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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Meso-scale magnetic signatures for nuclear reactor steel irradiation embrittlement monitoring

Verifying the structural integrity of passive components in light water and advanced reactors will be necessary to ensure safe, long-term operations of the existing U.S. nuclear fleet. This objective can be achieved through nondestructive condition monitoring techniques, which can be integrated with plant operations to quantify the “state of health” of structural materials in real-time. While nondestructive methods for monitoring many classes of degradation (such as fatigue or stress corrosion cracking) are relatively advanced, this is not the case for degradation caused by irradiation. The development of nondestructive evaluation technologies for these types of degradation will require advanced materials characterization techniques and tools that enable comprehensive understanding of nuclear reactor material microstructural and behavioral changes under extreme operating environments. Irradiation-induced degradation of reactor steels causes changes in their microstructure that impacts their micro-magnetic properties. In this paper, we describe preliminary results of integrating advanced material characterization techniques with meso-scale computational models. In the future, this will help to provide an interpretive understanding of the state of degradation in structural materials. Microstructural data are presented from monocrystalline Fe and are correlated with variable-field magnetic force microscopy and micro-magnetic measurements. Ongoing research is focused on extending the measurements and models on thin films to gain insights into the structural state of irradiated materials and the resulting impact on magnetic properties. Preliminary conclusions from these correlations are presented, and next steps described.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A survey of irradiated pillars, globules, and jets in the Carina nebula

We present wide-field, deep narrowband H{sub 2}, Brγ, Hα, [S ii], [O iii], and broadband I- and K-band images of the Carina star formation region. The new images provide a large-scale overview of all the H{sub 2} and Brγ emission present in over a square degree centered on this signature star-forming complex. By comparing these images with archival Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer images we observe how intense UV radiation from O and B stars affects star formation in molecular clouds. We use the images to locate new candidate outflows and identify the principal shock waves and irradiated interfaces within dozens of distinct areas of star-forming activity. Shocked molecular gas in jets traces the parts of the flow that are most shielded from the intense UV radiation. Combining the H{sub 2} and optical images gives a more complete view of the jets, which are sometimes only visible in H{sub 2}. The Carina region hosts several compact young clusters, and the gas within these clusters is affected by radiation from both the cluster stars and the massive stars nearby. The Carina Nebula is ideal for studying the physics of young H ii regions and photodissociation region (PDR), as it contains multiple examples of walls and irradiated pillars at various stages of development. Some of the pillars have detached from their host molecular clouds to form proplyds. Fluorescent H{sub 2} outlines the interfaces between the ionized and molecular gas, and after removing continuum, we detect spatial offsets between the Brγ and H{sub 2} emission along the irradiated interfaces. These spatial offsets can be used to test current models of PDRs once synthetic maps of these lines become available.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Post-Irradiation Fracture Toughness of Unalloyed Molybdenum, ODS molybdenum, and TZM molybdenum following irradiation at 244C to 507C

Commercially available unalloyed molybdenum (Low Carbon Arc Cast (LCAC)), Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) molybdenum, and TZM molybdenum were neutron irradiated at temperatures of nominally 244 C, 407 C, and 509 C to neutron fluences between 1.0 to 4.6x1025 n/m2 (E>0.1 MeV). Post-irradiation fracture toughness testing was performed. All alloys exhibited a Ductile to Brittle Transition Temperature that was defined to occur at 30 4 MPa-m1/2. The highest post-irradiated fracture toughness values (26-107 MPa-m1/2) and lowest DBTT (100-150 C) was observed for ODS molybdenum in the L-T orientation. The finer grain size for ODS molybdenum results in fine laminates that improve the ductile laminate toughening. The results for ODS molybdenum are anisotropic with lower post-irradiated toughness values (20-30 MPa-m1/2) and higher DBTT (450-600 C) in the T-L orientation. The results for T-L ODS molybdenum are consistent or slightly better than those for LCAC molybdenum (21-71 MPa-m1/2 and 450-800 C DBTT). The fracture toughness values measured for LCAC and T-L ODS molybdenum at temperatures below the DBTT were determined to be 8-18 MPa-m1/2. Lower non-irradiated fracture toughness values were measured for TZM molybdenum that are attributed to the large carbide precipitates serving as preferential fracture initiation sites. The role of microstructure and grain size on post-irradiated fracture toughness was evaluated by comparing the results for LCAC molybdenum and ODS molybdenum.

Cockeram, Brian V↗
DOE OSTI2014

Sensitivity of ultrasonic nonlinearity to irradiated, annealed, and re-irradiated microstructure changes in RPV steels

The planned life extension of nuclear reactors throughout the US and abroad will cause reactor vessel and internals materials to be exposed to more neutron irradiation than was originally intended. A nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method to monitor radiation damage would enable safe and cost-effective continued operation of nuclear reactors. Radiation damage in reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels causes microstructural changes that leave the material in an embrittled state. Nonlinear ultrasound is an NDE technique quantified by the measurable acoustic nonlinearity parameter, which is sensitive to microstructural changes in metallic materials such as dislocations, precipitates and their combinations. Recent research has demonstrated the sensitivity of the acoustic nonlinearity parameter to increasing neutron fluence in representative RPV steels. The current work considers nonlinear ultrasonic experiments conducted on similar RPV steel samples that had a combination of irradiation, annealing, re-irradiation, and/or re-annealing to a total neutron fluence of 0.5 5 1019 n/cm2 (E > 1 MeV) at an irradiation temperature of 290 C. The acoustic nonlinearity parameter generally increased with increasing neutron fluence, and consistently decreased from the irradiated to the annealed state over different levels of neutron fluence. Results of the measured acoustic nonlinearity parameter are compared with those from previous measurements on other RPV steel samples. This comprehensive set of results illustrates the dependence of the measured acoustic nonlinearity parameter on neutron fluence, material composition, irradiation temperature and annealing.

Matlack, Katie↗
DOE OSTI2016

The influence of crystal structure on ion-irradiation tolerance in the Sm(x)Yb(2-x)TiO5 series

his ion-irradiation study covers the four major crystal structure types in the Ln(2)TiO(5) series (Ln = lanthanide), namely orthorhombic Pnma, hexagonal P63/mmc, cubic (pyrochlore-like) Fd-3m and cubic (fluorite-like) Fm-3m. This is the first systematic examination of the complete Ln(2)TiO(5) crystal system and the first reported examination of the hexagonal structure. A series of samples, based on the stoichiometry Sm(x)Yb(2-x)TiO5 (where x = 2, 1.4, 1, 0.6, and 0) have been irradiated using 1 MeV Kr2+ ions and characterised in-situ using a transmission electron microscope. Two quantities are used to define ion-irradiation tolerance: critical dose of amorphisation (D-c), which is the irradiating ion dose required for a crystalline to amorphous transition, and the critical temperature (T-c), above which the sample cannot be rendered amorphous by ion irradiation. The structure type plus elements of bonding are correlated to ion-irradiation tolerance. The cubic phases, Yb2TiO5 and Sm0.6Yb1.4TiO5, were found to be the most radiation tolerant, with Tc values of 479 and 697 K respectively. The improved radiation tolerance with a change in symmetry to cubic is consistent with previous studies of similar compounds.

Aughterson, R. D. (ORCID:000000021704024X)↗
DOE OSTI2017

Ion-irradiation-induced microstructural modifications in ferritic/martensitic steel T91

In this paper, in situ transmission electron microscopy investigations were carried out to study the microstructural evolution of ferritic/martensitic steel T91 under 1 MeV Krypton ion irradiation up to 4.2 x 10(15) ions/cm(2) at 573 K, 673 K, and 773 K. At 573 K, grown-in defects are strongly modified by black dot loops, and dislocation networks together with black-dot loops were observed after irradiation. At 673 K and 773 K, grown-in defects are only partially modified by dislocation loops; isolated loops and dislocation segments were commonly found after irradiation. Post irradiation examination indicates that at 4.2 x 1015 ions/cm(2), about 51% of the loops were a(0)/2 < 111 > type for the 673 K irradiation, and the dominant loop type was a(0)< 100 > for the 773 K irradiation. Finally, a dispersed barrier hardening model was employed to estimate the change in yield strength, and the calculated ion data were found to follow the similar trend as the existing neutron data with an offset of 100-150 MPa. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Temperature-dependent void formation and growth at ion-irradiated nanocrystalline CeO 2 –Si interfaces

Ceria is a thermally stable ceramic that has numerous applications in the nuclear industry, including use in nuclear fuels and waste forms. Recently, interest has surged in nanostructured ceria due to its increased mechanical properties and electronic conductivity in comparison with bulk ceria and its ability to self-heal in response to energetic ion bombardment. Here, nanocrystalline ceria thin films grown over a silicon substrate are irradiated to fluences of up to ~4 × 10 16 ions/cm 2 under different irradiation conditions: with differing ion species (Si + and Ni + ), different ion energies (1.0–1.5 MeV), and at varying temperatures (160–600 K). Finally, while the nanocrystalline ceria is found to exhibit exceptional radiation resistance under all tested conditions, severe ion irradiation-induced mixing, void formation, and void growth are observed at the ceria/silicon interface, with the degree of damage proving to be temperature dependent.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterization of the Fast-Neutron Irradiator and the Fast-Flux Tube Irradiation Fixtures at the Pennsylvania State Breazeale Reactor

Accurate knowledge of the neutron spectrum at a nuclear research reactor is a prerequisite for planning irradiation experiments, as well as for evaluating irradiation exposure results. The neutron-flux spectrum in the fast-neutron irradiator (FNI) and the fast-flux tube (FFT) irradiation fixtures at the Pennsylvania State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) were characterized using the multi-foil neutron activation method. These irradiation fixtures make use of graded shielding to produce unique neutron fields. Multiple foil sets were irradiated in the fixtures with different exposure times and reactor powers to understand the stability over a wide range of operating conditions. Measured results were evaluated against a MCNP6 simulation to produce a measurement-informed neutron flux-energy spectrum for each fixture using STAYSL_PNNL. Simulated estimates of the FNI fixture, a newer fixture (~25 years old), demonstrated excellent agreement with measured results; the FFT did not. Thermal neutron measurements from the FFT suggest there is additional thermal leakage not captured in the simulation model. In conclusion, possible explanations for the discrepancy include burn-out or degradation (i.e., micro-cracking, gaps, etc.) in the boral and cadmium liners over the lifetime of the fixture (~40 years old).

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Thermal stability and irradiation response of nanocrystalline CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy

Grain growth and phase stability of a nanocrystalline face-centered cubic (fcc) Ni 0.2 Fe 0.2 Co 0.2 Cr 0.2 Cu 0.2 high-entropy alloy (HEA), either thermally- or irradiation-induced, are investigated through in situ and post-irradiation transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization. Synchrotron and lab x-ray diffraction measurements are carried out to determine the microstructural evolution and phase stability with improved statistics. Under in situ TEM observation, the fcc structure is stable at 300 °C with a small amount of grain growth from 15.8 to ~20 nm being observed after 1800 s. At 500 °C, however, some abnormal growth activities are observed after 1400 s, and secondary phases are formed. Under 3 MeV Ni room temperature ion irradiation up to an extreme dose of nearly 600 displacements per atom, the fcc phase is stable and the average grain size increases from 15.6 to 25.2 nm. Lastly, grain growth mechanisms driven by grain rotation, grain boundary curvature, and disorder are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Effect of helium on irradiation creep behavior of B-doped F82H irradiated in HFIR

The diameter of pressurized tubes of F82H and B-doped F82H irradiated up to similar to 6 dpa have been measured by a non-contacting laser profilometer. The irradiation creep strains of F82H irradiated at 573 and 673K were almost linearly dependent on the effective stress level for stresses below 260 MPa and 170 MPa, respectively. The creep strain of (BN)-B-10-F82H was similar to that of F82H IEA at each effective stress level except 294 MPa at 573K irradiation. For 673K irradiation, the creep strain of some (BN)-B-10-F82H tubes was larger than that of F82H tubes. However, the generation of similar to 300 appm He did not cause a large difference in the irradiation creep behavior at 6 dpa.

Ando, M.↗
DOE OSTI2016

ATF Neutron Irradiation Program Irradiation Vehicle Design Concepts

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) under the Civil Nuclear Energy Working Group (CNWG) is engaged in a cooperative research effort with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to explore issues related to nuclear energy, including research on accident-tolerant fuels and materials for use in light water reactors. This work develops a draft technical plan for a neutron irradiation program on the candidate accident-tolerant fuel cladding materials and elements using the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). The research program requires the design of a detailed experiment, development of test vehicles, irradiation of test specimens, possible post irradiation examination and characterization of irradiated materials and the shipment of irradiated materials to Japan. This report discusses the conceptual design, the development and irradiation of the test vehicles.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-Irradiation Examination to Quantify Irradiation-Induced Bowing of SiGA® Silicon Carbide Composite Structures (Final CRADA Report – NFE-23-09937)

As part of the SiC-based material development at General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), this project involved the first-of-a-kind experimental post-irradiation examination of the irradiation-induced bowing response in SiC composite structures under a neutron flux gradient. The SiC composite miniature channel specimen was provided by GA-EMS for the irradiation experiment. To quantify the irradiation-induced bowing of the channel specimen, a series of visual and dimensional inspections were conducted using the unique capabilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), including a custom profilometry rig. The post-irradiation examination results of this project will assist GA-EMS in validating their fuel performance model for SiC-based core structures in neutron irradiation environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗