Thermal Stability of the Cubic Phase in Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3- (BSCF)

Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O0-delta (BSCF) is a material with excellent oxygen ionic and electronic transport properties reported by many research groups. In its cubic phase, this mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskite is a promising candidate for oxygen permeation membranes. For this application, its long-term stability under operating conditions (especially temperature and oxygen partial pressure) is of crucial importance.The present work is focused on the thermal stability of the BSCF cubic phase in the targeted temperature range for applications (700 ... 900 degrees C) in light of previous studies in literature reporting a reversible transition to a hexagonal phase somewhere below 900 degrees C.To this end, single phase cubic BSCF powders were annealed at different temperatures over varying periods of time. Phase composition was subsequently analysed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) in order to determine both the temperature limit and the time-scale for the formation of the hexagonal phase. Additionally, the long-term behaviour of the electrical conductivity was examined on bulk samples at 700 degrees C, 800 degrees C and 900 degrees C over several hundreds of hours, showing a prolonged decrease at 800 degrees C. The decrease in electrical conductivity at this temperature was also examined on bulk samples with different grain sizes, showing a more pronounced decrease the smaller the average grain size. Coexistence of both phases (cubic and hexagonal) could also be shown for 700 degrees C, however with a different phase equilibrium than at 800 degrees C. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

pO2 stability of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-delta

ABSTRACTThe mixed-conducting perovskite oxide Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF), given its outstanding oxygen ionic and electronic transport properties, is considered a promising material composition for oxygen transport membranes (OTM) operated at high temperatures.Its long-term stability under operating conditions is, however, still an important issue. Although the incompatibility of BSCF with CO2-containing atmospheres can be avoided by appropriate means (oxyfuel processes in the absence of carbon dioxide), the thermal as well as the chemical stability of BSCF itself are still under thorough investigation.This work is focused on the stability of BSCF in the targeted temperature range for OTM applications (700…900 °C) and in atmospheres with low oxygen contents. Previous studies in literature suggest limited chemical stability below oxygen partial pressures pO2 of around 10-6 bar.By using a coulometric titration method based on a zirconia “oxygen pump” setup, precise control of the oxygen partial pressure pO2 between 1 bar and 10-18 bar was facilitated. Combining electrical measurements on dense ceramic bulk samples performed as a function of pO2 with an XRD phase composition study of single phase BSCF powders subjected to various pO2 treatments, an assessment of the chemical stability of BSCF is facilitated as a function of oxygen partial pressure. It could thus be shown that the pO2 stability limit is considerably lower than previously assumed in literature.</jats:p

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF LEAD-BISMUTH-EUTECTIC FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER IN HEXAGONAL-LATTICE ROD BUNDLES WITH GRID SPACERS

Heavy liquid metals are proposed as coolants for subcritical assemblies such as accelerator-driven systems. Particularly lead- bismuth eutectic is a superior candidate due to its low melting temperature. In that context, fluid- and geometry-specific thermal-hydraulic experiments play a major role for the design and operation of such systems. In this work a bundle with 19 rods (8.2 mm in diameter) in a hexagonal lattice with a pitch-to-diameter ratio P/D = 1.4 was tested in the existing THEADES loop at Karlsruhe Liquid Metal Laboratory of KIT. This vertical test section (870 mm heated length) includes three grid spacers, where localized instrumentation for both temperature and pressure drop is mounted. For this geometry and with reactor-representative operating conditions (temperature, velocity, heat flux) forced-convective tests applying a heat power density up to 100 W/cm2 have been performed. Based on these results, it can be concluded that within acceptable engineering accuracy, the heat transfer performance for this case can be well predicted by existing dimensionless correlations originally developed for other fluids, mainly sodium

Heavy-liquid metal heat transfer experiment in a 19-rod bundle with grid spacers

Heavy-liquid metals, such as lead and lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE), are prominent candidate coolants for advanced fast reactor concepts and accelerator-driven systems. The thermal-hydraulic behavior of these fluids in fuel-assembly-representative geometries is a key issue to be further investigated for the development of such systems. Aiming to achieve a better understanding of these complex flows, an experimental campaign has been undertaken at the Karlsruhe Liquid Metal Laboratory (KALLA) in the frame of the European research project THINS (Thermal Hydraulic of Innovative Nuclear Systems, 2010–2014). The experiment consists of an electrically heated 19-pin hexagonal rod bundle cooled by LBE at typical reactor conditions in terms of operating temperature, power density and velocity. This bundle includes three grid-spacers which both keep the rods in position and provide support for detailed temperature measurements at each axial position. In this work, the pressure drop, the average heat transfer coefficients, hot-spot factors and sub-channel center temperature are investigated. It is observed that the first measurement level is still on the thermally developing region, while the other two give similar results to each other and thus belong to the fully developed region. A large degree of confidence on these experimental results derives from their good repeatability within their uncertainties