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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Status Report on Design of In-situ Thermomechanical Testing at LANSCE

Nuclear fuel encounters severe thermomechanical environments in which its mechanical response is determined by its microstructure, temperature and stress level histories. Simulating the response of such microstructures is crucial for predicting both performance and transient fuel mechanical responses and experimental verification of such predictions is therefore of great interest. While most of the deformation in a nuclear fuel rod occurs in the cladding, deformation of the fuel itself is still of interest with deformation mechanisms at operating temperature and above including creep, swelling, cracking as well as pellet-clad interaction. Characterization of these properties and understanding of the underlying deformation phenomena at operating or excursion temperatures is therefore of great importance for development and ultimately licensing of improved and novel nuclear fuel forms. Diffraction techniques offer unique insight on the atomistic (e.g. crystal structure) and microstructure (e.g. phase transformations, texture, defects) length scales and have a long history of providing unique data to inform relevant deformation models that enable the required predictive capabilities. For example, dislocations lead to diffraction peak broadening that can be characterized to estimate the dislocation density and study the role of dislocations on the deformation while measuring lattice strains allows to studie load sharing in two phase materials. In this report the requirements for a sample environment for high temperature deformation of nuclear fuels are defined. The HIPPO neutron time-of-flight diffractometer at LANSCE will host this sample environment and is also described. This instrument covers diffraction angles from 140° to 40° and is also equipped with an event-mode neutron imaging detector system, enabling energy-resolved neutron imaging in parallel with the diffraction that could measure sample temperature from Doppler broadening of neutron absorption resonances or measure pore densities from changes in the attenuation. Designs of devices to characterize thermomechanical properties of nuclear fuel without diffraction are also considered to guide the design. While this report is focused on applications for nuclear fuels, the device can also characterize cladding, moderator or structural materials and therefore contribute to other fields of research and development for advanced reactors. The temperatures planned to be reached are above 2000℃, thus enabling characterization of LWR reactor fuels under accident scenarios but also reaching temperatures of fuels developed for nuclear thermal propulsion and providing opportunities to characterize those. In conjunction with the energy-resolved neutron imaging detector, this setup would allow to measure neutron cross-sections at high temperatures, filling a gap towards development of reactors operating at high temperatures.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Self-healable Copolymer Composites for Extended Service H 2 Dispensing Hoses

In this project, we designed, synthesized and fabricated using X-winder technologies precommercialized novel, self-healingable commodity copolymer fiber-reinforced composites to extend the H 2 hose service life beyond the current target of 1000 fills. These studies demonstrated that these composites are able to withstand over 25,000 damage-repair cycles, which was the main objective of the proposed project, in the temperature range of -40 to +80 °C under variable pressures. When micro-cracks are formed after about 1,000 cycles/fueling per hose in the inner composite layer, these micro-cracks self-heal, thus extending the lifetime of a prototype inner layer of the hose. These composites were tested by exposure to H 2 fuel and demonstrated the ability to recover from mechanical damage. Thermomechanical testing combined with analysis of the stress and strain fields across the cross-section of the inner layer composite hoses also identified the ring-like stresses on the edge of inner layers arising from changes of the fiber winding angle directions from +45° to -45°. The developed novel concept that self-healing commodity copolymers can be used in the development of prototype composites for the extended service of H 2 dispensing hoses will have major implications for other energy-related technologies, where the extended service life in harsh environments is expected. In this project, we optimized, validated, and demonstrated novel copolymer fiber-reinforced composites for H 2 dispensing hose applications, which can be utilized in future manufacturing using commodity materials. The estimated cost of materials (exluding labor) is in the range of < $1.0/ft.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-Deployment Characterization of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composite Tidal Turbine Blades

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supported Verdant Power with the most successful tidal energy deployment in U.S. history. Three of their Gen5d 5 m turbines were deployed as part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project. Initially, the three rotors initially deployed were manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. Midway through the deployment, one rotor was replaced with one manufactured at NREL. The new rotor utilized a novel infusible thermoplastic resin system. Since the deployment, one epoxy rotor and one thermoplastic rotor were returned to NREL for continued materials and manufacturing research. The two rotors underwent full-scale structural testing before being sectioned and cut into specimens for a variety of manufacturing quality tests, thermomechanical characterization, and evaluation of material performance in marine environments to understand the key differences between the fiberglass-reinforced epoxy and Elium composites used for the respective rotors. Matrix burn-off tests showed that the Elium blades had a considerably higher fiber volume fraction compared to the epoxy blades (61% vs. 49%). Environmental aging of the specimens showed that the epoxy laminates absorbed more water over the conditioning period; however, it was determined that the Elium laminates had higher diffusion coefficients, so they initially absorbed water faster. Finally, one full epoxy blade and one full Elium blade were conditioned at ambient temperatures for up to 11 months, while periodic mass measurements were taken. The datasets were extrapolated to assume a full 20-year operational life span, and it was determined that the blades would not reach full saturation during that time span.

composite manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2024

Post-Deployment Characterization of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Composite Tidal Turbine Blades

In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supported Verdant Power with the most successful tidal energy deployment in U.S. history. Three of their Gen5d 5 m turbines were deployed as part of the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy project. Initially, the three deployed rotors were manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. Midway through the deployment, one rotor was replaced with one manufactured at NREL. The new rotor utilized a novel infusible thermoplastic resin system (Elium from Arkema). Since the deployment, one epoxy rotor and one thermoplastic rotor were returned to NREL for continued materials and manufacturing research. The two rotors underwent full-scale structural testing before being sectioned and cut into specimens for a variety of manufacturing quality tests, thermomechanical characterization, and evaluation of material performance in marine environments to understand the key differences between the fiberglass-reinforced epoxy and Elium composites used for the respective rotors. Matrix burn-off tests showed that the Elium blades had a considerably higher fiber volume fraction compared to the epoxy blades (61% vs. 49%). Environmental aging of the specimens showed that the epoxy laminates absorbed more water over the conditioning period; however, it was determined that the Elium laminates had higher diffusion coefficients, so they initially absorbed water faster. Finally, one full epoxy blade and one full Elium blade were conditioned at ambient temperatures for up to 11 months, while periodic mass measurements were taken. The datasets were extrapolated to assume a full 20-year operational life span, and it was determined that the blades would not reach full saturation during that time span.

composite manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2024

Active interlocking metasurfaces enabled by shape memory alloys

Interlocking metasurfaces (ILMs) are a newly developed joining technology that relies on arrays of interlocking features that transmit force and constrain motion between adjoining bodies in one or more directions. This study explores harnessing the shape memory effect (SME) in Nickel-Titanium shape memory alloys (NiTi SMAs) in structures fabricated using additive manufacturing (AM) to advance the development of active ILMs by creating unit cells that open or close at specific temperatures. The study encompasses designing and fabricating two distinct interlocking array configurations using near-equiatomic NiTi powder and the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) AM technique, following a previously developed AM process optimization framework to manufacture defect-free parts. To guide the design process, finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to predict strain values during engage-disengage cycles. The martensitic transformation characteristics of the ILMs were characterized. Thermomechanical testing revealed that the ILMs demonstrate high locking force once engaged, coupled with complete shape recovery and good cyclic stability. Digital image correlation (DIC) was also employed to validate the FEA predictions during the engage-disengage cycles. The results indicate that NiTi SMA-based ILMs can be designed and fabricated into complex shapes using L-PBF. By leveraging the SME, the functionality of an ILM can be improved upon. The combination of computational modeling, additive manufacturing, and thermomechanical and physical property characterization provides a framework for designing future ILMs out of active materials.

Additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2020

Constitutive behavior and processing maps of a new wrought magnesium alloy ZE20 (Mg-2Zn-0.2Ce)

ZE20 (Mg-2Zn-0.2Ce) 2 is a new wrought magnesium alloy with improved extrudability and mechanical properties [1]. To understand the constitutive behavior and workability of this new alloy, Gleeble thermomechanical testing has been carried out in this study. The flow stress behavior of ZE20 was investigated between 250 °C–450 °C and 10 –3 s –1 –1.0 s –1 in isothermal compression. Constitutive descriptions of the flow stress are provided. A new general approach at application of the extended Ludwik equation is demonstrated and was found to be more accurate than the hyperbolic sine Arrhenius model while having a similar number of model constants. Processing maps were developed based on the experimental results and are verified with microstructural investigation. A region of safe processing with non-basal texture and high activity of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) was found between 375 °C and 450 °C, from 10 –1 s –1 to 10–2.5 s –1 . A region of potentially safe processing with annealing that is associated with shear band nucleation of non-basal grains was identified for temperatures as low as 300 °C and rates as high as 10 –1 s –1 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Stress Relaxation Cracking in 347H Stainless Steel Arc Welds: Susceptibility Evaluation of Heat-Affected Zone

Stress relaxation cracking (SRC) is considered one of the major failure mechanisms for 347H stainless steel welds at elevated service temperatures or during post weld heat treatment (PWHT), especially within the heat-affected zone (HAZ). This work focuses on the characterization of SRC susceptibility within 347H physically simulated arc welded HAZ at elevated temperatures. A four-step SRC thermomechanical test in combination with finite element modeling (FEM) of the welding and testing processes is developed to establish a susceptibility map for HAZ. The test first runs a thermal cycle with three different peak temperatures (1335, 1275, and 1150 °C) to duplicate representative HAZ subzone microstructures, followed by time-to-failure examination under a variety of pre-stress (260–600 MPa) and pre-strain conditions (0.03–0.19) as a function of reheat temperatures between 750 and 1050 °C. With the aid of FEM, SRC susceptibility maps are generated to identify the threshold stress, plastic strain, and creep strain as a function of test temperature. It was found out that HAZ subzone with a lower peak temperature (1150 °C) appears to be slightly less susceptible to SRC than the other two subzones that experienced higher peak temperatures. Generally, time-to-fracture reduces with increasing initially applied stress and strain for all test temperatures. The pre-stress thresholds decrease from about 500 to 330 MPa as the testing temperature increases from 800 to 1050 °C, while the corresponding initial plastic strain thresholds reduces from 0.15 to 0.06. The SRC susceptibility was also evaluated through the Larson–Miller Parameter (LMP) analysis as a function of plastic strain, initial stress and starting stress upon reaching the testing temperature, respectively. The 1050 °C test with a high pre-applied strain (0.1) exhibits an extremely short time to failure (t = 3 s) that lies outside the general trend in LMP analysis. Additionally, it was identified that a plastic strain above 0.07 is identified to significantly reduce the bulk creep strain tolerance to fracture and therefore increases SRC susceptibility. Hardness measurement and fractography analysis indicated that the strain aging of niobium carbonitrides and other potential phases in conjunction with intergranular precipitates contributes to an increase in microhardness and increased intergranular cracking susceptibility.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Multiscale Modeling Approach to Cryocompressed Hydrogen Storage Pressure Vessels – Part II: Constitutive Modeling and Finite Element Analysis

Subjected to thermomechanical cycling, composite cryogenic hydrogen (H2) storage pressure vessels experience high stresses in the carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy overwrap which can lead to vessel failure due to a combination of degradation mechanisms such as matrix cracking, fiber/matrix debonding, delamination, and fiber rupture. The present paper is the second part of a set of two articles on this subject that addresses analysis and design of these pressure vessels. Predictive finite element (FE) modeling capabilities have been used to support a material acceptance process that aims at providing guidance to evaluate specialty resins, vessel liner options, and CF composites through thermomechanical testing. We have applied a multiscale modeling approach recently developed (B.N. Nguyen et al., International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.09.200) to perform three-dimensional (3D) FE analysis and design of a cryo-compressed H2 storage pressure vessel for its operation in a large temperature range from room to cryogenic temperatures. The developed approach termed the micro-meso-macro approach determines the laminar stresses in different layers of the vessel in addition to constituent (i.e., fiber and matrix) stresses that are important to the design of the composite overwrap for its layup and material combination to reduce the risk of vessel failure.

Nguyen, Ba Nghiep↗
DOE OSTI2022

In-situ thermomechanical measurements during burst testing of Zr claddings using digital image correlation and infrared thermography techniques

Burst testing has long been a relied-on method for assessing fuel cladding materials in light-water reactoraccident scenarios. However, burst testing historically provided minimal in-situ observations beyond a few thermocouple readings, pressure from transducers, and post-test deformation measurements. Acquisition of full cladding thermomechanical data throughout a burst test would be invaluable to fuel system qualification, material model development and fuel performance code validation, such as the BISON fuel performance code. Recently, methodologies for simultaneously applying 2-dimensional digital image correlation and infrared thermography techniques to quantify the relationship between temperature, internal cladding pressure, and deformation during burst testing were developed. This work details results from the application of these techniques to burst testing of Zircaloy-4 cladding segments subjected to loss-of-coolant accident transients in an air environment. Two types of tests were performed with: (a) cladding segments connected to a fixed pressure reservoir as well as (b) closed systems where internal pressure increased during transients. In-situ thermomechanical measurements including strain and thermal gradient data are presented, demonstrating the effectiveness of applying combined surface measurement techniques to burst testing

Bell, Sam↗
DOE OSTI2025

Creep performance and microstructure of grade 91 steel weldments with integrated welding and thermal processing

Ferritic-Martensitic steel welds typically require post weld heat treatment (PWHT) to restore toughness and high temperature performance. This off-line thermal process reduces disparities between weld and base metal, but can cause distortion, cracking, or simply be impractical due to assembly size and joint non-uniformity. Here we show integrated welding and thermal processing applied to modified 9Cr-1Mo (Grade 91) steel, favored for advanced power generation applications, performed in real time through the addition of a secondary heat source near the primary weld head. Optimal integrated processing reduces weld fusion and heat affected zone hardness by 125 HV, approaching performance of conventional 730 °C, 60 min PWHT processing. Microstructures and mechanical performance are compared for mechanized GTAW welds, with equivalent lifetimes noted in cross-weld creep rupture tests up to 234 MPa at 550 °C, and up to 104 MPa at 650 °C. The integrated process was validated on a Grade 91 pressure vessel with multipass cold wire feed GTAW. After 550 °C, 71.4 bar thermomechanical cyclic testing, the maximum weld hardness is <350 HV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Creep strength boosted by a high-density of stable nanoprecipitates in high-chromium steels

There is a need worldwide to develop materials for advanced power plants with steam temperatures of 700°C and above that will achieve long-term creep-rupture strength and low CO 2 emissions. The creep resistance of actual 9-12Cr steels is not enough to fulfil the engineering requirements above 600°C. In this paper, the authors report their advances in the improvement of creep properties of this type of steels by the microstructural optimization through nano-precipitation using two methodologies. 1) Applying a high temperature austenitization cycle followed by an ausforming step (thermomechanical treatment, TMT) to G91 steel, to increase the martensite dislocation density and, thus, the number density of MX precipitates (M = V,Nb; X = C,N) but at the expense of deteriorating the ductility. 2) Compositional adjustments, guided by computational thermodynamics, combined with a conventional heat treatment (no TMT), to design novel steels with a good ductility while still possessing a high number density of MX precipitates, similar to the one obtained after the TMT in G91. The microstructures have been characterized by optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, EBSD and atom probe tomography. The creep behaviour at 700°C has been evaluated under a load of 200 N using small punch creep tests.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Topology optimization of an airfoil fin microchannel heat exchanger using artificial intelligence

High-performance microchannel heat exchangers are needed to supply heat for power conversion for nuclear microreactors. An airfoil fin microchannel design, constructed of Alloy 617 with helium as the working fluid, is analyzed and optimized using a design of experiments with artificial intelligence techniques. The use of airfoil fins offers the potential to reduce pressure drop across the heat exchanger, as compared to other types of channel configurations. A framework for topology optimization of airfoil fin printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) has been developed that can be readily extended to different fin sizes and shapes, as well as different inlet and operating conditions, materials of construction, and working fluids. An optimization procedure is developed that employs computational fluid dynamics for a set of design points identified using Latin hypercube sampling. Computational fluid dynamics is used to analyze a simplified two-channel configuration where five design parameters are varied – inlet angle, fin scale, extent of staggering, transverse and longitudinal pitches. Two methods (a 5D polynomial and a regression neural network) are compared for generating surrogate models and the resulting response surface approximation is input to a genetic algorithm that is used to identify a set of optimal parameters. The optimal geometries are found across six channel Reynolds numbers ranging from 1000 to 5000, since inlet conditions affect flow through the heat exchanger. Additionally, a set of optimal designs that maximizes heat transfer and minimizes pressure drop is identified, and a thermal stress analysis is performed on the optimal design. Correlations for the Nusselt number and Darcy friction factor are developed that can be useful for thermal hydraulic analyses using system codes. Thermal stresses are analyzed and a brief discussion of the status of code cases of PCHEs for nuclear applications is given. Testing and thermomechanical modeling is needed to facilitate future code compliance of PCHEs for high pressure and high temperature applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Unraveling the discontinuous plastic flow of a Co-Cr-Fe-Ni-Mo multiprincipal-element alloy at deep cryogenic temperatures

We report an analysis of the discontinuous plastic flow of a multiprincipal-element alloy, Co 17.5 Cr 12.5 Fe 55 Ni 10 Mo 5 (atomic percent, at. %), in the temperature range of 0.5–4.2 K showing serrated deformation curves. Using the analytical techniques, we studied the statistics of the stress drops associated with the unstable plastic flow. The analysis showed that the complexity and heterogeneity of a discontinuous plastic flow were reduced when the temperature was lowered. This behavior was associated with the effects of dynamic recovery and adiabatic heating on the dislocation-density evolution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Stress Relaxation Cracking of Alloys at Temperatures Higher Than 540°C

Type 347H stainless steel (347H SS), used in commercial concentrating solar power (CSP) thermal energy storage to store solar-salt at a temperature of 565°C, has been reported in the literature to be susceptible to stress-relaxation cracking (SRC). The welded heat-affected zone (HAZ) and fusion zone (FZ) of 347H SS, particularly in thick sections, are known to be susceptible to failure during post-weld heat treatment (reheat cracking). SRC could also occur after months or years under an elevated-temperature service environment. Two conditions must be present for failure to occur in the HAZ and/or FZ: 1) a modified or sensitized microstructure and 2) sufficiently high tensile residual stresses present at the elevated service temperature. The overarching goal of this project is to recommend SRC mitigation protocols to avoid susceptibility to fail through SRC at temperatures relevant for CSP. Post weld heat treatment conditions and alternative alloys are investigated as potential mitigation solutions to SRC. We used Gleeble thermomechanical simulation tests and finite element (FE) models to understand the susceptibility of 347H SS to SRC as a function of temperature, stress, and microstructure. We started with a literature review of weldability issues with 347H SS and techniques to mitigate SRC in 347H SS weldments. Next, we used Gleeble experiments to determine reheat cracking susceptibility in the simulated HAZ of 347SS weldments and an alternative alloy, 316L SS (NUCL 167 SPH) with boron added. We also performed Gleeble experiments to compare the reheat cracking susceptibility of 347H cross welded with two different fillers: E347, which is used in some commercial CSP TES tanks, and E16.8.2. We validated the experimental results with FE models of the residual stresses. We found that although the 316L (NUCL 167 SPH) is less susceptible to reheat cracking, it is slightly weaker than 347H and ASME BP&V codes limit its use to a service condition of 565°C. We also found that welds using E16.8.2 as the weld filler are less susceptible to failure than those using E347, likely due to the higher creep ductility of E16.8.2, and that it may be used as an alternative filler for repair welding of 347H welds or as the primary choice of filler for newly developed weld joints. We also found that post weld heat treatment could be a viable solution for mitigating stress in E347-347H SS thick, constrained welds, like those found in CSP tanks, and propose several options for mitigating SRC in existing and future TES tanks.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Preliminary Experimental Results in Support of the Development of EPP and SMT Design Methods and Viscoplastic Model for A709

The ASME code qualification effort for Alloy 709 (A709) is currently underway to qualify it for Class A construction in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 5. The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories are collaborating in the advanced materials development initiative to investigate the mechanical performance of A709 in support of its code qualification. As part of the A709 code qualification effort, this report summarizes ORNL’s initial experimental findings that support the integration of A709 into the elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) strain limits code case. It also covers thermomechanical fatigue testing conducted to develop viscoelastic material models, along with the preliminary results of creep-fatigue experiments at 816°C using the Simplified Model Test (SMT) method.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Design and Optimization of a Gas-Cooled, Airfoil Fin Microchannel Heat Exchanger

High-performance microchannel heat exchangers are needed to supply heat for power conversion for nuclear microreactors. An airfoil fin microchannel design, constructed of Alloy 617 with helium as the working fluid, was analyzed and optimized using a design of experiments with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. The use of airfoil fins offers the potential to reduce pressure drop across the heat exchanger, as compared to other types of channel configurations. A framework for topology optimization of airfoil fin PCHEs has been developed that can be readily extended to different fin sizes and shapes, as well as different inlet and operating conditions, materials of construction, and working fluids. An optimization procedure was developed that employs computational fluid dynamics for a set of design points identified using Latin hypercube sampling. STAR-CCM+ was used to analyze a simplified two-channel configuration where five parameters were varied – inlet angle, fin scale, extent of staggering, transverse and longitudinal pitches. Two methods were compared for generating surrogate models – a 5D polynomial and a regression neural network. A response surface approximation was created from the surrogate models and input to a genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm identified a set of optimal points on the Pareto front. The optimal geometry was found across six channel Reynolds numbers ranging from 1000 to 5000 to analyze how varying inlet conditions affects the optimal design. A set of optimal designs that maximizes heat transfer and minimizes pressure drop was identified, and a thermal stress analysis was performed on the optimal design. This work has developed a digital framework for the expedient topology design and evaluation of PCHE designs for gas-cooled microreactor applications. Correlations for the Nusselt number and Darcy friction factor were developed that can be useful for thermal hydraulic analyses using system codes. A thermal stress analysis was conducted and a brief discussion of the status of code cases of PCHEs for nuclear applications is given. Testing and thermomechanical modeling is needed to facilitate future code compliance of PCHEs for high pressure and high temperature applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗