Qualitative and quantitative analysis of neutron irradiation effects in SiC/SiC composites using X-ray computed tomography

Arregui-Mena, José David; Koyanagi, Takaaki; Cakmak, Ercan; Petrie, Christian M.; Kim, Weon-Ju; Kim, Daejong; Deck, Christian P.; Sauder, Cédric; Braun, James; Katoh, Yutai

doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2022.109896

Cited by 21 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Consider periodic illumination of mechanical evolution in a randomly structured composite shown in Fig. (1). At the first sensing step t = t • , the specimen B ⊂ R 3 is comprised of (i) a linear, elastic, isotropic and homogeneous binder of mass density ρ ∈ R and Lamé parameters µ, λ ∈ R, (ii) a union of bounded inclusions…”

Section: Preliminariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many critical components in aerospace structures and energy systems are comprised of highly heterogeneous composites [41,11]. Examples include (a) single-and polycrystalline superalloys deployed in aeroengine and gas turbine blades [6], (b) interpenetrating phase metamaterials such as SiC-SiC composites used in accident-tolerant nuclear fuel claddings [1,46], and (c) multifunctional polymer matrix composites with a wide spectrum of applications thanks to their exceptional mechanical properties [25,47]. The topology and characteristics of such materials at micro-and meso-scales are often unknown, or only known to a limited extent because of variabilities in the manufacturing process [35,39] and/or aging [49].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ultrasonic imaging in highly heterogeneous backgrounds

Pourahmadian,

Haddar

2022

Preprint

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This work formally investigates the differential evolution indicators as a tool for ultrasonic tracking of elastic transformation and fracturing in randomly heterogeneous solids. Within the framework of periodic sensing, it is assumed that the background at time t • contains (i) a multiply connected set of viscoelastic, anisotropic, and piece-wise homogeneous inclusions, and (ii) a union of possibly disjoint fractures and pores. The support, material properties, and interfacial condition of scatterers in (i) and (ii) are unknown, while elastic constants of the matrix are provided. The domain undergoes progressive variations of arbitrary chemomechanical origins such that its geometric configuration and elastic properties at future times are distinct. At every sensing step t • , t 1 , . . ., multi-modal incidents are generated by a set of boundary excitations, and the resulting scattered fields are captured over the observation surface. The test data are then used to construct a sequence of wavefront densities by solving the spectral scattering equation. The incident fields affiliated with distinct pairs of obtained wavefronts are analyzed over the stationary and evolving scatterers for a suit of geometric and elastic evolution scenarios entailing both interfacial and volumetric transformations. The main theorem establishes the invariance of pertinent incident fields at the loci of static fractures and inclusions between a given pair of time steps, while certifying variation of the same fields over the modified regions. These results furnish a basis for theoretical justification of differential evolution indicators for imaging in complex composites which, in turn, enable the exclusive tomography of evolution in a background endowed with many unknown features.

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Section: Preliminariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrasonic imaging in highly heterogeneous backgrounds

Pourahmadian,

Haddar

2022

Preprint

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“…The cladding is thus one of the most critical components in a fission reactor. During operation, due to the potential strains of fuel pellet swelling and dimensional change from thermal and irradiation gradients, a complex multi-axial stress state may develop in the cladding [19,20]. In some reactors, such as LWRs, additional stresses may come from internal gas pressure [17], and the rapid change of clad surface temperature in some accident scenarios would induce substantial strains [21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hoop Strain Measurement During a SiC/SiC Ceramic Composite Tube Burst Test by Digital Volume Correlation of X-Ray Computed Tomographs

et al. 2022

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Background Silicon carbide-fibre/silicon carbide matrix (SiC/SiC) composites are candidate materials for accident tolerant fuel cladding in light water and advanced gas cooled nuclear fission reactors. The mechanical and damage behaviour of ceramic composites is sensitive to the composite geometry, the microstructure and the loading state. Reliable test methods are needed to investigate the subcritical damage that affects hermetic properties and strength, and this requires precise measurements under loading states that are representative of operating conditions. Objective The objective was a novel methodology to measure the deformation of an internally pressurised ceramic composite tube. Methods A burst test of an internally ground SiC/SiC (filament wound and braided) ceramic composite tube, pressurized by radial expansion of a compressed elastomer insert, was observed in situ by high resolution (synchrotron) X-ray tomography. The full field three-dimensional displacements were measured by digital volume correlation, with a precise rotation correction applied to obtain the relative radial and circumferential displacements of the tube wall for the first time. Results The hoop strain, and its spatial variations, were determined as a function of the applied hoop stress and showed ovalisation and barreling of the tube. The quantity of subcritical matrix cracking increased with the tensile hoop strain, but the critical crack that caused rupture was not at the location of maximum tensile strain. Conclusion Precise measurements of the deformation during the burst test found non-uniform hoop strains that caused a non-uniform distribution of subcritical cracking, which could influence the hermetic properties and strength.

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“…For LWR fuel claddings, SiC/SiC composites are fabricated in the form of long tubes. Various simulations and experiments were performed to study the mechanical response of SiC/SiC composite tubes under different loading scenarios, neutron irradiation, and high heat fluxes 4–10 . It was observed that, under uniaxial loading, the specimen first exhibits a linear elastic behavior up to a stress level, which is referred to as the proportional limit stress (PLS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Various simulations and experiments were performed to study the mechanical response of SiC/SiC composite tubes under different loading scenarios, neutron irradiation, and high heat fluxes. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] It was observed that, under uniaxial loading, the specimen first exhibits a linear elastic behavior up to a stress level, which is referred to as the proportional limit stress (PLS). Beyond this stress, the matrix material experiences notable damage, which is manifested by stiffness reduction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanistic modeling of lifetime distribution of SiC/SiC composite claddings

et al. 2022

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Silicon carbide (SiC) fiber‐reinforced SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites have emerged as a new material candidate for fuel claddings in light water reactors. Recent studies showed that the load capacity of SiC/SiC materials exhibits a considerable statistical variation. Therefore, reliability analysis plays a critical role in design of SiC/SiC composite claddings. This paper presents a probabilistic model for the lifetime distribution of SiC/SiC composites. The model is anchored by a multiaxial stress‐based failure criterion and subcritical damage accumulation mechanism. Based on the kinetics of subcritical damage growth, the lifetime distribution of a laboratory test specimen for any given loading history can be calculated. A finite weakest‐link model is used to extrapolate the lifetime distribution of test specimens to full‐length claddings. It is shown that the damage accumulation mechanism has a strong influence on the lifetime distribution of the cladding. This finding highlights the importance of understanding the static fatigue behavior of SiC/SiC composites. The present analysis also demonstrates an intricate length effect on the failure probability of the cladding, which is expected to play a crucial role in design extrapolation.

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Qualitative and quantitative analysis of neutron irradiation effects in SiC/SiC composites using X-ray computed tomography

Cited by 21 publications

References 34 publications

Ultrasonic imaging in highly heterogeneous backgrounds

Ultrasonic imaging in highly heterogeneous backgrounds

Hoop Strain Measurement During a SiC/SiC Ceramic Composite Tube Burst Test by Digital Volume Correlation of X-Ray Computed Tomographs

Mechanistic modeling of lifetime distribution of SiC/SiC composite claddings

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