TY - GEN
T1 - Additively Manufactured Strain Sensing for Nuclear Reactor Applications
AU - Phero, Timothy L.
AU - Novich, Kaelee A.
AU - Fujimoto, Kiyo T.
AU - Khanolkar, Amey R.
AU - Johnson, Benjamin C.
AU - McMurtrey, Michael D.
AU - Estrada, David
AU - Jaques, Brian J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 American Nuclear Society, Incorporated.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Real-time monitoring of materials in harsh environments is a crucial technique towards reducing innovation time in nuclear systems. The successful measurement of real time, in-situ strain measurements during nuclear reactor operation requires innovative sensing solutions, including novel sensing strategies as well as advanced sensor design, manufacturing, and materials selection. In this paper, we will discuss two primary strategies for in-situ strain measurement strategies: additively manufactured (AM) capacitive strain gauges (CSGs) and digital image correlation (DIC). Current commercial strain gauges have limited applications in reactors due to the harsh operating conditions and non-trivial attachment strategies (i.e., welding, epoxy-adhesive) that can affect both the sensing performance and the underlying substrate under testing. AM CSGs are a viable solution as they have a low profile, low hysteresis, and wireless sensing integration capabilities that will enhance nuclear sensing technologies. In this work, the mechanical and thermal performance of the AM CSGs were tested up to 300 °C using ASTM standardized testing procedures to simulate the temperatures found in existing light water reactors. The AM CSGs had a similar performance across multiple samples which correlates to analytical models. This work leads towards the development of CSGs designed for higher temperatures and additional environmental factors found in Generation-IV reactors. Non-contact sensors, such as DIC, offer a less destructive way to measure deformation of materials when compared to alternative methods of in-situ strain determination, such as weldable strain gauges. However, DIC requires high contrast surfaces, which often relies on the implementation of artificial patterns. Using traditional splatter techniques to fabricate these patterns have limitations, including poor surface adhesion and reproducibility. In this work, AM fabrication techniques were implemented to avoid such limitations. Accordingly, aerosol jet printing (AJP) was used to print small scale periodic patterns of silver on stainless steel and aluminum tensile specimens. DIC was employed to monitor strain (up to 1100 µe) during temperature cycling from 23-600 °C. The results validated the use of AJP to better control pattern parameters for small fields of view applications at high temperatures.
AB - Real-time monitoring of materials in harsh environments is a crucial technique towards reducing innovation time in nuclear systems. The successful measurement of real time, in-situ strain measurements during nuclear reactor operation requires innovative sensing solutions, including novel sensing strategies as well as advanced sensor design, manufacturing, and materials selection. In this paper, we will discuss two primary strategies for in-situ strain measurement strategies: additively manufactured (AM) capacitive strain gauges (CSGs) and digital image correlation (DIC). Current commercial strain gauges have limited applications in reactors due to the harsh operating conditions and non-trivial attachment strategies (i.e., welding, epoxy-adhesive) that can affect both the sensing performance and the underlying substrate under testing. AM CSGs are a viable solution as they have a low profile, low hysteresis, and wireless sensing integration capabilities that will enhance nuclear sensing technologies. In this work, the mechanical and thermal performance of the AM CSGs were tested up to 300 °C using ASTM standardized testing procedures to simulate the temperatures found in existing light water reactors. The AM CSGs had a similar performance across multiple samples which correlates to analytical models. This work leads towards the development of CSGs designed for higher temperatures and additional environmental factors found in Generation-IV reactors. Non-contact sensors, such as DIC, offer a less destructive way to measure deformation of materials when compared to alternative methods of in-situ strain determination, such as weldable strain gauges. However, DIC requires high contrast surfaces, which often relies on the implementation of artificial patterns. Using traditional splatter techniques to fabricate these patterns have limitations, including poor surface adhesion and reproducibility. In this work, AM fabrication techniques were implemented to avoid such limitations. Accordingly, aerosol jet printing (AJP) was used to print small scale periodic patterns of silver on stainless steel and aluminum tensile specimens. DIC was employed to monitor strain (up to 1100 µe) during temperature cycling from 23-600 °C. The results validated the use of AJP to better control pattern parameters for small fields of view applications at high temperatures.
KW - Additive Manufacture
KW - digital image correlation
KW - sensing
KW - strain
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183315901&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.13182/NPICHMIT23-41264
DO - 10.13182/NPICHMIT23-41264
M3 - Conference contribution
T3 - Proceedings of 13th Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control and Human-Machine Interface Technologies, NPIC and HMIT 2023
SP - 1651
EP - 1660
BT - Proceedings of 13th Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control and Human-Machine Interface Technologies, NPIC and HMIT 2023
PB - American Nuclear Society
T2 - 13th Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control and Human-Machine Interface Technologies, NPIC and HMIT 2023
Y2 - 15 July 2023 through 20 July 2023
ER -