Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “statistical failure analysis”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records

Accelerated statistical failure analysis of multifidelity TRISO fuel models

Statistical nuclear fuel failure analysis is critical for the design and development of advanced reactor technologies. Although Monte Carlo Sampling (MCS) is a standard method of statistical failure analysis for fuels, the low failure probabilities of some advanced fuel forms and the correspondingly large number of required model evaluations limit its application to low-fidelity (e.g., 1-D) fuel models. In this paper, we present four other statistical methods for fuel failure analysis in Bison, considering tri-structural isotropic (TRISO)-coated particle fuel as a case study. The statistical methods considered are Latin hypercube sampling (LHS), adaptive importance sampling (AIS), subset simulation (SS), and the Weibull theory. Using these methods, we analyzed both 1-D and 2-D representations of TRISO models to compute failure probabilities and the distributions of fuel properties that result in failures. The results of these methods compare well across all TRISO models considered. Overall, SS and the Weibull theory were deemed the most efficient, and can be applied to both 1-D and 2-D TRISO models to compute failure probabilities. Moreover, since SS also characterizes the distribution of parameters that cause TRISO failures, and can consider failure modes not described by the Weibull criterion, it may be preferred over the other methods. Finally, a discussion on the efficacy of different statistical methods of assessing nuclear fuel safety is provided.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Efficient high-fidelity TRISO statistical failure analysis using Bison: Applications to AGR-2 irradiation testing

The ability of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel to contain fission products is largely dictated by the quality of the manufacturing process, since most of the fission product release is expected to occur due to coating layer failure in a small number of particles containing defects. The Bison fuel performance code has capabilities to predict failure in individual particles, accounting for the presence of defects, and to apply statistical analysis methods to compute the probability of failure in a set of fuel particles. Bison has recently undergone significant development both to improve its physical representations of fuel particle behavior and to improve the efficiency of its statistical failure calculations. Physical model improvements include new capabilities to account for the pressure generated by fission gases on inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) crack surfaces and to use local material coordinate orientation to accurately incorporate the anisotropy in the material properties in aspherical particles. To improve statistical modeling efficiency, a direct integration approach which involves directly integrating the failure probability function associated with statistically varying parameters has been developed. The direct integration approach is much more efficient than the Monte Carlo (MC) schemes commonly employed, and allows Bison to directly run high-dimensional fuel performance models, which improves the accuracy of failure probability calculations. Finally, a set of benchmark problems is considered here to compare the MC and direct integration approaches, and a statistical failure analysis of compacts in the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR)-2 experiments is performed using the direct integration approach.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

BISON TRISO Modeling Advancements and Validation to AGR-1 Data

BISON is a finite element-based nuclear fuel performance code. Among its unique characteristics are its ability to model 1D, 2D, and 3D geometries and its applicability to a wide variety of nuclear fuels. For the last eight years, BISON has included a beginning capability to model tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel. Recently, interest in TRISO fuel has grown, and a significant effort has been made to improve BISON’s capabilities in this area. Capability development has occurred for each material present in TRISO fuel particles: the buffer, inner pyrolytic carbon, silicon carbide, and outer pyrolytic carbon layers, as well as the fuel kernel. New elastic, creep, swelling, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, and fission gas release (FGR) models are available. New models for the graphite matrix are also now available. Another important addition is the ability to perform statistical failure analysis of large samples of fuel particles. This new capability, which continues to grow, enables evaluation of failure due to pressure or crack formation by analyzing many thousands of particles. This enables realistic calculations of fission product release from the many particles in a TRISO-fueled reactor. These capabilities were checked via regression and verification tests. A large number of code benchmarking problems were also run, showing that BISON’s results closely match those of other software tools. Finally, a significant validation effort was completed in which fission product release, measured as part of the AGR-1 capsule experiments, was compared to BISON outputs. BISON outputs compared very well to the experimental data and to PARFUME results. Interest in BISON’s TRISO capabilities is growing, with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Westinghouse Electric Company receiving training during the past year. Multiple other entities have expressed interest in or are actively using BISON. Kairos Power, LLC, has a strong partnership with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) regarding the use of BISON for TRISO analysis. While its capabilities still continue to grow, BISON has already become a powerful tool for TRISO analysis.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

GPU Lifetimes on Titan Supercomputer: Survival Analysis and Reliability

The Cray XK7 Titan was the top supercomputer system in the world for a long time and remained critically important throughout its nearly seven year life. It was an interesting machine from a reliability viewpoint as most of its power came from 18,688 GPUs whose operation was forced to execute three rework cycles, two on the GPU mechanical assembly and one on the GPU circuitboards. We write about the last rework cycle and a reliability analysis of over 100,000 years of GPU lifetimes during Titan’s 6-year-long productive period. Using time between failures analysis and statistical survival analysis techniques, we find that GPU reliability is dependent on heat dissipation to an extent that strongly correlates with detailed nuances of the cooling architecture and job scheduling. We describe the history, data collection, cleaning, and analysis and give recommendations for future supercomputing systems. We make the data and our analysis codes publicly available.

Ostrouchov, George↗

Laser interference structuring of Cu for adhesive joining of HVAC equipment

Due to potential energy and cost savings benefits, adhesive joining has been recently considered for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems. HVAC adhesive bonding requires cost-effective and adequate surface preparations of adherents. Here, this article investigates the use of abrasion, traditional single-beam laser, and a laser-interference technique as surface preparations of copper surfaces. Surface morphology is characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Effective submicrometer peak-to-valley structuring with a periodicity of ∼2.7μ⁢m was demonstrated for laser-interference processing. Single-lap shear tests were conducted for 89 joints made with bondline thicknesses of 0.15 and 0.3 mm. Data on process variables and measured variables included open-time, bond length, maximum load, displacement at failure, shear lap strength, and failure mode. A statistical analysis was conducted on each lot to determine the lower limit with 95% confidence intervals for displacements at failure and shear lap strengths. A comparison is presented between the properties of laser-structured joints with respect to those prepared by abrasion, which is considered the baseline surface preparation technique. Based on this comparison, one single-beam laser technique and two laser-interference techniques were shown to exhibit vastly superior performance over the joints made with abraded specimens.

Sabau, Adrian S. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (O↗

Sensitivity analysis applied to SiC failure probability in TRISO modeled with BISON

Here, a sensitivity analysis on the failure probability of the Silicon Carbide (SiC) layer in tristructural isotropic (TRISO) nuclear fuel during transient conditions predicted by the BISON fuel performance code is performed. The principal goal of the analysis is to understand the most important parameters dictating SiC failure behavior in BISON during Reactivity Initiated Accidents (RIAs). SiC brittle fracture probability is modeled using Weibull statistics. A total of seven inputs related to SiC failure has been selected for the analysis, including the Weibull statistics parameters, elastic moduli for SiC and Pyrolitic Carbon (PyC) and SiC stress-free temperature. A 1D TRISO BISON model has been established for various reactivity insertions performed at the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR). The principal advantage associated with the 1D TRISO model developed in this work is its computational efficiency. The Sobol variance decomposition method is used, and the sensitivity indices are presented for eight different values of the energy deposition. The results show that the two most important parameters impacting the predicted SiC failure probability are the Weibull modulus and the characteristic stress, and a co-variance amongst these parameters is obtained for low reactivity insertions. An additional new finding of this work is that the relative importance of Weibull parameters depends on the energy deposition, and thus reactivity, regime. For low energy depositions, two parameters are of influence on SiC failure probability, while for high energy depositions only one parameter impacts failure probability results. Moreover, optimization of the Weibull modulus and characteristic stress is performed by minimizing the RMSE between BISON failure probability predictions and experimental failure fractions for each energy deposition. This work also demonstrates the validity of the NSRR tests BISON simulations and of the respective sensitivity analysis results as conservative, yet indicative for slower transients characterized by lower deposited energies. Such verification is achieved through the partial extension of the analysis to a group Control Rod Withdrawal reproduced from a previous study. Another novel result of this analysis is that no single set of Weibull parameters can reproduce all reactivity insertion experimental failure results, which is related to the intrinsic nature of SiC failure properties, and a new range for the parameters is proposed to produce a failure probability envelope that encompasses the experimental fractions. Additionaly, this work proposes a new approach for future failure analysis with BISON, consisting in the use of Weibull parameters ranges, rather than fixed sets, along with failure envelopes generation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DROP DURABILITY ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLIES UNDER OFF-AXIS LOADING WITH SKEWED FIXTURES

This thesis studies drop durability of electronic assemblies when the acceleration vector is oriented at 45° to the out-of-plane direction of the circuit card. The off-axis drop tests are accomplished with a skewed fixture and are conducted as a proxy for multiaxial drop testing. Advanced shock testing and vibration test methods have been developed over the last few decades to better represent real-world field environments during ground-based laboratory testing. However, many of these test methods require expensive and specialized equipment not available in most laboratories. An alternative approach for approximating simultaneous loading along multiple axes on conventional equipment utilizes skewed fixtures which have seen use in off-axis random vibration and drop impact testing. These methods generally rely on the conversion of a uniaxial input load from the test equipment (using a uniaxial drop tower or shaker) into a multiaxial load when resolved in the reference frame of the test article (mounted on a skewed fixture). Skewed fixture design is presented and recommendations for conducting skewed angle drop testing are introduced based on local measurements along the skewed face of the fixture to accurately monitor the impact event. Characterization tests were performed with a skewed fixture, at simultaneous acceleration loads from 500 to 3,000 g in two (in-plane and out-of-plane) directions, while meeting standard time domain tolerances. Upon experimental characterization, drop shock durability tests were conducted on a printed circuit assembly (PCA). Mean drops-to-failure were measured and quantified with Weibull statistics. Dominant solder joint failure modes were identified via failure analysis. Prior work on inclined angle impact testing is limited, and the majority of solder joint interconnect level fatigue studies are conducted considering perpendicular loading normal the circuit card. Low-cycle fatigue curves are generated based on plastic strain and plastic work density within the solder joint. A multiscale nonlinear finite element model is used to relate board-level flexure to solder joint interconnect level plastic strain. A high strain rate solder constitutive model allows for accurate modeling of solder plasticity resulting from high-impact drop shock. Fatigue parameters are computed from the Coffin-Manson relation and Palmgren-Miner damage accumulation. This work serves to apply established low-cycle fatigue methods for conventional drop shock loading (impact normal to circuit card) to non-perpendicular loading with a skewed fixture.

Hower, Jonathan [Kansas City National Security Cam↗

Microfluidic cells for the 1–10 2 MPa pressure range

Thin membrane-delimited fluid cells supporting up to 1 at (0.1 MPa) of pressure are well known and commercially available for use in vacuum chambers of electron, photon, or various particle beam microscopies or spectroscopies. Hereby, we report on the development of fluid cells capable of working at 1–10 MPa, extending the analysis domain for investigating chemical, biochemical, or physical processes at pressures of interest in chemical synthesis, underwater biochemistry studies or underground geology. We explored ways to optimize cell membranes to better resist pressure beyond simply increasing the thickness or decreasing the size of the membranes, using finite element analysis and experimental validation via membrane bulging experiments and failure statistics. Fluid cell prototypes were fabricated using ∼75 nm-thick SiN x membranes, engineered to withstand 4.7 MPa (average value), compared to regular (un-engineered) membranes withstanding only 3.4 MPa (average value). The fluid cell prototypes include eight microchannels for feeding/evacuating the fluids and applying pressure into micro-reaction chambers, two electrodes for electrochemical or conduction measurements in the sample, and a possible pressure or temperature sensor, customizable for specific experiments.

hi-pressure↗

A method for predicting failure statistics for steady state elevated temperature structural components

This paper presents the initial development of a high temperature life prediction method that accounts for the variability in the material properties of Grade 91 steel. The method accounts for material variability by fitting a variable 3-parameter Weibull distribution to experimental rupture data and accounts for the variability of creep deformation on the steady-state stresses via a Monte Carlo approach. To ensure reasonable computational times, the model represents the material as an extremely viscous Stokes fluid with a non-Newtonian viscosity, therefore solving the stress relaxation problem with a steady, static, instead of transient, analysis. Furthermore, the complete statistical analysis combines this model for creep deformation with a probabilistic model for creep rupture to evaluate the probability of premature failure for a set of sample problems, comparing the predicted failure statistics to the design life predicted by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code rules.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Equibiaxial flexural strength determination of UO 2 using a ball-on-ring test

To increase nuclear fuel performance and reliability, their mechanical properties require an accurate and statistically relevant assessment. Biaxial flexural strength tests provide an alternative to bend bar techniques for assessing mechanical behavior; namely, the transverse rupture strength (TRS) of ceramic samples. Biaxial test samples require simple geometries and minimal surface preparation, reducing fabrication costs and handling hazards. This study investigated the TRS of polycrystalline UO 2 fuel forms at room temperature using a ball-on-ring test fixture. Here, pellets were fabricated from UO 2 powder using conventional powder processing and sintering techniques. The TRS and Weibull parameters were obtained through Weibull statistics on over 60 UO 2 samples tested under equibiaxial flexure. The larger sample size in this study enabled a more robust Weibull statistical analysis than alternative test methods, which may not capture the stochastic failure of typical ceramics. Furthermore, two different loading ball diameters were employed to assess the impact of contact damage on fracture strength. While Hertzian contact damage was observed with the smaller loading ball, the fracture strength remained unaffected. A fracture analysis of the tested UO 2 samples indicated a mixture of intergranular and transgranular fracture that transitions to transgranular fracture with increasing distance from the fracture origin. The characteristic strength of the combined data sets was determined to be 148 MPa, and the Weibull modulus was determined to be 9.1. The TRS values and Weibull parameters were close to values found in the literature for alternative testing techniques using samples with similar microstructure and density. The findings in this study validate the ball-on-ring method used to obtain the TRS of UO 2 with a sample geometry more representative of nuclear fuels. Additionally, experimental TRS results from this study can be implemented in modeling codes to predict fuel performance, which is critical to fuel burnup extension and advanced nuclear fuel technologies.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Failure diagnosis and trend‐based performance losses routines for the detection and classification of incidents in large‐scale photovoltaic systems

Abstract Fault detection and classification in photovoltaic (PV) systems through real‐time monitoring is a fundamental task that ensures quality of operation and significantly improves the performance and reliability of operating systems. Different statistical and comparative approaches have already been proposed in the literature for fault detection; however, accurate classification of fault and loss incidents based on PV performance time series remains a key challenge. Failure diagnosis and trend‐based performance loss routines were developed in this work for detecting PV underperformance and accurately identifying the different fault types and loss mechanisms. The proposed routines focus mainly on the differentiation of failures (e.g., inverter faults) from irreversible (e.g., degradation) and reversible (e.g., snow and soiling) performance loss factors based on statistical analysis. The proposed routines were benchmarked using historical inverter data obtained from a 1.8 MWp PV power plant. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the routines for detecting failures and loss mechanisms and the capability of the pipeline for distinguishing underperformance issues using anomaly detection and change‐point (CP) models. Finally, a CP model was used to extract significant changes in time series data, to detect soiling and cleaning events and to estimate both the performance loss and degradation rates of fielded PV systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Bayesian analysis for estimating statistical parameter distributions of elasto-viscoplastic material models

High temperature design methods rely on constitutive models for inelastic deformation and failure typically calibrated against the mean of experimental data without considering the associated scatter. Variability may arise from the experimental data acquisition process, from heat-to-heat material property variations, or both and need to be accurately captured to predict parameter bounds leading to efficient component design. Applying the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method to produce statistical models capturing the underlying uncertainty in the experimental data is an area of ongoing research interest. This work varies aspects of the Bayesian MCMC method and explores their effect on the posterior parameter distributions for a uniaxial elasto-viscoplastic damage model using synthetically generated reference data. From our analysis with the uniaxial inelastic model we determine that an informed prior distribution including different types of test conditions results in more accurate posterior parameter distributions. The parameter posterior distributions, however, do not improve when increasing the number of similar experimental data. Additionally, changing the amount of scatter in the data affects the quality of the posterior distributions, especially for the less sensitive model parameters. Moreover, we perform a sensitivity study of the model parameters against the likelihood function prior to the Bayesian analysis. The results of the sensitivity analysis help to determine the reliability of the posterior distributions and reduce the dimensionality of the problem by fixing the insensitive parameters. The comprehensive study described in this work demonstrates how to efficiently apply the Bayesian MCMC methodology to capture parameter uncertainties in high temperature inelastic material models. Quantifying these uncertainties in inelastic models will improve high temperature engineering design practices and lead to safer, more effective component designs.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Impacts of PV Module Connector Failures on Cost and Performance of Utility Scale Photovoltaic Systems

The reliability, cost and performance of electrical connectors are a concern in all types of electrical systems, and demands on connectors used on photovoltaic (PV) systems include that connectors maintain electrical conductivity and physical strength, endure ultraviolet sunlight and high ambient temperature, and resist moisture and chemical intrusion over a very long (>25 year) performance period. Connector failures increase operation and maintenance (O&M) costs and reduce plant production, but connector failure can also cause safety and liability problems, which are of greater concern. This work results from a three-year collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technology Office (SETO) under Agreements #39035 and #38531 "Connector Reliability Across the US Solar Sector." a multi-pronged investigation of PV connector health across the US (see https://energy.sandia.gov/pvconnectors/). This report presents derivation of a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) that models failure modes and frequencies (how often failure occurs), estimates O&M costs and lost production associated with connector failures, and then calculates the effect that PV module connectors can have on Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). The model is informed with initial data from quantitative assessment of failure rates, root causes and mechanisms, in-situ diagnostics and data collection, lab-based forensics, and interviews with PV connector manufacturers and plant operators. SNL conducted site inspections at multiple utility-scale sites in different climates and subjected field samples of new, used, and degraded connectors to visual and electrical characterization. EPRI conducted metallurgical analysis of the pin and sleeve conductors to study failure-induced morphological and compositional changes. There is in general a shortage of statistically valid data, but data from PVROM database maintained by SNL was sufficient to ascertain failure rates and lost production as well as provide qualitative insight in its curated maintenance records. This report details the structure of the mathematical model but the sources of data to inform the model will continue to evolve. Analysis of a 100 MW PV plant is provided as an example of the use of the model, with results indicating that connectors are responsible for Annualized O&M Costs of $\$$71,933/year; Annualized Unit O&M Costs of $\$$0.72/kW/year; that a Reserve Account of $\$$187,220 should be available to fund repairs related to connectors; that connectors add $\$$1,494,004 to the Net Present Value of the O&M Costs (project life); and that O&M related to connectors adds about $\$$0.00088/kWh to the Levelized Cost of Energy. The impact of this model is to provide a tool to make the US solar sector more robust by quantifying and monetizing the reliability risks to utility-scale PV systems posed by poorly installed, mismatched and/or poorly designed and manufactured connectors. The TEA provides a model incorporating failure statistics, O&M cost data, and lost production into a single figure of merit, informing decisions and enabling practitioners to optimize cost and performance trade-offs. Stakeholders include connector manufacturers, system designers and equipment specifiers, standards bodies, installers and O&M providers, investors and insurance underwriters. This report supports continued growth of PV predicated on assurances that properly installed and maintained PV system connectors are safe and reliable. The project team is proposing future work including accelerated testing of connectors and expanding the approach taken here to other PV system components, such as TEA for rapid shut-down devices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Fuel performance analysis of fully-resolved TRISO compact

The TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel multilayered coating structure offers multiple barriers to fission product release, enhancing safety and performance. The heterogeneous nature of TRISO fuel compacts, comprising thousands of randomly distributed coated fuel particles embedded in a graphite matrix, creates intricate stress fields and thermal gradients that cannot be accurately modeled using simplified one-dimensional or homogenized approaches. Consequently, three-dimensional modeling enables the prediction of fuel compact dimensional changes, internal pressure buildup, and fission product transport pathways under diverse irradiation and thermal conditions. This capability facilitates detailed analysis of particle-to-particle interactions, matrix cracking mechanisms, and the statistical distribution of coating failures, which directly impact fuel performance and safety margins. This capability is particularly critical for advanced reactors, such as high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and other Generation IV reactor designs where TRISO fuel operates at elevated temperatures and burn-up levels. This work introduces a novel method to generate an optimized packing of TRISO compacts and a complete 3D mesh with random distribution of TRISO particles, which are discretized into each coating component layer.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Relationship between Grain Size and Sample Thickness on the Creep-Rupture Performance of Thin Metallic Sheets of INCONEL Alloy 740H

A study was conducted on INCONEL® alloy 740H® to examine the role of grain size and sheet thickness on the alloy’s creep-rupture behavior. Three different starting sheet thicknesses were utilized and multiple heat-treatment conditions anticipated for compact heat exchanger (CHX) manufacturing were applied to produce a range of grain sizes. Creep-rupture testing was conducted at 750 °C for times up to about 6000 h and the results were compared to wrought databases. The data show that both creep strength and ductility were important factors in the overall creep performance of the sheets. Reductions in performance were observed due either to accelerated creep when grain size was fine or loss of rupture ductility when grain sizes approached the sheet thickness. Some combinations of heat-treatment and thickness were able to produce typical expected wrought creep properties. Historically a ‘rule-of-thumb’ requirement for creep testing suggests 3-5 grains per sample minimum dimension to ensure homogeneous behavior. This research shows that to ensure representative wrought creep performance (i.e. no effect of sample size), the sample minimum cross-section should be 10 times the average ASTM grain size. Statistical analysis of the microstructures suggests the population of larger grains as a controlling feature in creep failure.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

3D TRISO particle-explicit compact meshing

The TRI-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) layered fuel particle is a robust nuclear fuel form offering enhanced safety and performance for advanced reactor concepts, including high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and other Generation IV designs. These poppy-seed-sized particles are embedded in a graphite matrix to form fuel elements that must withstand elevated temperatures and high burn-up levels. The heterogeneous nature of these fuel elements — comprising thousands of randomly distributed TRISO particles — produces complex stress fields and thermal gradients that one- and two-dimensional models cannot accurately capture. While three-dimensional modeling has improved predictions of dimensional changes, internal pressure buildup, and fission product transport under irradiation, current approaches rely on homogenized material properties that are known to have considerable divergence from experimental observations. This work presents a methodology for optimized random packing of TRISO fuel compacts and full three-dimensional mesh generation within the BISON fuel performance code, with each particle coating layer individually discretized. The resulting mesh was demonstrated through heat conduction simulations under representative in-reactor operating conditions, showing strong agreement with expected behavior. This capability enables detailed analysis of particle-to-particle interactions, matrix cracking mechanisms, and the statistical distribution of coating layer failures — all of which directly govern fuel performance and safety margins.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗