Study of an instrument for sensing errors in a telescope wavefront

Focal plane sensors for determining the error in a telescope wavefront were investigated. The construction of three candidate test instruments and their evaluation in terms of small wavefront error aberration measurements are described. A laboratory wavefront simulator was designed and fabricated to evaluate the test instruments. The laboratory wavefront error simulator was used to evaluate three tests; a Hartmann test, a polarization shearing interferometer test, and an interferometric Zernike test

Crack growth rates and fracture toughness of irradiated austenitic stainless steels in BWR environments.

In light water reactors, austenitic stainless steels (SSs) are used extensively as structural alloys in reactor core internal components because of their high strength, ductility, and fracture toughness. However, exposure to high levels of neutron irradiation for extended periods degrades the fracture properties of these steels by changing the material microstructure (e.g., radiation hardening) and microchemistry (e.g., radiation-induced segregation). Experimental data are presented on the fracture toughness and crack growth rates (CGRs) of wrought and cast austenitic SSs, including weld heat-affected-zone materials, that were irradiated to fluence levels as high as {approx} 2x 10{sup 21} n/cm{sup 2} (E > 1 MeV) ({approx} 3 dpa) in a light water reactor at 288-300 C. The results are compared with the data available in the literature. The effects of material composition, irradiation dose, and water chemistry on CGRs under cyclic and stress corrosion cracking conditions were determined. A superposition model was used to represent the cyclic CGRs of austenitic SSs. The effects of neutron irradiation on the fracture toughness of these steels, as well as the effects of material and irradiation conditions and test temperature, have been evaluated. A fracture toughness trend curve that bounds the existing data has been defined. The synergistic effects of thermal and radiation embrittlement of cast austenitic SS internal components have also been evaluated

Energy Technology Division research summary 2004.

The Energy Technology (ET) Division provides materials and engineering technology support to a wide range of programs important to the US Department of Energy (DOE). The Division's capabilities are generally applied to technical issues associated with energy systems, biomedical engineering, transportation, and homeland security. Research related to the operational safety of commercial light water nuclear reactors (LWRs) for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) remains another significant area of interest for the Division. The pie chart below summarizes the ET sources of funding for FY 2004

Effects of LWR environments on fatigue life of carbon and low-alloy steels

SME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides construction of nuclear power plant components. Figure I-90 Appendix I to Section III of the Code specifies fatigue design curves for structural materials. While effects of environments are not explicitly addressed by the design curves, test data suggest that the Code fatigue curves may not always be adequate in coolant environments. This paper reports the results of recent fatigue tests that examine the effects of steel type, strain rate, dissolved oxygen level, strain range, loading waveform, and surface morphology on the fatigue life of A 106-Gr B carbon steel and A533-Gr B low-alloy steel in water

Evaluation of effects of LWR coolant environments on fatigue life of carbon and low-alloy steels

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides rules for the construction of nuclear power plant components. Figure I-90 of Appendix I to Section III of the Code specifies fatigue design curves for structural materials. However, the effects of light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments are not explicitly addressed by the Code design curves. Recent test data indicate a significant decrease in fatigue life of carbon and low-alloy steels in LWR environments when five conditions are satisfied simultaneously, viz., applied strain range, temperature, dissolved oxygen in the water, and sulfur content of the steel are above a minimum threshold level, and the loading strain rate is below a threshold value. Only a moderate decrease in fatigue life is observed when any one of these conditions is not satisfied. This paper summarizes available data on the effects of various material and loading variables such as steel type, dissolved oxygen level, strain range, strain rate, and sulfur content on the fatigue life of carbon and low-alloy steels. The data have been analyzed to define the threshold values of the five critical parameters. Methods for estimating fatigue lives under actual loading histories are discussed

Overview of steam generator tube degradation and integrity issues

The degradation of steam generator tubes in pressurized water nuclear reactors continues to be a serious problem. Primary water stress corrosion cracking is commonly observed at the roll transition zone at U-bends, at tube denting locations, and occasionally in plugs and sleeves. Outer-diameter stress corrosion cracking and intergranular attack commonly occur near the tube support plate crevice, near the tube sheet in crevices or under sludge piles, and occasionally in the free span. A particularly troubling recent trend has been the increasing occurrence of circumferential cracking at the RTZ on both the primary and secondary sides. Segmented axial cracking at the tubes support plate crevices is also becoming more common. Despite recent advances in in-service inspection technology, a clear need still exists for quantifying and improving the reliability of in- service inspection methods with respect to the probability of detection of the various types of flaws and their accurate sizing. Improved inspection technology and the increasing occurrence of such degradation modes as circumferential cracking, intergranular attack, and discontinuous axial cracking have led to the formulation of a new performance-based steam generator rule. This new rule would require the development and implementation of a steam generator management program that monitors tube condition against accepted performance criteria to ensure that the tubes perform the required safety function over the next operating cycle. The new steam generator rule will also be applied to severe accident conditions to determine the continued serviceability of a steam generator with degraded tubes in the event of a severe accident. Preliminary analyses are being performed for a hypothetical severe accident scenario to determine whether failure will occur first in the steam generator tubes, which would lead to containment bypass, or instead in the hot leg nozzle or surge line, which would not

Spatiotemporal Amplitude and Phase Retrieval of Bessel-X pulses using a Hartmann-Shack Sensor

We propose a new experimental technique, which allows for a complete characterization of ultrashort optical pulses both in space and in time. Combining the well-known Frequency-Resolved-Optical-Gating technique for the retrieval of the temporal profile of the pulse with a measurement of the near-field made with an Hartmann-Shack sensor, we are able to retrieve the spatiotemporal amplitude and phase profile of a Bessel-X pulse. By following the pulse evolution along the propagation direction we highlight the superluminal propagation of the pulse peak

Crack growth rates and metallographic examinations of Alloy 600 and Alloy 82/182 from field components and laboratory materials tested in PWR environments.

In light water reactors, components made of nickel-base alloys are susceptible to environmentally assisted cracking. This report summarizes the crack growth rate results and related metallography for field and laboratory-procured Alloy 600 and its weld alloys tested in pressurized water reactor (PWR) environments. The report also presents crack growth rate (CGR) results for a shielded-metal-arc weld of Alloy 182 in a simulated PWR environment as a function of temperature between 290 C and 350 C. These data were used to determine the activation energy for crack growth in Alloy 182 welds. The tests were performed by measuring the changes in the stress corrosion CGR as the temperatures were varied during the test. The difference in electrochemical potential between the specimen and the Ni/NiO line was maintained constant at each temperature by adjusting the hydrogen overpressure on the water supply tank. The CGR data as a function of temperature yielded activation energies of 252 kJ/mol for a double-J weld and 189 kJ/mol for a deep-groove weld. These values are in good agreement with the data reported in the literature. The data reported here and those in the literature suggest that the average activation energy for Alloy 182 welds is on the order of 220-230 kJ/mol, higher than the 130 kJ/mol commonly used for Alloy 600. The consequences of using a larger value of activation energy for SCC CGR data analysis are discussed

Interim fatigue design curves for carbon, low-alloy, and austenitic stainless steels in LWR environments

Both temperature and oxygen affect fatigue life; at the very low dissolved-oxygen levels in PWRs and BWRs with hydrogen water chemistry, environmental effects on fatigue life are modest at all temperatures (T) and strain rates. Between 0.1 and 0.2 ppM, the effect of dissolved-oxygen increases rapidly. In oxygenated environments, fatigue life depends strongly on strain rate and T. A fracture mechanics model is developed for predicting fatigue lives, and interim environmentally assisted cracking (EAC)-adjusted fatigue curves are proposed for carbon steels, low-alloy steels, and austenitic stainless steels