TY - CONF A1 - Feldkamp, Martin T1 - Combustion Chamber Design for Encapsulated Wood-Component Testing N2 - eavy-weight packages for the safe transport of radioactive material are equippedwith impact limiters often built ofwood-filled steel sheet structures to fulfil the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations. The requirements definemechanical tests followed by a thermal test, including criteria ensuring the package design’s ability to withstand severe accidents and provide a high level of technical safety. Impact limiters are a package component mainly designed for the packages to withstand severe mechanical accident scenarios. In drop tests the impact limiters absorb the kinetic energy during impact of the package. The package must then - with its pre-damaged impact limiters - endure a thermal test defined precisely in the IAEA regulations as a 30-min fully engulfing 800 °C-fire. After the fire, a wood-filled impact limiter may continue to release thermal energy from an ongoing combustion process, defining relevant package temperatures. The energy flow from a possible burning impact limiter to the package is important for the safety evaluation of transport packages. To investigate the combustion behaviour of densely packed layers of spruce wood, encapsulated in pre-damaged cylindrical metal enclosures, a test set-up has been realised. The set-up consists of a combustion chamber to perform these tests under defined boundary conditions. The temperature development of the test specimens will be observed fromoutside with a thermographic imager, with HD-Cameras, and the mass loss will be measured during the entire test. Airflow conditions in the combustion chamber are analysed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations in OpenFOAM. The planned combustion test setup is described. T2 - Wood & Fire Safety 2024 CY - Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia DA - 12.05.2024 KW - IAEA KW - Combustion Chamber KW - Smouldering KW - Wood PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60227 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Geburtig, Anja T1 - Combined impact of UV radiation and nitric acid (HNO3) on HDPE jerrycans – comparison of outdoor and lab test N2 - A damaging action of HNO3-55% only occurs in combination with its decomposition into nitrous gases, which can be caused by UV radiation. In a laboratory test, transparent HDPE jerrycans have been exposed to both UV radiation and 55 wt-% nitric acid solution at (41 ± 2)°C, for up to 20 days. For comparison, UV radiant exposure (21 days) and nitric acid exposure (up to 6 weeks) were performed separately, at nearly equal temperatures. The respective damages are compared with FTIR spectroscopy in ATR and HT-gel permeation chromatography (GPC) on a molecular level and with hydraulic internal pressure testing as a component test. For the used jerrycans, relevant oxidation can only be found after the combined exposure. The gradual increase in oxidative damage shows the good reproducibility of the lab exposure. The decomposition of nitric acid into nitrous gases by UV radiation – as well as the jerrycan oxidation – is also observed at lower HNO3 concentration (28 wt- %). Similar results are obtained after outdoor tests. Again, the damage occurs only after combined exposure, in contrast to the exposures to UV only and to HNO3 only, which were conducted in parallel. Outdoor exposures are most readily accepted as they represent possible end-use conditions. However, the reproducibility of these exposures is poor due to the large temporal variations in weather. There are also several safety risks, which is why the number of replicates remains limited. Since the outdoor and lab exposure tests show the same qualitative results, it is appropriate to conduct systematic studies in the laboratory. After 6 days of lab exposure, the oxidation damage is rated as critical, which corresponds to about 1/10 year in Central Europe, according to the UV radiant exposure. It should be noted that this amount can also occur in two sunny weeks. T2 - 24th iapri World Packaging Conference CY - Valencia, Spain DA - 17.06.2024 KW - UV exposure KW - Nitric acid KW - Polyethylene KW - Oxidation PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60416 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gaddampally, Mohan Reddy T1 - Cohesive Zone Modelling Approach on Irradiated Claddings Subjected to Long-Term Dry Interim Storage N2 - Long-term dry interim storage may adversely affect the mechanical properties of spent fuel rods, possibly resulting in a reduced resilience during handling or transport after storage. Pre-storage drying and the early stage of interim storage can subject the cladding to higher temperatures and higher pressure induced tensile hoop stresses than those associated with in-reactor operation and pool storage. Under these conditions, radial hydrides may precipitate in zirconium-based alloys (Zircaloy) during slow cooling, which may result in embrittlement of the cladding material and eventually a sudden failure of cladding under additional mechanical loads. Especially long, continuous radial hydride structures and low temperature can cause severe embrittlement of claddings and finally failure by fracture even at small deformations. The focus of the presented research is on the development of appropriate numerical methods for predicting the mechanical behaviour and identification of limiting conditions to prevent brittle fracture of Zircaloy claddings. An iterative inverse analysis method is used for deriving the elastic-plastic material properties in the hoop direction of a ring-shaped sample. A modelling approach based on cohesive zones is explained which can reproduce the propagation of cracks initiated at radial hydrides in the zirconium matrix. The developed methods are applied to defueled samples of cladding alloy ZIRLO®, which were subjected to a thermo-mechanical treatment to reorient existing circumferential hydrides to radial hydrides. A selected sample showing sudden load drops during a quasi-static ring compression test is analysed by means of fracture mechanics for illustrative purposes. T2 - 7th GRS Workshop on the Safety of Extended Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel CY - Garching, Germany DA - 24.05.2023 KW - Ageing Management KW - Cladding Embrittlement KW - Extended Storage KW - Ring Compression Test KW - Spent Nuclear Fuel PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58553 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Weber, Mike T1 - Coefficients of Friction in Dependence on Aging State of Elastomers – Experimental Identification and Numerical Simulation of the Experiment N2 - Elastomer seals are mounted as barrier seals in lid systems of containers designed for transport and disposal of negligible heat generating radioactive waste and as auxiliary seals in spent fuel storage and transportation casks (dual purpose casks (DPC)). When the behavior of mounted seals under normal and hypothetical accident conditions of disposal and transport is to be simulated, a comprehensive knowledge of their complex mechanical properties at every state of aging is necessary. In previous works, BAM’s efforts in experimental investigations on specimen artificially aged at different temperatures and times and the implementation of the found results in finite element material models were presented. Additionally, our approaches to reproduce the aging process itself and to extrapolate the results of artificially accelerated aging to longer times were presented. Numerical simulations have shown that the behavior of the seal during mounting and one-sided pressurizing and the resulting performance values such as leakage rate strongly depend on the coefficient of friction (COF) between flange and seal. The friction coefficient, in turn, depends on the aging state of the elastomer material as several publications suggest (see below). Dynamic COF between an exemplary ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) material and a stainless steel ball were determined by using a self-designed linear oscillation tribometer. Unaged and artificially aged EPDM specimen stored for 30 days and 100 days at a temperature of 150 °C were tested. A stainless steel ball (d=10 mm) is brought in contact with the specimen’s surface und loaded by normal forces of 2.5 N, 5 N, 10 N and 20 N. During a reciprocating movement of the EPDM sheet, the horizontal force/friction force is continuously measured, and the COF can be derived. It is well known that friction is a complex phenomenon especially in soft materials. It cannot be excluded that the measured friction force is influenced by additional force components, resulting from the ball’s grooving through the elastomer’s surface. This force depends on the penetration depth of the ball and on the resistance of the elastomer in its different states of aging. The latter results from microstructural changes i.e., chain scission and additional crosslinking that occur during aging which in turn influence the softening or hardening of the material. A finite element (FE) ABAQUS® model was developed to reproduce the measurement process. It should help to better understand the physical mechanisms and to quantify the percentage of measured forces resulting from real friction on the one hand and forces resulting from unintended side effects that could falsify the result on the other hand. The behavior of the elastomer in its different states of aging is reproduced by a FE material model already presented in previous works of BAM. T2 - ASME 2022 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference (PVP2022) CY - Las Vegas, NV, USA DA - 17.07.2022 KW - Radioactive Waste KW - Elastomers KW - Aging KW - Experiment KW - Seal Behavior KW - Numerical Simulation KW - Leakage Rate KW - Coefficient of Friction PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-57095 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Fellinger, Tim-Patrick T1 - Chemie der Energiewende N2 - Es wurde ein Überblick über die BAM-Aktivitäten im Bereich Chemie der Energiewende gegeben. Dabei wurde ein Fokus auf Aktivitäten in Aktivitätsfeld EES und im Fachbereich 3.6 gelegt. T2 - 30 Jahre Naturwissenschaftliches Studium in Zittau CY - Zittau, Germany DA - 13.04.2024 KW - Chemie KW - Energiewende PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61941 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Winckelmann, Alexander T1 - Chemical characterization of aging processes in high energy-density lithium-ion batteries N2 - Introduction Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are one key technology to overcome the climate crisis and energy transition challenges. Demands of electric vehicles on higher capacity and power drives research on innovative cathode and anode materials. These high energy-density LIBs are operated at higher voltages, leading to increased electrolyte decay and the current collectors' degradation. Even though this fundamental corrosion process significantly affects battery performance, insufficient research is being done on the aluminum current collector. Fast and convenient analytical methods are needed for monitoring the aging processes in LIBs. Methods In this work glow-discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) was used for depth profile analysis of aged cathode material. The measurements were performed in pulsed radio frequency mode. Under soft and controlled plasma conditions, high-resolution local determination (in depth) of the elemental composition is possible. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with a focused ion beam (FIB) cutting and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to confirm GD-OES results and obtain additional information on elemental distribution. Results The aging of coin cells manufactured with different cathode materials (LCO, LMO, NMC111, NMC424, NMC532, NMC622, and NMC811) was studied. GD-OES depth profiling of new and aged cathode materials was performed. Quantitative analysis was possible through calibration with synthetic standards and correction by sputter rate. Different amounts of aluminum deposit on the cathode surface were found for different materials. The deposit has its origin in the corrosion of the aluminum current collector. The results are compatible with results from FIB-EDX. However, GD-OES is a faster and less laborious analytical method. Therefore, it will accelerate research on corrosion processes in high energy-density batteries. Innovative aspects - Quantitative depth profiling of cathode material -Monitoring of corrosion processes in high energy-density lithium-ion batteries - Systematic investigation of the influence of different cathode materials T2 - ANAKON 2023 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.04.2023 KW - Lithium Ion Batteries KW - GD-OES KW - Depth-profiling PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58586 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Prabhakaran, Anand T1 - Characterizing the Performance of Tank Car Pressure Relief Devices Under Derailment Fire Conditions – Flammable Fuel Tests N2 - Evaluate tank car PRV behavior under realistic fire conditions Subject 1/3 scale tank with full size PRV to engulfing pool fire Initial tests with water lading. Current tests with flammable lading (Ethanol). Document PRV performance with respect to opening pressure, reclosing, and evacuating the tank T2 - Joint Railways Conference CY - Online meeting DA - 20.04.2021 KW - PRV KW - Flammable lading KW - Vessel KW - Pool fire PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52799 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Dietzmann, Simon A1 - Mehmood, Asad A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Fellinger, Tim-Patrick A1 - Thomas, A. T1 - Characterization of Solid-State Complexes by XAS N2 - Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen doped carbons (M-N-C) are promising catalysts for the activation of small molecules such as O2 and CO2. These single atom catalysts (SAC) operate at the interface between homogenous and heterogenous catalysts. Currently, many examples of M-N-C are known with good oxygen reduction reaction activity but lacking a controlled synthesis of the specific active sites of the precatalyst. Recently, our group facilitated the synthesis of pure pyrrolic M-N4 sites using Zn ions as imprinters.[1] These amorphous materials obtained by active site imprinting method are characterized at the BAMline (Bessy II) by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). In-situ/operando measurements will be crucial in future work for a better understanding of the dynamic changes of the active site. T2 - InSynX Workshop 2023 CY - Sao Paulo, Brazil DA - 06.03.2023 KW - Solid-State Complexes PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58933 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Leonhardt, Robert T1 - Characterization of overdischarge-related degradation in commercial sodium-ion cells N2 - Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have recently gained significant attention as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage applications and battery-electric vehicles. With their ability to be fully discharged to 0 V, they allow much safer handling and transport. The reversibility of such a complete discharge is, however, debated as the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed by commonly used electrolytes in SIBs becomes unstable at low full-cell voltages. In the present study, the effects of overdischarging SIBs and the implications on their long-term impedance degradation are investigated for commercial SIB-cells, comprising sodium nickel manganese iron oxide (NaNi0.33Mn0.33Fe0.33O2) as cathode active material. During the study, extensive characterization measurements (e.g., electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, open-circuit voltage analysis, etc.) were performed at various stages of degradation. This allows the monitoring of the electrochemical characteristics of the tested SIBs. Notably, the long-term degradation behavior of the cells was significantly affected, indicating lasting changes in the passivating properties of the altered SEI. Finally, the results show that overdischarging can indeed cause irreversible changes in sodium-ion batteries, emphasizing the need to enhance their stability at low full-cell voltages to make the best possible use of their potential safety features. T2 - SBS6 – International Sodium Battery Symposium CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 03.09.2025 KW - Overdischarge of sodium ion batteries KW - Solid electrolyte interphase KW - Impedance spectroscopy KW - Battery degradation and aging PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65066 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Mieller, Björn T1 - Characterization of Beta-Alumina Solid Electrolyte by Coin Cell Testing N2 - All solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are the subject of widespread research, one reason being their predicted increased safety [1]. Variants of beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE), a promising solid electrolyte for sodium ion batteries, exhibit ion conductivities up to 5 mS/cm at room temperature, which motivates targeted research and testing [2]. Dedicated measurement cells for conductivity measurements and cycling of ASSBs are available, providing even pressure and temperature control. However, these are often costly and thus unsuitable for long-term studies with many cells. In contrast, coin cells are a practical and scalable approach for such ASSB studies, despite poor pressure control and other influencing factors that may affect the reproducibility of results [3]. This study investigates the extent to which reliable measurement data can be obtained from symmetrical Na/BASE/Na coin cells. Therefore, several testing procedures and different cell architectures are considered. The experiments are supported by an electrical equivalent circuit model. The modeling approach and both measured and numerically simulated data are presented. The coin cell results are compared to data acquired using a designated ASSB setup (CompreCell and CompreFrame by RHD). T2 - XIXth Conference of the EuropeanCeramic Society / SBS6 InternationalSodium Battery Symposium CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 01.09.2025 KW - Beta aluminate solid electrolyte KW - Coin cell PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64055 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Harwege, Finn T1 - Characterisation of vacuum insulation panel based cryogenic insulation N2 - Current medium to large scale hydrogen storage tanks utilize a double walled tank with vacuum and a low thermal conductivity powder as bulk fill between the two tank walls. This approach offers poor failure resistance and is not economic to build at a large scale. In NICOLHy an alternative cryogenic insulation concept using vacuum insulation panels (VIP) targeted for tanks with capacities from 40 000 m³ to 100 000 m³ is in research. VIPs consist of a gas tight envelope that surrounds a low conductivity core material. Within the envelope, a vacuum is created, which supresses convective heat transfer. Since the core material is typically very low thermal conductivity, while the envelope material has a relatively high thermal conductivity, thermal bridges where two adjoining panels meet cannot be avoided. Modeling of the thermal behaviour of VIPs exists for the building industry, but not for cryogenic temperatures or applications with multiple layers of VIPs, both of which present a new challenge. Here, these challenges and goals for the thermal modeling within the project are presented, alongside an overview over the project itself. T2 - Themenvorstellung beim BTU Arbeitsgebiet Technische Akustik CY - Cottbus, Germany DA - 23.09.2024 KW - Liquefied Hydrogen PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61122 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schmidt, Anita T1 - Certification and approvals of dangerous goods packaging in Germany N2 - Germany and China cooperate in a GIZ project - initiated and supported by the BMDV - in comparing their systems of dangerous goods packagings. T2 - Sino-German Workshop on Dangerous Goods Packaging CY - Online meeting DA - 24.11.2023 KW - Dangerous goods packagings KW - Transport KW - ADR PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-59276 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Neumann, Patrick P. T1 - Capabilities of using mobile platforms for monitoring hazard scenarios by the example of the RASEM project N2 - This presentation shows the capabilities of mobile platforms for monitoring hazard scenarios. As an example the RASEM project is presented. Furthermore two ideas for future work are shown, namely, Aerial-based Gas Tomography and Passive Smart Dust. T2 - Climate Change @ Fire Science Workshop CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 10.11.2022 KW - RASEM KW - Dust sensor KW - Low-cost KW - Sensor network KW - Passive Smart Dust KW - Gas Tomography PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56296 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Mair, Georg W. A1 - Bock, Robert T1 - Burst strength and its scatter as key points of safety N2 - Based on the preliminary presentations in this task force it is repeated how a basic population scatters and its degradation influences properties statistically. There is a remainder on the issue of accepting borderline populations due to the minimum burst ratio requirement. Then it is explained in detail how the analysis of minimum requirements by a Monte-Carlo-simulation works. The result with respect to the further reduced minimum burst ratio of 2.0 is summarised and means a two-step approach of two scatter levels requiring two different minimum burst ratios. The methods for evaluating batch tests are analysed. A proposal for integration a statistical analysis is described in detail. Finally, the positive effect of proof testing is shown and its dependence from the real ageing is shown. This ends in the recommendation to have a stronger and quantitative look on real ageing and to follow the 2 proposed sets of criteria for a safe usage of hydrogen storage systems. T2 - 10th IWG on rev GTR 13 CY - Online meeting DA - 28.06.2021 KW - Basic population KW - Minimum burst ratio KW - Monte-Carlo-simulation KW - Borderline population KW - Batch test KW - Proof test KW - Ageing PY - 2021 UR - https://wiki.unece.org/download/attachments/128419731/GTR13-10-08%20BAM%20GTR%2013-2%20scatter%20criteria%20for%20min%20burst%202021-06-25.pdf?api=v2 AN - OPUS4-53149 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bock, Robert T1 - Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung - Reallabor Wasserstofftankstelle N2 - Die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) ist eine wissenschaftlich-technische Bundesoberbehörde mit Sitz in Berlin, die zum Geschäftsbereich des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz gehört. Unsere Hauptaufgabe besteht darin, durch Forschung, Prüfung und Beratung zum Schutz von Mensch, Umwelt und Sachgütern beizutragen. Dies umfasst die Bewertung der Sicherheit von Materialien, Stoffen und Produkten sowie die Entwicklung von Methoden und Standards in Bereichen wie Materialwissenschaft, Werkstofftechnik und Chemie. Wir forschen und prüfen an drei Standorten in Berlin, sowie auf unserem Testgelände Technische Sicherheit in Horstwalde in Brandenburg. Hier haben wir weitreichende Möglichkeiten, Versuche im Realmaßstab durchzuführen. Besonderes Augenmerk möchten wir heute auf das Reallabor Wasserstofftankstelle richten. Diese voll digitalisierte technische Anlage, die die Wertschöpfungskette von Wasserstoff abbildet, wurde gerade eröffnet und steht nun Partnern aus Industrie und Forschung sowie kleinen mittelständischen Unternehmen oder Start-Ups zum gemeinsamen Forschen und Erproben neuer Technologie zur Verfügung. Ihre Besonderheiten umfassen z.B. eine umfassende Prozessüberwachung nach Industrie 4.0, die dafür nötige IT/OT Infrastruktur, Digitale Zwillinge auf verschiedenen Ebenen, großflächige Aufstellung und baulicher Schutz, Gas-Probenahmestellen auf dem Weg durch die Anlage und H2-Sensornetzwerke zur frühzeitigen Erfassung und Ortung von Leckagen. T2 - Wasserstoffforum Lausitz CY - Senftenberg, Germany DA - 03.11.2025 KW - Wasserstoff KW - Reallabor KW - TTS PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64697 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Natasya, Rizka T1 - Building Confidence in Hydrogen Technology with BAM: Expertise, Testing & International Collaboration in Hydrogen Safety N2 - This presentation introduced BAM’s mission-driven approach to advancing hydrogen safety within the broader context of energy transition. As a federal institute under the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, BAM contributes to public safety through research, testing & advisory functions. The talk highlighted BAM’s key competencies in hydrogen safety, including (but not limited to) safety testing of composite pressure vessels, LH2, probabilistic lifetime assessment based on destructive and (future) non-destructive testing, operational safety monitoring technologies, Digital Calibration Certificates (DCC) for traceability and quality assurance, unique infrastructure and large-scale high-pressure test facilities. It also emphasised BAM’s governmental role as a competent authority in the transport of dangerous goods, its contributions to international regulatory bodies (e.g. UN ECOSOC Subcommittee of Experts) and its ongoing efforts to shape technical standards. A dedicated section was presented on the project of H2Safe_Collaboration, a strategic umbrella initiative led by BAM to strengthen bilateral cooperation in hydrogen safety research between Germany and South Korea. The initiative unites multiple partners (KGS, KICT, H2KOREA, and Hoseo University) and supports joint projects under the network. T2 - EU-Korea Research & Innovation Day CY - Seoul, Südkorea DA - 06.03.2025 KW - Hydrogen safety KW - International collaboration KW - South Korea PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63816 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zencker, Uwe T1 - Brittle Failure Limits of Spent Fuel Claddings Subjected to Long-Term Dry Interim Storage Conditions N2 - The mechanical properties of spent fuel claddings can be adversely affected under the conditions of long-term dry interim storage, so that the failure limits may be reached in case of mechanical loads during handling or transport after storage. Pre-storage drying and the early stage of interim storage can expose the cladding to higher temperatures and higher tensile hoop stresses than those associated with in-reactor operation and pool storage. During slow cooling of a cladding tube under internal pressure, radial hydrides may precipitate in zirconium-based cladding alloys. This can lead to embrittlement of the material and sudden failure of the cladding integrity under mechanical stress. In order to prevent brittle failure, numerical methods are being developed to predict the mechanical behaviour and identify limiting conditions. Experimental investigations, numerical analyses and evaluation methods are discussed. An established experimental method for characterising cladding materials is the Ring Compression Test (RCT). Some test results on irradiated cladding tubes after operation in pressure water reactors are publicly available. However, it is helpful to carry out studies on unirradiated surrogate claddings with similar material properties to reduce the effort associated with irradiated samples in hot cells and to perform material tests with a wider range of parameters. On the basis of such experimental data, load-displacement curves have been numerically analysed for a selection of cladding materials. Radial hydrides can cause a sample to break suddenly due to fracture even at low deformation. Noticeable load drops in the RCT are caused by unstable crack propagation through the radial hydride network. The failure mechanism is quasi-cleavage in the hydrides and micro-void nucleation, growth, and coalescence in the zirconium matrix, with ductile tearing patches connecting adjacent hydrides. The cohesive zone approach was used to simulate the failure process taking into account the radial hydride morphology. The developed method can adequately describe both the deformation and failure behaviour of irradiated as well as unirradiated claddings of zirconium-based alloys with radial hydrides under RCT conditions. Limiting conditions can be expressed in terms of fracture energy and cohesive strength. T2 - IAEA International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Plants - Meeting the Moment CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 10.06.2024 KW - Ageing Management KW - Cladding Embrittlement KW - Extended Storage KW - Ring Compression Test KW - Spent Nuclear Fuel PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60324 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Simbruner, Kai T1 - Brittle failure analysis of spent fuel zirconium alloy claddings during long-term dry interim storage - Current approach at BAM N2 - Understanding the mechanical behaviour of fuel cladding is decisive for an extended dry interim storage period beyond the currently licensed period of 40 years in Germany and subsequent handling, transport, and disposal considering normal and accidental conditions. Since fuel cladding acts as the first barrier for spent fuel, its integrity should be demonstrated to enable safe and secure discharge and handling options after interim storage and subsequent transportation in preparation of final disposal. An established method for characterizing cladding material is the Ring Compression Test (RCT), where a small, cylindrical sample of the cladding tube is subjected to a compressive load. This test is a laboratory representation of a fuel rod load case and has shown a high susceptibility to failure under the occurrence of radial hydrides. Certain hydride morphologies and low temperature might even lead to brittle fracture at very small loads. The BAM research project BRUZL (Fracture mechanical analysis of spent fuel claddings during long-term dry interim storage) aims to study the results of quasi-static RCTs and to establish numerical models to gain an in-depth understanding of the stress state during the experiments. Using a fracture mechanical approach, cases of sudden failure during the RCT procedure are used to characterize the material behaviour and establish a failure criterion. As an integral part of the project BRUZL, quasi-static Ring Compression Tests have been performed to identify all experimental details, which might be helpful for numerical modelling. Unirradiated samples of the cladding material ZIRLO® have been subjected to hydrogen charging and a thermo-mechanical treatment for radial hydride reorientation. Sample preparation, testing procedures, and analysis results are presented. A numerical model has been established and an elastic-plastic material model was derived from as-received RCT samples by inverse finite element analyses. Cohesive zone modelling has been implemented to reproduce sudden load drops during RCT. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) under contract no. 1501561. T2 - Kolloquium der Abteilung 3 CY - Online meeting DA - 05.11.2020 KW - Ageing Management KW - Cladding Embrittlement KW - Extended Storage KW - Ring Compression Test KW - Spent Nuclear Fuel PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51987 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Simbruner, Kai T1 - Brittle Failure Analysis of High-Burnup PWR Fuel Cladding Alloys N2 - The general aim of this research is the development of methods for predicting mechanical behavior and identification of limiting conditions to prevent brittle failure of high-burnup (HBU) pressure water reactor (PWR) fuel cladding alloys. A finite element (FE) model of the ring compression test (RCT) was created to analyze the failure behavior of zirconium-based alloys with radial hydrides during the RCT. An elastic-plastic material model describes the zirconium alloy. The stress-strain curve needed for the elastic-plastic material model was derived by inverse finite element analyses. Cohesive zone modeling is used to reproduce sudden load drops during RCT loading. Based on the failure mechanism in non-irradiated ZIRLO® claddings, a micro-mechanical model was developed that distinguishes between brittle failure along hydrides and ductile failure of the zirconium matrix. Two different cohesive laws representing these types of failure are present in the same cohesive interface. The key differences between these constitutive laws are the cohesive strength, the stress at which damage initiates, and the cohesive energy, which is the damage energy dissipated by the cohesive zone. Statistically generated matrix-hydride distributions were mapped onto the cohesive elements and simulations with focus on the first load drop were performed. Computational results are in good agreement with the RCT results conducted on high-burnup M5® samples. It could be shown that crack initiation and propagation strongly depend on the specific configuration of hydrides and matrix material in the fracture area. T2 - 26th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology - SMiRT 26 CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 10.07.2022 KW - Cladding Embrittlement KW - Ring Compression Test KW - Cohesive Zone Modelling KW - Spent Nuclear Fuel PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55435 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Werner, Jan T1 - Brandschutzbeschichtungen an Tanks - Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung der Feuerwiderstandsfähigkeit von Druckbehältern mit einem Brandschutzsystem unter Standardbrandbedingungen - ISO 21843 N2 - Brandschutzbeschichtungen an Tanks können zuverlässig BLEVEs verhindern. Die ISO 21843 gibt hierzu neue Standards für Prüfverfahren vor und charakterisiert die Qualität von Unfallfeuern detaillierter als bisher. Die BAM hat auf ihren Prüfanlagen im TTS die Umsetzbarkeit dieser Anforderungen nachgewiesen. T2 - 29. Gefahrgutkongress Mecklenburg-Vorpommern CY - Rostock, Germany DA - 18.11.2025 KW - ISO 21843 KW - BLEVE KW - Brandschutz KW - Unfallfeuer KW - Wärmeübertragung PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64806 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -