Flaw density examinations of a clad boiling water reactor pressure vessel segment

As part of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Heavy-Section Steel Technology Program, studies have been conducted to determine flaw density in a section of reactor pressure vessel cut from the Hope Creek Unit 2 vessel. This boiling water reactor vessel was never in service. One objective was to evaluate the approximate 0.7- by 3-m (2- by 10-ft) segment of the vessel provided using ultrasonic flaw detection methods performed with both ASME Code techniques and supplemental ultrasonic methods. A second objective was to evaluate the inner surface stainless steel cladding for cracks with a high sensitivity penetrant examination. Both objectives were successfully completed. Five Code-recordable indications were detected ultrasonically; however, all were found to be anomalies associated with the cladding. One flaw was detected by the supplemental ultrasonic tests, and it was analyzed destructively. This flaw was pipelike indication, about 20 mm (0.8 in.) long extending along the length of the longitudinal weld in which it was located and was about 20 mm below the cladding surface. The flaw had a through-wall dimension (or length) of about 6 mm (0.24 in.) for an approximate 3-mm (0.1-in.) distance along the 20-mm major length. No flaws were detected by the penetrant examination of the cladding surface.     

Strain rate- and temperature-dependent tensile properties of an epoxy-based, thermosetting, shape memory polymer (Veriflex-E)

In this study, the inelastic deformation behavior of an epoxy-based, thermally triggered shape memory polymer resin, known as Veriflex-E, was investigated. The experimental program was designed to explore the influence of strain rate on monotonic loading at various temperatures which is needed to establish the design space of SMPs in load bearing applications. Thermally actuated shape memory polymers can be thought of as having two phases separated by the glass transition temperature (T _g ). At temperatures below the T _g , Veriflex-E exhibits a high elastic modulus and positive, non-linear strain rate sensitivity in monotonic loading. The Poisson’s ratio at room temperature is independent of the strain rate, but dependent upon the strain magnitude. As the temperature is increased, the strain rate sensitivity in monotonic loading decreases. Well above the T _g , the elastic modulus drops by several orders of magnitude. In this high temperature region, the material achieves strain levels well above 100% and Poisson’s ratio is constant at 0.5 regardless of strain rate or strain magnitude.     

A thermomechanical constitutive model for an epoxy based shape memory polymer and its parameter identifications

This paper presents a three-dimensional (3D) finite deformation thermomechanical model to study the glass transition and shape memory behaviors of an epoxy based shape memory polymer (SMP) (Veriflex E) and a systematic material parameter identification scheme from a set of experiments. The model was described by viscoelastic elements placed in parallel to represent different active relaxation mechanisms around glass transition temperature in the polymer. A set of standard material tests was proposed and conducted to identify the model parameter values, which consequently enable the model to reproduce the experimentally observed shape memory (SM) behaviors. The parameter identification procedure proposed in this paper can be used as an effective tool to assist the construction and application of such 3D multi-branch model for general SMP materials.     

Discrepancies in normative data between Lunar and Hologic DXA systems

Many studies have shown the high correlation between Lunar and Hologic DXA bone mineral density (BMD) measurements despite differences in absolute calibration. However, in clinical practice, raw BMD values (in g/cm2) are not normally used for assessing skeletal status and fracture risk. Instead, the BMD values are expressed in terms of the number of standard deviations above or below the young normal value (commonly referred to as the T-score). If the normative populations of the various systems are consistent, the standard deviation scores should also be consistent. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently established diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis based on T-scores and not BMD. However, few studies have compared the instruments in terms of their standard deviation scores. In this study, we used linear regression to compare T-scores in 83 women at L1-4 and 120 women at the femoral neck obtained on a Lunar DPX and a Hologic QDR-1000/W system. patient BMD and T-score measurements were highly correlated between the two systems (r > 0.95). No clinically significant difference in L1-4 T-scores was seen (less than 0.1 SD). However, linear regression analysis confirmed a systematic difference of 0.9 SD between the femoral neck T-scores. This discrepancy is caused by: (1) differences in the normal populations, and (2) differences in statistical models used to determine the young normal mean and standard deviation. In an attempt to correct the discrepancy, the female young normal mean and standard deviation were recalculated for the femoral neck using published epidemiological data from NHANES and existing DXA cross-calibration equations. The Hologic young normal value (mean +/- SD) was redefined as 0.85 +/- 0.11 g/cm2, while the Lunar value was redefined as 1.00 +/- 0.11 g/cm2. When the femoral neck T-scores for the study population were recalculated on the basis of these new values, the results were equivalent between manufactures, effectively eliminating the discrepancy. However, the revised values should be confirmed by additional measurements in young normal adults.     

Longitudinal mode control in giant pulse lasers

We have introduced longitudinal mode selection into a giant pulse laser to obtain single mode output from the laser. Some advantages of achieving longitudinal mode control in a giant pulse laser are noted. The methods of mode control used are described. These include orienting various reflecting surfaces in the laser cavity, cooling the ruby laser crystal, and introduction of a saturable dye in the cavity. Methods of measuring the mode structure are given. Results of these measurements with varying degrees of mode control are described in detail. Under some conditions it is possible to obtain essentially single mode behavior from the giant pulse laser.     

Volatile profiles of aromatic and non-aromatic rice cultivars using SPME/GC–MS

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is enjoyed by many people as a staple food because of its flavour and texture. Some cultivars, like scented rice, are preferred over others due to their distinctive aroma and flavour. The volatile profile of rice has been explored by other investigators, some of whom have also determined a corresponding aroma using GC/olfactometry. However, little research has been done to determine if different aromatic rice cultivars produce different flavour volatiles that would make them more desirable than others when cooked. In this study, seven aromatic and two non-aromatic cultivars were examined for their volatile profiles both before and after storage using solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibres in conjunction with gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC–MS). Ninety-three volatile compounds were identified, 64 of which had not been previously reported in rice. Differences were found in the volatile compounds of aromatic and non-aromatic rice besides 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP). Most of the volatile compounds were present in freshly harvested rice and rice following storage, with very few new compounds being identified only after storage. Dellrose, an aromatic cultivar, and Cocodrie, a non-aromatic cultivar, had the most complex volatile profiles (over 64 volatiles). Sixteen compounds were found only in the aromatic cultivars, and some volatiles were found to be unique to specific aromatic cultivars. However, no distinctive pattern was observed that would identify a cultivar as being derived from Basmati, Khao Dawk Mali 105 (i.e. jasmine), or other sources of aroma. This study showed that there is a great diversity of volatiles in both aromatic and non-aromatic rice cultivars and, with further research, this may lead to a better understanding of the combination of compounds that gives a cultivar a unique flavour.     

Application of critical distances to fatigue at pores

This work applies Taylor's theory of critical distance to quantify the effect of defects on fatigue initiation in an additively manufactured metal. We focus on hollow pores that are ideal spherical, prolate, and oblate spheroids isolated in an otherwise homogeneous linear‐elastic material. These conditions support the development of exact solutions using the exterior Eshelby tensor for a pore in a remote, arbitrary stress field. For spheres, this solution process admits simple closed‐form solutions for principal stresses disturbed by the pore. For prolate and oblate spheroids, we present the solutions as graphical curves showing stress variations under uniaxial tension. This report then extends the analysis to determine the effect of defects on a parametric, power‐law stress range vs fatigue life model. By propagating the distributed stress fields through this model, this study demonstrates the effect of pore size, pore shape, stress, and parametric fatigue properties on the life reduction due to porosity. These results suggest several approaches to increasing fatigue lives in porous materials, eg, reducing the pore size, promoting spherical pores, and increasing the microstructural parameter (comparable to the El Haddad parameter). Results presented in this work may be useful to inform trends of fatigue strength and fatigue initiation lives in metallic alloys with limited porosity, eg, additively manufactured materials that have been HIP'ed.     

Ground Fault Tests on High-Resistance Grounded 13.8-kV Electrical Distribution System of Modern Large Chemical Plant?II

Actual ground fault tests were conducted to determine the behavior of low-magnitude arcing ground faults in a closed air-filled 13.8-kV terminal chamber. Ground current magnitudes between 10 and 50 A were allowed to flow under various ground fault conditions. The tests that were performed support the value of high-resistance grounding to promote safety and reduce damage to equipment. At higher ground fault current levels the ionization of the air-filled chamber progresses at a rapid rate, and the arc is sustained or phase-to-phase faulting quickly occurs. The lower the ground fault current can be limited the less damage that occurs and the less possibility there is of creating a phase-to-phase fault. The practical consideration appears to be that if ground fault current can be limited to 10 A or less then initial ground faults will either clear themselves or create solid ground paths. This can allow the system to operate until an orderly shutdown procedure can be initiated.