Fracture analysis of AA6061-graphite composite for the application of helicopter rotor blade

The main objective of the work is to study the fracture behavior of AA6061-graphite material using both experimental technique and finite element simulation by considering helicopter rotor blade as a case study. From the case study, it has been observed that the helicopter rotor blade, made of AA6061, has been failed at the threaded portion of the hole. Experimental fracture toughness is carried out using the compact tension specimens as per ASTM standard testing procedure. Modeling of compact tension specimens and the threaded portion of the bolt hole was utilized to analyze the fracture toughness using a simulation tool. From the results and the comparison, it is recommended to use AA6061-9wt% graphite material as a replacement of AA6061 in the application of main rotor blades of the helicopter.

A Modification of Palm Waste Lignocellulosic Materials into Biographite Using Iron and Nickel Catalyst

This paper presents an alternative way to maximize the utilization of palm waste by implementing a green approach to modify lignocellulosic materials into a highly crystalline biographite. A bio-graphite structure was successfully synthesized by converting lignocellulosic materials via a simple method using palm kernel shell (PKS) as a carbon precursor. This involved the direct impregnation of a catalyst into raw material followed by a thermal treatment. The structural transformation of the carbon was observed to be significantly altered by employing different types of catalysts and varying thermal treatment temperatures. Both XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the microstructural alteration occurred in the carbon structure of the sample prepared at 800 and 1000 °C using iron, nickel or the hybrid of iron-nickel catalysts. The XRD pattern revealed a high degree of graphitization for the sample prepared at 1000 °C, and it was evident that iron was the most active graphitization catalyst. The presence of an intensified peak was observed at 2θ = 26.5°, reflecting the formation of a highly ordered graphitic structure as a result of the interaction between the iron catalyst and the thermal treatment process at 1000 °C. The XRD observation was further supported by the Raman spectrum in which PKS-Fe1000 showed a lower defect structure associated with the presence of a significant amount of graphitic structure, as a low value of (Id/Ig) ratio was reported. An HRTEM image showed a well-defined lattice fringe seen on the structure for PKS-Fe1000; meanwhile, a disordered microstructure was observed for the control sample, indicating that successful structural modification was achieved with the aid of the catalyst. Further analysis from BET found that the PKS-Fe1000 developed a surface area of 202.932 m2/g with a pore volume of 0.208 cm3/g. An overall successful modification from palm waste into graphitic material was achieved. Thus, this study will help those involved in waste management to evaluate the possibility of a sustainable process for the generation of graphite material from palm waste. It can be concluded that palm waste is a potential source of production for graphite material through the adoption of the proposed waste management process.

STRAIN ANALYSIS OF REACTOR TYPE CORE STRUCTURES BY CONSIDERING UNCERTAINTIES OF GRAPHITE’S PROPERTIES

The power reactor with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology uses uranium as the reactor fuel. The energy from fission is converted to electrical energy or used for other needs such as hydrogen production or other research activities at high temperatures of around 700 °C. This operation does not allow the use of metal as the core material for the reactor. The material that fits the requirements as a core structure is graphite. Graphite material has specific characteristics, namely the parameters of the modulus of elasticity, coefficient of thermal expansion, and the volume which changes due to temperature and neutron dose. Because the structure of the reactor core is a vital component in the reactor, this research will develop a method for the design of the reactor core structure with graphite material. The design method is based on Design by Analysis which specifically refers to the strain analysis on each of the reactor core components. The design method developed is based on the finite element method. The object of this research is the side reflector made from the Toyo Tanso IG-110 series graphite. Based on the analysis of heat distribution and heat stress for the material before the effect of neutron exposure, the temperature distribution on the side reflector was found, as well as the displacement and heat stress that occurs. isotropic properties, Young's modulus and Poisson’s ratio values can be verified and estimated. The purpose of this research is to analyze the strain of the reactor core structure by taking into account the uncertainty of the graphite properties.