS was funded by German Ministry of Economics and Labour (BMWA) under the contract No. 02 E 9602 and by the Commission of the European Communities under the contract No. FIKW.CT-2001-00132. (orig.)

  20. Thermo-mechanical modeling of laser treatment on titanium cold-spray coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradiso, V.; Rubino, F.; Tucci, F.; Astarita, A.; Carlone, P.

    2018-05-01

    Titanium coatings are very attractive to several industrial fields, especially aeronautics, due to the enhanced corrosion resistance and wear properties as well as improved compatibility with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials. Cold sprayed titanium coatings, among the others deposition processes, are finding a widespread use in high performance applications, whereas post-deposition treatments are often used to modify the microstructure of the cold-sprayed layer. Laser treatments allow one to noticeably increase the superficial properties of titanium coatings when the process parameters are properly set. On the other hand, the high heat input required to melt titanium particles may result in excessive temperature increase even in the substrate. This paper introduces a thermo-mechanical model to simulate the laser treatment effects on a cold sprayed titanium coating as well as the aluminium substrate. The proposed thermo-mechanical finite element model considers the transient temperature field due to the laser source and applied boundary conditions using them as input loads for the subsequent stress-strain analysis. Numerical outcomes highlighted the relevance of thermal gradients and thermally induced stresses and strains in promoting the damage of the coating.

  1. Modelling the Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Magnesium Alloys during Indirect Extrusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steglich, D.; Ertuerk, S.; Bohlen, J.; Letzig, D.; Brocks, W.

    2010-01-01

    One of the basic metal forming process for semi-finished products is extrusion. Since extrusion involves complex thermo-mechanical and multiaxial loading conditions resulting in large strains, high strain rates and an increase in temperature due to deformation, a proper yield criterion and hardening law should be used in the numerical modelling of the process. A phenomenological model based on a plastic potential has been proposed that takes strain, strain rate and temperature dependency on flow behaviour into consideration. A hybrid methodology of experiment and finite element simulation has been adopted in order to obtain necessary model parameters. The anisotropy/asymmetry in yielding was quantified by tensile and compression tests of specimens prepared from different directions. The identification of the corresponding model parameters was performed by a genetic algorithm. A fully coupled thermo-mechanical analysis has been used in extrusion simulations for calculation of the temperature field by considering heat fluxes and heat generated due to plastic deformation. The results of the approach adopted in this study appeared to be successful showing promising predictions of the experiments and thus may be extended to be applicable to other magnesium alloys or even other hcp metals.

  2. Thermo-hydraulic characteristics of ship propulsion reactor in the conditions of ship motions and safety assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Michiyuki; Murata, Hiroyuki; Sawada, Kenichi; Inasaka, Fujio; Aya, Izuo; Shiozaki, Koki

    1999-01-01

    By inputting the experimental data, information and others on thermo-hydraulic characteristics of integrated ship propulsion reactor accumulated hitherto by the Ship Research Institute and some recent cooperation results into the nuclear ship engineering simulation system, it was conducted not only to contribute an improvement study on next ship reactor by executing general analysis and evaluation on motion characteristics under ship body motion conditions, safety at accidents, and others of the integrated ship reactor but also to investigate and prepare some measures to apply fundamental experiment results based on obtained here information to safety countermeasure of the nuclear ships. In 1997 fiscal year, on safety of the integrated ship propulsion reactor loading nuclear ship, by adding experimental data on unstable flow analysis and information on all around of the analysis to general data base fundamental program, development to intellectual data base program was intended; on effect of pulsation flow on thermo-hydraulic characteristics of ship propulsion reactor; after pulsation flow visualization experiment, experimental equipment was reconstructed into heat transfer type to conduct numerical analysis of pulsation flow by confirming validity of numerical analysis code under comparison with the visualization experiment results; and on thermo-hydraulic behavior in storage container at accident of active safety type ship propulsion reactor; a flashing vibration test using new apparatus finished on its higher pressurization at last fiscal year to examine effects of each parameter such as radius and length of exhausting nozzle and pool water temperature. (G.K.)

  3. Density-dependent hydro-mechanical behaviour of a compacted expansive soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    NOWAMOOZ, Hossein; MASROURI, Farimah

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Clayey soils are widely used in geotechnical engineering for dam cores, barriers in waste landfills and for engineered barriers in nuclear waste storage facilities. In the latter case, the used materials contain a large amount of smectite which is a highly swelling clay. On site, they can be submitted to complex suction/ stress/temperature variations that could change dramatically their hydro-mechanical behavior, meaning their saturated and unsaturated mechanical characteristics. To further our knowledge of the coupling between the hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of the swelling soils, this paper presents an experimental study on a swelling bentonite/silt mixture using osmotic odometers. A loading/unloading cycle was applied to samples with different initial dry densities (1.27, 1.48, and 1.55 Mg.m -3 ) at different constant suctions (0, 2, and 8 MPa). These experimental results provided a sufficient database to analytically model the mechanical behavior of the swelling soil and define three yielding surfaces: - the Suction Limit between Micro- and Macrostructure (s m/M ) and the Suction Limit between Nano- and Microstructure (s n/m ), which depend completely on the soil fabrics and the diameter separating the nano-, micro-, and macrostructure, - the Loading Collapse (LC) curve, representing the pre-consolidation stress variation as a function of suction, - the Saturation Curve (SC), representing the variation of the saturation stress (P sat ) as a function of suction. In general, we can state that the increase of compaction pressure unified the LC and SC surfaces and decreased the (s m/M ) value without modifying the (s n/m ) value. (authors)

  4. Thermo-dynamical contours of electronic-vibrational spectra simulated using the statistical quantum-mechanical methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pomogaev, Vladimir; Pomogaeva, Anna; Avramov, Pavel

    2011-01-01

    Three polycyclic organic molecules in various solvents focused on thermo-dynamical aspects were theoretically investigated using the recently developed statistical quantum mechanical/classical molecular dynamics method for simulating electronic-vibrational spectra. The absorption bands of estradiol...

  5. Thermo-mechanical process for treatment of welds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malik, R.K.

    1980-03-01

    Benefits from thermo-mechanical processing (TMP) of austenitic stainless steel weldments, analogous to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of castings, most likely result from compressive plastic deformation, enhanced diffusion, and/or increased dislocation density. TMP improves ultrasonic inspectability of austenitic stainless steel welds owing to: conversion of cast dendrites into equiaxed austenitic grains, reduction in size and number of stringers and inclusions, and reduction of delta ferrite content. TMP induces structural homogenization and healing of void-type defects and thus contributes to an increase in elongation, impact strength, and fracture toughness as well as a significant reduction in data scatter for these properties. An optimum temperature for TMP or HIP of welds is one which causes negligible grain growth and an acceptable reduction in yield strength, and permits healing of porosity

  6. Influence of thermo-mechanical processing on the microstructure of Cu-based shape memory alloys produced by powder metallurgy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez, P.P.; Ibarra, A.; Iza-Mendia, A.; Recarte, V.; Perez-Landazabal, J.I.; San Juan, J.; No, M.L.

    2003-01-01

    Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys processed by powder metallurgy show very good thermo-mechanical properties, much better than those found in alloys produced by conventional casting. In this paper, we present the microstructural characterisation of these powder metallurgy alloys in order to find the microscopic mechanisms, linked to the powder metallurgy processing method, which are indeed responsible of such good thermo-mechanical behaviour. Electron microscopy studies [scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)] show that powder metallurgy processing creates a sub-grain structure characterised by the presence of low angle sub-boundaries. These sub-boundaries are found to be lying on {1 1 0} and {1 1 2} lattice planes and are composed by an arrangement of superdislocations. These sub-boundaries may improve ductility in two ways: acting as a sink of dislocations which promotes plastic deformation and decreasing stress concentration at grain boundaries. Moreover, since sub-boundaries act as weak obstacles for the movement of martensite plates, the improvement on ductility is accomplished by an adequate thermo-mechanical behaviour

  7. Assessment of Pressure Fluctuation Effect for Thermal Fatigue in a T-junction Using Thermo-Hydro Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pyo, Jaebum; Kim, Jungwoo; Huh, Namsu [Seoul National Univ. of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sunhye [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-15

    As a result, when evaluating thermal fatigue for the mixing tee, temperature fluctuation is dominant for this phenomenon, it can be reasonably assumed that the pressure is constant on the pipe inner wall. Recently, thermal fatigue due to mixing of the fluids having different temperatures has been considered as an important issue on the fatigue evaluation of nuclear piping. Mainly, this phenomenon occurs in a T-junction operating with the fluids consisted of different temperatures. Because of the turbulent mixing of hot and cold water, the temperature on the inner wall of the pipe fluctuates rapidly, causing the variation of thermal stresses in the pipe and resulting in high cycle thermal fatigue. In practice, cracking by high cycle thermal fatigue is reported at a T-junction in the residual heat removal system at Civaux unit 1 in France. However, because of irregular flow inside the pipe, the pressure also fluctuates rapidly as well as temperature in the inner wall of the pipe. Therefore, in this paper, three-dimensional thermo-hydro analysis was performed for the mixing tee of the shutdown cooling system of the pressurized water reactor plant, examining the pressure variation at the pipe inner wall. Based on the analysis result, this study aims at assessing the pressure fluctuation effect on the thermal fatigue. In this paper, it is verified that there is pressure fluctuation as well as temperature on the inner wall of mixing tee operating with the fluids having different temperatures. However, since the amplitude of pressure is relatively smaller than design pressure of the shutdown cooling system, the effect wouldn't be important for the thermal fatigue.

  8. On nonlinear thermo-electro-elasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehnert, Markus; Hossain, Mokarram; Steinmann, Paul

    2016-06-01

    Electro-active polymers (EAPs) for large actuations are nowadays well-known and promising candidates for producing sensors, actuators and generators. In general, polymeric materials are sensitive to differential temperature histories. During experimental characterizations of EAPs under electro-mechanically coupled loads, it is difficult to maintain constant temperature not only because of an external differential temperature history but also because of the changes in internal temperature caused by the application of high electric loads. In this contribution, a thermo-electro-mechanically coupled constitutive framework is proposed based on the total energy approach. Departing from relevant laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamically consistent constitutive equations are formulated. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed thermo-electro-mechanically coupled framework, a frequently used non-homogeneous boundary-value problem, i.e. the extension and inflation of a cylindrical tube, is solved analytically. The results illustrate the influence of various thermo-electro-mechanical couplings.

  9. Finding an Optimal Thermo-Mechanical Processing Scheme for a Gum-Type Ti-Nb-Zr-Fe-O Alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nocivin, Anna; Cojocaru, Vasile Danut; Raducanu, Doina; Cinca, Ion; Angelescu, Maria Lucia; Dan, Ioan; Serban, Nicolae; Cojocaru, Mirela

    2017-09-01

    A gum-type alloy was subjected to a thermo-mechanical processing scheme to establish a suitable process for obtaining superior structural and behavioural characteristics. Three processes were proposed: a homogenization treatment, a cold-rolling process and a solution treatment with three heating temperatures: 1073 K (800 °C), 1173 K (900 °C) and 1273 K (1000 °C). Results of all three proposed processes were analyzed using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy imaging, to establish and compare the structural modifications. The behavioural status was completed with micro-hardness and tensile strength tests. The optimal results were obtained for solution treatment at 1073 K.

  10. Inorganic fullerene-like IF-WS_2/PVB nanocomposites of improved thermo-mechanical and tribological properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simić, Danica; Stojanović, Dušica B.; Kojović, Aleksandar; Dimić, Mirjana; Totovski, Ljubica; Uskoković, Petar S.; Aleksić, Radoslav

    2016-01-01

    The subject of this research is to explore the possibility of preparation of nanocomposite material of improved thermo-mechanical and tribological properties, using inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide nanostructures (IF-WS_2) as reinforcement in poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB). This paper also reports investigation of the effects of using different solvents in preparation of PVB/IF-WS_2 nanocomposite on the thermo-mechanical behavior of the resulting material. PVB was dissolved in ethanol, isopropanol, n-butanol and ethyl acetate. IF-WS_2 nanoparticles were added to these PVB solutions and dispersed by different deagglomeration techniques. Samples were dried and thin films were obtained. Their microstructure and the quality of IF-WS_2 dispersion and deagglomeration in PVB matrix was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The reinforcing effect of IF-WS_2 is examined by determining hardness, reduced modulus of elasticity and coefficient of friction, by nanoindentation and nanoscratch test, in terms of the different solvents applied in preparation of the samples, mode of stirring and different contents of IF-WS_2. The glass transition temperature (T_g) was determined for the prepared samples using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMA). Storage modulus and mechanical loss factor were observed in a defined temperature range using DMA. - Highlights: • Poly(vinyl butyral)/tungsten disulfide nanocomposites were examined. • Different solvents and deagglomeration methods affect the properties of composites. • Nanoindentation and scratch test, PSD, SEM, DSC and DMTA were analyzed. • Thermo-mechanical and antifriction properties of composite material are improved.

  11. Lead transport in intra-oceanic subduction zones: 2D geochemical-thermo-mechanical modeling of isotopic signatures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Baitsch-Ghirardello, B.; Stracke, A.; Connolly, J.A.D.; Nikolaeva, K.M.; Gerya, T.V.

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the physical-chemical mechanisms and pathways of geochemical transport in subduction zones remains a long-standing goal of subduction-related research. In this study, we perform fully coupled geochemical-thermo-mechanical (GcTM) numerical simulations to investigate Pb isotopic

  12. Thermo-mechanical modeling of the obduction process based on the Oman ophiolite case

    OpenAIRE

    Duretz , Thibault; Agard , Philippe; Yamato , Philippe; Ducassou , Céline; Burov , Evgenii ,; Gerya , T. V.

    2016-01-01

    International audience; Obduction emplaces regional-scale fragments of oceanic lithosphere (ophiolites) over continental lithosphere margins of much lower density. For this reason, the mechanisms responsible for obduction remain enigmatic in the framework of plate tectonics. We present two-dimensional (2D) thermo-mechanical models of obduction and investigate possible dynamics and physical controls of this process. Model geometry and boundary conditions are based on available geological and g...

  13. Thermo-mechanical design of a CW sweep plate emittance scanner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rathke, J.; Peacock, M.; Sredniawski, J.

    1996-01-01

    A sweep plate emittance scanner for use with high power, continuous wave (CW) beams has been designed, fabricated and commissioned at Northrop Grumman. The design is capable of scanning beams of up to 20 kW beam power with a spot diameter as small as 2 cm. The scanner pod is mounted on a ball screw driven linear bearing table that is driven through the beam by a stepper motor at velocities up to 30 cm/sec. This paper presents the thermo-mechanical analysis of the pod moving through a gaussian beam and the details of the mechanical design of the pod and motion system. Analyses to determine scanner cooling schemes and structural materials are presented. (author)

  14. The study of polymeric hydro-gels with unique properties obtained by polymerization with gamma radiation processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dragusin, M.

    1995-01-01

    This thesis presents the work carried out on polymeric hydro-gels obtained by radiation processing using 60 Co gamma rays from the irradiation facility IETI-10.000 (10 k Ci), and on the polymeric hydro-gels obtained by irradiation with the electron beams from a linear accelerator (6 MeV). The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the rate dose and total dose absorbed in the materials. There are presented the preparation methods of homo- and co-polymer hydro-gels (acrylics, namely anionic and neutral monomers (acrylamide, acrylic acid, vinyl acetate) and cationic monomers (di-methyl di-allyl ammonium chloride)) such as floculants, additives, absorbers, etc. Concerning with these we have analysed the preparation methods, the mechanical, thermal, diffusivity, and swelling properties of polymeric hydro-gels in a large variety of gels of type I or II. The technological aspects and end use were studied in connection with the characteristics of the radiation processing of these hydro-gels as a function of chemical composition rate and absorbed dose, swelling degree (low and very high hydro-soluble), mechanical and diffusional properties. (author) 33 figs., 12 tabs., 101 refs

  15. Thermo-mechanical constitutive modeling of unsaturated clays based on the critical state concepts

    OpenAIRE

    Tourchi, Saeed; Hamidi, Amir

    2015-01-01

    A thermo-mechanical constitutive model for unsaturated clays is constructed based on the existing model for saturated clays originally proposed by the authors. The saturated clays model was formulated in the framework of critical state soil mechanics and modified Cam-clay model. The existing model has been generalized to simulate the experimentally observed behavior of unsaturated clays by introducing Bishop's stress and suction as independent stress parameters and modifying the hardening rul...

  16. Free vibration analysis of magneto-electro-thermo-elastic nanobeams resting on a Pasternak foundation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jandaghian, A. A.; Rahmani, O.

    2016-03-01

    In this study, free vibration analysis of magneto-electro-thermo-elastic (METE) nanobeams resting on a Pasternak foundation is investigated based on nonlocal theory and Timoshenko beam theory. Coupling effects between electric, magnetic, mechanical and thermal loading are considered to derive the equations of motion and distribution of electrical potential and magnetic potential along the thickness direction of the METE nanobeam. The governing equations and boundary conditions are obtained using the Hamilton principle and discretized via the differential quadrature method (DQM). Numerical results reveal the effects of the nonlocal parameter, magneto-electro-thermo-mechanical loading, Winkler spring coefficients, Pasternak shear coefficients and height-to-length ratio on the vibration characteristics of METE nanobeams. It is observed that the natural frequency is dependent on the magnetic, electric, temperature, elastic medium, small-scale coefficient, and height-to-length ratio. These results are useful in the mechanical analysis and design of smart nanostructures constructed from magneto-electro-thermo-elastic materials.

  17. Free vibration analysis of magneto-electro-thermo-elastic nanobeams resting on a Pasternak foundation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jandaghian, A A; Rahmani, O

    2016-01-01

    In this study, free vibration analysis of magneto-electro-thermo-elastic (METE) nanobeams resting on a Pasternak foundation is investigated based on nonlocal theory and Timoshenko beam theory. Coupling effects between electric, magnetic, mechanical and thermal loading are considered to derive the equations of motion and distribution of electrical potential and magnetic potential along the thickness direction of the METE nanobeam. The governing equations and boundary conditions are obtained using the Hamilton principle and discretized via the differential quadrature method (DQM). Numerical results reveal the effects of the nonlocal parameter, magneto-electro-thermo-mechanical loading, Winkler spring coefficients, Pasternak shear coefficients and height-to-length ratio on the vibration characteristics of METE nanobeams. It is observed that the natural frequency is dependent on the magnetic, electric, temperature, elastic medium, small-scale coefficient, and height-to-length ratio. These results are useful in the mechanical analysis and design of smart nanostructures constructed from magneto-electro-thermo-elastic materials. (paper)

  18. Thermo-optic characteristic of DNA thin solid film and its application as a biocompatible optical fiber temperature sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Seongjin; Jung, Woohyun; Nazari, Tavakol; Song, Sanggwon; Kim, Taeoh; Quan, Chai; Oh, Kyunghwan

    2017-05-15

    We report unique thermo-optical characteristics of DNA-Cetyl tri-methyl ammonium (DNA-CTMA) thin solid film with a large negative thermo-optical coefficient of -3.4×10-4/°C in the temperature range from 20°C to 70°C without any observable thermal hysteresis. By combining this thermo-optic DNA film and fiber optic multimode interference (MMI) device, we experimentally demonstrated a highly sensitive compact temperature sensor with a large spectral shift of 0.15 nm/°C. The fiber optic MMI device was a concatenated structure with single-mode fiber (SMF)-coreless silica fiber (CSF)-single mode fiber (SMF) and the DNA-CTMA film was deposited on the CSF. The spectral shifts of the device in experiments were compared with the beam propagation method, which showed a good agreement.

  19. Effect of microencapsulated phase change materials on the thermo-mechanical properties of poly(methyl-methacrylate) based biomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Santis, Roberto; Ambrogi, Veronica; Carfagna, Cosimo; Ambrosio, Luigi; Nicolais, Luigi

    2006-12-01

    Microencapsulated paraffin based phase change material (PCM) have been incorporated into Poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix in order to enhance the thermo-mechanical properties. Calorimetric and mechanical analyses are carried out and the thermo regulating potential of PMMA/PCM composites is investigated. Results indicate that the PCM phase has a negligible effect on the glass transition temperature of the PMMA matrix, and the thermal regulating capability spans around body temperature absorbing or releasing a thermal energy up to 30 J/g. One of the effect of the PCM phase into the cement is the reduction of the peak temperature developed during the exothermal reaction.

  20. Coupled thermo-mechanical analysis of granite for high-level radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Wengang; Wang Ju; Zhou Hongwei; Jiang Pengfei; Yang Chunhe

    2008-01-01

    High-level radioactive wastes (HLW) repository is a special deep underground engineering, and in the stages of site selection, designing, constructing ,the stability evaluation, lots of important rock mechanics problems need to be resolved. During the decay of nuclear waste, enormous thermal energy was released and temperature variation caused dynamic distribution of stress and deformation field of surrounding rock of repository. BeiShan region of Gansu province was selected to be the repository field in the future, it is of practical significance to do research on granite in this region. Based on the concept model of HLW repository, this thesis calculates temperature field, stress field and deformation field of HLW repository surrounding rock under the condition of TM coupled with applying the finite difference FLAC 3D . From this study, thermo-mechanical characteristic of granite is obtained primarily under given canister heat source and given decay law function. And these results show that the reasonable space between disposal hole is 8 m-12 m, and the peak temperature of the canister surface is 130 ℃, the centerline temperature between pits is about 40 ℃ which is maintained for about hundreds of years under given heating output at -500 m depth. (authors)

  1. Review on structural fatigue of NiTi shape memory alloys: Pure mechanical and thermo-mechanical ones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guozheng Kang

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Structural fatigue of NiTi shape memory alloys is a key issue that should be solved in order to promote their engineering applications and utilize their unique shape memory effect and super-elasticity more sufficiently. In this paper, the latest progresses made in experimental and theoretical analyses for the structural fatigue features of NiTi shape memory alloys are reviewed. First, macroscopic experimental observations to the pure mechanical and thermo-mechanical fatigue features of the alloys are summarized; then the state-of-arts in the mechanism analysis of fatigue rupture are addressed; further, advances in the construction of fatigue failure models are provided; finally, summary and future topics are outlined.

  2. Development and applications of reactor noise analysis at Ontario Hydro`s CANDU reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gloeckler, O [Ontario Hydro, Toronto, ON (Canada); Tulett, M V [Ontario Hydro, Pickering, ON (Canada). Pickering Generating Station

    1996-12-31

    In 1992 a program was initiated to establish reactor noise analysis as a practical tool for plant performance monitoring and system diagnostics in Ontario Hydro`s CANDU reactors. Since then, various CANDU-specific noise analysis applications have been developed and validated. The noise-based statistical techniques are being successfully applied as powerful troubleshooting and diagnostic tools to a wide variety of actual operational I and C problems. The dynamic characteristics of critical plant components, instrumentation and processes are monitored on a regular basis. Recent applications of noise analysis include (1) validating the dynamics of in-core flux detectors (ICFDS) and ion chambers, (2) estimating the prompt fraction ICFDs in noise measurements at full power and in power rundown tests, (3) identifying the cause of excessive signal fluctuations in certain flux detectors, (4) validating the dynamic coupling between liquid zone control signals, (5) detecting and monitoring mechanical vibrations of detector tubes induced by moderator flow, (6) estimating the dynamics and response time of RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) temperature signals, (7) isolating the cause of RTD signal anomalies, (8) investigating the source of abnormal flow signal behaviour, (9) estimating the overall response time of flow and pressure signals, (10) detecting coolant boiling in fully instrumented fuel channels, (11) monitoring moderator circulation via temperature noise, and (12) predicting the performance of shut-off rods. Some of these applications are performed on an as-needed basis. The noise analysis program, in the Pickering-B station alone, has saved Ontario Hydro millions of dollars during its first three years. The results of the noise analysis program have been also reviewed by the regulator (Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada) with favorable results. The AECB have expressed interest in Ontario Hydro further exploiting the use of noise analysis technology. (author

  3. Thermo-mechanical cementation effects in bentonite investigated by unconfined compression tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dueck, Ann; Boergesson, Lennart; Karnland, Ola

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Mechanical properties of buffer material are included in the model used for predicting the physical behaviour of saturated buffer in the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. One simple test where the mechanical properties can be quantified is the unconfined compression test. In this type of test the relation between stress and strain are determined from axial compression of a cylindrical specimen. In the project LOT the unconfined compression test was used to study the mechanical properties on field exposed buffer material. The results from these test series showed that specimens exposed to warm conditions had a significantly reduced strain at failure compared to reference material. Changes in mechanical properties may be due to incipient chemical changes in the material. However, the present study focuses on other possible sources for brittle failure behaviour. In this study the objective was to experimentally investigate if deviating stress-strain behaviour measured after temperature exposure could be explained by Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical processes. The word cementation is used as a general term for the process involving a change in mechanical properties including brittleness at failure. A relatively large number of specimens were tested representing sodium dominated and calcium dominated bentonites. Cylindrical specimens were compacted from air dry powder to a height and diameter of 20 mm. The main part of the specimens was put in a saturation device prior to the tests in order to ensure full saturation. After the saturation each sample was placed in a mechanical press where a constant rate of strain was applied axially to the specimens having no radial confinement. During the test the deformation and the applied force were measured by means of force and strain transducers. After failure the water content and density were determined. Test series were carried out for investigating the influence of for example

  4. Inorganic fullerene-like IF-WS{sub 2}/PVB nanocomposites of improved thermo-mechanical and tribological properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simić, Danica [Military Technical Institute, Ratka Resanovića 1, 11132 Belgrade (Serbia); Stojanović, Dušica B., E-mail: duca@tmf.bg.ac.rs [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, 11120 Belgrade (Serbia); Kojović, Aleksandar [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, 11120 Belgrade (Serbia); Dimić, Mirjana; Totovski, Ljubica [Military Technical Institute, Ratka Resanovića 1, 11132 Belgrade (Serbia); Uskoković, Petar S.; Aleksić, Radoslav [University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, 11120 Belgrade (Serbia)

    2016-12-01

    The subject of this research is to explore the possibility of preparation of nanocomposite material of improved thermo-mechanical and tribological properties, using inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide nanostructures (IF-WS{sub 2}) as reinforcement in poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB). This paper also reports investigation of the effects of using different solvents in preparation of PVB/IF-WS{sub 2} nanocomposite on the thermo-mechanical behavior of the resulting material. PVB was dissolved in ethanol, isopropanol, n-butanol and ethyl acetate. IF-WS{sub 2} nanoparticles were added to these PVB solutions and dispersed by different deagglomeration techniques. Samples were dried and thin films were obtained. Their microstructure and the quality of IF-WS{sub 2} dispersion and deagglomeration in PVB matrix was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The reinforcing effect of IF-WS{sub 2} is examined by determining hardness, reduced modulus of elasticity and coefficient of friction, by nanoindentation and nanoscratch test, in terms of the different solvents applied in preparation of the samples, mode of stirring and different contents of IF-WS{sub 2}. The glass transition temperature (T{sub g}) was determined for the prepared samples using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMA). Storage modulus and mechanical loss factor were observed in a defined temperature range using DMA. - Highlights: • Poly(vinyl butyral)/tungsten disulfide nanocomposites were examined. • Different solvents and deagglomeration methods affect the properties of composites. • Nanoindentation and scratch test, PSD, SEM, DSC and DMTA were analyzed. • Thermo-mechanical and antifriction properties of composite material are improved.

  5. Study of the thermo-mechanical performances of the IFMIF-EVEDA Lithium Test Loop target assembly

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Maio, P.A., E-mail: dimaio@din.unipa.it [Dipartimento dell' Energia, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Arena, P.; Bongiovi, G. [Dipartimento dell' Energia, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Giammusso, R.; Micciche, G.; Tincani, A. [ENEA C. R. Brasimone, 40032 Camugnano, Bologna (Italy)

    2012-08-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer IFMIF-EVEDA target assembly thermo-mechanical behavior has been investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Finite element method has been followed and a commercial code has been used. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nominal, design and pressure test steady state scenarios and start-up transient conditions have been investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Steady state results have shown that back-plate yielding may occur only under the design scenario. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Transient analysis has indicated that TA start-up lasts for {approx}60 h. - Abstract: Within the framework of the IFMIF R and D program and in close cooperation with ENEA-Brasimone, at the Department of Energy of the University of Palermo a research campaign has been launched to investigate the thermo-mechanical behavior of the target assembly under both steady state and start-up transient conditions. A theoretical approach based on the finite element method (FEM) has been followed and a well-known commercial code has been adopted. A realistic 3D FEM model of the target assembly has been set-up and optimized by running a mesh independency analysis. A proper set of loads and boundary conditions, mainly concerned with radiation heat transfer between the target assembly external walls and the inner walls of its containment vessel, have been considered and the target assembly thermo-mechanical behavior under nominal, design and pressure test steady state scenarios and start-up transient conditions has been investigated. Results are herewith reported and discussed.

  6. Athermalization of resonant optical devices via thermo-mechanical feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakich, Peter; Nielson, Gregory N.; Lentine, Anthony L.

    2016-01-19

    A passively athermal photonic system including a photonic circuit having a substrate and an optical cavity defined on the substrate, and passive temperature-responsive provisions for inducing strain in the optical cavity of the photonic circuit to compensate for a thermo-optic effect resulting from a temperature change in the optical cavity of the photonic circuit. Also disclosed is a method of passively compensating for a temperature dependent thermo-optic effect resulting on an optical cavity of a photonic circuit including the step of passively inducing strain in the optical cavity as a function of a temperature change of the optical cavity thereby producing an elasto-optic effect in the optical cavity to compensate for the thermo-optic effect resulting on an optical cavity due to the temperature change.

  7. Hydro-mechanical characterisation of Vendian clay from Russia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, A.M.; Cui, Y.J.; Hong, P.Y.; Li, X.L.; Rumynin, V.G.

    2010-01-01

    when the axial stress exceeds 2% (dilatant). This indicates that the soil is over-consolidated. Oedometer tests were performed on all three samples. Some results are shown. The soil specimens were firstly re-saturated by NaCl solution having the same electric conductivity of 'in-situ' pore-water. The saturation was performed under the 'in-situ' stress in order to avoid the soil swelling. Loading and unloading cycles were then applied in steps. On the one hand, these oedometer tests allow evaluation of the compressibility of the soil. On the other hand, the hydraulic conductivity can be deduced from the consolidation curves; for the core No. 2, the hydraulic conductivity varies from 3 x 10 -11 to 3 x 10 -10 (m/s) for the void ratio in the range of 0.26-0.32. In addition, the comparison between test Od02 and test Od04 allowed analyse of the effect of pore-water chemistry on the compressibility. Indeed, test Od04 (using the in situ pore-water) shows a higher compressibility than that of test Od02 (using the NaCl solution). This preliminary laboratory study on the limited samples taken from different depths of the site has allowed obtaining basic hydro-geotechnical characteristics of the soil layer Vkt1. More detailed investigations are necessary to assess the variability of the hydro-mechanical properties with depth, with mineralogical components, etc. (authors)

  8. pH- and thermo-responsive microcontainers as potential drug delivery systems: Morphological characteristic, release and cytotoxicity studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Efthimiadou, Eleni K; Tapeinos, Christos; Tziveleka, Leto-Aikaterini; Boukos, Nikos; Kordas, George

    2014-04-01

    Polymeric pH- and thermo-sensitive microcontainers (MCs) were developed as a potential drug delivery system for cancer therapy. It is well known that cancer cells exhibit notable characteristics such as acidic pH due to glycolytic cycle and higher temperature due to their higher proliferation rate. Based on these characteristics, we constructed a dual pH- and thermo-sensitive material for specific drug release on the pathological tissue. The MC's fabrication is based on a two-step procedure, in which, the first step involves the core synthesis and the second one is related to the shell formation. The core consists of poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA), while the shell consists of PMMA, poly(isopropylacrylamide), poly(acrylic acid) and poly(divinylbenzene). Three different types of MCs were synthesized based on the seed polymerization method. The synthesized MCs were characterized structurally by Fourier transform infrared and morphologically by scanning electron microscopy. Dynamic light scattering was also used to study their behavior in aqueous solution under different pH and temperature conditions. For the loading and release study, the anthracycline drug daunorubicin (DNR) was used as a model drug, and its release properties were evaluated under different pH and thermo-conditions. Cytotoxicity studies were also carried out against MCF-7 breast cancer and 3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. According to our results, the synthesized microcontainers present desired pH and thermo behavior and can be applied in drug delivery systems. It is worth mentioning that the synthesized microcontainers which incorporated the drug DNR exhibit higher toxicity than the free drug. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Rheological, thermo-mechanical, and baking properties of wheat-millet flour blends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aprodu, Iuliana; Banu, Iuliana

    2015-07-01

    Millet has long been known as a good source of fiber and antioxidants, but only lately started to be exploited by food scientists and food industry as a consequence of increased consumer awareness. In this study, doughs and breads were produced using millet flour in different ratios (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) to white, dark, and whole wheat flour. The flour blends were evaluated in terms of rheological and thermo-mechanical properties. Fundamental rheological measurements revealed that the viscosity of the flour formulations increases with wheat flour-extraction rate and decreases with the addition of millet flour. Doughs behavior during mixing, overmixing, pasting, and gelling was established using the Mixolab device. The results of this bread-making process simulation indicate that dough properties become critical for the flour blends with millet levels higher than 30%. The breads were evaluated for volume, texture, and crumb-grain characteristics. The baking test and sensory evaluation results indicated that substitution levels of up to 30% millet flour could be used in composite bread flour. High levels of millet flour (40 and 50%) negatively influenced the loaf volume, crumb texture, and taste. © The Author(s) 2014.

  10. Thermo-mechanical treatment of low-cost alloy Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn and microstructure and mechanical characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Guangyao; Kang, Juyun; Wang, Shusen; Wang, Shihua; Lu, Xionggang; Li, Chonghe

    2018-04-01

    In this study, the thermo-mechanical treatment process for low-cost Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn alloy were designed on the basis of assessment of Ti-Al-Cr-Mn thermodynamic system. The microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn forging and sheet were investigated by using the OM, SEM and universal tensile testing machine. The results show that both the forging and sheet were consisted of α + β phase, which is consistent with the expectation, and no element Cr and Mn existed in the grain boundaries of the sheet after quenching, and the C14 laves phase was not detected. The average ultimate tensile strength (σ b), 0.2% proof strength (σ 0.2) and elongation (EI) of alloy sheet after quenching can reach 1059 MPa, 1051 MPa and 24.6 Pct., respectively. Moreover, the average ultimate tensile strength of Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn forgings can reach 1599 MPa and the average elongation can reach 11.2 Pct., and a more excellent property of Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn forging is achieved than that of TC4 forging. It provides a theoretical support for further developing this low-cost alloy.

  11. Enhanced Mechanical Properties of Poplar Wood by a Combined-Hydro-Thermo-Mechanical (CHTM) Modification

    OpenAIRE

    Houri Sharifnia; Behbood Mohebbi

    2011-01-01

    The current research explains an innovated technique to enhanced mechanice properties of poplar wood by combination of two modification techniques, hydrothermal and mechanical. Blocks of 50×55×500mm3 were cut from poplar wood and treated in a reactor at 120, 150 and 180°C for 30 min. Afterwards, the blocks were pressed at 180°C for 20 min at a pressure of 80 bar to achieve a compression set of 60% in radial direction. Density and bending properties (moduli of elasticity and rupture) as well a...

  12. Fabrication of thermo-responsive PNIPAAm-g-ETFE for cell culture dishes by pre-irradiation grafting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamahara, Yumi; Nagasawa, Naotsugu; Taguchi, Mitsumasa; Oshima, Akihiro; Washio, Masakazu

    2018-01-01

    Thermo-responsive templates for the cell cultivation based on Poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-ethylene) (ETFE) were fabricated by pre-irradiation grafting of N-isoproplyacrylamide (NIPAAm) monomer by electron beam (EB) irradiation under nitrogen gas atmosphere at room temperature, and their characteristic properties were studied. The detachment of cultured HeLa cells from fabricated thermo-responsive templates were attempted. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism is proposed using ESR spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy. It is confirmed that the cultured HeLa cells were detached from fabricated thermo-responsive templates at 20 °C. Water contact angle analysis indicated that obtained templates had thermo-response around 30 °C. It is suggested that the grafted polymer chains would mainly react with peroxy radicals (-CF2-CF(OO・)-) on tetrafluoroethylene unit in ETFE.

  13. Hydro-mechanical deep drawing of rolled magnesium sheets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bach, F.W.; Rodman, M.; Rossberg, A. [Hannover Univ., Garbsen (Germany). Inst. of Materials Science; Behrens, B.A.; Vogt, O. [Hannover Univ., Garbsen (DE). Inst. of Metal Forming and Metal Forming Machine Tools (IFUM)

    2005-12-01

    Magnesium sheets offer high specific properties which make them very attractive in modern light weight constructions. The main obstacles for a wider usage are their high production costs, the poor corrosion properties and the limited ductility. Until today, forming processes have to be conducted at temperatures well above T=220 C. In the first place, this is a cost factor. Moreover, technical aspects, such as grain growth or the limited use of lubrication speak against high temperatures. The first aim of the presented research work is to increase the ductility at lower temperatures by alloy modification and by an adapted rolling technology. The key factor to reach isotropic mechanical properties and increased limit drawing ratios in deep drawing tools, is to achieve fine, homogeneous microstructures. This can be done by cross rolling at moderate temperatures. The heat treatment has to be adapted accordingly. In a second stage, hydro-mechanical deep drawing experiments were carried out at elevated temperature. The results show that the forming behaviour of the tested Mg-alloys is considerably improved compared to conventional deep drawing. (orig.)

  14. Study of thermo-hydro-mechanical processes at a potential site of an ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2008-09-29

    Sep 29, 2008 ... In this paper, field investigation has been done near to Bhima basin of peninsular India. Detailed ... investigations and other state-of-the-art methods .... Table 1. Variation of physico-mechanical parameters with depth. Tensile. Angle of. UCS strength. Cohesive internal. Young's. Sample nos. Depth. (σc). (σt).

  15. Atomistic simulation of solid solution hardening in Mg/Al alloys: Examination of composition scaling and thermo-mechanical relationships

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yi, Peng; Cammarata, Robert C.; Falk, Michael L.

    2016-01-01

    Dislocation mobility in a solid solution was studied using atomistic simulations of an Mg/Al system. The critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) for the dislocations on the basal plane was calculated at temperatures from 0 K to 500 K with solute concentrations from 0 to 7 at%, and with four different strain rates. Solute hardening of the CRSS is decomposed into two contributions: one scales with c 2/3 , where c is the solute concentration, and the other scales with c 1 . The former was consistent with the Labusch model for local solute obstacles, and the latter was related to the athermal plateau stress due to the long range solute effect. A thermo-mechanical model was then used to analyze the temperature and strain rate dependences of the CRSS, and it yielded self-consistent and realistic results. The scaling laws were confirmed and the thermo-mechanical model was successfully parameterized using experimental measurements of the CRSS for Mg/Al alloys under quasi-static conditions. The predicted strain rate sensitivity from the experimental measurements of the CRSS is in reasonable agreement with separate mechanical tests. The concentration scaling and the thermo-mechanical relationships provide a potential tool to analytically relate the structural and thermodynamic parameters on the microscopic level with the macroscopic mechanical properties arising from dislocation mediated deformation.

  16. HCPB TBM thermo mechanical design: Assessment with respect codes and standards and DEMO relevancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cismondi, F.; Kecskes, S.; Aiello, G.

    2011-01-01

    In the frame of the activities of the European TBM Consortium of Associates the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Test Blanket Module (HCPB-TBM) is developed in Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). After performing detailed thermal and fluid dynamic analyses of the preliminary HCPB TBM design, the thermo mechanical behaviour of the TBM under typical ITER loads has to be assessed. A synthesis of the different design options proposed has been realized building two different assemblies of the HCPB-TBM: these two assemblies and the analyses performed on them are presented in this paper. Finite Element thermo-mechanical analyses of two detailed 1/4 scaled models of the HCPB-TBM assemblies proposed have been performed, with the aim of verifying the accordance of the mechanical behaviour with the criteria of the design codes and standards. The structural design limits specified in the codes and standard are discussed in relation with the EUROFER available data and possible damage modes. Solutions to improve the weak structural points of the present design are identified and the DEMO relevancy of the present thermal and structural design parameters is discussed.

  17. Numerical investigation on the thermo-mechanical behavior of a quadratic cross section pile heat exchanger

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alberdi Pagola, Maria; Madsen, Søren; Lund Jensen, Rasmus

    2017-01-01

    Pile heat exchangers are traditional foundation piles with built in heat exchangers. As such, the footing of the building both serves as a structural component and a heating/cooling supply element. The existing geotechnical design standards do not consider the nature of thermo-active foundations...... and, therefore, there is a need to develop guidelines to design them properly. This paper contributes by studying the thermo-mechanical behavior of the precast piles which are 15-meter long and have a quadratic cross section and a W-shape pipe heat exchanger. This article aims to numerically assess...... the additional changes in the pile load transfer generated by its heating and cooling. In addressing this objective, a preliminary multi-physical finite element analysis is conducted which serves as a tool for exploring: i) the thermally induced mechanical stresses within the concrete and on the pile-soil axial...

  18. The influence of Ge on optical and thermo- mechanical properties of S-Se chalcogenide glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samudrala, Kavitha; Babu Devarasetty, Suresh

    2018-05-01

    S-Se-Ge glasses were prepared by melt quenching method to investigate the effect of Germanium on thermo-mechanical and optical properties of chalcogenide glasses. The glassy nature of the samples has been verified by x-ray diffraction and DSC studies that the samples are glassy in nature. The optical band gap of the samples was estimated by the absorption spectrum fitting method. The optical band gap increased from 1.61 ev for x = 0 sample to 1.90 ev for x = 40 sample and is explained in terms of cohesive energies. The basic thermo-mechanical parameters such as micro-hardness, Volume (Vh) and formation energy (Eh) of micro voids in the glassy network, as well as the modulus of Elasticity (E) have been calculated for prepared glasses.in present glasses. The variation in these parameters with Ge content correlated with heat of atomization of alloys.

  19. Reduced softening of EUROFER 97 under thermo-mechanical and multiaxial fatigue loading and its impact on the design rules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aktaa, J.; Weick, M.; Petersen, C.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: Toward test blanket module (TBM) in ITER and DEMO fusion power plants design rules for components built from EUROFER 97 get more and more in the midpoint of interest. One of the specific characteristic of EUROFER 97 as a ferritic-martensitic steel is its cyclic softening yielding to lower stresses under strain controlled fatigue loading and thus longer lifetimes. However our thermo-mechanical and multiaxial fatigue tests showed lifetimes remarkably lower than those expected on the base of isothermal uniaxial fatigue tests. Reduced cyclic softening observed in these experiments is believed as one of the reasons of the shorter fatigue lifetimes. When applying the design rules, derived for EUROFER 97 on the base of isothermal uniaxial data considering the recommendations in the ASME and RCC-MR code, to our thermo-mechanical and multiaxial fatigue tests for verification strong loss in their conservatism has been found. The lifetimes observed in a part of the multiaxial experiments are even lower than the design lifetimes supposed to be sufficiently conservative. To overcome this problem new design rules are proposed among others on the base of damage and lifetime prediction model developed lately for EUROFER 97. In this paper the experimental findings as well as the new design approaches will be presented and discussed. (authors)

  20. Electrical and Thermo-Mechanical properties of Irradiated Clay Nanoparticle/SBR Composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ata, M.M.E.M.

    2011-01-01

    Polymer-Composites incorporating metal, semiconductors, Carbon black, nano materials and Clay materials have been widely used and studied as multifunctional materials with inherent polymer properties. Polymer-clay nano composites show remarkable property improvement when compared to conventionally scaled composites. For designing new materials with desirable, predicted properties, a better understanding of structure-property relationships is necessary. In this work, we employ dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) to investigate molecular mobility in relation to morphology in styrene butadiene rubber-SBR (treated and untreated) nano composites. In addition to the investigation of dipolar processes, special attention is paid here to the investigation of conductivity effects and mechanical as well as thermo-mechanical properties. From the stress-strain characteristics, one found that, all the compositions showed a tensile strength higher than the virgin rubber. By increasing the filler loading, the tensile strength of the prepared composites increases. The elongation at break for treated and untreated clay filed composites increases with an increase in filer loading up to 10 p hr and then followed by a decrease up to 15 p hr. The cross linking density, υ increases with both treated and untreated clay contents and treated samples have higher increasing rate of υ values than untreated one. To elucidate the tensile behavior of the test samples. The Ht model is tested by using non-Gaussian chain statistics, which give a good fitting with the experimental data.

  1. Enhancement of the electrochemical behaviour and biological performance of Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy by thermo-mechanical processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cimpean, Anisoara [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, Spl. Independentei, 91-95, 050095 Bucharest (Romania); Vasilescu, Ecaterina; Drob, Paula [Department of Electrochemistry and Corrosion, Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu” of Romanian Academy, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Cinca, Ion, E-mail: ion_cinca@hotmail.com [Faculty of Material Science and Engineering, Politehnica University, Spl. Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest (Romania); Vasilescu, Cora; Anastasescu, Mihai [Department of Electrochemistry and Corrosion, Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu” of Romanian Academy, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Mitran, Valentina [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bucharest, Spl. Independentei, 91-95, 050095 Bucharest (Romania); Drob, Silviu Iulian [Department of Electrochemistry and Corrosion, Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu” of Romanian Academy, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest (Romania)

    2014-05-01

    A new Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy based only on non-toxic and non-allergic elements was elaborated in as-cast and thermo-mechanical processed, recrystallized states (XRD and SEM) in order to be used as candidate material for implant applications. Its long-term interactions with Ringer–Brown and Ringer solutions of different pH values and its cytocompatibility were determined. The thermo-mechanically processed alloy has nobler electrochemical behaviour than as-cast alloy due to finer microstructure obtained after the applied treatment. Corrosion and ion release rates presented the lowest values for the treated alloy. Nyquist and Bode plots displayed higher impedance values and phase angles for the processed alloy, denoting a more protective passive film. SEM micrographs revealed depositions from solutions that contain calcium, phosphorous and oxygen ions (EDX analysis), namely calcium phosphate. An electric equivalent circuit with two time constants was modelled. Cell culture experiments with MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts demonstrated that thermo-mechanically processed Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy supports a better cell adhesion and spreading, and enhanced cell proliferation. Altogether, these data indicate that thermo-mechanical treatment endows the alloy with improved anticorrosion and biological performances. - Highlights: • Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy exhibited noble electrochemical, passive behaviour in simulated biofluids. • An electric equivalent circuit with two time constants was modelled. • Corrosion rates show the lowest values for the recrystallized Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy. • In vitro tests revealed good cytocompatibility of as-cast and processed alloy. • Recrystallized treatment endows the alloy with superior biological performances.

  2. Enhancement of the electrochemical behaviour and biological performance of Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy by thermo-mechanical processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cimpean, Anisoara; Vasilescu, Ecaterina; Drob, Paula; Cinca, Ion; Vasilescu, Cora; Anastasescu, Mihai; Mitran, Valentina; Drob, Silviu Iulian

    2014-01-01

    A new Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy based only on non-toxic and non-allergic elements was elaborated in as-cast and thermo-mechanical processed, recrystallized states (XRD and SEM) in order to be used as candidate material for implant applications. Its long-term interactions with Ringer–Brown and Ringer solutions of different pH values and its cytocompatibility were determined. The thermo-mechanically processed alloy has nobler electrochemical behaviour than as-cast alloy due to finer microstructure obtained after the applied treatment. Corrosion and ion release rates presented the lowest values for the treated alloy. Nyquist and Bode plots displayed higher impedance values and phase angles for the processed alloy, denoting a more protective passive film. SEM micrographs revealed depositions from solutions that contain calcium, phosphorous and oxygen ions (EDX analysis), namely calcium phosphate. An electric equivalent circuit with two time constants was modelled. Cell culture experiments with MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts demonstrated that thermo-mechanically processed Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy supports a better cell adhesion and spreading, and enhanced cell proliferation. Altogether, these data indicate that thermo-mechanical treatment endows the alloy with improved anticorrosion and biological performances. - Highlights: • Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy exhibited noble electrochemical, passive behaviour in simulated biofluids. • An electric equivalent circuit with two time constants was modelled. • Corrosion rates show the lowest values for the recrystallized Ti–25Ta–5Zr alloy. • In vitro tests revealed good cytocompatibility of as-cast and processed alloy. • Recrystallized treatment endows the alloy with superior biological performances

  3. Rheological and thermo-mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)/lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystal composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anju Gupta; William Simmons; Gregory T. Schueneman; Donald Hylton; Eric A. Mintz

    2017-01-01

    Improving the processability and physical properties of sustainable biobased polymers and biobased fillers is essential to preserve its biodegradability and make them suitable for different end user applications. Herein, we report the use of spray-dried lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystals (L-CNCs), a biobased filler, to modify the rheological and thermos-mechanical...

  4. Theory and modeling of cylindrical thermo-acoustic transduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tong, Lihong, E-mail: lhtong@ecjtu.edu.cn [School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi (China); Lim, C.W. [Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR (China); Zhao, Xiushao; Geng, Daxing [School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi (China)

    2016-06-03

    Models both for solid and thinfilm-solid cylindrical thermo-acoustic transductions are proposed and the corresponding acoustic pressure solutions are obtained. The acoustic pressure for an individual carbon nanotube (CNT) as a function of input power is investigated analytically and it is verified by comparing with the published experimental data. Further numerical analysis on the acoustic pressure response and characteristics for varying input frequency and distance are also examined both for solid and thinfilm-solid cylindrical thermo-acoustic transductions. Through detailed theoretical and numerical studies on the acoustic pressure solution for thinfilm-solid cylindrical transduction, it is concluded that a solid with smaller thermal conductivity favors to improve the acoustic performance. In general, the proposed models are applicable to a variety of cylindrical thermo-acoustic devices performing in different gaseous media. - Highlights: • Theory and modeling both for solid and thinfilm-solid cylindrical thermo-acoustic transductions are proposed. • The modeling is verified by comparing with the published experimental data. • Acoustic response characteristics of cylindrical thermo-acoustic transductions are predicted by the proposed model.

  5. Thermoset-cellulose nanocomposites: Flammability characteristics

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mngomezulu, Mfiso E

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available . They have remarkable combination of properties including light weight, high mechanical, thermal and thermo-mechanical characteristics, excellent dielectric properties, dimensional stability and are easy to process. Furthermore, these composite materials show...

  6. Thermo-hydric characterization of partially saturated porous media; Caracterisation thermo-hydrique de milieux poreux partiellement satures d'eau

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simon Salager; Frederic Jamin; Moulay Said El Youssoufi; Christian Saix [Laboratoire de Mecanique et Genie Civil, Universite Montpellier II, cc 048, Place Eugene Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier (France)

    2005-07-01

    We present a contribution to the thermo-hydric characterization of partially saturated porous media by water, through the characteristic curve. This curve defines the relation between suction and degree of saturation. Using this curve for a given temperature, a model is used to predict it for other temperatures. An experimental device called pressure cell was made in a thermo-regulated environment. The model was validated by several tests on a ceramic and silty clayey sand, at 20 and 60 C. The results obtained lead to a characteristic surface which can be considered as a generalization of the classical characteristic curve. (authors)

  7. Experimental investigations on the state of the friction-welded joint zone in steel hybrid components after process-relevant thermo-mechanical loadings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrens, B.-A.; Bouguecha, A.; Vucetic, M.; Peshekhodov, I.; Matthias, T.; Kolbasnikov, N.; Sokolov, S.; Ganin, S.

    2016-10-01

    As a part of the newly established Collaborative Research Center 1153 (SFB 1153) "Process chain for the manufacturing of hybrid high-performance components by tailored forming" at the Leibniz Universität Hannover, the Institute of Forming Technology and Machines (IFUM) examines the influence of thermo-mechanical stresses on the reduced Young's modulus as well as the hardness of hybrid (steel-steel compound) joined semi-finished products. Currently the expertise in the production of bulk metal formed parts is limited to mono-materials. For manufacturing parts of hybrid materials and also for the methods of the new process routes, practical experience has to be gained. The subproject C1 within the collaborative research center 1153 with the short title "Failure Prediction" deals with the question, if the hybrid semi-finished products fulfill the thermo-mechanical demands or if they fail at the joining zone (JZ) during forging. For this purpose, stresses similar to those in the process were imposed on hybrid semi-finished products by torsion tests by using the thermo-mechanical test system Gleeble 3800. Afterwards, the specimens were examined metallographically and by nanoindentations with the help of a TriboIndenter TI950. Thus, first knowledge on the behaviour of thermo-mechanical stresses on the reduced Young's modulus and the hardness of hybrid joined semi-finished parts was gained.

  8. Well-posedness of a thermo-mechanical model for shape memory alloys under tension

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Krejčí, Pavel; Stefanelli, U.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 44, č. 6 (2010), s. 1239-1253 ISSN 0764-583X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP201/10/2315 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : shape memory alloys * thermo-mechanics * well-posedness * hysteresis operator Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.202, year: 2010 http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8129335

  9. Comparative modelling approaches of hydro-mechanical processes in sealing experiments at the Tournemire URL

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Millard, A.; Mokni, N.; Barnichon, J. D.; Thatcher, K. E.; Bond, A.; Fraser-Harris, A.; Mc Dermott, C.; Blaheta, Radim; Michalec, Zdeněk; Hasal, Martin; Nguyen, T.; Nasir, O.; Yi, H.; Kolditz, O.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 76, č. 2 (2017), č. článku 78. ISSN 1866-6280 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : hydro-mechanical (HM) coupling * numerical modelling * sealing systems * compacted bentonite–sand mixture Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Applied mathematics Impact factor: 1.569, year: 2016 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12665-016-6324-8

  10. Thermo-mechanical analysis of a user filter assembly for undulator/wiggler operations at the Advanced Photon Source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nian, H.L.T.; Kuzay, T.M.; Collins, J.; Shu, D.; Benson, C.; Dejus, R.

    1996-01-01

    This paper reports a thermo-mechanical study of a beamline filter (user filter) for undulator/wiggler operations. It is deployed in conjunction with the current commissioning window assembly on the APS insertion device (ID) front ends. The beamline filter at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) will eventually be used in windowless operations also. Hence survival and reasonable life expectancy of the filters under intense insertion device (ID) heat flu are crucial to the beamline operations. To accommodate various user requirements, the filter is configured to be a multi-choice type and smart to allow only those filter combinations that will be safe to operate with a given ring current and beamline insertion device gap. However, this paper addresses only the thermo-mechanical analysis of individual filter integrity and safety in all combinations possible. The current filter design is configured to have four filter frames in a cascade with each frame holding five filters. This allows a potential 625 total filter combinations. Thermal analysis for all of these combinations becomes a mammoth task considering the desired choices for filter materials (pyrolitic graphite and metallic filters), filter thicknesses, undulator gaps, and the beam currents. The paper addresses how this difficult task has been reduced to a reasonable effort and computational level. Results from thermo-mechanical analyses of the filter combinations are presented both in tabular and graphical format

  11. Osmo and hydro priming improvement germination characteristics and enzyme activity of Mountain Rye (Secale montanum seeds under drought stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ansari O.

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Impacts of various concentrations of polyetylenglycol 6000 (PEG 6000(0, -9, -11, -13 and -15 bar and hydro priming on Mountain Rye (secale montanum germination characteristic and enzyme activity were evaluated under drought stress in the seed laboratory of Natural Resources Faculty, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Analyze of variance for hydro priming showed that temperature × time of priming interaction was significantly for germination percentage (GP, normal seedling percentage (NSP, coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG, seedling vigor index (SVI, coefficient of allometry (AC and seedling length (SL under drought stress and for osmo priming showed that Concentration of PEG × Temperature × Time of priming interaction was significantly for all traits under drought stress. Results of interaction effects for hydro priming showed that the highest GP (53% and NSP (23.5% were attained from hydro priming for 16h at 15 ◦C and the highest CVG (0.21 and AC (0.49 were attained from hydro priming for 8h at 10 ◦C, also hydro priming for 8h at 15 ◦C increased SL (3.15 as compared to the unprimed.Osmo priming with concentration of -15 bar PEG for 24h at 15 ◦C increased GP (80.5 %, GI (17.9, NSP (45 %, SVI (257.85 and SL (5.73 cm and decreased MTG as compared to the unprimed and other treatments of osmo priming. The highest CVG was attained from concentration of -9 bar PEG for 24h at 10 ◦C. the highest AC was attained from concentration of -9 bar PEG for 12h at 15 ◦C. Also osmo and hydro priming increased catalase (CAT and ascorbate peroxidase (APX as compared to the unprimed.

  12. Fluka and thermo-mechanical studies for the CLIC main dump

    CERN Document Server

    Mereghetti, Alessio; Vlachoudis, Vasilis

    2011-01-01

    In order to best cope with the challenge of absorbing the multi-MW beam, a water beam dump at the end of the CLIC post-collision line has been proposed. The design of the dump for the Conceptual Design Report (CDR) was checked against with a set of FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations, for the estimation of the peak and total power absorbed by the water and the vessel. Fluence spectra of escaping particles and activation rates of radio-nuclides were computed as well. Finally, the thermal transient behavior of the water bath and a thermo-mechanical analysis of the preliminary design of the window were done.

  13. Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Crack Growth of RR1000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pretty, Christopher John; Whitaker, Mark Thomas; Williams, Steve John

    2017-01-04

    Non-isothermal conditions during flight cycles have long led to the requirement for thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) evaluation of aerospace materials. However, the increased temperatures within the gas turbine engine have meant that the requirements for TMF testing now extend to disc alloys along with blade materials. As such, fatigue crack growth rates are required to be evaluated under non-isothermal conditions along with the development of a detailed understanding of related failure mechanisms. In the current work, a TMF crack growth testing method has been developed utilising induction heating and direct current potential drop techniques for polycrystalline nickel-based superalloys, such as RR1000. Results have shown that in-phase (IP) testing produces accelerated crack growth rates compared with out-of-phase (OOP) due to increased temperature at peak stress and therefore increased time dependent crack growth. The ordering of the crack growth rates is supported by detailed fractographic analysis which shows intergranular crack growth in IP test specimens, and transgranular crack growth in 90° OOP and 180° OOP tests. Isothermal tests have also been carried out for comparison of crack growth rates at the point of peak stress in the TMF cycles.

  14. Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Crack Growth of RR1000

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher John Pretty

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Non-isothermal conditions during flight cycles have long led to the requirement for thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF evaluation of aerospace materials. However, the increased temperatures within the gas turbine engine have meant that the requirements for TMF testing now extend to disc alloys along with blade materials. As such, fatigue crack growth rates are required to be evaluated under non-isothermal conditions along with the development of a detailed understanding of related failure mechanisms. In the current work, a TMF crack growth testing method has been developed utilising induction heating and direct current potential drop techniques for polycrystalline nickel-based superalloys, such as RR1000. Results have shown that in-phase (IP testing produces accelerated crack growth rates compared with out-of-phase (OOP due to increased temperature at peak stress and therefore increased time dependent crack growth. The ordering of the crack growth rates is supported by detailed fractographic analysis which shows intergranular crack growth in IP test specimens, and transgranular crack growth in 90° OOP and 180° OOP tests. Isothermal tests have also been carried out for comparison of crack growth rates at the point of peak stress in the TMF cycles.

  15. Effect of thermo-mechanical treatments on creep and fatigue properties of 9% Cr martensitic steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hollner, S.; Fournier, B.; Le Pendu, J.; Caes, C.; Tournie, I.; Pineau, A.

    2011-01-01

    In the framework of the development of Generation IV nuclear reactors and fusion nuclear reactors, materials with high mechanical properties up to 550 C are required. In service the materials will be subjected to high-temperature creep and cyclic loadings. 9-12%Cr martensitic steels are candidate materials for these applications; however, they show a pronounced cyclic softening effect under cyclic loadings. This softening effect is linked to the coarsening of the martensitic microstructure. In order to refine its microstructure and its precipitation state, the commercial P91 steel has been submitted to a thermo-mechanical treatment including warm-rolling at 600 C and a tempering stage at 700 C. Microstructural observations confirm that this thermo-mechanical treatment led to a finer martensite with smaller MX-type precipitates. This evolution has an effect on the high-temperature mechanical properties: the optimized P91 steel is 100 Hv harder than the as-received P91, and its yield strength is 430 MPa higher at 20 C and 220 MPa higher at 550 C. Its lifetime under creep (at 650 C under 120 MPa) is at least 14 times longer; and the fatigue test at 650 C under 0.7% strain shows a slightly slower cyclic softening effect for the optimized P91. (authors)

  16. Well-Posedness of a fully coupled thermo-chemo-poroelastic system with applications to petroleum rock mechanics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetyana Malysheva

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available We consider a system of fully coupled parabolic and elliptic equations constituting the general model of chemical thermo-poroelasticity for a fluid-saturated porous media. The main result of this paper is the developed well-posedness theory for the corresponding initial-boundary problem arising from petroleum rock mechanics applications. Using the proposed pseudo-decoupling method, we establish, subject to some natural assumptions imposed on matrices of diffusion coefficients, the existence, uniqueness, and continuous dependence on initial and boundary data of a weak solution to the problem. Numerical experiments confirm the applicability of the obtained well-posedness results for thermo-chemo-poroelastic models with real-data parameters.

  17. Optimal control systems in hydro power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Babunski, Darko L.

    2012-01-01

    The aim of the research done in this work is focused on obtaining the optimal models of hydro turbine including auxiliary equipment, analysis of governors for hydro power plants and analysis and design of optimal control laws that can be easily applicable in real hydro power plants. The methodology of the research and realization of the set goals consist of the following steps: scope of the models of hydro turbine, and their modification using experimental data; verification of analyzed models and comparison of advantages and disadvantages of analyzed models, with proposal of turbine model for design of control low; analysis of proportional-integral-derivative control with fixed parameters and gain scheduling and nonlinear control; analysis of dynamic characteristics of turbine model including control and comparison of parameters of simulated system with experimental data; design of optimal control of hydro power plant considering proposed cost function and verification of optimal control law with load rejection measured data. The hydro power plant models, including model of power grid are simulated in case of island ing and restoration after breakup and load rejection with consideration of real loading and unloading of hydro power plant. Finally, simulations provide optimal values of control parameters, stability boundaries and results easily applicable to real hydro power plants. (author)

  18. The thermo-mechanical design of the water cooled PB-17Li test blanket module for ITER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nardi, C.; Palmieri, A.; Pinna, T.; Porfini, M.T.; Rapisarda, M.; Roccella, M.; Futterer, M.; Lucca, F.

    1998-01-01

    The Water Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) blanket is one of the two European concepts to be further developed. A Test Blanket Module (TBM) representative of the DEMO blanket shall be tested in ITER. This paper reports on the activities related to the thermo-mechanical design analysis, taking into account the electromagnetic and neutronic loads in normal and off normal conditions. These loads were applied to a finite elements model of the structure, and the structural response was compared to the allowable value, dependent on the operating conditions. Besides the loads assumed by the design specifications (pressure, temperature, etc), electro-mechanical and thermal loads have been evaluated. A model of the TBM has been performed to compute the loads related to the electromagnetic effects of a centered plasma disruption. The thermal loads have been evaluated considering the heat deposition from the plasma and from the neutrons. The neutronic analysis has been carried out also in order to evaluate the shielding characteristics of the TBM. Taking into account the thermal and mechanical loads a fracture mechanics analysis has been carried out. From this analysis the J Ic parameter was evaluated at the crack tip and compared with the allowable value. The work carried out showed that the TBM present design fulfills ITER normal operation requirements. (authors)

  19. A three-dimensional coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model for deformable fractured geothermal systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Salimzadeh, Saeed; Paluszny, Adriana; Nick, Hamidreza M.

    2018-01-01

    A fully coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) finite element model is presented for fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fractures are modelled as surface discontinuities within a three-dimensional matrix. Non-isothermal flow through the rock matrix and fractures are defined and coupled to a mec......A fully coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) finite element model is presented for fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fractures are modelled as surface discontinuities within a three-dimensional matrix. Non-isothermal flow through the rock matrix and fractures are defined and coupled....... The model has been validated against several analytical solutions, and applied to study the effects of the deformable fractures on the injection of cold water in fractured geothermal systems. Results show that the creation of flow channelling due to the thermal volumetric contraction of the rock matrix...

  20. Thermo-Mechanical tests for the CLIC two-beam module study

    CERN Document Server

    Xydou, A; Riddone, G; Daskalaki, E

    2014-01-01

    The luminosity goal of CLIC requires micron level precision with respect to the alignment of the components on its two-meter long modules, composing the two main linacs. The power dissipated inside the module components introduces mechanical deformations affecting their alignment and therefore the resulting machine performance. Several two-beam prototype modules must be assembled to extensively measure their thermo-mechanical behavior under different operation modes. In parallel, the real environmental conditions present in the CLIC tunnel should be studied. The air conditioning and ventilation system providing specified air temperature and flow has been installed in the dedicated laboratory. The power dissipation occurring in the modules is being reproduced by the electrical heaters inserted inside the RF structure mock-ups and the quadrupoles. The efficiency of the cooling systems is being verified and the alignment of module components is monitored. The measurement results will be compared to finite elemen...

  1. Thermo-Mechanical Characterisation of In-Plane Properties for CSM E-glass Epoxy Polymer Composite Materials – Part 1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Johnny; Jensen, Martin; Andreasen, Jens H.

    2013-01-01

    The in-plane thermo-mechanical properties and residual stresses of a CSM E-glass/Epoxy material are characterised through the use of DSC and TMA. The measured data is used to generate material models which describe the mechanical behaviour as a function of conversion and temperature. The in-plane...

  2. Thermo-mechanical constitutive modeling of unsaturated clays based on the critical state concepts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saeed Tourchi

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available A thermo-mechanical constitutive model for unsaturated clays is constructed based on the existing model for saturated clays originally proposed by the authors. The saturated clays model was formulated in the framework of critical state soil mechanics and modified Cam-clay model. The existing model has been generalized to simulate the experimentally observed behavior of unsaturated clays by introducing Bishop's stress and suction as independent stress parameters and modifying the hardening rule and yield criterion to take into account the role of suction. Also, according to previous studies, an increase in temperature causes a reduction in specific volume. A reduction in suction (wetting for a given confining stress may induce an irreversible volumetric compression (collapse. Thus an increase in suction (drying raises a specific volume i.e. the movement of normal consolidation line (NCL to higher values of void ratio. However, some experimental data confirm the assumption that this reduction is dependent on the stress level of soil element. A generalized approach considering the effect of stress level on the magnitude of clays thermal dependency in compression plane is proposed in this study. The number of modeling parameters is kept to a minimum, and they all have clear physical interpretations, to facilitate the usefulness of model for practical applications. A step-by-step procedure used for parameter calibration is also described. The model is finally evaluated using a comprehensive set of experimental data for the thermo-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils.

  3. Study on micro hydro-mechanical deep drawing using finite element method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Xiaoguang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A numerical model was established to investigate the micro hydro-mechanical deep drawing process of austenitic stainless steel 304 foil (0.05 mm thickness. Due to the miniaturisation of the specimen size, the effect of grain size, gap distance and radial pressure during drawing process could be prominent. The results indicate that the appropriate radial pressure and gap distance could improve the limit drawing ratio (LDR of manufactured cylindrical cups by reducing the friction resistance. The maximum LDR obtained in the present work reaches 3.2, which is much higher than that obtained by conventional deep drawing process.

  4. General thermo-elastic solution of radially heterogeneous, spherically isotropic rotating sphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bayat, Yahya; EkhteraeiToussi, THamid [Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-06-15

    A thick walled rotating spherical object made of transversely isotropic functionally graded materials (FGMs) with general types of thermo-mechanical boundary conditions is studied. The thermo-mechanical governing equations consisting of decoupled thermal and mechanical equations are represented. The centrifugal body forces of the rotation are considered in the modeling phase. The unsymmetrical thermo-mechanical boundary conditions and rotational body forces are expressed in terms of the Legendre series. The series method is also implemented in the solution of the resulting equations. The solutions are checked with the known literature and FEM based solutions of ABAQUS software. The effects of anisotropy and heterogeneity are studied through the case studies and the results are represented in different figures. The newly developed series form solution is applicable to the rotating FGM spherical transversely isotropic vessels having nonsymmetrical thermo-mechanical boundary condition.

  5. Prediction of forming limit in hydro-mechanical deep drawing of steel sheets using ductile fracture criterion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, S.-T.; Chang, H.-J.; Oh, K. H.; Han, H. N.

    2006-04-01

    It has been observed that the forming limit curve at fracture (FLCF) of steel sheets, with a relatively higher ductility limit have linear shapes, similar to those of a bulk forming process. In contrast, the FLCF of sheets with a relatively lower ductility limit have rather complex shapes approaching the forming limit curve at neck (FLCN) towards the equi-biaxial strain paths. In this study, the FLCFs of steel sheets were measured and compared with the fracture strains predicted from specific ductile fracture criteria, including a criterion suggested by the authors, which can accurately describe FLCFs with both linear and complex shapes. To predict the forming limit for hydro-mechanical deep drawing of steel sheets, the ductile fracture criteria were integrated into a finite element simulation. The simulation, results based on the criterion suggested by authors accurately predicted the experimetal, fracture limits of steel sheets for the hydro-mechanical deep drawing process.

  6. Investigation on thermo physical characteristics of ethylene glycol based Al:ZnO nanofluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiruba, R.; George, Ritty; Gopalakrishnan, M.; Kingson Solomon Jeevaraj, A.

    2015-01-01

    The present work describes the experimental aspects of viscosity and thermal conductivity characteristics of nanofluids. Aluminium doped zinc oxide nanostructures were synthesized by chemical precipitation method. Ultrasonic technique is used to disperse the nanostructures in ethylene glycol. Structural and morphological properties of Al doped ZnO nanostructures are characterized using X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscopic technique. The effect of concentration and temperature on thermo-physical properties of Al/ZnO nanofluids is also investigated. The experimental results showed there is enhancement in thermal conductivity with rise in temperature which can be utilized for coolant application

  7. [Temporal-spatial Variation and Source Identification of Hydro-chemical Characteristics in Shima River Catchment, Dongguan City].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Lei; Chen, Jian-yao; Wang, Jiang; Ke, Zhi-ting; Zhu, Ai-ping; Xu, Kai

    2015-05-01

    Shima River catchment is of strategic importance to urban water supply in Dongjiang portable water source area. To investigate the hydro-chemical characteristics of Shima River, 39 river water samples were collected in February, June and November, 2012 to analyze the major ions (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO4(2-) , HCO3-) and nutritive salts (PO4(3-), NO3- and NH4+) and to discuss the temporal-spatial variation and controlling factors of hydro-chemical composition, relative sources identification of varied ions was performed as well. The results showed that the hydro-chemical composition exhibited significant differences in different periods. The average concentration of total dissolved solid ( TDS) and nutritive salts in different investigated periods followed the decreasing order of November > February > June. The dominant anion of Shima River was HCO3-, and Na+ + K+ were the major cations in February and November which were changed to Ca2+ in June, the hydro-chemical types were determined as HCO(3-)-Na+ and HCO(3-)- Ca2+ in dry (February and November) and rainy (June) seasons, respectively. Spatial variations of concentration of nutritive salts were mainly affected by the discharges of N- and P-containing waste water resulted from human activities. The ratio between N and P of water sample (R7) was 18.4:1 which boosted the "crazy growth" of phytoplankton and led to severe eutrophication. According to Gibbs distribution of water samples, dissolution of hydatogenic rocks was the primary factor to control the major cations of river water in dry season, however, the hydro-chemical composition was significantly affected by the combination of hydatogenic and carbonate rocks in rainy season. The deposition of sea-salts contributed less to chemical substances in river. Correlation analysis revealed that K+, Na+, Mg2+, Cl- and SO4(2-) were partly derived from the application of fertilizer and the discharge of industrial effluent; Waste water of poultry feeding and

  8. EFFECT OF THERMO-MECHANICAL TREATMENT ON PROPERTIES OF PARICA PLYWOODS (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mírian de Almeida Costa

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Thermo-mechanical treatment is a technique for wood modification in which samples are densified by means of heat and mechanical compression, applied perpendicularly to fibers, which under different combinations of time, temperature, and pressure increases wood density and thus improve some of its properties. This study aimed to treat thermo-mechanically parica plywood and observe the effects on its physical and mechanical properties. Specimens were submitted to two treatments, 120 and 150 ºC, remaining under pressure for seven minutes and, subsequently, under zero pressure for 15 minutes. Results showed a significant increase in specific mass from 0.48 g cm-3 to an average of 0.56 g cm-3, and a compression ratio of about 31.7% on average. Physical properties also varied significantly and results showed that treated samples swelled and absorbed more water than those untreated, leading to a greater thickness non-return rate. This indicates the proposed thermal treatments did not release the internal compressive stress generated during panel pressing, not improving its dimensional stability as a result. On the other hand, mechanical properties were positively affected, leading to an increase of 27.5% and 51.8% in modulus of rupture after treatments at 120 and 150 ºC, respectively. Modulus of elasticity and glue-line shear strength did not vary statistically and Janka hardness was 29.7% higher after treatment at 150 ºC.

  9. On the general theory of thermo-elastic friction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alblas, J.B.

    1961-01-01

    A theory of the thermo-elastic dissipation in vibrating bodies is developed, starting from the three-dimensional thermo-elastic equations. After a discussion of the basic thermodynamical foundations, some general considerations on the problem of the conversion of mechanical energy into heat are

  10. Hydro-mechanical modelling of an excavation in an underground research laboratory with an elasto-viscoplastic behaviour law and regularization by second gradient of dilation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plassart, Roland; Giraud, Albert; Hoxha, Dashnor; Laigle, Francois

    2013-01-01

    In the context of nuclear waste disposals, this paper deals with hydro-mechanical modelling in saturated conditions in deep geological formation, using a specific elasto-viscoplastic model hereafter called the L and K model. While classical Biot's framework is followed for the hydro-mechanical coupling, the mechanical L and K model offers a coupling between instantaneous and delayed behaviour and a variation of dilation of ten related to softening. These volumetric strains are especially highlighted in coupled hydro-mechanical conditions. In order to avoid mesh dependency and numerical localized solutions, this type of modelling needs the use of a regularization method which is here referred to as the second gradient dilation model. After describing the numeric tools, we use them for simulating a gallery of the underground research laboratory of Bure. The approach is validated by the good general agreement found between numeric results and in situ measures for both hydraulic pressure and displacement. (authors)

  11. Thermo-mechanical behavior of bituminous mixtures at low temperatures. Links between the binder characteristics and the mix properties; Comportement thermomecanique des enrobes bitumeux a basses temperatures: relations entre les proprietes du liant et de l'enrobe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olard, F.

    2003-10-01

    This thesis has been realized within the framework of a partnership between the Ecole Nationale des TPE, APPIA and EUROVIA. The company Total has also been associated to this project. The study deals with the thermo-mechanical behavior of bituminous materials at low temperatures. The aim is to establish the links between the characteristics of the binder and the properties of bituminous mixes at low temperatures, and to better understand the existing low-temperature parameters and criteria for binders (or to propose new ones), related to the in-situ behavior of bituminous mixtures. A large experimental campaign has been carried out so as to fulfill this goal. After a bibliographical study on the rheology and the thermo-mechanical properties of (pure or modified) binders, putties and mixes, the experimental campaign carried out both in the small strain domain and in the large strain domain, is presented. The low temperature behavior of binders has been evaluated with three common fundamental tests: i)the complex modulus determination, ii)the Bending Beam Rheometer and iii)the tensile strength at a constant strain rate and constant temperatures. A new three point bending test on pre-notched bitumen beams has also been developed at the ENTPE. The low-temperature fracture properties of bitumens were studied at constant temperatures and cross-head speeds considering the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) assumptions. The thermo-mechanical behavior of bituminous mixtures has been studied by performing i)complex modulus tests, ii)measurements of the coefficient of thermal dilatation and contraction, iii)tensile tests at constant temperatures and strain rates, and iv)Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Tests. Apart from the determination of some pertinent links between binder and mix properties and discriminating characteristics with regard to the thermal cracking of bituminous mixes at low temperatures, the analysis has also consisted in modeling the behavior of

  12. Thermo-mechanically induced texture evolution and micro-structural change of aluminum metallization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brincker, Mads; Walter, Thomas; Kristensen, Peter Kjær

    2018-01-01

    During operation of high power electronic chips the topside metallization is subjected to cyclic compressive and tensile stresses leading to unwanted thermo-mechanical fatigue of the metallization layer. The stress is caused by the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients...... are not yet fully understood. In this work, we investigate the microstructural evolution of an Al metallization on high power diode chips subjected to passive thermal cycling between 20 and 100ºC. The texture of the Al film is analyzed ex-situ by a combination of electron backscatter diffraction and X...

  13. Ontario Hydro Research Division annual report 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The Research Division of Ontario Hydro conducts research in the fields of chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and operations. Much of the research has a bearing on the safe, environmentally benign operation of Ontario Hydro's nuclear power plants. Particular emphasis has been placed on nuclear plant component aging and plant life assurance

  14. Lithosphere tectonics and thermo-mechanical properties: An integrated modeling approach for enhanced geothermal systems exploration in Europe

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wees, J.D. van; Cloetingh, S.; Ziegler, P.A.; Lenkey, L.; Beekman, F.; Tesauro, M.; Förster, A.; Norden, B.; Kaban, M.; Hardebol, N.; Voorde, M.T.; Willingshofer, E.; Cornu, T.; Bonté, D.

    2009-01-01

    For geothermal exploration and the development of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) knowlegde of temperature at drillable depth is a prerequisite for site selection. Equally important is the thermo-mechanical signature of the lithosphere and crust which allow to obtain critical constraints for the

  15. Thermo-mechanical tests of a CFC divertor mock-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardella, A.; Akiba, M.; Duwe, R.; Di Pietro, E.; Suzuki, S.; Satoh, K.; Reheis, N.

    1994-01-01

    Thermo-mechanical tests have been performed on a divertor mock-up consisting of a metallic tube armoured with five carbon fibre composite tiles. The tube is inserted the tiles and brazed with TiCuSil braze (monoblock concept). The tube material is TZM, a molybdenum alloy, and the armour material is SEP CARB N112, a high conductivity carbon-carbon composite. Using special surface preparation consisting of laser drilling, small (≅ 500 μm) holes in the composite have been made to increase the surface wetted by the braze and the resistance. The mock-up has been tested at the JAERI 400 kW electron beam test facility JEBIS. The aim of the test was to assess the performance of the mock-up in screening and thermal fatigue tests with particular attention to the behaviour of the armour to heat sink joint. (orig.)

  16. Ash fusion and thermo-mechanical (TMA) analyses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Creelman, R.A. [R.A. Creelman and Associates, Epping, NSW (Australia)

    1996-10-01

    Various tests and analytical techniques are used to evaluate the potential of coals to foul and slag furnace surfaces. This paper compares three thermo-mechanical analyses (TMA) techniques, the Australian Coal Industry Research Laboratories (ACIRL) `Improved Ash Fusion` test, the HRL Technologies Pty Ltd test, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation test. The ACIRL test appears to the contender for becoming a standard test that will replace the ash fusibility temperatures test (AFT). The series of events which produce a fused mass is outlined from observations in the course of an experiment conducted by ACARP. The paper concludes that results from tests based on TMA quantify the extent of shrinkage and indicate temperatures at which rapid shrinkage occurs and which correspond to the formation of liquid phases that can be identified on ternary phase diagrams. Temperatures corresponding to particular extents of shrinkage and the existence and extent of formation of these phases, as quantified by the magnitude of `peaks` in the TMA test, provide an alternative basis for defining ash fusibility temperatures. Shrinkage procedures provide alternatives to existing AFTs, as well as techniques for trouble-shooting problems in existing plant. (author). 1 fig., 10 refs.

  17. STRESS LOADING SIMULATION OF HYDRO-MECHANICAL TRANSMISSION OF DUMP TRUCK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. A. Sidorov

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The Transmission model and software package to investigate stress loading of a hydromechanical transmission of a dump truck have been developed. The given software package allows to model stress loading of transmission gears in taking-off and acceleration modes at various road resistance, positions of an engine control pedal and initial revolutions of an engine crankshaft, various laws of friction clutch switching and some other parameters that permit to reveal a rate of various operational mode influence on stress loading of a dump truck transmission. An equivalence of the developed software is proved by the comparison of the experimentally obtained stress loading process of the hydro-mechanical transmission of a BelAZ- 7555 dump truck with the results of the simulation 

  18. Comparative modelling of laboratory experiments for the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a compacted bentonite–sand\

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Millard, A.; Mokni, N.; Barnichon, J. D.; Tatcher, K. E.; Bond, A.; Mc Dermott, C.; Blaheta, Radim; Michalec, Zdeněk; Hasal, Martin; Nguyen, T. S.; Nasir, O.; Fedors, S.; Yi, H.; Kolditz, O.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 75, č. 20 (2016), s. 1311-1327 ISSN 1866-6280. [DECOVALEX 2015 /8./. Wakkanai, 13.10.2015-16.10.2015] Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : hydro-mechanical (hm) coupling * numerical modelling * sealing system s * compacted bentonite–sand mixture Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 1.569, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12665-016-6118-z

  19. The effect of thermo-mechanical processing on the mechanical properties of molybdenum - 2 volume % lanthana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, A.J.; Shields, J.A. Jr.; Buckman, R.W. Jr.

    2001-01-01

    Variations in oxide species and consolidation method have been shown to have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) molybdenum material. The mechanical behavior of molybdenum - 2 volume % La 2 O 3 mill product forms, produced by CSM Industries by a wet doping process, were characterized over the temperature range of -150 o C to 1800 o C. The various mill product forms evaluated ranged from thin sheet stock to bar stock. Tensile properties of the material in the various product forms were not significantly affected by the vast difference in total cold work. Creep properties, however, were sensitive to the total amount of cold work as well as the starting microstructure. Stress-relieved .material had superior creep rupture properties to recrystallized material at 1200 o C, while at 1500 o C and above the opposite was observed. Thus it is necessary to match the appropriate thermo-mechanical processing and microstructure of molybdenum - 2 volume % La 2 O 3 to the demands of the application being considered. (author)

  20. Climate impact on BC Hydro's water resources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, D.; Rodenhuis, D.

    2008-01-01

    BC Hydro like many other hydro utilities has used the historical record of weather and runoff as the standard description the variability and uncertainty of the key weather drivers for its operation and planning studies. It has been conveniently assumed that this historical record is or has been statistically stationary and therefore is assumed to represent the future characteristics of climatic drivers on our system. This assumption is obviously no longer justifiable. To address the characterisation of future weather, BC Hydro has a multi-year a directed research program with the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the water resources that BC Hydro manages for hydropower generation and other uses. The objective of this program is to derive climate change adjusted meteorologic and hydrologic sequences suitable for use in system operations and planning studies. These climate-adjusted sequences then can be used to test system sensitivity to climate change scenarios relative to the baseline of the historical record. This paper describes BC Hydro's research program and the results achieved so far. (author)

  1. Fracture Mechanics Analyses of Subsurface Defects in Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Joggles Subjected to Thermo-Mechanical Loads

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Raju, Ivatury S.; Song, Kyongchan

    2011-01-01

    Coating spallation events have been observed along the slip-side joggle region of the Space Shuttle Orbiter wing-leading-edge panels. One potential contributor to the spallation event is a pressure build up within subsurface voids or defects due to volatiles or water vapor entrapped during fabrication, refurbishment, or normal operational use. The influence of entrapped pressure on the thermo-mechanical fracture-mechanics response of reinforced carbon-carbon with subsurface defects is studied. Plane-strain simulations with embedded subsurface defects are performed to characterize the fracture mechanics response for a given defect length when subjected to combined elevated-temperature and subsurface-defect pressure loadings to simulate the unvented defect condition. Various subsurface defect locations of a fixed-length substrate defect are examined for elevated temperature conditions. Fracture mechanics results suggest that entrapped pressure combined with local elevated temperatures have the potential to cause subsurface defect growth and possibly contribute to further material separation or even spallation. For this anomaly to occur, several unusual circumstances would be required making such an outcome unlikely but plausible.

  2. Investigation of thermo-optical characteristics of the interaction processes of laser radiation with silver nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pustovalov, V K; Astafyeva, L G

    2013-01-01

    Metallic nanoparticles have been actively investigated in recent years by different optical and laser methods with the purpose of their applications in optoelectronics and photonics, chemistry, laser nanobiomedicine, optical diagnostics, and other fields. A major role among metallic nanoparticles is played by nanoparticles from the noble metals (silver, gold, etc). These particles have unique plasmonic properties (resonances in the range of wavelength 400–540 nm), which can be used for the absorption, scattering and transformation of laser energy. Analysis of the thermo-optical characteristics of the interaction processes of laser radiation with silver nanoparticles is carried out, taking into account absorption, scattering and extinction of laser radiation by nanoparticles, as well as the thermo-optical and other properties of nanoparticles. Estimations are made of the influence of these nanoparticle properties on the possible results of laser radiation interaction with silver nanoparticles, including heating, heat exchange, possible melting and evaporation, and processes in the ambient media. These results can be used in laser processing of silver nanoparticles and their applications in laser nanomedicine. (paper)

  3. Thermo-Mechanical Behavior and Shakedown of Shape Memory Alloy Cable Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biggs, Daniel B.

    Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a versatile class of smart materials that exhibit adaptive properties which have been applied to solve engineering problems in wide-ranging fields from aerospace to biomedical engineering. Yet there is a lack of understanding of the fundamental nature of SMAs in order to effectively apply them to challenging problems within these engineering fields. Stranding fine NiTi wires into a cable form satisfies the demands of many aerospace and civil engineering applications which require actuators to withstand large tensile loads. The impact of increased bending and twisting in stranded NiTi wire structures, as well as introducing contact mechanics to the unstable phase transformation is not well understood, and this work aims to fill that void. To study the scalability of NiTi cables, thermo-mechanical characterization tests are conducted on cables much larger than those previously tested. These cables are found to have good superelastic properties and repeatable cyclic behavior with minimal induced plasticity. The behavior of additional cables, which have higher transition temperatures that can be used in a shape memory mode as thermo-responsive, high force actuator elements, are explored. These cables are found to scale up the performance of straight wire by maintaining an equivalent work output. Moreover, this work investigates the degradation of the thermal actuation of SMA wires through novel stress-temperature paths, discovering several path dependent behaviors of transformation-induced plasticity. The local mechanics of NiTi cable structures are explored through experiments utilizing digital image correlation, revealing new periodic transformation instabilities. Finite element simulations are presented, which indicate that the instabilities are caused by friction and relative sliding between wires in a cable. Finally, a study of the convective heat transfer of helical wire involving a suite of wind tunnel experiments, numerical

  4. A hydro-mechanical framework for early warning of rainfall-induced landslides (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godt, J.; Lu, N.; Baum, R. L.

    2013-12-01

    Landslide early warning requires an estimate of the location, timing, and magnitude of initial movement, and the change in volume and momentum of material as it travels down a slope or channel. In many locations advance assessment of landslide location, volume, and momentum is possible, but prediction of landslide timing entails understanding the evolution of rainfall and soil-water conditions, and consequent effects on slope stability in real time. Existing schemes for landslide prediction generally rely on empirical relations between landslide occurrence and rainfall amount and duration, however, these relations do not account for temporally variable rainfall nor the variably saturated processes that control the hydro-mechanical response of hillside materials to rainfall. Although limited by the resolution and accuracy of rainfall forecasts and now-casts in complex terrain and by the inherent difficulty in adequately characterizing subsurface materials, physics-based models provide a general means to quantitatively link rainfall and landslide occurrence. To obtain quantitative estimates of landslide potential from physics-based models using observed or forecasted rainfall requires explicit consideration of the changes in effective stress that result from changes in soil moisture and pore-water pressures. The physics that control soil-water conditions are transient, nonlinear, hysteretic, and dependent on material composition and history. In order to examine the physical processes that control infiltration and effective stress in variably saturated materials, we present field and laboratory results describing intrinsic relations among soil water and mechanical properties of hillside materials. At the REV (representative elementary volume) scale, the interaction between pore fluids and solid grains can be effectively described by the relation between soil suction, soil water content, hydraulic conductivity, and suction stress. We show that these relations can be

  5. Mont Terri Project - Heater experiment : rock and bentonite thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in the near field of a thermal source for development of deep underground high level radioactive waste repositories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goebel, I.; Alheid, H.-J.; Kaufhold, St.; Naumann, M.; Pletsch, Th.; Plischke, I.; Schnier, H.; Schuster, K.; Sprado, K. [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover (Germany); Meyer, T.; Miehe, R.; Wieczorek, K. [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen und Reaktorsicherheit mbH (GRS), Braunschweig (Germany); Mayor, J.C. [Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radioactivos SA (ENRESA), Madrid (Spain); Garcia-Sineriz, J.; Rey, M. [Asociacion para la Investigacion y Desarollo Industrial de los Recursos Naturales (AITEMIN), Madrid (Spain); Alonso, E.; Lloret, A.; Munoz, J.J. [Centre Internacional de Metodos Numerics en Ingenyeria (CIMNE), Barcelona (Spain); Weber, H. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra), Wettingen (Switzerland); Ploetze, M. [Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zuerich, Institut fuer Geotechnik, Zuerich (Switzerland); Klubertanz, G. [Colenco Power Engineering Ltd, Baden (Switzerland); Ammon, Ch. [Rothpletz Lienhard und Cie AG, Aarau (Switzerland); Graf, A.; Nussbaum, Ch.; Zingg, A. [Goetechnical Institute Ltd, Saint-Ursanne (Switzerland); Bossart, P. [Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo), Wabern (Switzerland); Buehler, Ch.; Kech, M.; Trick, Th. [Solexperts AG, Moenchaltorf (Switzerland); Emmerich, K. [ITC-WGT, Karlsruhe (Germany); Fernandez, A. M. [Ciemat, Madrid (Spain)

    2007-07-01

    The long-term safety of underground permanent repositories for radioactive waste relies on a combination of several engineered and geological barriers. The interactions between a host rock formation of the type 'Opalinus Clay' and an engineered barrier of the type 'bentonite buffer' are observed in the Heater Experiment (HE) during a hydration and a heating phase. The objective of the experiment is an improved understanding of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in a host rock-buffer system achieved by experimental observations as well as numerical modelling. The basic objectives are in detail: a) Long-term monitoring in the vicinity of the heater during hydration and heating; especially observation and study of coupled THM processes in the near field, i.e. continuous measurements of temperatures, pore pressures, displacements, electric conductivity, and analysis of the gases and water released into the rock by effect of heating; b) Determination of the properties of barrier and host rock done mainly by laboratory and in situ experiments, i.e. general mechanical and mineralogical properties, mechanical state in-situ, and changes induced by the experiment; c) Study of the interaction between host rock and bentonite buffer as well as validation and refinement of existing tools for modelling THM processes; d) Study of the behaviour and reliability of instrumentation and measuring techniques, i.e. inspection of sensors after dismantling the experimental setting. To achieve the objectives, the experiment was accompanied by an extensive programme of continuous monitoring, experimental investigations on-site as well as in laboratories, and numerical modelling of the coupled THM processes. Finally, the experiment was dismantled to provide laboratory specimens of post-heating buffer and host rock material. The continuous monitoring of the experiment by a multitude of sensors (for temperature, pore pressure, total pressure, relative

  6. H, HM, and THM-C processes in natural barriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Javeri, V.; Le, T.T.; Cui, Y.J.; Delage, P.; Li, X.J.; Wieczorek, K.; Jockwer, N.; Romero, E.; Lima, A.; Gens, A.; Li, X.L.; Francois, B.; Nuth, M.; Laloui, L.; Chen, W.; Jia, S.; Yu, H.; Wu, G.; Li, X.; Bernier, F.; Tan, X.; Wu, G.; Jia, S.; Giot, R.; Hoxha, D.; Giraud, A.; Homand, F.; Su, K.; Chavant, C.; Duveau, G.; Jia, Y.; Shao, J.F.; Peron, H.; Laloui, L.; Hueckel, T.; Hu, L.B.; Auvray, C.; Lequiller, B.; Cuisinier, O.; Ferber, V.; Cui, Y.J.; Deneele, D.; Uhlig, L.; Jobmann, M.; Polster, M.; Vaunat, J.; Garrite, B.; Wileveau, Y.; Sato, H.; Jacinto, A.; Sanchez, M.; Ledesma, A.; Morel, J.; Balland, C.; Armand, G.; Nguyen Minh, D.; Vales, F.; Pham, Q.T.; Gharbi, H.; Mokni, N.; Olivella, S.; Li, X.; Smets, St.; Valcke, E.; Karnland, O.; Nilsson, U.; Olsson, S.; Sellin, P.; Fernandez, A.M.; Melon, A.M.; Villar, M.V.; Turrero, M.J.; Garitte, B.; Guimaraes, L.D.N.; Gens, A.; Mayor, J.C.; Koliji, A.; Laloui, L.; Vulliet, L.; Hamdi, N.; Marzouki, A.; Srasra, E.; Cuss, R.J.; Harrington, J.F.; Noy, D.J.; Birchall, D.J.; Marschall, P.; Mallet, A.; Ababou, R.; Matray, J.M.; Renaud, V.; Maison, T.; Enachescu, C.; Frieg, B.; Rohs, St.; Paris, B.; Robinet, J.C.; Bui, T.D.; Barnichon, J.D.; Plas, F.; Klubertanz, G.; Folly, M.; Hufschmied, P.; Frank, E

    2007-07-01

    This session gathers 30 articles (posters) dealing with: the three Dimensional analyses of combined gas, heat and nuclide transport in a repository considering coupled thermo-hydro geomechanical processes; the experimental study on the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of boom clay; hydraulic in-situ measurements in the Opalinus clay in the frame of a heater test performed at the Mont Terri URL; the hydro-mechanical behaviour of natural boom clay in controlled-suction tests; a constitutive approach to address the thermal and hydric impacts in the concept of deep radioactive waste repositories; the numerical analysis on stability of boom clay tunnel by shield construction; a thermo-hydro-mechanical model for clay in unsaturated conditions; the 3D modelling of TER experiment accounting for fully anisotropic thermo-poro-elastic behaviour; the hydro-mechanical modeling of shaft excavation in Meuse/Haute-Marne laboratory; the modelling of drying damage in engineered and natural clay barriers for nuclear waste disposal; the elasto-viscoplastic behaviour of Meuse/Haute-Marne argillite: laboratory tests and modelling; the long-term behaviour of a lime treated soil under percolation conditions; the stress redistribution and hydro-mechanical effects due to excavation and drilling operations in TER experiment; a thermodynamic model on swelling of bentonite buffer and backfill materials; the 3D analysis of a heating test in the Opalinus clay; the THM analysis of a 'mock-up' laboratory experiment using a double-structure expansive model; the measurement of the effect of re-confinement on rock properties around a slot; a laboratory Study of desaturation - re-saturation effects on a clay-stone; the deformation induced by dissolution of salts in porous media; the bentonite swelling pressure in pure water and saline solutions; the mineralogy and sealing properties of various bentonites and smectite-rich clay materials; the evaluation of the geochemical processes occurring

  7. Water-cooled lithium-lead box-shaped blanket concept for Demo: thermo-mechanical optimization and manufacturing sequence proposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baraer, L.; Dinot, N.; Giancarli, L.; Proust, E.; Salavy, J.F.; Severi, Y.; Quintric-Bossy, J.

    1992-01-01

    The development of the water-cooled lithium-lead box-shaped blanket concept for DEMO has now reached the stage of thermo-mechanical optimization. In the previous design phases the preliminary dimensioning of the cooling circuit has permitted to define the water proportions required in the breeder region and to demonstrate, after a minimization of steel proportion and thicknesses, that this concept could reach tritium breeding self-sufficiency. In the present analysis the location of the coolant pipes has been optimized for the whole equatorial plane cross-section of both inboard and outboard segments in order to maintain the maximum Pb-17Li/steel interface temperature below 480 deg C and to minimize the thermal gradients along the steel structures. The consequent thermo-mechanical analysis has shown that the thermal stresses always remain below the allowable limits. Segment fabricability and removal are the next design issues to be analyzed. Within this strategy, a first manufactury sequence for the outboard segment is proposed

  8. Thermo-acoustical analysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate: Fluconazole (antifungal drug) based micellar system in hydro-ethanol solutions for potential drug topical application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhardwaj, Tarun; Bhardwaj, Varun; Sharma, Kundan; Gupta, Abhishek; Cameotra, Swaranjit Singh; Sharma, Poonam

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The mixed micellar system was analyzed for sodium dodecyl sulfate and fluconazole. • Early micellization was found with CMC shift towards lower surfactant concentration. • Negative ΔG m o values suggested that the micelle formation is spontaneous and feasible. • Thermo-acoustical parameters revealed the existence of intermolecular interactions within the molecules. - Abstract: Micellar systems hold excellent drug delivery applications due to their capability to solubilize a large number of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules. In this present work, the mixed micelle formation between the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the ‘Azole’ derivative antifungal drug fluconazole (FLZ) have been studied at four temperatures in different hydro-ethanolic solutions. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) was determined by specific conductance techniques and the experimental data was used to calculate several useful thermodynamic parameters, like standard free energy, enthalpy and entropy of micelle formation. Early micellization was found with critical micelle concentration shifting towards lower concentration (CMC) than the standard concentration of SDS in water at 25 °C suggesting that drug and the solvent system facilitates the micellization process. In addition, the transport properties were examined by employing controlled approaches likely, apparent molar volume (ϕ v ), apparent molar adiabatic compression (ϕ k ), and isentropic compression (κ s ) of SDS in presence of FLZ. These parameters revealed the existence of intermolecular interactions within the molecules. Therefore, this study would cast light on utilizing surfactant immobilized FLZ system for better topical biological action

  9. Collision data involving hydro-carbon molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tawara, H.; Itikawa, Y.; Nishimura, H.; Tanaka, H.; Nakamura, Y.

    1990-07-01

    Hydro-carbon molecules are abundantly produced when graphites are used as internal wall materials of hydrogen plasmas and strongly influence properties of low temperature plasmas near the edges as well as those of high temperature plasmas at the center. In this report, following simple description of the production mechanisms of hydro-carbon molecules under the interactions between graphite and hydrogen plasma, the present status of collision data for hydro-carbon molecules by electron impact is discussed and the relevant data are summarized in a series of figures and tables. It should also be noted that, in addition to fusion plasmas, these hydrocarbon data compiled here are quite useful in other applications such as plasma chemistry and material processing. (author)

  10. Investigation of multi-stage cold forward extrusion process using coupled thermo-mechanical finite element analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Görtan, Mehmet Okan

    2018-05-01

    Cold extrusion processes are distinguished by their low material usage as well as great efficiency in the production of mid-range and large component series. Although majority of the cold extruded parts are produced using die systems containing multiple forming stages, this subject has rarely been investigated so far. Therefore, the characteristics of multi-stage cold forward rod extrusion is studied in the current work using thermo-mechanically coupled finite element (FE) analysis. A case hardening steel, 16MnCr5 (1.7131) was used as experimental material. Its strain, strain rate and temperature dependent mechanical characteristics were determined using compression testing and modeled in FE simulations via a Johnson-Cook material model. Friction coefficients for the same material while in contact with a tool steel (1.2379) were determined dependent on temperature and contact pressure using sliding compression test (SCT) and modeled by an adaptive friction model developed by the author. In the first set of simulations, rod material with a diameter of 14.9 mm was extruded down to a diameter of 9.6 mm in a single step using three different die opening angles (2α); 20°, 40° and 60°. In the second set of investigations, the same rod was reduced first to 12 mm and then to 9.6 mm in two steps within the same forming die. Press forces, contact normal stresses between extruded material and forming die, material temperature and axial stresses are compared in these two set of simulations and the differences are discussed.

  11. Thermo-mechanical characterization of ceramic pebbles for breeding blanket

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lo Frano, Rosa, E-mail: rosa.lofrano@ing.unipi.it; Aquaro, Donato; Scaletti, Luca

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • Experimental activities to characterize the Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}. • Compression tests of pebbles. • Experimental evaluation of thermal conductivity of pebbles bed at different temperatures. • Experimental test with/without compression load. - Abstract: An open issue for fusion power reactor is to design a suitable breeding blanket capable to produce the necessary quantity of the tritium and to transfer the energy of the nuclear fusion reaction to the coolant. The envisaged solution called Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) breeding blanket foresees the use of lithium orthosilicate (Li{sub 4}SiO{sub 4}) or lithium metatitanate (Li{sub 2}TiO{sub 3}) pebble beds. The thermal mechanical properties of the candidate pebble bed materials are presently extensively investigated because they are critical for the feasibility and performances of the numerous conceptual designs which use a solid breeder. This study is aimed at the investigation of mechanical properties of the lithium orthosilicate and at the characterization of the main chemical, physical and thermo-mechanical properties taking into account the production technology. In doing that at the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering (DICI) of the University of Pisa adequate experiments were carried out. The obtained results may contribute to characterize the material of the pebbles and to optimize the design of the envisaged fusion breeding blankets.

  12. Evaluation of Thermal and Thermo-mechanical Behavior of Full-scale Energy Foundations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Kyle D.

    This study focuses on the thermo-mechanical and thermal behavior of full-scale energy foundations installed as part of two buildings recently constructed in Colorado. The soil stratigraphy at each of the sites differed, but both foundations were expected to function as primarily end-bearing elements with a tip socketed into rock. The heat exchanger configurations were also different amongst the foundations at both sites, permitting evaluation of the role of heat exchange. A common thread for both energy foundation case histories was the monitoring of the temperature and axial strain within the foundations during heat exchange operations. The first case study involves an evaluation of the long-term thermo-mechanical response of two full-scale energy foundations installed at the new Denver Housing Authority (DHA) Senior Living Facility at 1099 Osage St. in Denver, Colorado. Due to the construction schedule for this project, the thermal properties of the foundations and surrounding subsurface could not be assessed using thermal response tests. However, instrumentation was incorporated into the foundations to assess their long-term heat exchange response as well as the thermo-mechanical strains, stresses, and displacements that occurred during construction and operation of the ground-source heat pump system. The temperature changes within the foundations during heating and cooling operations over a period of approximately 600 days ranged from 9 to 32 °C, respectively. The thermal axial stresses in the foundations were calculated from the measured strains, and ranged from 3.1 MPa during heating to --1.0 MPa during cooling. These values are within reasonable limits for reinforced concrete structures. The maximum thermal axial stress was observed near the toe of both foundations, which is consistent with trends expected for end-bearing toe boundary conditions. The greatest thermal axial strains were observed near the top of the foundations (upward expansion during

  13. Pressurized Slot Testing to Determine Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Lithophysal Tuff at Yucca Mountain Nevada.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    George, James T.; Sobolik, Steven R.; Lee, Moo Y.; Park, Byoung; Costin, Laurence

    2018-05-01

    The study described in this report involves heated and unheated pressurized slot testing to determine thermo-mechanical properties of the Tptpll (Tertiary, Paintbrush, Topopah Spring Tuff Formation, crystal poor, lower lithophysal) and Tptpul (upper lithophysal) lithostratigraphic units at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. A large volume fraction of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain may reside in the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit. This unit is characterized by voids, or lithophysae, which range in size from centimeters to meters, making a field program an effective method of measuring bulk thermal-mechanical rock properties (thermal expansion, rock mass modulus, compressive strength, time-dependent deformation) over a range of temperature and rock conditions. The field tests outlined in this report provide data for the determination of thermo-mechanical properties of this unit. Rock-mass response data collected during this field test will reduce the uncertainty in key thermal-mechanical modeling parameters (rock-mass modulus, strength and thermal expansion) for the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit, and provide a basis for understanding thermal-mechanical behavior of this unit. The measurements will be used to evaluate numerical models of the thermal-mechanical response of the repository. These numerical models are then used to predict pre- and post-closure repository response. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank David Bronowski, Ronnie Taylor, Ray E. Finley, Cliff Howard, Michael Schuhen (all SNL) and Fred Homuth (LANL) for their work in the planning and implementation of the tests described in this report. This is a reprint of SAND2004-2703, which was originally printed in July 2004. At that time, it was printed for a restricted audience. It has now been approved for unlimited release.

  14. Non-destructive thermo-mechanical behavior assessment of glass-ceramics for dental applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kordatos, E. Z.; Abdulkadhim, Z.; Feteira, A. M.

    2017-05-01

    Every year millions of people seek dental treatment to either repair damaged, unaesthetic and dysfunctional teeth or replace missing natural teeth. Several dental materials have been developed to meet the stringent requirements in terms of mechanical properties, aesthetics and chemical durability in the oral environment. Glass-ceramics exhibit a suitable combination of these properties for dental restorations. This research is focused on the assessment of the thermomechanical behavior of bio-ceramics and particularly lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramics (LAS glass-ceramics). Specifically, methodologies based on Infrared Thermography (IRT) have been applied in order the structure - property relationship to be evaluated. Non-crystallized, partially crystallized and fully crystallized glass-ceramic samples have been non-destructively assessed in order their thermo-mechanical behavior to be associated with their micro-structural features.

  15. Thermo-stimulated current and dielectric loss in composite materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishijima, S.; Hagihara, T.; Okada, T.

    1986-01-01

    Thermo-stimulated current and dielectric loss measurements have been performed on five kinds of commercially available composite materials in order to study the electric properties of composite materials at low temperatures. Thermo-stimulated current measurements have been made on the composite materials in which the matrix quality was changed intentionally. The changes in the matrices were introduced by gamma irradiation or different curing conditions. Thermo-stimulated current and dielectric loss measurements revealed the number and the molecular weight of dipolar molecules. The different features of thermo-stimulated current and dielectric losses were determined for different composite materials. The gamma irradiation and the curing conditions especially affect the thermo-stimulated current features. The changes in macroscopic mechanical properties reflect those of thermo-stimulated current. It was found that the change in quality and/or degradation of the composite materials could be detected by means of thermo-stimulated current and/or dielectric loss measurements

  16. A thermo-mechanical benchmark calculation of an hexagonal can in the BTI accident with ABAQUS code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zucchini, A.

    1988-07-01

    The thermo-mechanical behaviour of an hexagonal can in a benchmark problem (simulating the conditions of a BTI accident in a fuel assembly) is examined by means of the ABAQUS code: the effects of the geometric nonlinearity are shown and the results are compared with those of a previous analysis performed with the INCA code. (author)

  17. Numerical characterization of thermo-mechanical performance of breeder pebble beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An, Zhiyong; Ying, Alice; Abdou, Mohamed

    2007-01-01

    A numerical approach using the discrete element method (DEM) has been applied to study the thermo-mechanical properties of ceramic breeder pebble beds. This numerical scheme is able to predict the inelastic behavior observed in a loading and unloading operation. In addition, it demonstrates that the average value of contact force increases linearly with overall pressure, but at a much faster rate, about 3.4 times the overall pressure increase rate. In this paper, the thermal creep properties of two different ceramic breeder pebble materials, Li 4 SiO 4 and Li 2 O, are also examined by the current numerical code. The difference found in the properties of candidate materials is reflected numerically in the overall strain in the pebble bed when the stress magnitude becomes smaller

  18. Numerical characterization of thermo-mechanical performance of breeder pebble beds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    An, Zhiyong; Ying, Alice; Abdou, Mohamed

    2008-01-01

    A numerical approach using the discrete element method (DEM) has been applied to study the thermo-mechanical properties of ceramic breeder pebble beds. This numerical scheme is able to predict the inelastic behavior observed in a loading and unloading operation. In addition, it demonstrates that the average value of contact force increases linearly with overall pressure, but at a much faster rate, about 3.4 times the overall pressure increase rate. In this paper, the thermal creep properties of two different ceramic breeder pebble materials, Li 4 SiO 4 and Li 2 O, are also examined by the current numerical code. The difference found in the properties of candidate materials is reflected numerically in the overall strain in the pebble bed when the stress magnitude becomes smaller. (author)

  19. Theoretical and conditional monitoring of a small three-bladed vertical-axis micro-hydro turbine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Sy-Ruen; Ma, Yen-Huai; Chen, Chia-Fu; Seki, Kazuichi; Aso, Toshiyuki

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • This paper presents a novel 3 three-bladed vertical-axis micro-hydro turbine system. • This paper presents structure and performance of micro-hydroelectric turbine system. • The paper reveal that using VAMHT system in water is distinct from using in wind. • This paper present an experimental results of VAMHT system. • The paper show that the status transformation from cut-into stable power generation is short. - Abstract: This paper presents a novel 3-kW three-bladed vertical-axis micro-hydro turbine (VAMHT) system. The experimental results reveal that using this type of turbine in water is distinct from using it in wind. The micro-hydro turbine system uses a three-phase permanent magnet symmetric generator that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy. The output voltage and frequency of the generator depend on water flow speed, and voltage steady equipment is used to maintain the maximum output power of the DC bus. According to the maximum power point tracking of the micro-hydro turbine system, the condition monitoring of the novel micro-hydro turbine requires no water flow meter. Furthermore, the construction and installation of the new micro-hydro turbine is simple, economical, and stable. This system combines a micro-hydro generator and electrical state-monitoring system, which can measure the speed, output power, DC-bus voltage, and all electrical characteristics of the micro-hydro turbine system. The results of comparing turbine between wind and water show that the speed ranges of water flow is narrower than that of wind, and the status transformation from cut-into stable power generation is short

  20. A dissolution-diffusion sliding model for soft rock grains with hydro-mechanical effect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Liu

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The deformation and failure of soft rock affected by hydro-mechanical (HM effect are one of the most concerns in geotechnical engineering, which are basically attributed to the grain sliding of soft rock. This study tried to develop a dissolution-diffusion sliding model for the typical red bed soft rock in South China. Based on hydration film, mineral dissolution and diffusion theory, and geochemical thermodynamics, a dissolution-diffusion sliding model with the HM effect was established to account for the sliding rate. Combined with the digital image processing technology, the relationship between the grain size of soft rock and the amplitude of sliding surface was presented. An equation for the strain rate of soft rocks under steady state was also derived. The reliability of the dissolution-diffusion sliding model was verified by triaxial creep tests on the soft rock with the HM coupling effect and by the relationship between the inversion average disjoining pressure and the average thickness of the hydration film. The results showed that the sliding rate of the soft rock grains was affected significantly by the waviness of sliding surface, the shear stress, and the average thickness of hydration film. The average grain size is essential for controlling the steady-state creep rate of soft rock. This study provides a new idea for investigating the deformation and failure of soft rock with the HM effect. Keywords: Soft rock, Hydro-mechanical (HM effect, Mineral dissolution-diffusion, Grain sliding model

  1. Contribution to the numerical study of concrete behaviour and of reinforced concrete structures submitted to coupled thermal and mechanical solicitations: a damageable thermo-elasto-plastic approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nechnech, W.

    2000-12-01

    The aim of this research is the development of an Finite Element model for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures under thermal, mechanical loadings or any combination of them. An available synthesis of results on the concrete behavior under thermal solicitation is exposed. The different behavior of concrete that can be founded notably in thermo-mechanical analysis (Damage, unilateral phenomenon, thermo-mechanical interaction,...) are underlined. The various families of modeling are analyzed thereafter while underlining the important aspects of the behavior that each one can re-transcribe. A new thermo-plastic damage model for plain concrete subjected to combined thermal and cyclic loading is developed using the concept of plastic-work-hardening and stiffness degradation in continuum damage mechanics. Two damage variables are used: the first one for mechanical action and the second one for thermal action. Further, thermo-mechanical interaction strains have been introduced to describe the influence of mechanical loading on the physical process of thermal expansion of concrete. The constitutive relations for elastoplastic responses are decoupled from the degradation damage responses by using the effective stress concept. This method provides advantages in the numerical implementation. A simple and thermodynamically consistent scalar degradation model is introduced to simulate the effect of damage on elastic stiffness and its recovery during crack opening and closing. Efficient computational algorithms for the proposed model are subsequently explored and performance of this model is demonstrated with numerical examples. (author)

  2. Enhanced pathway efficiency of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by introducing thermo-tolerant devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yueqin; Zhang, Genli; Sun, Huan; Sun, Xiangying; Jiang, Nisi; Rasool, Aamir; Lin, Zhanglin; Li, Chun

    2014-10-01

    In this study, thermo-tolerant devices consisting of heat shock genes from thermophiles were designed and introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae for improving its thermo-tolerance. Among ten engineered thermo-tolerant yeasts, T.te-TTE2469, T.te-GroS2 and T.te-IbpA displayed over 25% increased cell density and 1.5-4-fold cell viability compared with the control. Physiological characteristics of thermo-tolerant strains revealed that better cell wall integrity, higher trehalose content and enhanced metabolic energy were preserved by thermo-tolerant devices. Engineered thermo-tolerant strain was used to investigate the impact of thermo-tolerant device on pathway efficiency by introducing β-amyrin synthesis pathway, showed 28.1% increased β-amyrin titer, 28-35°C broadened growth temperature range and 72h shortened fermentation period. The results indicated that implanting heat shock proteins from thermophiles to S. cerevisiae would be an efficient approach to improve its thermo-tolerance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Thermo-dynamic analysis and simulation of a combined air and hydro energy storage (CAHES) system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bi, Xianyun; Liu, Pei; Li, Zheng

    2016-01-01

    Large-scale energy storage is essential for the stability of a grid, especially for those with large proportion of intermittent renewable energy sources. The efficiency of a conventional compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology is limited by compression heat loss and changing working conditions. In this manuscript, a combined air and hydro energy storage (CAHES) system is proposed, which realizes a higher exergy efficiency compared with conventional CAES systems by reducing compression heat losses and addressing issues of changing working conditions through thermal compensation from solar radiation. The configuration and two operating modes of the proposed CAHES system are firstly introduced, followed by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation under different operating modes to analyze system performances. Impacts of external and internal factors on the system performances are analyzed. The practical feasibility of the system is also investigated. Results show that the exergy efficiency of the system reaches approximately 50%, whilst the charging electricity ratio reaches over 80%. - Highlights: • A combined air and hydro energy storage system is proposed. • High exergy efficiency is achieved and consumption of fossil fuel is eliminated. • The system performance is affected by compression ratio and solar radiation.

  4. The seismic cycle at subduction thrusts: Insights from seismo-thermo-mechanical models

    KAUST Repository

    van Dinther, Y.

    2013-12-01

    The underestimation of the size of recent megathrust earthquakes illustrates our limited understanding of their spatiotemporal occurrence and governing physics. To unravel their relation to associated subduction dynamics and long-term deformation, we developed a 2-D continuum viscoelastoplastic model that uses an Eulerian-Lagrangian finite difference framework with similar on- and off-fault physics. We extend the validation of this numerical tool to a realistic subduction zone setting that resembles Southern Chile. The resulting quasi-periodic pattern of quasi-characteristic M8–M9 megathrust events compares quantitatively with observed recurrence and earthquake source parameters, albeit at very slow coseismic speeds. Without any data fitting, surface displacements agree with GPS data recorded before and during the 2010 M8.8 Maule earthquake, including the presence of a second-order flexural bulge. These surface displacements show cycle-to-cycle variations of slip deficits, which overall accommodate ∼5% of permanent internal shortening. We find that thermally (and stress) driven creep governs a spontaneous conditionally stable downdip transition zone between temperatures of ∼350°C and ∼450°C. Ruptures initiate above it (and below the forearc Moho), propagate within it, interspersed by small intermittent events, and arrest below it as ductile shearing relaxes stresses. Ruptures typically propagate upward along lithological boundaries and widen as pressures drop. The main thrust is constrained to be weak due to fluid-induced weakening required to sustain regular subduction and to generate events with natural characteristics (fluid pressures of ∼75–99% of solid pressures). The agreement with a range of seismological, geodetic, and geological observations demonstrates the validity and strength of this physically consistent seismo-thermo-mechanical approach.

  5. The seismic cycle at subduction thrusts: Insights from seismo-thermo-mechanical models

    KAUST Repository

    van Dinther, Y.; Gerya, T. V.; Dalguer, L. A.; Mai, Paul Martin; Morra, G.; Giardini, D.

    2013-01-01

    The underestimation of the size of recent megathrust earthquakes illustrates our limited understanding of their spatiotemporal occurrence and governing physics. To unravel their relation to associated subduction dynamics and long-term deformation, we developed a 2-D continuum viscoelastoplastic model that uses an Eulerian-Lagrangian finite difference framework with similar on- and off-fault physics. We extend the validation of this numerical tool to a realistic subduction zone setting that resembles Southern Chile. The resulting quasi-periodic pattern of quasi-characteristic M8–M9 megathrust events compares quantitatively with observed recurrence and earthquake source parameters, albeit at very slow coseismic speeds. Without any data fitting, surface displacements agree with GPS data recorded before and during the 2010 M8.8 Maule earthquake, including the presence of a second-order flexural bulge. These surface displacements show cycle-to-cycle variations of slip deficits, which overall accommodate ∼5% of permanent internal shortening. We find that thermally (and stress) driven creep governs a spontaneous conditionally stable downdip transition zone between temperatures of ∼350°C and ∼450°C. Ruptures initiate above it (and below the forearc Moho), propagate within it, interspersed by small intermittent events, and arrest below it as ductile shearing relaxes stresses. Ruptures typically propagate upward along lithological boundaries and widen as pressures drop. The main thrust is constrained to be weak due to fluid-induced weakening required to sustain regular subduction and to generate events with natural characteristics (fluid pressures of ∼75–99% of solid pressures). The agreement with a range of seismological, geodetic, and geological observations demonstrates the validity and strength of this physically consistent seismo-thermo-mechanical approach.

  6. ITER baffle module small-scale mock-ups: first wall thermo-mechanical testing results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Severi, Y.; Giancarli, L.; Poitevin, Y.; Salavy, J.F.; Le Marois, G.; Roedig, M.; Vieider, G.

    1998-01-01

    The EU-home team is in charge of the R and D related to the ITER baffle first wall. Five small-scale mock-ups, using Be, CFC and W tiles and different armour/heat-sink material joints under development, have been fabricated and thermomechanically tested in FE200 (Le Creusot) and JUDITH (Juelich) electron beam facilities. The small-scale mock-ups have been submitted to thermo-mechanical fatigue tests (up to failure using accelerating techniques). The objective was to determine the performances of the armour material joints under high heat flux cycles. (orig.)

  7. Improving Thermo-Oxidative Stability of Nitrile Rubber Composites by Functional Graphene Oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Rui; Zhang, Zhao; Zhao, Hongguo; He, Xianru; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Rui

    2018-05-30

    Graphene oxide (GO), modified with anti-aging agent p -phenylenediamine (PPD), was added into nitrile rubber (NBR) in order to improve the thermo-oxidative stability of NBR. The modification of GO and the transformation of functional groups were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Mechanical performances of NBR composites before and after the thermo-oxidative aging were recorded. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) show an increased storage modulus (G') and a decreased value of area of tan δ peak after introducing modified GO into NBR. It indicates that filler particles show positive interaction with molecular chains. The thermo-oxidative stability of composites was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Then, the thermo-oxidative aging kinetic parameters were obtained by the Flynn⁻Wall⁻Ozawa (FWO) equation. The results of aging tests show that the thermo-oxidative stability of rubber matrix increases obviously after introducing GO⁻PPD. In addition, mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation at break) of both before and after aged NBR/GO⁻PPD composites were superior to that of NBR. This work provides meaningful guidance for achieving multifunction thermo-oxidative aging resistance rubber composites.

  8. Thermo-mechanical analysis of PWR bolts susceptible to IASCC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matteoli, C.; Hannink, M.H.C.; Blom, F.J.; Marck, S.C. van der; Charpin-Jacobs, F.

    2015-01-01

    Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) is considered a primary ageing issue for the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) internals of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). In particular, this complex phenomenon which develops in an environment featuring thermal and mechanical stresses, interaction with corrosive compounds and irradiation, is affecting the bolts connecting the baffles and the formers in the Nuclear Power Plants' RPVs. The baffle-former assembly is the structure that borders the fuel assemblies region, contributing to keep them in position and separating in the radial direction, the core region from the downcomer region. An evaluation of the stresses and temperatures reached in the baffle-former bolts during normal operation was performed by means of a coupled thermo-mechanical study which uses reactor physics calculations to obtain the fluence in the reactor core and as a consequence the heat deposition in the RPV internals. The heat deposition data are coupled with a finite element model of the bolts and the RPV internals in order to perform a complete analysis taking in account thermal, mechanical and radiation loadings. The study is first carried out focusing on a section of the RPV internals, showing a single row of baffle-former bolts. Then the work is extended to the full core height. The model set up in this work, includes an in-depth study of the behavior of the core internals, in particular baffle-former bolts. The model has the capability of understanding the mechanical and thermal behavior of essential internal components in a PWR. (authors)

  9. Thermo-mechanical interaction effects in foam cored sandwich panels-correlation between High-order models and Finite element analysis results

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Palleti, Hara Naga Krishna Teja; Santiuste, Carlos; Thomsen, Ole Thybo

    2010-01-01

    Thermo-mechanical interaction effects including thermal material degradation in polymer foam cored sandwich structures is investigated using the commercial Finite Element Analysis (FEA) package ABAQUS/Standard. Sandwich panels with different boundary conditions in the form of simply supported...

  10. The TRPM2 channel: A thermo-sensitive metabolic sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashio, Makiko; Tominaga, Makoto

    2017-09-03

    Living organisms continually experience changes in ambient temperature. To detect such temperature changes for adaptive behavioral responses, we evolved the ability to sense temperature. Thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, so-called thermo-TRPs, are involved in many physiologic functions in diverse organisms and constitute important temperature sensors. One of the important roles of thermo-TRPs is detecting ambient temperature in sensory neurons. Importantly, the functional expression of thermo-TRPs is observed not only in sensory neurons but also in tissues and cells that are not exposed to drastic temperature changes, indicating that thermo-TRPs are involved in many physiologic functions within the body's normal temperature range. Among such thermo-TRPs, this review focuses on one thermo-sensitive metabolic sensor in particular, TRPM2, and summarizes recent progress to clarify the regulatory mechanisms and physiologic functions of TRPM2 at body temperature under various metabolic states.

  11. Thermo-hydro-mechanics of fractured rock mass in nuclear waste studies. The measurement of electrical conductivity during the thermo-hydro-mechanical experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mursu, J.; Peltoniemi, M.

    1996-12-01

    The report reviews and summarizes the present state-of-the-art knowledge about electrical conductivity measurements of rock samples in high-temperature, high-pressure conditions. The special requirements for these measurements have been studied in terms of sample preparation, instrumentation, and experimental procedures. Possibilities to utilize a MTS System 815 testing unit, currently available at the Helsinki University of Technology, for these measurements have been studied. (17 refs.)

  12. Stress-dislocation interaction mechanism in low-temperature thermo-compression sintering of Ag NPs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fuliang; Tang, Zikai; He, Hu

    2018-04-01

    The sintering of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been widely studied in the field of nanotechnology, and low-temperature sintering has become the industry standard. In this study, a molecular dynamics (MD) model was established to study the sintering behaviour of silver NPs during low-temperature thermo-compression. Primarily, we studied the sintering process, in which the ratio of neck radius to particle radius (x/r) changes. Under a uniaxial pressure, the maximum ratio in the temperature range 420-425 K was 1. According to the change of x/r, the process can be broken down into three stages: the neck-formation stage, neck-growth stage, and neck-stability stage. In addition, the relationship between potential energy, internal stress, and dislocation density during sintering is discussed. The results showed that cycling internal stress played an important role in sintering. Under the uniaxial pressure, the stress-dislocation interaction was found to be the major mechanism for thermo-compression sintering because the plastic deformation product dislocation intensified the diffusion of atoms. Also, the displacement vector, the mean square displacement, and the changing crystal structure during sintering were studied.

  13. Stress-dislocation interaction mechanism in low-temperature thermo-compression sintering of Ag NPs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fuliang Wang

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The sintering of metal nanoparticles (NPs has been widely studied in the field of nanotechnology, and low-temperature sintering has become the industry standard. In this study, a molecular dynamics (MD model was established to study the sintering behaviour of silver NPs during low-temperature thermo-compression. Primarily, we studied the sintering process, in which the ratio of neck radius to particle radius (x/r changes. Under a uniaxial pressure, the maximum ratio in the temperature range 420–425 K was 1. According to the change of x/r, the process can be broken down into three stages: the neck-formation stage, neck-growth stage, and neck-stability stage. In addition, the relationship between potential energy, internal stress, and dislocation density during sintering is discussed. The results showed that cycling internal stress played an important role in sintering. Under the uniaxial pressure, the stress-dislocation interaction was found to be the major mechanism for thermo-compression sintering because the plastic deformation product dislocation intensified the diffusion of atoms. Also, the displacement vector, the mean square displacement, and the changing crystal structure during sintering were studied.

  14. Modeling of the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the PWR fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mailhe, P.

    2014-01-01

    This article reviews the various physical phenomena that take place in an irradiated fuel rod and presents the development of the thermo-mechanical codes able to simulate them. Though technically simple the fuel rod is the place where appear 4 types of process: thermal, gas behaviour, mechanical and corrosion that combine involving 5 elements: the fuel pellet, the fuel clad, the fuel-clad gap, the inside volume and the coolant. For instance the pellet is the place where the following mechanical processes took place: thermal dilatation, elastic deformation, creep deformation, densification, solid swelling, gaseous swelling and cracking. The first industrial code simulating the behaviour of the fuel rod was COCCINEL, it was developed by AREVA teams from the American PAD code that was included in the Westinghouse license. Today the GALILEO code has replaced the COPERNIC code that was developed in the beginning of the 2000 years. GALILEO is a synthesis of the state of the art of the different models used in the codes validated for PWR and BWR. GALILEO has been validated on more than 1500 fuel rods concerning PWR, BWR and specific reactors like Siloe, Osiris, HFR, Halden, Studsvik, BR2/3,...) and also for extended burn-ups. (A.C.)

  15. Resistivity method contribution in determining of fault zone and hydro-geophysical characteristics of carbonate aquifer, eastern desert, Egypt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ammar, A. I.; Kamal, K. A.

    2018-03-01

    Determination of fault zone and hydro-geophysical characteristics of the fractured aquifers are complicated, because their fractures are controlled by different factors. Therefore, 60 VESs were carried out as well as 17 productive wells for determining the locations of the fault zones and the characteristics of the carbonate aquifer at the eastern desert, Egypt. The general curve type of the recorded rock units was QKH. These curves were used in delineating the zones of faults according to the application of the new assumptions. The main aquifer was included at end of the K-curve type and front of the H-curve type. The subsurface layers classified into seven different geoelectric layers. The fractured shaly limestone and fractured limestone layers were the main aquifer and their resistivity changed from low to medium (11-93 Ω m). The hydro-geophysical properties of this aquifer such as the areas of very high, high, and intermediate fracture densities of high groundwater accumulations, salinity, shale content, porosity distribution, and recharging and flowing of groundwater were determined. The statistical analysis appeared that depending of aquifer resistivity on the water salinities (T.D.S.) and water resistivities add to the fracture density and shale content. The T.D.S. increasing were controlled by Na+, Cl-, Ca2+, Mg2+, and then (SO4)2-, respectively. The porosity was calculated and its average value was 19%. The hydrochemical analysis of groundwater appeared that its type was brackish and the arrangements of cation concentrations were Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and anion concentrations were Cl- > (SO4)2- > HCO3 - > CO3 -. The groundwater was characterized by sodium-bicarbonate and sodium-sulfate genetic water types and meteoric in origin. Hence, it can use the DC-resistivity method in delineating the fault zone and determining the hydro-geophysical characteristics of the fractured aquifer with taking into account the quality of measurements and interpretation.

  16. Mechanical and thermo-mechanical response of a lead-core bearing device subjected to different loading conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhelyazov Todor

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The contribution is focused on the numerical modelling, simulation and analysis of a lead-core bearing device for passive seismic isolation. An accurate finite element model of a lead-core bearing device is presented. The model is designed to analyse both mechanical and thermo-mechanical responses of the seismic isolator to different loading conditions. Specifically, the mechanical behaviour in a typical identification test is simulated. The response of the lead-core bearing device to circular sinusoidal paths is analysed. The obtained shear displacement – shear force relationship is compared to experimental data found in literature sources. The hypothesis that heating of the lead-core during cyclic loading affects the degrading phenomena in the bearing device is taken into account. Constitutive laws are defined for each material: lead, rubber and steel. Both predefined constitutive laws (in the used general–purpose finite element code and semi-analytical procedures aimed at a more accurate modelling of the constitutive relations are tested. The results obtained by finite element analysis are to be further used to calibrate a macroscopic model of the lead-core bearing device seen as a single-degree-of-freedom mechanical system.

  17. Reliable high-power diode lasers: thermo-mechanical fatigue aspects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klumel, Genady; Gridish, Yaakov; Szafranek, Igor; Karni, Yoram

    2006-02-01

    High power water-cooled diode lasers are finding increasing demand in biomedical, cosmetic and industrial applications, where repetitive cw (continuous wave) and pulsed cw operation modes are required. When operating in such modes, the lasers experience numerous complete thermal cycles between "cold" heat sink temperature and the "hot" temperature typical of thermally equilibrated cw operation. It is clearly demonstrated that the main failure mechanism directly linked to repetitive cw operation is thermo-mechanical fatigue of the solder joints adjacent to the laser bars, especially when "soft" solders are used. Analyses of the bonding interfaces were carried out using scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that intermetallic compounds, formed already during the bonding process, lead to the solders fatigue both on the p- and n-side of the laser bar. Fatigue failure of solder joints in repetitive cw operation reduces useful lifetime of the stacks to hundreds hours, in comparison with more than 10,000 hours lifetime typically demonstrated in commonly adopted non-stop cw reliability testing programs. It is shown, that proper selection of package materials and solders, careful design of fatigue sensitive parts and burn-in screening in the hard pulse operation mode allow considerable increase of lifetime and reliability, without compromising the device efficiency, optical power density and compactness.

  18. A 3D coupled hydro-mechanical granular model for the prediction of hot tearing formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sistaninia, M; Drezet, J-M; Rappaz, M; Phillion, A B

    2012-01-01

    A new 3D coupled hydro-mechanical granular model that simulates hot tearing formation in metallic alloys is presented. The hydro-mechanical model consists of four separate 3D modules. (I) The Solidification Module (SM) is used for generating the initial solid-liquid geometry. Based on a Voronoi tessellation of randomly distributed nucleation centers, this module computes solidification within each polyhedron using a finite element based solute diffusion calculation for each element within the tessellation. (II) The Fluid Flow Module (FFM) calculates the solidification shrinkage and deformation-induced pressure drop within the intergranular liquid. (III) The Semi-solid Deformation Module (SDM) is used to simulate deformation of the granular structure via a combined finite element / discrete element method. In this module, deformation of the solid grains is modeled using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive law. (IV) The Failure Module (FM) is used to simulate crack initiation and propagation with the fracture criterion estimated from the overpressure required to overcome the capillary forces at the liquid-gas interface. The FFM, SDM, and FM are coupled processes since solid deformation, intergranular flow, and crack initiation are deeply linked together. The granular model predictions have been validated against bulk data measured experimentally and calculated with averaging techniques.

  19. Microstructures and Properties of 40Cu/Ag(Invar) Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy and Subsequent Thermo-Mechanical Treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin; Huang, Yingqiu; Liu, Xiangyu; Yang, Lei; Shi, Changdong; Wu, Yucheng; Tang, Wenming

    2018-03-01

    Composites of 40Cu/Ag(Invar) were prepared via pressureless sintering and subsequent thermo-mechanical treatment from raw materials of electroless Ag-plated Invar alloy powder and electrolytic Cu powder. Microstructures and properties of the prepared composites were studied to evaluate the effect of the Ag layer on blocking Cu/Invar interfacial diffusion in the composites. The electroless-plated Ag layer was dense, uniform, continuous, and bonded tightly with the Invar alloy substrate. During sintering of the composites, the Ag layer effectively prevented Cu/Invar interfacial diffusion. During cold-rolling, the Ag layer was deformed uniformly with the Invar alloy particles. The composites exhibited bi-continuous network structure and considerably improved properties. After sintering at 775 °C and subsequent thermo-mechanical treatment, the 40Cu/Ag(Invar) composites showed satisfactory comprehensive properties: relative density of 99.0 pct, hardness of HV 253, thermal conductivity of 55.7 W/(m K), and coefficient of thermal expansion of 11.2 × 10-6/K.

  20. Thermo-mechanical analysis of high level nuclear wastes in granite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millard, A.; Guri, G.; Raimbault, M.

    1991-01-01

    In order to appraise the safety of a storage of high level nuclear wastes in rock masses, it is necessary to assess, among other features, the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the host rock for long periods (thousands of years). In France, four different media are considered as potential host rocks: granite, shale, salt, clay. The present paper is devoted to some analysis of a generic storage configuration in granite. The case of a rock mass without any major fault has been considered. The granite is modelled by means of an elastic fracturing model (no tension type). The results obtained show that some fissures, induced by the heat generation, develop mainly above the repository. The opening of the fissures, within the frame of the adopted hypothesis, have not a strong influence on the rock mass, as a geological barrier for the radionuclides. (author)

  1. Behaviour of M X-80 Bentonite at Unsaturated Conditions and under Thermo-Hydraulic Gradient - Work Performed by CIEMAT in the Context of the TB T Project - Behaviour of M X-80 Bentonite at Unsaturated Conditions and under Thermo-Hydraulic Gradient - Work Performed by CIEMAT in the Context of the TB T Project -

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villar, M.V.; Gomez-Espina, R.; Martin, P.L.

    2006-07-01

    This document reports the thermo-hydro-mechanical characterisation of the MX-80 bentonite performed at CIEMAT between 2004 and 2006 in the context of the Agreement CIEMAT/CIMNE 04/113. This Agreement took place in the framework of the Temperature Buffer Test (TBT) Project, Whose experimental part is going on at the underground research laboratory of Aspo (Sweden) and in which the MX-80 bentonite is used as sealing material in a large scale test. A methodology has been developed for the determination of retention curves at high temperature, what has allowed checking the decrease of the retention capacity of the bentonite with temperature. Infiltration and infiltration/heating tests have been carried out, some of them with simultaneous measurement of temperature and relative humidity. (Author) 9 refs.

  2. The Numerical Nuclear Reactor for High-Fidelity Integrated Simulation of Neutronic, Thermal-Hydraulic, and Thermo-Mechanical Phenomena

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, K. S.; Ju, H. G.; Jeon, T. H. and others

    2005-03-15

    A comprehensive high fidelity reactor core modeling capability has been developed for detailed analysis of current and advanced reactor designs as part of a US-ROK collaborative I-NERI project. High fidelity was accomplished by integrating highly refined solution modules for the coupled neutronic, thermal-hydraulic, and thermo-mechanical phenomena. Each solution module employs methods and models that are formulated faithfully to the first-principles governing the physics, real geometry, and constituents. Specifically, the critical analysis elements that are incorporated in the coupled code capability are whole-core neutron transport solution, ultra-fine-mesh computational fluid dynamics/heat transfer solution, and finite-element-based thermo-mechanics solution, all obtained with explicit (fuel pin cell level) heterogeneous representations of the components of the core. The vast computational problem resulting from such highly refined modeling is solved on massively parallel computers, and serves as the 'numerical nuclear reactor'. Relaxation of modeling parameters were also pursued to make problems run on clusters of workstations and PCs for smaller scale applications as well.

  3. The Numerical Nuclear Reactor for High-Fidelity Integrated Simulation of Neutronic, Thermal-Hydraulic, and Thermo-Mechanical Phenomena

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K. S.; Ju, H. G.; Jeon, T. H. and others

    2005-03-01

    A comprehensive high fidelity reactor core modeling capability has been developed for detailed analysis of current and advanced reactor designs as part of a US-ROK collaborative I-NERI project. High fidelity was accomplished by integrating highly refined solution modules for the coupled neutronic, thermal-hydraulic, and thermo-mechanical phenomena. Each solution module employs methods and models that are formulated faithfully to the first-principles governing the physics, real geometry, and constituents. Specifically, the critical analysis elements that are incorporated in the coupled code capability are whole-core neutron transport solution, ultra-fine-mesh computational fluid dynamics/heat transfer solution, and finite-element-based thermo-mechanics solution, all obtained with explicit (fuel pin cell level) heterogeneous representations of the components of the core. The vast computational problem resulting from such highly refined modeling is solved on massively parallel computers, and serves as the 'numerical nuclear reactor'. Relaxation of modeling parameters were also pursued to make problems run on clusters of workstations and PCs for smaller scale applications as well

  4. On the Effects of Thermal History on the Development and Relaxation of Thermo-Mechanical Stress in Cryopreservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eisenberg, David P; Steif, Paul S; Rabin, Yoed

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates the effects of the thermal protocol on the development and relaxation of thermo-mechanical stress in cryopreservation by means of glass formation, also known as vitrification. The cryopreserved medium is modeled as a homogeneous viscoelastic domain, constrained within either a stiff cylindrical container or a highly compliant bag. Annealing effects during the cooling phase of the cryopreservation protocol are analyzed. Results demonstrate that an intermediate temperature-hold period can significantly reduce the maximum tensile stress, thereby decreasing the potential for structural damage. It is also demonstrated that annealing at temperatures close to glass transition significantly weakens the dependency of thermo-mechanical stress on the cooling rate. Furthermore, a slower initial rewarming rate after cryogenic storage may drastically reduce the maximum tensile stress in the material, which supports previous experimental observations on the likelihood of fracture at this stage. This study discusses the dependency of the various stress components on the storage temperature. Finally, it is demonstrated that the stiffness of the container wall can affect the location of maximum stress, with implications on the development of cryopreservation protocols.

  5. Thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior of the intermetallic gamma-TiAl alloy TNB-V5 with different microstructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, M; Biermann, H

    2010-01-01

    The cyclic deformation and fatigue behavior of the γ-TiAl alloy TNB-V5 is studied under thermo-mechanical load for the three technically important microstructures Fully-Lamellar (FL), Near-Gamma (NG) and Duplex (DP), respectively. Thus, thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) tests were carried out with different temperature-strain cycles, different temperature ranges from 400 0 C to 800 0 C and with two different strain ranges. Cyclic deformation curves, stress-strain hysteresis loops and fatigue lives are presented. The type of microstructure shows a surprisingly small influence on the cyclic deformation and fatigue behavior under TMF conditions. For a general life prediction the damage parameter of Smith, Watson and Topper P SWT is well suitable, if the testing and the application temperature ranges, respectively, include temperatures above the ductile-brittle transition temperature (approx. 750 0 C). If the maximum temperature is below that temperature, the brittle materials' behavior yields a high scatter of fatigue lives and a low slope of the fatigue life curve and therefore the damage parameter P SWT cannot be applied for the live prediction.

  6. Mechatronics in compressor valves - experience with HydroCOM; Mechatronik in Kompressorventilen - Betriebserfahrungen mit HydroCOM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rumpold, A. [Hoerbiger Ventilwerke GmbH, Wien (Austria)

    2000-03-01

    Optimisation of fluid flow rates is indispensable in piston compressor operation. Messrs. Hoerbiger are producers of continuous control elements which combine mechanical and electronic components. Applications and examples of the HydroCOM control system are presented. High availability permits servicing intervals around 160,000 hours of operation. The longer operating time will improve the competitive standing of piston compressors as compared to turbocompressors and screw compressors. [German] Fuer den Betrieb von Kolbenkompressoren ist eine optimale Liefermengenregelung unverzichtbarer Bestandteil. Im Gegensatz zu herkoemmlichen Verfahren hat Hoerbiger vor zwei Jahren durch die Kombination von Mechanik und Elektronik eine neue Generation von stufenlosen Mengenregelungen auf den Markt gebracht. Anwendungsbeispiele und Betriebserfahrungen mit der HydroCOM Regelung werden vorgestellt. Hohe Verfuegbarkeit erlaubt Wartungsintervalle fuer HydroCOM Aktuatoren von ca. 16000 Betriebsstunden. Und aufgrund der generell verbesserten Standzeiten von Packungen, Kolbenringen und Ventilen erzielt der so geregelte Kolbenkompressor hohe Attraktivitaet gegenueber Turbo- und Schraubenverdichtern. (orig./AKF)

  7. Thermo Wigner operator in thermo field dynamics: its introduction and application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Hongyi; Jiang Nianquan

    2008-01-01

    Because in thermo-field dynamics (TFD) the thermo-operator has a neat expression in the thermo-entangled state representation, we need to introduce the thermo-Wigner operator (THWO) in the same representation. We derive the THWO in a direct way, which brings much conveniece to calculating the Wigner functions of thermo states in TFD. We also discuss the condition for existence of a wavefunction corresponding to a given Wigner function in the context of TFD by using the explicit form of the THWO.

  8. Modeling the Coupled Chemo-Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Amorphous Polymer Networks.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zimmerman, Jonathan A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Nguyen, Thao D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Xiao, Rui [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2015-02-01

    Amorphous polymers exhibit a rich landscape of time-dependent behavior including viscoelasticity, structural relaxation, and viscoplasticity. These time-dependent mechanisms can be exploited to achieve shape-memory behavior, which allows the material to store a programmed deformed shape indefinitely and to recover entirely the undeformed shape in response to specific environmental stimulus. The shape-memory performance of amorphous polymers depends on the coordination of multiple physical mechanisms, and considerable opportunities exist to tailor the polymer structure and shape-memory programming procedure to achieve the desired performance. The goal of this project was to use a combination of theoretical, numerical and experimental methods to investigate the effect of shape memory programming, thermo-mechanical properties, and physical and environmental aging on the shape memory performance. Physical and environmental aging occurs during storage and through exposure to solvents, such as water, and can significantly alter the viscoelastic behavior and shape memory behavior of amorphous polymers. This project – executed primarily by Professor Thao Nguyen and Graduate Student Rui Xiao at Johns Hopkins University in support of a DOE/NNSA Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) – developed a theoretical framework for chemothermo- mechanical behavior of amorphous polymers to model the effects of physical aging and solvent-induced environmental factors on their thermoviscoelastic behavior.

  9. Thermo-driven microcrawlers fabricated via a microfluidic approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Wei; Yao Chen; Zhang Maojie; Ju Xiaojie; Xie Rui; Chu Liangyin

    2013-01-01

    A novel thermo-driven microcrawler that can transform thermal stimuli into directional mechanical motion is developed by a simple microfluidic approach together with emulsion-template synthesis. The microcrawler is designed with a thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel body and a bell-like structure with an eccentric cavity. The asymmetric shrinking–swelling circulation of the microcrawlers enables a thermo-driven locomotion responding to repeated temperature changes, which provides a novel model with symmetry breaking principle for designing biomimetic soft microrobots. The microfluidic approach offers a novel and promising platform for design and fabrication of biomimetic soft microrobots. (paper)

  10. Improving Thermo-Oxidative Stability of Nitrile Rubber Composites by Functional Graphene Oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui Zhong

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Graphene oxide (GO, modified with anti-aging agent p-phenylenediamine (PPD, was added into nitrile rubber (NBR in order to improve the thermo-oxidative stability of NBR. The modification of GO and the transformation of functional groups were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Raman, and X-ray diffraction (XRD. Mechanical performances of NBR composites before and after the thermo-oxidative aging were recorded. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA show an increased storage modulus (G’ and a decreased value of area of tan δ peak after introducing modified GO into NBR. It indicates that filler particles show positive interaction with molecular chains. The thermo-oxidative stability of composites was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. Then, the thermo-oxidative aging kinetic parameters were obtained by the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO equation. The results of aging tests show that the thermo-oxidative stability of rubber matrix increases obviously after introducing GO–PPD. In addition, mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation at break of both before and after aged NBR/GO–PPD composites were superior to that of NBR. This work provides meaningful guidance for achieving multifunction thermo-oxidative aging resistance rubber composites.

  11. Regional-scale geomechanical impact assessment of underground coal gasification by coupled 3D thermo-mechanical modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otto, Christopher; Kempka, Thomas; Kapusta, Krzysztof; Stańczyk, Krzysztof

    2016-04-01

    Underground coal gasification (UCG) has the potential to increase the world-wide coal reserves by utilization of coal deposits not mineable by conventional methods. The UCG process involves combusting coal in situ to produce a high-calorific synthesis gas, which can be applied for electricity generation or chemical feedstock production. Apart from its high economic potentials, UCG may induce site-specific environmental impacts such as fault reactivation, induced seismicity and ground subsidence, potentially inducing groundwater pollution. Changes overburden hydraulic conductivity resulting from thermo-mechanical effects may introduce migration pathways for UCG contaminants. Due to the financial efforts associated with UCG field trials, numerical modeling has been an important methodology to study coupled processes considering UCG performance. Almost all previous UCG studies applied 1D or 2D models for that purpose, that do not allow to predict the performance of a commercial-scale UCG operation. Considering our previous findings, demonstrating that far-field models can be run at a higher computational efficiency by using temperature-independent thermo-mechanical parameters, representative coupled simulations based on complex 3D regional-scale models were employed in the present study. For that purpose, a coupled thermo-mechanical 3D model has been developed to investigate the environmental impacts of UCG based on a regional-scale of the Polish Wieczorek mine located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The model size is 10 km × 10 km × 5 km with ten dipping lithological layers, a double fault and 25 UCG reactors. Six different numerical simulation scenarios were investigated, considering the transpressive stress regime present in that part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Our simulation results demonstrate that the minimum distance between the UCG reactors is about the six-fold of the coal seam thickness to avoid hydraulic communication between the single UCG

  12. Correlation between some thermo-mechanical and physico-chemical properties in multi-component glasses of Se-Te-Sn-Cd system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Amit; Mehta, Neeraj

    2017-06-01

    The glass transition phenomenon is guided by the swift cooling of a melt (glass-forming liquid). Consequently, the glass as a final product consists of a considerable number of micro-voids having the size of the order of atomic and/or molecular sizes. The model of free volume fluctuation helps in describing the diverse physico-chemical properties of amorphous materials (like glasses and polymers). This theory is based on the fraction of fluctuation free frozen at the glass transition temperature and it forms a basis for determination of various significant thermo-mechanical properties. In the present work, Vickers hardness test method is employed that provides useful information concerning the mechanical behavior of brittle solids. The present work emphasizes the results of micro-indentation measurements on recently synthesized novel Se78- x Te20Sn2Cd x glassy system. Basic thermo-mechanical parameters such as micro-hardness, volume ( V h), formation energy ( E h) of micro-voids in the glassy network and modulus of elasticity ( E) have been determined and their variation with glass composition has been investigated.

  13. Correlation between some thermo-mechanical and physico-chemical properties in multi-component glasses of Se-Te-Sn-Cd system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Amit; Mehta, Neeraj

    2017-01-01

    The glass transition phenomenon is guided by the swift cooling of a melt (glass-forming liquid). Consequently, the glass as a final product consists of a considerable number of micro-voids having the size of the order of atomic and/or molecular sizes. The model of free volume fluctuation helps in describing the diverse physico-chemical properties of amorphous materials (like glasses and polymers). This theory is based on the fraction of fluctuation free frozen at the glass transition temperature and it forms a basis for determination of various significant thermo-mechanical properties. In the present work, Vickers hardness test method is employed that provides useful information concerning the mechanical behavior of brittle solids. The present work emphasizes the results of micro-indentation measurements on recently synthesized novel Se_7_8_-_xTe_2_0Sn_2Cd_x glassy system. Basic thermo-mechanical parameters such as micro-hardness, volume (V_h), formation energy (E_h) of micro-voids in the glassy network and modulus of elasticity (E) have been determined and their variation with glass composition has been investigated. (orig.)

  14. Probabilistic Simulation of Combined Thermo-Mechanical Cyclic Fatigue in Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamis, Christos C.

    2011-01-01

    A methodology to compute probabilistically-combined thermo-mechanical fatigue life of polymer matrix laminated composites has been developed and is demonstrated. Matrix degradation effects caused by long-term environmental exposure and mechanical/thermal cyclic loads are accounted for in the simulation process. A unified time-temperature-stress-dependent multifactor-interaction relationship developed at NASA Glenn Research Center has been used to model the degradation/aging of material properties due to cyclic loads. The fast probability-integration method is used to compute probabilistic distribution of response. Sensitivities of fatigue life reliability to uncertainties in the primitive random variables (e.g., constituent properties, fiber volume ratio, void volume ratio, ply thickness, etc.) computed and their significance in the reliability-based design for maximum life is discussed. The effect of variation in the thermal cyclic loads on the fatigue reliability for a (0/+/-45/90)s graphite/epoxy laminate with a ply thickness of 0.127 mm, with respect to impending failure modes has been studied. The results show that, at low mechanical-cyclic loads and low thermal-cyclic amplitudes, fatigue life for 0.999 reliability is most sensitive to matrix compressive strength, matrix modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, and ply thickness. Whereas at high mechanical-cyclic loads and high thermal-cyclic amplitudes, fatigue life at 0.999 reliability is more sensitive to the shear strength of matrix, longitudinal fiber modulus, matrix modulus, and ply thickness.

  15. A thermo-metallurgical constitutive law of steels for structural mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waeckel, Francois

    1994-01-01

    The aim of this work is to include the metallurgical behaviour of steels (and specifically their phases transformations) into thermo-mechanical studies. For this, a new model of aniso-thermal phase transformations during the cooling stage is proposed. Developed in the thermodynamics framework of simple materials with memory variables, its originality lies in the choice of the temperature time derivative T as independent variable. The identification and the transformation rates computation use the C.C.T. diagrams which are considered as families of particular solutions of evolution equations. The validation shows ability of the model to simulate all C.C.T. deductible tests. Furthermore, for some tests not included into the C.C.T., the numerical results remain good and the model, from which evolution equation form has been let free, allows to incorporate them to the identification data without modifying the C.C.T. simulation accuracy. Lastly, to take into account structural transformations mechanical effects, some currently used models have been introduced, together with the metallurgical model, in a finite element code. They allow whole quenching or welding simulations (up to residual stresses) as demonstrated by application examples. (author) [fr

  16. Neuro-fuzzy modelling of hydro unit efficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iliev, Atanas; Fushtikj, Vangel

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents neuro-fuzzy method for modeling of the hydro unit efficiency. The proposed method uses the characteristics of the fuzzy systems as universal function approximates, as well the abilities of the neural networks to adopt the parameters of the membership's functions and rules in the consequent part of the developed fuzzy system. Developed method is practically applied for modeling of the efficiency of unit which will be installed in the hydro power plant Kozjak. Comparison of the performance of the derived neuro-fuzzy method with several classical polynomials models is also performed. (Author)

  17. Coupled Large Scale Hydro-mechanical Modelling for cap-rock Failure Risk Assessment of CO2 Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rohmer, J.; Seyedi, D.M.

    2010-01-01

    This work presents a numerical strategy of large scale hydro-mechanical simulations to assess the risk of damage in cap-rock formations during a CO 2 injection process. The proposed methodology is based on the development of a sequential coupling between a multiphase fluid flow (TOUGH2) and a hydro-mechanical calculation code (Code-Aster) that enables us to perform coupled hydro-mechanical simulation at a regional scale. The likelihood of different cap-rock damage mechanisms can then be evaluated based on the results of the coupled simulations. A scenario based approach is proposed to take into account the effect of the uncertainty of model parameters on damage likelihood. The developed methodology is applied for the cap-rock failure analysis of deep aquifer of the Dogger formation in the context of the Paris basin multilayered geological system as a demonstration example. The simulation is carried out at a regional scale (100 km) considering an industrial mass injection rate of CO 2 of 10 Mt/y. The assessment of the stress state after 10 years of injection is conducted through the developed sequential coupling. Two failure mechanisms have been taken into account, namely the tensile fracturing and the shear slip reactivation of pre-existing fractures. To deal with the large uncertainties due to sparse data on the layer formations, a scenario based strategy is undertaken. It consists in defining a first reference modelling scenario considering the mean values of the hydro-mechanical properties for each layer. A sensitivity analysis is then carried out and shows the importance of both the initial stress state and the reservoir hydraulic properties on the cap-rock failure tendency. On this basis, a second scenario denoted 'critical' is defined so that the most influential model parameters are taken in their worst configuration. None of these failure criteria is activated for the considered conditions. At a phenomenological level, this study points out three key

  18. Analysis of the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the DEMO Water-Cooled Lithium Lead breeding blanket module under normal operation steady state conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Maio, P.A.; Arena, P. [Dipartimento di Energia, Ingegneria dell’Informazione e Modelli Matematici, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Aubert, J. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DANS/DM2S/SEMT, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France); Bongiovì, G. [Dipartimento di Energia, Ingegneria dell’Informazione e Modelli Matematici, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Chiovaro, P., E-mail: pierluigi.chiovaro@unipa.it [Dipartimento di Energia, Ingegneria dell’Informazione e Modelli Matematici, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Giammusso, R. [ENEA – C.R. Brasimone, 40032 Camugnano (Italy); Li Puma, A. [CEA Saclay, DEN/DANS/DM2S/SEMT, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France); Tincani, A. [ENEA – C.R. Brasimone, 40032 Camugnano (Italy)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • A DEMO WCLL blanket module thermo-mechanical behaviour has been investigated. • Two models of the WCLL blanket module have been set-up adopting a code based on FEM. • The water flow domain in the module has been considered. • A set of uncoupled steady state thermo-mechanical analyses has been carried out. • Critical temperature is not overcome. Safety verifications are generally satisfied. - Abstract: Within the framework of DEMO R&D activities, a research cooperation has been launched between ENEA, the University of Palermo and CEA to investigate the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the outboard equatorial module of the DEMO1 Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) blanket under normal operation steady state scenario. The research campaign has been carried out following a theoretical–computational approach based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and adopting a qualified commercial FEM code. In particular, two different 3D FEM models (Model 1 and Model 2), reproducing respectively the central and the lateral poloidal–radial slices of the WCLL blanket module, have been set up. A particular attention has been paid to the modelling of water flow domain, within both the segment box channels and the breeder zone tubes, to simulate realistically the coolant-box thermal coupling. Results obtained are herewith reported and critically discussed.

  19. Technical support for GEIS: radioactive waste isolation in geologic formations. Volume 20. Thermo-mechanical stress analysis and development of thermal loading guidelines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-04-01

    This volume is one of a 23-volume series which supplements a Contribution to Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Commercial Waste Management: Radioactive Waste Isolation in Geologic Formations, Y/OWI/TM-44. The series provides a more complete technical basis for the preconceptual designs, resource requirements, and environmental source terms associated with isolating commercial LWR wastes in underground repositories in salt, granite, shale and basalt. Wastes are considered from three fuel cycles: uranium and plutonium recycling, no recycling of spent fuel, and uranium-only recycling. The thermo-mechanical analysis of proposed preconceptual repositories in granite, shale and basalt have been undertaken. The analysis, was conducted on three different levels of scale (i) Very Near Field (canister scale), (ii) Near Field (excavation scale) and (iii) Far Field (regional scale) studies. Three numerical methods were used to undertake the thermo-mechanical calculations; namely, the finite element method for thermal stress analysis, the boundary element method for thermal and thermal stress analysis and the semi-analytical method also for thermal and thermal stresses analysis. From the thermo-mechanical studies with simplifying assumptions on rock mass behavior where applicable, recommendations for areal thermal loadings to assure retrievability of the canisters and long term safety of the repository are given

  20. Development of a numerical code for the prediction of the long-term behavior of the underground facilities for the high-level radioactive waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawada, Masataka; Okada, Tetsuji; Hasegawa, Takuma

    2006-01-01

    Complicated phenomena originated by thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling behavior will occur in the near-field of geological disposal of nuclear waste. Development of a numerical evaluation method for such phenomena is important in order to make a reasonable repository design and a safety assessment. In order to achieve the objective above, a numerical model using the equations which can evaluate the swelling characteristics of buffer materials based on the diffusive double layer theory is proposed, and a numerical scheme for the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled analysis including the swelling model is constructed. The proposed swelling model can reproduce the behavior observed during both swelling pressure tests and swelling deformation tests. When the developed numerical code is applied to the laboratory heater test using a bentonite specimen, it can reproduce the thermal gradient, the distribution of saturation rate and the variation of porosity. The developed numerical code will be applied to well-controlled laboratory tests and full-scale in-situ tests in the future work. In order to apply to the various geochemical conditions around the engineered barrier, chemical component will be coupled to the present numerical code. (author)

  1. Laboratory hydro-mechanical characterisation of Boom Clay at Essen and Mol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng, Y. F.; Tang, A. M.; Cui, Y. J.; Nguyen, X. P.; Li, X. L.; Wouters, L.

    2011-01-01

    Boom Clay has been selected as a potential host rock formation for the geological disposal of radioactive waste in Belgium. In the present work, the hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom Clay samples from the borehole Essen-1 at a depth of 220-260 m and from HADES that is the underground rock laboratory at Mol in Belgium, at 223-m depth was investigated in the laboratory by performing low pressure odometer tests (vertical effective stress ranging from 0.05 to 3.2 MPa), high pressure odometer tests (vertical effective stress ranging from 0.125 to 32 MPa), isotropic consolidation tests (confining effective stress ranging from the in situ stress to 20 MPa) and triaxial shear tests. It has been observed that the mineralogy, geotechnical properties and hydro-mechanical behaviour of Boom Clay from Essen at 227-m, 240-m and 248-m depths are similar to that of Boom Clay from Mol. As in the case of Boom Clay at Mol, the failure envelope of Boom Clay at Essen in the p'- q plane is not linear. The slope of the portion beyond the pre-consolidation stress of Boom Clay from Essen is almost the same as that from Mol, suggesting a similar internal friction angle of about 13 deg. The compression curves (void index I v versus logarithm of vertical stress) beyond the pre-consolidation stress are the same for both samples from Mol and Essen, and situated between the intrinsic compression line (ICL) and the sedimentation compression line (SCL). The yield stress determined from odometer tests seems to be stress-path dependent and lower than the pre-consolidation stress. Thus determining the over-consolidation ratio (OCR) using the yield stress value would lead to an incorrect estimate. From a practical point view, the laboratory test results from Essen and their comparison with those from Mol provide important information regarding the transferability of knowledge on Boom Clay at different sites, taking into account the fact that most investigations have been carried out on Boom Clay at

  2. Impacts of Hydrate Distribution on the Hydro-Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Hydrate-Bearing Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, S.; Seol, Y.

    2015-12-01

    In general, hydrate makes the sediments hydraulically less conductive, thermally more conductive, and mechanically stronger; yet the dependency of these physical properties on hydrate saturation varies with hydrate distribution and morphology. Hydrate distribution in sediments may cause the bulk physical properties of their host sediments varying several orders of magnitude even with the same amount of hydrate. In natural sediments, hydrate morphology is inherently governed by the burial depth and the grain size of the host sediments. Compare with patchy hydrate, uniformly distributed hydrate is more destructive to fluid flow, yet leads to higher gas and water permeability during hydrate dissociation due to the easiness of forming percolation paths. Water and hydrate have similar thermal conductivity values; the bulk thermal conductivity of hydrate-bearing sediments depends critically on gas-phase saturation. 60% of gas saturation may result in evident thermal conductivity drop and hinder further gas production. Sediments with patchy hydrate yield lower stiffness than that with cementing hydrate but higher stiffness than that with pore filling and loading bearing hydrate. Besides hydrate distribution, the stress state and loading history also play an important role in the mechanical behavior of hydrate-bearing sediments.

  3. Numerical Simulation of Hydro-mechanical Deep Drawing — A Study on the Effect of Process Parameters on Drawability and Thickness Variation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Swadesh Kumar; Kumar, D. Ravi

    2005-08-01

    Hydro-mechanical deep drawing is a process for producing cup shaped parts with the assistance of a pressurized fluid. In the present work, numerical simulation of the conventional and counter pressure deep drawing processes has been done with the help of a finite element method based software. Simulation results were analyzed to study the improvement in drawability by using hydro-mechanical processes. The thickness variations in the drawn cups were analyzed and also the effect of counter pressure and oil gap on the thickness distribution was studied. Numerical simulations were also used for the die design, which combines both drawing and ironing processes in a single operation. This modification in the die provides high drawability, facilitates smooth material flow, gives more uniform thickness distribution and corrects the shape distortion.

  4. Analysis of the thermo-chemo-mechanical behavior of massive concrete structures oat early-age

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honorio, T.; Bary, B.; Benboudjema, F.

    2014-01-01

    The prediction of the thermo-chemo-mechanical behavior of concrete structures at early ages is important in the context of the feasibility of massive structures. Different phenomena affecting the thermal response of the structure are studied, namely the influence of the change on convection conditions due to wind, the influence of solar radiation, the influence of ambient temperature and the influence of assembly date. A mechanical analysis accounting for autogenous shrinkage and creep strains, besides thermal strains, is performed for the latter case. The results point out the importance of considering the solar radiation and wind conditions on the thermal response of the structure. The ambient temperature impacts directly the maximum temperature reached within the structure. Finally, although the temperature profiles seem just to shift according to the assembly date, the mechanical response is less favorable to early assembly dates. (authors)

  5. Thermo-mechanical simulation and parameters optimization for beam blank continuous casting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, W.; Zhang, Y.Z.; Zhang, C.J.; Zhu, L.G.; Lu, W.G.; Wang, B.X.; Ma, J.H.

    2009-01-01

    The objective of this work is to optimize the process parameters of beam blank continuous casting in order to ensure high quality and productivity. A transient thermo-mechanical finite element model is developed to compute the temperature and stress profile in beam blank continuous casting. By comparing the calculated data with the metallurgical constraints, the key factors causing defects of beam blank can be found out. Then based on the subproblem approximation method, an optimization program is developed to search out the optimum cooling parameters. Those optimum parameters can make it possible to run the caster at its maximum productivity, minimum cost and to reduce the defects. Now, online verifying of this optimization project has been put in practice, which can prove that it is very useful to control the actual production

  6. Thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior of reduced activation ferrite/martensite stainless steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petersen, C.; Rodrian, D.

    2002-01-01

    The thermo-mechanical cycling fatigue (TMCF) behavior of reduced activation ferrite/martensite stainless steels is examined. The test rig consists of a stiff load frame, which is directly heated by the digitally controlled ohmic heating device. Cylindrical specimens are used with a wall thickness of 0.4 mm. Variable strain rates are applied at TMCF test mode, due to the constant heating rate of 5.8 K/s and variable temperature changes. TMCF results of as received EUROFER 97 in the temperature range between 100 and 500-600 deg. C show a reduction in life time (a factor of 2) compared to F82H mod. and OPTIFER IV. TMCF-experiments with hold times of 100 and 1000 s show dramatic reduction in life time for all three materials

  7. Data for effects of lanthanum complex on the thermo-oxidative aging of natural rubber

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Zheng

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Novel mixed antioxidants composed of antioxidant IPPD and lanthanum (La complex were added as a filler to form natural rubber (NR composites. By mechanical testing, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, a string of data, including the mechanical properties, the variation of internal groups and the thermal and thermo-oxidative decompositions of NR, was presented in this data article. The data accompanying its research article [1] studied the thermo-oxidative aging properties of NR in detail. The density function theoretical (DFT calculations were also used as an assistant to study the thermo-oxidative aging mechanism of NR. The data revealed that this new rare-earth antioxidant could indeed enhance the thermo-oxidative aging resistance of NR, which is associated with its different function mechanism from that of the pure antioxidant IPPD.

  8. Data for effects of lanthanum complex on the thermo-oxidative aging of natural rubber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wei; Liu, Li; Zhao, Xiuying; He, Jingwei; Wang, Ao; Chan, Tung W; Wu, Sizhu

    2015-12-01

    Novel mixed antioxidants composed of antioxidant IPPD and lanthanum (La) complex were added as a filler to form natural rubber (NR) composites. By mechanical testing, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a string of data, including the mechanical properties, the variation of internal groups and the thermal and thermo-oxidative decompositions of NR, was presented in this data article. The data accompanying its research article [1] studied the thermo-oxidative aging properties of NR in detail. The density function theoretical (DFT) calculations were also used as an assistant to study the thermo-oxidative aging mechanism of NR. The data revealed that this new rare-earth antioxidant could indeed enhance the thermo-oxidative aging resistance of NR, which is associated with its different function mechanism from that of the pure antioxidant IPPD.

  9. Data for effects of lanthanum complex on the thermo-oxidative aging of natural rubber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wei; Liu, Li; Zhao, Xiuying; He, Jingwei; Wang, Ao; Chan, Tung W.; Wu, Sizhu

    2015-01-01

    Novel mixed antioxidants composed of antioxidant IPPD and lanthanum (La) complex were added as a filler to form natural rubber (NR) composites. By mechanical testing, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a string of data, including the mechanical properties, the variation of internal groups and the thermal and thermo-oxidative decompositions of NR, was presented in this data article. The data accompanying its research article [1] studied the thermo-oxidative aging properties of NR in detail. The density function theoretical (DFT) calculations were also used as an assistant to study the thermo-oxidative aging mechanism of NR. The data revealed that this new rare-earth antioxidant could indeed enhance the thermo-oxidative aging resistance of NR, which is associated with its different function mechanism from that of the pure antioxidant IPPD. PMID:26693513

  10. Response of Compacted Bentonites to Thermal and Thermo-Hydraulic Loadings at High Temperatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Snehasis Tripathy

    2017-07-01

    elevated temperatures (up to 150 °C on the thermo-hydro-mechanical response of compacted bentonites in the nuclear waste repository settings.

  11. Strain-rate dependent plasticity in thermo-mechanical transient analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashid, Y.R.; Sharabi, M.N.

    1980-01-01

    The thermo-mechanical transient behavior of fuel element cladding and other reactor components is generally governed by the strain-rate properties of the material. Relevant constitutive modeling requires extensive material data in the form of strain-rate response as function of true-stress, temperature, time and environmental conditions, which can then be fitted within a theoretical framework of an inelastic constitutive model. In this paper, we present a constitutive formulation that deals continuously with the entire strain-rate range and has the desirable advantage of utilizing existing material data. The derivation makes use of strain-rate sensitive stress-strain curve and strain-rate dependent yield surface. By postulating a strain-rate dependent on Mises yield function and a strain-rate dependent kinematic hardening rule, we are able to derive incremental stress-strain relations that describe the strain-rate behavior in the entire deformation range spanning high strain-rate plasticity and creep. The model is sufficiently general as to apply to any materials and loading histories for which data is available. (orig.)

  12. Analysis of unsaturated clayey materials hydration incorporating the effect of thermo-osmotic flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez, M.; Arson, C.

    2012-01-01

    past, for example Soler (2001) studied the impact of coupled phenomena on the long-term behavior of radioactive waste repositories in saturated argillaceous rock. Bing (2006) proposed an analytical solution in the half-space for the thermal consolidation of layered saturated soils, including the influences of thermo-osmosis and thermal filtration. Chen et al. (2009) recently proposed a coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) formulation which accounts for the flow of water and air driven by temperature gradients. The aim of this work is to explore the impact of thermo-osmosis on the hydration of clayey soils and rocks generally used in the design of nuclear waste disposals. Both small scale experiments and large scale problems are analyzed. A coupled THM formulation has been extended to deal with thermal osmosis in porous media. Special emphasis is put on the study of thermo-osmotic flow in unsaturated low permeability clays. A simple model was implemented in Theta-Stock program to study thermo-osmotic effects in the performance of a nuclear waste repository. The thermo-osmotic conductivity K fT is assumed to be a scalar (k T ). The permeability of the liquid phase in the initial state is around 5*10-13 m.s -1 . The thermo-osmotic coefficient k T is taken 100 times higher than the typical permeability of the massif: k T = 5*10 -11 m.s -1 . Containers are assumed to be stored in a 100- meter depth horizontal gallery. The ground water is located at 500 meters depth. The initial saturation degree of the ground mass was 0.15. The response of the unsaturated tuff is studied over 1000 years. The material parameters, related to fluid and temperature effects, are taken from the data given by Pollock (1986). Up to 200 years of heating, the trends of the saturation degree are the same in both models. But the magnitudes are different around the heating source, between 80 meters and 140 meters deep. With the model accounting for thermo-osmotic effects, the saturation degree is

  13. Canadian hydro potential in the North American market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, K.

    2002-01-01

    Canada's hydro potential in the North American energy market was discussed. Canada is a net exporter of electricity in North America, and since 1990, has exported an average of 28 Terawatt hours/year to the United States. More than 65 per cent of these exports were generated from hydro power plants. It was emphasized that significant reductions in greenhouse gases can be achieved if Canadian hydroelectricity is substituted for coal power generation. It was also noted that although there may not be enough hydro capacity to meet all of North America's energy requirements, development of new large hydro resources in Canada could help meet the growing demand for electricity in the United States. Hydro can also complement other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. The factors that will determine if Canadian hydropower will contribute to the energy demand are market mechanisms such as greenhouse gas credit trading systems which provide incentive for renewable energy projects. In addition, the existing infrastructure must be expanded both east and west within Canada and north and south between Canada and the United States. 5 figs

  14. Nonlinear dynamic response of electro-thermo-mechanically loaded piezoelectric cylindrical shell reinforced with BNNTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, J H; Yang, J; Kitipornchai, S

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents an investigation on the nonlinear dynamic response of piezoelectric cylindrical shells reinforced with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) under a combined axisymmetric electro-thermo-mechanical loading. By employing the classical Donnell shell theory, the von Kármán–Donnell kinematic relationship, and a piezo-elastic constitutive law including thermal effects, the nonlinear governing equations of motion of the shell are derived through the Reissner variational principle. The finite difference method and a time-integration scheme are used to obtain the nonlinear dynamic response of the BNNT-reinforced piezoelectric shell. A parametric study is conducted, showing the effects of geometrically nonlinear deformation, applied voltage, temperature change, mechanical load, BNNT volume fraction and boundary conditions on the nonlinear dynamic response. (paper)

  15. Theoretical and numerical study of thermo-hydro-mechanical damage in unsaturated porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arson, Ch.

    2009-09-01

    Nuclear waste disposals are designed in multi-phase porous media. A new damage model, formulated in independent state variables (net stress, suction and thermal stress), is proposed for such geo-materials. The damage variable is a second-order tensor, which principal values grow with tensile strains. The stress/strain relations are derived from a postulated expression of the free energy. The degraded rigidities are computed by applying the Principle of Equivalent Elastic Energy for each stress state variable. Cracking effects are taken into account in transfers by introducing internal length parameters in the expressions of moisture conductivities. The damage model has been implemented in Θ-Stock Finite Element code. The mechanical model has been validated by comparing numerical results to experimental data and theoretical predictions. The qualitative evolutions given by the model in the parametric studies performed on realistic complex configurations show good trends. (author)

  16. Thermodynamic restrictions on linear reversible and irreversible thermo-electro-magneto-mechanical processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sushma Santapuri

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available A unified thermodynamic framework for the characterization of functional materials is developed. This framework encompasses linear reversible and irreversible processes with thermal, electrical, magnetic, and/or mechanical effects coupled. The comprehensive framework combines the principles of classical equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics with electrodynamics of continua in the infinitesimal strain regime.In the first part of this paper, linear Thermo-Electro-Magneto-Mechanical (TEMM quasistatic processes are characterized. Thermodynamic stability conditions are further imposed on the linear constitutive model and restrictions on the corresponding material constants are derived. The framework is then extended to irreversible transport phenomena including thermoelectric, thermomagnetic and the state-of-the-art spintronic and spin caloritronic effects. Using Onsager's reciprocity relationships and the dissipation inequality, restrictions on the kinetic coefficients corresponding to charge, heat and spin transport processes are derived. All the constitutive models are accompanied by multiphysics interaction diagrams that highlight the various processes that can be characterized using this framework. Keywords: Applied mathematics, Materials science, Thermodynamics

  17. Thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior of the intermetallic gamma-TiAl alloy TNB-V5 with different microstructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roth, M [now at IAV GmbH, Kauffahrtei 25, D-09120 Chemnitz (Germany); Biermann, H, E-mail: marcel.roth@iav.d [TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute for Materials Engineering, Gustav-Zeuner-Strasse 5, D-09599 Freiberg (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    The cyclic deformation and fatigue behavior of the {gamma}-TiAl alloy TNB-V5 is studied under thermo-mechanical load for the three technically important microstructures Fully-Lamellar (FL), Near-Gamma (NG) and Duplex (DP), respectively. Thus, thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) tests were carried out with different temperature-strain cycles, different temperature ranges from 400{sup 0}C to 800{sup 0}C and with two different strain ranges. Cyclic deformation curves, stress-strain hysteresis loops and fatigue lives are presented. The type of microstructure shows a surprisingly small influence on the cyclic deformation and fatigue behavior under TMF conditions. For a general life prediction the damage parameter of Smith, Watson and Topper P{sub SWT} is well suitable, if the testing and the application temperature ranges, respectively, include temperatures above the ductile-brittle transition temperature (approx. 750{sup 0}C). If the maximum temperature is below that temperature, the brittle materials' behavior yields a high scatter of fatigue lives and a low slope of the fatigue life curve and therefore the damage parameter P{sub SWT} cannot be applied for the live prediction.

  18. Hydro mechanical behaviour of shales. Application to the Tournemire site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramambasoa, N.

    2001-01-01

    In order to fulfill its mission of research and expertise about deep nuclear waste disposals, the French Institute for Nuclear Protection and Safety has selected the Tournemire site to study the confining properties of argillaceous media. This study is mainly motivated by the apparition of cracks that after the excavation of two galleries perpendicularly to an old tunnel. These cracks are not of mechanical or tectonic origin. They are regularly spaced and follow the rock sub-horizontal stratification. Their aperture is very sensitive to the hygrometry in the galleries. These cracks are supposed to result of the rock desaturation, which is in contact with an unsaturated atmosphere. In order to validate this hypothesis, an hydro-mechanical constitutive law for Tournemire shale is proposed. In order to take account of the shale desaturation and of microscopic interactions specific of argillaceous media, chemical potential is used as an hydric variable instead of interstitial pressure, which is classically used in poro-mechanics. This constitutive law differs from classical elastic law by the dependence of elastic parameters with the water chemical potential and by the adding of shrinkage strains and mechanical strains to get total strains. The numerical simulation of the Tournemire galleries desaturation shows the existence of high tractions around the excavation that certainly lead to material failure. The propagation of the cracks at the front faces is modeled by taking account of the interactions between the cracks in order to predict their depth and to explain their almost periodical distribution on the site. (author)

  19. Structural, electrical and multiferroic characteristics of thermo-mechanically fabricated BiFeO3-(BaSr)TiO3 solid solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behera, C.; Choudhary, R. N. P.; Das, Piyush R.

    2018-05-01

    A solid solution consisting of two perovskite compounds (BiFeO3 and (BaSr)TiO3) of chemical composition (Bi1/2Ba1/4Sr1/4)(Fe1/2Ti1/2)O3 has been fabricated in the low dimensional regime by thermo-mechanical (ball milling and heating) approach. The effect of particle size on the structural, micro-structural, relative permittivity, switching (ferroelectric and magnetic) and conduction phenomena of the material has been studied using various experimental techniques such as x-rays diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, ferroelectric and magnetic hysteresis, dynamic magneto-electric coupling measurement and impedance spectroscopy techniques. All the above extracted properties are found to be particle size dependent. The first order magneto-electric coupling constant is found to be 2.56, 6.6 and 8.7 mV cm‑1.Oe for 30, 60 and 90 h milled calcined (hmc) sample respectively. As the above micro/nano-material with different particle size, has a high relative dielectric constant and low tangent loss, it can be used for some multifunctional devices including capacity energy storage device in nano-electronics.

  20. Influence of thermo hydrogen treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn ELI alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ya-fei Ren

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Thermo hydrogen treatment (THT of titanium is a process in which hydrogen is used as a temporary alloying element in titanium alloys. It is an attractive approach for controlling the microstructure and thereby improving the final mechanical properties. In the present study, the microstructure of the original (non-hydrogenated sample has only α phase and the grains is coarse with an average size of ~ 650 μm. While the grain size of thermo hydrogen treated Ti-5Al-2.5Sn ELI alloy became finer and the mechanical properties were improved significantly. When the hydrogen content of the hydrogenated Ti-5Al-2.5Sn ELI alloy is 0.321wt.%, β phase and δ titanium hydride appear. Also the average grain size decreases to 450 μm. When the hydrogen content is 0.515wt.%, the grain size decreases to 220 μm. The mechanical properties were tested after dehydrogenation, and the mechanical properties improved significantly compared to the unhydrogenated specimens. The tensile strength of the Ti-5Al-2.5Sn ELI alloy improved by 17.7% when the hydrogen content increased to 0.920wt.%, at the same time the percentage reduction of area (Z increased by 33% and the impact toughness increased by 37%.

  1. Correlation between some thermo-mechanical and physico-chemical properties in multi-component glasses of Se-Te-Sn-Cd system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Amit; Mehta, Neeraj [Banaras Hindu University, Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Varanasi (India)

    2017-06-15

    The glass transition phenomenon is guided by the swift cooling of a melt (glass-forming liquid). Consequently, the glass as a final product consists of a considerable number of micro-voids having the size of the order of atomic and/or molecular sizes. The model of free volume fluctuation helps in describing the diverse physico-chemical properties of amorphous materials (like glasses and polymers). This theory is based on the fraction of fluctuation free frozen at the glass transition temperature and it forms a basis for determination of various significant thermo-mechanical properties. In the present work, Vickers hardness test method is employed that provides useful information concerning the mechanical behavior of brittle solids. The present work emphasizes the results of micro-indentation measurements on recently synthesized novel Se{sub 78-x}Te{sub 20}Sn{sub 2}Cd{sub x} glassy system. Basic thermo-mechanical parameters such as micro-hardness, volume (V{sub h}), formation energy (E{sub h}) of micro-voids in the glassy network and modulus of elasticity (E) have been determined and their variation with glass composition has been investigated. (orig.)

  2. Thermo-mechanical Fatigue Failure of Thermal Barrier Coated Superalloy Specimen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subramanian, Rajivgandhi; Mori, Yuzuru; Yamagishi, Satoshi; Okazaki, Masakazu

    2015-09-01

    Failure behavior of thermal barrier coated (TBC) Ni-based superalloy specimens were studied from the aspect of the effect of bond coat material behavior on low cycle fatigue (LCF) and thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) at various temperatures and under various loading conditions. Initially, monotonic tensile tests were carried out on a MCrAlY alloy bond coat material in the temperature range of 298 K to 1273 K (25 °C to 1000 °C). Special attention was paid to understand the ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT). Next, LCF and TMF tests were carried out on the thermal barrier coated Ni-based alloy IN738 specimen. After these tests, the specimens were sectioned to understand their failure mechanisms on the basis of DBTT of the bond coat material. Experimental results demonstrated that the LCF and TMF lives of the TBC specimen were closely related to the DBTT of the bond coat material, and also the TMF lives were different from those of LCF tests. It has also been observed that the crack density in the bond coat in the TBC specimen was significantly dependent on the test conditions. More importantly, not only the number of cracks but also the crack penetration probability into substrate were shown to be sensitive to the DBTT.

  3. A numerical study of crack interactions under thermo-mechanical load using EFGM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pant, Mohit; Singh, I. V.; Mishra, B. K.

    2011-01-01

    In this work, element free Galerkin method (EFGM) has been used to obtain the solution of various edge crack problems under thermo-mechanical loads as it provides a versatile technique to model stationary as well as moving crack problems without re-meshing. Standard diffraction criterion has been modified with multiple crack weight technique to characterize the presence of various cracks in the domain of influence of a particular node. The effect of crack inclination has been studied for single as well as two edge cracks, whereas the cracks interaction has been studied for two edge cracks lying on same as well as opposite edges under plane stress conditions. The values of mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors have been evaluated by the interaction integral approach

  4. Effect of Hydraulic Pressure on Warm Hydro Mechanical Deep Drawing of Magnesium Alloy Sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wei; Wu, Linzhi; Yuan, Shijian

    The uniaxial tensile test and hydraulic bulging test of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets were applied to study the influence of temperature on the material properties and obtain the forming limit curves at different temperatures. Numerical simulations of warm hydro mechanical deep drawing were carried out to investigate the effect of hydraulic pressure on the formability of a cylindrical cup, and the simplified hydraulic pressure profiles were used to simulate the loading procedure of hydraulic pressure. The optimal hydraulic pressure at different temperatures were given and verified by experimental studies at temperature 100°C and 170V.

  5. Study of Carbide Evolution During Thermo-Mechanical Processing of AISI D2 Tool Steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bombac, D.; Fazarinc, M.; Podder, A. Saha; Kugler, G.

    2013-03-01

    The microstructure of a cold-worked tool steel (AISI D2) with various thermo-mechanical treatments was examined in the current study to identify the effects of these treatments on phases. X-ray diffraction was used to identify phases. Microstructural changes such as spheroidization and coarsening of carbides were studied. Thermodynamic calculations were used to verify the results of the differential thermal analysis. It was found that soaking temperature and time have a large influence on dissolution, precipitation, spheroidization, and coalescence of carbides present in the steel. This consequently influences the hot workability and final properties.

  6. Two-scale modelling for hydro-mechanical damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frey, J.; Chambon, R.; Dascalu, C.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Excavation works for underground storage create a damage zone for the rock nearby and affect its hydraulics properties. This degradation, already observed by laboratory tests, can create a leading path for fluids. The micro fracture phenomenon, which occur at a smaller scale and affect the rock permeability, must be fully understood to minimize the transfer process. Many methods can be used in order to take into account the microstructure of heterogeneous materials. Among them a method has been developed recently. Instead of using a constitutive equation obtained by phenomenological considerations or by some homogenization techniques, the representative elementary volume (R.E.V.) is modelled as a structure and the links between a prescribed kinematics and the corresponding dual forces are deduced numerically. This yields the so called Finite Element square method (FE2). In a numerical point of view, a finite element model is used at the macroscopic level, and for each Gauss point, computations on the microstructure gives the usual results of a constitutive law. This numerical approach is now classical in order to properly model some materials such as composites and the efficiency of such numerical homogenization process has been shown, and allows numerical modelling of deformation processes associated with various micro-structural changes. The aim of this work is to describe trough such a method, damage of the rock with a two scale hydro-mechanical model. The rock damage at the macroscopic scale is directly link with an analysis on the microstructure. At the macroscopic scale a two phase's problem is studied. A solid skeleton is filled up by a filtrating fluid. It is necessary to enforce two balance equation and two mass conservation equations. A classical way to deal with such a problem is to work with the balance equation of the whole mixture, and the mass fluid conservation written in a weak form, the mass

  7. Mechanical and thermo-mechanical analyses of the tapered plug for plugging of deposition tunnels. A feasibility study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faelth, Billy (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)); Gatter, Patrik (Vattenfall Power Consultant AB, Stockholm (Sweden))

    2009-09-15

    This report presents results from a study that was carried out in order to examine the applicability of the tapered plug concept for plugging of deposition tunnels in the deep repository for spent nuclear fuel. The report presents results from mechanical and thermo-mechanical models of the tapered plug. The models were analyzed with 3DEC. The models included a portion of a deposition tunnel and its intersection with a main tunnel. In the deposition tunnel, a tapered concrete plug was installed. The plug was subjected to the combined load from the swelling backfill material and from pore pressure inside the deposition tunnel. The thermo-mechanical effects due to the heat generation in the spent fuel were also included in the analyses. Generic material parameter values for the concrete were used. The following items were studied: - Stresses and displacements in the plug. - Shear stresses and shear displacements in the rock-concrete interface. - Stress additions in the rock due to the loads. The sensitivity of the results to changes of constitutive models, to changes of the plug geometry and to pore water pressure in the rock-concrete interface was examined. The results indicate that the displacements in the plug will be within reasonable ranges but the stresses may locally be high enough that they exceed acceptable levels. However, they can be reduced by choice of advantageous plug geometry and by having a good rock-concrete bond. The results also show that the stress additions in the rock due to the thermal load may yield stresses that locally exceed the spalling strength of the rock. At most locations, however, the rock stresses will amount at lower levels. It was concluded that, with choice of an appropriate design, the tapered plug seems to be an applicable concept for plugging of deposition tunnels. It was also concluded that further studies of the tapered plug concept should use material properties parameter values for low-pH concrete. Further, they should also

  8. A fast-track preliminary thermo-mechanical design of oil export pipelines from P-56 platform

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solano, Rafael F.; Mendonca, Salete M. de [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Franco, Luciano D.; Walker, Alastair; El-Gebaly, Sherif H. [INTECSEA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2009-12-19

    The oil export pipelines of Marlim Sul field Module 3, Campus Basin, offshore Brazil, will operate in high pressure and temperature conditions, and will be laid on seabed crossing ten previously laid pipelines along the routes. In terms of thermo-mechanical design, these conditions turn out to be great challenges. In order to obtain initial results and recommendations for detail design, a preliminary thermo-mechanical design of pipelines was carried out as a fast-track design before the bid. This way, PETROBRAS can assess and emphasize the susceptibility of these lines to lateral buckling and pipeline walking behavior. Therefore, PETROBRAS can present a preliminary mitigation strategy for lateral buckling showing solutions based on displacement controlled criteria and by introducing buckle initiation along the pipeline using distribution buoyancy. Besides that, axial displacements and loads at the pipeline ends can be furnished also in order to provide a basis for the detailed design. The work reported in this paper follows the SAFEBUCK JIP methodology and recommendation, which were used to determine the allowable strain and maximum allowable VAS (Virtual Anchor Spacing) considered in the buckling mitigation strategy. The paper presents also the formation of uncontrolled buckles on the seabed and the propensity for pipeline walking in its sections between buckles. The buckling mitigation strategy established in this preliminary design confirms that the oil pipeline specifications are adequate to maintain integrity during design life. (author)

  9. Steady shear characteristic and behavior of magneto-thermo-elasticity of isotropic MR elastomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Wei; Wang, Xingzhe

    2016-01-01

    The magneto-thermo-elastic steady shear behaviors of isotropic smart composites of silicon rubber matrix randomly filled with ferromagnetic particles, commonly referred to as magnetorheological (MR) elastomers, are investigated experimentally and theoretically in the present study. The strip specimens of the MR elastomer composite with different ferromagnetic particle concentrations are fabricated and implemented for lap-shear tests under both magnetic and thermal fields. It is illustrated that the magneto-thermo-elastic shear modulus of the MR elastomer is markedly enhanced with the volume fraction of ferromagnetic particles and the applied external magnetic field, while the shear modulus is decreased with the environment temperature. To qualitatively elucidate the magneto-thermo-elastic shear performance of this kind of magnetic smart composites, a modified constitutive of hyperelasticity is suggested taking into account the influence of magnetic field and temperature on the magnetic potential energy and strain energy. The theoretical modeling predictions on the stress–strain behaviors for different applied magnetic fields and environment temperatures are compared to experimental observations to demonstrate a good agreement. (paper)

  10. Effect of hydro mechanical coupling on natural fracture network formation in sedimentary basins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouraga, Zady; Guy, Nicolas; Pouya, Amade

    2018-05-01

    In sedimentary basin context, numerous phenomena, depending on the geological time span, can result in natural fracture network formation. In this paper, fracture network and dynamic fracture spacing triggered by significant sedimentation rate are studied considering mode I fracture propagation using a coupled hydro-mechanical numerical methods. The focus is put on synthetic geological structure under a constant sedimentation rate on its top. This model contains vertical fracture network initially closed and homogeneously distributed. The fractures are modelled with cohesive zone model undergoing damage and the flow is described by Poiseuille's law. The effect of the behaviour of the rock is studied and the analysis leads to a pattern of fracture network and fracture spacing in the geological layer.

  11. Shape distortion and thermo-mechanical properties of SOFC components from green tape to sintering body

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Teocoli, Francesca; Ni, De Wei; Tadesse Molla, Tesfaye

    due to binder burn out, differential shrinkage behavior and to a potential interfacial reaction between the two materials. To analyze the phenomena, shrinkage of SOFC components single layers and bilayered samples were measured insitu by optical dilatometer. The densification mismatch stress, due...... to the strain rate difference between materials, was calculated using Cai’s model. Camber (curvature) development for in situ co-firing of a bi-layer ceramic green tape has been investigated. Analysis of shape evolution from green to sintered body can be carried out by the thermo-mechanical analysis techniques....

  12. 裂隙岩体水-冰相变及低温温度场-渗流场-应力场耦合研究%WATER-ICE PHASE TRANSITION AND THERMO-HYDRO-MECHANICAL COUPLING AT LOW TEMPERATURE IN FRACTURED ROCK

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    刘泉声; 康永水; 刘滨; 朱元广

    2011-01-01

    The problem of freezing-thawing damage of rock mass involves thermo-hydro-mechanic al(THM) coupling at low temperature. Based on the phase transition theory and the energy conservation principle, the expression of frozen ratio is derived. Using the dual-porosity medium theory, the governing equations of THM coupling of freezing rock are obtained according to the law of mass conservation, the law of energy conservation and the principle of static equilibrium. Finally, considering the influence of freezing process on permeability, an example of fractured tunnel is given to reveal the distribution of temperature field, stress field and pore pressure under THM coupling condition by using the method of equivalent thermal expansion coefficient.%岩体冻融损伤涉及低温环境下温度场、渗流场和应力场的耦合问题.基于水-冰相变理论和能量守恒原理,得出冻结率表达式.运用双重孔隙介质模型理论,根据质量守恒定律、能量守恒定律及静力平衡原理,得出冻结条件下裂隙岩体的温度场-渗流场-应力场(THM)耦合控制方程.最后,通过1个含裂隙隧道低温THM耦合算例,将围岩当作岩块与裂隙介质组成的系统,采用等效热膨胀系数法对夹冰(含水)裂隙的冻胀效应进行模拟,并考虑冻结过程对岩体渗透系数的影响,研究低温THM耦合条件下的温度场、应力场及孔隙压力等的分布规律.

  13. Hydro under shock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maffezzini, I.; Pineault, E.; Poirier, M.

    1997-01-01

    A discussion of the potential privatisation of Hydro-Quebec, and of the motivation to do so, was presented. The creation of Hydro-Quebec resulted from the nationalization in 1963 of all major electricity producers in the province of Quebec. Since its inception, Hydro-Quebec has gone through many episodes of restructuring but none more far reaching in extent, or in consequences, than the present one. The current deregulation of the electrical industry in Quebec, and the potential commercialization of Hydro-Quebec is considered to be a natural and inevitable result of the current global trend towards competition in the power industry and the demand for greater consumer choice. 1 tab

  14. Hydro-climatology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    The hydro-climatological approach of this volume illustrates the scientific and practical value of considering hydrological phenomena and processes in a climate context to improve understanding of controls, process interaction, and past and future variability/change. Contributions deal with under......The hydro-climatological approach of this volume illustrates the scientific and practical value of considering hydrological phenomena and processes in a climate context to improve understanding of controls, process interaction, and past and future variability/change. Contributions deal...... considered. The interdisciplinary approach reveals information and perspective that go beyond the study of cli ate and hydro gy alone...

  15. Analysis of controlled-mechanism of grain growth in undercooled Fe-Cu alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Zheng; Liu Feng; Yang Xiaoqin; Shen Chengjin; Fan Yu

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → In terms of a thermo-kinetic model applicable for micro-scale undercooled Fe-4 at.% Cu alloy, grain growth behavior of the single-phase supersaturated granular grain was investigated. → In comparison of pure kinetic model, pure thermodynamic model and the extended thermo-kinetic model, two characteristic annealing time were determined. → The controlled-mechanism of grain growth in undercooled Fe-Cu alloy was proposed, including a mainly kinetic-controlled process, a transition from kinetic-mechanism to thermodynamic-mechanism and purely thermodynamic-controlled process. - Abstract: An analysis of controlled-mechanism of grain growth in the undercooled Fe-4 at.% Cu immiscible alloy was presented. Grain growth behavior of the single-phase supersaturated granular grains prepared in Fe-Cu immiscible alloy melt was investigated by performing isothermal annealings at 500-800 deg. C. The thermo-kinetic model [Chen et al., Acta Mater. 57 (2009) 1466] applicable for nano-scale materials was extended to the system of micro-scale undercooled Fe-4 at.% Cu alloy. In comparison of pure kinetic model, pure thermodynamic model and the extended thermo-kinetic model, two characteristic annealing time (t 1 and t 2 ) were determined. The controlled-mechanism of grain growth in undercooled Fe-Cu alloy was proposed, including a mainly kinetic-controlled process (t ≤ t 1 ), a transition from kinetic-mechanism to thermodynamic-mechanism (t 1 2 ) and purely thermodynamic-controlled process (t ≥ t 2 ).

  16. Evaluation of structural deformations of a mechanical connecting unit oxidizer supplies by thermo-mechanical simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sang Woo

    2016-01-01

    A Mechanical connecting unit (MCU) used in ground facilities for a Liquid propellant rocket (LPR) acts as a bridge between the onboard system and the ground oxidizer filling system. It should be resistant to structural deformations in order to guarantee successful supply of a cryogenic oxidizer and high pressure gases without reduction of sealing capability. The MCU consists of many components and linkages and operates under harsh conditions induced by a cryogenic oxidizer, high pressure gases and other mechanical forces. Thus, the evaluation of structural deformation of the MCU considering complex conditions is expensive and time consuming. The present study efficiently evaluates the structural deformations of the key components of the MCU by Thermo-mechanical simulation (TMS) based on the superposition principle. Deformations due to the mechanical loadings including weights, pressures, and spring forces are firstly evaluated by using a non-linear flexible body simulation module (FFlex) of Multi-body dynamics (MBD) software, RecurDyn. Then, thermal deformations for the deformed geometries obtained by RecurDyn were subsequently calculated. It was conducted by using a Finite element (FE) analysis software, ANSYS. The total deformations for the onboard plate and multi-channel plate in the connecting section due to the mechanical and thermal loadings were successfully evaluated. Moreover, the outer gaps at six points between two plates were calculated and verified by comparison to the measured data. Their values and tendencies showed a good agreement. The author concluded that the TMS using MBD software considering flexible bodies and an FE simulator can efficiently evaluate structural deformations of the MCU operating under the complex load and boundary conditions

  17. Evaluation of structural deformations of a mechanical connecting unit oxidizer supplies by thermo-mechanical simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Sang Woo [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Machine Convergence Technology, Hankyong National University, Anseong (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    A Mechanical connecting unit (MCU) used in ground facilities for a Liquid propellant rocket (LPR) acts as a bridge between the onboard system and the ground oxidizer filling system. It should be resistant to structural deformations in order to guarantee successful supply of a cryogenic oxidizer and high pressure gases without reduction of sealing capability. The MCU consists of many components and linkages and operates under harsh conditions induced by a cryogenic oxidizer, high pressure gases and other mechanical forces. Thus, the evaluation of structural deformation of the MCU considering complex conditions is expensive and time consuming. The present study efficiently evaluates the structural deformations of the key components of the MCU by Thermo-mechanical simulation (TMS) based on the superposition principle. Deformations due to the mechanical loadings including weights, pressures, and spring forces are firstly evaluated by using a non-linear flexible body simulation module (FFlex) of Multi-body dynamics (MBD) software, RecurDyn. Then, thermal deformations for the deformed geometries obtained by RecurDyn were subsequently calculated. It was conducted by using a Finite element (FE) analysis software, ANSYS. The total deformations for the onboard plate and multi-channel plate in the connecting section due to the mechanical and thermal loadings were successfully evaluated. Moreover, the outer gaps at six points between two plates were calculated and verified by comparison to the measured data. Their values and tendencies showed a good agreement. The author concluded that the TMS using MBD software considering flexible bodies and an FE simulator can efficiently evaluate structural deformations of the MCU operating under the complex load and boundary conditions.

  18. Possibilities for Automatic Control of Hydro-Mechanical Transmission and Birotating Electric Machine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. V. Mikhailov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents mathematical models and results of virtual investigations pertaining to the selected motion parameters of a mobile machine equipped with hydro mechanical and modernized transmissions. The machine has been tested in similar technological cycles and it has been equipped with a universal automatic control system. Changes in structure and type of power transmission have been obtained with the help of a control algorithm including an extra reversible electric machine which is switched in at some operational modes.Implementation of the proposed  concept makes it possible to obtain and check the improved C-code of the control system and enhance operational parameters of the transmission and machine efficiency, reduce slippage and tire wear while using braking energy for its later beneficial use which is usually considered as a consumable element.

  19. Hydro-plankton characteristics and their relationship with sardine and anchovy distributions on the French shelf of the Bay of Biscay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pierre Petitgas

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available The spatial pattern in hydro-plankton and fish distributions and their relationship were analysed based on the spring 2000 fisheries acoustic survey. The importance of this survey was that it was a multi-disciplinary platform which collected an extensive set of parameters in the hydro-plankton leading to a potentially finer description of hydro-plankton conditions and fish habitats. More than 50 variables were measured on a grid of stations, in four compartments of the ecosystem: hydrology, nutrients, primary producers and meso-zooplankton. First, a joint analysis of all hydro-plankton compartments was performed using multiple factor analysis (MFA. The method was used to estimate a compromise factorial space common to all compartments in which the stations were grouped by hierarchical clustering. The groups were represented spatially and a strong spatial pattern was evidenced. The fish and their spawned eggs were sampled along transect lines using acoustics and CUFES (continuous underway fish egg samplers. The distribution of the fish and their eggs was analysed in relation to the hydro-plankton groups of stations and difference in fish density across hydro-plankton conditions was tested by a pair-wise multiple comparison procedure. Anchovy was associated with a lesser number of hydro-plankton conditions than sardine. Eggs of both species were also associated with a lesser number of conditions than the fish. Finally, the gain provided by using the extensive set of hydro-plankton parameters for mapping large-scale hydro-plankton conditions was analysed in comparison with the situation in which a small set of parameters was available. The extensive set of parameters allowed more hydro-plankton conditions to be identified but only in the coastal area and not on the shelf. Size fractionated chlorophyll was determinant for tracking river plume hydro-plankton condition. However, the fish did not respond to the variety of the coastal hydro

  20. Thermo-mechanical behaviour during encapsulation of glass in a steel vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakhodchi, S.; Smith, D.J.; Thomas, B.G.

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative numerical simulations and qualitative evaluations are conducted to elucidate thermo-mechanical behaviour during pouring and solidification of molten glass into a stainless-steel cylindrical container. Residual stress and structural integrity in this casting/vitrification process is important because it can be used for long-term storage of high-level nuclear wastes. The predicted temperature and stress distributions in the glass and container agree well with previous measurements of the temperature histories and residual stresses. Three different thermal-stress models are developed using the finite-element method and compared. Two simple slice models were developed based on the generalized plane strain assumption as well as a detailed two-dimensional axi-symmetric model that adds elements according to the stages of pouring glass into the stainless steel container. The results reveal that mechanical interaction between the glass and the wall of the stainless steel container generates residual tensile stresses that approach the yield strength of the steel. Together, these results reveal important insights into the mechanism of stress generation in the process, the structural integrity of the product, and accuracy of the modelling-tool predictions. - Highlights: • Source of residual stresses in glass and stainless steel containers (canisters) is discussed. • Final residual stresses in both glass and container is quantified. • Simple models presented for simulation of complicated casting process. • Comparison between detailed and simple FE modeling.

  1. [The appraisal of mechanical properties and friction coefficient of PVA hydro-gel].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Liqi; Zhang, Dekun; Zhang, Jinsong

    2009-10-01

    Gelatin and hydroxyapatite were introduced to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel with an attempt to enhance the performances of PVA hydrogel. Through a reiterative freezing-thawing methods, three kinds of PVA composite hydrogels were prepared. The mechanical performances of these composite hydrogels with the same PVA and HA content but varying gelatin content, such as tensile strength, elasticity modulus, creep curve, relaxation curve and friction coefficient were evaluated by using a computer-controlled universal electronic mechanical testing machine and a UMT-II frictional testing machine. The additional effects of hydroxylapatite and varying gelatin on the performances of composite PVA hydro-gels were analyzed. It was found that the gelatin content directly influenced the physical performances of PVA composite hydrogels; but no linear relationship was recorded. PVA composite hydrogel containing 2wt-% gelatin gave optimal results, i.e. tensile strength of 5.5MPa, compressive elastical modulus of 1.48MPa, creeping rate of 31% in 45 minutes, stress relaxing rate of 40.3%, and the starting friction coefficient of 0.332.

  2. Analysis of Thermo-Acoustic Emission from Damage in Composite Laminates under Thermal Cyclic Loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Bok; Min, Dae Hong; Lee, Deok Bo; Choi, Nak Sam

    2001-01-01

    An investigation on nondestructive evaluation of thermal stress-reduced damage in the composite laminates (3mm in thickness and [+45 6 /-45 6 ] S lay-up angles) has been performed using the thermo-acoustic emission technique. Reduction of thermo-AE events due to repetitive thermal load cycles showed a Kaiser effect. An analysis of the thermo-AE behavior determined the stress free temperature of composite laminates. Fiber fracture and matrix cracks were observed using the optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and ultrasonic C-sean. Short-Time Fourier Transform of thermo-AE signals offered the time-frequency characteristics which might classify the thermo-AE as three different types to estimate the damage processes of the composites

  3. Thermo-mechanical actuator-based miniature tagging module for localization in capsule endoscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrappan, Jayakrishnan; Ruiqi, Lim; Su, Nandar; Yen Yi, Germaine Hoe; Vaidyanathan, Kripesh

    2011-04-01

    Capsule endoscopy is a frontline medical diagnostic tool for the gastro intestinal tract disorders. During diagnosis, efficient localization techniques are essential to specify a pathological area that may require further diagnosis or treatment. This paper presents the development of a miniature tagging module that relies on a novel concept to label the region of interest and has the potential to integrate with a capsule endoscope. The tagging module is a compact thermo-mechanical actuator loaded with a biocompatible micro tag. A low power microheater attached to the module serves as the thermal igniter for the mechanical actuator. At optimum temperature, the actuator releases the micro tag instantly and penetrates the mucosa layer of a GI tract, region of interest. Ex vivo animal trials are conducted to verify the feasibility of the tagging module concept. X-ray imaging is used to detect the location of the micro tag embedded in the GI tract wall. The method is successful, and radiopaque micro tags can provide valuable pre-operative position information on the infected area to facilitate further clinical procedures.

  4. Influence of thermo-mechanical treatment on the tensile properties of a modified 14Cr–15Ni stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vijayanand, V.D., E-mail: vdvijayanand@igcar.gov.in; Laha, K.; Parameswaran, P.; Nandagopal, M.; Panneer Selvi, S.; Mathew, M.D.

    2014-10-15

    The titanium modified 14Cr–15Ni austenitic stainless steel is used as clad and wrapper material for fast breeder nuclear reactor. Thermo-mechanical treatments consisting of solution annealing at two different temperatures of 1273 and 1373 K followed by cold-work and thermal ageing have been imparted to the steel to tailor its microstructure for enhancing strength. Tensile tests have been carried out on the thermo-mechanically treated steel at nominal strain rate of 1.6 × 10{sup −4} s{sup −1} over a temperature range of 298–1073 K. The yield stress and the ultimate tensile strength of the steel increased with increase in solution treatment temperature and this has been attributed to the fine and higher density of Ti(C,N) precipitate. Tensile flow behaviour of the steel has been analysed using Ludwigson and Voce constitutive equations. The steel heat treated at higher solution temperature exhibited earlier onset of cross slip during tensile deformation. The rate of recovery at higher test temperatures was also influenced by variations in solution heat treatment temperature. In addition, dynamic recrystallization during tensile deformation at higher temperatures was profound for steel solution heat-treated at lower temperature. The differences in flow behaviour and softening mechanisms during tensile testing of the steel after different heat treated conditions have been attributed to the nature of Ti(C,N) precipitation.

  5. Influence of thermo-mechanical treatment on the tensile properties of a modified 14Cr–15Ni stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vijayanand, V.D.; Laha, K.; Parameswaran, P.; Nandagopal, M.; Panneer Selvi, S.; Mathew, M.D.

    2014-01-01

    The titanium modified 14Cr–15Ni austenitic stainless steel is used as clad and wrapper material for fast breeder nuclear reactor. Thermo-mechanical treatments consisting of solution annealing at two different temperatures of 1273 and 1373 K followed by cold-work and thermal ageing have been imparted to the steel to tailor its microstructure for enhancing strength. Tensile tests have been carried out on the thermo-mechanically treated steel at nominal strain rate of 1.6 × 10 −4 s −1 over a temperature range of 298–1073 K. The yield stress and the ultimate tensile strength of the steel increased with increase in solution treatment temperature and this has been attributed to the fine and higher density of Ti(C,N) precipitate. Tensile flow behaviour of the steel has been analysed using Ludwigson and Voce constitutive equations. The steel heat treated at higher solution temperature exhibited earlier onset of cross slip during tensile deformation. The rate of recovery at higher test temperatures was also influenced by variations in solution heat treatment temperature. In addition, dynamic recrystallization during tensile deformation at higher temperatures was profound for steel solution heat-treated at lower temperature. The differences in flow behaviour and softening mechanisms during tensile testing of the steel after different heat treated conditions have been attributed to the nature of Ti(C,N) precipitation

  6. Ontario Hydro's nuclear program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCredie, J.

    1984-01-01

    This report briefly describes Ontario Hydro's nuclear program, examining the design and construction status, and the future from Ontario Hydro's perspective. Ontario Hydro relies heavily on nuclear power. Nuclear fuel was responsible for approximately 34% of Ontario Hydro's energy production in 1983. The nuclear proportion was supplied by twelve operating units located: NPD, Douglas Point, Pickering A and B. It is expected that by approximately 1992, 65% of the total energy needs will be generated through nuclear power

  7. Transient Thermo-Mechanical Analysis of the TPSG4 Beam Diluter

    CERN Document Server

    Goddard, B; Herrera-Martínez, A; Kadi, Y; Marque, S

    2002-01-01

    A new extraction channel is being built in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) Long Straight Section 4 (LSS4) to transfer proton beams to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and also to the CERN Neutrino to Gran Sasso (CNGS) target. The beam is extracted in a fast mode during a single turn. For this purpose a protection of the MSE copper septum coil, in the form of a beam diluting element placed upstream, will be required to cope with the new failure modes associated with the fast extraction operation. The present analysis focuses on the thermo-mechanical behavior of the proposed TPSG4 diluter element irradiated by a fast extracted beam (up to 4.9 x 10^13 protons per 7.2 mus pulse) from the SPS. The deposited energy densities, estimated from primary and secondary particle simulations using the high-energy particle transport code FLUKA, were converted to internal heat generation rates taken as a thermal load input for the finite-element engineering analyses code ANSYS. According to the time dependence of the extrac...

  8. Micro-hydro power: reviewing an old concept

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alward, R.; Eisenbart, S.; Volkman, J.

    1979-01-01

    This informaion package has been prepared to respond to an increasing number of requests for information on micro-hydro systems. It contains a resource directory, which is an attempt to put the reader in contact with the literature, plans, people, and companies appropriate to needs. On a world-wide basis, small-scale, environmentally benign, mechanical, and electrical hydropower systems are common. These are the systems for individual homes, farm, and shop use and generally have power outputs less than 100 kW. For convenience in terminology, this scale of hydro power is referred to as micro-hydro. A decision tree is first presented followed by information on determining the suitability of th site, equipment, economics, sources for financial assistance, regulatory conflicts, cautions and suggestions for the Do-It-Yourselfer, and the Self-Installer, manufacturers and suppliers, and sources of professional services. An annotated bibliography of 16 references is provided. (MCW)

  9. The Effect of Thermo-mechanical Processing on the Ballistic Limit Velocity of Extra Low Interstitial Titanium Alloy Ti-6AL- 4V

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Burkins, Matthew

    2000-01-01

    .... Department of Energy's Albany Research Center (ARC) performed a joint research program to evaluate the effect of thermo-mechanical processing on the ballistic limit velocity for an extra-low interstitial grade of the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V...

  10. Vaksvikelva small hydro

    OpenAIRE

    Loe, Daniel Aarset

    2017-01-01

    Norway is in constant need of renewable energy, and hydroelectric power is still the main source. A great future potential can be found in countless small rivers scattered across the country, which could be developed through small hydro projects. In the process of converting mechanical movement - flowing water - into electric energy, about 5% turns into heat. From a power plant with an annual production of 15 GWh, this means energy enough to heat approximately 30 households is lost. In my pro...

  11. HydroSoft coil versus HydroCoil for endovascular aneurysm occlusion study: A single center experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Xinbin; Fan Yimu; Zhang Jianning

    2011-01-01

    Background and purpose: The HydroCoil Embolic System (HES) was developed to reduce recurrences of aneurysms relative to platinum coils. But the HydroCoil Embolic System was characterized with many limitations. The manufacturer had recognized the challenge and recently a new design of hydrogel-coated coil-HydroSoft has become available in the market as the new generation HydroCoil. We reported our initial experience using HydroSoft coil versus HydroCoil in our center. Methods: 75 aneurysms embolized primarily using HydroSoft Coils from July 2008 to May 2009 were compared with 66 volume- and shape-matched aneurysms treated with HydroCoils from March 2006 to August 2008. Outcome measures included length and number of coils used, contrast volume, and length of hospital stay. During embolization, a stable framework was first established with bare coils, and hydrogel-coated coils were used subsequently to increase the packing density. Follow-up angiographic results 6 months after treatment were evaluated among some of the patients. Results: Successful coil embolization was achieved in all patients. There were no differences in average total coil length used per aneurysm. There were no differences in length of hospital stay and packing density. HydroSoft coils were more suitable using as the finishing or final coil. HydroSoft coil decreased the procedure-related retreated rates, and aneurysm packing was finished with soft, flexible HydroSoft coil and decreased the neck remnant rates. Follow-up angiography in HydroSoft-treated patients at 6 months revealed aneurysm stability without significant residual neck. Conclusions: HydroSoft coil allowed us to deploy coated coils with good packing density. A slight expansion of these coils at the neck can be expected to reduce neck remnant and potentially inhibit recurrence.

  12. Hydro power in the German system of energy supply; Wasserkraft im Energiesystem Deutschland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaltschmitt, M. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Abt. Neue Energietechnologie und Technikanalyse

    1997-12-31

    The technical potentials of electric power generation from hydro power in Germany, the current harnessing of hydro power, its costs, and certain characteristic quantities reflecting its effects on the environment are described. These diverse characteristic quantities are compared with those of other renewable and fossil energy sources used to generate electricity. On this basis, opportunities for extending the use of hydro power in Germany and its limits are discussed. (orig.) [Deutsch] Das Ziel der folgenden Ausfuehrungen ist, die technischen Potentiale und deren derzeitige Nutzung, die Kosten und bestimmte die Umwelteffekte beschreibende Kenngroessen einer Stromerzeugung aus Wasserkraft in Deutschland darzustellen. Diese unterschiedlichen Kenngroessen werden anschliessend mit denen anderer regenerativer Energien und fossiler Energietraeger zur Stromerzeugung verglichen. Ausgehend davon werden die Moeglichkeiten und Grenzen einer weitergehenden Wasserkraftnutzung im Energiesystem Deutschland diskutiert. (orig.)

  13. Fundamental study on thermo-hydraulic behaviors during power transient, 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinano, M.; Inoue, A.

    1988-01-01

    Thermo-hydraulic behaviors during power transient of nuclear reactors are studied. Boiling around test rod heated transiently forces to flow out liquid in the test section and generates high pressure pulse. In this study, it is investigated experimentally and analytically that magnitude of pressure pulse and energy conversion efficiency to the mechanical works in cases of fragmentation and non-fragmentation. In analysis, effects of increasing of heat transfer and of interaction area due to fragmentation is considered. Consequently, 1) magnitude of pressure pulse on fragmentation is about 10 times greater than that on non-fragmentation. 2) analytical model can show characteristics of fragmentation processes qualitatively. (author)

  14. Development of a new code to solve hydro-mechanical coupling, shear failure and tensile failure due to hydraulic fracturing operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    María Gómez Castro, Berta; De Simone, Silvia; Carrera, Jesús

    2016-04-01

    Nowadays, there are still some unsolved relevant questions which must be faced if we want to proceed to the hydraulic fracturing in a safe way. How much will the fracture propagate? This is one of the most important questions that have to be solved in order to avoid the formation of pathways leading to aquifer targets and atmospheric release. Will the fracture failure provoke a microseismic event? Probably this is the biggest fear that people have in fracking. The aim of this work (developed as a part of the EU - FracRisk project) is to understand the hydro-mechanical coupling that controls the shear of existing fractures and their propagation during a hydraulic fracturing operation, in order to identify the key parameters that dominate these processes and answer the mentioned questions. This investigation focuses on the development of a new C++ code which simulates hydro-mechanical coupling, shear movement and propagation of a fracture. The framework employed, called Kratos, uses the Finite Element Method and the fractures are represented with an interface element which is zero thickness. This means that both sides of the element lie together in the initial configuration (it seems a 1D element in a 2D domain, and a 2D element in a 3D domain) and separate as the adjacent matrix elements deform. Since we are working in hard, fragile rocks, we can assume an elastic matrix and impose irreversible displacements in fractures when rock failure occurs. The formulation used to simulate shear and tensile failures is based on the analytical solution proposed by Okada, 1992 and it is part of an iterative process. In conclusion, the objective of this work is to employ the new code developed to analyze the main uncertainties related with the hydro-mechanical behavior of fractures derived from the hydraulic fracturing operations.

  15. Mechanical Characteristics of Submerged Arc Weldment in API Gas Pipeline Steel of Grade X65

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashemi, S. H.; Mohammadyani, D.

    2011-01-01

    The mechanical properties of submerged arc weldment (SAW) in gas transportation pipeline steel of grade API X65 (65 ksi yield strength) were investigated. This steel is produced by thermo mechanical control rolled (TMC), and is largely used in Iran gas piping systems and networks. The results from laboratory study on three different regions; i.e. base metal (BM), fusion zone (FZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) were used to compare weldment mechanical characteristics with those specified by API 5L (revision 2004) standard code. Different laboratory experiments were conducted on test specimens taken from 48 inch outside diameter and 14.3 mm wall thickness gas pipeline. The test results showed a gradient of microstructure and Vickers hardness data from the centerline of FZ towards the unaffected MB. Similarly, lower Charpy absorbed energy (compared to BM) was observed in the FZ impact specimens. Despite this, the API specifications were fulfilled in three tested zones, ensuring pipeline structural integrity under working conditions.

  16. Hydro-mechanical paths within unsaturated compacted soil framed through water retention surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pelizzari Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Compaction is a key issue of modern earthworks... From sustainable development, a need arise of using materials for compaction under given conditions that would normally be avoid due to unpredictable pathologies. The application of compaction on fine grained soils, without a change of gravimetric water content, lead to very important modifications of the void ratio and hence suction. Therefore the hydro-mechanical behaviour of fine grained soil need to be rendered around three variables: suction, void ratio, saturation degree or water content. The barring capacity of the soil is assessed through Penetrometers (In-situ manual penetrometer, CBR in order to assess gains through compaction. The three states variables are then assessed for in situ and frame through water retention surfaces, realized from Proctor tests, in which compaction effect and path could be described.

  17. A coupled thermo-mechanical pseudo inverse approach for preform design in forging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Anoop Ebey; Abbes, Boussad; Li, Yu Ming; Abbes, Fazilay; Guo, Ying-Qiao; Duval, Jean-Louis

    2017-10-01

    Hot forging is a process used to form difficult to form materials as well as to achieve complex geometries. This is possible due to the reduction of yield stress at high temperatures and a subsequent increase in formability. Numerical methods have been used to predict the material yield and the stress/strain states of the final product. Pseudo Inverse Approach (PIA) developed in the context of cold forming provides a quick estimate of the stress and strain fields in the final product for a given initial shape. In this paper, PIA is extended to include the thermal effects on the forging process. A Johnson-Cook thermo-viscoplastic material law is considered and a staggered scheme is employed for the coupling between the mechanical and thermal problems. The results are compared with available commercial codes to show the efficiency and the limitations of PIA.

  18. Microwave propagation and absorption and its thermo-mechanical consequences in heterogeneous rocks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meisels, R; Toifl, M; Hartlieb, P; Kuchar, F; Antretter, T

    2015-02-10

    A numerical analysis in a two-component model rock is presented including the propagation and absorption of a microwave beam as well as the microwave-induced temperature and stress distributions in a consistent way. The analyses are two-dimensional and consider absorbing inclusions (discs) in a non-absorbing matrix representing the model of a heterogeneous rock. The microwave analysis (finite difference time domain - FDTD) is performed with values of the dielectric permittivity typical for hard rocks. Reflections at the discs/matrix interfaces and absorption in the discs lead to diffuse scattering with up to 20% changes of the intensity in the main beam compared to a homogeneous model rock. The subsequent thermo-mechanical finite element (FE) analysis indicates that the stresses become large enough to initiate damage. The results are supported by preliminary experiments on hard rock performed at 2.45 GHz.

  19. A preliminary study of thermo-mechanical stability of carbon S-phase formed in austenitic stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Wei; Chiu, Yu Long; Dong, Hanshan, E-mail: wsgddf@hotmail.com [School of Metallurgy and Materials, College of Physical and Engineering Sciences, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham (United Kingdom)

    2010-07-01

    Carbon S-phase was generated in the surface of AISI316 austenitic stainless steel by plasma carburising at 500°C for 10h in a gas mixture of 1.5%CH4 and 98.5%H{sub 2}. The thermo-mechanical stability of the carbon S-phase was studied by stressing the 'dog-bone' tensile specimens in the range of 0-200MPa at temperatures ranging from 400 to 500°C for 100-150h. Post-test characterisation was conducted using XRD, SEM, TEM and micro-indentation. The experimental results demonstrate that when tested at a fix temperature the thickness of the carbon S-phase layer increased with the stress applied to the tensile specimens during the thermo-mechanical stability tests. This indicates that tensile stress promotes the diffusion of carbon in the carbon-S-phase. When stressed at 400°C the microstructure of the carbon S-phase was not affected by the stress level; however, when stressed at 450 and 500°C for 100MPa or above, the corrosion resistance of the carbon S-phase slightly deteriorated. The application of a tensile stress during annealing of S-phase layer can retard the deduction of its hardness. This is believed to be related to the early stage precipitation of carbides in the S-phase, which could be facilitated by the applied tensile stress during thermal annealing. (author)

  20. Dislocation-mediated strain hardening in tungsten: Thermo-mechanical plasticity theory and experimental validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terentyev, Dmitry; Xiao, Xiazi; Dubinko, A.; Bakaeva, A.; Duan, Huiling

    2015-12-01

    A self-consistent thermo-mechanical model to study the strain-hardening behavior of polycrystalline tungsten was developed and validated by a dedicated experimental route. Dislocation-dislocation multiplication and storage, as well dislocation-grain boundary (GB) pinning were the major mechanisms underlying the evolution of plastic deformation, thus providing a link between the strain hardening behavior and material's microstructure. The microstructure of the polycrystalline tungsten samples has been thoroughly investigated by scanning and electron microscopy. The model was applied to compute stress-strain loading curves of commercial tungsten grades, in the as-received and as-annealed states, in the temperature range of 500-1000 °C. Fitting the model to the independent experimental results obtained using a single crystal and as-received polycrystalline tungsten, the model demonstrated its capability to predict the deformation behavior of as-annealed samples in a wide temperature range and applied strain. The relevance of the dislocation-mediated plasticity mechanisms used in the model have been validated using transmission electron microscopy examination of the samples deformed up to different amounts of strain. On the basis of the experimental validation, the limitations of the model are determined and discussed.

  1. Improvement of the efficiency of the Agnew micro hydro turbine at part loads due to installing guide vanes mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yassi, Yousef; hashemloo, Safar [Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), No. 29 Forssat St., Enghelaab Ave., Tehran (Iran)

    2010-10-15

    Agnew turbine is an axial micro hydro of Kaplan type, with its main shaft subtending 45 to the line of horizon. Due to governmental power generating programs for limited hydro potentials in Iran and on the basis of a joint project between the University of Glasgow and the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), the turbine was developed to operate under low heads and limited flow potentials in Iran. However the turbine was originally designed to operate without any guide vanes and test results showed that the turbine achieved an efficiency of 62% at its best point of performance. Later a modified Agnew turbine, consisting of a guide blades mechanism was designed and manufactured, at (IROST). The mechanism was so designed that it was also used as a second support for the turbine's main shaft. The standard turbine tests proved that; the modified version of the Agnew turbine had 23% higher efficiency at its best performance point; compared to the original design. Then the effects of the improvements on the turbine were studied on the performance of the turbine at part loads. However, efficiency improvements were observed under all part load conditions. (author)

  2. Improvement of the efficiency of the Agnew micro hydro turbine at part loads due to installing guide vanes mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yassi, Yousef; Hashemloo, Safar

    2010-01-01

    Agnew turbine is an axial micro hydro of Kaplan type, with its main shaft subtending 45 deg. to the line of horizon. Due to governmental power generating programs for limited hydro potentials in Iran and on the basis of a joint project between the University of Glasgow and the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), the turbine was developed to operate under low heads and limited flow potentials in Iran. However the turbine was originally designed to operate without any guide vanes and test results showed that the turbine achieved an efficiency of 62% at its best point of performance. Later a modified Agnew turbine, consisting of a guide blades mechanism was designed and manufactured, at (IROST). The mechanism was so designed that it was also used as a second support for the turbine's main shaft. The standard turbine tests proved that; the modified version of the Agnew turbine had 23% higher efficiency at its best performance point; compared to the original design. Then the effects of the improvements on the turbine were studied on the performance of the turbine at part loads. However, efficiency improvements were observed under all part load conditions.

  3. Temperature effect on the behaviour of engineered clay barriers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, A.M.

    2005-11-01

    The present work deals with the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of compacted swelling clay used for engineered barriers in high-level radioactive repositories. The MX80 bentonite was chosen for this work. Firstly, an experimental work on the thermal conductivity of the compacted bentonite was performed. The results evidenced the effects of dry density, water content, volumetric fraction of soil components, microstructure, and mineralogy. This experimental work gave rise to the proposition of a theoretical model for estimate the thermal conductivity of compacted bentonites. Secondly, after a calibration of suction generated by saturated saline solution in function of temperature, water retention curves were determined at different temperatures. The experimental results showed a decrease of the water retention capacity of soil after heating. A simple model based on the interfacial tension air-water was formulated to simulate this effect. Thirdly, a new isotropic cell enabling a simultaneous control of suction, temperature and mechanical stress was developed. With this new cell, an experimental work on the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the unsaturated compacted bentonite was performed. Finally, a constitutive model was developed for simulate the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviours obtained experimentally. (author)

  4. Temperature effect on the behaviour of engineered clay barriers; Effet de la temperature sur le comportement des barrieres de confinement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, A.M

    2005-11-15

    The present work deals with the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of compacted swelling clay used for engineered barriers in high-level radioactive repositories. The MX80 bentonite was chosen for this work. Firstly, an experimental work on the thermal conductivity of the compacted bentonite was performed. The results evidenced the effects of dry density, water content, volumetric fraction of soil components, microstructure, and mineralogy. This experimental work gave rise to the proposition of a theoretical model for estimate the thermal conductivity of compacted bentonites. Secondly, after a calibration of suction generated by saturated saline solution in function of temperature, water retention curves were determined at different temperatures. The experimental results showed a decrease of the water retention capacity of soil after heating. A simple model based on the interfacial tension air-water was formulated to simulate this effect. Thirdly, a new isotropic cell enabling a simultaneous control of suction, temperature and mechanical stress was developed. With this new cell, an experimental work on the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the unsaturated compacted bentonite was performed. Finally, a constitutive model was developed for simulate the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviours obtained experimentally. (author)

  5. Evolution of mechanical behavior of 6XXX aluminium alloy due to the precipitation state during a thermo-mechanical process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bardel, Didier; Perez, Michel; Nelias, Daniel; Chaise, Thibaut; Garnier, Jerome; Bourlier, Florent

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this research is to link the microstructural state and the mechanical properties of an age hardening alloy during a fast heat treatment such as encountered during welding. A coupled model between precipitation state and mechanical properties is used to predict the yield strength and hardening behavior that can be observed experimentally. The method permits the identification of the kinematic and isotropic contributions in the hardening model. The methodology is applied to a 6061-T6 aluminium alloy which is used in the Jules Horowitz reactor vessel. The general idea of this methodology is to couple an efficient microstructural model to a mechanical one based on the dislocation theory and ad'hoc experiments. The theoretical background is based on the work of Kampmann and Wagner, known as the KWN model, to account for nucleation, growth/dissolution and coarsening of precipitates. This analysis requires transient thermo-mechanical experimental data. The efficiency of these models and their coupling are shown for a series 6XXX aluminium alloy which contains β'' and β' precipitates. Ultimately these models are coupled to a FEA model and allows to predict the distribution of precipitates within each element of the mesh, and subsequently its mechanical behavior. (authors)

  6. Review of thermo-physical properties, wetting and heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids and their applicability in industrial quench heat treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramesh, Gopalan; Prabhu, Narayan Kotekar

    2011-04-14

    The success of quenching process during industrial heat treatment mainly depends on the heat transfer characteristics of the quenching medium. In the case of quenching, the scope for redesigning the system or operational parameters for enhancing the heat transfer is very much limited and the emphasis should be on designing quench media with enhanced heat transfer characteristics. Recent studies on nanofluids have shown that these fluids offer improved wetting and heat transfer characteristics. Further water-based nanofluids are environment friendly as compared to mineral oil quench media. These potential advantages have led to the development of nanofluid-based quench media for heat treatment practices. In this article, thermo-physical properties, wetting and boiling heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids are reviewed and discussed. The unique thermal and heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids would be extremely useful for exploiting them as quench media for industrial heat treatment.

  7. Review of thermo-physical properties, wetting and heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids and their applicability in industrial quench heat treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramesh Gopalan

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The success of quenching process during industrial heat treatment mainly depends on the heat transfer characteristics of the quenching medium. In the case of quenching, the scope for redesigning the system or operational parameters for enhancing the heat transfer is very much limited and the emphasis should be on designing quench media with enhanced heat transfer characteristics. Recent studies on nanofluids have shown that these fluids offer improved wetting and heat transfer characteristics. Further water-based nanofluids are environment friendly as compared to mineral oil quench media. These potential advantages have led to the development of nanofluid-based quench media for heat treatment practices. In this article, thermo-physical properties, wetting and boiling heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids are reviewed and discussed. The unique thermal and heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids would be extremely useful for exploiting them as quench media for industrial heat treatment.

  8. Determination of Process Parameters in Multi-Stage Hydro-Mechanical Deep Drawing by FE Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, D. Ravi; Manohar, M.

    2017-09-01

    In this work, analysis has been carried to simulate manufacturing of a near hemispherical bottom part with large depth by hydro-mechanical deep drawing with an aim to reduce the number of forming steps and to reduce the extent of thinning in the dome region. Inconel 718 has been considered as the material due to its importance in aerospace industry. It is a Ni-based super alloy and it is one of the most widely used of all super alloys primarily due to large-scale applications in aircraft engines. Using Finite Element Method (FEM), numerical simulations have been carried out for multi-stage hydro-mechanical deep drawing by using the same draw ratios and design parameters as in the case of conventional deep drawing in four stages. The results showed that the minimum thickness in the final part can be increased significantly when compared to conventional deep drawing. It has been found that the part could be deep drawn to the desired height (after trimming at the final stage) without any severe wrinkling. Blank holding force (BHF) and peak counter pressure have been found to have a strong influence on thinning in the component. Decreasing the coefficient of friction has marginally increased the minimum thickness in the final component. By increasing the draw ratio and optimizing BHF, counter pressure and die corner radius in the simulations, it has been found that it is possible to draw the final part in three stages. It has been found that thinning can be further reduced by decreasing the initial blank size without any reduction in the final height. This reduced the draw ratio at every stage and optimum combination of BHF and counter pressure have been found for the 3-stage process also.

  9. Effect of gluten, egg and soy proteins on the rheological and thermo-mechanical properties of wholegrain rice flour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pătraşcu, Livia; Banu, Iuliana; Vasilean, Ina; Aprodu, Iuliana

    2017-03-01

    The effect of protein addition on the rheological, thermo-mechanical and baking properties of wholegrain rice flour was investigated. Gluten, powdered eggs and soy protein concentrate were first analyzed in terms of rheological properties, alone and in admixture with rice flour. The temperature ramp tests showed clear differences in the rheological behavior of the batters supplemented with different proteins. The highest thermal stability was observed in case of soy protein samples. Frequency sweep tests indicated significant improvements of the rheological properties of rice flour supplemented with 15% gluten or soy proteins. The thermo-mechanical tests showed that, due to the high fat contents and low level of free water, the dough samples containing powdered eggs exhibited the highest stability. Addition of gluten resulted in a significant decrease of the dough development time, whereas samples with powdered eggs and soy proteins were more difficult to hydrate. The incorporation of proteins into the rice flour-based dough formulations significantly affected starch behavior by decreasing the peak consistency values. Concerning the quality of the rice flour-based breads, soy protein addition resulted in lighter crumb color and increased texture attributes, samples with gluten had better resilience and adhesiveness, whereas breads with egg protein were less brittle.

  10. DECOVALEX III PROJECT. Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Coupled Processes in Safety Assessments. Report of Task 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, Johan

    2005-02-01

    A part (Task 4) of the International DECOVALEX III project on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) processes focuses on T-H-M modelling applications in safety and performance assessment of deep geological nuclear waste repositories. A previous phase, DECOVALEX II, saw a need to improve such modelling. In order to address this need Task 4 of DECOVALEX III has: Analysed two major T-H-M experiments (Task 1 and Task 2) and three different Bench Mark Tests (Task 3) set-up to explore the significance of T-H-M in some potentially important safety assessment applications. Compiled and evaluated the use of T-H-M modelling in safety assessments at the time of the year 2000. Organised a forum a forum of interchange between PA-analysts and THM modelers at each DECOVALEX III workshop. Based on this information the current report discusses the findings and strives for reaching recommendations as regards good practices in addressing coupled T-H-M issues in safety assessments. The full development of T-H-M modelling is still at an early stage and it is not evident whether current codes provide the information that is required. However, although the geosphere is a system of fully coupled processes, this does not directly imply that all existing coupled mechanisms must be represented numerically. Modelling is conducted for specific purposes and the required confidence level should be considered. It is necessary to match the confidence level with the modelling objective. Coupled THM modelling has to incorporate uncertainties. These uncertainties mainly concern uncertainties in the conceptual model and uncertainty in data. Assessing data uncertainty is important when judging the need to model coupled processes. Often data uncertainty is more significant than the coupled effects. The emphasis on the need for THM modelling differs among disciplines. For geological radioactive waste disposal in crystalline and other similar hard rock formations DECOVALEX III shows it is essential to

  11. DECOVALEX III PROJECT. Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Coupled Processes in Safety Assessments. Report of Task 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andersson, Johan [JA Streamflow AB, Aelvsjoe (Sweden)

    2005-02-15

    A part (Task 4) of the International DECOVALEX III project on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) processes focuses on T-H-M modelling applications in safety and performance assessment of deep geological nuclear waste repositories. A previous phase, DECOVALEX II, saw a need to improve such modelling. In order to address this need Task 4 of DECOVALEX III has: Analysed two major T-H-M experiments (Task 1 and Task 2) and three different Bench Mark Tests (Task 3) set-up to explore the significance of T-H-M in some potentially important safety assessment applications. Compiled and evaluated the use of T-H-M modelling in safety assessments at the time of the year 2000. Organised a forum a forum of interchange between PA-analysts and THM modelers at each DECOVALEX III workshop. Based on this information the current report discusses the findings and strives for reaching recommendations as regards good practices in addressing coupled T-H-M issues in safety assessments. The full development of T-H-M modelling is still at an early stage and it is not evident whether current codes provide the information that is required. However, although the geosphere is a system of fully coupled processes, this does not directly imply that all existing coupled mechanisms must be represented numerically. Modelling is conducted for specific purposes and the required confidence level should be considered. It is necessary to match the confidence level with the modelling objective. Coupled THM modelling has to incorporate uncertainties. These uncertainties mainly concern uncertainties in the conceptual model and uncertainty in data. Assessing data uncertainty is important when judging the need to model coupled processes. Often data uncertainty is more significant than the coupled effects. The emphasis on the need for THM modelling differs among disciplines. For geological radioactive waste disposal in crystalline and other similar hard rock formations DECOVALEX III shows it is essential to

  12. 76 FR 67175 - Riverbank Hydro No. 2 LLC, Lock Hydro Friends Fund XXXVI, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-31

    ...; 14149-000] Riverbank Hydro No. 2 LLC, Lock Hydro Friends Fund XXXVI, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp... Lock Hydro Friends Fund XXXVI (Lock Hydro) and on April 11, 2011, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp... & Dam No. 3, as directed by the Corps. Applicant Contact: Mr. Wayne F. Krouse, Hydro Green Energy, 5090...

  13. Electro-chemo-hydro-mechanical coupling in clayey media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lemaire, Th.

    2004-12-01

    The aim of this study is to understand coupled phenomena that occur in swelling porous materials like clays. Electro-chemo-hydro-mechanical contributions are taken into account to analyze transfers in such minerals. In a first part, a general discussion is proposed to introduce mineralogical and physico- chemical considerations of clayey media. An important objective of this chapter is to show the crucial role of the microstructure. In a second part is presented an imbibition test in a MX80 bentonite powder. The hydraulic diffusivity versus water content curve's decrease is explained thanks to a double porosity model that shows the progressive collapse of meso-pores due to swelling effects at the micro-scale. Thus a multi-scale analysis is necessary to well describe clayey media behaviour. The third chapter exposes such a multi-scale modelling (periodic homogenization). It is based on the double-layer theory and introduces an innovative concept of virtual electrolyte solution. First numerical results are given in a simple geometry (parallel platelets). In the next part are proposed numerical simulations of two kinds: response of the system to a chemical gradient and simulation of electro-osmosis. The end of this chapter puts into relief the necessity to integrate pH effects in the model. In the last part, chemical surface exchanges are incorporated in the modelling to understand pH and ionic force roles in electro-osmotic process. (author)

  14. Hydro-energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bacher, P.; Tardieu, B.

    2005-01-01

    The first part of this study concerns the different type of hydraulic works. The second part presents the big hydro-energy, its advantages and disadvantages, the industrial risks, the electric power transport network, the economy and the development perspectives. The third part presents the little hydro-energy, its advantages and disadvantages, the decentralized production and the development perspectives. (A.L.B.)

  15. Numerical simulation for the coupled thermo-mechanical performance of a lined rock cavern for underground compressed air energy storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Shu-Wei; Xia, Cai-Chu; Zhao, Hai-Bin; Mei, Song-Hua; Zhou, Yu

    2017-12-01

    Compressed air energy storage (CAES) is a technology that uses compressed air to store surplus electricity generated from low power consumption time for use at peak times. This paper presents a thermo-mechanical modeling for the thermodynamic and mechanical responses of a lined rock cavern used for CAES. The simulation was accomplished in COMSOL Multiphysics and comparisons of the numerical simulation and some analytical solutions validated the thermo-mechanical modeling. Air pressure and temperatures in the sealing layer and concrete lining exhibited a similar trend of ‘up-down-down-up’ in one cycle. Significant temperature fluctuation occurred only in the concrete lining and sealing layer, and no strong fluctuation was observed in the host rock. In the case of steel sealing, principal stresses in the sealing layer were larger than those in the concrete and host rock. The maximum compressive stresses of the three layers and the displacement on the cavern surface increased with the increase of cycle number. However, the maximum tensile stresses exhibited the opposite trend. Polymer sealing achieved a relatively larger air temperature and pressure compared with steel and air-tight concrete sealing. For concrete layer thicknesses of 0 and 0.1 m and an initial air pressure of 4.5 MPa, the maximum rock temperature could reach 135 °C and 123 °C respectively in a 30 day simulation.

  16. Influence of Carbon Nano Tubes on the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Unsaturated Polyester Nanocomposite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alam, A K M Moshiul; Beg, M D H; Yunus, Rosli Mohd

    2015-01-01

    To date nano fillers are renowned reinforcing agent for polymer materials. In this work, unsaturated polyester (UPR) nanocomposites were fabricated by 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 wt% multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through solution dispersion and casting method. The influence of MWCNT content was investigated by thermo-mechanical properties. Dispersion of nanotubes was observed by fracture morphology. The strength of nanocomposites rose with raising the CNT content. Moreover, DSC thermograms of nanocomposites represent noticeable improvement of glass transition temperature (T g ), melting temperature (T m ) and enthalpy (ΔH m ). Micro-crystallinity of nanocomposites increased with increasing the CNT content. Moreover, the stiffness increased with increasing the CNT content. (paper)

  17. High-performance coupled poro-hydro-mechanical models to resolve fluid escape pipes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Räss, Ludovic; Makhnenko, Roman; Podladchikov, Yury

    2017-04-01

    Field observations and laboratory experiments exhibit inelastic deformation features arising in many coupled settings relevant to geo-applications. These irreversible deformations and their specific patterns suggest a rather ductile or brittle mechanism, such as viscous creep or micro cracks, taking place on both geological (long) and human (short) timescales. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for these deformation features, there is a current need to accurately resolve the non-linearities inherent to strongly coupled physical processes. Among the large variety of modelling tools and softwares available nowadays in the community, very few are capable to efficiently solve coupled systems with high accuracy in both space and time and run efficiently on modern hardware. Here, we propose a robust framework to solve coupled multi-physics hydro-mechanical processes on very high spatial and temporal resolution in both two and three dimensions. Our software relies on the Finite-Difference Method and a pseudo-transient scheme is used to converge to the implicit solution of the system of poro-visco-elasto-plastic equations at each physical time step. The rheology including viscosity estimates for major reservoir rock types is inferred from novel lab experiments and confirms the ease of flow of sedimentary rocks. Our results propose a physical mechanism responsible for the generation of high permeability pathways in fluid saturated porous media and predict their propagation in rates observable on operational timescales. Finally, our software scales linearly on more than 5000 GPUs.

  18. Welding thermal cycle-triggered precipitation processes in steel S700MC subjected to the thermo-mechanical control processing

    OpenAIRE

    Górka J.

    2017-01-01

    This study presents tests concerned with welding thermal process-induced precipitation processes taking place in 10 mm thick steel S700MC subjected to the Thermo-Mechanical Control Process (TMCP) with accelerated cooling. The thermomechanical processing of steel S700MC leads to its refinement, structural defects and solutioning with hardening constituents. Tests of thin foils performed using a transmission electron microscope revealed that the hardening of steel S700MC was primarily caused by...

  19. What Controls Thermo-osmosis? Molecular Simulations Show the Critical Role of Interfacial Hydrodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Li; Merabia, Samy; Joly, Laurent

    2017-11-01

    Thermo-osmotic and related thermophoretic phenomena can be found in many situations from biology to colloid science, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we measure the thermo-osmosis coefficient by both mechanocaloric and thermo-osmotic routes, for different solid-liquid interfacial energies. The simulations reveal, in particular, the crucial role of nanoscale interfacial hydrodynamics. For nonwetting surfaces, thermo-osmotic transport is largely amplified by hydrodynamic slip at the interface. For wetting surfaces, the position of the hydrodynamic shear plane plays a key role in determining the amplitude and sign of the thermo-osmosis coefficient. Finally, we measure a giant thermo-osmotic response of the water-graphene interface, which we relate to the very low interfacial friction displayed by this system. These results open new perspectives for the design of efficient functional interfaces for, e.g., waste-heat harvesting.

  20. What Controls Thermo-osmosis? Molecular Simulations Show the Critical Role of Interfacial Hydrodynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Li; Merabia, Samy; Joly, Laurent

    2017-11-24

    Thermo-osmotic and related thermophoretic phenomena can be found in many situations from biology to colloid science, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we measure the thermo-osmosis coefficient by both mechanocaloric and thermo-osmotic routes, for different solid-liquid interfacial energies. The simulations reveal, in particular, the crucial role of nanoscale interfacial hydrodynamics. For nonwetting surfaces, thermo-osmotic transport is largely amplified by hydrodynamic slip at the interface. For wetting surfaces, the position of the hydrodynamic shear plane plays a key role in determining the amplitude and sign of the thermo-osmosis coefficient. Finally, we measure a giant thermo-osmotic response of the water-graphene interface, which we relate to the very low interfacial friction displayed by this system. These results open new perspectives for the design of efficient functional interfaces for, e.g., waste-heat harvesting.

  1. Thermo-mechanical screening tests to qualify beryllium pebble beds with non-spherical pebbles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reimann, Joerg, E-mail: joerg.reimann@partner.kit.edu [IKET, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany); Fretz, Benjamin [KBHF GmbH, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Pupeschi, Simone [IAM, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • In present ceramic breeder blankets, pebble-shaped beryllium is used as a neutron multiplier. • Spherical pebbles are considered as the candidate material, however, non-spherical particles are of economic interest. • Thermo-mechanical pebble bed data do merely exist for non-spherical beryllium grades. • Uniaxial compression tests (UCTs), combined with the Hot Wire Technique (HWT) were used to measure the stress–strain relations and the thermal conductivity. • A small experimental set-up had to be used and a detailed 3D modelling was of prime importance. • Compared to spherical pebble beds, non-spherical pebble beds are generally softer and mainly the thermal conductivity is lower. - Abstract: In present ceramic breeder blankets, pebble-shaped beryllium is used as a neutron multiplier. Fairly spherical pebbles are considered as a candidate material, however, non-spherical particles are of economic interest because production costs are much lower. Yet, thermo-mechanical pebble bed data do merely exist for these beryllium grades, and the blanket relevant potential of these grades cannot be judged. Screening experiments were performed with three different grades of non-spherical beryllium pebbles, produced by different companies, accompanied by experiments with the reference beryllium pebble beds. Uniaxial compression tests (UCTs), combined with the Hot Wire Technique (HWT), were performed to measure both the stress–strain relation and the thermal conductivity, k, at different stress levels. Because of the limited amounts of the non-spherical materials, the experimental set-ups were small and a detailed 3D modelling was of prime importance in order to prove that the used design was appropriate. Compared to the pebble beds consisting of spherical pebbles, non-spherical pebble beds are generally softer (smaller stress for a given strain), and, mainly as a consequence of this, for a given strain value, the thermal conductivity is lower. This

  2. Characterisation of Ground Thermal and Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour for Shallow Geothermal Energy Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vieira, Ana; Alberdi-Pagola, Maria; Christodoulides, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Increasing use of the ground as a thermal reservoir is expected in the near future. Shallow geothermal energy (SGE) systems have proved to be sustainable alternative solutions for buildings and infrastructure conditioning in many areas across the globe in the past decades. Recently novel solutions......-hydro-mechanical behaviour of soil is introduced and discussed. These coupled processes are important for confirming the structural integrity of energy geostructures, but routine methods for parameter determination are still lacking (Energies). Keywords: shallow geothermal systems; soil thermal behaviour; laboratory testing......, including energy geostructures, where SGE systems are coupled with foundation heat exchangers, have also been developed. The performance of these systems is dependent on a series of factors, among which the thermal properties of the soil play a major role. The purpose of this paper is to present...

  3. Cost determination of the electro-mechanical equipment of a small hydro-power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogayar, B.; Vidal, P.G. [Grupo de Investigacion IDEA, Escuela Politecnica Superior, University of Jaen, Campus de Las Lagunillas, s/n. 23071-Jaen (Spain)

    2009-01-15

    One of the most important elements on the recovery of a small hydro-power plant is the electro-mechanical equipment (turbine-alternator), since the cost of the equipment means a high percentage of the total budget of the plant. The present paper intends to develop a series of equations which determine its cost from basic parameters such as power and net head. These calculations are focused at a level of previous study, so it will be necessary to carry out the engineering project and request a budget to companies specialized on the construction of electro-mechanical equipment to know its cost more accurately. Although there is a great diversity in the typology of turbines and alternators, data from manufacturers which cover all the considered range have been used. The above equations have been developed for the most common of turbines: Pelton, Francis, Kaplan and semiKaplan for a power range below 2 MW. The obtained equations have been validated with data from real installations which have been subject to analysis by engineering companies working on the assembly and design of small plants. (author)

  4. Effect of thermo-mechanical loading histories on fatigue crack growth behavior and the threshold in SUS 316 and SCM 440 steels. For prevention of high cycle thermal fatigue failures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okazaki, Masakazu; Muzvidziwa, Milton; Iwasaki, Akira; Kasahara, Naoto

    2014-01-01

    High cycle thermal fatigue failure of pipes induced by fluid temperature change is one of the interdisciplinary issues to be concerned for long term structural reliability of high temperature components in energy systems. In order to explore advanced life assessment methods to prevent the failure, fatigue crack propagation tests were carried out in a low alloy steel and an austenitic stainless steel under typical thermal and thermo-mechanical histories. Special attention was paid to both the effect of thermo-mechanical loading history on the fatigue crack threshold, as well as to the applicability of continuum fracture mechanics treatment to small or short cracks. It was shown experimentally that the crack-based remaining fatigue life evaluation provided more reasonable assessment than the traditional method based on the semi-empirical law in terms of 'usage factor' for high cycle thermal fatigue failure that is employed in JSME Standard, S017. The crack propagation analysis based on continuum fracture mechanics was almost successfully applied to the small fatigue cracks of which size was comparable to a few times of material grain size. It was also shown the thermo-mechanical histories introduced unique effects to the prior fatigue crack wake, resulting in occasional change in the fatigue crack threshold. (author)

  5. Thermo-mechanically coupled fracture analysis of shape memory alloys using the extended finite element method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatefi Ardakani, S.; Ahmadian, H.; Mohammadi, S.

    2015-04-01

    In this paper, the extended finite element method is used for fracture analysis of shape memory alloys for both cases of super elastic and shape memory effects. Heat generation during the forward and reverse phase transformations can lead to temperature variation in the material because of strong thermo-mechanical coupling, which significantly influences the SMA mechanical behavior. First, the stationary crack mode is studied and the effects of loading rate on material behavior in the crack tip are examined. Then, the crack propagation analysis is performed in the presence of an initial crack by adopting a weighted averaging criterion, where the direction of crack propagation is determined by weighted averaging of effective stresses at all the integration points in the vicinity of the crack tip. Finally, several numerical examples are analyzed and the obtained results are compared with the available reference results.

  6. A simple analytical thermo-mechanical model for liquid crystal elastomer bilayer structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Cui

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The bilayer structure consisting of thermal-responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs and other polymer materials with stretchable heaters has attracted much attention in applications of soft actuators and soft robots due to its ability to generate large deformations when subjected to heat stimuli. A simple analytical thermo-mechanical model, accounting for the non-uniform feature of the temperature/strain distribution along the thickness direction, is established for this type of bilayer structure. The analytical predictions of the temperature and bending curvature radius agree well with finite element analysis and experiments. The influences of the LCE thickness and the heat generation power on the bending deformation of the bilayer structure are fully investigated. It is shown that a thinner LCE layer and a higher heat generation power could yield more bending deformation. These results may help the design of soft actuators and soft robots involving thermal responsive LCEs.

  7. HYDRO-METEOROLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE SINGKARAK BASIN, WEST SUMATRA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kasdi Subagyono

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Studi tentang karakteristik hidro-meteorologi telah dilakukan di wilayah danau Singkarak pada 2006-2007 dengan melibatkan partisipasi masyarakat. Stasiun iklim otomatis dan pengukur tinggi muka air otomatis dipasang untuk memonitor data hidrologi dan meteorologi di wilayah cekungan Singkarak. Data meteorologi dianalisa untuk mengetahui karakteristik iklim di wilayah sekitar danau. Model hidrologi GR4J dan H2U diaplikasikan untuk simulasi discharge dan untuk mengkarakterisasi proses hidrologi di wilayah danau. Simulasi model aliran divalidasi pada musim hujan. Alternatif pengelolaan lahan diformulasikan berdasarkan karakteristik hidrologi daerah aliran sungai di sekitar cekungan Singkarak. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa daerah tangkapan di sekitar danau Singkarak memiliki respon yang tinggi terhadap jumlah dan intensitas hujan. Hidrograp menunjukkan peningkatan yang tajam dari discharge segera setelah curah hujan mulai dan menurun relative lamban ketika curah hujan berhenti. Untuk pengelolaan lahan secara berkelanjutan di wilayah danau Singkarak, konservasi lahan dan air harus menjadi prioritas utama. Wanatani dapat diimplementasikan sebagai alternatif sistem pertanaman oleh penduduk lokal. Karena potensi kelangkaan air bisa terjadi pada periode kering, panen air dan konservasi air dapat diterapkan sebagai opsi yang dapat dikombinasikan dalam sistem pengelolaan lahan.   Hydro-meteorological processes of the Singkarak basin has been studied involving participatory of local community in 2006-2007. Automatic weather station (AWS and automatic water level recorder (AWLR were installed to record meteorological and hydrological data within the Singkarak Basin. Meteorological data was analyzed to understand the meteorological characteristic surrounding the Basin area. Model of GR4J and H2U were used to simulated discharge and to understand the hydrological processes within the basin. The validation of simulated discharge was done in the wet season

  8. Analysing hydro-mechanical behaviour of reinforced slopes through centrifuge modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veenhof, Rick; Wu, Wei

    2017-04-01

    Every year, slope instability is causing casualties and damage to properties and the environment. The behaviour of slopes during and after these kind of events is complex and depends on meteorological conditions, slope geometry, hydro-mechanical soil properties, boundary conditions and the initial state of the soils. This study describes the effects of adding reinforcement, consisting of randomly distributed polyolefin monofilament fibres or Ryegrass (Lolium), on the behaviour of medium-fine sand in loose and medium dense conditions. Direct shear tests were performed on sand specimens with different void ratios, water content and fibre or root density, respectively. To simulate the stress state of real scale field situations, centrifuge model tests were conducted on sand specimens with different slope angles, thickness of the reinforced layer, fibre density, void ratio and water content. An increase in peak shear strength is observed in all reinforced cases. Centrifuge tests show that for slopes that are reinforced the period until failure is extended. The location of shear band formation and patch displacement behaviour indicate that the design of slope reinforcement has a significant effect on the failure behaviour. Future research will focus on the effect of plant water uptake on soil cohesion.

  9. Thermo-mechanical models of obduction applied to the Oman ophiolite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibault, Duretz; Philippe, Agard; Philippe, Yamato; Céline, Ducassou; Taras, Gerya; Evguenii, Burov

    2015-04-01

    During obduction regional-scale fragments of oceanic lithosphere (ophiolites) are emplaced somewhat enigmatically on top of lighter continental lithosphere. We herein use two-dimensional thermo-mechanical models to investigate the feasibility and controlling parameters of obduction. The models are designed using available geological data from the Oman (Semail) ophiolite. Initial and boundary conditions are constrained by plate kinematic and geochronological data and modeling results are validated against petrological and structural observations. The reference model consists of three distinct stages: (1) initiation of oceanic subduction initiation away from Arabian margin, (2) emplacement of the Oman Ophiolite atop the Arabian margin, (2) dome-like exhumation of the subducted Arabian margin beneath the overlying ophiolite. A parametric study suggests that 350-400 km of shortening allows to best fit both the peak P-T conditions of the subducted margin (1.5-2.5 GPa / 450-600°C) and the dimensions of the ophiolite (~170 km width), in agreement with previous estimations. Our results further confirm that the locus of obduction initiation is close to the eastern edge of the Arabian margin (~100 km) and indicate that obduction is facilitated by a strong continental basement rheology.

  10. Parametric distribution approach for flow availability in small hydro potential analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, Samizee; Basri, Mohd Juhari Mat; Jamaluddin, Zahrul Zamri; Azrulhisham, Engku Ahmad; Othman, Jamel

    2016-10-01

    Small hydro system is one of the important sources of renewable energy and it has been recognized worldwide as clean energy sources. Small hydropower generation system uses the potential energy in flowing water to produce electricity is often questionable due to inconsistent and intermittent of power generated. Potential analysis of small hydro system which is mainly dependent on the availability of water requires the knowledge of water flow or stream flow distribution. This paper presented the possibility of applying Pearson system for stream flow availability distribution approximation in the small hydro system. By considering the stochastic nature of stream flow, the Pearson parametric distribution approximation was computed based on the significant characteristic of Pearson system applying direct correlation between the first four statistical moments of the distribution. The advantage of applying various statistical moments in small hydro potential analysis will have the ability to analyze the variation shapes of stream flow distribution.

  11. The influence of thermo-mechanical processing on the microstructure of steel 20MoCrS4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jandova, D.; Meyer, L.W.; Masek, B.; Novy, Z.; Kesner, D.; Motycka, P

    2003-05-25

    The influence of thermo-mechanical processing (TMP) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 0.22%C-0.87%Mn-0.73Cr-0.40Mo steel was investigated. The transformation CCT diagram and CCCT diagram were determined by dilatometric measurements. Hot deformation before austenite decomposition slightly accelerates ferritic transformation, retards bainitic reactions and decreases the bainite start temperature. Special methods of TMP were performed consisting of hot and/or warm compression deformations and dwell at an elevated temperature. The microstructure was studied using metallography and transmission electron microscopy. The compression deformation results in a remarkable refinement of the microstructure and an improvement of mechanical properties. Warm deformation followed by dwell at 470 deg. C was found to be suitable for an increase of tensile strength and notch toughness; the corresponding microstructure is a fine lath-like bainitic microstructure with a relatively homogeneous distribution of carbide particles.

  12. Ontario Hydro's DSP update

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    Ontario Hydro's Demand/Supply Plan (DSP), the 25 year plan which was submitted in December 1989, is currently being reviewed by the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB). Since 1989 there have been several changes which have led Ontario Hydro to update the original Demand/Supply Plan. This information sheet gives a quick overview of what has changed and how Ontario Hydro is adapting to that change

  13. Effects of thermal aging on thermo-mechanical behavior of a glass sealant for solid oxide cell applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abdoli, Hamid; Alizadeh, Parvin; Boccaccini, Dino

    2014-01-01

    Thermo-mechanical properties of a silicate based glass and its potential use for sealing application in intermediate temperature solid oxide cell (SOC) are presented in this paper. Effects of thermal aging are discussed on structural and microstructural evolution, thermal expansion, viscosity......'s modulus in which a transition between a slow softening (elastic) regime and a rapid softening one was observed. Crystallization induced by thermal aging led to higher creep resistance, but lower capability of crack healing when inspected by electron microscopy. However, potential of stress relaxation...

  14. 78 FR 56224 - Hydro Nelson, Ltd.; Hydro-WM, LLC; Notice of Transfer of Exemption

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 3401-049] Hydro Nelson, Ltd.; Hydro-WM, LLC; Notice of Transfer of Exemption 1. By documentation filed July 8, 2013 and supplemented... Hydro-WM, LLC. The project is located on the Rockfish River in Nelson County, Virginia. The transfer of...

  15. Effect of Multipass TIG and Activated TIG Welding Process on the Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of 316LN Stainless Steel Weld Joints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganesh, K. C.; Balasubramanian, K. R.; Vasudevan, M.; Vasantharaja, P.; Chandrasekhar, N.

    2016-04-01

    The primary objective of this work was to develop a finite element model to predict the thermo-mechanical behavior of an activated tungsten inert gas (ATIG)-welded joint. The ATIG-welded joint was fabricated using 10 mm thickness of 316LN stainless steel plates in a single pass. To distinguish the merits of ATIG welding process, it was compared with manual multipass tungsten inert gas (MPTIG)-welded joint. The ATIG-welded joint was fabricated with square butt edge configuration using an activating flux developed in-house. The MPTIG-welded joint was fabricated in thirteen passes with V-groove edge configuration. The finite element model was developed to predict the transient temperature, residual stress, and distortion of the welded joints. Also, microhardness, impact toughness, tensile strength, ferrite measurement, and microstructure were characterized. Since most of the recent publications of ATIG-welded joint was focused on the molten weld pool dynamics, this research work gives an insight on the thermo-mechanical behavior of ATIG-welded joint over MPTIG-welded joint.

  16. Provincial hydro expansions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Froschauer, K J

    1993-01-01

    A study of the development of five provincial hydroelectric utilities in Canada indicates that power companies and the state invited manufacturers to use hydroelectricity and natural resources in order to diversify provincial economies. These hydro expansions also show that utilities and government designed hydro projects to serve continental requirements; serving both objectives became problematic. It is argued that when the Canadian state and firms such as utilities use hydro expansions to serve both continentalism and industrialization, then at best they foster dependent industrialization and staple processing. At worst, they overbuild the infrastructure to generate provincial surplus energy for continental, rather than national, integration. Hydro developments became subject to state intervention in Canada mainly through the failures of private utilities to provide power for the less-lucrative industrial markets within provincial subregions. Although the state and utilities invited foreign firms to manufacture hydro equipment within the provinces and others to use electricity to diversify production beyond resource processing, such a diversification did not occur. Since 1962, ca 80% of industrial energy was used to semi-process wood-derived products, chemicals, and metals. The idea for a national power network became undermined by interprovincial political-economic factors and since 1963, the federal national/continential power policy prevailed. 187 refs., 6 figs., 52 tabs.

  17. Hydro-Mechanical Modelling of Slow Slip Phenomena at the Subduction Interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrini, C.; Gerya, T.; Madonna, C.; van Dinther, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Subduction zones experience a spectrum of slip phenomena, ranging from large devastating megathrust earthquakes to aseismic slow slip events. Slow slip events, lasting hours to years and being perceptible only by instruments, are believed to have the capability to induce large earthquakes. It is also repeatedly proposed that such slow events are controlled by fluid-rock interactions along the subduction interface, thus calling for development of fully coupled seismo-hydro-mechanical modeling approaches to identify their physics and controlling parameters. We present a newly developed finite difference visco-elasto-plastic numerical code with marker-in-cell technique, which fully couples mechanical deformation and fluid flow. We use this to investigate how the presence of fluids in the pore space of a (de)compacting rock matrix affects elastic stress accumulation and release along a fluid-bearing subduction interface. The model simulates the spontaneous occurrence of quasi-periodic slow slip phenomena along self-consistently forming highly localized shearbands, which accommodate shear displacement between two plates. The produced elastic rebound events show a slip velocity on the order of cm/yr, which is in good agreement with measured data. The governing gradual strength decrease along the slowly propagating shear bands is related to a drop in total pressure caused by shear localization at nearly constant (slightly decreasing) fluid pressure. Gradual reduction of the difference between the total and fluid pressure decreases brittle/plastic strength of fluid-bearing rocks along the shear bands, thus providing a dynamic feedback mechanism for the accumulated elastic stress release at the subduction interface.

  18. Effect of thermo-coupled processes on the behaviour of a clay barrier submitted to heating and hydration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Sánchez

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The storage of high level radioactive waste is still an unresolved problem of the nuclear industry, being geological disposal the most favoured option and, naturally, the one requiring the strongest geo-mechanical input. Most conceptual designs for the deep geological disposal of nuclear waste envisage placing the canisters containing the waste in horizontal drifts or vertical boreholes. The empty space surrounding the canisters is filled by an engineered barrier often made up of compacted swelling clay. Inthebarrierandthenearfield,significantthermo-hydro-mechanical(THM phenomena take place that interact in a complex way. A good understanding of THM issues is, therefore, necessary to ensure a correct performance of engineered barriers and seals. The conditions of the bentonite in an engineered barrier for high-level radioactive waste disposal are being simulated in a mock-up heating test at almost scale, at the premises of CIEMAT in Madrid. The evolution of the main Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM variables of this test are analysed in this paper by using a fully coupled THM formulation and the corresponding finite element code. Special emphasis has been placed on the study of the effect of thermo-osmotic flow in the hydration of the clay barrier at an advanced staged of the experiment.O armazenamento de rejeitos altamente radioativos é ainda um problema em aberto na área de engenharia nuclear sendo os sítios geológicos ainda a opção mais favorável e naturalmente aquela que demanda maior conhecimento na área de geomecânica. A maioria dos projetos conceituais de armazenamento do lixo nuclear objetiva a alocação de cilindros que contêm os rejeitos em poços verticais ou horizontais. O espaço vazio que circunda os cilindros é preenchido por uma barreirade engenharia na maioria dos casos composta por uma argila expansiva. Na barreira e na vizinhança fenômenos significativos de acoplamento termo-hidro-mecânico(THM tomam lugar e

  19. Study on properties and testing methods of thermo-responsive cementing system for well cementing in heavy oil thermal recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lianjiang

    2017-08-01

    In this paper, thermo-responsive cement slurry system were being developed, the properties of conventional cement slurry, compressive strength high temperature of cement sheath, mechanical properties of cement sheath and thermal properties of cement sheath were being tested. Results were being used and simulated by Well-Life Software, Thermo-responsive cement slurry system can meet the requirements of heavy oil thermal recovery production. Mechanical and thermal properties of thermo-responsive cement sheath were being tested. Tensile fracture energy of the thermo-responsive cement sheath is larger than conventional cement. The heat absorption capacity of conventional cement sheath is larger than that of thermo-responsive cement sheath, this means more heat is needed for the unit mass once increasing 1.0 °C, which also indicates that thermo-responsive cement own good heat insulating and preservation effects. The heat conductivity coefficient and thermal expansion coefficient of thermo-responsive cement is less than and conventional cement, this means that thermo-responsive cement have good heat preservation and insulation effects with good thermal expansion stabilities.

  20. Short communication: (What) To teach or not to teach – that is the question

    KAUST Repository

    Santamarina, Carlos

    2016-01-01

    –sand, drained–undrained)), and (c) to promote a careful understanding of fundamentals (e.g., the particulate nature of soils and fractured rocks, formation history, the essential relevance of effective stress, thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical coupled processes

  1. Construction of database server system for fuel thermo-physical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Chang Je; Kang, Kwon Ho; Song, Kee Chan

    2003-12-01

    To perform the evaluation of various fuels in the nuclear reactors, not only the mechanical properties but also thermo-physical properties are required as one of most important inputs for fuel performance code system. The main objective of this study is to make a database system for fuel thermo-physical properties and a PC-based hardware system has been constructed for ease use for the public with visualization such as web-based server system. This report deals with the hardware and software which are used in the database server system for nuclear fuel thermo-physical properties. It is expected to be highly useful to obtain nuclear fuel data without such a difficulty through opening the database of fuel properties to the public and is also helpful to research of development of various fuel of nuclear industry. Furthermore, the proposed models of nuclear fuel thermo-physical properties will be enough utilized to the fuel performance code system

  2. A phase field approach for the fully coupled thermo-electro-mechanical dynamics of nanoscale ferroelectric actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dan; Du, Haoyuan; Wang, Linxiang; Melnik, Roderick

    2018-05-01

    The fully coupled thermo-electro-mechanical properties of nanoscale ferroelectric actuators are investigated by a phase field model. Firstly, the thermal effect is incorporated into the commonly-used phase field model for ferroelectric materials in a thermodynamic consistent way and the governing equation for the temperature field is derived. Afterwards, the modified model is numerically implemented to study a selected prototype of the ferroelectric actuators, where strain associated with electric field-induced non-180° domain switching is employed. The temperature variation and energy flow in the actuation process are presented, which enhances our understanding of the working mechanism of the actuators. Furthermore, the influences of the input voltage frequency and the thermal boundary condition on the temperature variation are demonstrated and carefully discussed in the context of thermal management for real applications.

  3. Improvement of the thermo-mechanical position stability of the beam position monitor in the PLS-II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Taekyun; Hong, Mansu; Kwon, Hyuckchae; Han, Hongsik; Park, Chongdo

    2016-09-01

    In the storage ring of the Pohang Light Source-II (PLS-II), we reduced the mechanical displacement of the electron-beam position monitors (e-BPMs) that is caused by heating during e-beam storage. The BPM pickup itself must be kept stable to sub-micrometer precision in order for a stable photon beam to be provided to beamlines because the orbit feedback system is programmed to make the electron beam pass through the center of the BPM. Thermal deformation of the vacuum chambers on which the BPM pickups are mounted is inevitable when the electron beam current is changed by an unintended beam abort. We reduced this deformation by improving the vacuum chamber support and by enhancing the water cooling. We report a thermo-mechanical analysis and displacement measurements for the BPM pickups after improvements.

  4. Thermo-mechanical finite element analyses of bolted cask lid structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wieser, G.; Qiao Linan; Eberle, A.; Voelzke, H.

    2004-01-01

    The analysis of complex bolted cask lid structures under mechanical or thermal accident conditions is important for the evaluation of cask integrity and leak-tightness in package design assessment according to the Transport Regulations or in aircraft crash scenarios. In this context BAM is developing methods based on Finite Elements to calculate the effects of mechanical impacts onto the bolted lid structures as well as effects caused by severe fire scenarios. I n case of fire it might be not enough to perform only a thermal heat transfer analysis. The complex cask design in connection with a severe hypothetical time-temperature-curve representing an accident fire scenario will create a strong transient heating up of the cask body and its lid system. This causes relative displacements between the seals and its counterparts that can be analyzed by a so-called thermo-mechanical calculation. Although it is currently not possible to correlate leakage rates with results from deformation analyses directly an appropriate Finite Element model of the considered type of metallic lid seal has been developed. For the present it is possible to estimate the behaviour of the seal based on the calculated relative displacements at its seating and the behaviour of the lid bolts under the impact load or the temperature field respectively. Except of the lid bolts the geometry of the cask and the mechanical loading is axial-symmetric which simplifies the analysis considerably and a two-dimensional Finite Element model with substitute lid bolts may be used. The substitute bolts are modelled as one-dimensional truss or beam elements. An advanced two-dimensional bolt submodel represents the bolts with plane stress continuum elements. This paper discusses the influence of different bolt modelling on the relative displacements at the seating of the seals. Besides this, the influence of bolt modelling, thermal properties and detail in geometry of the two-dimensional Finite Element models on

  5. A comparison of the aquatic impacts of large hydro and small hydro projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Lara A.

    The expansion of small hydro development in British Columbia has raised concerns surrounding the effects of these projects, and the provincial government's decision to proceed with Site C has brought attention to the impacts of large hydro. Together, these decisions highlight that there are impacts associated with all energy development. My study examines the aquatic effects of large and small hydro projects using two case study sites: Site C and the Upper Harrison Water Power Project. I first determine the aquatic effects of each of the case study sites. Next, I use existing literature and benefits transfer to determine the monetary value of these effects. My results suggest that, with mitigation, small hydro projects have less of an effect on the environment than a large hydro project per unit of electricity. I also describe the implications of my study in the context of current British Columbia energy policy. Keywords: hydropower; aquatic effects. Subject Terms: environmental impact assessment; benefits transfer.

  6. A Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical coupled Numerical modeling of Injection-induced seismicity on a pre-existing fault

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jongchan; Archer, Rosalind

    2017-04-01

    In terms of energy development (oil, gas and geothermal field) and environmental improvement (carbon dioxide sequestration), fluid injection into subsurface has been dramatically increased. As a side effect of these operations, a number of injection-induced seismic activities have also significantly risen. It is known that the main causes of induced seismicity are changes in local shear and normal stresses and pore pressure as well. This mechanism leads to increase in the probability of earthquake occurrence on permeable pre-existing fault zones predominantly. In this 2D fully coupled THM geothermal reservoir numerical simulation of injection-induced seismicity, we investigate the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical behavior of the fracture zone, considering a variety of 1) fault permeability, 2) injection rate and 3) injection temperature to identify major contributing parameters to induced seismic activity. We also calculate spatiotemporal variation of the Coulomb stress which is a combination of shear stress, normal stress and pore pressure and lastly forecast the seismicity rate on the fault zone by computing the seismic prediction model of Dieterich (1994).

  7. Integrated operation of hydro thermal system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nanthakumar, J.

    1994-01-01

    Long-term power system expansion planning studies are carried out to meet the electricity requirement in the future. Prior to the expansion planning studies, it is essential to know the energy potential of the existing generating system, especially the hydro power plants. Detailed hydro thermal stimulation studies of the integrated system is therefore carried out to determine the best way to maximise the hydro energy of the existing and committed plants. The results of the integrated system simulated model are stored in numerous files and are available for retrieval. Most important output used for expansion analysis is the energy production of each hydro plant. The annual hydro energy potential of the total hydro system of Sri Lanka for the hydrological year from 1949 to 1988 is given. Hydro condition data with different probability levels are also indicated

  8. Thermo-mechanical properties of W/Mo markers coatings deposited on bulk W

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grigore, E; Ruset, C; Gherendi, M; Chioibasu, D; Hakola, A

    2016-01-01

    In the present paper marker structures consisting of W/Mo layers were deposited on bulk W samples by using a modified CMSII method. This technology, compared to standard CMSII, prevents the formation of nano-pore structures at interfaces. The thicknesses of the markers were in the range 20–35 μm to balance the requirements associated with the wall erosion in ITER and thermo-mechanical performances. The coatings structure and composition were evaluated by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy measurements (EDX). The adhesion of the coatings to the substrate has been assessed by scratch test method. In order to evaluate their effectiveness as potential markers for fusion applications, the marker coatings have been tested in an electron beam facility at a temperature of 1000 °C and a power density of about 3 MW m −2 . A number of 300 pulses with duration of 420 s (35 testing hours) were applied on the marker coated samples. (paper)

  9. Thermo-mechanical properties of W/Mo markers coatings deposited on bulk W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grigore, E.; Ruset, C.; Gherendi, M.; Chioibasu, D.; Hakola, A.; contributors, JET

    2016-02-01

    In the present paper marker structures consisting of W/Mo layers were deposited on bulk W samples by using a modified CMSII method. This technology, compared to standard CMSII, prevents the formation of nano-pore structures at interfaces. The thicknesses of the markers were in the range 20-35 μm to balance the requirements associated with the wall erosion in ITER and thermo-mechanical performances. The coatings structure and composition were evaluated by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy measurements (EDX). The adhesion of the coatings to the substrate has been assessed by scratch test method. In order to evaluate their effectiveness as potential markers for fusion applications, the marker coatings have been tested in an electron beam facility at a temperature of 1000 °C and a power density of about 3 MW m-2. A number of 300 pulses with duration of 420 s (35 testing hours) were applied on the marker coated samples.

  10. Thermo-mechanical modelling and experimental validation of CLIC prototype module type 0

    CERN Document Server

    Kortelainen, Lauri; Koivurova, Hannu; Riddone, Germana; Österberg, Kenneth

    Micron level stability of the two-meter repetitive modules constituting the two main linacs is one of the most important requirements to achieve the luminosity goal for the Compact Linear Collider. Structural deformations due to thermal loads and related to the RF power dissipated inside the modules affect the alignment of the linacs and therefore the resulting luminosity performance. A CLIC prototype module has been assembled in a dedicated laboratory and a thermal test program has been started in order to study its thermo-mechanical behaviour. This thesis focuses on the finite elements modelling of the first CLIC prototype module 0. The aim of the modelling is to examine the temperature distributions and the resulting deformations of the module in different operating conditions defined in the thermal test program. The theoretical results have been compared to the experimental ones; the comparison shows that the results are in good agreement both for the thermal behaviour of the module and for the resulting ...

  11. Modelling of the Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of the Two-Beam Module for the Compact Linear Collider

    CERN Document Server

    Raatikainen, Riku; Österberg, K; Lehtovaara, A; Pajunen, S

    2011-01-01

    To fulfil the mechanical requirements set by the luminosity goals of the compact linear collider, the 2-m long two-beam modules, the shortest repetitive elements in the main linear accelerator, have to be controlled at micrometer level. At the same time these modules are exposed to high power dissipation that varies while the accelerator is ramped up to nominal power and when the mode of the accelerator operation is modified. These variations will give rise to inevitable temperature transients driving mechanical distortions in and between different module components. Therefore, the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the module is of a high importance. This thesis describes a finite element method model for the two-beam compact linear collider module. The components are described in detail compared to earlier models, which should result in a realistic description of the module. Due to the complexity of the modules, the modelling is divided into several phases from geometrical simplification and modification to the...

  12. Analysis of Axial Turbine Pico-Hydro Electrical Power Plant in North Sulawesi Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangari, F. J.; Rompas, P. T. D.

    2018-02-01

    This study presents analysis of pico-hydro electrical power plant in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The objective of this study is to get a design of axial turbine pico-hydro electrical power plant. The method used the study of literature, survey the construction site of the power plant and the characteristics of the location being a place of study, analysis of hydropower ability and analyzing costs of power plant. The result showed that the design of axial turbine pico-hydro installation is connected to a generator to produce electrical energy maximum can be used for household needs in villages. This analyze will be propose to local government of Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

  13. Strategies for growth of hydro electric power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khera, D.V.

    1998-01-01

    Hydro power on account of its several inherent advantages has a key role to play in the development of long term energy strategies based on diversified and balance use of natural national resources. Our country is fortunate to be endowed with large hydro-electric potential. It is estimated that the hydro potential while fully developed may yield to an installed capacity of 1,50,000 MW. An attempt has been made in this paper to examine and analyse the status and trend of hydro power development, need for accelerated development of hydro power, myths about hydro electric projects, principal causes responsible for scaling down of hydro share in the total installed capacity and strategies which could restore optimum hydro thermal mix. (author)

  14. Note sur l'environnement hydro-sédimentaire lagunaire Marcory ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Note sur l'environnement hydro-sédimentaire lagunaire Marcory-Riviera en lagune Ebrié en Côte d'Ivoire : Note on hydrology and sedimentary characteristics of the Marcory-Riviera lagoon area in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

  15. Efficient modeling of metallic interconnects for thermo-mechanical simulation of SOFC stacks: homogenized behaviors and effect of contact

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tadesse Molla, Tesfaye; Kwok, Kawai; Frandsen, Henrik Lund

    2016-01-01

    temperature, deformations involving the elastic, creep as well as effect of changes in the geometry due to contact should be accounted for. The constitutive law can be applied using 3D modeling, but for simple presentation of the theory, 2D plane strain formulation is used to model the corrugated metallic......Currently thermo-mechanical analysis of the entire solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack at operational conditions is computationally challenging if the geometry of metallic interconnects is considered explicitly. This is particularly the case when creep deformations in the interconnect are considered...... model to calculate the homogenized mechanical response of corrugated metallic interconnects at high temperatures.Thereafter, a constitutive law for the homogenized structure (effective material law) is developed. In order to properly describe the mechanical behavior of the interconnect at high...

  16. Home grown hydro, part 1: Hydro development in Canada key to regional, international business expansion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiebe, P.A.

    1994-01-01

    Canada has had a long and successful record of hydroelectric power development since the first hydraulic generators were installed at Chaudiere Falls near Ottawa in 1881. Canadian hydro engineers have demonstrated their ability to develop and manage higher voltages, longer transmission networks, larger projects, remote sites, and undersea cable technology. Canada has earned a reputation for excellence in the hydro industry and is successful at exporting its expertise to develop hydro resources in the international market. A prominent example is provided by the Three Gorges Project in China, for which the Chinese Ministry of Energy searched for the best foreign engineers to prepare a feasibility report. A Canadian team that integrated the expertise of hydro consultants, utilities, and major equipment suppliers was chosen to prepare the report, winning over teams from the USA, Brazil, and Europe. Success in this initiative is attributed to Canada's ability to demonstrate the favorable application of new technology at James Bay. Domestic hydro projects are thus seen as crucial in efforts to expand into international markets. However, Canada's new completed hydro capacity has fallen dramatically since 1986, and Canadian hydro contractors have tended to remain domestic operators with little incentive to enter foreign markets. By having the foresight to begin new hydro developments now, Canada would benefit from increased employment and orders for equipment, and would ensure a continuing base of technical expertise and innovation in the electrical industry. 2 figs

  17. Home grown hydro, part 1: Hydro development in Canada key to regional, international business expansion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiebe, P.A

    1994-06-01

    Canada has had a long and successful record of hydroelectric power development since the first hydraulic generators were installed at Chaudiere Falls near Ottawa in 1881. Canadian hydro engineers have demonstrated their ability to develop and manage higher voltages, longer transmission networks, larger projects, remote sites, and undersea cable technology. Canada has earned a reputation for excellence in the hydro industry and is successful at exporting its expertise to develop hydro resources in the international market. A prominent example is provided by the Three Gorges Project in China, for which the Chinese Ministry of Energy searched for the best foreign engineers to prepare a feasibility report. A Canadian team that integrated the expertise of hydro consultants, utilities, and major equipment suppliers was chosen to prepare the report, winning over teams from the USA, Brazil, and Europe. Success in this initiative is attributed to Canada's ability to demonstrate the favorable application of new technology at James Bay. Domestic hydro projects are thus seen as crucial in efforts to expand into international markets. However, Canada's new completed hydro capacity has fallen dramatically since 1986, and Canadian hydro contractors have tended to remain domestic operators with little incentive to enter foreign markets. By having the foresight to begin new hydro developments now, Canada would benefit from increased employment and orders for equipment, and would ensure a continuing base of technical expertise and innovation in the electrical industry. 2 figs.

  18. Hydro-mechanical behaviour of bentonite-based materials used for high-level radioactive waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Q.

    2012-01-01

    This study deals with the hydro-mechanical behaviour of compacted bentonite-based materials used as sealing materials in high-level radioactive waste repositories. The pure MX80 bentonite, mixtures of MX80/crushed clay-stone and MX80/sand were used in the investigation. An experimental study on the swelling pressure of the bentonite-based materials was first performed. The results evidenced the effects of water chemistry, hydration procedure and duration, pre-existing technological void and experimental methods. Emphasis was put on the relationship between the swelling pressure and the final dry density of bentonite. Afterwards, the water retention test, hydration test and suction controlled oedometer test were conducted on samples with different voids including the technological void and the void inside the soil. By introducing the parameters as bentonite void ratio and water volume ratio, an overall analysis of the effects of voids on the hydro-mechanical response of the compacted material was performed. To get better insight into the seal evolution in case of technological void, the effects of final dry density and hydration time on the microstructure features were also characterized. Then, the hydraulic properties under unsaturated state were investigated by carrying out water retention test and infiltration test as well as the microstructure observation. The results obtained allowed relating the variation of hydraulic conductivity to the microstructure changes. A small scale (1/10) mock up test of the SEALEX in situ experiment was also performed to study the recovery capacity of bentonite-based material with consideration of a technological void. The results were used for interpreting the in-situ observations. With a reduced time scale, it provides useful information for estimating the saturation duration and sealing effectiveness of the field design. Finally, the experimental data obtained in the laboratory on bentonite/sand mixture were interpreted in the

  19. Effect of the Copper on Thermo - Mechanical and Optical Properties of S-Se-Cu Chalcogenide Glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samudrala, Kavitha; Babu Devarasetty, Suresh

    2018-03-01

    The S15Se85-xCux (x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) chalcogenide glasses are synthesized using melt quenching technique and the effect of Copper on thermal, mechanical and optical properties of chalcogenide glasses are investigated. The glassy natures of the prepared samples were verified by X-ray diffraction and DSC studies. The optical band gap of the samples is estimated and it is observed that optical band gap is decreased with increasing of the copper content and is discussed in terms of cohesive energy and coordination number. The basic thermo-mechanical parameters such as micro-hardness, Volume (Vh) and formation energy (Eh) of micro voids in the glassy network and the modulus of Elasticity (E) are calculated in present glasses. The composition dependence of micro hardness is discussed in terms of heat of atomization energy.

  20. Thermo-mechanical assessment of full SiC/SiC composite cladding for LWR applications with sensitivity analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Gyanender; Terrani, Kurt; Katoh, Yutai

    2018-02-01

    SiC/SiC composites are considered among leading candidates for accident tolerant fuel cladding in light water reactors. However, when SiC-based materials are exposed to neutron irradiation, they experience significant changes in dimensions and physical properties. Under a large heat flux application (i.e. fuel cladding), the non-uniform changes in the dimensions and physical properties will lead to build-up of stresses in the structure over the course of time. To ensure reliable and safe operation of such a structure it is important to assess its thermo-mechanical performance under in-reactor conditions of irradiation and elevated temperature. In this work, the foundation for 3D thermo-mechanical analysis of SiC/SiC cladding is put in place and a set of analyses with simplified boundary conditions has been performed. The analyses were carried out with two different codes that were benchmarked against one another and prior results in the literature. A constitutive model is constructed and solved numerically to predict the stress distribution and variation in the cladding under normal operating conditions. The dependence of dimensions and physical properties variation with irradiation and temperature has been incorporated. These robust models may now be modified to take into account the axial and circumferential variation in neutron and heat flux to fully account for 3D effects. The results from the simple analyses show the development of high tensile stresses especially in the circumferential and axial directions at the inner region of the cladding. Based on the results obtained, design guidelines are recommended. For lack of certainty in or tailor-ability for the physical and mechanical properties of SiC/SiC composite material a sensitivity analysis is conducted. The analysis results establish a precedence order of the properties based on the extent to which these properties influence the temperature and the stresses.

  1. Clinical application of transcatheter arterial thermo-chemotherapy and thermo-lipiodol embolization in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xuan; Chen Xiaofei; Dong Weihua

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of thermo-chemotherapy and thermo-lipiodol embolization in treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma(PHC). Methods: One hundred and sixteen cases of PHC were divided into three groups. Group A (38 cases)was treated with normal temperature chemotherapy and normal temperature lipiodol, Group B(40 cases)with thermo-chemotherapy and normal temperature lipiodol and group C (38 cases)with thermo-chemotherapy and thermo-lipiodol. Group B and group C were called the thermotherapy group. Results: In the thermotherapy groups, the rates of tumor size reduction were significantly greater than those in the normal group. There were no significant different in the hepatic function tests among the three groups. The 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24- month survival rates of the normal group and thermotherapy groups were 97%, 58%, 39% and 18%, versus 99%, 79%, 57% and 36%, respectively. No significant differences were found in the rates of reduction of tumor size and survival rates between group B and group C. Conclusion: Thermo-chemotherapy and thermo-embolization possess significant effect on PHC but without conspicuous damage to liver function. (authors)

  2. Hydration Phase Diagram of Clay Particles from Molecular Simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honorio, Tulio; Brochard, Laurent; Vandamme, Matthieu

    2017-11-07

    Adsorption plays a fundamental role in the behavior of clays. Because of the confinement between solid clay layers on the nanoscale, adsorbed water is structured in layers, which can occupy a specific volume. The transition between these states is intimately related to key features of clay thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior. In this article, we consider the hydration states of clays as phases and the transition between these states as phase changes. The thermodynamic formulation supporting this idea is presented. Then, the results from grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of sodium montmorillonite are used to derive hydration phase diagrams. The stability analysis presented here explains the coexistence of different hydration states at clay particle scale and improves our understanding of the irreversibilities of clay thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior. Our results provide insights into the mechanics of the elementary constituents of clays, which is crucial for a better understanding of the macroscopic behavior of clay-rich rocks and soils.

  3. Effect of Discrete Fracture Network Characteristics on the Sustainability of Heat Production in Enhanced Geothermal Reservoirs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riahi, A.; Damjanac, B.

    2013-12-01

    injection into the reservoir during stimulation phase was simulated using a fully coupled hydro-mechanical model. The heat production phase was simulated using a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model. In these simulations, both advective heat transfer by fluid flow and the conductive heat transfer within the rock blocks were modeled. The effect of temperature change on stresses and fracture aperture, and thus flow rates was considered. The response of formations with different DFN characteristics are analyzed by evaluating the production rate, produced power, and total energy extracted from the system over a period of five years. By simulating a full cycle of stimulation and production, the numerical modeling approach represents a realistic estimate of evolving permeability and evaluates how stimulation can be beneficial to the production phase. It is believed that these numerical sensitivity studies can provide valuable insight in evaluation of the potential of success of an EGS project, and can be used to better design the operational parameters in order to optimize heat production. Keywords: Numerical modeling, rock mechanics, discrete fracture network, stimulation, engineered geothermal reservoirs, heat production

  4. The Aster code; Code Aster

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Delbecq, J.M

    1999-07-01

    The Aster code is a 2D or 3D finite-element calculation code for structures developed by the R and D direction of Electricite de France (EdF). This dossier presents a complete overview of the characteristics and uses of the Aster code: introduction of version 4; the context of Aster (organisation of the code development, versions, systems and interfaces, development tools, quality assurance, independent validation); static mechanics (linear thermo-elasticity, Euler buckling, cables, Zarka-Casier method); non-linear mechanics (materials behaviour, big deformations, specific loads, unloading and loss of load proportionality indicators, global algorithm, contact and friction); rupture mechanics (G energy restitution level, restitution level in thermo-elasto-plasticity, 3D local energy restitution level, KI and KII stress intensity factors, calculation of limit loads for structures), specific treatments (fatigue, rupture, wear, error estimation); meshes and models (mesh generation, modeling, loads and boundary conditions, links between different modeling processes, resolution of linear systems, display of results etc..); vibration mechanics (modal and harmonic analysis, dynamics with shocks, direct transient dynamics, seismic analysis and aleatory dynamics, non-linear dynamics, dynamical sub-structuring); fluid-structure interactions (internal acoustics, mass, rigidity and damping); linear and non-linear thermal analysis; steels and metal industry (structure transformations); coupled problems (internal chaining, internal thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling, chaining with other codes); products and services. (J.S.)

  5. The Aster code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delbecq, J.M.

    1999-01-01

    The Aster code is a 2D or 3D finite-element calculation code for structures developed by the R and D direction of Electricite de France (EdF). This dossier presents a complete overview of the characteristics and uses of the Aster code: introduction of version 4; the context of Aster (organisation of the code development, versions, systems and interfaces, development tools, quality assurance, independent validation); static mechanics (linear thermo-elasticity, Euler buckling, cables, Zarka-Casier method); non-linear mechanics (materials behaviour, big deformations, specific loads, unloading and loss of load proportionality indicators, global algorithm, contact and friction); rupture mechanics (G energy restitution level, restitution level in thermo-elasto-plasticity, 3D local energy restitution level, KI and KII stress intensity factors, calculation of limit loads for structures), specific treatments (fatigue, rupture, wear, error estimation); meshes and models (mesh generation, modeling, loads and boundary conditions, links between different modeling processes, resolution of linear systems, display of results etc..); vibration mechanics (modal and harmonic analysis, dynamics with shocks, direct transient dynamics, seismic analysis and aleatory dynamics, non-linear dynamics, dynamical sub-structuring); fluid-structure interactions (internal acoustics, mass, rigidity and damping); linear and non-linear thermal analysis; steels and metal industry (structure transformations); coupled problems (internal chaining, internal thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling, chaining with other codes); products and services. (J.S.)

  6. A roadmap for tailoring the strength and ductility of ferritic/martensitic T91 steel via thermo-mechanical treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, M.; Sun, C.; Fan, Z.; Chen, Y.; Zhu, R.; Yu, K.Y.; Hartwig, K.T.; Wang, H.; Zhang, X.

    2016-01-01

    Ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels with high strength and excellent ductility are important candidate materials for the life extension of the current nuclear reactors and the design of next generation nuclear reactors. Recent studies show that equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) was able to improve mechanical strength of ferritic T91 steels moderately. Here, we examine several strategies to further enhance the mechanical strength of T91 while maintaining its ductility. Certain thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT) processes enabled by combinations of ECAE, water quench, and tempering may lead to “ductile martensite” with exceptionally high strength in T91 steel. The evolution of microstructures and mechanical properties of T91 steel were investigated in detail, and transition carbides were identified in water quenched T91 steel. This study provides guidelines for tailoring the microstructure and mechanical properties of T91 steel via ECAE enabled TMT for an improved combination of strength and ductility.

  7. Deformation and damage modes of deep argillaceous rocks under hydro-mechanical stresses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vales, F.

    2008-12-01

    An experimental identification of the hydro-mechanical behaviour of an argillite rock is proposed within a multi-scale approach. In particular, interest is focused on the spatial and temporal localization of strain and damage in a specimen during hydro-mechanical loading. Firstly, we describe the techniques used to follow the rock evolutions under loading, and in particular Digital Images Correlation (DIC), Acoustic Emission, microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Measurement errors and device limitations are discussed. The studied material is the Callovo-Oxfordian indurated argillaceous rock (or argillite) of the Bure site where ANDRA has built an underground research laboratory to study the radioactive waste storage. Petrophysical characterizations and microstructural observations by optical and scanning electron microscopy provide an identification of the constitutive phase and a characterization of their spatial distribution and typical sizes. Argillite can be described as a composite structure with a continuous clay matrix and embedded mineral particles, essentially quartz and carbonates. The typical size of these particles ranges from a few micrometers to a few hundreds micrometers, with an average close to 50 μ.m. The general experimental procedure combines two steps: in a fist time, imposed suctions bring samples to a given degree of water saturation, and, in a second time, uniaxial mechanical compression tests are performed. To understand the evolutions of the material under hydric and mechanical loading, samples are instrumented with standard measurement techniques, but also with Digital Image Correlation, at both the global scale of the sample and the local scale of the composite microstructure, and with Acoustic Emissions recording. Moisture transfers are imposed by controlled suctions on the range of 150 to 2.8 MPa, corresponding to the relative humidity range of 32 to 98%RH. During pure hydric solicitation, the changes in physical parameters

  8. Graphite nodules and local residual stresses in ductile iron: Thermo-mechanical modelingand experimental validation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andriollo, Tito

    -indentation method is considered first, with the aim of obtaining some direct information concerning the constitutive behavior of the individual graphite particles. Unfortunately, the technique turns out to feature a number of assumptions that pose strong limitations to its applicability to brittle, inhomogeneous...... this as point of departure, the present work initially focuses on finding a satisfactory description of the nodules’ thermo-elastic behavior, which is shown to be missing in the published literature, by means of micro-mechanical homogenization analyses based on a representative unit cell. These, combined...... stages of the manufacturing process are simulated numerically, accounting for the different thermal expansion of the nodules and of the matrix during both the eutectoid transformation and the subsequent cooling to room temperature. The results show the formation of significant residual stresses...

  9. [Ontario Hydro]. Corporate performance report, 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    Summarizes Ontario Hydro's corporate performance for the year, with actual results being compared against planned values. Also includes additional indicators that illustrate noteworthy trends in corporate performance. Corporate results are reported under the new organizational structure implemented in 1993, beginning with overall results in such areas as customer service, environmental stewardship, human resources, and finance. This is followed by reports from the Generation Business Group, Customer Services Group, Corporate Business Group, General Counsel and Secretary, Ontario Hydro Audit, Strategic Planning, Environment and Communication Group, and Ontario Hydro enterprises (Ontario Hydro Technologies, Ontario Hydro International). The appendix includes summary financial statements

  10. 3-D thermo-mechanical laboratory modeling of plate-tectonics: modeling scheme, technique and first experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Boutelier

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available We present an experimental apparatus for 3-D thermo-mechanical analogue modeling of plate tectonic processes such as oceanic and continental subductions, arc-continent or continental collisions. The model lithosphere, made of temperature-sensitive elasto-plastic analogue materials with strain softening, is submitted to a constant temperature gradient causing a strength reduction with depth in each layer. The surface temperature is imposed using infrared emitters, which allows maintaining an unobstructed view of the model surface and the use of a high resolution optical strain monitoring technique (Particle Imaging Velocimetry. Subduction experiments illustrate how the stress conditions on the interplate zone can be estimated using a force sensor attached to the back of the upper plate and adjusted via the density and strength of the subducting lithosphere or the lubrication of the plate boundary. The first experimental results reveal the potential of the experimental set-up to investigate the three-dimensional solid-mechanics interactions of lithospheric plates in multiple natural situations.

  11. Forced synchronization and asynchronous quenching in a thermo-acoustic system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondal, Sirshendu; Pawar, Samadhan A.; Sujith, Raman

    2017-11-01

    Forced synchronization, which has been extensively studied in theory and experiments, occurs through two different mechanisms known as phase locking and asynchronous quenching. The latter indicates the suppression of oscillation amplitude. In most practical combustion systems such as gas turbine engines, the main concern is high amplitude pressure oscillations, known as thermo-acoustic instability. Thermo-acoustic instability is undesirable and needs to be suppressed because of its damaging consequences to an engine. In the present study, a systematic experimental investigation of forced synchronization is performed in a prototypical thermo-acoustic system, a Rijke tube, in its limit cycle operation. Further, we show a qualitatively similar behavior using a reduced order model. In the phase locking region, the simultaneous occurrence of synchronization and resonant amplification leads to high amplitude pressure oscillations. However, a reduction in the amplitude of natural oscillations by about 78% of the unforced amplitude is observed when the forcing frequency is far lower than the natural frequency. This shows the possibility of suppression of the oscillation amplitude through asynchronous quenching in thermo-acoustic systems.

  12. A thermo-electro-mechanical simulation model for hot wire cutting of EPS foam

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petkov, Kiril; Hattel, Jesper Henri

    2016-01-01

    A one-dimensional thermo-electro-mechanical mathematical model describing the effects taking place within a Ni-Cr20% wire used in a hot-wire cutting process for free forming and rapid prototyping of expanded polystyrene (EPS) is investigated and simulated. The model implements and solves three semi...... cutting of EPS in contact with a cutting tool made of an electrically heated metal wire attached to a robot device. The finite difference method is used to solve the coupled equations in the two environments (domains) in which the hot-wire operates, namely air and EPS. The model is calibrated against...... experimentally obtained data. Novel findings are a transient temperature-dependent kerfwidth prediction and a relation between kerfwidth and the cutting angle as measured from the horizontal direction. These are important relations in the aim for higher geometrical accuracy of the hot-wire cutting process. (C...

  13. Thermo-mechanical properties improvement of asphalt binder by using methylmethacrylate/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.A. Ragab

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Various polymer-modified asphalt compositions for paving and roofing applications are known since several years ago. The degree to which a polymer improves the asphalt’s properties depends on the compatibility of the polymer and the asphalt. Highly compatible polymers are more effective in providing property improvements. In this research, the influence of in situ polymerization of methylmethacrylate monomer with asphalt in presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM as a crosslinker on the rheological and thermal properties of asphalt binder of type penetration grade 60/70 was studied. To achieve this aim, MMA/EGDM(MC in different ratios as 5, 10 and 15% (w/w were used to modify the thermo-mechanical properties of asphalt via forming chemical bond, and the changing in mechanical and thermal properties, of the mixes as well as the storage stability were studied. Also, the morphology (SEM, thermal characterization (TGA, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA, bending and rheological tests were detected. The obtained experimental results revealed that the addition of MC causes both the rheological and thermal properties of the binder to improve and the prepared PMAs has high temperature susceptibility and low curing time. The improvement in the properties of the virgin asphalt will be effective in using this soft type in coating applications instead of highly expensive oxidized one.

  14. Hydro-chemo-mechanical coupling in sediments: Localized mineral dissolution

    KAUST Repository

    Cha, Minsu; Santamarina, Carlos

    2016-01-01

    Mineral dissolution is inherently a chemo-hydro-mechanical coupled process. Field evidence and laboratory results show that dissolution may localize and form open conduits in cohesive media such as carbonate rocks. This study focuses on the evolution of localized dissolution in soils (i.e., frictional and non-cohesive granular materials) under effective confining stresses. Experimental results show the development of localized dissolution (“pipe”) when a carbonate-quartz sand is subjected to reactive fluid flow: only loosely packed quartz grains remain within pipes, and the number of pipes decreases away from the inlet port. Concurrent shear wave velocity measurements show a decrease in stiffness during dissolution due to stress and fabric changes, and more complex signal codas anticipate the development of internal heterogeneity. The discrete element method is used to simulate localized vertical dissolution features in granular materials, under constant vertical stress and zero lateral strain far-field boundaries. As porosity increases along dissolution pipes, vertical load is transferred to the surrounding soils and marked force chains develop. In terms of equivalent stress, principal stress rotation takes place within pipes and the sediment reaches the Coulomb failure condition inside pipes and in the surrounding medium. Dissolution pipes alter the geo-plumbing of the subsurface, enhance fluid transport but limit the long term performance of storage systems, alter the fluid pressure and effective stress fields, soften the sediment and may trigger shear failures.

  15. Hydro-chemo-mechanical coupling in sediments: Localized mineral dissolution

    KAUST Repository

    Cha, Minsu

    2016-06-11

    Mineral dissolution is inherently a chemo-hydro-mechanical coupled process. Field evidence and laboratory results show that dissolution may localize and form open conduits in cohesive media such as carbonate rocks. This study focuses on the evolution of localized dissolution in soils (i.e., frictional and non-cohesive granular materials) under effective confining stresses. Experimental results show the development of localized dissolution (“pipe”) when a carbonate-quartz sand is subjected to reactive fluid flow: only loosely packed quartz grains remain within pipes, and the number of pipes decreases away from the inlet port. Concurrent shear wave velocity measurements show a decrease in stiffness during dissolution due to stress and fabric changes, and more complex signal codas anticipate the development of internal heterogeneity. The discrete element method is used to simulate localized vertical dissolution features in granular materials, under constant vertical stress and zero lateral strain far-field boundaries. As porosity increases along dissolution pipes, vertical load is transferred to the surrounding soils and marked force chains develop. In terms of equivalent stress, principal stress rotation takes place within pipes and the sediment reaches the Coulomb failure condition inside pipes and in the surrounding medium. Dissolution pipes alter the geo-plumbing of the subsurface, enhance fluid transport but limit the long term performance of storage systems, alter the fluid pressure and effective stress fields, soften the sediment and may trigger shear failures.

  16. A hydro-thermo-mechanics analyze of the thermal fatigue in the mixing tee junction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gourdin, C.; Chapuliot, S.; Magnaud, J.P.; Payen, T.

    2003-01-01

    Work presented here, has been achieved at Cea, and is related to the comprehension of the mechanisms leading to cracking under thermal loading in the zones of mixing. The main objective of this work is to analyze, by computation, the thermal loading induced by the turbulent mixing following a tee junction and to explain how it can create cracking, from the internal skin of the component to a leakage, as it was observed in Civaux Power Plant in 1998. The phenomenon is still today not completely understood. One of the principal reasons to this partial incomprehension undoubtedly resides in the multi-field aspect of the loading and of the associated damage, utilizing three different and complementary scientific disciplines: thermohydraulics, thermomechanics and material science. The presentation proposed here, consists in connecting the analyses resulting from these various fields. The first part concentrates on thermohydraulics simulations. The choice of an adequate modeling is discussed on the basis of observed cracking in order to highlight phenomena of large scale beats, which are supposed one of the major causes leading to the failure of the structures. The second part deals with the use of the temperature fields obtained in the first part in order to carry out thermomechanical simulations. All these simulations are 3-dimensional and represent the complex geometry of Civaux RRA piping line, including a tee junction and elbows, water flow velocity. Mean and temperatures variations, mean and stresses variations are also presented. As final results make it possible to determine a map of the damage associated with these complex thermal loading. (authors)

  17. Study of polymorphous silicon as thermo-sensing film for infrared detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moreno, M.; Torres, A.; Ambrosio, R.; Torres, E.; Rosales, P.; Zuñiga, C.; Reyes-Betanzo, C.; Calleja, W.; De la Hidalga, J.; Monfil, K.

    2012-01-01

    In this work we have deposited and characterized pm-Si:H thin films obtained by plasma deposition. Our aim is to use pm-Si:H as thermo-sensing element for infrared (IR) detectors based on un-cooled microbolometers. We have studied the electrical characteristics of pm-Si:H that are figures of merit important for IR detection, as activation energy, thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR), room temperature conductivity (σ RT ) and responsivity under IR radiation. The influence of the substrate temperature (200 °C and 300 °C) on the pm-Si:H characteristics has been also studied. Our results shown that pm-Si:H is an excellent candidate to be used as thermo-sensing film for microbolometers, due to its large activation energy and TCR, with an improved σ RT .

  18. Analytical solution of the thermo-mechanical stresses in a multilayered composite pressure vessel considering the influence of the closed ends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Q.; Wang, Z.W.; Tang, C.Y.; Hu, D.P.; Liu, P.Q.; Xia, L.Z.

    2012-01-01

    Limited work has been reported on determining the thermo-mechanical stresses in a multilayered composite pressure vessel when the influence of its closed ends is considered. In this study, an analytical solution was derived for determining the stress distribution of a multilayered composite pressure vessel subjected to an internal fluid pressure and a thermal load, based on thermo-elasticity theory. In the solution, a pseudo extrusion pressure was proposed to emulate the effect of the closed ends of the pressure vessel. To validate the analytical solution, the stress distribution of the pressure vessel was also computed using finite element (FE) method. It was found that the analytical results were in good agreement with the computational ones, and the effect of thermal load on the stress distribution was discussed in detail. The proposed analytical solution provides an exact means to design multilayered composite pressure vessels. Highlights: ► The thermal-mechanical stress was derived for a multilayered pressure vessel. ► A new pseudo extrusion pressure was proposed to emulate the effect of closed ends. ► The analytical results are in good agreement with the computational ones using FEM. ► The solution provides an exact way to design the multilayered pressure vessel.

  19. Application of Galerkin meshfree methods to nonlinear thermo-mechanical simulation of solids under extremely high pulsed loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibáñez, Daniel Iglesias; García Orden, Juan C.; Brañas, B.; Carmona, J.M.; Molla, J.

    2013-01-01

    simulation of complex nonlinear mechanical problems involving large strains and displacements (e.g. flexible multibody dynamics). When compared to Finite Element Method (FEM), they present higher robustness under large strains and a better precision for the same computer calculation time when dealing with rough discretizations. All these results have been previously shown in [3]. The experience gained with those applications and the reproductivity characteristics of the shape functions suggest that the number of degrees of freedom needed for a precise analysis of shallow volumetric heat loads can be drastically reduced from that of the usual FEM approach. We describe the development and implementation of a coupled nonlinear thermo-mechanical formulation which takes into account the particularities of the meshfree discretization. Numerical experiments of beam facing elements are presented and compared with FEM results

  20. Electrodeposition to construct free-standing chitosan/layered double hydroxides hydro-membrane for electrically triggered protein release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Pengkun; Zhao, Yanan; Xiao, Ling; Deng, Hongbing; Du, Yumin; Chen, Yun; Shi, Xiaowen

    2017-10-01

    In this study, we report the electrodeposition of a chitosan/layered double hydroxides (LDHs) hydro-membrane for protein release triggered by an electrical signal. The electrodeposition was performed in a chitosan and insulin loaded LDHs suspension in the absence of salt. A free-standing chitosan/LDHs hydro-membrane was generated on the electrode with improved mechanical properties, which is dramatically different from the weak hydrogel deposited in the presence of salt. The amount of LDHs in the hydro-membrane affects the optical transmittance and multilayered structure of the hybrid membrane. Compared to the weak chitosan/LDHs hydrogel, the hydro-membrane has a higher insulin loading capacity and the release of insulin is relatively slow. By biasing electrical potentials to the hydro-membrane, the release behavior of insulin can be adjusted accordingly. In addition, the chitosan/LDHs hydro-membrane showed no toxicity to cells. Our results provide a facile method to construct a chitosan/LDHs hybrid multilayered hydro-membrane and suggest the great potential of the hydro-membrane in controlled protein release. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical design of plasma facing components for SST-1 tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhuri, Paritosh; Santra, P.; Chenna Reddy, D.; Parashar, S.K.S.

    2014-01-01

    The Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) are one of the major sub-systems of ssT-1 tokamak. PFC of ssT-1 consisting of divertors, passive stabilizers, baffles and limiters are designed to be compatible for steady state operation. The main consideration in the design of the PFC cooling is the steady state heat removal of up to 1 MW/m 2 . The PFC has been designed to withstand the peak heat fluxes and also without significant erosion such that frequent replacement of the armor is not necessary. Design considerations included 2-D steady state and transient tile temperature distribution and resulting thermal loads in PFC during baking, and cooling, coolant parameters necessary to maintain optimum thermal-hydraulic design, and tile fitting mechanism. Finite Element (FE) models using ANSYS have been developed to carry out the heat transfer and stress analyses of the PFC to understand its thermal and mechanical behaviors. The results of the calculation led to a good understanding of the coolant flow behavior and the temperature distribution in the tube wall and the different parts of the PFC. Thermal analysis of the PFC is carried out with the purpose of evaluating the thermal mechanical behavior of PFCs. The detailed thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical designs of PFCs of ssT-1 are discussed in this paper. (authors)

  2. Identifying and Evaluating Chaotic Behavior in Hydro-Meteorological Processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soojun Kim

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to identify and evaluate chaotic behavior in hydro-meteorological processes. This study poses the two hypotheses to identify chaotic behavior of the processes. First, assume that the input data is the significant factor to provide chaotic characteristics to output data. Second, assume that the system itself is the significant factor to provide chaotic characteristics to output data. For solving this issue, hydro-meteorological time series such as precipitation, air temperature, discharge, and storage volume were collected in the Great Salt Lake and Bear River Basin, USA. The time series in the period of approximately one year were extracted from the original series using the wavelet transform. The generated time series from summation of sine functions were fitted to each series and used for investigating the hypotheses. Then artificial neural networks had been built for modeling the reservoir system and the correlation dimension was analyzed for the evaluation of chaotic behavior between inputs and outputs. From the results, we found that the chaotic characteristic of the storage volume which is output is likely a byproduct of the chaotic behavior of the reservoir system itself rather than that of the input data.

  3. Small hydro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennett, K.; Tung, T.

    1995-01-01

    A small hydro plant in Canada is defined as any project between 1 MW and 15 MW but the international standard is 10 MW. The global market for small hydro development was considered good. There are some 1000 to 2000 MW of generating capacity being added each year. In Canada, growth potential is considered small, primarily in remote areas, but significant growth is anticipated in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Canada with its expertise in engineering, manufacturing and development is considered to have a good chance to take advantage of these growing markets

  4. Panel report on coupled thermo-mechanical-hydro-chemical processes associated with a nuclear waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, C.F.; Mangold, D.C.

    1984-07-01

    Four basic physical processes, thermal, hydrological, mechanical and chemical, are likely to occur in 11 different types of coupling during the service life of an underground nuclear waste repository. A great number of coupled processes with various degrees of importance for geological repositories were identified and arranged into these 11 types. A qualitative description of these processes and a tentative evaluation of their significance and the degree of uncertainty in prediction is given. Suggestions for methods of investigation generally include, besides theoretical work, laboratory and large scale field testing. Great efforts of a multidisciplinary nature are needed to elucidate details of several coupled processes under different temperature conditions in different geological formations. It was suggested that by limiting the maximum temperature to 100 0 C in the backfill and in the host rock during the whole service life of the repository the uncertainties in prediction of long-term repository behavior might be considerably reduced

  5. Panel report on coupled thermo-mechanical-hydro-chemical processes associated with a nuclear waste repository

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsang, C.F.; Mangold, D.C. (eds.)

    1984-07-01

    Four basic physical processes, thermal, hydrological, mechanical and chemical, are likely to occur in 11 different types of coupling during the service life of an underground nuclear waste repository. A great number of coupled processes with various degrees of importance for geological repositories were identified and arranged into these 11 types. A qualitative description of these processes and a tentative evaluation of their significance and the degree of uncertainty in prediction is given. Suggestions for methods of investigation generally include, besides theoretical work, laboratory and large scale field testing. Great efforts of a multidisciplinary nature are needed to elucidate details of several coupled processes under different temperature conditions in different geological formations. It was suggested that by limiting the maximum temperature to 100{sup 0}C in the backfill and in the host rock during the whole service life of the repository the uncertainties in prediction of long-term repository behavior might be considerably reduced.

  6. Magneto-active shape memory composites by incorporating ferromagnetic microparticles in a thermo-responsive polyalkenamer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuevas, J M; German, L; Iturrondobeitia, M; Alonso, J; Laza, J M; Vilas, J L; León, L M

    2009-01-01

    Covalently crosslinked semi-crystalline polyalkenamer-based shape memory polymers (SMPs) were prepared and characterized. Thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of thermo-sensitive polymers manufactured by melt compounding were investigated, and shape memory features demonstrated. For remote activation of shape recovery properties, electromagnetic inductive heating of a series of iron-based ferromagnetic microparticles was evaluated for subsequent incorporation into a shape memory polymeric matrix. The inductive heating capacity of micro-sized iron-filled polyalkenamers with different volume fraction contents was optimized and a comparison of thermo-mechanical properties of filled and unfilled shape memory polymeric networks was performed. Electromagnetically triggered shape memory properties of easily formed composites were documented and shape memory recovery rates comparable to those obtained by conventional heating methods were demonstrated for further research and design of new types of applications

  7. Thermo-elastic optical coherence tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tianshi; Pfeiffer, Tom; Wu, Min; Wieser, Wolfgang; Amenta, Gaetano; Draxinger, Wolfgang; van der Steen, Antonius F W; Huber, Robert; Soest, Gijs van

    2017-09-01

    The absorption of nanosecond laser pulses induces rapid thermo-elastic deformation in tissue. A sub-micrometer scale displacement occurs within a few microseconds after the pulse arrival. In this Letter, we investigate the laser-induced thermo-elastic deformation using a 1.5 MHz phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. A displacement image can be reconstructed, which enables a new modality of phase-sensitive OCT, called thermo-elastic OCT. An analysis of the results shows that the optical absorption is a dominating factor for the displacement. Thermo-elastic OCT is capable of visualizing inclusions that do not appear on the structural OCT image, providing additional tissue type information.

  8. Contribution to a hydro-chemo-mechanical multi-mechanisms model based on the multi-scale and multi components structure of Callovo-Oxfordian argillites: experiments and modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robinet, J.C.; Trinh, M.H.; Imbert, C.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The fundamental features of the Callovo Oxfordian argillite, namely the structure and the pore size distribution are considered to propose a model consistent with its mechanical behavior. The model deals with the main mechanisms selected: damage, plasticity and swelling. Structure of Argillites as fundamental base of mechanical behavior Callovian-Oxfordian argillites present specific characteristics: - a strong mineralogical heterogeneity made up from 23% to 25% of quartz, 20% to 27% of carbonate, 40% to 50% of argillaceous minerals and 5% to 10% various mineral; - a low porosity comprised between 12 to 15%, associated with the following pore size distribution: 14% of nano-pores, majority 81% of meso-pores and 5% of macro-pores; - a low Biot coefficient, around 0.6; - no cementing (within the meaning of a concrete). Four basic mechanisms are considered likely to explain the structure of argillite in place: - mechanical consolidation obtained by increasing external stress, - chemical consolidation by reduction in dielectric constant (leaching of chlorides), - thermal consolidation, - filling of the macro-porosity by precipitation of a carbonated phase (calcite). Experimental tests were performed to evaluate the weight of these mechanisms. Results show that mechanic and thermal consolidations, in the fields of stress and temperature encountered in situ by argillite during geological history, and chemical consolidation could not alone explain the state the high density without macro porosity. An assumption advanced to explain is the filling of macro porosity by non argillaceous mineral precipitation, in particular calcite that would confer to in situ argillite an apparent over-consolidation from a mechanical point of view. This assumption is partially validated by some experiments: - Percolation tests were made with hydrochloric acid on bulky and sound argillite to remove the carbonates in the macro-porosity; they

  9. Micro Hydro-Electric Energy Generation- An Overview

    OpenAIRE

    S. O. Anaza; M. S. Abdulazeez; Y. A. Yisah; Y. O. Yusuf; B. U. Salawu; S. U. Momoh

    2017-01-01

    Energy is required now more than ever due to population growth, industrialization and modernization. Challenges such as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and depletion of conventional source of energy necessitate for renewable sources, of which hydro energy seems to be the most predictable. Micro-hydro which is hydro energy in a “small” scale provides electricity to small communities by converting hydro energy into electrical energy. This paper is an overview of micro-hydro system by reviewing s...

  10. Electro-chemo-hydro-mechanical coupling in clayey media; Couplage electro-chimio-hydro-mecaniques dans les milieux argileux

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lemaire, Th

    2004-12-15

    The aim of this study is to understand coupled phenomena that occur in swelling porous materials like clays. Electro-chemo-hydro-mechanical contributions are taken into account to analyze transfers in such minerals. In a first part, a general discussion is proposed to introduce mineralogical and physico- chemical considerations of clayey media. An important objective of this chapter is to show the crucial role of the microstructure. In a second part is presented an imbibition test in a MX80 bentonite powder. The hydraulic diffusivity versus water content curve's decrease is explained thanks to a double porosity model that shows the progressive collapse of meso-pores due to swelling effects at the micro-scale. Thus a multi-scale analysis is necessary to well describe clayey media behaviour. The third chapter exposes such a multi-scale modelling (periodic homogenization). It is based on the double-layer theory and introduces an innovative concept of virtual electrolyte solution. First numerical results are given in a simple geometry (parallel platelets). In the next part are proposed numerical simulations of two kinds: response of the system to a chemical gradient and simulation of electro-osmosis. The end of this chapter puts into relief the necessity to integrate pH effects in the model. In the last part, chemical surface exchanges are incorporated in the modelling to understand pH and ionic force roles in electro-osmotic process. (author)

  11. PRELIMINARY STUDY OF PLYWOOD PRODUCED WITH PARICÁ (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke VENEERS MODIFIED BY THERMO-MECHANICAL TREATMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larissa Medeiros Arruda

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this preliminary research was to study the effects of thermo-mechanical modification in veneers of Paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke to improve plywood hygroscopicity and mechanical properties. The amount of 24 veneers was used with the dimensions 25 x 25 cm, that were compressed under different times (5, 10 and 15 minutes at 150°C and pressure at 1 N.mm-2, constituting three treatments and one untreated. Plywood were bonded with resorcinol-formaldehyde, glue consumption of 360 g.m-2 at ambient temperature and pressure of 1 N.mm-2 for 10 hours. The samples were evaluated by colorimetric analysis and physical and mechanical properties. Colorimetric analysis showed that there was a darkening of the wood toward the increase of treatment time. The treatment was not efficient in reducing swelling, only reducing absorption of water. The mechanical properties were not significantly affected by the treatment.

  12. Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment. Final 2D coupled thermo-mechanical modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fredriksson, Anders; Staub, Isabelle; Outters, Nils [Golder Associates AB, Uppsala (Sweden)

    2004-02-01

    A site scale Pillar Stability Experiment is planned in the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. One of the experiment's aims is to demonstrate the possibilities of predicting spalling in the fractured rock mass. In order to investigate the probability and conditions for spalling in the pillar 'prior to experiment' numerical simulations have been undertaken. This report presents the results obtained from 2D coupled thermo-mechanical numerical simulations that have been done with the Finite Element based programme JobFem. The 2D numerical simulations were conducted at two different depth levels, 0.5 and 1.5 m below tunnel floor. The in situ stresses have been confirmed with convergence measurements during the excavation of the tunnel. After updating the mechanical and thermal properties of the rock mass the final simulations have been undertaken. According to the modelling results the temperature in the pillar will increase from the initial 15.2 deg up to 58 deg after 120 days of heating. Based on these numerical simulations and on the thermal induced stresses the total stresses are expected to exceed 210 MPa at the border of the pillar for the level at 0.5 m below tunnel floor and might reach 180-182 MPa for the level at 1.5 m below tunnel floor. The stresses are slightly higher at the border of the confined hole. Upon these results and according to the rock mechanical properties the Crack Initiation Stress is exceeded at the border of the pillar already after the excavation phase. These results also illustrate that the Crack Damage Stress is exceeded only for the level at 0.5 m below tunnel floor and after at least 80 days of heating. The interpretation of the results shows that the required level of stress for spalling can be reached in the pillar.

  13. The effects of short-lived radionuclides and porosity on the early thermo-mechanical evolution of planetesimals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichtenberg, Tim; Golabek, Gregor J.; Gerya, Taras V.; Meyer, Michael R.

    2016-08-01

    The thermal history and internal structure of chondritic planetesimals, assembled before the giant impact phase of chaotic growth, potentially yield important implications for the final composition and evolution of terrestrial planets. These parameters critically depend on the internal balance of heating versus cooling, which is mostly determined by the presence of short-lived radionuclides (SLRs), such as 26Al and 60Fe, as well as the heat conductivity of the material. The heating by SLRs depends on their initial abundances, the formation time of the planetesimal and its size. It has been argued that the cooling history is determined by the porosity of the granular material, which undergoes dramatic changes via compaction processes and tends to decrease with time. In this study we assess the influence of these parameters on the thermo-mechanical evolution of young planetesimals with both 2D and 3D simulations. Using the code family I2ELVIS/I3ELVIS we have run numerous 2D and 3D numerical finite-difference fluid dynamic models with varying planetesimal radius, formation time and initial porosity. Our results indicate that powdery materials lowered the threshold for melting and convection in planetesimals, depending on the amount of SLRs present. A subset of planetesimals retained a powdery surface layer which lowered the thermal conductivity and hindered cooling. The effect of initial porosity was small, however, compared to those of planetesimal size and formation time, which dominated the thermo-mechanical evolution and were the primary factors for the onset of melting and differentiation. We comment on the implications of this work concerning the structure and evolution of these planetesimals, as well as their behavior as possible building blocks of terrestrial planets.

  14. Impact on the aquatic environment of hydro-peaking in hydroelectric plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabaton, C.; Lauters, F.; Valentin, S.

    1996-01-01

    There are a number of types of hydroelectric installations on French rivers. Some of these intermittently turbine water stored in dammed reservoirs, in order to use available reserves at the most opportune moment for power generation. These plants, run under 'hydro-peaking' management procedures, cause variations in discharge in river sections downstream of the restitution, on a daily or weekly scale. To answer questions concerning the impact of such variations in discharge on the aquatic environment, EDF launched a research program aimed at describing and better understanding the physical and biological phenomena related to hydro-peaking and assessing the possible impact of this type of plant management on French streams. Seven sites subjects to hydro-peaking were studied on rivers with mean flow rates lower than 20 m 3 /s (which corresponds to over 65 % of EDF hydro-peaking sites). Four themes in particular were examined: hydraulic characterization of hydro-peaking, modifications in thermal regime and water quality, response of benthic invertebrates and response of fish populations to hydro-peaking. For fish as well as for invertebrates, the role of the base discharge - in the absence of peaking flow - and that of the morphology of the river bed (and, in particular, the presence of shelter for fish) during periods of strong discharge were clearly highlighted. Impact assessment requires a precise diagnosis of the state of biocenoses. To carry out such a diagnosis, one must reason in terms of species, life phase (particularly the most sensitive phases) and population structure as well as the type of stream and the faunizone involved. A risk assessment is possible by means of simultaneous study of the morphology of the river bed and the response of the signal generated by hydro-peaking in terms of hydrology and physical characteristics downstream of the restitution. (authors)

  15. Thermo-plasmonics of Irradiated Metallic Nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Haiyan

    Thermo-plasmonics is an emerging field in photonics which aims at harnessing the kinetic energy of light to generate nanoscopic sources of heat. Localized surface plasmons (LSP) supported by metallic nanostructures greatly enhance the interactions of light with the structure. By engineering...... delivery, nano-surgeries and thermo-transportations. Apart from generating well-controlled temperature increase in functional thermo-plasmonic devices, thermo-plasmonics can also be used in understanding complex phenomena in thermodynamics by creating drastic temperature gradients which are not accessible...... using conventional techniques. In this thesis, we present novel experimental and numerical tools to characterize thermo-plasmonic devices in a biologically relevant environment, and explore the thermodiffusion properties and measure thermophoretic forces for particles in temperature gradients ranging...

  16. Issue of ecological impacts due to hydro-peaking management. Characterization of hydro-peaks - Operating experience on Maronne River; Impacts ecologiques des eclusees hydroelectriques. Caracterisaton des regimes d'eclusees et Retour d'experience sur la Maronne

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Courret, Dominique; Larinier, Michel [Office National de l' Eau et des Milieux Aquatiques - ONEMA, Pole Ecohydraulique, IMFT, Cemagref, Avenue du Professeur Camille Soula, 31400 Toulouse (France); Chanseau, Matthieu [MIGADO, 18ter rue de la Garonne - 47520 Le Passage (France); Office National de l' Eau et des Milieux Aquatiques - ONEMA, Direction Interregionale de Toulouse, Avenue du Professeur Camille Soula, 31400 Toulouse (France); Lascaux, Jean-Marc [Etudes et COnseils en Gestion de l' Environnement Aquatique - ECOGEA, 10 avenue de Toulouse, 31860 Pins-Justaret (France)

    2012-01-15

    Hydro-peaking management can consistently alter fish populations, and particularly recruitment of diadromous species, like salmon. To progress in understanding the impacts and defining mitigation measures, it appears essential to combine long-term biological survey, hydrological analysis including hydro-peaks characterization, and hydro-morphologic approach. In a first time, a methodology for hydrological characterization of hydro-peaks is presented. Their diversity and high variability are illustrated. Then, we present operating experience on Maronne River, a tributary of the Dordogne River downstream Argentat affected by hydro-peaks of Hautefage scheme. Biological surveys and hydrologic and hydro-morphologic studies allowed a better understanding and a quantification of some biological impacts (redds dewatering, stranding-trapping of alevins), to support mitigation measures and to assess its effectiveness. The relevance of work on morphology, in addition to measures on flow management, is also illustrated. Some positive results have already been obtained. Studies on the Maronne River are pursued to achieve a really satisfactory situation. This example shows that the current knowledge does not allow, on a given stream, to pre-define mitigation measures and ensure their efficiency. This leads to advocate the setting up of similar approach on other river, to identify biological communities' responses depending on the characteristics of hydro-peaks and hydro-systems. (authors)

  17. Preparation, optical properties and 1 Multiplication-Sign 2 polymeric thermo-optic switch of polyurethane-urea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiu, Fengxian, E-mail: fxqiuchem@163.com [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Cao, Zhijuan [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Cao, Guorong; Guan, Yijun; Shen, Qiang [Department of Physics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Wang, Qing; Yang, Dongya [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China)

    2012-08-15

    A polyurethane-urea (PUU) containing azo chromophore, polyether polyol (NJ-220) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) was prepared. The structure, thermal property and mechanical properties of obtained PUU were characterized and measured by the UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The refractive index (n) of PUU was determined at different temperature and wavelength (532 nm, 650 nm and 850 nm) using attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique, and the thermo-optic coefficients (dn/dT) were -5.3643 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} Degree-Sign C{sup -1}, -5.2500 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} Degree-Sign C{sup -1} and -4.6071 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} Degree-Sign C{sup -1}, respectively. Using the Charge Coupled Device (CCD) digital imaging devices, transmission loss of PUU was measured and the value was 0.659 dB cm{sup -1}. A 1 Multiplication-Sign 2 polymeric thermo-optic switch based on the thermo-optic effect of PUU film was proposed. With branching angle of 0.143 Degree-Sign and the finite difference beam propagation method (FD-BPM), the polymeric thermo-optic switch was simulated. The result showed that the power consumption of the thermo-optic switch could be only 0.72 mW, and the response time of the switch was about 3.0 ms. The obtained PUU has a significant improvement in reducing the power consumption and response time compared with those of the normal polymeric thermo-optic switches. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Preparation and structural characterization of a novel azo polyurethane-urea (PUU). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The mechanical performance and thermal property of PUU film. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The thermo-optic property, transmission loss and dispersion property of PUU. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Proposed a new 1 Multiplication-Sign 2 polymeric thermo-optic switch.

  18. A statistical design of experiments for optimizing the MALDI-TOF-MS sample preparation of polymers. An application in the assessment of the thermo-mechanical degradation mechanisms of poly (ethylene terephthalate)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badia, J.D.; Stroemberg, E.; Ribes-Greus, A.; Karlsson, S.

    2011-01-01

    The sample preparation procedure for MALDI-TOF MS of polymers is addressed in this study by the application of a statistical Design of Experiments (DoE). Industrial poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was chosen as model polymer. Different experimental settings (levels) for matrixes, analyte/matrix proportions and concentrations of cationization agent were considered. The quality parameters used for the analysis were signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. A closer inspection of the statistical results provided the study not only with the best combination of factors for the MALDI sample preparation, but also with a better understanding of the influence of the different factors, individually or in combination, to the signal. The application of DoE for the improvement of the MALDI measure of PET stated that the best combination of factors and levels was the following: matrix (dithranol), proportion analyte/matrix/cationization agent (1/15/1, V/V/V), and concentration of cationization agent (2 g L -1 ). In a second part, multiple processing by means of successive injection cycles was used to simulate the thermo-mechanical degradation effects on the oligomeric distribution of PET under mechanical recycling. The application of MALDI-TOF-MS showed that thermo-mechanical degradation primarily affected initially predominant cyclic species. Several degradation mechanisms were proposed, remarking intramolecular transesterification and hydrolysis. The ether links of the glycol unit in PET were shown to act as potential reaction sites, driving the main reactions of degradation.

  19. Structural changes of radial forging die surface during service under thermo-mechanical fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nematzadeh, Fardin; Akbarpour, Mohammad Reza; Kokabi, Amir Hosein; Sadrnezhaad, Seyed Khatiboleslam

    2009-01-01

    Radial forging is one of the modern open die forging techniques and has a wide application in producing machine parts. During operation at high temperatures, severe temperature change associated with mechanical loads and the resultant wearing of the die surface lead to intense variation in strain on the die surface. Therefore, under this operating condition, thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) occurs on the surface of the radial forging die. TMF decreases the life of the die severely. In the present research, different layers were deposited on a 1.2714 steel die by SMAW and GTAW, with a weld wire of UDIMET 520. The microstructure of the radial forging die surface was investigated during welding and service using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. The results revealed that, after welding, the structure of the radial forging die surface includes the γ matrix with a homogeneous distribution of fine semi-spherical carbides. The weld structure consisted mostly of columnar dendrites with low grain boundaries. Also, microstructural investigation of the die surface during operation showed that the weld structure of the die surface has remained without any considerable change. Only dendrites were deformed and broken. Moreover, grain boundaries of the dendrites were revealed during service.

  20. Thermo-responsive methylcellulose hydrogels as temporary substrate for cell sheet biofabrication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altomare, Lina; Cochis, Andrea; Carletta, Andrea; Rimondini, Lia; Farè, Silvia

    2016-05-01

    Methylcellulose (MC), a water-soluble polymer derived from cellulose, was investigated as a possible temporary substrate having thermo-responsive properties favorable for cell culturing. MC-based hydrogels were prepared by a dispersion technique, mixing MC powder (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 % w/v) with selected salts (sodium sulphate, Na2SO4), sodium phosphate, calcium chloride, or phosphate buffered saline, to evaluate the influence of different compositions on the thermo-responsive behavior. The inversion test was used to determine the gelation temperatures of the different hydrogel compositions; thermo-mechanical properties and thermo-reversibility of the MC hydrogels were investigated by rheological analysis. Gelation temperatures and rheological behavior depended on the MC concentration and type and concentration of salt used in hydrogel preparation. In vitro cytotoxicity tests, performed using L929 mouse fibroblasts, showed no toxic release from all the tested hydrogels. Among the investigated compositions, the hydrogel composed of 8 % w/v MC with 0.05 M Na2SO4 had a thermo-reversibility temperature at 37 °C. For that reason, this formulation was thus considered to verify the possibility of inducing in vitro spontaneous detachment of cells previously seeded on the hydrogel surface. A continuous cell layer (cell sheet) was allowed to grow and then detached from the hydrogel surface without the use of enzymes, thanks to the thermo-responsive behavior of the MC hydrogel. Immunofluorescence observation confirmed that the detached cell sheet was composed of closely interacting cells.