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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Fatigue and Creep-Fatigue Evaluation of Alloy 709 at 760 and 816°C

A significant research and development effort is underway to support the qualification of Alloy 709 as a Class A construction material in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 5, High Temperature Reactors. This initiative includes a comprehensive Alloy 709 code qualification plan aimed at generating extensive material testing data crucial for compiling the code case data package. The data package is essential in establishing material-specific design parameters for Alloy 709 to be used as Section III, Division 5 Class A construction material for fast reactors, molten salt reactors and gas-cooled reactors. An ASME Section III, Division 5 material code case requires the evaluation of mechanical properties from a minimum of three commercial heats, covering anticipated compositional ranges. A key part of the data package involves fatigue and creep-fatigue testing at elevated temperatures, needed for developing the fatigue design curves and the damage envelope of the creep-fatigue interaction diagram (D-diagram). This paper summarizes the strain-controlled fatigue testing on three commercial heats of Alloy 709 at 760 and 816°C with strain ranges between 0.25% and 3%. The fatigue failure data are used to generate a preliminary fatigue design curve. Additionally, the creep-fatigue testing results at 816°C with tensile hold times of 10, 30, and 60 minutes are presented in support of developing the D-diagram for Alloy 709.

Wang, Yanli↗
DOE OSTI2024

Summary of Alloy 617 and Alloy 709 Elevated Temperature Crack Growth Test Results from the Planned FY24 Crack Growth Test Activities

This report covers the results from crack growth rate testing performed at Idaho National Laboratory in the fiscal year 2024. It includes two creep crack growth rate tests and two creep-fatigue crack growth rate tests. Results are shown for each of these tests, included crack growth measured during the test using direct current potential drop, and measurements based off of the fracture surface. Load line displacement, as well as load, were also collected during the tests. Detailed analysis of the results will continue into the next fiscal year, however, a number of potential improvements to the equipment and testing procedures were identified that will increase testing reliability and throughput, as well as decrease complications with the analysis.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

SELF-HEALING PNEUMATIC ACTUATOR DIAPHRAGMS

In the oil and gas industry, damaged diaphragms in pneumatic actuators can lead to unintended methane leaks, increasing emissions. In this work, replacement self-healing diaphragms are manufactured for a commercial pneumatic actuator. To enable self-healing, hollow microvascular networks are created within the diaphragms using sacrificial 3D printed PLA w/ tin(II) oxalate. These microvascular networks are filled with healing chemistries and, upon damage, rupture. After rupturing, the healing chemistries mix and cure to “heal” the damage and reduce leaks. Separate actuator test stands using nitrogen gas and using natural gas were developed to assess the healing performance of diaphragms. A fatigue stand was also developed to evaluate the effects of the different microvascular network geometries on the fatigue life of diaphragms. Our results demonstrate self-healing in diaphragms subjected to damage and tested for leaks. In fatigue testing, our results indicate that the introduction of microvascular networks does not influence the fatigue life.

Self-healing, pneumatic actuator↗
DOE OSTI2021

An investigation into the effects of cyclic strain rate on the high cycle and very high cycle fatigue behaviors of wrought and additively manufactured Inconel 718

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has increasingly been used to fabricate parts in aerospace applications, which may require service lives beyond ten-million cycles due to the imposed high loading frequencies. Understanding the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) behavior of these additive manufactured (AM) parts is an important step towards their design and qualification processes. This study focuses on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) and VHCF behaviors of both wrought and laser beam-powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) fabricated Inconel 718 in machined/polished surface condition, emphasizing on the influence of test frequency (i.e., cyclic strain rate). Uniaxial, fully-reversed force- and stress-controlled fatigue tests were conducted utilizing a servo-hydraulic and an ultrasonic test system operating at 5 Hz and 20 kHz, respectively, on wrought as well as LB-PBF vertically and diagonally built specimens. Fatigue cracks in the majority of the specimens were found to initiate from intra-granular slip bands near or at the surface, which gives rise to strong anisotropy in fatigue resistance in LB-PBF specimens due to the presence of columnar grains along the build directions. Longer fatigue lives were obtained at 20 kHz, which was ascribed to possibly lower-than-intended stresses applied in the ultrasonic tests. The corrected stress-life fatigue data at 20 kHz were found to converge to the one obtained from conventional testing at 5 Hz, implying no effect of cyclic strain rate on the fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 regardless of the fabrication process. The findings of this work confirm the use of ultrasonic fatigue testing to expedite generation of AM materials data to keep up with the current demand; however, the applied stress may need to be corrected.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Draft ASME Code Case to qualify L-PBF 316H material for Section III, Division 5 applications

This report documents the AMMT program’s development and submission of a draft ASME Code Case to qualify Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L PBF) Type 316H stainless steel for Section III, Divi-sion 5 Class A and SM high temperature nuclear applications. It summarizes the technical basis, the comprehensive high temperature mechanical test database assembled between 2023–2026, and the proposed code language and qualification framework submitted to ASME. The work was co-ordinated across multiple national laboratories and leverages prior ASME efforts to integrate additive manufacturing into the Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code. The body of the report describes the experimental database and analysis supporting the Code Case: tensile, creep, fatigue, creep fatigue, and thermal aging tests collected from multiple additive manufacturing sites, machine types, and powder lots, with material processed by a solution anneal heat treatment. The dataset — including both full size and subsized specimens and tests oriented parallel and perpendicular to build direction — shows limited tensile anisotropy, tensile properties comparable to wrought 316H, creep strength within the scatter of wrought material, but markedly reduced creep ductility above about 650 °C associated with rapid σ phase formation in L PBF microstructures. The draft Code Case itself prescribes a staged qualification model (manufacturing process qualification, component qualification, and per build witness testing), treats L PBF components as equivalent to Type 316 weld metal for design and inspection, and requires mechanical, chemical, and metallographic controls tied to ASTM/ISO 52946. Key acceptance criteria include tensile tests within a 90% prediction interval of the AMMT dataset, a creep fatigue screening test adapted from ASME Section III, Division 5, Subsection HB, HBB 2800 but with the cycle acceptance reduced to 100 for L PBF material, and double volumetric inspection of production components. The report concludes that the present data support treating L PBF 316H as analogous to conventional fusion weld metal for Division 5 design and inspection, while highlighting important caveats: the σ phase driven loss of creep ductility above ~650 °C, preliminary indications of enhanced creep fatigue sensitivity in some lots, and remaining gaps in long term aging and additional cyclic testing. Recommended next actions include completing outstanding cyclic and long duration creep/aging tests on the solution annealed condition, supporting inclusion of the 316H chemistry and heat treatment in ASTM/ISO 52946, and continuing engagement with ASME and NRC during balloting and review to enable industry adoption.

Messner, Mark C. (ORCID:0000000200404385)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mechanical Characterization of Fe-Co-2V (Hiperco): Fatigue/Monotonic Testing Hardness Testing and Fractography

Fe-Co-2V is a popular metallic alloy used in electromagnetic applications. However, there is a lack of mechanical fatigue characterization of this alloy in the literature. In this work, Fe-Co-2V specimens with rectangular cross-sections were carefully prepared in accordance with standards. They were measured for surface roughness and then subjected to quasi-static monotonic testing, as well as fatigue testing at both 0.5 Hz and 1 Hz frequencies. Both Rockwell hardness and Vickers micro- hardness testing were performed. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy imaging of the fractured surfaces was done. The quasi-static testing revealed a flat yield region characteristic of Laders bands. Here, the fatigue results did not show significant differences or sensitivity to change in frequency, although the fatigue life was higher on average for the 0.5 Hz. However, the fatigue results differed from published work at 0.33 Hz. The fractography revealed purely brittle fracture, with clear chevron marks and fracture initiation always starting at the surface. Lastly, it was identified that the C, D, and F Rockwell hardness scales were appropriate for testing this material and that the grain size necessitated the use of the upper end of indentation force for Vickers micro-hardness testing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Creep and Fatigue Characterization of High Strength Alloy Thin Sections in Advanced CO2 Heat Exchangers

The objective of this work was to characterize and model elevated temperature creep and fatigue behavior for thin sheet and foil forms of gamma-prime strengthened alloys in wrought form and as-processed folded and brazed constructions. This work was motivated by the demanding temperature and pressure service conditions of the GEN3 Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycle working fluid. More specifically, the possibility of leveraging the superior creep strength of gamma-prime alloys in folded-fin and brazed-plate heat exchanger constructions. Gamma-prime alloys represent a step-change in raw-material strength over solid-solution strengthened alloys. And the folded-fin and brazed-plate heat exchanger architecture is lightweight and leverages cost-effective material stock forms. The investigation contained two parallel paths. (1) The first is referred to as a fundamental investigation where Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducts uniaxial creep testing on thin sheet and foil in wrought form. This effort aimed to serve as a benchmark against a relatively sparse existing database and a baseline comparison for path number 2. (2) The second path is referred to as the practical investigation where Brayton Energy manufactures plate-fin heat exchangers and performs pressurized creep and fatigue testing. This effort aimed to de-risk heat exchanger manufacturing process for service under sCO2 CSP conditions. A total of 14 uniaxial creep tests were completed using Haynes 282 thin sheet and foil. A variety of heat treatments were specified to coincide with path number 2. Baseline metallography of test samples and creep strength performance are contained. Benchmarks relatively to existing thick-form Haynes 282 are made, as well as to other thin-form Nickel-based superalloys. Description of a wrought-form modeling approach for thin gamma-prime alloys is also discussed. A total of 11 pressurized creep and fatigue tests were completed successfully with Haynes 282 heat exchanger prototypes. Manufacturing processing details, testing details, testing results, and failure analysis are discussed. Additionally, creep modeling techniques to predict failure are discussed, and modeling to support technological-to-market. In conclusion, Haynes 282 foils were demonstrated to yield rupture two-to-three orders of magnitude higher than Haynes 230 foils under similar conditions. And the manufactured heat exchanger prototypes demonstrated strength similar to the wrought constituents. Both of which contribute to elevated performance potential or cost savings in practice. Discussion is included.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Initial development of an in-situ, passive material surveillance test article for monitoring high temperature reactor structural components

This report describes the development of a family of passively-actuated surveillance test articles, suitable for use in an in-situ reactor test program monitoring the degradation in structural material properties caused by the reactor environment. The test articles apply creep-fatigue-type cyclic load to a test section driven by changes in the reactor coolant temperature converted to mechanical force by differential thermal expansion. The report describes three types of test articles, all of which apply the load to a 316H test section using Alloy 617 as the driver material. The three types of specimens each serve a unique purpose: (1) initial proof-of-concept, (2) validation of the models used to size the specimens to achieve a given strain range, and (3) demonstration that the articles can be miniaturized for use in an actual operating reactor. In addition to the specimen design, fabrication, and testing, this report describes the outline of two types of in-situ monitoring programs, using the test article. Monitoring programs such as these could be a critical component in gaining regulator acceptance for Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) designs using structural materials for which there is little long-term experimental environmental testing or operating experience available for calibrating the component structural design.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

MRP: Qualification of Powder Metallurgy Hot Isostatic Pressed (PM HIP) Materials for Elevated-Temperature Nuclear Construction

PM HIP is a mature technology that offers many advantages that are attractive to the microreactor industry. The elevated-temperature creep-fatigue properties of the PM HIP 316H SS bar that has been characterized are reduced compared to the wrought material. Work will be carried out in fiscal year 2022 to identify the mechanisms responsible for the reduced creep-fatigue properties. Confirmatory testing of optimized material will be conducted to demonstrate long-term PM HIP properties comparable to the wrought-product form. The lessons learned for PM HIP 316H SS will be applied to the procurement and confirmatory testing of PM HIP Alloy 800H.

316H stainless steel↗
DOE OSTI2020

An Initial Assessment of the Design Margins of Different ASME Section III, Division 5 Design Rules

This report develops a method for assessing the design margin of the ASME Section III, Division 5 Class A design rules, focusing on a definition of margin as the ratio between the actual, expected component life and the ASME design life. Full inelastic finite element simulations with a complete damage model capturing the available creep, creep-fatigue, fatigue, and tension test failure data produce the expected component lives, which can then be compared to corresponding ASME design calculations. The focus of this particular work is on Alloy 617 and the ASME creep-fatigue design rules, but the approach is general and could be applied to other design limits and to other materials. A margin assessment of a representative Alloy 617 component shows the ASME creep-fatigue design rules applied to this component have a margin of 10 on design life. The report describes several challenges in completing a more comprehensive margin assessment of the ASME rules, in particular challenges in developing probabilistic assessment methods for high temperature structural components. The report details these challenge and discusses the immediate possibilities of the deterministic margin assessment method developed here.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Materials

Overview of high temperature materials testing within the ART Gas Cooled Reactor Program. Covers 800H weldment creep testing and Alloys 617 and 709 creep and creep-fatigue crack growth rate testing.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Report on FY 2023 Research and Development on Specially Designed Creep-fatigue Experiments on Alloy 617 in Support of Improving Creep-fatigue Evaluation Approaches

Experimental and numerical studies in support of developing the integrated Elastic–Perfectly Plastic (EPP) plus Simplified Model Test (SMT) design methodology, referred to as the EPP+SMT method, continued in FY 2023. This report focuses on the methods for extrapolating the EPP+SMT creep-fatigue life curves at long hold times and low strain ranges at elevated temperatures. In this work, the available uniaxial creep-fatigue failure data on Alloy 617 at temperatures of 950°C and 850°C were analyzed to provide a guidance on the development of the extrapolation method and the creep-fatigue failure criteria. A viscoplastic constitutive model for Alloy 617 was adopted to extrapolate the mechanical responses to low strain ranges and long hold times. A set of design curves of Alloy 617 at temperatures of 950°C, 850°C, and 800°C with tensile hold times of 1 hr, 100 hr, and 1,000 hr are developed. Furthermore, creep-fatigue testing on two notch specimen geometries, shallow-notch and sharp V-notch, on Alloy 617 was performed 950°C to understand the multiaxial stress relaxation behavior. The experimental and numerical results on the notch specimens were compared with those on the standard uniaxial smooth bar specimens. The effect of multi-axial stress state combined with elastic follow-up on the stress relaxation behavior was investigated in this report.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tensile and fatigue characterization of multifunctional composites

This research is part of a larger effort to develop advanced self-sensing multifunctional polymer composites that are both lightweight and high-strength, while also enabling structural damage detection, fatigue cycle monitoring, and service life prediction. These multifunctional composites are particularly sought after in the automotive industry for their potential to significantly reduce vehicle weight and simultaneously provide additional functionality like condition monitoring to enhance safety. This study examines the tensile and fatigue properties of a composite material composed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer embedded with piezoelectric barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles. The integration of BaTiO3 nanoparticles not only supplies the material with self-sensing capabilities but also influences its mechanical properties. While a high content of BaTiO3 nanoparticles is desired to enhance sensing capacity, the brittle nature of such materials causes concerns of decreased strength characteristics. To explore this, various composite samples were fabricated with nanoparticle contents ranging from 0 wt% to 20 wt%. These samples underwent tensile testing to measure their ultimate tensile strengths and Young’s moduli. Following this, fatigue tests were conducted to generate S-N curves, which are essential for understanding the material's durability under cyclic loading. The findings from these tests assess the impact of nanoparticle content on the composite’s tensile strength and fatigue life, providing essential insights that can guide the optimization and design of future self-sensing multifunctional composites. The results suggest that 5 wt% BaTiO3 provides an optimal balance between mechanical properties and nanoparticle concentration, making it a promising composition for semi-structural applications.

Bowland, Christopher [ORNL] (ORCID:000000021229431↗
DOE OSTI2021

Creep-fatigue Behavior and Damage Accumulation of a Candidate Structural Material for Concentrating Solar Power Solar Thermal Receiver (Final Technical Report)

Creep-fatigue deformation is an important consideration for a thermal receiver in Concentrating Solar Power systems due to the constant static stress or pressure, diurnal cycling, and elevated service temperatures required for efficient operation. An accurate description of the creep-fatigue behavior, not available for five of the six candidate materials, is important for assessment of preliminary designs. This project has provided a detailed analysis of the creep-fatigue behavior and damage accumulation of Alloy 740H, a candidate structural material for a CSP solar thermal receiver to address a critical knowledge barrier for receiver designs identified in the CSP Gen3 Demonstration Roadmap. This project was divided in to three tasks, split between two general categories: Experimental and design methodology. Tasks 1 and 3, relating to the collection of data on Alloy 740H plate and sheet forms, respectively, were performed at the Idaho National Laboratory and used as input to Task 2, the development of design methodology performed at Argonne National Laboratory. Experimental work covered limited tensile and creep testing to fill gaps in available data that is currently available and to demonstrate how the plate of Alloy 740H tested in this work compared to historical data. A more substantial testing program for fatigue and creep-fatigue was performed, with particular emphasis on creep-fatigue as there is little available data and it is necessary to understand the creep-fatigue interaction and develop related design models. This effort includes the development of rules for the design of solar receiver components against high temperature creep-fatigue and ratcheting failure modes. The ASME Code rules for high temperature nuclear components was used to the basis of the method but adjustments will be made to reflect the generally shorter, diurnal operating cycles of thermal receivers and the relative consequences of failure, comparing nuclear to solar components. This work has provided guidance for the design of components for concentrating power facilities operating at high temperatures and undergoing high, secondary thermal stresses relative to the applied primary pressure stress. The design rules were developed for the design of Generation 3 CSP tubular receivers manufactured from Alloy 740H, but are generally applicable to a wide range of component types undergoing similar loads. Procedural design rules for components to be used in conjunction with the 2019 edition of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code and the corresponding design data for Alloy 740H have been developed. A commentary describing the rationale behind the design rules and the data underlying the design material properties, as well as an extensive set of worked sample problems detailing the application of the rules to CSP components were developed as a part of this project, with a separate report covering these aspects in detail and included in the Appendix of this report.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Structural Characterization of Deployed Thermoplastic and Thermoset Composite Tidal Turbine Blades

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory worked with Verdant Power to manufacture, and characterize, novel thermoplastic composite blades on their Gen5d 5 m diameter turbines at the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) site in the East River in N.Y. to demonstrate a low-cost manufacturing process for marine energy structures. Verdant had designed, manufactured, and deployed epoxy thermoset composite blades on three Gen5d turbines in October 2020. At a maintenance cycle in May 2021, a Gen5d turbine equipped with the NREL thermoplastic blades was deployed and retrieved in October 2021. Modal, static and fatigue structural characterization was performed on both blade types before and after the deployment. The static and modal test results showed that the thermoplastic blades were slightly stiffer than the epoxy blades both dry and after the deployment. The epoxy blades had about 8% increase in strain at the applied load after the deployment, whereas the thermoplastic blade strains were not changed significantly. Ultimately the thermoplastic blade failed during fatigue testing due to a crack which is thought to have initiated between the internal foam and the laminate at the location of the internal instrumentation. The Verdant Power Gen5d epoxy blades did not have this internal instrumentation and did not have this failure, performing adequately through the operational period. A lack of design information and fatigue data for both the thermoplastic laminates and the adhesive used means that further work is needed to fully understand his failure and the root cause analysis is ongoing. This paper provides details on the thermoplastic blade manufacturing, materials, test methodology and results.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Grain Boundary Relaxation (GBR) Approach for Manufacturing High Strength Nanocrystalline Lightweight Metals

The overarching goal of the project was to conduct research and development work as proposed in the Statement of Project Objective (SOPO) of the award document DE-FE-0009116. The project had 4 tasks and 12 milestones. All the milestone deliverables were completed. The accomplishments of the project objectives and technical discussions are described in Sections 3 and 4, respectively. The modeling and simulation work indicated that to increase the strength and stability of nanocrystalline aluminum (Al), selection of dopants, such as Mg, is necessary. It was predicted that the crystallite size should be less than 50 nm to give high strength. On the basis of modeling, cryo-milling of Al was conducted with the addition of Mg as a function of different times. The crystallite size of the cryo-milled powders was determined by XRD and TEM. Both measurements showed that the actual crystallite size of the grain was <40 nm. The thermal stability of the grain size was established as a function of temperature. It was established that the grain size was < 50 nm up to 500C. The crystallite size of the bulk sample prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) and cold spray (CS) additive manufacturing was less than <40 nm. The mechanical properties of the bulk samples prepared by SPS and CS, showed excellent microhardness, good tensile properties (>200 MPa) with moderate ductility and improved fatigue performance. Adding yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) improved the build thick of the CS sample, however the YSZ was getting embedded into the sample. A highly dense SPS samples sent for 3rd party testing to the Innovation Testing Services showed a minimum hardness of 180 HV with an average tensile strength of 512.5 MPa. The high cycle fatigue tests also showed an endurance limit of 179.5 MPa. The Energy cost evaluations showed an overall energy cost of around $\$$17.05 for the cryomilling and SPS processes and the total manufacturing cost calculations of $\$$78.14 for 1 kg of sample. The energy cost to prepare a Kg of CS sample is $\$$17.60 and the overall manufacturing cost is $\$$86.85.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Experimental and computational studies of load ratio effect on fatigue crack growth rates in Alloy 709 at elevated temperatures

Abstract Experimental testing and finite element simulations of fatigue crack growth were performed in austenitic 20Cr‐25Ni (Alloy 709) steel at different load ratios and elevated temperatures. The experimental tests were performed using compact tension specimens, and crack growth rates were measured at stress intensity factors ranging between 5 and 35 MPa√m. Fractographic analysis using scanning electron microscopy indicated crack surface roughness and secondary cracking depending on testing temperature and load ratio. Finite element simulations of fatigue crack growth were performed to compute plasticity‐induced crack opening loads and predict crack growth rates. Predictions of fatigue crack growth rates using finite element simulations were performed using the computed crack‐tip opening loads, and they are shown to match well the experimental measurements.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2024

New ASME Section III, Division 5 Creep-Fatigue Design Rules Based on EPP and SMT Approaches

The integrated elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) and simplified model test (SMT) creep-fatigue (CF) design methodology, referred to as the EPP-SMT method, is being developed as an alternative for CF evaluation in the design of pressure boundary components for high-temperature reactors. This report reviews the conceptual basis of the EPP-SMT methodology, summarizes the SMT experimental development efforts and results, and provides the technical basis for finalizing the EPP-SMT CF design curves for Alloy 617, based on a combined experimental and numerical approach conducted in FY 2024. This report presents the effect of hold time on the CF design curves for Alloy 617 at elevated temperatures. It includes proposed EPP-SMT CF design curves and tabulated values for continuous cycling, along with the effects of maximum hold time, for the use of this EPP-SMT CF evaluation method.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗