State and Development of the RIAR Techniques for In-Pile Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Materials and

Products for Nuclear Engineering

A.Ya. Rogozyanov, R.R. Melder, А. А. Nuzhdov,

S.V. Seredkin and V.A. Starkov

FSUE “SSC RIAR”, Dimitrovgrad, Russia

1. Investigation techniques of

creep, deformability and long-term strength using the “Neutron”

facilities

The current state of the methods

SPECIMEN TO BE TESTED FLAT, TUBULAR, CY LINDER

TEST MODES REGARDING LOADING,STRAIN RATE AND TEMPERATURE

STATIC, STEPWISE

TENSILE FORCE, F ( F,%) Up to 5000 Н (1%)NEUTRON FLUX DENSITY

(Е 0,1 MEV)(1–8)1013 cm-2s -1

RADIATION DAMAGE RATE Up to 210-4 dpa/hr

ELONGFATION MEASUREMENTRAHGE, L ( L)

6 mm (3 – 5 μm)

TESTING TEMPERATURE, Т ( Т) 200 – 850 О С (1%)

TENSION RATE RANGE, V P ( Vp) 1 – 10-5 % / ч (5%)

DATA RECORDING CONTINUOUS

IRRADIATION RIGMULTI-USE MANUAL AND

REMOTE ASSEMBLING

TEST DURATION Up to 2 лет

TEST ENVIRONMENT HELIUM

Features of the “Neutron” Facilities

2. Investigation techniques based on

relaxation tests

2.1. The UVIRIM Facility

Current State of the Techniques

КН

СИ

СПНОУ

ДТП

САРТ

СУ

SPECIMEN TO BE TESTED ANNULAR, FLAT

MAXIMUM STRESS IN THESPECIMEN

Up to 0,2

NEUTRON FLUX DENSITY(Е 0,1 MEV)

Up to1014 сm-2s -1

RADIATION DAMAGE RATE Up to210-4 dpa/hr

TESTING TEMPERATURE ( Т) 300 – 700 оС (1%)

TEST DURATION Up to1,5 years

TEST ENVIRONMENT HELIUM

Features of the UVIRIM Facility

2. Investigation techniques based on

relaxation tests

2.1. The URIP facility

Aluminium block Springs

Central core plane (CCP)

Current State of the Techniques

Features of the URIP Facility

SPECIMENS TO BE TESTED SPRINGS OF VVER FUEL

ASSEMBLIES

NUMBER OF SPRINGS TO BE TESTED 24

NEUTRON FLUX DENSITY (Е 0,1 MeV)

1012-1013 cm-2s -1

DAMAGE RATE up to310-5 dpa/hr

APPLIED LOADING, F (F) up to4 kN (1 %)

TESTING TEMPERATURE,T (T) ОС 300 – 350 оС (1 %)

LENGTH MEASUREMENT ERROR, μm (10-20)

TEST DURATION Up to 2 years

TEST ENVIRONMENT HELIUM

3. Investigation methods of

creep, deformability and long-term strength under

pressure

Current State of Techniques

101

9,15 0,7

95

Specimen under test

Features of the UITO Facilities

SPECIMENS TO BE TESTED TIBULAR, WELDED AND

CONNECTED TO THE FACILITY

NUMBER OF SPECIMENS Up to 30

NEUTRON FLUX DENSITY (Е 0,1 MeV)

1012-21015 сm-2s -1

DAMAGE RATE до 310-3 dpa/hr

STRESS () -200 – 400 MPa

(2 – 4 %)

SIZE MEASUREMENT ERROR 3 - 7 μm

TESTING TEMPERATURE, Т (Т) 250 – 600 оС (1 %)

TEST DURATION Up to 5 years

TEST ENVIRONMENT WATER, LIQUID SODIUM,

HELIUM

4. Investigation techniques of dispersed fuel

creep

The URIPT facility

Сurrent State of Techniques

2

3

456

7

8

9

1

SPECIMEN TO BE TESTED CY LINDER

NEUTRON FLUX DENSITY Up to 1014 сm-2s -1

LONGITUDAL COMPRESSION FORCE, F ( F) Up to 3 kN (1,5 %)

TESTING TEMPERATURE, Т ( Т)300 – 600 оС

(1 %)

TEST DURATION Up to 5000 hr

Features of the URIPT Facility

Further development trends of in-pile techniques

• extension of temperature range for structural materials tests up to 1200 оС

• development of methods for creep test of high-burnup oxide fuel

• methodical support of the upgraded SM reactor core cells

THE UPGRADED SM REACTOR CORE

Channel and its No.

Shim rod

Automatic control rod

Emergency protec-tion control rod in the beryllium insert

Core cell with a fuel assembly (FA)

FA with experimental cells 12 mm

FA with an experimental cell 25 mmLoop channel 68 mm

Д -15

4 1К О -1

А Р -1

6 1

NEW POSSIBILITIES OF THE SM REACTOR

UPGRADING OF THE CORE TURNS THE SM REACTOR INTO THE MOST ATTRACTIVE REACTOR FOR MATERIAL SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS, INCLUDING STUDIES ON LONG-TERM MECHANICAL PROPERTIES:

- extension of the fast (up to 21015 сm-2s-1) and thermal (up to 31015 сm-2s-1) neutron density range and damage dose (up to 25 dpa/year), being superior to the same BOR-60 parameters

- wide temperature range (60-650оС) of high-flux irradiation in water, boiling water, steam and inert gas environment

- instrumentation of in-pile investigations on some material properties under continuous monitoring and control over temperature,

load and strain

- target pressurization of specimens with gas, tensile and compression loading, any combination of pressure and uniaxial loading, relaxation bending tests

CAPSULE IRRADIATION RIGS (IR) LOCATED IN THE SM CORE FOR TESTING AT 50 – 320ОС

Boiling IR for testingtubes under pressure

Un

seal

ed IR

in F

A,

coo

led

wit

h p

rim

ary

wat

er Boiling IR for testingspecimens under

longitudinal loading

To the stand of high pressure

23,8

Therm. couple

CCP

Water

Specimens

338

100

К стенду высокого давления

Датчик деформации

СПАЗ

К стенду высо- кого давления

700

350

Датчик нагрузки

узел

Нагружающий сильфон

Разделительный сильфон

54 3

Образец

Вода

CCP

Specimen

Water

To the standof high

pressure

To the standof high

pressure

54 х 3

Straingauge

Loadinggauge

Separatingsylphon

Loadingsylphon

POSSIBILITIES OF THE SM AND RBT-6 REACTORS regarding study on functional properties (strength,

ductility, irradiation-thermal creep, radiation growth) in in-pile irradiation conditions and on their relationship with material structure

Reactor Irradiation rig Methods Test conditions

Investigationon creep, long-term strengthand ductility

Т 320оС, рwater 18,5 МPа,

φfn 21015сm-2s-1, K 25 dpa/yearWater - distilled water.Load type – pressure, bend;since 2006 tension orcompression, their combinationmit pressure;load mode – soft, hard,stationary and non-stationary

SM

Loop orcapsule type

with boiling (inthe reflector orsince 2006 in

the core)Investigationon Delayed

HydrideCracking

(DHC)(р 100 МPа)

Т 320оС, рwater 18,5 МPа,

φfn 21015сm-2s-1, K 25 dpa/yearWater - distilled water withdifferent stem content, VVER –type water-chemical conditionsafter VP-3 upgrading

POSSIBILITIES OF THE SM AND RBT-6 REACTORS

Reactor Irradiation rig Methods Test conditions

SM

Loop orcapsule type

with boiling (inthe reflector orsince 2006 in

the core)

Out-of-piletests

Т 320оС, рwater 18,5 МPа,

φfn 21015сm-2s-1, K 25 dpa/yearWater - distilled water withdifferent stem content, VVER –type water-chemical conditionsafter VP-3 upgrading

RBT-6Capsule type(in the core)

Investigationon creep, long-term strengthand ductility

includingthose of pre-

irradiatedspecimens)

Т = 250 - 450оС,φfn 61013сm-2s-1, K 210-4dpa/hrDose Ktpre-irrad. – unlimited;medium – helium,load type – tension, pressure ortheir combination;load mode – soft, hard,stationary and non-stationary

Specimen gas pressurization rig

booster Air

Pр=0.6 MPa

HePр ≤ 15 MPa

to PC

MIDA

РД

- high pressure valve,Рн=20 MPа;

- low pressure valve, Рн=2.5 MPа;

The rig provides pressure upto 100 MPa

(DHC, creep,long-term strength),

possibility to model DНС of claddings at high burnup

values.The rig needs to

be equipped.

COMPREHENSIVE TECHNIQUES FOR IN-PILE INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

IMPACT FACTORS:NEUTRON FLUX AND FLUENCE (DAMAGE DOSE AND RATE), TEMPERATURE, LOAD, LOAD

TYPE, TEST CONDITIONS, ENVIRONMENT

CYCLIC TESTS

LOW / HIGH-CYCLE FATIGUE

Under development

STATIC AND QUASI-STATIC TESTS

CREEP,DUCTILITY,

LONG-TERM STRENGTH, DEFORMABILITY

RELAXATION ABILITY

SCC, DHC under

development

UITO PRESSURIZATION

(SM, RBT-6, BOR-60, SM core)

NEUTRON TENSION

COMPRESSIONPRESSURE

(RBT-6, SM)

URIPT COMPRES-

SION

(SM)

UVIRIMBENDING

( RBT-6, SM)

UITO(I) PRESSURIZATION

(SM, RBT-6)

URIP TWISTING

(RBT-6)

NEUTRON TENSION

(SM, RBT-6)

UITO PRESSURE

(SM, RBT-6)

ARS

CHARACTERISITCS OF IN-PILE INVESTIGATION METHODS OF MECHNICAL PROPERTIES

NUMBER OF SPECIMENS IN IR: under longitudinal loading 1-2 under bending or twisting 1-25 under pressurization or swelling composition up to 20

NEUTRON FLUX DENSITY, cm-2s-1: fast (Е0,1 МeВ) 1013-21015

thermal 1013-1015

DAMAGE DOSE ACCUMULATION RATE, dpa/year 0,2-25 MAXIMAL UNIAXIAL LOAD, kN 5 (1%)MAXIMUM PRESSURE IN TUBULAR SPECIMENS, MPа 100 (1%)PRESET DEFORMATION RATE, %/hr 1-10-5 (5%)TESTING TEMPERATURE: in water under pressure 55-320оС (1%) in boiling water 200-320оС (1%) in water with supercritical parameters 500-600оС (1%) in helium 200-850оС (1%)

CONCLUSIONS ON THE METHODICAL POSSIBILITIES OF THE RIAR REACTORS

THE REACTORS AND THEIR METHODS MAKE IT POSSIBLE:

• to determine radiation stability of basic materials under modeled operation conditions of nuclear reactor materials at high fuel burnup, specific loading types and thermal-force modes

• to provide reliable validation of the main criteria (creep, radiation growth, short-term properties, long-term strength) for the choice of the most promising new reactor materials

• to develop databases for creation adequate models of operation parameters of selected alloys as applied to calculation codes