Evaluation of a Testing Apparatus for High Temperature/High Pressure in Nuclear Pressure Vessel Conditions
Additional Funding Sources
This project is supported by a 2019-2020 STEM Undergraduate Research Grant from the Higher Education Research Council.
Presentation Date
7-2020
Abstract
Mechanical components that operate under high temperatures and pressures in a corrosive environment while being cyclically loaded are prone to the effects of environmental cracking. Dr. Stephens along with other faculty members at UI have submitted a number of proposals to various agencies with the hope of being awarded a grant that would allow them to begin testing new materials under these conditions. Recently Dr. Stephens was a Co-PI on an NEUP Infrastructure Grant in which the team was awarded the grant to purchase, assemble, and couple a testing frame/autoclave/circulation loop/controller for material testing. As a result, there is a lot of complex and complicated coupling of the equipment necessary to make it operate correctly and safely. Over the summer I will be tasked with coupling the key components together so that they will be fully functional in the event one of the submitted grants is awarded. I will be performing validation tests that include fatigue and stress corrosion cracking using a candidate stainless steel alloy used in nuclear power plant applications. Initial tests will include room temperature validation followed by high temperature and pressure within the testing apparatus.
Evaluation of a Testing Apparatus for High Temperature/High Pressure in Nuclear Pressure Vessel Conditions
Mechanical components that operate under high temperatures and pressures in a corrosive environment while being cyclically loaded are prone to the effects of environmental cracking. Dr. Stephens along with other faculty members at UI have submitted a number of proposals to various agencies with the hope of being awarded a grant that would allow them to begin testing new materials under these conditions. Recently Dr. Stephens was a Co-PI on an NEUP Infrastructure Grant in which the team was awarded the grant to purchase, assemble, and couple a testing frame/autoclave/circulation loop/controller for material testing. As a result, there is a lot of complex and complicated coupling of the equipment necessary to make it operate correctly and safely. Over the summer I will be tasked with coupling the key components together so that they will be fully functional in the event one of the submitted grants is awarded. I will be performing validation tests that include fatigue and stress corrosion cracking using a candidate stainless steel alloy used in nuclear power plant applications. Initial tests will include room temperature validation followed by high temperature and pressure within the testing apparatus.