High-temperature tensile and creep properties of a ferritic stainless steel for interconnect in solid oxide fuel cell

The purpose of this study is to investigate the high-temperature mechanical properties of a ferritic stainless steel (Crofer 22 APU) for use as an interconnect material in planar solid oxide fuel cells (pSOFCs). Tensile properties of the Crofer 22 APU steel are evaluated at temperatures of 25-800 °C. Creep properties are evaluated by constant-load tests at 650-800 °C. Several creep lifetime models are applied to correlate the creep rupture time with applied stress or minimum creep rate. Experimental results show the variation of yield strength with temperature can be described by a sigmoidal curve for different deformation mechanisms. The creep stress exponent, n, has a value of 5 or 6, indicating a power-law creep mechanism involving dislocation motion. The apparent activation energy for such a power-law creep mechanism is estimated as 393 kJ mol⁻¹ through some thermally activated relations. Creep rupture time of the Crofer 22 APU steel can be described by a Monkman-Grant relation with a time exponent, m = 1.11. The relation between creep rupture time and normalized stress is well fitted by a universal simple power law for all of the given testing temperatures. Larson-Miller relationship is also applied and shows good results in correlating the creep rupture time with applied stress and temperature for the Crofer 22 APU steel. Fractographic and microstructural observations indicate most of the creep cavities are nucleated along grain boundaries and a greater amount of cavities are formed under high stresses.     

Using a strain based failure assessment diagram for creep–brittle materials

Recently, there has been considerable interest in studying creep crack growth in creep–brittle materials. For example, the methodologies for assessing creep ductile materials, using fracture mechanics parameters like C^* and C_t, have been extended to include creep–brittle materials [1]. This paper begins by examining these recent developments and outlines the difficulties in adopting these developments. An alternative approach is then proposed. This new approach leads from recent work proposed by the authors [2], where a strain based failure assessment diagram (SB-FAD) is used. Experimental results from a series of tests on a simulated heat affected zone of a low alloy steel are explored. The application of the methodology for assessing the initiation and growth of a defect in a creep–brittle material is also demonstrated.     

Stress-controlled direct shear testing of geosynthetic clay liners II: Assessment of shear behavior

This paper is the second of a two-paper set on stress-controlled direct shear testing of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). Design of the apparatus, preliminary experiments, and shear deformation mechanisms in heat-treated and non-heat treated needle-punched (NP) GCLs were discussed in Part I. The objective of Part II (this paper) was to evaluate the effects of physical factors (i.e., peel strength and initial normal stress, σ_ni), environmental factors (i.e., temperature and hydration solution), and creep on the internal shear behavior of NP GCLs. In addition, failure conditions of GCLs in the stress-controlled direct shear tests were compared to displacement-controlled direct shear tests to verify results. An increase in internal shear strength developed from increased GCL peel strength or increased normal stress. Elevated temperatures were observed to decrease internal shear strength for both non-heat treated and heat-treated NP GCLs. Specimens hydrated with a calcium-rich synthetic mining solution experienced increased internal shear strength due to cation exchange in the bentonite, whereas specimens hydrated with a highly alkaline synthetic mining solution experienced decreased internal shear strength. Creep tests revealed an increase in time-to-failure with decrease in applied shear stress. Finally, stress states at failure from stress-controlled and displacement-controlled shear tests corresponded to a unique failure envelope, which validates the efficacy of using stress-controlled direct shear tests to assess internal shear behavior and shear strength of NP GCLs.     

The effect of geotextile reinforcement and prefabricated vertical drains on the stability and settlement of embankments

The construction of four dikes on deep strata of very soft clay has required the application of several measures to improve the performance of the foundation, such as very wide berms, basal geotextile reinforcement and prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs). In order to control the rate of construction, the foundation and the dikes have been monitored with settlement plates, topographic stakes, inclinometers and piezometers. The use of back-analysis has allowed finding the adequate material model, the smearing of drains and the coefficient of secondary compression necessary to attain a good agreement between the measurements supplied by the instrumentation and the calculated values obtained with an elastic-viscoplastic (EVP) finite element (FE) program. Both the geotextile reinforcement and the PVDs produce an important increase in the safety factor (SF). The PVDs produce a significant acceleration in settlements, but the influence of the geotextile in the settlements is negligible. The combined use of the geosynthetic reinforcement and PVDs enhances embankment performance substantially more than the use of either method of soil improvement alone. The importance of flow in the results has been established.     

小型压水堆严重事故下一回路承压管道蠕变预测分析模型开发

一回路承压管道蠕变是压水堆核电厂严重事故重要现象之一。针对小型压水堆,本文基于SCDAP/RELAP5程序开发了严重事故分析模型,利用实验拟合方法得到了一回路主管道(SA321)、自然循环式蒸汽发生器传热管(00Cr25Ni35Al Ti)两种材料蠕变预测分析模型,改进了SCDAP/RELAP5程序蠕变预测分析功能模块,并通过假想事故序列验证了SA321、00Cr25Ni35Al Ti蠕变预测分析模型的合理性。为后续开展小型压水堆严重事故下一回路承压管道蠕变规律研究提供基础参考。     

Long-term performance predictions in ground improvements with vacuum assisted Prefabricated Vertical Drains

Investigation into time dependent long-term performance of Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) combined with vacuum consolidation in thick deposits of clay has been extremely limited. Predicting both settlements and excess pore pressures in such cases has become increasingly challenging when time duration is long-term, e.g. several years. In discussing such matter, finding a suitable model to predict the long-term performance is inevitable. Elasto-plastic analysis models such as Cam-Clay cannot predict long-term time-dependent deformational behaviour in soft soils. In this technical note, a Biot type fully-coupled creep-based elastic viscoplastic (EVP) finite element (FE) numerical model has been extended for application in vacuum consolidation. The vacuum consolidation section of the embankment constructed in Ballina, New South Wales, Australia (hereafter referred as Ballina embankment), is analysed using the model through a unit cell analysis and the numerical predictions are compared with field performance monitoring data up to 1200 days (>3 years). The proposed analysis method for PVD combined with vacuum consolidation involving an EVP model is found to be capable of predicting both short-term and long-term deformational behaviours. Predictions are improved when an exponential function is used for the secondary compression index in the EVP model. Comparison has also been carried out at another location in the embankment where the foundation clay thickness was different to check the precision of the methodology and for better understanding of ground settlement behaviour. Details of the analysis methodology and its validation against field performance data are presented in this note.     

Creep life assessment method for online monitoring of steam turbine rotors

The principal objective of work was to develop fast and accurate method for online creep life monitoring of steam turbine rotors. For this purpose, a characteristic strain model of creep was investigated and validated using test data of 2%CrMoV rotor steel. The model was then used to determine creep damage functions which are introduced to compute creep damage at a constant temperature based on the Robinson time fraction rule. Finite element (FE) creep calculations of a turbine rotor were performed using the same creep model to obtain reference damage results for validating the proposed method. Comparisons of the results obtained using both methods showed a very good accuracy of the online creep damage predictions.     

Stress field near interface edge of elastic-creep bi-material

Stress fields on elastic-creep bi-material interfaces with different geometry of the interface edge are analyzed by finite element method. The results reveal that the stress highly concentrates near the interface edge at the loading instant and it gradually decreases as the creep-dominated zone expands from the small-scale creep to the large-scale creep. The stress singularity due to creep which resembles the HRR stress singularity appears near the interface edge in all cases. The stress intensity near the interface edge time-dependently decreases and becomes constant when the transition reaches the steady state. The magnitude is scarcely influenced by the edge shape of elastic material, though it depends on the edge shape of creep material. The stress intensity during the transition can be approximately predicted by the J-integral at the loading instant.     

Prediction of Creep Stiffness of Asphalt Mixture with Micromechanical Finite-Element and Discrete-Element Models

This study presents micromechanical finite-element (FE) and discrete-element (DE) models for the prediction of viscoelastic creep stiffness of asphalt mixture. Asphalt mixture is composed of graded aggregates bound with mastic (asphalt mixed with fines and fine aggregates) and air voids. The two-dimensional (2D) microstructure of asphalt mixture was obtained by optically scanning the smoothly sawn surface of superpave gyratory compacted asphalt mixture specimens. For the FE method, the micromechanical model of asphalt mixture uses an equivalent lattice network structure whereby interparticle load transfer is simulated through an effective asphalt mastic zone. The ABAQUS FE model integrates a user material subroutine that combines continuum elements with viscoelastic properties for the effective asphalt mastic and rigid body elements for each aggregate. An incremental FE algorithm was employed in an ABAQUS user material model for the asphalt mastic to predict global viscoelastic behavior of asphalt mixture. In regard to the DE model, the outlines of aggregates were converted into polygons based on a 2D scanned mixture microstructure. The polygons were then mapped onto a sheet of uniformly sized disks, and the intrinsic and interface properties of the aggregates and mastic were assigned for the simulation. An experimental program was developed to measure the properties of sand mastic for simulation inputs. The laboratory measurements of the mixture creep stiffness were compared with FE and DE model predictions over a reduced time. The results indicated both methods were applicable for mixture creep stiffness prediction.     

岩层蠕滑形成应力集中区特征研究

山体主脊为厚层状石灰岩背斜主轴,北坡相同于岩层倾向倾角。在软弱结构面的作用下,岩层产生了蠕动作用,蠕滑力使坡下岩层穹隆,产生了应力集中区。勘察阶段查出了"饼状"岩芯和透镜体状空洞,施工阶段发生了边坡岩体位移现象。通过发明的监测器,对其记录数据与采石场卸荷区综合分析,从而论证了应力集中区机理,确定了穹隆段应力具有极强的方向性。