Application of hysteresis modeling to magnetic techniques for monitoring biaxial stress

A probe, consisting of two excitation coils and a detection coil wrapped around a core with a Hall probe between the pole pieces, has been used to measure indirectly the influence of biaxial stress on the magnetic properties of a ferromagnetic specimen, in this case annealed SAE-4130 steel. Properties measured indirectly included remanence, coercivity, and first, third and fifth harmonic amplitudes. The properties were extracted from the voltage measured across the detection coil and incorporate the magnetic influence of the soft iron core, but with the effect of air gap variation between pole piece and sample kept to a controlled range. Results were compared to a micromagnetic model for the effect of biaxial stress on hysteresis and on magnetic properties. The micromagnetic model is a modified version of a model previously employed by Schneider et al. The experimental remanence variation due to biaxial stress compared very well to the predictions of the model. Furthermore, the model predict,s and experiment bears out, that the remanence with the field along one stress axis minus the remanence with the field along the other stress axis falls in a straight-line band of values when plotted against the difference of the two stresses. This suggests a possible NDE technique for detecting differences in biaxial stresses at a given location in a steel specimen

Application of magnetomechanical hysteresis modeling of magnetic techniques for monitoring neutron embrittlement and biaxial stress

Research was done on the biaxial stress problem accomplished in the first half of the second year. All of the work done was preparatory to magnetic measurements. Issues addressed were: construction of a model for extracting changes in the magnetic properties of a specimen from the readings of an indirect sensor; initial development of a model for how biaxial stress alters the intrinsic magnetic properties of thespecimen; use of finite element stress analysis modeling to determine a detailed shape for the cruciform biaxial stress specimen; and construction of the biaxial stress loading apparatus

Application of magnetomechanical hysteresis modeling to magnetic techniques for monitoring neutron embrittlement and biaxial stress

The objective is to investigate experimentally and theoretically the effects of neutron embrittlement and biaxial stress on magnetic properties in steels, using various magnetic measurement techniques. Interaction between experiment and modeling should suggest efficient magnetic measurement procedures for determining neutron embrittlement biaxial stress. This should ultimately assist in safety monitoring of nuclear power plants and of gas and oil pipelines. In the first six months of this first year study, magnetic measurements were made on steel surveillance specimens from the Indian Point 2 and D.C. Cook 2 reactors. The specimens previously had been characterized by Charpy tests after specified neutron fluences. Measurements now included: (1) hysteresis loop measurement of coercive force, permeability and remanence, (2) Barkhausen noise amplitude; and (3) higher order nonlinear harmonic analysis of a 1 Hz magnetic excitation. Very good correlation of magnetic parameters with fluence and embrittlement was found for specimens from the Indian Point 2 reactor. The D.C. Cook 2 specimens, however showed poor correlation. Possible contributing factors to this are: (1) metallurgical differences between D.C. Cook 2 and Indian Point 2 specimens; (2) statistical variations in embrittlement parameters for individual samples away from the stated men values; and (3) conversion of the D.C. Cook 2 reactor to a low leakage core configuration in the middle of the period of surveillance. Modeling using a magnetomechanical hysteresis model has begun. The modeling will first focus on why Barkhausen noise and nonlinear harmonic amplitudes appear to be better indicators of embrittlement than the hysteresis loop parameters

Application of magnetomechanical hysteresis modeling of magnetic techniques for monitoring neutron embrittlement and biaxial stress

Objective of this project is to investigate experimentally and theoretically the effects of neutron embrittlement and biaxial stress on magnetic properties in steels, using various magnetic measurement techniques. If neutron embrittlement and biaxial stress can be measured via changes in magnetic properties, this should ultimately assist in safety monitoring of nuclear power plants and of gas and oil pipelines. This first-year report addresses the issue of using magnetic property changes to detect neutron embrittlement. The magnetic measurements were all done on irradiated specimens previously broken in two in a Charpy test to determine their embrittlement. The magnetic properties of the broken charpy specimens from D.C. Cook did not correlate well with fluence or embrittlement parameters, possible due to metallurgical reasons. correlation was better with Indian Point 2 specimens, with the nonlinear harmonic amplitudes showing the best correlation (R[sup 2][approximately]0.7). However, correlation was not good enough. It is recommended that tests be done on unbroken irradiated Charpy specimens, for which magnetic characterization data prior to irradiation is available, if possible

Quadrupole scattering in PrAl/sub 2/

We derive the spontaneous anisotropy of the resistivity of the ferromagnetic compound PrAh from magnetoresistance measurements on a single crystal of PrAlz. We ascribe this spontaneous anisotropy of the resistivity to scattering of the conduction electrons by the thermal quadrupole disorder and we account for our experimental results by using the theoretical model previously deve1oped by us. We find that quadrupole scattering gives a very important contribution to the total magnetic disorder (spin and quadrupole) resistivity but that only a small part of this quadrupole contribution is anisotropic

Quadrupole scattering in PrAl/sub 2/

We derive the spontaneous anisotropy of the resistivity of the ferromagnetic compound PrAh from magnetoresistance measurements on a single crystal of PrAlz. We ascribe this spontaneous anisotropy of the resistivity to scattering of the conduction electrons by the thermal quadrupole disorder and we account for our experimental results by using the theoretical model previously deve1oped by us. We find that quadrupole scattering gives a very important contribution to the total magnetic disorder (spin and quadrupole) resistivity but that only a small part of this quadrupole contribution is anisotropic