Temperature Dependence of Fatigue Crack Growth in Low-Alloy Steel Under Gaseous Hydrogen

In order to elucidate the temperature dependence of hydrogen-enhanced fatigue crack growth (FCG), the FCG test was performed on low-alloy Cr-Mo steel JIS-SCM435 according to ASTM E647 using compact tension (CT) specimen under 0.1–95 MPa hydrogen-gas at temperature ranging from room temperature (298 K) to 423 K. The obtained results were interpreted according to trap site occupancy under thermal equilibrium state. The FCG was significantly accelerated at RT under hydrogen-gas, that its maximum acceleration rate of the FCG was 15 at the pressure of 95 MPa at the temperature of 298 K. The hydrogen-enhanced FCG was mitigated due to temperature elevation for all pressure conditions. The trap site with binding energy of 44 kJ/mol dominated the temperature dependence of hydrogen-enhanced FCG, corresponding approximately to binding energy of dislocation core. The trap site (dislocation) occupancy is decreased with the temperature elevation, resulting in the mitigation of the FCG acceleration. On the basis of the obtained results, when the occupancy becomes higher at lower temperature, e.g. 298 K, hydrogen-enhanced FCG becomes more pronounced. The lower occupancy at higher temperature does the opposite.

Analysis of Three-Dimensional Clamped Single Edge Notched Tension (SENT) Specimens

In the present paper, three-dimensional clamped SENT specimens, which is one of the most widely used low-constraint and less-conservative specimen, are analyzed by using a crack compliance analysis approach and extensive finite element analysis. Considering the test standard (BS8571) recommended specimen sizes, the daylight to width ratio, H/W, is 10.0, the relative crack depth, a/W, is varied by 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 or 0.6 and the relative plate thickness, B/W, is chosen by 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0, respectively. Complete solutions of fracture mechanics parameters, including stress intensity factor (K), in-plane T-stress (T11) and out-of-plane T-stress (T33) are calculated, and the results obtained from above two methods have a good agreement. Moreover, the combination of the effects of a/W and B/W on the stress intensity factor K, T11 and T33 stress are thus illustrated.

Effect of High Pressure Gaseous Hydrogen on Fatigue Properties of SUS304 and SUS316 Austenitic Stainless Steel

A high pressure material testing system (max. pressure: 140 MPa, temperature range: −80 ∼ 90 °C) was developed to investigate the testing method of material compatibility for high pressure gaseous hydrogen. In this study, SSRT and fatigue life test of JIS SUS304 and SUS316 austenitic stainless steel were performed in high pressure gaseous hydrogen at room temperature, −45, and −80 °C. These testing results were compared with those in laboratory air atmosphere at the same test temperature range. The SSRT tests were performed at a strain rate of 5 × 10−5 s−1 in 105 MPa hydrogen gas, and nominal stress-strain curves were obtained. The 0.2% offset yield strength (Ys) did not show remarkable difference between in hydrogen gas and in laboratory air atmosphere for SUS304 and SUS316. Total elongation after fracture (El) in hydrogen gas at −45 and −80 °C were approximately 15 % for SUS304 and 20% for SUS316. In the case of fatigue life tests, a smooth surface round bar test specimen with a diameter of 7 mm was used at a frequency of 1, 0.1, and 0.01 Hz under stress rate of R = −1 (tension-compression) in 100 MPa hydrogen gas. It can be seen that the fatigue life test results of SUS304 and SUS316 showed same tendency. The fatigue limit at room temperature in 100 MPa hydrogen gas was comparable with that in laboratory air. The room temperature fatigue life in high pressure hydrogen gas appeared to be the more severe condition compared to the fatigue life at low temperature. The normalized stress amplitude (σa / Ts) at the fatigue limit was 0.37 to 0.39 for SUS304 and SUS316 austenitic stainless steels, respectively.

Stress Intensity Factors for Circular-Arc Cracks in Plates

Stress intensity factor solutions are readily available for flaws found in pipe to pipe welds or shell to shell welds (i.e., circumferential/axial crack in cylinder). In some situations, flaws can be detected in locations where an appropriate crack model is not readily available. For instance, there are no practical stress intensity factor solutions for circular-arc cracks which can form in circular welds (e.g., nozzle to vessel shell welds and storage cask closure welds). In this paper, stress intensity factors for circular-arc cracks in finite plates were calculated using finite element analysis. As a first step, stress intensity factors for circular-arc through-wall crack under uniform tension and crack face pressure were calculated. These results were compared with the analytical solutions which showed reasonable agreement. Then, stress intensity factors were calculated for circular-arc semi-elliptical surface cracks under the lateral and crack face pressure loading conditions. Lastly, to investigate the applicability of straight crack solutions for circular-arc cracks, stress intensity factors for circular-arc and straight cracks (both through-wall and surface cracks) were compared.

The Role of Uncertainty in Machine Learning As an Element of Control for Material Systems and Structures

Recurrent neural networks (RNN) have been used to interpret data in situations wherein our knowledge of the active physics is incomplete. The currency of these methods is the data that are generated by a physical system. Unfortunately, if we are uncertain about the physics of the system, we also do not know the level of uncertainty in the data that we use to represent it. Typically, data provided to an RNN is provided by measurements of system state information, e.g., data that define speed, position, accelerations, configurations of system elements (like the flaps and elevators on an airplane) etc. But recently, data are being collected that indicate the state of the materials themselves that are used to construct the system. Material state may include the defect state of the materials such as the crack density and patterns in composite material in structural elements (obtained from health monitoring data). In this paper, we address the question of teaching a control system (e.g., for testing equipment, aircraft control systems, health monitoring systems, etc.) to recognize composite material degradation during service and to adjust applied loads and fields as part of a control scheme to avoid failure of the material during service. Topics will include defining a proper cost function for the above objectives, formulation of a ‘failure hypothesis’ as a regression function, and the quantification of uncertainty when the physics of the situation is not completely defined. Examples of machine learning techniques for a uniaxial fatigue loading of composite coupons with a circular hole are presented. Example models are random forest regression algorithms and artificial neural networks for linear regression.

Simplified LBB Guidance: Stage 1 — Development of a New Software Tool and Initial Scoping Calculations

This study is focussed on establishing more simplified Leak-before-Break (LbB) guidance for inclusion into Section III.11 of the R6 procedure. The approach adopted has involved the development of a universal software tool for LbB simplified assessments which can be used to perform initial scoping calculations to demonstrate typical LbB cases. It is envisaged that this simplified methodology will enable plant assessment engineers to be more informed on which sites on plant are likely to have LbB successfully applied and to be able to undertake LbB assessments in a more simplistic way than is currently available. Using the developed software tool, a range of LbB calculations for different cracks and loading conditions have been performed to provide guidance on where LbB is more likely to be applied on plant. Loading conditions include primary and secondary stresses, where through-wall changes have been accounted for. The pipe geometries included in this study have been defined by the inner radius and the wall thickness, calculated by minimum pipe thickness required according to meet the design rules of ASME III. The pipe inner radius varies from 40mm to 200mm (80mm to 400mm inner diameter (ID)). All pipe outer diameters are less than 0.5m. All cracks considered in this study are through-wall and circumferential. Pipe material properties are chosen to be broadly representative of an Austenitic Stainless Steel, where the fracture toughness varies from 100 to 180MPa√m and the yield stress is 150MPa.

Measurements of Stress During Thermal Shock in Clad Reactor Pressure Vessel Material Using Time-Resolved In-Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction

Nuclear reactor pressure vessels must be able to withstand thermal shock due to emergency cooling during a loss of coolant accident. Demonstrating structural integrity during thermal shock is difficult due to the complex interaction between thermal stress, residual stress, and stress caused by internal pressure. Finite element and analytic approaches exist to calculate the combined stress, but validation is limited. This study describes an experiment which aims to measure stress in a slice of clad reactor pressure vessel during thermal shock using time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction. A test rig was designed to subject specimens to thermal shock, whilst simultaneously enabling synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements of strain. The specimens were extracted from a block of SA508 Grade 4N reactor pressure vessel steel clad with Alloy 82 nickel-base alloy. Surface cracks were machined in the cladding. Electric heaters heat the specimens to 350°C and then the surface of the cladding is quenched in a bath of cold water, representing thermal shock. Six specimens were subjected to thermal shock on beamline I12 at Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron X-ray facility. Time-resolved strain was measured during thermal shock at a single point close to the crack tip at a sample rate of 30 Hz. Hence, stress intensity factor vs time was calculated assuming K-controlled near-tip stress fields. This work describes the experimental method and presents some key results from a preliminary analysis of the data.

Combined Statistical-Mechanical Characterization of a Next Generation Textured PTFE for Extreme Environments

Pressurized vessels that transfer media from one location to another often contain a bolted connection. Gaskets are essential for these systems since they confer high levels of leak mitigation across of range of operating environments (i.e., internal pressure and temperature). The balance of both sealability and compressibility must be displayed in candidate gasket materials to be subjected to aggressive operating conditions. Historically, thin gauge gasket (i.e., 1/16” thick) confer high sealability while thick gaskets offer superior compressibility (i.e., 1/8”). Fabricated with skive cut, ceramic particle-reinforced PTFE, these materials display linear viscoelastic behavior that allow consolidation to occur. For example, GYLON® 3504 is filled with Aluminosilicate Microspheres, GYLON®3510 is filled with barium sulfate, respectively, to efficiently fill crevices along the surfaces of the flange. Novel textured PTFE gasket (3504 EPX and 3510 EPX) have been developed to simultaneously confer sealability and compressibility compared to flat products. A design of experiments (DoE) approach is applied to characterize the factors that influence load relaxation responses of the both candidate textured PTFE (dual-face honeycomb) and existing (flat) gasket styles. Using an instrumented test platform analyzed. A new parameter is presented to quantify gasket efficiency. The collection of efficiency measurement methods and approach to re-torque optimization convey a novel framework that designers can invoke to facilitate improved flange performance.

Considerations of Alloy N Code Extension for Commercial Molten Salt Reactor Development and Deployment

For commercial development and deployment of the molten salt reactor, a structural alloy that provides both strength at high temperature and resistance to very corrosive molten salt environment is required. To meet this requirement, a survey is conducted on domestic and international candidate alloys. Alloy N turns out to be the sole frontrunner in readiness for qualification to enable the desired deployment within an estimated 10 years. A review of the qualification for commercial nuclear applications indicates that Alloy N has met a large portion of the requirements. Gaps in the qualification are also identified. A search for historical data is underway to retrieve information needed for filling the gaps and upgrading the qualification. Scope of the discovered historical data is briefly discussed and strategic planning for research and development pathway is suggested to ensure successful evolution in commercial deployment of the molten salt reactor system.

Prediction of Residual Stresses in a Multipass Pipe Weld by a Novel 3D Finite Element Approach

Due to enormous computation cost, current residual stress simulation of multipass girth welds are mostly performed using two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric models. The 2D model can only provide limited estimation on the residual stresses by assuming its axisymmetric distribution. In this study, a highly efficient thermal-mechanical finite element code for three dimensional (3D) model has been developed based on high performance Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) computers. Our code is further accelerated by considering the unique physics associated with welding processes that are characterized by steep temperature gradient and a moving arc heat source. It is capable of modeling large-scale welding problems that cannot be easily handled by the existing commercial simulation tools. To demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency, our code was compared with a commercial software by simulating a 3D multi-pass girth weld model with over 1 million elements. Our code achieved comparable solution accuracy with respect to the commercial one but with over 100 times saving on computational cost. Moreover, the three-dimensional analysis demonstrated more realistic stress distribution that is not axisymmetric in hoop direction.