Ultra-high temperature In-situ Mechanical Testing at BEER

Background

There is a large societal need for structural materials capable of withstanding temperatures in the ultra-high temperature (UHT) range, here defined as temperatures above 1100 °C. Development of such materials poses significant scientific and technological challenges. To address these challenges, it is vital to understand the deformation mechanisms at the operating temperatures. In-situ neutron scattering is without a doubt the single most suitable method to realize such tests, and the unprecedented neutron flux and intended detector set-up at the engineering diffractometer BEER, which is currently being developed in the first instrument suit for ESS, will provide a unique tool. However, there is currently no plans for an in-situ UHT sample environment for the deformation rigs at BEER. Therefore, based on the identified needs, the aim of the present project is to develop sample environment for in-situ mechanical testing at ultra-high temperatures at BEER. Testing should be possible at temperatures up to at least 1600 °C in vacuum, while providing simultaneous access to as many of the planned detectors as possible. This will be achieved by development of a dedicated UHT furnace, specifically designed for BEER. Uncoupled to the the load frame, the furnace should be capable of providing an UHT sample environment up to 1800 °C, and the possibility of transferability to an imaging beam line (ODIN) as well as SANS beam line (SKADI) will be explored, providing further benefits for ESS.

Purpose and aim

The purpose of the project is to: (i) allow testing of UHT materials, which are crucial for enabling a number of sustainable technologies; (ii) position BEER as the world leading instrument for in-situ deformation studies in the UHT range; (iii) meet the foreseen needs from both academic and industrial research; (iv) build competence in Sweden in order to prepare for advanced early use of BEER; (v) disseminate the knowledge to as large part of Swedish academia and industry as possible; and (vi) open the door to completely new areas of research by combining UHT capability with the time-resolution and detector combination of BEER.

Project plan

The development work will be divided into four phases (see time plan in Table 1):

• Phase I: Requirements and concepts. A thorough inventory of needs based on additional science cases as well as industrial input will lead to the definition of a complete list of requirements and specifications. Based on this, possible technologies for meeting these requirements will be reviewed, and a selected concept will be put forward.

• Phase II: Furnace design and control system development. Based on the identified requirements and selected concept from Phase I, a furnace design will be developed. This also includes development of the control system, which is an integral part of the furnace and crucial for the performance. The control system will conform to the ESS standard protocols.

• Phase III: Construction and integration. Once the design is approved, the construction work will start. Individual parts will be designed and ordered. Integration of furnace and load frame, including control system integration, will be performed.

• Phase IV: Testing: Once complete, dedicated validation testing at neutron beam lines will be performed. Testing at ISIS under conditions resembling BEER will be conducted. During the test phase, it is expected that early scientific results related to one or more of the presented science cases will be generated.

Chalmers, LiU and KTH are the partners of the project. Chalmers lead the project.

Funding agency

Swedish Research Council (VR)

Beginning and end dates

2017-01-01 till 2023-01-01

Project contacts

More information

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