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At least 991 records · Page 55

A Review of the Proposed KIsi Offset-Secant Method for Size-Insensitive Linear-Elastic Fracture Toughness Evaluation

Recently proposed modifications to ASTM E399 would provide a new size-insensitive approach to analyzing the force-displacement test record. The proposed size-insensitive linear-elastic fracture toughness, KIsi, targets a consistent 0.5mm crack extension for all specimen sizes by using an offset secant that is a function of the specimen ligament length. The KIsi evaluation also removes the Pmax/PQ criterion and increases the allowable specimen deformation. These latter two changes allow more plasticity at the crack tip, prompting the review undertaken in this work to ensure the validity of this new interpretation of the force-displacement curve. This paper provides a brief review of the proposed KIsi methodology and summarizes a finite element study into the effects of increased crack tip plasticity on the method given the allowance for additional specimen deformation. The study has two primary points of investigation: the effect of crack tip plasticity on compliance change in the force-displacement record and the continued validity of linear-elastic fracture mechanics to describe the crack front conditions. The analytical study illustrates that linear-elastic fracture mechanics assumptions remain valid at the increased deformation limit; however, the influence of plasticity on the compliance change in the test record is problematic. A proposed revision to the validity criteria for the KIsi test method is briefly discussed.

James, Mark↗

A Review of the Proposed KIsi Offset-Secant Method for Size-Insensitive Linear-Elastic Fracture Toughness Evaluation

Recently proposed modifications to ASTM E399 would provide a new size-insensitive approach to analyzing the force-displacement test record. The proposed size-insensitive linear-elastic fracture toughness, KIsi, targets a consistent 0.5mm crack extension for all specimen sizes by using an offset secant that is a function of the specimen ligament length. The KIsi evaluation also removes the Pmax/PQ criterion and increases the allowable specimen deformation. These latter two changes allow more plasticity at the crack tip, prompting the review undertaken in this work to ensure the validity of this new interpretation of the force-displacement curve. This paper provides a brief review of the proposed KIsi methodology and summarizes a finite element study into the effects of increased crack tip plasticity on the method given the allowance for additional specimen deformation. The study has two primary points of investigation: the effect of crack tip plasticity on compliance change in the force-displacement record and the continued validity of linear-elastic fracture mechanics to describe the crack front conditions. The analytical study illustrates that linear-elastic fracture mechanics assumptions remain valid at the increased deformation limit; however, the influence of plasticity on the compliance change in the test record is problematic. A proposed revision to the validity criteria for the KIsi test method is briefly discussed.

James, Mark↗

Microscale Fracture Testing of HfO2-Si Environmental Barrier Coatings

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) play a vital role in protecting advanced turbine components constructed from ceramic matrix composites. EBC performance is evaluated based on many factors such as mechanical and thermal properties and chemical stability. This study focuses on the mechanical properties of individual phases within a HfO2-Si EBC through the combined use of chevron-notched microcantilevers and finite element modeling. The Si- and HfO2-rich phases were found to have fracture toughness K(sub IC) values of 1.36+/-0.07 MPa·m1/2 and 1.99+/-0.36 MPa·m1/2, respectively. Despite irregular notch geometry, calculated K(sub IC) values agreed reasonably with literature values of monolithic samples for the respective phases. The relatively large scatter in the HfO2-rich samples is attributed to heterogeneity in fracture feature size and distribution of the HfO2 and HfSiO4 phases. Comparisons with bulk single-edge V-notched beams suggest bulk behavior is dictated by the fracture behavior of the Sirich phase with no contribution from the HfO2-rich phase.

Robertson, Andrew L.↗

Mars 2020's First Sample: The Fractured Rough Rock Unit on the Floor of Jezero Crater

A central goal of the Mars 2020 mission is to select and cache samples for future return to Earth. The first samples targeted for collection are from the crater-retaining, Crater Floor Fractured Rough (CF-Fr) unit of Stack et al., 2020.The CF-Fr unit is a topographically low unit in the current Jezero setting, likely overlain by morphologically discrete units, including possible Jezero delta deposits and eolian features. CF-Fr is an aerially extensive unit with lobate margins. Two distinct morphologies are observed: a locally-exposed lower expression, with flat relatively horizontal light-toned surfaces and polygonal fracturing, and an upper expression consisting of up to ~5vertical meters of massive, sometimes boulder-producing, material. The locally-exposed lower expression appears to represent a local ground level in which the upper material has been removed. Near the Octavia E. Butler landing site, the lower morphology is exposed as polygonally-fractured, light-toned bedrock that appears to grade continuously into higher-standing massive outcrops, often with no clearly exposed contact. Further south, a darker upper expression of the CF-Fr unit is more distinct and the unit exhibits some horizontal layering. The Perseverance rover will initially sample the flat-lying expression of this unit. Hypotheses for the origin of CF-Fr include fluvial, aeolian, or lacustrine sediment likely derived from the Jezero watershed, and/or pyroclastic material resulting from regional volcanism. Geochronology of the returned sample could be used to help constrain the timing of geological events in Jezero. It may also help constrain stratigraphic relationships with crater-retaining units outside of Jezero within the Nili Planum, which could be used to calibrate the cratering chronology of Mars. Paleomagnetic analyses of an oriented sample could establish the history of the martian dynamo and whether it persisted into the Hesperian. Finally, if present, secondary phases within the primary deposit would help constrain diagenetic conditions and inform post-depositional aqueous and potentially habitable environmental conditions.

Justin I Simon↗

Lunar Flashlight Propulsion System Fracture Control Report Revision B

This document describes how the Lunar Flashlight Propulsion System (LFPS) meets the requirements listed in the LFPS Fracture Control Plan (FCP) (LFPS-PLAN-111). This document lists all the specific analyses and justifications to show that fracture control is satisfied for this program. The provisions of this plan shall be met to demonstrate that the parts are in compliance with NASA’s fracture control requirements for space flight hardware.

Cubesat↗

Fracture Mechanics Properties of Fused Silicas Used for International Space Station Windowpanes

The fracture toughness and slow crack growth (SCG) parameters of a quartz-based silica and a high-purity fused silica were measured as part of a program to review the reliability of the International Space Station windows. The materials exhibit the same fracture toughness (.75 MPa m^(1/2) in N2) and very similar SCG parameters. The literature on fused silica indicates excellent agreement of fracture toughness, but a very wide range of SCG parameters, even from the same institution, with strength-based methods usually yielding a lower power law exponent than direct crack velocity measurements. Use of the exponential function is shown to provide better agreement between test methods, with velocity curves derived from strength tests of bare fiber and polished or ground test specimens paralleling those from wide-range, direct crack velocity observations, implying that constant stress rate tests can predict long lifetime via the exponential function. However, much variation still exists. SCG parameters for soda–lime silicate are much less sensitive to the test method than fused silica. Static load tests and stress intensity measurements resulted in a fatigue threshold of .3 MPa m^(1/2) for fused silica.

Silica, toughness, impact, crack growth, windows, ↗

Simulating current flow through a well casing and an induced fracture

A system includes a receiver component that receives a model of a well system, the model comprising a representation of an electrically energized well casing and/or a fracture as a transmission line that leaks electric current as the current traverses the well casing and/or fracture. The receiver component also receives a value that indicates an amount of the current that is applied to the well casing and a location of a source of the current on the well casing. The system further includes an electromagnetic field calculator component that calculates an estimated electromagnetic field at at least one location on the surface of the earth based at least in part upon the representation of the electrically energized well casing and/or fracture, the value that indicates the amount of current that is applied to the well casing, and the location of the source of the current on the well casing.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Insights into the Physical-Chemical Properties of a CO2-Responsive Fracturing Fluid

Here we determine the phase behavior of StimuFrac, a CO2 responsive fracturing fluid, under geothermal wellbore conditions. StimuFrac is an aqueous poly(allylamine) fluid that crosslinks in the presence of CO2. StimuFrac significantly reduces the net pressure required to induce fractures, relative to other fracture fluids, and has potential to reduce water use. However, the phase behavior and equations of state to describe StimuFrac’s phase behavior remain unavailable. Here we determine the density and molar volume of the fluid as a function of geothermal relevant temperatures, pressures, and weight fractions of StimuFrac added. In general, experiments find that StimuFrac’s density decreases as temperature and pressure increase. Using these results, equations of saturated state and phase diagrams for different polymer concentrations are reported. These results are critical inputs for planned numerical simulation efforts.

Pease, Leonard F.↗

Fracture fluid alteration to mitigate barite scale precipitation in unconventional oil/gas shale systems

An acid spearhead formulation for mineral scale reduction that includes a sulfuric acid solution having an acidity that is substantially equivalent to a hydrochloric acid solution in an acid spearhead formulation, a sodium citrate compound, where an acid spearhead formulation for mineral scale reduction is formed, the acid spearhead formulation is disposed in a well bore to stabilize mineral scales, the acid spearhead formulation is disposed in the well bore to chelate solubilized calcium in a rock bed of the well bore, and the well bore includes a temporal thermodynamic subsurface barite cycling having a subsurface barite dissolution temporal phase, a subsurface barite transport to fractures temporal phase, a subsurface barite precipitation to fracture temporal phase and a subsurface barite dissolution to fracture space temporal phase, where the acid spearhead formulation for mineral scale reduction reacts with the well bore within the subsurface barite dissolution temporal phase.

Jew, Adam↗

Mode I fracture testing fixture

An apparatus and method for preparing Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens are disclosed as an apparatus and method for conducting Mode I fracture resistance testing using the DCB specimens. In a first embodiment, a drill jig is used to locate the DCB specimen and guide a drilling process during creation of at least one through-hole in the DCB specimen. The drilling process may employ a traditional drill and drill bit, a laser drill, or a water jet. In another embodiment, a set of rotating pin blocks, each with a full-round or a half-round specimen pin at one end and a hanger full-round pin at the other end, engage the DCB specimen and facilitate the internal application of a fracturing load to the DCB specimen for the Mode I fracture resistance test. The present invention may significantly reduce the time and materials needed to prepare and test a DCB specimen.

Briggs, Timothy↗

Post-Irradiation Fracture Toughness Characterization of Generation II FeCrAl Alloys

FeCrAl alloys are promising candidate materials for the accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding application due to their exceptional resistance to oxidation in elevated temperature steam environments. Currently, limited fracture toughness data are available for the FeCrAl alloys, including the FeCrAl alloys newly developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) program. In this study, two Generation II candidate FeCrAl alloys, i.e., C06M (81.8Fe-10Cr-6Al-0.03Y-2Mo-0.2Si) and C36M (78.8Fe-13Cr-6Al-0.03Y-2Mo-0.2Si), were irradiated in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at ORNL to assess the fracture characteristics of these alloys after neutron irradiation. A total of six rabbit capsules were irradiated in HFIR at target temperatures of 200°C, 330°C, and 500°C up to target damage doses of 8 displacements per atom (dpa) and 16 dpa. Post-irradiation fracture toughness testing was performed following the Master Curve method in the ASTM E1921 standard. The main findings of this study are:1) Both the C06M and C36M alloys exhibited a similar response to irradiation concerning irradiation hardening and embrittlement.2) The irradiation temperature played different roles in terms of irradiation hardening and embrittlement for both C06M and C36M: after irradiation between 166°C and 204°C, both materials exhibited significant irradiation hardening and embrittlement; after irradiation between 315°C and 343°C, both materials showed small irradiation hardening without irradiation embrittlement. After irradiation between 501°C and 507°C, however, the irradiation softening without irradiation embrittlement was observed in both materials.3) Comparing the microhardness and Master Curve reference temperature T0q before and after neutron irradiation, we did not observe a linear correlation between the two parameters for both C06M and C36M steels. This should be mainly due to a flat response of the Master Curve reference temperature T0q to the irradiations at 166–204°C and 315–343°C ranges4) C06M showed a lower T0q, meaning better toughness, than C36M at the unirradiated condition, and such trend was kept even after neutron irradiation except for the 166–204°C irradiation after which both materials had similar T0q.5) In terms of hardening and embrittlement, the irradiation effect on both C06M and C36M appeared to saturate after an irradiation dose of 7 dpa.

Chen, Xiang↗

Mode I fracture testing fixture

An apparatus and method for preparing Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens are disclosed as an apparatus and method for conducting Mode I fracture resistance testing using the DCB specimens. In a first embodiment, a drill jig is used to locate the DCB specimen and guide a drilling process during creation of at least one through-hole in the DCB specimen. The drilling process may employ a traditional drill and drill bit, a laser drill, or a water jet. In another embodiment, a set of rotating pin blocks, each with a full-round or a half-round specimen pin at one end and a hanger full-round pin at the other end, engage the DCB specimen and facilitate the internal application of a fracturing load to the DCB specimen for the Mode I fracture resistance test. The present invention may significantly reduce the time and materials needed to prepare and test a DCB specimen.

Briggs, Timothy↗

Structure and Process of Managing the UO2 Dry In-Pile Fracture Test Irradiation Experiment

The management and structure of a novel research and development (R&D) project can be hard to navigate. This is especially true when it involves nuclear fuel. Familiarity with institutional safety and procedural requirements, a well defined scope, and accurate cost estimates can all help ensure successful project management from start to finish. The Dry In-Pile Fracture Test (DRIFT) experiments performed at the Transient Test Reactor Facility are an excellent example of managing an R&D project within its scope and budget constraints. The objective of the DRIFT test was to develop fracture propagation data in a manner consistent with light-water reactors to validate and improve the fracture propagation models of uranium oxide fuels in the MOOSE (Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment)-BISON-Marmot code framework [1].

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Approaches for the Simulation of Coupled Processes in Evolving Fractured Porous Media Enabled by Exascale Computing

Models have historically represented fractured porous media with continuum descriptions that characterize the media using bulk parameters. The impact of small-scale features is not captured in these models, although they may be controlling the performance of subsurface applications. Pore-scale models can simulate processes in small-scale features by representing the pore space geometry explicitly but are computationally expensive for large domains. The alternative multiscale approach entails the combination of pore-scale and continuum-scale descriptions in a single framework. We use Chombo-Crunch, a computational capability that discretizes complex geometries with an adaptive, embedded boundary method to contrast these two approaches. Chombo-Crunch takes advantage of recent computational performance and memory bandwidth improvements resulting from the emergence of exascale computing resources. These combined improvements enable the efficient simulation of reactive transport in fractured media with a high degree of fidelity and the ability to capture the control small-scale processes exert on the overall medium evolution.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Literature Data on Foam Fracturing Fluid

At the beginning of this project, the Temple team spent significant effort to collect data relevant to foam fracturing. More than 40 articles/reports were found in the open literature that reported the properties of aqueous foams under various testing conditions. The foam properties included viscosity and stability in terms of half-life, while were influenced by the foam quality, shear rate, temperature, pressure, as well as surfactants and additives used in making the foam base solutions. As a result, more than 1100 data points were collected, which are included in a master worksheet named "Literature data on Foam Fracturing Fluid". These data points are organized based on following parameters: 1. Literature source, including authors and publication year 2. Gaseous phase (e.g. CO2, N2) 3. Liquid phase (e.g. tap water, DI water, salt water) 4. Surfactants and their concentrations 6. Additives 7. Foam quality 8. Pressure 9. Temperature 10. Viscosity 11. Foam stability, which was characterized by its half-life: Half-life Foam study data base with data analysis was completed and a webpage is designed hosted on public server at https://surfactant-dashboard.herokuapp.com

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Utah FORGE 5-2428: Coupled Investigation of Fracture Permeability Impact on Reservoir Stress and Seismic Slip - 2024 Annual Workshop Presentation

This is a presentation on the Coupled Investigation of Fracture Permeability Impact on Reservoir Stress and Seismic Slip Behavior by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, presented by Kayla Kroll. This presentation addresses testing and modelling related to the dependency of EGS production on sustained permeability and sufficient fluid flow through pre-existing or induced fractures in hot rock. This presentation was featured in the Utah FORGE R&D Annual Workshop on August 13, 2024.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Utah FORGE 3-2418: Wellbore Fracture Imaging Using Inflow Detection - 2024 Annual Workshop Presentation

This is a presentation on the Wellbore Fracture Imaging Using Inflow Detection by Stanford University and Sandia National Laboratory, presented by Roland Horde. This is a video presentation on wells, both before and after stimulation, using chloride or other ions to map fractures and estimate their flow magnitudes. This research is being done by Stanford University. This presentation was featured in the Utah FORGE R&D Annual Workshop on August 13, 2024.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Utah FORGE: Well 16A(78)-32 Hydraulic Fracturing Stage 8 Crosswell Strain FDI and Microseismic Presentations - April 2024

This is a pair of PowerPoint presentations from Neubrex Energy Services (US), LLC. The presentations review work done in April 2024 on crosswell strain fracture driven interactions (FDI) and microseismic event monitoring during hydraulic fracturing in stage 8 of Utah FORGE well 16A(78)-32. Well 16B(78)-32 was the monitoring well and was where the data for these presentations were collected.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗