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Im Rahmen der von der BAM und anderen Partnern ins Leben gerufenen Initiative „Digitale Qualitätsinfrastruktur“ liegt der Fokus u.a. auf der Entwicklung von neuen Zertifizierungsworkflows. Dabei ist eine besondere Bedeutung dem Zusammenführen von Operational Technology (OT) und Informationstechnik (IT) beizumessen. Zur Datenintegration aus der Sensor-Feldebene einer Versuchs-wasserstofftankstelle wurde eine solche Infrastruktur zunächst in einer Laborumgebung aufgebaut.
Die Umweltwirkungen auf ein Material werden als Überlapp der Funktionskurven von Materialempfindlichkeit und einwirkenden Umweltparametern betrachtet. Wenn entweder die Empfindlichkeit oder die Beanspruchungen Null sind, ergibt sich auch keine Umweltwirkung und bei beidseitig Werten größer Null das jeweilige Produkt der beiden. Die Akkumulation der nicht-reversiblen Effekte über die Zeit und allen Eigenschaftsänderungen entspricht der Alterung des Materials für den jeweiligen Expositionszeitraum.
Die digitale Umweltsimulation gliedert sich hier in drei Teilaspekte. Ein erster, rein materialwissenschaftlicher Teil hat die Aufgabe, alle relevanten Materialempfindlichkeiten experimentell zu quantifizieren. Ein zweiter – unter Umständen numerischer Teil – hat die Aufgabe, das Bauteil und seine Einbaulage zu digitalisieren und aus den makroskopischen Umgebungsbedingungen die relevanten mikroklimatischen Umweltparameter für alle Oberflächen- oder Volumenelemente zu bestimmen. In einem dritten Teil werden die Einwirkungen über den betrachteten Zeitraum berechnet und kumuliert. Dieses Konzept, das auf den so genannten Expositions-Reaktions-Funktionen (ERF) basiert, wird an Beispielen der Photoxidation erläutert. Dieses Vorgehen wurde schon beim ViPQuali-Projekt als Numerische Umweltsimulation umgesetzt.
Überprüft werden muss das Modell unbedingt an einer realitätsnahen Validierungsbeanspruchung. Hier werden die ermittelten ERFs mit über den kompletten Beanspruchungszeitraum geloggten Umweltparametern gekoppelt, um die berechnete mit der experimentell erfahrenen Alterungswirkung zu vergleichen. Nur so kann sichergestellt sein, dass alle für die Anwendungsumgebung relevanten Materialempfindlichkeiten einbezogen wurden.
The ongoing geo-political conflicts and the increasing need for the implementation of measures to improve the energetic system sustainability are increasing the importance of tanks for storing cryogenic fluids in the energy industry. The most common example of cryogenic tank applications is the transport of natural gas and hydrogen in their liquid form (LNG and LH2 respectively) for which, considering the same transport volume cryogenic storage ensures significantly higher transport capacities with respect storage based solely on overpressure.
A common feature of all cryogenic transported fluids is that their condition must be maintained minimizing heat leaks from the environment as much as possible. This is achieved by the implementation of thermal super Insulations (TSI) systems based on e. g. rock wool, perlites, microspheres, multilayer insulations (MLI), and vacuum which have proven to be effective in applications. However, due to the relatively short period of use in some applications, the small number of documented incidents, and the still few investigations carried out in the field, the exploitation of such systems in the cryogenic fluids transport sector still suffers from insufficient knowledge about the course and consequences of incidents. Accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are quite common in the transportation sector and may generate extraordinary loads on the tank and its insulation system, eventually leading to tank failure.
The present study focuses on the behavior of TSI systems in tanks when it is exposed to an external heat source representative of a hydrocarbon fire scenario. This may cause an increase of the heat flux into a tank by several orders of magnitude with respect to normal design conditions, thus inducing severe and in the TSI, causing the rapid release of flammable gas and even resulting in a Boiling Liquide Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE).
To study such scenarios a test rig was developed at BAM that allows testing of TSI at industrial conditions and enables subsequent analysis of TSI samples. This test rig considers the typical double-walled design of tanks for cryogenic fluids with vacuum and an additional insulating material in the interspace. Adjustable electrical heating elements simulate the fire on one side of the double wall. This process allows the implementation of repeatable heat loads of up to 100 kW/m². The other side of the double wall is represented by a fluid-supported heat exchanger, which allows the simulation of cold or cryogenic conditions in the test rig, and to determine the heat flux transmitted through the double wall. Thus, the test rig allows thermal loading and performance analysis of TSI samples at the same time.
In the presentation, the results of diverse tested TSI systems will be presented and discussed. As a result of this study, the list of advantages and disadvantages for the choice of tested TSI expands. Within the test, all samples degraded as a consequence of a hydrocarbon fire-orientated thermal load. Strong differences in the behavior of the tested TSI systems over temperature, location, and time were observed. Additionally, the tested MLI insulations were significantly more resistant to their base materials. These results are relevant for the design, the definition of national and international regulations, the Risk assessment, and the development of safety concepts for cryogenic tanks.
Der Wasserstofftransport auf der Straße ist wichtig und wird wie der noch geringe Transport auf der Schiene weiter stark zunehmen. Die bisherige Effizienzsteigerungen sind über Werkstoff- und Designänderungen vom Vollstahl über umfangsumwickelte Stahl- bis zu Compositespeichern mit Kunststofflinern erfolgt.
Hinzu kam die auf Basis der BAM-GGR 022 an Vorbedingungen geknüpfte Prüffristverlängerung von 5 auf 10 Jahre. Die wiederkehrende Prüfung von großen Transporteinheiten bedeutet jedes Mal einen Stillstand von gut 8 Wochen. Entsprechend steht mit Blick auf die weitere Effizienzsteigerung die Reduktion des Prüfaufwands im Fokus.
Eine Effizienzsteigerung kann nach aktueller Rechtslage geschehen, indem die hydraulische Prüfung auf eine Gasdruckprüfung umgestellt wird. Dies könnte zukünftig mit geeigneten Arbeitsschutzmaßnahmen pneumatisch durchgeführt werden – auch ohne Rechtsänderung.
Ein deutlich größerer Schritt in Richtung Verbesserung des Aufwands- zu Nutzenverhältnis ließe sich erreichen, indem die zerstörungsfreie Prüfung nicht mehr nur als Arbeitsschutz-motiviertes, begleitendes, sondern als zentrales Prüfverfahren ausgebaut wird. Gerade wenn – wie für die Schallemissionsanalyse erwartet – eine relativ gute Abschätzung des Berstdruckes möglich ist, könnte auf die 100%-Prüfung verzichtet werden und bis zu einem kritischen Alter nur auf Stichprobenprüfung basieren, was allerdings erhebliche Rechtsänderung erfordert und auch neue Werkezuge der Informationsverwaltung.
Als Vorlage für einen praktischen Ansatz zur Rechtsänderungen inkl. Informationsverwaltung wird auf die SV 674 in Verbindung mit 6.2.3.5.3ff ADR/RID verwiesen. Dies kombiniert mit einer digitalen Lebenslaufakte, die auf der digitalen Qualitätssicherung (QI-digital) beruht, wäre ein mächtiges Werkzeug für eine Verbesserung des Aufwands- zu Nutzenverhältnis und so auch eine Lösung des mit der stark steigenden Anzahl der Transporteinheiten absehbaren Kapazitätsproblems in der wiederkehrenden Prüfung.
Germany had been transporting spent fuel to the reprocessing plant in Sellafield and La Hague for decades until around 2005. Resulting from the obligation to take back the vitrified high-level waste from reprocessing six CASTOR® HAW28M filled with 168 canisters with radioactive waste in vitrified form were transported from Sellafield to the interim storage facility Biblis in 2020. Rail wagons were used for the transport to the port in Barrow-in-Furness, where they were loaded into a dedicated seagoing vessel, certified as INF Class 3 according to the INF Code. This was the first time that vitrified high level waste with considerable heat load was transported under a German design approval certificate.
BAM was involved in the authority assessment of the conditions for the sea transport. For the first transport BAM required among others, assessment of temperature distribution during transport, logging of temperatures of cargo bays and graphical imaging of temperatures of the bay with the cask in order to ensure compliance with temperature specifications, e.g. maximal neutron absorber and gasket temperatures. Special interest was taken in the identification of possible events exceeding the specified temperatures considering the different philosophies of IMDG code and its supplement INF code regarding temperature control of hatches. Results show compliance with assumed conditions.
Packages for the transport of radioactive material are designed to en-dure severe accidents. Packages for the transportation of radioactive material must demonstrate that the package can withstand certain prescribed tests from the IAEA Regulations [1]. In addition to mechanical tests, a thermal test in form of a fire test must be carried out. As packages to be tested at BAM are signifi-cantly larger than previous package designs, BAM has expanded an existing fire test stand. A modular concept is chosen, which means that the arrangement of the burner nozzles can be adapted to the test specimen. The dimensions of the burner rings, the type, the orientation and the number of burner nozzles can be varied depending on the test specimen. In addition, various pumps can be used to set the corresponding mass flow. With the help of a calorimeter test, the fire test stand can be qualified for a specific size of packages regarding the boundary conditions of the IAEA Regulations [1]. Due to the typically wood filled impact limiters in German package designs, a fire test is necessary, as experiments have shown that possible openings that occurred during a mechanical test contributed to the igni-tion of the wood filled impact limiters within the prescribed 30 minutes of the IAEA Regulations [1]. From a series of experiments, two experiments are pre-sented to show the possibilities to obtain different temperatures and temperature rates in the test specimen. In addition to sensor data, the heat flux into the package is calculated to verify that the IAEA boundary conditions are satisfied. In addition to the temperature data, other data such as wind speed and wind direction are also recorded to explain subsequent effects in the measurement data in a comprehen-sible manner.
Evaluation of Heat Fluxes in Fire Reference Test Conducted in BAM Propane Gas Fire Test Facility
(2024)
Packages for the transport of intermediate- and high-level radioactive waste are designed to withstand severe accidents. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has established specific mechanical and thermal tests. Packages for the transport of radioactive material must withstand these tests to comply with the Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials IAEA [IAEA (2018)]. A fire reference package was developed with the primary objective to demonstrate that the fire meets the regulatory requirements. Another aim is to characterise the boundary conditions of the actual fire as input parameters for thermo-mechanical simulations. A simple method to characterise the boundary conditions of a real steady state fire with a fire reference package is presented. The thermal test mainly consists of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire, such as a propane gas fire. The fire reference tests are performed prior to the actual fire test with the real package. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the surface temperature of the package. To investigate local and overall heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for repeated use. The fire reference package presented in this paper represents the outer geometry of a small transport container for radioactive material and is used as a device in civil engineering. It is designed as a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 182 mm and a diameter of 102 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material. Open-air fire tests were performed in a BAM propane gas fire test facility with the fire reference package. The measured temperatures are used to determine the changes of heat fluxes into the fire reference package in relation to the package surface temperature. The calculated heat fluxes allow its fitting to express the thermal exposure as simple mathematical boundary condition. Therefore, in a first approach, fire properties such as adiabatic surface temperature (AST) as proposed by Wickström et al. (2007), convection coefficient and emissivity are determined mathematically fitting the heat flux development presented in this paper. The evaluated results provide an initial picture of local fire characteristics of the conducted propane gas fire and are a further development of previous works from Feldkamp et al. (2020). The results can be used in thermal and thermo-mechanical models to simulate the load on the real transport package in fire. The test shows that the examined propane gas fire covers the IAEA-fire over a wide range of surface temperatures with the chosen test stand parameters.
Dem AVK-Arbeitskreis Wasserstoff-Drucktanks werden ausgehend von Zielen und Aufgaben der BAM sowie der Fachkompetenz auf dem Gebiet der Sicherheit von Composite-Druckbehältern über die prüftechnische Ausstattung, die angewendeten und weiterentwickelten Prüf- und Untersuchungsmethoden sowie zu Beispielen von Forschungsvorhaben wie DELFIN, COLIBRI und SH2APED berichtet.
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.
While hydrogen is one of the most promising energy carriers, the safety of hydrogen storage technology remains one of the most important factors for technological and societal approval. While the engineering safety factors of the pressure vessels are kept high, the periodic inspection and the limited lifetime are making the application very costly considering manpower, time, money, and material waste. The development of an integrated structural health monitoring system can allow an easy transition from the current situation to cost-effective predictive maintenance. Hence, we propose to integrate three different SHM systems into hydrogen pressure vessels, namely guided wave ultrasonics, acoustic emission, and fibre optic sensing, to continuously monitor the condition and integrity.
In this work, we evaluated the condition of a Type IV composite overwrapped pressure vessel using ultrasonic guided wave propagation. We mounted fifteen piezo-electric wafers on the composite cylinder by shaping three rings containing five sensors each. We acquired data from the sensor network following different boundary conditions with artificial damages on the selected locations. The data were evaluated with guided wave tomography techniques using ultrasonic features (amplitude, frequency, etc.) as well as artificial intelligence (AI). The results suggest that both traditional guided wave fusion techniques and AI-based characterization methods can detect artificial damages. In future work, it is planned to integrate acoustic emission and fibre optic sensing. Moreover, the measurement and the test results will be implemented into a digital twin to derive trends and make predictions on the damage propagation as well as the remaining useful lifetime.
This work has received funding from German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Actions within the QI-Digital initiative (www.qi-digital.de).
The importance of tanks for storing cryogenic fluids in the energy industry is increasing because of ongoing political conflicts and the implementation of more environmentally friendly energy sources. Key representatives for the application of cryogenic tanks are natural gas in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and hydrogen, e. g. in the form of Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2), for which significantly higher transport capacities can be achieved with the same transport volume using cryogenic storages than with storages based solely on overpressure.
What applies to all cryogenic transported fluids in common is their condition that must be maintained. Hence heat flows into the preserved fluid must be minimized. Thermal super Insulations (TSI) based on e. g. multilayer insulations (MLI), perlites, and vacuum are utilized for this purpose and have already proven themselves in similar applications. However, for the use of tanks for cryogenic fluids in the transport sector, there is insufficient knowledge regarding the course and consequences of incidents, which is due to the still short period of use and the few documented incidents, hence few investigations carried out in this field. Typical scenarios in the transport sector represent car accidents with collisions, fires, and their combination, which are associated with extraordinary loads on the tank.
The focus of this study is to investigate the behavior of TSI as a result of their thermal exposure to a heat source representing a fire. It is worth mentioning that this could lead to an increase of the heat flux into a tank by several orders of magnitude, and to permanent damage of the TSI, ultimately rapid release of flammable gas as well as a Boiling Liquide Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). For this purpose, a high temperature thermal vacuum chamber (HTTVC) has been developed that allows thermal loading of MLI or perlites in a vacuum and simultaneous measurement of heat flow through this TSI. The HTTVC is designed to represent realistic insulation conditions and to withstand thermal loads from typical design fires.
The HTTVC was applied to investigate TSI based on MLI and vacuum. It is shown that the thermal stress caused permanent damage to the TSI, with shrinkage, phase change, pyrolysis, and condensation being significant damage mechanisms. The results are relevant for the evaluation of accident scenarios and can thus contribute to the improvement of TSI and the development of emergency measures for the protection of persons and infrastructures.
The consideration of ageing mechanisms is with integration into the IAEA-requirements now obligatory for the design of transport packages. For packages intended to be used for shipment after storage the consideration of the effects of ageing mechanisms during storage in safety analyses and the implementation of corresponding instructions for operation and maintenance are required. Therefore, these packages have been maintained during storage in a manner that all requirements specified in the IAEA-requirements and in the applicable certificates of approval have been fulfilled.
BAM is the competent authority in Germany for evaluating the thermal and mechanical design of packages for the transport of radioactive materials. In this context, BAM also evaluates the aging mechanisms and aging effects occurring during the long-term storage period of such transport packages. BAM has developed a guideline for the implementation of ageing assessment and of the measures for ageing management into the approval procedure based on IAEA-requirements.
The goal of the presented paper is to introduce this guideline and the general approach for ageing management requirements and to describe the application to a specific package design. The type and amount of the ageing management not only depend on the use of the packaging, but also on the accessibility of the components that are considered in the ageing assessment. The different operating phases of a packaging are considered for the ageing assessment, such as loading, interim storage or transport.
The implementation of measures for ageing management is divided into three levels – systemic measures, package design related measures and documentation. The systemic measures are attributed to the general management system and define the whole activities for organization of ageing management like structure, responsibilities, documentation, reports and evaluation. The package design related measures are defined in an ageing management plan (AMP). Therefore, an ageing surveillance program (ASP) and, if necessary, a gap analysis program has to be developed. The ageing management documentation (AMD) ensures the continuous documentation of the compliance of a specific package to the approved package design, comprising mainly records resulting from operation and surveillance.
Mit der Initiative QI-Digital werden völlig neue Perspektiven für das Sicherheitsmanagement und die Qualitätssicherung technischer Anlagen erschaffen. Unsere Forschung im Kontext einer Wasserstofftankstelle zeigt, wie digitale Innovationen und Verfahren die Herausforderungen effizienter und verlässlicher Qualitätssicherung für komplexe Anlagen bewältigen können.
In diesem Vortrag werden Potentiale und Beispiele der digitalen QI für technische Anlagen demonstriert und diskutiert: Moderne Anlagenüberwachung mit digitalen Zwillingen und KI sowie Kalibriermanagement mithilfe digitaler Kalibrierscheine und elektronischem Siegel.
Dr. Mair erläutert, welcher Anwuchs an H2-Bedarf zu erwarten ist, wo er weltweit erzeugt werden könnte und in welcher Form auf grünem Wasserstoff basierende Energieträger transportiert werden können. Es wird deutlich, dass das Transportaufkommen von H2 erheblich anwachsen wird und dass sich alle Seiten, die Regelsetzer und die Industrie darauf vorbereiten müssen.
Danach wird mit Blick auf die Normungsroadmap H2 des DIN der probabilistische Ansatz mit seinem Potenzial, Normen und Vorschriften in ihrer Wirkung zu simulieren und zu bewerten kurz vorgestellt.
Der dritte Block des Vortrages beginnt mit der Definition von Sicherheit, zeigt kurz das mikromechanische Prinzip der Alterung von Composite und greift dann ein Thema auf, dass Dr. Mair bereits 2018 und 2019 in dieser Runde dargelegt hat: Der Aufwand für die klassische Wiederkehrende Prüfung ist enorm und bringt nur wenig Erkenntnis. Es werden graphisch das 5-Jahres 100%-Prooftesting, der Ansatz nach GGR 022 mit seiner zerstörend geprüften Stichprobe und der mögliche Ansatz für eine ergebnisgesteuerte Stichprobenprüfung auf ZfP-Basis miteinander verglichen. Die Unterschiede im Aufwand-zu-Nutzen-Verhältnis sind enorm. Dabei ist der aufwändigste Ansatz zudem der mit der geringsten Erkenntnistiefe.
Jeder Ansatz, der von einer 100%-Prüfung in einem maximalen Zeitrahmen von 10 Jahren abweicht, also z.B. der Verzicht auf eine 100%-Prüfung während des Betriebes, würde eine Änderung des Regelwerkes erfordern, die zeitnah angestoßen werden müsste. Da es sich hierbei primär um eine Ressourcenoptimierung und nicht um eine Verbesserung der Sicherheit handelt, liegt der Ball bei den Verbänden. Als eine Idee für das Herangehen mit einer Begrenzung auf Druckgefäße, die nach der EN 17339 zulassungsfähig sind (fest montiert, H2 und nur CFK), verweist Dr. Mair auf die SV 674 in Verbindung mit 6.2.3.5.3/.4 ADR/RID. Bei dem absehbaren Anwachsen des Bestandes an H2-Batteriefahrzeugen, ist hier nicht nur ein Optimierungsaspekt, sondern auch ein Kapazitätsproblem in der wiederkehrenden Prüfung zu lösen. Es würde aber auch ein Mehrwert für die Sicherheit entstehen.
The Gases Advisory Group is organized regularly by the Prevention Division of the German Employer's Liability Insurance Association for Raw Materials and the Chemical Industry. The event serves as an exchange between science and industry on current safety-related issues concerning oxygen and hydrogen. In this context, BAM presented an overview of its various activities of the competence center H2Safety@BAM, which are reflected in the entire hydrogen value chain. In addition, the plans for the expansion of the test infrastructure at BAM's Technical Safety Test Site were presented. The results of the DELFIN project on the safety of pressurized gas storage tanks, the release tests of liquid hydrogen as well as the underfiring of corresponding cryogenic storage tanks and the plans for the ModuH2Pipe@BAM project were also presented. The presentation concluded with the current recommendations of the Hydrogen Research Network.
The prevention of brittle fracture of spent fuel claddings during long-term dry interim storage is based on experimental investigations, numerical analyses and assessment methods for predicting the mechanical behavior and determining limiting conditions. The ring compression test (RCT) is an established experimental method for characterizing cladding material. Test results for various high-burnup pressure water reactor zirconium-based fuel cladding alloys (e.g., ZIRLO®, M5®) are publicly available. To reduce the effort associated with irradiated samples in hot cells, it is helpful to perform studies on unirradiated surrogate cladding material. Based on such experimental data, load-displacement curves were numerically analyzed for selected cladding materials. In the presence of radial hydrides, a sample may suddenly fail by fracture even at small deformations. Noticeable load drops in the RCT occur associated to 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 neighboring hydrides. The failure process was simulated by cohesive zones controlled by the fracture energy and the cohesive strength. A modeling approach is presented in which the radial hydride morphology is taken into account. Based on the developed fracture mechanics approach with cohesive zone modeling, not only the deformation behavior but also the failure behavior of irradiated as well as unirradiated claddings with radial hydrides under RCT loading conditions can be adequately described.
In this lecture, the safety assessment of hydrogen gas storage systems is presented using the example of composite pressure vessels. The main element is a probabilistic approval approach based on five steps. Firstly, the testing and evaluation of properties at the beginning of life are shown. Secondly, methods for artificial aging and the effect on the residual strength are presented. Thirdly, testing against dedicated accidents is introduced. Fourthly, effects on the surveillance of production quality are discussed. Finally, degradation and the end of life are estimated. Background information and examples are given for each step. The assessment presented is a method applicable for many safety-related systems.
Im Vortrag wird zunächst erläutert, dass auch im Fall der Wasserstoffversorgung die Schadensanalyse, -vermeidung und die wiederkehrende Prüfung von Speichern in engem Zusammenhang stehen.
Der Wasserstofftransport in Deutschland hat bereits deutlich zugenommen und wird in den nächsten Jahren weiter erheblich zunehmen. Dies führt zu einem stärkeren Fokus auf die wirtschaftlichen Aspekte im Transport und der wiederkehrenden Prüfung. Letztere droht, ohne neue technische Ansätze zum Flaschenhals in der Verfügbarkeit vorhandener Transportkapazitäten zu werden.
Das gegenwärtige System der Wasserdruckprüfung bis zum sog. Prüfdruck mit Innen- und Außenbesichtigung etc., die im Normalfall alle 5 Jahre durchzuführen ist, führt zu jeweils etwa 8 Wochen Stillstand. Das Aufwendige dabei sind die Trocknungs- und Spülprozesse, die notwendig sind, um wieder entsprechend reinen Wasserstoff abfüllen zu können. Auf Basis der BAM GGR‘n 021 und 022 lässt sich beim Nachweis entsprechender, probabilistischer Restzuverlässigkeiten diese Frist in Deutschland auf 10 Jahre ausdehnen. Diesen Weg sind in den letzten Jahren viele Betreiber gegangen.
Mit Blick auf die derzeit fast exponentielle Zunahme von Transporteinheiten kann auch diese Verlängerung der Prüffristen das Problem nicht lösen. Auch das Umschwenken von hydraulischer, auf die heute bereits genehmigungsfähige Gasdruckprüfung bis zum Prüfdruck bringt zwar eine Verkürzung der Stillstandzeiten, erfordert aber erhebliches Investment in Schutzmaßnahmen.
Als hinreichend zielführendes Konzept für Transporteinheiten mit vielen Elementen wird im Vortrag eine Mischung aus probabilistischem Ansatz und zerstörungsfreien Prüfungen erläutert und bzgl. Aufwand und Nutzen im Vergleich zu den üblichen Verfahren visualisiert. Voraussetzung für diesen vorgestellten Ansatz sind die Weiterentwicklung und Qualifizierung der Schallemissionsanalyse als Ersatz für die derzeitig zerstörenden Prüfungen und auch eine durchgängig digitale Lebenslaufakte, die eine lückenlose Zuordnung von Baumusterprüfung, Herstellungslos, Betreiber und Betriebsdaten erlaubt.
Für Transporteinheiten mit wenigen, sehr großen Elementen wird dagegen das sog. Online-Monitoring mit fest installierter und permanent messender Technik gesehen.
Für die Anwendung beider Lösungsansätze sind umfangreiche Änderungen im Recht erforderlich.
BAM is part of the “Quality Infrastructure Digital” (QI Digital) initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). This initiative aims at coordinating a large cooperation project, “QI Digital” for making German and European quality management systems fit for the digital transformation. It is a fact that the digitization of new products and services is occurring much faster than quality management systems can be accordingly updated. Thus, the digital transformation of quality management is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of the German and European industries that stand for quality and safety in the global market. The Use Case “Reliable Hydrogen Refueling Station” of QI Digital aims at creating new solutions that are transferable to other technical systems and at further developing standards and technical rules as a contribution to technology transfer and innovation.
H2Safety@BAM
(2023)
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are essential for the electrification of vehicles and play an important role for stationary storage units needed for grid-balancing. Research groups all over the world work on the improvement of LIBs regarding an increase in energy density as well as cycle-life and a decrease in costs. Next to these research topics, a continuously uprising and crucial field is safety features of LIBs, which can be implemented at different levels, such as material, cell, battery and system level.
The abuse/misuse of a LIB can cause an internal release of heat which can trigger a chain of exothermic reactions on cell level. Hence, the cell temperature increases dramatically, causing the so-called thermal runaway (TR), possibly leading to flames and/or explosion of the cell. Moreover, the TR of one cell can initiate the TR of adjacent cells leading to a so-called propagation, possibly, causing the TR of the whole battery. Ideally, easily obtainable key features of a certain cell – such as cathode type, cell format, cell energy and state of charge (SOC) - could allow the prediction of its behaviour under abuse conditions. In the present study, we will discuss the latest result of our safety tests on cell level employing an external heater as TR-trigger. Single cell tests will be analysed regarding different hazardous features during the TR, e.g., cell temperature, occurrence of flames, peak pressure, gas amount and gas composition. Moreover, the possibility of a TR-propagation and the respective propagation speed will be gained from propagation tests utilizing six cells with identical SOC. In total, the study comprises over 200 tests on cell level. The gained data set is analysed in respect to the cell parameters, such as cell format, cell energy, SOC and the cathode type as well as the atmosphere (air vs. N2) present during the test. A special focus is put on the discussion of general conclusions linking cell parameters to TR-effects and propagation behaviour.
The findings regarding common conclusions between key features and TR-effects can enable a rather facile selection process of cells/batteries for certain applications according to specific safety targets. Moreover, it allows to choose cell-specific safety measures, suitable during operation. In further works, the study will be extended to end-of-first life cells yielding important conclusions regarding crucial safety aspects for the implementation of those cells in 2nd-life application. Generally, the presented results can increase the overall understanding of the TR mechanism supporting the design of advanced measures to enhance the safety on cell level in the future.
Das Bundesverkehrsministerium hat seit 2008 in drei Stufen jeweils auf Vorschlag der BAM einen Antrag zur Einführung bzw. Regulierung von Bergungsdruckgefäßen bei den Vereinten Nationen eingebracht. Die Anträge führten jeweils nach der Delegation in eine Arbeitsgruppe unter der Leitung des Vortragenden zu neuen Vorschriften im internationalen Gefahrguttransportrecht.
Zuletzt hat das UN-Subcommittee der Experten für den Transport gefährlicher Güter der Einführung einer Druck-Volumen-Begrenzung für Druckgefäße zugestimmt. Mit dieser Begrenzung wurde die bisherige Volumenbegrenzung für Bergungsdruckgefäße ersetzt, wodurch nun das Spektrum der Bergungsdruckgefäße gestaltet werden kann, das notwendig wäre, um defekte Druckgefäße transportieren zu können.
Das zentrale Kriterium für die Begrenzung des Druck-Volumen-Produktes (pV) fand bereits in den Landverkehrsvorschriften ADR/RID bis zu ihrer Neustrukturierung auch als Konsequenzmaß Verwendung. Damit soll sichergestellt werden, dass sich aus Wasserstofftransporten in Druckgefäßen keine Konsequenz entwickeln kann, die nach den Kriterien für stationäre Anlagen, einer Katastrophe gleichkommen würde.
Hierzu hatte eine Arbeitsgruppe der Vereinten Nationen seit 2020 auf Vorschlag der BAM eine Kette aufeinander aufbauende Kriterien diskutiert, die im Vortrag vorgestellt werden:
Einfluss der Druckwellen auf den menschlichen Körper (ohne Splitterwirkung oder Umsetzung der chemischen Energie) – Zusammenhang von Druckwelle und Fläche – Druckwellenberechnung – Bevölkerungsdichte – Grenzwerte für eine Katastrophe – resultierendes pV-Produkt.
Das Ergebnis wurde mit herausragenden Großunfällen und Katastrophen aus dem Gefahrguttransport und Gefahrstoffbereich verglichen. Außerdem wurden noch die Effekte des Temperatureinflusses auf den maximalen Betriebsdruck diskutiert. Zuletzt wurde bei den UN darauf hingewiesen, dass mit Blick auf die Auswirkungsbetrachtung der Wassersoff das Gas mit den geringsten Konsequenzen bei gegeben Druk-Volumen-Produkt ist, was zu restriktiveren Obergrenzen für z.B. Erdgas führen könnte.
Als letzter Punkt im Vortrag wird erläutert, dass in den kommenden UN-Sitzungen über nachfolgende Änderungen im Recht, wie z.B. der Kennzeichnung des pV-Produktes, diskutiert werden wird. Außerdem muss ein neuer Einstieg für die bei ISO in der Normung befindliche Umschließungen mit einem größeren pV-Produkt gefunden werden, wozu aber Transportland-spezifische Risikoanalysen in Verbindung mit massiven Fahrwegsbeschränkungen zu erwarten sind.
Hydrogen is a central component of the energy transition and the European Green Deal for a climate-neutral Europe. To be able to achieve the targets defined by 2045, the EU and the German government have drafted a framework for action and are making long-term investments in research, development and the rapid implementation of innovative hydrogen technologies.
The conditions for a successful energy transition and the economic use of green hydrogen as a clean energy carrier are Hydrogen readiness and a rapid market ramp-up, as well as the establishment of the necessary value chains in the national and European framework. Reliable quality and safety standards are the prerequisite for ensuring safety of supply and environmental compatibility and for creating trust in these technologies.
BAM has bundled its expertise in the field of hydrogen technologies into a competence center H2Safety@BAM to create confidence in the technology and to support the hydrogen strategies of the German government and the EU. The topic of hydrogen has been current at BAM for more than one hundred years and is also currently the focus of numerous research and cooperation activities. The competence centre H2Safety@BAM and its vision of “We build trust in hydrogen technologies” will be presented with its many safety-related topics, which can be found throughout the entire hydrogen value chain. Two deep dives will present the results on projects dealing with the design-to-cost issue of classical pressurized gas storage containments and the consequences of the release of liquid hydrogen, which will be roughly compared to the release of ammonia.
Beginning in 1976 the former iron ore mine Konrad was geologically investigated concerning its suitability as a location for a German final repository for low and intermediate level waste. After a comprehensive licensing procedure it was approved and is now being prepared and equipped for the planned start of storage in 2027. At the end of the 1980s, the requirements for waste containers for storage in this repository were defined for the first time on the basis of an incident analysis of the on-site handling procedures, beginning with the unloading of the packages after the arrival at the site up to the final positioning in the underground storage galleries. A 5-meter drop onto the rock ground of the mine was identified as the covering case for high mechanical requirements (ABK II container class). In contrast to the 9-meter drop according to the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, the 5-meter drop is performed onto a hard but not essentially unyielding target. The container is typically not protected by an impact limiter. The requirements for a potential test facility are described in the regulations for the Konrad repository. The mechanical strength of the target is defined as a concrete strength equivalent to the identified properties of the rock ground of the mine.
Since 1991 BAM has consistently used precast reinforced concrete slabs as target for drop tests in the framework of licensing procedures as well as in research projects. While the original design fulfilled the requirement for the integrity of the concrete slab in most cases, it failed when drop tests onto an edge of a container were performed. A redesigned concrete slab developed in a research project and suggested as a reference target in 2009 has been successfully used in Konrad licensing procedures since then.
The paper gives a brief overview of the historical development and it describes BAM’s efforts and approaches to continuously guarantee a concrete slab of defined quality and to provide a test setup for valid drop tests from the applicants and the authorities view.
Cohesive Zone Modelling Approach on Irradiated Claddings Subjected to Long-Term Dry Interim Storage
(2023)
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.
The presentation gives an overview about the current experiences of BAM regarding ageing management of transport packages in Germany.
The concept of the BAM-GGR 023 for ageing management of transport packagings will be described.
The fundamentals of BAM-GGR 023 will be shown, including the following key aspects:
-the organization of an Ageing Management System (AMS),
-the issue of an Ageing Management Plan (AMP),
-the ageing evaluation as a part of the AMP,
-the Ageing Surveillance Program (ASP) as a part of the AMP,
-the Ageing Management Documentation (AMD).
In this work we present results for three typical sealing materials (EPDM, HNBR, FKM) after up to 100 days ageing at high temperature under hydrogen. To allow for a better evaluation of the occurring changes the results are compared with effects of ageing in air on the material properties. Despite the common assumption that ageing under hydrogen atmosphere is expected to be less severe for the material in com-parison to air ageing, this is not seen for every material.
Hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) elastomer was thermo-oxidatively aged at different temperatures up to 150°C. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), compression stress relaxation (CSR) and IRHD microhardness were used to characterise the chemo-mechanical changes of HNBR O-rings during thermo-oxidative ageing. FTIR shows the development of carbonyl, methyl and ester groups but the nitrile content was not affected by ageing. The effect of sample geometry during CSR was investigated. CSR data were converted through integrated kinetic laws. The conversion has proven its sensibility to detect heterogeneous ageing. This was confirmed by the IRHD measurements across the section of O-rings. Oxidation profiles were determined by applying the model of Wise et al. to the IRHD experimental results.
Packages for the transport of radioactive material shall meet the mechanical and thermal test requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations for package design approval. Besides mechanical testing, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) performs thermal tests in accordance with the IAEA regulations. The thermal test includes a 30-minute 800°C fully engulfing fire.
BAM continuously performs various thermal experiments for the investigation of the thermal response of packages with respect to the IAEA fire. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the already performed, ongoing and future physical tests and experiments of BAM in the field of thermal investigations. These research and development works shall support our competencies for the authority package design assessment.
BAM operates a propane gas fire test facility. To be able to carry out comparative investigations and validity between the propane fire and the in detail prescribed pool fire test in the regulations, BAM carries out various calorimetric tests and investigates the boundary conditions of the fire with the help of fire reference packages. At the same time, we are conducting various fire scenarios with wood-filled impact limiters. Large-scale fire tests of impact limiters are carried out on a full scale as well as on a small scale. Influencing variables are investigated in particular by means of geometric changes and the consideration of artificial damages, in particular holes. In addition to propane fire as a heat source, thermal scenarios are also investigated with hydrogen as heat source and an infrared radiator system to ignite test specimens. For these numerous test arrangements, the transferability to existing and newly developed transport package designs is essential and fruitful within the review of design approvals, especially for Dual Purpose casks with a long-lasting operation time.
Packages for the transport of radioactive materials shall fulfil the requirements of the IAEA regulations for the safe transport. The requirements define mechanical and thermal test conditions including criteria ensuring the package design’s ability to withstand severe accidents and provide a high level of technical safety. Different methods can be used for safety demonstration showing compliance with the regulations.
The central part of a safety demonstration which is presented in this paper was a comprehensive drop test program with a full-scale model of a transport package accompanied by pre- and post-test FE analyses. Using full-scale drop test models allow the benefit that similarity and scaling issues become a significant smaller issue, additional material investigations can be limited and analyses for transferring test results to the original package design are reduced. Additionally, experience for the future serial packaging manufacturing and handling procedures can be collected in a very early state of the design approval process. The pre-test finite element analyses derived and justified the drop test program consisting of several drop sequences with different drop orientations of the specimen. The performance and the results of the drop test sequences shows the manageability and the advantage e.g., in view of the direct availability of test results for the package licensing. On the other hand, the drop test performance shows the difficulties during handling and the need for additional equipment during preparation of the specimen.
The package presented was intended for the transport and storage of compacted radioactive waste from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel assemblies - designed and applied for approval by the AGC consortium. The project ended in 2021. The package design was characterized by a cask body made of a forged thick stainless-steel shell, a bolted double lid system with metallic gaskets and wood filled shock absorbers at both ends. The total mass of the entire transport package including content was 120,000 kg, the total length was about 7000 mm and the diameter approximately
3000 mm, both measures include the shock absorbers.
The paper provides an insight into the performance of a full-scale drop testing campaign within the package safety evaluation and shows some selected test results.
BAM-GGR 023 was published in June 2022
BAM-GGR 023 gives guidance to applicants regarding ageing management for competent authority approved package designs
Ageing management with evaluation of ageing mechanisms according to para 613A of IAEA SSR-6 (Rev. 1) and their effects are part of the general management system.
Essential items are: AMS (systemic-related), AMP (package design-related) and AMD (package-related)
There are different requirements for organization and extent of ageing management depending on type of use
There are also different requirements for ageing evaluation depending on type of use for packaging/package, classification of components and their accessibility and replaceability
In accordance with the IAEA transport regulations, the design of special form radioactive material (SFRM) shall resist a severe transport accident without undue loss or dispersal of radioactive material. The safety assessment for design approval includes besides the program for physical tests (impact, percussion, bending and heat test) also the evaluation of the management system for design, manufacture, testing, documentation, use, maintenance, and inspection.
SFRM source design plus management system shall ensure, that every specimen of the approved design is able to survive the severe mechanical and thermal tests at any time of its SFRM-working life.
Due to the long-term use of SFRM designs in most cases, the assessment of the source ageing behavior is an important aspect in the approval procedure. Different fields of application imply a wide range of environmental conditions, from clean room atmosphere to highly aggressive industrial conditions. Besides of radioactive content, corrosion is a main factor for possible SFRM design degradation.
Although the IAEA Advisory Material SSG-26 already implies an indication of the need for considering ageing mechanisms, suitable amendments in the regulatory requirements of SSR-6 should be introduced to make the approval procedure more transparent and help to reduce rounds of questions by the authority. A supplementary requirement for considering of ageing mechanisms could be a helpful contribution to an international harmonization of the approval procedure.
This paper will describe major influencing factors to be considered to assess the ageing behavior of a SFRM design and will identify the need for a regulatory specification of a SFRM-working life as basis for the assessment of the SFRM design regarding time-dependent weakening. A proposal for an explicit requirement for consideration of ageing mechanisms in safety assessment of SFRM, which should be considered in the ongoing SSR-6 revision cycle, will be explained.
The decommissioning or refurbishment of nuclear facilities necessitates either the storage or disposal of large radioactive components such as steam generators, pressurizers, reactor pressure vessels and heads, and coolant pumps, to list the major contributors. These components or objects are large in size and mass, measuring up to approximately 6 meters in diameter, up to 20 meters in length, and weighing over 400 000 kg. In many situations, the components are transported off-site to a storage, disposal or recycling/treatment facility. Previously, many large objects had to be transported under special arrangement
Hydrogen is among the most promising candidates to replace fossil fuels in the energy transition. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are already a reality, and their number is foreseen to increase considerably in the next decade. Among the possible solutions to store hydrogen in such vehicles, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) appear to be one of the most effective to ensure high volumetric energy density. A potential loss of integrity of this kind of storage equipment might lead to severe consequences due to high flammability of hydrogen. This might occur, for instance, as a consequence of the exposure to an external source of heat such as a fire following a car accident. Real scale fire test results suggest that the super insulating performance of MLI systems may undergo severe degradation when this is subjected to high temperature, leaving the tank almost unprotected and leading to failure in a relatively short time. Characterizing this kind of accident scenario is crucial to ensure a safe design of storage tanks for Hydrogen-powered vehicles.
This presentation provides an overview of the ongoing research work on modelling MLI LH2 tanks exposed to fire. Lumped and computational fluid dynamic based models are presented, highlighting current gaps. The relevance of taking MLI degradation into account when simulating the pressure increase due to external fire exposure is here demonstrated through the analysis case studies.
Durch Einsatz neuer Technologien im Transport von komprimiertem Wasserstoff konnte eine Verdreifachung des Nutzlastverhältnisses erreicht werden. Diese neuen Speicher auf den Transportfahrzeugen müssten aber anders auf ihre Sicherheit überprüft werden, als dies heute gefordert wird.
Mit dem Markthochlauf Wasserstoff vervielfacht sich zudem die Anzahl der Transporteinheiten. Da sich im Zuge der neuen H2-Transportfahrzeuge aber auch die Anzahl der einzelnen Speicher pro Fahrzeug etwa verzwanzigfacht hat, kommen die Kapazitäten für die erforderliche wiederkehrende Prüfung an ihre Grenzen.
Dies könnte evtl. durch eine entsprechende Erhöhung der Prüfkapazitäten gelöst werden. Da dies aber weder praktisch machbar ist noch technisch wirklich sinnvoll, müssen alternative Ansätze z.B. durch digital erfasste zerstörungsfreie Prüfkonzepte gesucht werden. Hierzu bedarf es aber einer Lebenslaufakte, die beginnend von der Definition einer Bauweise über die Baumusterprüfung, Zulassung, Herstellung, erstmalige Prüfung, Verwendung und wiederkehrenden oder begleitenden Prüfungen bis zum Verschrotten alle Daten erfassen und verwalten kann.
Eine solche Lebenslaufakte könnte auch als eine Art digitaler Produktpass (DPP) verstanden werden.
We are interested in accidental fire impingement of HazMat pressure vessels. Want to develop improved models for predicting time to failure or empty (if PRV present). We are still trying to properly predict pressurization and time to first PRV activation due to liquid temperature stratification for a range of fire scenarios (Full and partial engulfing pool fire, jet fires, with roll over, with TP defects, etc.)
The interest in hydrogen-based green energy is increasing worldwide, and the same is true for hydrogen-powered vehicles. Among the possible solutions to store hydrogen in such vehicles, cryogenic tanks equipped with multi-layer insulation (MLI) are the most promising to increase the amount of energy stored per unit volume. However, MLI is affected by severe deterioration when exposed to an external source of heat such as a fire following a car accident, leaving the tank unprotected and leading to failure in a relatively short time. In this work, a one-dimensional model to evaluate MLI thermal degradation when a liquid hydrogen tank is exposed to fire is presented. The relevance of taking MLI degradation into account when simulating the pressure increase due to external fire exposure is here demonstrated through the analysis of several case studies. The results show that MLI systems performance depletes within a few minutes of exposure to hydrocarbon poolfire.
The development of more powerful and more efficient lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is a key area in battery research, aiming to support the ever-increasing demand for energy storage systems. To better understand the causes and mechanisms of degradation, and thus the diminishing cycling performance and lifetime often observed in LIBs, in operando techniques are essential, because battery chemistry can be monitored non-invasively, in real time. Moreover, there is increasing interest in developing new battery chemistries. Beyond LIBs, sodium ion batteries (NIBs) have gained increasing interest in recent years, as they are a promising candidate to complement LIBs, owing to their improved sustainability and lower cost, while still maintaining high energy density.[1] Initial phases of NIB commercialisation have occurred in the past year. However, for the widespread commercialisation of NIBs, there are still challenges that need to be overcome in developing optimized electrode materials and electrolytes. For the development of such materials and greater understanding of sodium storage mechanisms, solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formation and stability, and degradation processes, in operando methodologies are crucial.
Among the techniques available for in operando analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and imaging (MRI) are becoming increasingly used to characterize the chemical composition of battery materials, study the growth and distribution of dendrites, and investigate battery storage and degradation mechanisms. In situ and in operando 1H, 7Li and 23Na NMR and MRI have recently been used to study LIBs and NIBs, identifying chemical changes in Li and Na species respectively, in metallic, quasimetallic and electrolytic environment as well as directly and indirectly studying dendrite formation in both systems.[2-4] The ability of NMR and MRI to probe battery systems across multiple environments can further be complemented by the enhanced spatial resolution of micro-computed X-ray tomography (μ-CT) which can provide insight into battery material microstructure and defect distribution.
Here, we report in operando 1H and 7Li NMR and MRI experiments that investigate LIB performance, and the identification of changes in the Li signal during charge cycling, as well as the observation of signals in both 1H and 7Li NMR spectra that we attribute to diminishing battery performance, capacity loss and degradation. Additionally, recent operando methodology are adapted and implemented to study Sn based anodes in NIBs. 23Na spectroscopy is performed to monitor the formation and evolution of peaks assigned to stages of Na insertion into Sn, while 1H MRI is used to indirectly visualize the volume expansion of Sn anodes during charge cycling. Battery operation and degradation is further explored in these NIBs, using μ-CT, where the anode is directly visualized to a higher resolution and the loss of electrolyte in the cell, during cycling is observed
Die BAM legt als zuständige Behörde die zusätzlichen Prüfanforderungen an die verwendeten Verpackungen/ Großverpackungen nach P 911 und LP 906 fest (Teil A dieser BAM-GGR).
Außerdem kann die BAM gemäß Sondervorschrift 376 davon abweichende alternative Verpackungs- und/oder Beförderungsbedingungen zulassen (Einzelfallfestlegung,Teil B dieser BAM-GGR).
The BAMline at the synchrotron X-ray source BESSY II (Berlin, Germany) is supporting researchers especially in materials science. As a non-destructive characterization method, synchrotron X-ray imaging, especially tomography with hard X-Rays, plays an important role in structural 3D characterization. The imaging capabilities allow for in-situ and operando experiments. In this presentation the equipment, data handling pipeline as well as various examples from material science are presented.
Im Vortrag wird der Stand der Weiterentwicklung der ISO 16103 dargestellt, in der Regelungen zur Qualitätssicherung bei der Herstellung von Recycling-Kunststoffen und daraus hergestellter Gefahrgutverpackungen enthalten sind. Darüber hinaus wird auf die Verbindungen zu den UN Model Regulations und zum ADR eingegangen und welche Konsequenzen sich daraus für die Zulassung und die Anerkennung des Qualitätssicherungsprogramms ergeben.
Porous carbons with tuneable functionalities and morphologies have extensively been employed as electrode materials in a variety of electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems for instance in fuel cells and electrolysers as active catalysts and catalyst supports, and in secondary batteries as anode materials. Amorphous carbons with well-developed pore structures are of particular interest due to their superior mass-transport characteristics and remarkable charge storage capacities.
The subject of permeation of hoses according to ISO 3821 for
hydrogen was discussed for a long time in ISO/TC 44/SC 8. The reason
is a considerable leakage of hydrogen diffused into the hose material
over the end face of the hose. Because of this unsolved, safety-related
problem of hoses sold on the market, measurements should be carried
out in order to be able to better assess the problem. BAM has declared
its attendance to provide a required fast solution to this issue.
This lecture describes the history of hydrogen from the first scientific discoveries in the 18th century to the current technological and political developments for the market ramp-up of hydrogen technologies. The European policy framework for safe hydrogen technologies is explained comprehending the European Green Deal, European Climate Law, European Hydrogen Strategy, Clean Hydrogen Partnership, REPowerEU Plan, Renewable Energy Directive and its Delegated Act, Net Zero Industry Act, etc.
Lithium-ion battery (LIB) powered devices, such as laptops, mobile phones and power tools are ubiquitous in our daily lives. Moreover, LIBs are essential for the electrification of vehicles, and play an important role for stationary storage units needed for grid-balancing. The improvement of LIBs, in terms of increasing energy density as well as cycle-life and decreasing costs, is tackled by numerous research groups all over the world. In the last years, research regarding safety aspects has steadily gained more interest. The safety of LIBs can be implemented at different levels, such as material, cell, battery and system level.
The abuse/misuse of an LIB can lead to an internal increase in heat which can trigger a chain of exothermic reactions on cell level. Thus, the cell temperature increases dramatically causing the so-called thermal runaway (TR). This process can lead to flames and/or explosion of the cell. Furthermore, the TR of one cell can initiate the TR of adjacent cells causing the so-called propagation, possibly, leading to the TR of the whole battery.
Herein, we will show the latest result of our safety tests on cell level employing an external heater as TR-trigger. Regarding single cell tests, we will compare different hazardous features during the TR, e.g., cell temperature, occurrence of flames, peak pressure, and toxic gases, depending on the cell format, cell energy and the cathode type. The same cell parameters will be used to discuss the results of the propagation tests. Moreover, the influence of the state of charge (SOC) and the present atmosphere (air vs. N2) as well as the repeatability will be discussed. Overall, the study comprises over 180 tests on cell level.
The findings regarding the TR behaviour can be used to create a hazard-classification scheme of LIBs, e.g., allowing the definition of (cell type specific) conditions for a safe transport. Furthermore, the results can increase the general understanding of the TR mechanism promoting the development of advanced measures to enhance the safety on cell level in the future.
Lithium-ion batteries usually consist of numerous individual cells. There is ongoing discussion about enhancing sustainability by considering the replacement of heavily aged or damaged cells. Nevertheless, the planned replacement of individual cells poses significant challenges in ensuring the required reliability and safety of the refurbished device.
Task 3 of Work package 8 (Spent Fuel Characterization) of the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD) investigates the behaviour of nuclear fuel and cladding after discharge. The aim of the work is to understand and describe the be-haviour of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), irradiated cladding, fuel/cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) and ageing under conditions of extended interim storage, transportation and em-placement in a final disposal system. BAM contributes to the project as partner and leads Task 3. The presentation gives an overview of the project status, main achievements in experimental work and modelling studies, deviations from the plan, delays and challenges ahead.
Deconvoluting the impact of early-life abuse conditions on the degradation of lithium-ion cells
(2023)
The successful repurposing of degraded lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in second-life applications is a vital step towards achieving a circular economy. While reusing aged Li-cells is a promising way of mitigating their overall environmental footprint, it is crucial to anticipate their future safety and performance characteristics . Unfortunately, predicting these properties is a cumbersome task, essentially caused by limited knowledge of the interference of different degradation modes in the cells’ first life.
To still enable estimating of these parameters from a current state, the present study systematically investigates the impacts of abusive conditions in an early phase of the cells’ life on their subsequent degradation behavior. For this purpose, individual Li-cells are initially stressed by different measures such as overcharging, deep-discharging, plating, and deliberate combinations of the aforementioned methods. Electrochemical performance indicators are monitored during subsequent cycling of the cells which provides insights into the interdependencies of different degradation modes induced by specific stress conditions. In this manner, it is clarified whether or not the total degradation can be determined by a convolution or a superposition of individual deterioration effects and, thus, be described as a multidimensional state function.
This knowledge will finally contribute to a better understanding of the performance and safety behavior of degraded Li-ion batteries which can help to successfully implement them into second-life applications.
BAM acts as authority and for service in safety assessment of packages for transport and storage of radioactive materials. We offer extensive test capabilities and application of analytical methods for design verification and simulation for all types of packages for the transport and storage of radioactive materials according with the international IAEA Regulations for the safe transport and for national storage acceptance criteria. BAM operates several test facilities for drop and stacking testing, leak testing and thermal testing. The large drop test tower allows dropping full-scale specimens up to 200,000 kg in any drop orientation as requested. The comprehensive test facilities combined with long-term experience, newest equipment and measurement devices according to the latest state-of-the-art technology ensures realisation of complex test campaigns for package safety evaluation.
Beyond that, non-destructive and destructive material test devices and experts are available. Equipment and application of all kinds of typical measurement categories can be offered for testing campaigns.
In recent years we performed testing of full-scale type B package models with complex handling and preparation procedures. The results were contributed for different package design approval procedures. Type A packages mainly designed for medical related transport purposes, were continuously tested according to the transport regulations over recent years as well. Moreover, we work on research topics with relevance to package safety. The mechanical behaviour of lid closure systems under transport and storage conditions and the thermal behaviour of impact limiters were recently of special importance for the assessment competencies of BAM and were investigated under use of our test facilities.
The paper describes the test facilities and capabilities for package design safety evaluation at BAM and shows examples from our recent work.
The European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD) is working on Spent Fuel Characterization (SFC) in its work package (WP) 8. Inspired by the EURAD activities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established an international Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on SFC. The EURAD WP SFC
participants are collaborating as a team on the IAEA CRP on SFC. The EURAD WP SFC project consists of four tasks. Task 3 investigates the behaviour of nuclear fuel and cladding after discharge. The aim of these activities is to understand and describe the evolution of the cladding-pellet system and its ageing under conditions of extended interim storage, transportation and emplacement in a final disposal system. At a Consultancy Meeting, BAM as contributor to Task 3 presented current results of the failure analysis of irradiated ZIRLO® claddings under conditions of the Ring Compression Test.
Die in den von der BAM anerkannten Prüfstellen für Gefahrgutverpackungen gängigen Schüttwinkel-Messmethoden werden verglichen, anhand der Messung an fünf pulverförmigen oder körnigen Stoffen mit gefährlichen Eigenschaften. Zusätzlich wird die Untersuchung des Einflusses einer unterschiedlichen klimatischen Vorlagerung vorgenommen.
Green hydrogen is seen as a cornerstone of the energy transition and decarbonization efforts of industry, transportation and the utilities sectors. The binding goal of the EU and Germany to reduce net zero carbon emissions by 2045 will substantially increase the demand for green hydrogen as an important carbon-free substitute for fossil fuels. The World Energy Council expects an annual demand of 60 million tons (equivalent 2.000 TWh) hydrogen and its derivatives (especially ammonia and methanol) in the EU until 2050. lt is estimated that the EU can produce less than half of its needed hydrogen by 2050, and will need to import the rest. African coastal countries therefore have the opportunity to become net exporters of their carbon-free regenerative energy in the form of hydrogen and its derivatives and to enable better economic growth and generate wealth on the African continent. The large-scale production, transport and storage of green hydrogen will require large investments in the development of knowledge and training, logistics and capital goods - for both the EU and African countries.
BAM is already facing the lack of skilled workers and hydrogen experts. By bundling its expertise in the field of hydrogen technologies into a competence center H2Safety@BAM to create confidence in the technology The topic of hydrogen has been current at BAM for more than one hundred years and is also currently the focus of numerous research and cooperation activities. In order to transfer its expertise in this field BAM developed a number of education activities. The centre of all activities is the Graduate School “Trustworthy Hydrogen”, established in 2022 together with the BTU Cottbus. In the presentation all activities and especially those of the graduate school and details of the cooperation with the University of Namibia are shown.
The safety demonstration of heavy weight type B transport packages used for storing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) or radioactive waste is ensured by a combination of physical testing and numerical calculations. While experiments are performed in accordance with the IAEA regulations for selected drop scenarios, Finite-Element-Method (FEM) simulations are used to predict the most damaging case and to investigate additional drop positions.
BAM as competent authority in Germany has performed different investigations of a welding seam for a typical large transport package made of A508 forged steel, where the bottom plate is welded to the cylindrical shell. The package has a mass of approx. 120 t. Results of physical drop tests with a full-scale model and accompanying preliminary FEM simulations are presented to determine the decisive stresses in the welding seam. A drop test only represents one set of a package and test parameters. A further parameter analysis is considered to account for allowable variations of packaging properties (e.g. resulting from the manufacturing process) and, based on IAEA requirements, the temperature dependence of the material behaviour. The results of the stress analyses from the drop test and the simulation form the basis and provide the input parameters for a fracture mechanics analysis. In addition to the IAEA specifications, further standards are taken into account for an in-depth investigation, see R6 [1], BS 7910 [2] and API 579-1/ASME FFS1 [3].
All the above-mentioned standards require a manufacturer-specific defect analysis with respect to size and position. Both result from the welding process and the following heat treatment regime. The maximum defect sizes are ensured with non-destructive test methods (such as ultrasonic or particle methods) as integral part of the manufacturing process of the welding seam. Another important parameter in the welding process is the residual stress (secondary stress). The combination of the primary and secondary stress determines the total stress in the welding seam. The most damaging case of the welding seam is determined and evaluated with help of the above-mentioned standards and taking into account the IAEA requirements with respect to defect sizes, material properties, primary and residual stress, yield strength etc.
Most transports of radioactive materials are carried out with packages not requiring competent authority approval of design. These encompass – in accordance with the IAEA SSR-6 [1] regulations – packages of the classification excepted, Industrial packages Type 1, 2 and 3 and Type A packages. Currently an upsurge in number and variation of these package designs can be seen in Germany, resulting from the phase out of nuclear energy in Germany as well as e. g. increased use of radioactive material for medical purposes.
A design assessment regarding the package safety is required in the international IAEA SSR-6 [1] regulations. BAM operates facilities for the performance of all regulatory tests required such as drop towers for a wide range of package masses and dimensions, fire test, leak tightness measurements and pressure test facilities. Experiences with several package types are shown.
Additionally, IAEA SSR-6 [1] requires the establishment of a management system for design, manufacture, maintenance, and repair of the packaging as well as for the preparation, consigning, loading, carriage, unloading and receipt of the package. Relevant for Germany, BAM has published guidance material on the process of management system acceptance in the technical guide BAM-GGR 016 [2]. The requirements encompass quality management plans for the manufacturing of packages including independent manufacturing surveillance and specific instructions for operation, maintenance, and repair of packagings. Examples for management system specifics and requirements are given.
Since the latest edition of the IAEA SSR-6 [1] regulations an ageing evaluation including systematic ageing management measures are required for all kind of package types. BAM is going to update the guidance material BAM-GGR 016 [2] to support the stakeholders with relevant information to fulfil the ageing aspect for packages not requiring competent authority approval. The paper explains how the ageing aspect may be included in the safety evaluation process and the management system measures and will give an outlook for the future guidance material.
Overview of ongoing research and future prospects on polyethylene neutron shielding materials at BAM
(2023)
The extension of the interim storage period of radioactive waste before disposal will cause additional challenges for the nuclear waste management in Germany, so that an extensive knowledge of the long-term performance of casks, including their components and inventories, will be required for future extended storage licenses.
Ultra-high and high molecular weight polyethylenes ((U)HMW-PE) are used for neutron shielding purposes in casks for storage and transport of spent fuel and high-level waste due to their extremely high hydrogen content. During their service life of several decades as cask components, the PE materials are exposed to neutron and gamma radiation from the radioactive inventory of the casks, mechanical assembling stresses and temperature. All these combined effects affect the material properties of such components which in turn may be crucial for some possible accident scenarios.
At the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), the effects of high temperature exposure in combination with subsequent or previous irradiation were investigated with a comprehensive aging program including thermal aging at 125 °C for different aging periods up to 5 years and irradiation with doses ranging from 50 to 600 kGy.
This contribution provides an overview of the ongoing research related to the structural changes of (U)HMW-PE induced by gamma irradiation and high temperature exposure and focuses on current research perspectives at BAM with regard to the prediction of the dynamic behavior of the material during extended interim storage in case of an accident scenario. First results of the coupled effect of temperature, radiation and mechanical loading will be presented. The effect of microstructural changes induced by gamma irradiation and high temperature on the mechanical behavior of (U)HMW-PE will be assessed.
For dangerous goods packagings, drop testing onto an essential unyielding target can be used to assess the mechanical resistance to impact loads. Adopted regulations like ADR/RID require that the impact surface provided shall be integral with a mass at least 50 times than that of the heaviest package to be tested. The problem is that many manufacturers do not possess impact targets that satisfy the required 50 times mass ratio for regulative drop tests during series production. The objective of this work is to verify existing and define improved criteria for impact target structures based on systematic investigations. Previous evidence highlights the relevance of other parameters in addition to the mass ratio. Therefore, in this research, a variation of drop test parameters was carried out experimentally. Furthermore, numerical vibration analysis was applied to investigate the deformability of the impact surface. The results conclude that the mass ratio of 1:50 cannot be defined as a decisive criterion. In order to determine the influence of further drop test parameters, the research findings were used to validate a parametric model which assesses impact target deflection. An approximation quality of over 90 % was achieved. As a result, new evaluation criteria are proposed. Firstly, a method for identifying critical impact target designs is provided. Secondly, a new comprehensive formula compares the approximated maximum deflection of a real impact target to the respective theoretical threshold derived from a worst-case assumption. In practice, this leads to great advantages in the evaluation of already installed impact targets for dangerous goods packagings.
The flow properties of powdery or granular filling substances for dangerous goods packagings are safety-relevant parameters. To specify the flow behavior, the angle of repose is measured in the recognized test centers for dangerous goods packagings in Germany. Previous investigations performed on non-hazardous substances revealed that some of the methods currently used have disadvantages in application. Additionally, for occupational health and safety reasons, it was generally viewed critically to carry out measurements of the angle of repose for dangerous goods at all. Instead, the dimensionless Hausner ratio to describe the flow behavior was proposed.
In this work, the investigations were extended to real hazardous substances to concretize the assessment. Five exemplary hazardous substances were tested for their angle of repose using the methods commonly applied in the test centers. The Hausner ratio was also determined. In addition, the influence of a different climatic preconditioning on the angle of repose measurement was examined using three selected non-hazardous bulk materials.
The results show that the measurement of the angle of repose is not fundamentally excluded for dangerous goods. However, for reasons of applicability, repeatability and occupational health and safety, only the ISO method can be applied for dangerous filling substances. This method provides conservative results regarding a safety-related evaluation of flow properties for the transport of dangerous goods.
In principle, both the ISO method and the determination of the Hausner ratio can be used for dangerous goods. It is also essential especially with finely powdered filling goods, to carry out controlled preconditioning.
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. Since the cladding is the first barrier for the spent fuel pellets, its integrity must be demonstrated until the end of interim storage and subsequent transportation. An established method for characterizing the cladding material is the ring compression test, in which a small, cylindrical sample of the cladding tube is subjected to a compressive load. This test is a laboratory representation of a load case where the fuel rod is crushed.
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 result in embrittlement of the cladding material and eventually a possible sudden failure of cladding integrity 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. Therefore, the study of hydride morphology plays an important role in describing the brittle failure behaviour of the claddings.
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. Typical hydride morphologies are shown. An iterative inverse analysis method is described 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 is able to 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.
This project as part of the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 847593.
Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) establish themselves as important energy carriers in the transport sector. Its storage requires tanks with Thermal Super Insulations (TSI) to keep the transported fluid cold. The presentation includes 2 main topics of the department.
First TSI has proven itself in various applications over a long time, but not in the land transport sector, where accidents involving collisions, fires, and their combination are to be expected. To analyze fire scenarios a High-Temperature Thermal Vacuum Chamber (HTTVC) was developed that allows the thermal loading of thermal insulation material in a vacuum and measuring the heat flow through the TSI in parallel. Within this chamber, 5 samples were tested regarding 3 different types of MLI, rock wool, and perlites. In the presentation, the results are presented.
Second, the studying of accident scenarios enables the improvement of thermal superinsulation and to find novel insulation concepts. This is necessary for LH2 large-scale storages, for which state-of-the-art solutions are not suitable. Within the presentation, a novel insulation concept will be presented.
Degradation and damage analysis of composite pressure vessels via experimental modal analysis
(2023)
For mobile gas storage systems, the application of type IV pressure vessels is state of the art. Type IV tanks consist of an inner polymer liner fully wrapped with fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP). Because of the complex fabric of the FRP as well as a difficulty estimable interaction behaviour between the single components under load, there are still no satisfying non-destructive testing methods to assess the current state of failure nor to estimate the level of degradation accurately and economically. At BAM division 3.5, analysing the ageing process of mobile composite pressure vessels is a major task to ensure safe usage over the whole lifetime. In this context, key aspects of our ongoing research activities are the invention of new test procedures and the development of accurate lifetime prediction models. In order to determine the level of degradation or damage, one meaningful non-destructive approach is to analyse the structural dynamic behaviour via an experimental modal analysis (EMA). Over the last few years, different types and sizes of composite pressure vessels have been tested in several research projects. The presented paper gives an insight into how to extract and interpret modal parameters and how to fit them to the results of residual strength tests.
In this lecture, the safety assessment of hydrogen gas storage systems is presented using the example of composite pressure vessels. The main element is a probabilistic approval approach based on five steps. Firstly, the testing and evaluation of properties at the beginning of life are shown. Secondly, methods for artificial aging and the effect on the residual strength are presented. Thirdly, testing against dedicated accidents is introduced. Fourthly, effects on the surveillance of production quality are discussed. Finally, degradation and the end of life are estimated. Background information and examples are given for each step. The assessment presented is a method applicable for many safety-related systems.
The mechanical and geometrical properties of impact targets greatly influence the outcome of a drop test. The International Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) as well as ISO 2248 describe the characteristics of impact targets for drop tests of dangerous goods packagings.
According to these regulations, the impact target’s surface needs to be unyielding, under testing conditions non-deformable, flat, and integral with a mass at least 50 times that of the heaviest packaging to be tested. The problem is that many production facilities, especially manufacturers of corrugated fibreboard boxes, do not have their own testing device with the required 50 times mass ratio of the impact target for a regulation compliant drop test during series production. Furthermore, at UN level it is considered necessary to revise these requirements.
In the present paper, the impact target requirements are examined in detail and compared with those in other technical areas (e.g., impact target for container for the transport of radioactive materials). A research method is being developed to investigate the dependency between the mass ratio of the packaging and the target as well as the damage resistance of a drop tested package in relation to specific design characteristics. The results are of high relevance for industry purposes and intended to ensure a uniform level of safety assessment for the mechanical testing of dangerous goods packagings.
To ensure safety when transporting dangerous goods, it is important to specify the flow properties of the respective solid filling substance of the packagings. For this purpose, the angle of repose is currently used for the UN approvals in Germany. Measurements were carried out on 12 powdery or granular substances applying the angle of repose measuring methods customary in the test centres. The results of the methods differ significantly from each other. In addition, some of the techniques cannot be applied for very cohesive or coarse-grained materials. The results for the angle of repose show a strong scatter for some constellations (coefficient of variation more than 20 %). Safety during transport of dangerous goods cannot be guaranteed with this currently practiced system of measuring the angle of repose. As a consequence, an alternative parameter to characterize the flow properties of bulk materials should be used in the recognized test centers for dangerous goods packagings, such as the Hausner ratio. This approach leads to more precise test results for the substances examined (maximum coefficient of variation 2.8 %). It also has advantages in terms of applicability and occupational safety.
Since the flow properties are safety-relevant, both in terms of mechanical safety and safety against the release of dangerous substances, the testing practice in the recognized test labs should be improved and standardized.
Die volumetrische Energiedichte eines Gases kann durch Verflüssigung erhöht wer-den. Diese findet statt, wenn das Gas unter den Siedepunkt abgekühlt wird. Verflüs-sigte Gase mit großer Bedeutung für die Energiewende sind verflüssigter Wasser-stoff (LH2) und verflüssigtes Erdgas (LNG), dessen Verflüssigung Temperaturen von unter -160 °C bedarf. Systeme zur Speicherung dieser verflüssigten Gase müssen in der Regel für Überdrücke ausgelegt sein und benötigen thermische Superisolierun-gen (TSI), um die tiefkalten Bedingungen über längere Zeit halten zu können und Verluste durch Boil-Off gering zu halten. TSI mit Vakuum und MLI oder Perlit sind für viele Anwendungen mit LNG und LH2 geeignet. Bei solchen Systemen handelt es sich in der Regel um doppelwandige Strukturen, bei denen die Innenwand mit dem tiefkalten Fluid in Kontakt steht. Die Lücke, zwischen der Innen- und der Außen-wand befindet sich unter Vakuumbedingungen und enthält zudem MLI oder Perlite. Diese Kombination von Isolationsmethoden ermöglicht es auf kleinstem Raum sehr gute thermische Isolationswirkung zu erreichen. Aus wirtschaftlicher Sicht sind die Systeme gut durchdacht. Das Wissen über das Verhalten dieser Systeme bei einem typischen Ereignis wie einem Brand ist jedoch begrenzt. Dieses Wissen ist aber not-wendig, um die Sicherheit der wachsenden Zahl von Anwendungen auf dem Markt bewerten zu können.
Wasserstoff wird als ein potenzieller alternativer Energieträger gesehen, mit dem die für 2050 gesetzten Klimaziele erreicht werden könnten. Der Transport von Wasserstoff ist mittels verschiedener Speichertechniken möglich, von denen der kryogene Transport mit den größten volumetrischen Energiedichten einhergeht. Hierdurch eignen sich diese Speicher besonders für die energieintensiven Verkehrsmittel im Land-, See- und Flugverkehr.
Im Vortrag werden Speichertechniken, Gefahren im Umgang mit kryogenen Gasen sowie bisherige Störfälle dargestellt. Darauf aufbauend wird ein Teil der aktuellen Forschungsarbeit an der BAM vorgestellt, die die Sicherheit dieser Speicher unter außergewöhnlichen Belastungen adressiert.
Task 3 of Work package 8 (Spent Fuel Characterization) of the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD) investigates the behaviour of nuclear fuel and cladding after discharge. The aim of the work is to understand and describe the behaviour of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), irradiated cladding, fuel/cladding chemical interaction (FCCI) and ageing under conditions of extended interim storage, transportation and emplacement in a final disposal system. BAM contributes to the project as partner and leads Task 3. The presentation gives an overview of the project status, main achievements in experimental work and modelling studies, deviations from the plan, delays and challenges ahead.
The European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD) is working on Spent Fuel Characterization (SFC) in its work package (WP) 8. Inspired by the EURAD activities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established an international Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on SFC. The EURAD WP SFC participants are collaborating as a team on the IAEA CRP on SFC. The EURAD WP SFC project consists of four tasks. Task 3 investigates the behaviour of nuclear fuel and cladding after discharge. The aim of these activities is to understand and describe the evolution of the cladding-pellet system and its ageing under conditions of extended interim storage, transportation and emplacement in a final disposal system. At the Second Research Coordination Meeting on Spent Fuel Characterization, BAM as leader of Task 3 reported on the status of the research work.
Untersuchung einer Schweißnaht mit verschiedenen Codes. Vergleiche von experimentellen und numerischen Ergebnissen
Für die Beförderung von umschlossenen radioaktiven Stoffen (Strahler) können Transporterleichterungen gelten, wenn das Strahlerdesign nachweislich unfallsicher ausgelegt ist und eine Zulassung als radioaktiver Stoff in besonderer Form vorliegt. Die in Deutschland zuständige Behörde für die Prüfung und Zulassung radioaktiver Stoffe in besonderer Form ist die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM).
Eine oft langfristige Nutzung der Strahler kann eine alterungsbedingte Schwächung der Umschließung des radioaktiven Stoffes zur Folge haben. Jeder Strahler einer zugelassenen Bauart muss jedoch im Beförderungsfall zu jeder Zeit, auch nach längerer Nutzung, den vorgeschriebenen Prüfanforderungen genügen. Die Alterungsbewertung auf der Grundlage einer vom Antragsteller zu spezifizierenden Nutzungsdauer des radioaktiven Stoffes in besonderer Form ist seit langer Zeit Bestandteil des Zulassungsverfahrens in Deutschland. Ein von Deutschland eingebrachter Vorschlag im Rahmen der anstehenden Revision der IAEA Empfehlungen für die sichere Beförderung von radioaktiven Stoffen (SSR-6) soll die Lesbarkeit des Regelwerkes bezüglich der Alterungsbewertung verbessern, Klarheit über die damit verbundenen Anforderungen erzeugen und damit zu einer Harmonisierung der Zulassungsverfahren auf internationaler Ebene beitragen. In diesem Beitrag sollen wichtige Einflussfaktoren auf das Alterungsverhalten von radioaktiven Stoffen in besonderer Form aufgezeigt und die Notwendigkeit für die Spezifikation einer Nutzungsdauer als Grundlage für die Alterungsbewertung begründet werden. Der deutsche Vorschlag für die Revision des IAEA Regelwerks zum sicheren Transport radioaktiver Stoffe (SSR-6) wird vorgestellt und erläutert.
With our experiments we want to simulate a load situation which can result from a cask vertical drop test. The lid can lift a little for a very short moment and that can perhaps result in a little movement of the seal, a little rotation or a little lateral movement, so that the contact section can change. The aim of the project is to learn more about the sealing efficiency after the seal is compressed again. What we know from former component tests with non-aged seals is, that the leakage rate measured after one or more decompression /compression cycles with seal movement becomes significant higher. And this result is considered for specification of design leakage rates for release calculation in safety cases.
In the recent years we all have learned more about the significant influence of temperature and time on seal behavior and so the plan was to do similar experiments with aged seals, just to get an idea about seal behavior and achievable leakage rates.
What we did in detail is:
We compressed Helicoflex-seals of both design types, with Aluminum and Silver outer jackets, in testflanges and aged them in an oven at a temperature of 125°C for 3 months to produce seal properties comparable with properties after several years use at more typical operating temperatures between 90 and 100°C.
After this ageing procedure we opened the flanges completely, moved the seal a little to vary the contact area and compressed the flanges again. What we measured during all compression and decompression cycles was the load, the deformation and -as long as possible- the leakage rates.
The friction at the interfaces between pieces of wood and steel is of crucial importance for the impact and energy absorption in impact limiters of transport casks for radioactive material. Here, the friction coefficient for the combinations wood-wood and wood-steel was measured in the temperature range between -40°C and 90°C. Results show decreasing friction with increasing temperature, ranging from 0.43 at -40°C to 0.22 for 90°C for wood-steel combinations and from 0.3 at -40°C to 0.24 at 90°C for a wood-wood combination.
For the realization of a sustainable energy economy, it is of great importance to develop CO2 -neutral methods producing multi-carbon organic chemicals used as feedstock in the chemical industry as well as carbon-neutral fuels. A promising method to alleviate the greenhouse effect and thereby forming value-added chemicals or syngas as an energy carrier, is through the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). In this work, a bioelectrotechnological approach is developed, in which the CO2RR reaction products (CO and H2) are directly fed to bacteria (acetogens), who use them as “reduction equivalents” to further metabolize CO2 to valuable carbon compounds. Therefore, a bio-electrochemical system consisting of a bioreactor coupled to a CO2 electrolysis cell will be established. Currently, scarce catalysts such as Ag and Au are used as for the CO2RR which may hamper the use of decentral CO2 conversion technology for cost reasons.
The technological viability of the bacteria-assisted electrolysis depends on the usage of efficient, biocompatible, and selective electrocatalysts prepared from inexpensive precursors. Porous transition metal and nitrogen co-doped carbons (M-N-Cs) have emerged as precious-metal free electrocatalysts for the direct electrochemical reduction of CO2 into CO and are excellent candidates for scale-up and deployment in technological applications. Furthermore, Co/Ni/Zn functioning as the catalytically active sites will be used, as they are expected to depict non-bactericidal properties in contrast to Cu and Ag catalysts. The non-bactericidal property could e.g., allow for application within the hybrid device (bio-electrochemical system), without the need to separate bacteria and cathode catalyst. The MNCs with the most promising electrocatalytic activity and selectivity will be evaluated in abiotic conditions in the hybrid bio-electrochemical reactor system.
Due to the high damping mechanical properties of fibreboard materials, corrugated fibreboard boxes are widely used as transport packages of dangerous goods.
Since there is a hazard of vertical impact within the distribution system, drop tests are performed as design type tests to assess the package’s ability to withstand damage. However, there is little information in this context regarding the mechanical response of a filled fibreboard box.
This work aims to propose a concept utilizing experimental drop test results by means of finite-element (FE) analyses in order to predict the damage resistance of complete, filled corrugated fibreboard boxes which are ready for transportation.
Transport packages shall satisfy various safety criteria regarding mechanical, thermal and radiation phenomena. Typical requirements focusing mechanical aspects are usually drop tests in accordance with IAEA regulations [1]. The drop tests are usually carried out experimentally and, as an additional measure, finite element analyses (FEA) are performed. A specific part of the investigations presented is the evaluation of the welding seam connecting cask shell and cask bottom. Experimental results and FEA are presented and compared. The evaluation of the welding seam performed includes a variety of aspects. In addition to the experimental and analytical stresses determined, different standards are used to investigate a possible crack initiation. Several destructive and non-destructive tests are performed for quality assurance in the manufacturing process as well as for different input parameters. The necessary monitoring and non-destructive measurement methods to define the boundary conditions of the standards are introduced. Taking into account all required parameters, the welding seam is examined and evaluated using the failure assessment diagrams (FAD) of the respective standards. It can be shown under the given boundary conditions that considering the experimental data, the welding seam is in the context of crack initiation below the enveloping curve in the acceptable region. More critical drop tests to be conducted are proposed and need to be investigated in future work.
Experimental and numerical investigation of prestressed bolt connections under lateral displacements
(2022)
The containment system of transport packages for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste usually includes bolted lids with metal gaskets. The packages are assessed to specific transport conditions which are specified in the IAEA safety standards SSR-6 (IAEA 2018). These transport conditions, especially the so-called accident conditions of transport, imply high dynamic loading on the lids and the bolt connections of the package. The response of the lid systems on the mechanical accident conditions is generally investigated by experimental drop tests or numerically, e.g., by finite element analyses. The interpretation of the drop test results for the verification of the numerical models is often not obvious due to the complex superposition of different effects in the real tests. BAM has started a research project to get a better understanding about the behavior of prestressed bolt connections under loadings typical for these drop tests. In this context an experimental test set-up was developed to investigate the response of a single bolt connection under a prescribed lateral displacement of clamped parts. The bolt is instrumented by strain gauges to get the pretensional, the torsional and the bending stress in the bolt shank. Furthermore, the lateral movement and the tilt of the bolt head is measured during the test. A finite element model of the test set-up has been created in Abaqus FEA (Simulia 2021). The very detailed instrumentation of the test set-up shall give the opportunity to investigate and validate the numerical model. The aim of this paper is to give an overview about the proposed research project and to present first results.
Neue SCO-III Regularien für den Transport grosser Gegenstände als oberflächenkontaminierte Objekte
(2022)
The decommissioning or refurbishment of nuclear facilities necessitates either the storage or disposal of large radioactive components such as steam generators, pressurizers, reactor pressure vessels and heads, and coolant pumps, to list the major contributors. These components or objects are large in size and mass, measuring up to approximately 6 meters in diameter, up to 20 meters in length, and weighing over 400 000 kg. In many situations, the components are transported off-site to a storage, disposal or recycling/treatment facility. Previously, many large objects had to be transported under special arrangement.
The latest 2018 edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, No. SSR-6 [1], incorporates regulations for the shipment of large objects as a new category of surface contaminated object, SCO-III, based on the IAEA “performance package” concept. This paper provides background and practical guidance on these regulations. Additionally, the experiences of BAM with the appoval of two steam converters of the NPP Lingen are presented as the first approval process for SCO-III objects in Germany.
The primary additions to SSR-6 include SCO-III classification and requirements, approval and administrative requirements for the new classification, and the addition of SCO-III to the proper shipping name for UN 2913. Advisory material drafted for the new requirements will be included in the next revision of SSG-26, Advisory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, expected to be published soon. Note that at this time the proposed provisions for large objects do not include components such as reactor vessels, due to the more limited experience and greater radioactivity levels. The SCO-III concept lays the groundwork and may be extended to cover other large objects that are classified as low specific activity (LSA) material in the future.
Fazit:
Nachteile der Schüttwinkel-Messmethoden:
Einschränkungen bei der Anwendbarkeit auf Füllgüter mit bestimmten Eigenschaften;
Die einzelnen Methoden liefern dann unterschiedliche Ergebnisse (statist. signifikante Abweichung der Mittelwerte);
Schlechte Wiederholbarkeit;
Bedienereinfluss spielt Rolle;
Gewährleistung des Arbeitsschutzes schwierig;
Bestimmung des Hausner-Faktors:
Keins dieser Defizite
Mögliche Abhilfemaßnahmen:
Prüfbericht und Zulassungsschein sollten zumindest die Methode angeben, die zur Messung des Schüttwinkels 𝛼 eingesetzt wurde;
Einheitliches Verfahren zur Schüttwinkelmessung (DIN-Methode)?
Umstellung des Systems auf einen alternativen Parameter zur Bestimmung der Fließeigenschaften:
Hausner-Faktor 𝐻:
Bessere Wiederholbarkeit der Ergebnisse;
Zuverlässige Anwendbarkeit auch auf Extremfälle von Schüttgütern;
Sicherere Handhabung von Gefahrgütern
Am Fallturm auf dem Testgelände Technische Sicherheit (TTS) der BAM wurden bei Inspektionen Vorspannungsverluste in den Bolzen der Stahlverbindungen festgestellt. Um ein Verständnis für die zugrundeliegenden Trag- und Schädigungsmechanismen zu erlangen und um den Zustand der vorgespannten Schraubverbindungen langzeitlich zu überwachen, wurde am Fallturm ein Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) System installiert. Für die Auslegung des Monitoringsystems sowie zur Unterstützung der Untersuchung des Schädigungsprozesses wurde ein numerisches Modell erstellt und in Bezug auf die gemessenen Antworten des Tragwerks kalibriert.
Im Vortrag werden die experimentellen und numerischen Untersuchungen zur Systemidentifikation des Stahlrohrgitterturms als auch die Überwachungskampagne mit dem eingesetzten Monitoringsystem sowie die Messergebnisse und deren Bewertung vorgestellt.
Im Zusammenhang mit den Untersuchungen zu den Möglichkeiten von gekühlten Transporten von Lithiumbatterien werden unterschiedliche Zerstörungsmethoden vorgestellt und diskutiert. Insbesondere wird dabei das neu entwickelte Nageltool und die vorläufigen Untersuchungen für den Einfluss von Ultratiefkühlung auf unbeschädigte Lithiumbatterien vorgestellt.
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.
Investigation of degradation of the aluminum current collector in lithium-ion batteries by GD-OES
(2022)
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are one technology to overcome the challenges of climate and energy crisis. They are widely used in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, or as storage for renewable energy sources. However, despite innovations in batteries' components like cathode and anode materials, separators, and electrolytes, the aging mechanism related to metallic aluminum current collector degradation causes a significant drop in their performance and prevents the durable use of LIBs. Glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES) is a powerful method for depth-profiling of batteries' electrode materials. This work investigates aging-induced aluminum deposition on commercial lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) batteries' cathodes. The results illustrate the depth-resolved elemental distribution from the cathode surface to the current collector. An accumulation of aluminum is found on the cathode surface by GD-OES, consistent with results from energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) combined with focused ion beam (FIB) cutting. In comparison to FIB-EDX, GD-OES allows a fast and manageable depth-profiling. Results from different positions on an aged cathode indicate an inhomogeneous aluminum film growth on the surface. The conclusions from these experiments can lead to a better understanding of the degradation of the aluminum current collector, thus leading to higher lifetimes of LIBs.
Die Präsentation ist der Startschuss für die Wasserstoffkolloquien der BAM. Sie beginnt mit Adolf Martens und zeigt den Weg vom Foresight-Prozess Wasserstoff bis zum Kompetenzzentrum H2Safety@BAM. Es werden die Kompetenzfelder vorgestellt und die handelnden Personen. Dies leitet über zu den drei Vorträgen des Tages und den Vortragenden.