Irradiation Issues and Material Selection for Canadian SCWR Components

Author(s):  
L. Walters ◽  
M. Wright ◽  
D. Guzonas

The Canadian super critical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) concept requires materials to operate at higher temperatures than current generation III water-cooled reactors. Materials performance after radiation damage is an important design consideration. Materials that are both corrosion resistant and radiation damage tolerant are required. This paper summarizes the operating conditions including temperature, neutron flux, and residence time of in-core Canadian SCWR components. The focus is on the effects of irradiation on in-core components, including those exposed to a high neutron flux in the fuel assembly, the high pressure boundary between coolant and moderator, as well as the low-temperature, low-flux calandria vessel that contains the moderator. Although the extreme conditions and the broad range of SCWR in-core operating conditions present significant materials selection challenges, candidate alloys that can meet the performance requirements under most in-core conditions have been identified. However, for all candidate materials, insufficient data are available to unequivocally ensure acceptable performance and experimental irradiations of candidate core materials will be required. Research programs are to include out-of-pile tests on un-irradiated and irradiated alloys. Ideally, in-flux studies at appropriate temperatures, neutron spectrum, dose rate, duration, and coolant chemistry will be required. Characterization of the microstructure and the mechanical behavior including strength, ductility, swelling, fracture toughness, cracking, and creep on each of the in-core candidate materials will ensure their viability in the Canadian SCWR.

Author(s):  
O. L. Shaffer ◽  
M.S. El-Aasser ◽  
C. L. Zhao ◽  
M. A. Winnik ◽  
R. R. Shivers

Transmission electron microscopy is an important approach to the characterization of the morphology of multiphase latices. Various sample preparation techniques have been applied to multiphase latices such as OsO4, RuO4 and CsOH stains to distinguish the polymer phases or domains. Radiation damage by an electron beam of latices imbedded in ice has also been used as a technique to study particle morphology. Further studies have been developed in the use of freeze-fracture and the effect of differential radiation damage at liquid nitrogen temperatures of the latex particles embedded in ice and not embedded.Two different series of two-stage latices were prepared with (1) a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) seed and poly(styrene) (PS) second stage; (2) a PS seed and PMMA second stage. Both series have varying amounts of second-stage monomer which was added to the seed latex semicontinuously. A drop of diluted latex was placed on a 200-mesh Formvar-carbon coated copper grid.


Author(s):  
C. Goessens ◽  
D. Schryvers ◽  
J. Van Landuyt ◽  
A. Verbeeck ◽  
R. De Keyzer

Silver halide grains (AgX, X=Cl,Br,I) are commonly recognized as important entities in photographic applications. Depending on the preparation specifications one can grow cubic, octahedral, tabular a.o. morphologies, each with its own physical and chemical characteristics. In the present study crystallographic defects introduced by the mixing of 5-20% iodide in a growing AgBr tabular grain are investigated. X-ray diffractometry reveals the existence of a homogeneous Ag(Br1-xIx) region, expected to be formed around the AgBr kernel. In fig. 1 a two-beam BF image, taken at T≈100 K to diminish radiation damage, of a triangular tabular grain is presented, clearly showing defect contrast fringes along four of the six directions; the remaining two sides show similar contrast under relevant diffraction conditions. The width of the central defect free region corresponds with the pure AgBr kernel grown before the mixing with I. The thickness of a given grain lies between 0.15 and 0.3 μm: as indicated in fig. 2 triangular (resp. hexagonal) grains exhibit an uneven (resp. even) number of twin interfaces (i.e., between + and - twin variants) parallel with the (111) surfaces. The thickness of the grains and the existence of the twin variants was confirmed from CTEM images of perpendicular cuts.


1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 85-91
Author(s):  
D. A. Barton ◽  
J. D. Woodruff ◽  
T. M. Bousquet ◽  
A. M. Parrish

If promulgated as proposed, effluent guidelines for the U.S. pulp and paper industry will impose average monthly and maximum daily numerical limits of discharged AOX (adsorbable organic halogen). At this time, it is unclear whether the maximum-day variability factor used to establish the proposed effluent guidelines will provide sufficient margin for mills to achieve compliance during periods of normal but variable operating conditions within the pulping and bleaching processes. Consequently, additional information is needed to relate transient AOX loadings with final AOX discharges. This paper presents a simplistic dynamic model of AOX decay during treatment. The model consists of hydraulic characterization of an activated sludge process and a first-order decay coefficient for AOX removal. Data for model development were acquired by frequent collection of influent and effluent samples at a bleach kraft mill during a bleach plant shutdown and startup sequence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 768-779
Author(s):  
Natarajan Narayanan ◽  
Vasudevan Mangottiri ◽  
Kiruba Narayanan

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) offer a sustainable solution for alternative energy production by employing microorganisms as catalysts for direct conversion of chemical energy of feedstock into electricity. Electricity from urine (urine-tricity) using MFCs is a promising cost-effective technology capable of serving multipurpose benefits - generation of electricity, waste alleviation, resource recovery and disinfection. As an abundant waste product from human and animal origin with high nutritional values, urine is considered to be a potential source for extraction of alternative energy in the coming days. However, developments to improve power generation from urine-fed MFCs at reasonable scales still face many challenges such as non-availability of sustainable materials, cathodic limitations, and low power density. The aim of this paper was to critically evaluate the state-of-the-art research and developments in urine-fed MFCs over the past decade (2008-2018) in terms of their construction (material selection and configuration), modes of operation (batch, continuous, cascade, etc.) and performance (power generation, nutrient recovery and waste treatment). This review identifies the preference for sources of urine for MFC application from human beings, cows and elephants. Among these, human urine-fed MFCs offer a variety of applications to practice in the real-world scenario. One key observation is that, effective disinfection can be achieved by optimizing the operating conditions and MFC configurations without compromising on performance. In essence, this review demarcates the scope of enhancing the reuse potential of urine for renewable energy generation and simultaneously achieving resource recovery.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 759
Author(s):  
Andrea Mariscotti

Accurate and comprehensive methods for the assessment of radiated electromagnetic emissions in modern electric transportation systems are a necessity. The characteristics and susceptibility of modern victim signaling and communication radio services, operating within and outside the right-of-way, require an update of the measurement methods integrating or replacing the swept frequency technique with time domain approaches. Applicable standards are the EN 50121 (equivalent to the IEC 62236) and Urban Mass Transport Association (UMTA) with additional specifications from project contracts. This work discusses the standardized methods and settings, and the representative operating conditions, highlighting areas where improvements are possible and opportune (statistical characterization of measurement results, identification and distinction of emissions and line resonances, and narrowband and broadband phenomena). In particular for the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) assessment with new Digital Communication Systems, the characterization of time distribution of spectral properties is discussed, e.g., by means of Amplitude Probability Distribution and including time distribution information. The problem of determination of site and setup uncertainty and repeatability is also discussed, observing on one hand the lack of clear indications in standards and, on the other hand, the non-ideality and intrinsic variability of measurement conditions (e.g., rolling stock operating conditions, synchronization issues, and electric arc intermittence).


2014 ◽  
Vol 604 ◽  
pp. 47-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Petrica ◽  
Thomas Peinsitt ◽  
Ewald Badisch

In industry, core components such as crushers, miner feeder devices and impact stone breakers are exposed to heavy wear which involves mechanisms such abrasive wear and / or impact abrasion. The purpose of this work is to identify complex wear mechanisms that occur in such conditions and to correlate them with the properties of typical abrasives found in mining environments.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Ebel ◽  
Mark Anderson ◽  
Parth Pandya ◽  
Mat Perchanok ◽  
Nick Tiney ◽  
...  

Abstract When developing a turbocharged internal combustion engine, the choice of turbocharger is usually based on designer experience and existing hardware. However, proper turbocharger design relies on matching the compressor and turbine performance to the engine requirements so that parameters such as boost and back pressure, compressor pressure ratio, and turbine inlet temperatures meet the needs of the engine without exceeding its allowable operating envelope. Therefore, the ultimate measure of a successful turbocharger design is how well it is matched to an engine across various operating conditions. This, in turn, determines whether a new turbocharger is required, or an existing solution can be used. When existing turbocharger solutions are not viable, the engine designer is at a loss on how to define a new turbocharger that meets the desired performance requirements. A common approach in industry has been to scale the performance of an existing turbocharger (compressor and turbine maps) and take these requirements for Original Equipment Manufacturers to possibly match it with a real machine. However, the assumptions made in a basic scaling process are quite simplistic and generally not satisfactory in this situation. A better approach would be to use a validated meanline model for a compressor and turbine instead, allowing to perform an actual preliminary design of such components. Such approach allows to link the engine performance requirements in a very early stage of te component design project and it guides the designer for the design decisions, such as rotor size, variable geometry nozzles, diameter, or shroud trims and others. Therefore, a feasible solution is more likely with design less iterations. This paper describes a methodology for an integrated approach to design and analyze a turbocharged internal combustion engine using commercially available state-of-the-art 1D gas dynamics simulation tool linked to two powerful turbomachinery meanline programs. The outputs of this analysis are detailed performance data of the engine and turbocharger at different engine operating conditions. Two case studies are then presented for a 10-liter diesel truck engine. The first study demonstrates how the programs are used to evaluate an existing engine and reverse engineer an existing turbocharger based only on the available performance maps. Then a second study is done using a similar approach but redesigning a new turbocharger (based on the reverse engineered one) for an increased torque output of the same engine.


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