Molybdenum wire, ultrasonic temperature measuring apparatu

Carnevale, E. H.

Klaidman, S. L.

Lynnworth, L. C.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

- 
NASA-CR-54896 
Second Quarterly Progrsrs Report 
ULTRASOMC TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE 
prepared for 
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 
Janurry, 1966 
CONTRACT NAS 3-7981 
Technical Management 
NASA Lewis Research Center 
Cleveland, Ohio 
Advanced Development and Evaluation Division 
M i l e s O .  Dustin 
PARAMETRICS, Inc. 
221 Crescent Street 
W s l t h a m ,  -88. 02154 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19660007630 2020-03-16T23:06:09+00:00Z
ULTRASONIC TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE 
bY 
E. H, Carnevde, L. C. Lynmwortb and & L Kloidman 
ABSTRACT 
During the recond quarter, work proceeded on room and elevated 
temperature ultrasonic measurements and analyeis, on radiation capsule 
design, oa analping and eatimating radiation effect5 in refractory sensor 
wires, on planning for  the radiation experiments in the Babcock & Wilcox 
tert reactor, and on measurements essential to the design axxi constntco 
tion of the ultrasonic pulefne unit. 
Molybdenum wire waa ultrasonically tested up to 4!500°R in a 
carbon rtznorphere. To permit operation of bdo and other refractory 
w i r e s  up to SOOO'R for  extended periods of timS, it will be necesrary 
to minirnize or prevent carbon reactions with &e sensor wire. Several 
approaches to this problem have been considered. 
To obtain the required temperature accuracy, + SOOR, and 
spatial resolution, 1 to 3 inches, ultrasonic frequenciG of the order 
of 1 megahe- have been considered. Such frequencies can be gen- 
erated magnetostrictively or piezoelectrically, and the vibration modes 
may bs extensional o r  shear (transverse or torsional). It appears that 
sensor performance can be improved by operating at theae relatively 
high ultrasonic frequenciee. 
1 
i 
During the second quarter, work proceeded on the first four steps 
in the program. 
Step l[ consists of room temperature prd imhary  ultrasonic mea- 
surements, and capsule design and test, Continuing room temperature 
experiments on atteamation in lead-in wires, adequate transmission was 
obtatined through 90 f t  of 0,040 in, dia Mo wire, 
ab~.st 0.2 Eb/ft at ahat 80 &hertz, 
The attenuation was 
The radiation test capsule w i l l  be an aluminum or stainless steel 
container about 1-314 in dia x -6 in, long, unheated and wamonitared 
acousticaIly, 
Step XI is the radiation experiment and analysis, The probability 
of transmutations has been calculated for W, T, Mo and Re, and appears 
to be negligibly small for the flux levels anticipated. Analysis ie con- 
tinuing, to determine the possible hazards in handling the wires after 
irradiation. Radiation effects in wires with melting points between 4500 
and 5000°R, such as Cb (Nb) and h, will also be ansly&d, 
Step III includes high temperature tests and analysis. Mofybdsnum 
was psted to about 2100°R in vacuum to study annealing effects, and to 
4500 R in a carbon atmosphere to study carbiding, The ultrasonic s6~8or 
wire does not depend on the electrical insulating propertie8 of any packing 
material in which it may be embedded (e. g. 8 magnesia or beryllia), This 
offers distinct advantages over thermoelectric devices, in the range 4000 
to 5000°R or  higher. However, carbon reactions with the sensor wire 
itself can destroy the validity of the velocity-temperature calibration. 
There are  several approaches to this problem, some of which are  
unique because the single ultrasonic sensor wire and neighboring materiale 
need not satisfy electrical requirements. 
- 
Analysis of the ultrasonic sensor shows that the use of high fre- 
Quencies, -1 megahertz, w i l l  improve thermometry accuracy and permit 
more localioed determinations of core temperature. 
i 
Step IV involves the design, construction and testing of automatic 
ultrasonic pulsing unit, the output of which will be a continuous function 
of temperature. 
1 
I& PROGRESS ON STEPS I, 11, m AND IV 
A, Room Temperature Preliminary Ultra~onic 
Measurement8 and Capsule Design and Test 
Molybdenum is of interest both as a sensor wire and aa a 
lead-in wire to scn80rs of other materials. Using a double pulse systeib 
at 80 kilohertc, the attenuatiod of extenrional waves at room temperature 
war found to be about 0.2 d'b/ftin Mo of 0,040 in, dia (d/h 
Ekhoee c d d  be resolved from the end of this M a  for lead-in I c n g t b  up 
to nearly 100 ft. 
0.02). 
- 
In the event that a future radiation test require8 acoustic monitor= 
ing of sensor wirer during irradiation in a pool type reacbr,  some 
Iead-in wire8 may be partly submerged under water, 
attenuating effects of water  on prlse transmission in a suhrnerged wire 
were also investigated, Again using 0.040 in. dia MO wire, the effec# 
of water was found to be negligible for a lead-in length of 25 f t  (no de- 
crease in signal level was observed at 80 kilohertz4 This is to be 
expected. The acoustic extensional waves propagating in the thin wire 
produce pardele vibration in the wire parae1 to the wire d e .  TMs 
vibration mode appears as a shear (or traneverre) wave to the water. 
Since a liqyid cannot sapport a shear wave, no acouetic extensional wave 
energy can be transferred to the water. Similarly, if the wire  supported 
torsional waves, this energy would not be coupled out either. (In the 
literature, the terms extensional, dilatational, and corn reasional are  
used synonymously to express the thin wire velocity & E .  S m e a u w r s  
also call tbis the longitudinal velocity but this term is preferably reserved 
for bulk materials, of diameter much greater than wavelength, where the 
longitudinal velocity is VL = 4E (1 - O)/( l  + 0 )  (1 - 2G) p 8 where 
E = Young# a modulus, p = density and Q = Poiesod 8 ratio), 
Therefore, the 
- 
Various modification8 were carried out on the double pulse ultra- 
sonic temperature measuring device in order to facilitate tbe forthcoming 
high temperatare and radiation tests. Some of these modificati0ns wero 
suggerted by E, A. Thorne of the Atomic Energy Establishment, Whfri th ,  
England, during hie visit to Parametrics, Inc., in November 1965, 
In order to increase the signal levels and produce a lfcleanlz pulse 
the previous magnetostrictive nickel tube was replaced by a seamless, 
0,0775 in. dia, 0.0026 to 0.0027 in. wal l  thicknes8, nickel 205 tub, 
When this s m a l l  diameter, thin walled seamless tubing was used in the 
system the quality of the signal improved significantly, 
2 
To attenuate the pulse which propagates toward the pad (see 
Figure 1, First Quarterly Progress Report) it has been common practice 
to run the magnetostrictive tube back several feet and terminate it in an - 
absorbing material such as rubber. To avoid excessive length, it is con- 
veniemt Q coil the tube. & the present case, this thin walled tube was 
coiled around a 6 in. dia mandrel without creaming the tube, 
Thorne demonstrated that by controlling the solder joint between 
the lead-in wire and the nickel tube, joint reflections can be cancelled. 
Tfris technique is an alternative to wing a impedance matching section, 
betmeen the tranaducer and lead-in, and avoids one joint. 
Various modifications were carried out in order to makc the - 
equipment sturdier and to more effectively shield the system, The con--- 
nector beixwen the pulsing unit and the external amplifier ie now a multi- 
pin type (Amphenol MS 3102A-22-18P) and all other connectors ar t  now 
shielded, 
A new set of tzansrnitting and receiving coils were constructed 
in order to increaae the signal level, and reduce pulse length. The new 
coils are wound on a spindle that is half as wide as the coils they replaced, 
This can produce a narrower pulse since the excited area on the magneto- 
strictive tube is reduced by 50%. There new coils are enclosed in a 
shielded capsule. 
The result of thtse modifications is that with the same lead-in 
wire the received signal level ha8 increased by 20 db, 
In order to get reproducible results from @ensor to sensor ie-is 
desirable to reproduce the ldnk in each sample. A jig has been con- 
structed to do W8, 
length the area to be kinked mwt be at a temperature above the ductile- 
britt3e transition temperature. 
several materials af interest.(') 
To kink a eensor wire without shearing off the 8-r 
Thia temperature is shown in Table I fo r  
- 
('kchwartzberg, F, R, , et al, Ductile-Brittle Transition in the Refractory 
Metals, DMIC Report 114 (June 1959). 
3 
Table I 
Ductile-B rittle Transition Temperature s 
Transition Temperature 
Eieurlant for Recrystallized Metal, O C  Lattics ~ 
-195 - TaIltdllXXl 
MOlyMtSlUm -30 to 25 
Tungsten 150 to 315 
Rhenium None(') or <25 (3) 
BCb 
BCC 
BCC 
HCP 
- 
Of the metals in Table I, the only material with a ductile-brittle 
transition temperature above room temperature io  tungsten. Using the 
kinking jig we have successfully kinked a heated tungsten wire without 
damaging the sensor'. 
The capsule for containing unheated, acoustically unmonitored 
sensor wires during irradiation in the Babcock & Wilcox test reactor 
w i l l  be completed next quarter. It wi l l  be tubular, about 1-3/4 in. 
dia x 6 in, long, of aluminum or stainless steel. 
Bo Radiation- eriment and Analysis 
The radiation experiment scheduled for the early part of - 
1966 w i l l  include room temperature irradiation of a number of candi- 
date sensor  wire^. 
w i l l  be measured as a function of temperature, and compared with 
velocity in an unirradiated wire. Sound velocities w i l l  be measured 
before and after irradiation, Temperatures wi l l  be measured in several 
waya, mch a8 thermocouple, pyrometer, calibrated thin wires, and 
sound velocity in the inert gas environment of helium or argon. 
To determine radiation sffects, the sound velocity 
(')Sime, C. To, "Properties of Rhenium," pp. 23-35, p. 26, in Bo W. 
Gonser, Rhenium, Elsevier Publ. Co. , Amsterdam and New York (1962). 
Gaines, G. Bo, "Rhenium in Electronics, *I  pp. 140-148, Table I, p. 141, 
in Bo W. Gonser, op. cit. 
(3) 
4 
The probability of transmutations in W, Ta, M o  and Re have 
been computed for the flux anticipated in the Babcock & Wilcox test 
reactor. Such effects are expected to be negligible, 
Calculations will also be made of the activities expected in these 
wires  after irradiation. ALSO, radiation effects in other wires of melt- 
ing points in the raage 4560 to 5000°R, such as Cb (Nb) and Ir, w i l l  also 
be estimated, 
C. Temperature Tests and Analysis 
Molybdenum bas been teste~ultrasonically at -80 kilohertz 
up to 2100°R in vacuum, and up to 4500 R in a carbon resistance furnace. 
Negligible increase in attenuation was obsertted, in agreement with otke3 
indeiJendbnt ultrasonic t d t s  in metals up to tilieit melting points, Car- 
biding prevented testing bare M o  to higher temperatures. 
To avoid or minimize carbiding in future teats, several approaches 
are  being considered. In one metallic shielding system, the thin wire 
w i l l  be placed in a Ta tubular shield and pressurized Hc will flaw over 
the wire at a low flow rate, The effect of this w i l l  be to keep the carbon 
from contacting the wire while not removing enough heat to affect the 
temperature measur ent. This technique bas been used effectively 
with  thermocouple^.^ The advantage of this system is that it is a 
simple way to prevent carbiding of the sensor when tested in a graphite 
resistance oven, and may be applicable to practical installations. 
The use of sensor and sheath materials in which the carbide - 
reaction has gone to completion (i. e., carbides of refractory materi- 
als) will also be considered. 
In addition to the Ta shield, a zirconium diboride (ZrBZ) shield 
also will be considered This material is reported to be stable in the 
presence of carbon and may be satisfactory for long term use. ZrBZ 
can be applied to Ta tubing using plasma spray techniques, yielding a 
composite shield material. 
It is desirable to avoid contact with carbon. Partial isolation of 
the sensor wire may be accomplished with tubes or powders of MgO or 
BeO. 
500O0R; they need merely reduce the rate of flow of carbon to the sensor. 
Note that these materials need not be electrically insulating at 
5 
Hall and Sp~oner '~)  conclude that Be0 is the only suitable electrical 
insulator for use at 4100°R. 
4100°R is marginal, and that 3900OR is a more realistic maximunt 
As acoustic isolators and partial barriers to carbon contamination, 
powders should be usable to their melting or eutectic points, which in 
some cases are mer 5000 R. 
They point out that the use of Be0 at 
0 
. 
Sti l l  another approach is to choose a metallic wire that does not 
carbide. 
formed by rhenium and carbon melte at 400OoR, whereaa pure rhenium 
melts at 62OO0R. - 
into rhenium, causing some embrittlement. The effect of this embrittle- 
ment on sound velocity w i l l  be measured in hrturc tests. 
There are few candidabt~d but rhenium is one. The eutectic 
Below 500O0R, there is some dissolving of carbon 
The thin wire feedthrough for the 7000°R radiant heating source 
(Figure 3, First Quarterly Progresrr Report) has been constructed and 
preliminary system tests have Meii conducted. 
the feedthrooqb d hold the vacuum required when operating this mea 
during 5000 R ultrasonic tests. Besides sealing for vacuum and pres- 
sure, the feedthrough neither introduce8 any reflections nor attenuates 
the signal. CommereiaSy available feedthroughs such as Conax MHC- 
040-A-2-L and MHC-040-A-2-T have been obtained, aad wil l  be evaluated. 
Theae tests showed that 
I). Construction and Teating of Purser 
To achieve core thermometry based on the principle that 
sound velocity is a function of temperature of a wire sensor, an im- 
portant question arises concerning ultrasonic test frequency. Sensor 
design, following the techniques of Bell et  al, would have to compromise 
the divergent requirements of high accuracy, 2 SOOR, and localized 
readings, I to 3 in. However, at sufficiently high frequency, of the 
order of -1 megahertz, and possibly up to 3 megahertz, the rrenaor 
length can be coiled in s m a l l  reflectionless coils, to compress the kink 
to end distance. For example, with 0.020 in, dia wire coiled on an 
0.020 in. dia mandrel about 6 in. of wire could conceivably be coiled 
in 50 turns to localize readings in a 1 in. long region, 
34)Hall, B. F., Jr., and Spooner, N. F. , Study of High Temperature 
Thermocouples. AFCRL 65-251 (March 1965) (AD 619 038); "Tern- 
perature Measurement in  a Graphite Environment from 1600 to 
2500°C,t1 ISA Preprint No. 16. 13-3-64 (Oct, 12-15, 1964. 
Using argon, Hall and Spooner achieved a temperature of 4840°R 
for 2 hours without any effects of carbiding. 
Low frequencies 
6 
would be reflected by such tight coils, but high frequencies may be 
adequately transmitted. Upper limits on frequency are imposed by 
the sound attenuation characteristics of the wire, 
Frequency selection involves transducer optimization with 
respect to frequency, materials (piezoelectric or magnetostrictive), 
mode of vibration (extensional or shear), size and shape, For a given 
transducer, the pulser will  be designed to yield a pulse shape of 
optimum rise and fall  times, and width. 
- 
The acoustic bandwidth of the lead-in and sensor wires also 
enters into transducer and pulser optimization, since this bandwidth 
imposes an upper limit on ultrasonic pulse frequency. 
Circuitry design and construction for the automatic thin wire 
thermometer will depend on the results of the transducer optimization 
study now in progress. 
. 
7 
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Ultrasonic temperature measuring device Second quarterly progress report

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