A uniaxial creep model that describes creep over a wide stress range was developed for P91 steel using an artificial neural network (ANN). The training dataset was based on measurements from uniaxial creep tests and information derived from a combination of the logistic creep strain prediction and the Wilshire models. The ANN model reproduces the training dataset with high accuracy (R2 = 0.975; RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) = 0.19). The model can be easily implemented in finite element analysis (FEA) codes since it provides an analytical expression of the true creep rate as a function of temperature, true stress and true creep strain. In FEA simulations under the same conditions as the training dataset, the model provides times to rupture and minimum creep rates very close to those in the training dataset. The model can be adapted for heats with different properties from the average behaviour of the training dataset by means of a stress-scaling factor.

This paper describes a numerical analysis to predict the deformation and time to rupture of the small punch creep test for 316 L(N) austenitic steel. The constitutive model incorporates elasto-plastic nonlinear kinematic hardening and creep with primary, secondary and tertiary creep calibrated to the RCC-MRx code data. The computations are assessed by comparing with experimental data for a 500 mu m thick sample clamped with a diameter of 5 mm loaded with a force 300,400 and 500N at 700 degrees C. The model predicts the experimental observations quite well with respect to minimum deflection rate and time to rupture and its location using a local critical strain criterion. A very important feature is that the deformation and total effective strain distribution at rupture are almost identical for all loads as function of the time divided by the time to rupture.

One of the limitations to design a compact heat exchanger is the phenomenon of fluid maldistribution. Most research considers a uniform fluid distribution in the channels, which can be considered a wrong approximation, since the non-uniform fluid distribution can seriously affect the performance. There are few experimental and numerical studies related to fluid distribution in a compact heat exchanger, however, currently, there is no mathematical model capable of predicting the fluid distribution within the channels. The present work developed the first theoretical model capable to estimate the flow distribution inside compact heat exchanger channels. The model is based on the concept of the shape factor, relating the radiation ratio between surfaces with the mass flow rate. The model considers geometric parameters to estimate the fluid distribution, such as channel position, channel cross-sectional area, fluid inlet surface area, and inlet header depth. In order to verify the model's accuracy, comparisons with experimental and numerical data available in the literature were performed, besides, a test facility was produced and used to test two header configurations. The average error of the model was approximately 9%, having a better performance than the hypothesis of uniform distribution, which presented an average error of 13%. However, in cases where fluid maldistribution was pronounced, the model exhibited significantly better results, reducing the error from 29%, uniform distribution hypothesis, to 11%. This demonstrates that the model can be applied to estimate fluid distribution inside de core and enhance the design of heat exchangers.

This paper presents a finite element analysis of the small punch creep test for 316L(N), which is compared with experimental data for 650 and 700 °C. Special emphasis is placed on (i) assessing the influence of friction and (ii) comparing two different creep models: the simple Norton creep and the more general creep model. The computed normalized deflection rate versus time is almost identical for all cases, which allows for scaling of the results. The computed time to rupture increases linearly with the friction coefficient due to a reduction in the mean stress. There is a good overall agreement between the experimental values and the computed deflection rate for a friction coefficient of around 0.3. It is shown that the initial reduction in deflection rate is due to stress relaxation and homogenization, and is only marginally affected by primary creep hardening. The computed results are compared with the equivalent stress and strain rates in the recently published small punch standard (EN 10371). The computed von Mises stresses at minimum deflection decrease linearly with the friction coefficient but are consistently slightly higher than the equivalent stress in the standard. For the strain rates, the computed values are significantly higher than the equivalent values in the standard. The presented simulations give a deeper insight of the small punch creep and impact of key parameters such the friction coefficient and in general as a guidance to refinement and improvement of the empirically based formulae in the standard.

A model that describes creep behavior is essential in the design or life assessment of components and systems that operate at high temperatures. Using the RCC-MRx data and the LCSP (logistic creep strain prediction) model, processed design data were generated over the whole creep regime of 316L(N) steel—i.e., primary, secondary, and tertiary creep. The processed design data were used to develop three models with different approaches for the creep rate: a phenomenological approach; an artificial neural network; and an artificial intelligence method based on symbolic regression and genetic programming. It was shown that all three models are capable of describing the true creep rate as a function of true creep strain and true stress over a wide range of engineering stresses and temperatures without the need of additional micro-structural information. Furthermore, the results of finite element simulations reproduce the trends of experimental data from the literature.

Guidance on Sensor Placement was identified as the top research priority for hydrogen sensors at the 2018 HySafe Research Priority Workshop on hydrogen safety in the category Mitigation, Sensors, Hazard Prevention, and Risk Reduction. This paper discusses the initial steps (Phase 1) to develop such guidance for mechanically ventilated enclosures. This work was initiated as an international collaborative effort to respond to emerging market needs related to the design and deployment equipment for hydrogen infrastructure that is often installed in individual equipment cabinets or ventilated enclosures. The ultimate objective of this effort is to develop guidance for an optimal sensor placement such that, when integrated into a facility design and operation, will allow earlier detection at lower levels of incipient leaks, leading to significant hazard reduction. Reliable and consistent early warning of hydrogen leaks will allow for the risk mitigation by reducing or even eliminating the probability of escalation of small leaks into large and uncontrolled events. To address this issue, a study of a real-world mechanically ventilated enclosure containing GH2 equipment was conducted, where CFD modeling of the hydrogen dispersion (performed by AVT and UQTR, and independently by the JRC) was validated by the NREL Sensor laboratory using a Hydrogen Wide Area Monitor (HyWAM) consisting of a 10-point gas and temperature measurement analyzer. In the release test, helium was used as a hydrogen surrogate. Expansion of indoor releases to other larger facilities (including parking structures, vehicle maintenance facilities and potentially tunnels) and incorporation into QRA tools, such as HyRAM is planned for Phase 2. It is anticipated that results of this work will be used to inform national and international standards such as NFPA 2 Hydrogen Technologies Code, Canadian Hydrogen Installation Code (CHIC) and relevant ISO/TC 197 and CEN documents.

Hydrogen release inside closed facilities could cause explosions with harmful consequences. Safety assessment should be performed, in order to design prevention and mitigation measures in case of such an accident. A numerical study for helium (as hydrogen surrogate) accumulation inside a closed facility representative of a real-scale garage at low release rate is conducted. Due to the nature of the examined flow several turbulence modelling approaches (RANS and LES type) and the laminar approach are examined with the aim to evaluate their predictive capabilities in flows resulting from low-Reynolds number leaks. Best practice guidelines are followed in the simulations, several sensitivity studies are performed and different grid types are examined. The comparison of computational results with experimental data shows that RANS and LES approaches reproduce well the gas distribution inside the facility, while laminar approach predicts more enhanced stratification at the release phase. Statistical Performance Measures are used to evaluate the models and narrower acceptable ranges are suggested for releases in indoor configurations compared to open environments.

Na solucao dos problemas de engenharia, existem basicamente tres abordagens: enfoque teorico (analitico), numerico ou experimental. Alguns problemas em especifico requerem a utilizacao, de forma complementar, de metodos combinados. A extensometria e uma tecnica utilizada para a analise experimental de tensoes e deformacoes em estruturas mecânicas, maquinas e equipamentos, na qual utilizam-se extensometros (strain-gauges), que sao baseados na mudanca de resistencia eletrica do material ao ser submetido a tensoes. Estes dispositivos tambem podem ser associados a transdutores para medir pressao, tensao, forca, aceleracao entre outros. Neste trabalho e realizado um comparativo dos valores de tensoes e deformacoes presentes na estrutura de um dispositivo mecânico de flexo-torcao, sendo o objetivo analisar e comparar os dados experimentais com os resultados analiticos e de simulacoes em software. Quanto aos resultados obtidos, foram utilizadas tres massas diferentes nos experimentos, verificando que a tensao de Von Mises atingiu valores de 23, 24 e 27% distantes dos valores teoricos e 14, 15 e 19% distantes dos resultados simulados computacionalmente.

The Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman damage model is implemented in Small Punch (SP) finite element model with the purpose of evaluating the influence of crack initialization and propagation on the SP force-displacement (F - v) curves and the maximum force, F-m, which is used for estimating the R-m. Five materials, significantly different in R-m and ductility are investigated. Numerical calculations are performed and compared to the experimental measurements to evaluate the accuracy of the model. It is shown that the model is capable of capturing crack initialization in cold worked 15-15Ti stainless steel samples with different levels of ductility, both in terms of the number of cracks and their positions. For these two materials and the more ductile P91, P92 ferritic/martensitic steels, the simulations indicate significant impact of damage on the F - v curves in the vicinity of the maximal force, F-m. This can significantly influence the estimation of R-m from the F-m and v(m) points. However, the model tends to predict the crack initialization at a larger displacement compared to the experiments.

Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the effect of relevant parameters on the temperature field during the filling process of hydrogen tanks. The injector direction, the injector diameter, and the initial/ambient temperature affect the dynamics of the temperature distribution in the gas and in the tank material during the process. The development of potentially detrimental phenomena like thermal stratification and temperature inhomogeneity could occur, depending on the interactions of the effects of the 3 parameters. One of the most relevant findings is that, depending also on the other conditions, the injector direction can have a significant impact on the thermal stratification and on the critical parameters which provide an indication on the occurrence of stratification like the flow velocity at the injector exit and the Richardson number. The upward direction of the injector contributes to completely avert or at least reduce/delay the thermal gas stratification compared to injectors with a straight or downward direction.

The Small Punch (SP) test has shown in a number of applications that it can be successfully used for material ranking and material property estimation, especially where standard tests cannot be applied due to sampling location or the amount of material available. The most sought material properties are the ultimate tensile strength (R-m) and proof strength (R-p02) for the classical SP tests and the equivalent creep stress a for the SPC creep testing. In the case of SP testing the force to stress conversion is classically done by correlating the R-m to descriptive (test set-up dependent) variables such as measured maximum force divided by the product of displacement at the maximum and the disk thickness. Naturally, if the test set-up or the test samples are not according to the standardized dimensions or low material ductility imposes crack growth instead of plastic deformation, these formulations cannot be applied. In this paper the classical formulations are studied and modifications in the formulations and in the extraction of the best descriptive variables for estimating R-m are proposed. The assessments are done on a range of materials using both standardized flat SP samples as well as curved (tube section) samples. It is claimed that the equivalent stress in both SP and SPC tests can robustly be estimated with the same type of equation, at least for ductile and semi-ductile ferritic/martensitic and austenitic steels. The same equations can further be applied on non-standard test samples and test set-ups using FEA determined conversion factors correcting for curvature. The tensile strengths of ductile P91 steel and 46% cold worked 15-15Ti cladding steel, with clearly reduced ductility, are successfully estimated in a broad temperature range. The determination of tensile strength by small punch testing of engineering steels in general and for nuclear claddings in specific has successfully been shown to give robust and accurate estimates.

The Small Punch (SP) technique is a miniature test used for characterizing irradiated materials or when a testing material is available only in small quantities. In this work a finite element model is used to simulate the SP test of ferritic/martensitic Grade 91 and 15-15Ti austenitic stainless steel using two different specimen types and three different specimen thicknesses. beta(1) correlation factors, relating the maximum force and displacement at maximum force to the ultimate tensile strength are computed for all cases and the effect of the friction coefficient is studied. The friction increases the maximum force and to a lesser extent the displacement at maximum force, however the impact is limited and can only be observed in the last third section of the force-displacement curve. Furthermore, a significant increase in the friction results has an overall limited impact on the correlation and transfer factors.

The Small Punch (SP) test with constant deflection rate is a miniature technique that can provide estimates on the material tensile properties. Linear correlations are usually used for relating the maximum force and displacement at maximum force, recorded during the SP test, to the ultimate tensile strength. Fitting coefficients used in the correlations are calibrated on data from flat SP specimens. SP test requires only a small amount of testing material which represents a clear benefit when irradiated samples have to be tested. Therefore, there is a considerable interest in using SP for testing fuel cladding material properties. In this study we show that the same correlation equations, albeit with adjusted fitting coefficients, can be used to estimate the ultimate tensile strength from tube SP specimens made out of P91 ferritic/martensitic and 15-15Ti austenitic stainless steel. The calculated fitting coefficients lead to reasonable estimates of the ultimate tensile strength at temperatures of up to 650 degrees C although the coefficients themselves have been computed at room temperature. The coefficients are more suited for assessing ductile materials as the models used for computing the coefficients do not take into account damage (degradation of the material stiffness) or crack initiation and propagation, observed during the SP tests of brittle material. Finally, using the calculated ratios of maximum forces and displacements at maximum forces, one can map the two values of a given curved SP test to the equivalent flat SP values. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Correct use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools is essential in order to have confidence in the results. A comprehensive set of Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) in numerical simulations for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen applications has been one of the main outputs of the SUSANA project. These BPG focus on the practical needs of engineers in consultancies and industry undertaking CFD simulations or evaluating CFD simulation results in support of hazard/risk assessments of hydrogen facilities, as well as on the needs of regulatory authorities. This contribution presents a summary of the BPG document. All crucial aspects of numerical simulations are addressed, such as selection of the physical models, domain design, meshing, boundary conditions and selection of numerical parameters. BPG cover all hydrogen safety relative phenomena, i.e. release and dispersion, ignition, jet fire, deflagration and detonation. A series of CFD benchmarking exercises are also presented serving as examples of appropriate modelling strategies.

The Small Punch (SP) test is a relatively simple test well suited for material ranking and material property estimation in situations where standard testing is not possible or considered too material consuming. The material tensile properties, e.g. the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and the proof strength are usually linearly correlated to the force-deflection behaviour of a SP test. However, if the test samples and test set-up dimensions are not according to standardized dimensions or the material ductility does not allow the SP sample to deform to the pre-defined displacements used in these correlations, the standard formulations can naturally not be used. Also, in cases where no supporting UTS data is available the applied correlation factors cannot be verified. In this paper a formulation is proposed that enables the estimation of UTS without supporting uniaxial tensile strength data for a range of materials, both for standard type and for curved (tube section) samples. The proposed equation was originally developed for estimating the equivalent stress in small punch creep but is also found to robustly estimate the UTS of several ductile ferritic, ferritic/martensitic and austenitic steels. It is also shown that the methodology can be further applied on non-standard test samples and test set-ups and to estimate the properties of less ductile materials such as 46% cold worked 15-15Ti cladding steel tubes. In the case of curved samples the UTS estimates have to be corrected for curvature to match the corresponding flat specimen behaviour. The geometrical correction factors are dependent on tube diameters and wall thicknesses and were determined by finite element simulations. The outcome of the testing and simulation work shows that the UTS can be robustly estimated both for flat samples as well as for thin walled tube samples. The usability of the SP testing and assessment method for estimating tensile strength of engineering steels in general and for nuclear claddings in specific has been verified.

Fields as wide as hydrogen car industry, nuclear and chemistry applications, involve the study of gas filling processes. These processes have been thoroughly studied for the past decades through experimental measurements and scientific modelling. From around a hundred referenced papers, we have built a review, specifically oriented towards gas and tank temperature variations during filling processes, which targets three objectives. First, presenting best practices to experimentally measure critical physical phenomena involved through gas filling processes and simulate these with thermodynamic or computational fluid dynamics models. Secondly, from the results collected, a set of cumulated knowledge was built, covering, amongst other subjects, the spatial distribution of temperature and the dependency of the final gas temperature on fuelling conditions. Finally, a list of gaps on the subject of filling processes was identified which could serve as a roadmap for future researches. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper reports on the results of the flange connection benchmark performed within the Components and Structures under Severe Accident Loading (COS SAL) benchmark activities of the OECD/NEA. The benchmark is performed within the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI), Working Group on Integrity and Ageing of Components and Structures (WGIAGE) of the OECD/NEA. The COS SAL objective is to compare structural mechanics analysis methods for integrity assessment of metallic components of selected pressurized and boiling water reactors under severe accident loading, especially under high temperatures which may occur during core melt scenarios. In this context a flange connection is analysed concerning local failure due to a high pressure core-melt scenario. Thermo-mechanical responses of the flange connection under the postulated load conditions are calculated by the participants. The calculated flange outer and inner temperatures match quite well between the participants. Larger differences (although still acceptable) are obtained for the outer and inner gap between the flange and the gasket and the time-to-leakage, defined as a loss of seal between the flange and gasket. Most of the models predict time-to-leakage at about 1500 s after the initiation of the severe accident scenario.

The requirements regarding the refuelling process in order to prevent over-heating and over-filling significantly influence hydrogen fuelling station design and have a strong impact on potential fuelling performance. Consequently, refuelling station costs, reliability, and performance can be substantially improved by working on the way these requirements are formulated, in order to achieve shorter fuelling duration with a simpler process and less cooling. Two potential optimization opportunities were extensively investigated in the course of the EU funded HyTransfer project: (i) Application of the temperature limits to the tank material rather than to the gas inside the tank, (ii) Specification of the average delivery temperature rather than of the delivery temperature profile. Multiple research activities were carried out to this end. New models of various types were developed for predicting both the gas and material temperatures inside a vessel during filling and defueling. An experimental programme involving 82 filling and emptying tests of instrumented Type 4 and Type 3 vessels was performed for validating these models. New methods were developed and applied for determining the value of the gas-to-wall heat transfer coefficient from the temperature measurements. The balance of heat transferred from the gas to the liner and to the bosses in a type 4 vessel was reconstructed. CFD simulations were performed for analysing temperature disparities, and the thermal stratification observed in certain filling conditions reproduced. Criteria on gas injection conditions were identified for ensuring gas temperature homogeneity, a key assumption made by fuelling protocols. The temperature variations in the wall material were studied for future investigation of less conservative definitions of the maximum acceptable temperature in Hot Case situations. The effect of changing the delivery temperature profiles without changing the average delivery temperature was also analysed.

Hydrogen energy applications often require that systems are used indoors (e.g., industrial trucks for materials handling in a warehouse facility, fuel cells located in a room, or hydrogen stored and distributed from a gas cabinet). It may also be necessary or desirable to locate some hydrogen system components/equipment inside indoor or outdoor enclosures for security or safety reasons, to isolate them from the end-user and the public, or from weather conditions.Using of hydrogen in confined environments requires detailed assessments of hazards and associated risks, including potential risk prevention and mitigation features. The release of hydrogen can potentially lead to the accumulation of hydrogen and the formation of a flammable hydrogen-air mixture, or can result in jet-fires. Within Hyindoor European Project, carried out for the EU Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking safety design guidelines and engineering tools have been developed to prevent and mitigate hazardous consequences of hydrogen release in confined environments. Three main areas are considered: Hydrogen release conditions and accumulation, vented deflagrations, jet fires and including under-ventilated flame regimes (e.g., extinguishment or oscillating flames and steady burns). Potential RCS recommendations are also identified. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The “SUpport to SAfety aNAlysis of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies (SUSANA)” project aims to support stakeholders using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for safety engineering design and assessment of FCH systems and infrastructure through the development of a model evaluation protocol. The protocol covers all aspects of safety assessment modelling using CFD, from release, through dispersion to combustion (self-ignition, fires, deflagrations, detonations, and Deflagration to Detonation Transition - DDT) and not only aims to enable users to evaluate models but to inform them of the state of the art and best practices in numerical modelling. The paper gives an overview of the SUSANA project, including the main stages of the model evaluation protocol and some results from the on-going benchmarking activities.