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Der Vortrag gibt zunächst einen Überblick über die Disziplinen, die in der BAM bzgl. Druckgefäßpüfung verfügbar sind. Außerdem ist zusammengestellt, mit welchen Vh-Beteiligungen und daraus resultierenden Lösungsansätzen die BAM jeweils zeitnah auf Änderungen im Recht, die die Aufgabe als zuständige Behörde betrafen, reagiert hat.
Danach wird in die Festigkeitskennwerte und deren Simulation mithilfe der Monte-Carlo-Simulation eingeführt und der Unterschied zwischen Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit und Akzeptanzrate erläutert.
Darauf aufbauend wird gezeigt, wie die Akzeptanzrate grenzwertig zuverlässiger Grundgesamtheiten einer Prüfvorschrift ermittelt werden kann.
Zuletzt wird gezeigt, dass ein solcher Ansatz ein Optimierungspotential für Wasserstoff-Trailerflaschen eröffnet, sofern er konsequent angewendet wird.
Der Vortrag zum Mess- und Prüfverfahren mit verschiedenen Sensortechnologien und Ultraschallwellen beinhaltet die Themen:
Metrologie zur Wasserstoffspeicherung - Euramet-Vorhaben "MefHySto",
Erkennung von freigesetztem Wasserstoff sowie die Bestimmung des Wasserstoff-Luftverhälntisses mit Gassensoren, zerstörungsfreie Fehlstellenerkennung mit integriertem Zustandsüberwachungssystem basierend auf geführten Ultraschallwellen zur Lebensdauerüberwachung von Composite-Behältern (Wasserstoffspeicher) sowie faseroptische Sensorik zur Schadenfrüherkennung von Wasserstoffspeichern aufgrund erkennbarer Dehnungsänderungen an Druckbehältern.
Eine umfangreiche Darstellung der bisherigen Ergebnisse des ersten Arbeitspaketes im FuE-Vorhaben "KoBrA": Ziele und Anknüpfungspunkte des AP1; Ableitung von Kriterien und Kategorien; internationale Kernenergienutzung; Quellenbasis und Literaturrecherche; Selektion und Sortierung der Dokumentensammlung; Beispiele internationaler Endlagerprogramme
As a part of the QI-Digital cooperation project, BAM is setting up a hydrogen refuelling station research platform at the Test site for Technical Safety in Horstwalde. Based on this platform, BAM intends to develop, to test and to optimize new measurement techniques as well as data acquisition and processing methods for hydrogen refuelling stations and their periphery in close cooperation with partners from the quality infrastructure and industry. The presentation will introduce the hydrogen refuelling station use case and provide insights into the issues and research goals of the associated subprojects.
After restarting the site selection process for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and heat-generating radioactive waste, all areas with one of the three potential host rock formations considered in Germany – salt, clay and crystalline rock – are under review. The project “KoBrA“, run by BGE TECHNOLOGY and BAM, collects and reviews requirements, criteria and proposals for final disposal container concepts complying with the current safety standards, taking into consideration international experience in the field of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) management.
The containment system of transport packages for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste usually includes bolted lids with metal gaskets. The specified transport condition imply high loading on the lids and the bolt connections of the package. The response of the lid systems on these load conditions is generally investigated by drop tests or numerically. BAM has started a research project to get a better understanding about the behavior of prestressed bolt connection under loadings typical for drop tests.
The containment system of transport packages for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste usually includes bolted lids with metal gaskets. The specified transport condition imply high loading on the lids and the bolt connections of the package. The response of the lid systems on these load conditions is generally investigated by drop tests or numerically. BAM has started a research project to get a better understanding about the behavior of prestressed bolt connection under loadings typical for drop tests.
Introduction and Necessity of the Investigation
The IAEA regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material (IAEA SSR-6) define the safety requirements for different package types and consider different transport conditions. The accident conditions of transport specify different mechanical and thermal tests based on investigations of real accident scenarios.
Considering the rapid development of new boundary conditions of transport such as electric mobility and the use of hydrogen as energy source for trucks and other kind of vehicles, potential effects of battery and hydrogen fires in transport accidents should be investigated. The aim is to evaluate the existing test requirements developed and derived decades ago, whether they are covering the current transport situation.
This concept paper will briefly present the reasons for detailed investigations as bases for a coordinated research project under the roof of the IAEA.
Depending on the specific plastic’s ageing sensitivities, the durations which plastic components remain in the environment can be very long. As, in the past, the advantages in ageing resistance and durability were highly evaluated, we now face the problem of quite stable plastic waste within the environment.
However, there is only little knowledge on the real timescales until macroscopic fragmentation for the different kinds of plastic under various environmental conditions.
Here, weathering methods are presented, which have been used for the failure prediction in specific outdoor conditions. Issues of uncertainty, reproducibility, or validation are discussed.
For the prediction of the plastic’s fragmentation, much longer time scales have to be considered. To do this within a limited project life span, various processes as well as their acceleration potential have to be evaluated separately, such as temperature increase or spectral shift.
The possibilities and limitations of such controlled acceleration will be discussed.
Transport containers with radioactive material are usually shipped in Germany with wooden-filled impact limiters. Alternative energy-absorbing materials for this purpose can be polyurethane foam, for example. In order to perform adequate simulations with PU foam, experimental and numerical investigations must be carried out. With the help of a series of experimental test runs, a material model is developed, tested and compared in LS-Dyna.
Transport containers with radioactive material are usually shipped in Germany with wooden-filled impact limiters. Alternative energy-absorbing materials for this purpose can be polyurethane foam, for example. In order to adequately determine the characteristics for a selected PU foam, various experimental investigations must be carried out. Classically, PU foam specimens are tested under uniaxial compression, confined compression and a tensile test. Using the experimental data and selected material models from the literature, the parameters can be determined to describe and apply material models.
During dynamic processes, a certain range of strain rates is often observed along loaded structures and components. For precise numerical simulations, it is necessary to determine rate-dependent properties in dynamic tests and to describe the material behavior correctly within an appropriate domain of strain rates including adiabatic heating effects at higher strain rates, typically higher than 10 1/s. In principle, numerical simulations are compared to experimental results to verify the applied material models. For dynamic tensile tests considering ductile materials and large plastic deformation beyond uniform elongation, it is challenging to obtain comparable results due to plastic instability and necking of the specimen, e.g..
Based on the strain gradient in a general tensile specimen, a theoretical criterion was derived describing the plastic instability in rate-dependent materials under isothermal conditions in. It was applied to different multiplicative and additive constitutive relations and the analytical onset of necking was compared to results from numerical calculations of quasi-static and dynamic tensile tests. The simulations of a sheet-metal specimen with rectangular cross-section were carried out using the Finite Element Method and it was found that the numerical calculated and the theoretical predicted onset of plastic instability agree very good. The analytical criterion for instability holds even for specimens without geometrical or material imperfections and confirms that the onset of plastic instability must be considered a material characteristic.
However, real dynamic problems with higher strain rates are not isothermal, the heat generated by plastic work is not dissipated to the surrounding and the temperature of the material increases significantly. Adiabatic heating and thermal softening must be considered within the constitutive relations of rate-dependent materials and the discussion of plastic instability. In this paper, an enhanced and more generalized approach for the description of the condition for stability is discussed and applied to phenomenological as well as more physical constitutive relations from the literature. This allows an individual assessment of the accuracy and verification of rate-dependent material models with respect to plastic instability.
THz and mid IR spectroscopy of high-molecular PE (HMW) and ultra high-molecular PE (UHMW) reveals modifications of the molecular structure. Characteristic absorption bands are changed if the two materials are exposed by γ-Co60 radiation up to 600 kGy and subsequently stored at an annealing temperature of 398 K until for 729 days. UHMW-PE and HMW-PE behave differently during the ageing process because of their molecular weight and inherent structure distinctions. The spectroscopic data offer characteristic absorption bands, which have been used to describe the complete ageing process in more detail. For instance, the integral absorption in the B1u THz-region can be used to describe quantitatively the reduction of crystallinity. The formation of trans vinylene unsaturation and the decay of vinyl during ageing can be observed in detail in the mid IR range.
A new dual purpose cask design was developed for the safe transport and interim storage of spent fuel elements of German research reactors. In the framework of the safety assessment within the licensing procedure the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) as competent authority performed a series of drop tests according to the IAEA-Regulations. The package consists of a cylindrical thick-walled ductile cast iron cask body closed by a double lid system with metallic seals. A lid and bottom sided impact limiter consisting of a wood/steel construction limit the mechanical impact loading. The full-scale test specimen was equipped with a basket and assembled with dummy-fuel elements. The package and test specimen, respectively have a total mass of approximately 24 metric tons.
The mechanical test program included three 9m free drop tests, in horizontal, vertical and oblique cask orientation onto the lid system. Additionally, a 1m-puncture drop test followed the horizontal drop test to consider an IAEA-test sequence. The horizontal and vertical drop tests were performed at a temperature of minus 40°C. During the oblique drop test the upper impact limiter was heated to +80°C. The tests were conducted onto an unyielding target, fulfilling the requirements of the IAEA regulations.
The test specimen was considerably instrumented with strain gauges and accelerometers. Transient strains at selected locations of the inner and outer container walls, of the primary and secondary lid, as well as of the corresponding lid bolts were measured during the drop tests. Furthermore, decelerations in different locations at the cask body and the lids were measured. The complex geometrical deformation of the impact limiters due to the impact were determined by optical 3d- measurements using the projected fringe method in combination with multi-image photogrammetry. Before and after the drop tests the leakage rate of the lid system was determined by helium leakage testing.
The experimental results contribute to the evaluation of the package response to mechanical tests, demonstrating safety under normal and accident conditions of transport. Especially to the verification of the dynamic finiteelement model of the package used in the package design safety report. The paper describes the performance of the drop tests, selected test results focusing on the lid screws and the cask body and the deformation of the impact limiters as well as impact kinematics, respectively.
A new dual purpose cask design was developed for the safe transport and interim storage of spent fuel elements of German research reactors. In the framework of the safety assessment within the licensing procedure the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) as competent authority performed a series of drop tests according to the IAEA-Regulations. The package consists of a cylindrical thick-walled ductile cast iron cask body closed by a double lid system with metallic seals. A lid and bottom sided impact limiter consisting of a wood/steel construction limit the mechanical impact loading. The full-scale test specimen was equipped with a basket and assembled with dummy-fuel elements. The package and test specimen, respectively have a total mass of approximately 24 metric tons.
The mechanical test program included three 9m free drop tests, in horizontal, vertical and oblique cask orientation onto the lid system. Additionally, a 1m-puncture drop test followed the horizontal drop test to consider an IAEA-test sequence. The horizontal and vertical drop tests were performed at a temperature of minus 40°C. During the oblique drop test the upper impact limiter was heated to +80°C. The tests were conducted onto an unyielding target, fulfilling the requirements of the IAEA regulations.
The test specimen was considerably instrumented with strain gauges and accelerometers. Transient strains at selected locations of the inner and outer container walls, of the primary and secondary lid, as well as of the corresponding lid bolts were measured during the drop tests. Furthermore, decelerations in different locations at the cask body and the lids were measured. The complex geometrical deformation of the impact limiters due to the impact were determined by optical 3d- measurements using the projected fringe method in combination with multi-image photogrammetry. Before and after the drop tests the leakage rate of the lid system was determined by helium leakage testing.
The experimental results contribute to the evaluation of the package response to mechanical tests, demonstrating safety under normal and accident conditions of transport. Especially to the verification of the dynamic finiteelement model of the package used in the package design safety report. The paper describes the performance of the drop tests, selected test results focusing on the lid screws and the cask body and the deformation of the impact limiters as well as impact kinematics, respectively.
During an extensive test programme at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und prüfung, material property changes of EPDM O-rings were investigated at different ageing times and an ageing temperature of 125 °C. To exclude possible diffusion limited oxidation (DLO) effects that can distort the data, IRHD micro hardness measurements were performed over the cross-section of compressed O-rings. Continuous stress relaxation measurements were conducted on samples free of DLO effects. The additional effect of physical processes to irreversible chemical ones during a long-term thermal exposure is quantified by the analysis of compression set measurements under various test conditions. By combining the different experimental methods, characteristic times relative to the degradation processes were determined. On the basis of experimental data, a microphysically motivated model that takes into account reversible and irreversible processes was developed. The parameter identification strategy of the material model is based on our experimental investigations on homogeneously aged elastomer O-rings. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experiments.
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.
At the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) in Division 3.4 Safety of Storage Containers, one of our tasks is to evaluate the safety of containers designed for disposal of low and intermediate radioactive waste. As such containers might be transported before and stored until disposal, safe enclosure of the radioactive inventory is important for this time span.
Elastomer O-rings are widely used as barrier seals in these containers. Thus, as for many other applications, an understanding of the practical effects of ageing degradation on elastomer seals during long-term exposure is mandatory for predicting the lifetime of such components. According to a long-term test programme on three kinds of rubbers (EPDM and FKM (relevant for application), HNBR (for comparison)), over several years we have studied the degradation and the change of mechanical properties (e.g. hardness, strain at break) at four different ageing temperatures (75 °C, 100 °C, 125 °C and 150 °C) as well as the change of sealing properties. Continuous and intermittent compression stress relaxation (CSR) measurements were performed in order to investigate the respective contribution of crosslinking and chain scission to the observed degradation effects. Thus, the degradation kinetics and mechanisms could be resolved more clearly. For assessing the seal performance, compression set (CS) and leakage rate measurements were conducted. The experimental results showed that the O-rings remained leak-tight under purely static conditions even when CSR, CS and mechanical properties already indicated far advanced degradation. For this reason, a modified leakage test involving a small and rapid partial decompression of the seal was developed that enabled determining an end-of-lifetime criterion for O-rings with a safety margin for thermal shrinkage and vibrations.
The investigation of the long-term performance of sealing systems employed in containers for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel is one research focus area for division 3.4 “Safety of Storage Containers” at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung. The behaviour of metallic seals, which are employed in interim storage casks for used fuel and high active waste, over time is of high importance for ensuring safe enclosure. Therefore, investigations on these systems were started at BAM to get a general understanding of the relevant processes. Our investigations comprise investigations on different parameters which influence the seal performance and the main part is focussed on the time and temperature dependent behaviour.
In this contribution an overview of the performed tests and their respective results will be given. A focus will lie on a comparison between seals with large torus diameter in comparison to small diameters.
Our aim is to understand the long-term behaviour of the sealing systems for evaluation of their performance during possible extended interim storage and subsequent transportation.
Outcomes of Three Large-Scale Fire Reference Tests Conducted in Propane Gas Fire Test Facility
(2020)
Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material are designed to withstand severe accidents. Hypothetical severe accident conditions are defined in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials. One of these accident conditions is the thermal test, mainly consisting of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire test. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the surface temperature of the package. Fire tests can be performed at BAM on a propane gas fire test facility. In order to investigate the heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for multiple use. The package represented the outer geometry of a specific transport cask for radioactive waste. The fire reference package is a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 1500 mm and a diameter of 1050 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material. Three open-air fire tests were performed in the BAM propane gas fire test facility. The flames exposure time period varied slightly for the fire tests. The wind direction as well as the wind speed were measured and changed between and during the tests. Test stand parameters such as wind shield location and propane gas volume flow were chosen constant for the three tests. The locally measured fire reference package steel sheet temperatures were used for the calculation of heat fluxes as function of time and surface temperature. The measured temperatures allowed further calculations. In a first approach effective fire characteristics of the propane gas fire, including the flame temperature, the fire convection coefficient and a radiation exchange coefficient mathematically describing the determined average heat flux over the surface temperature were calculated.
Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material are designed to withstand severe accidents. Hypothetical severe accident conditions are defined in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials.
One of these accident conditions is the thermal test, mainly consisting of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire test. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the Surface temperature of the package.
Fire tests can be performed at BAM on a propane gas fire test facility. In order to investigate the heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for multiple use. The package represented the outer geometry of a specific transport cask for radioactive waste. The fire reference package is a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 1500 mm and a diameter of 1050 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material.
Three open-air fire tests were performed in the BAM propane gas fire test facility. The flames exposure time period varied slightly for the fire tests. The wind direction as well as the wind Speed were measured and changed between and during the tests. Test stand parameters such as wind shield location and propane gas volume flow were chosen constant for the three tests. The locally measured fire reference package steel sheet temperatures were used for the calculation of heat fluxes as function of time and surface temperature. The measured temperatures allowed further calculations. In a first approach effective fire characteristics of the propane gas fire, including the flame temperature, the fire convection coefficient and a Radiation exchange coefficient mathematically describing the determined average heat flux over the surface temperature were calculated.
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 presentation explains the term “safety” in a broader sense and leads to the need for a more risk-based understanding of safety. Based on this, the Monte Carlo simulation is used to show where the weak points of the ECE R 134 are and in which direction the GTR 13 could be optimized during the currently running phase 2. For this purpose, it is helpful to improve the currently operated tool for Monte Carlo simulation, for which BAM introduced the research idea “MoCaSiB”.
Packages for the transport and storage of radioactive materials are often sealed with elastomer or metal seals. These seals are basic components to meet the leak tightness criteria for these kind of packages. An overview over ongoing research and development concerning metal and elastomer seals is given in the presentation. Introductions in the fundamental functionality of elastomer and metal seals are presented. Ageing processes are shown for both components regarding to different ageing effects.
Ongoing R&D work at BAM
(2018)
The presentation provides an update on the German nuclear waste management policy towards final disposal and related reasearch at BAM. Topics include long term investigations of metal seals, investigations of fuel cladding failure mechanisms, and the development of requirements and concepts for high level radioactive waste and spent fuel disposal containers.
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.
Parameter study for CFD in the bottle – grid resolution plays an important role on the temperature at the specific positions, 2D axi-symetrical calculation is a sufficient solution strategy in regards to the examined particular Problem. The intensity of filling process can be controlled by pressure “User defined function” provided by experiments. Numerical simulation demonstrated feasibility to predict temperature progress during the filling process successfully validated by experiments. The turbulent model k-w SST is the best strategy for the turbulent property calculations. The most intensive turbulent kinetic energy appeared in the middle region of the pressure bottle, the impact of the eddy viscosity on the wall was mostly in the wall region.
Packages for the transport of spent nuclear fuel shall meet the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations to ensure safety under different Transport conditions. The physical state of spent fuel and the fuel rod cladding as well as the geometric configuration of fuel assemblies are important inputs for the evaluation of package capabilities under these conditions. Generally, the mechanical behavior of high burn-up spent fuel assemblies under Transport conditions shall be analyzed with regard to the assumptions which are used in the containment and criticality safety analysis. In view of the complexity of the interactions between the fuel rods as well as between the fuel assemblies, basket, and cask containment, the exact mechanical analysis of such phenomena is nearly impossible. The gaps in information concerning the material properties of cladding and pellet behavior, especially for the high burn-up fuel, make the analysis more complicated additionally. As a result, enveloping analytical approaches are usually used by BAM within the safety assessment of packages approved for transport of spent nuclear fuel.
To justify the safety margins of such approaches additional analyses are necessary. In this paper, numerical simulations of a segment of a spent fuel assembly are presented. The segment modeled represents the part of a generalized BWR fuel assembly between two spacers. Explicit dynamic finite element calculations are performed to simulate the spent fuel behavior under regulatory defined accident conditions of transport. A beam element formulation is used for the modeling of the fuel rods representing the compound consisting of claddings and fuel pellets. The load applied is gathered from experimental drop tests with spent fuel casks performed at BAM. A hot cell bending test performed at JRC Karlsruhe is the basis for obtaining the material behavior of the fuel rods. The material properties are determined by
simulating the test setup of JRC and optimizing the results to fit the
experimental load deflection curve. The simulations of the fuel Assembly segment are used to get a better understanding about the loads on fuel rods under accident conditions of transport.
Elastomer seals are used in many industrial applications due to their excellent mechanical properties at a wide range of temperatures. Their high versatility and recovery potential under several load conditions make them well suitable for the application in containers designed for transport, storage and/or disposal of radioactive materials. In containers for low and intermediate level radioactive waste, elastomer seals are used as barrier seals, and as auxiliary seals in storage and transportation casks (dual purpose casks) for heat generating radioactive waste, such as spent fuel and high-level waste. While a seal exchange at defined intervals is typical in many conventional applications, it is impossible or at least hard to perform when principles of minimization of radiation exposure have to be considered and prohibit an unnecessary cask handling. An extensive knowledge of the change of the elastomer’s properties during aging and the availability of reliable end-of-lifetime criteria to guarantee the permanent safe enclosure of the radioactive material is mandatory. As BAM is involved in most of the national cask licensing procedures and in the evaluation of cask-related long-term safety issues, great efforts have been already made and are still planned to scientifically support this task.
Compression stress relaxation and compression set were identified as key indicators of elastomer long-term performance and quantitatively investigated in comprehensive test programs. Among other representative types of elastomers, specimens made from ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) were tested before, during and after aging to capture the most important of their complex mechanical properties.
In the presented study, exemplary results were used to simulate the compression stress relaxation and the compression set of elastomer O-rings during aging. Regarding the influence of temperature, the time temperature superposition principle is applied in the relaxation analysis of elastomer O-rings. The proposed model is implemented in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS/Standard® [1] with a sequential temperature displacement coupling. Numerical results match the experimental compression stress relaxation measurements well. The prediction of compression set values after long-term aging shows a relatively good agreement with the experimental results. Nevertheless, all input parameters derived from the specimen tests, additional assumptions concerning boundary conditions and modeling strategy are discussed with regard to the identified slight discrepancies.
The possibility to extend the finite element model to represent the O-ring seal’s ability to recover after a (fast) partial release is taken into account
Numerical approach to determine the correct puncture bar length for the IAEA puncture bar drop test
(2018)
Among other mechanical tests the 1 meter drop onto a steel puncture bar shall be considered for accident safe packages for the transport of radioactive material. According with the IAEA regulations “the bar shall be of solid mild steel of circular section, 15.0 ± 0.5 cm in diameter and 20 cm long, unless a longer bar would cause greater damage…”. The most damaging puncture bar length can be estimated by iterative processes in numerical simulations. On the one hand, a sufficient puncture bar length has to guarantee that shock absorbers or other attachments do not prevent or reduce the local load application to the package, on the other hand, a longer and thus less stiff bar causes a smaller maximum contact force. The contrary influence of increasing puncture bar length and increasing effective drop height shall be taken into account if a shock absorber is directly placed in the target area. The paper presents a numerical approach to identify the bar length that causes maximum damage to the package. Using the example of two typical package masses the sensitivity of contact forces and puncture bar deformations to the initial length are calculated and assessed with regard to the international IAEA package safety requirements.
Among other mechanical tests the 1 meter drop onto a steel puncture bar shall be considered for accident safe packages for the transport of radioactive material. According with the IAEA regulations “the bar shall be of solid mild steel of circular section, 15.0 ± 0.5 cm in diameter and 20 cm long, unless a longer bar would cause greater damage…”. The most damaging puncture bar length can be estimated by iterative processes in numerical simulations. On the one hand, a sufficient puncture bar length has to guarantee that shock absorbers or other attachments do not prevent or reduce the local load application to the package, on the other hand, a longer and thus less stiff bar causes a smaller maximum contact force. The contrary influence of increasing puncture bar length and increasing effective drop height shall be taken into account if a shock absorber is directly placed in the target area. The paper presents a numerical approach to identify the bar length that causes maximum damage to the package. Using the example of two typical package masses the sensitivity of contact forces and puncture bar deformations to the initial length are calculated and assessed with regard to the international IAEA package safety requirements.
The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is assessing the mechanical and thermal safety performance of packages for the transport of radioactive materials. Drop testing and numerical calculations are usually part of the safety case concepts, where BAM is performing the regulatory tests at their own test facility site.
Among other mechanical tests the 1 meter drop onto a steel puncture bar shall be considered for accident safe packages. According to the IAEA regulations “the bar shall be of solid mild steel of circular section, 15.0 ± 0.5 cm in diameter and 20 cm long, unless a longer bar would cause greater damage…”.
Particularly with regard to the German transport- and storage cask designs, often made from ductile cast iron, an accurate determination of the puncture bar length to guarantee a load impact covering the worst case scenario can be imperative. If the fracture mechanical proof for the cask material shall be provided by a test, small deviations in the concentrated load applied can be decisive for the question if the cask fails or not.
The most damaging puncture bar length can be estimated by iterative procedure in numerical simulations. On the one hand, a sufficient puncture bar length shall guarantee that shock absorbers or other attachments do not prevent or reduce the local load application to the package, on the other hand, a longer and thus less stiff bar causes a smaller maximum contact force. The contrary influence of increasing puncture bar length and increasing effective drop height shall be taken into account if a shock absorber is directly placed in the target area. The paper presents a numerical approach to identify the bar length that causes maximum damage to the package. Using the example of two typical package masses the sensitivity of contact forces and puncture bar deformations to the initial length are calculated and assessed with regard to the international IAEA package safety requirements.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of type 4 composite pressure vessels can be seen as key to better understanding the behaviour of the composite structure and the impact of the manufacturing process on its quality. In this presentation, NDT methods used in the “Trustworthy Hydrogen” project are introduced. A brief discussion of the observed phenomena is provided.
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
Das Verhalten von Batteriezellen bei Beschädigung ist von hoher Bedeutung für die Einschätzung der Sicherheit bei Transport, Lagerung sowie Verwendung. Die Auswirkungen bei Schädigung hängen natürlich von der Art der Zelle, jedoch auch vom Ladezustand und der Schädigungsmethode ab.
Im Vortrag werden die Schädigungsversuche von Einzelzellen sowie Propagationsversuche an der BAM für verschieden Ladezustände präsentiert. Des Weiteren werden die aktuellen Vorgaben/Empfehlungen bezüglich der Lagerung von Lithium-Batterien kurz dargestellt. Darüber hinaus werden die neusten Entwicklung bezüglich der Vorgaben für den Transports von Natrium-Ionen-Batterien vorgestellt und diskutiert.
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.
100 mm of PUR-foam give satisfying results in terms of
thermal properties. The non-pressure testing methods gives reliable and repeatable results. Bending modulus of laminates does not change until the first damage occurs. After that, the bending modulus decreases by 50 % but max. stress is still higher than at room temperature.
Das Verhalten von Batteriezellen bei Beschädigung ist von hoher Bedeutung für die Einschätzung der Sicherheit bei Transport, Lagerung sowie Verwendung. Vor allem im Zusammenhang mit dem exponentiell wachsenden Sektor der Lithium-Batterien kam es in der Vergangenheit immer wieder zu kritischen Vorfällen. Hierbei haben Lithium-Metall-Batterien, welche elementares Lithium enthalten, den Ruf besonders gefährlich zu sein. Um dieses Thema bewerten zu können, werden im Vortrag die Unterschiede zwischen Lithium-Ionen- und Lithium-Metall-Batterien erläutert und experimentelle Studien des Verhaltens von aktuellen Systemen bei Schädigung verglichen. Darüber hinaus wird auf die Eigenschaften sowie das Sicherheitsverhalten von zukünftigen Lithium- bzw. Natrium-Batterien eingegangen.
Der Vortrag beginnt mit der Arbeitshypothese, dass das zentrale Maß für die Qualität der Fertigung die Streuung der Eigenschaften der gefertigten Produkte ist.
Auf dieser Basis wird eine Reihe von Prüfanlagen für die zerstörende Festigkeitsermittlung und zerstörungsfreie Vergleiche von Druckbehältern einschließlich zugehöriger statistischer Betrachtungen vorgestellt.
Um ein verlässliches Ergebnis der Monte-Carlo-Simulation zu garantieren, muss die Zuverlässigkeit des Tools vor dessen Anwendung sorgfältig geprüft werden. In diesem Vortrag werden die Validierung der angenommenen Verteilungsfunktionen, die Vertrauensbereiche und die Grenzwerte der generierten Grundgesamtheit vorgestellt. Darauf aufbauend wird der Ablauf der gesamten Simulation von der Erzeugung der Zufall-Variablen bis hin zur Akzeptanzrate gezeigt.
Die Monte-Carlo-Simulation ist eine geeignete Methode, um Festigkeitseigenschaften wie z.B. Berstdruck, oder auch die Lastwechselfestigkeit von ganzen Population von Druckbehältern zu simulieren.
Dies erlaubt wiederum die systematische Analyse der Wirksamkeit von deterministischen Mindestanforderungen und die Optimierung entsprechender Zulassungsvorschriften.
We present the results of distributed fibre optic strain sensing for condition monitoring of a hybrid type IV composite fully wrapped pressure vessel using multilayer integrated optical fibres. During load cycle tests material fatigue could be localised and monitored 17,000 load cycles before burst. Results have been validated by acoustic emission analysis.
At the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM), within a recent research project, the aging process of composite pressure vessels is investigated in order to be able to give more accurate lifetime predictions in future. All investigations are primarily based on type III pressure vessels consisting of an aluminium tank which is fully wrapped with carbon fibre reinforced plastics. Research is focused on residual stresses which are induced into the pressure vessel during manufacturing process in order to increase high cycle fatigue. However, with increasing lifetime residual stress conditions of type III pressure vessels change. For measuring and monitoring inner stress conditions, the application of a non-destructive measurement method is aspired.
Within this paper, the potential of an experimental modal analysis is tested to determine aging and degradation effects of pressure vessels. Based on this method, information about changes of the residual stresses can be obtained via an analysis of the modal parameters. Realizing this, first a finite element model is used to prove and evaluate potential capability and validity for the application of an experimental modal analysis. Based on this, a test bench is set up and successively optimized in its accuracy and efficiency. The sensitivity of the applied measurement technique is experimentally evaluated via measuring multiple prestress modified pressure vessels. Furthermore, a selection of prestress modified pressure vessels is monitored via the presented method. Finally, experimentally obtained results are interpreted and evaluated with the help of numerically gained finding.
The monitoring of oil and gas pipelines by means of distributed fibre optic sensors is becoming common. The most recent development in the field of fibre optic sensing is the distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), which allows to detect and to localize third party threats to pipelines. For this purpose, fibre optic telecommunication cables located close to the pipelines are usually used. However, DAS carries a far greater potential for continuous condition monitoring of pipelines.
The interdisciplinary research project AGIFAMOR (Ageing Infrastructures – Fibre Optic Monitoring of Pipes) at BAM investigates a new technical approach to extend the application field of DAS towards the detection and localization of acoustic signals that indicate critical alterations and certain damage scenarios originated from within the pipeline or the pipe wall. Therefore, the optical fibre sensors are applied onto the pipe itself and the application procedure towards an optimal acoustic signal transduction is optimized.
A number of laboratory scale experiments were performed focusing on the signal transmission of acoustic signals as well as the detection of damage in the pipe wall by means of DAS. Furthermore, real-scale tests on a pipeline DN100 of 38 m length have been carried out at the BAM test site for technical safety (BAM-TTS) to study the detection and localization of leaks and of changing flow profiles due to corrosion or sedimentation processes.
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.
The reduced volume method has found a particular zone to be used for evaluating the strength of unidirectional composite materials. To validate the method, modelling an experimental test where it has the same basic assumption of the model had been carried out. The result was favourable as the model can predict the average value from the experiment and also the time dependent effect.
Hochbeanspruchte Bauteile wie Druckbehälter bergen im Falle eines Versagens ein erhebliches Gefährdungspotential für Mensch und Umgebung. Trotz der Auslegung mit hohen Sicherheitsfaktoren kommt es durch die hauptsächlich bei mobilen Anwendungen eingesetzten Leichtbauwerkstoffe und Materialkombinationen zu komplexen Degradationsvorgängen, welche unter ungünstigen Umständen zu einem frühzeitigen Versagen führen können. Am Beispiel eines hybriden Typ III-Behälters, bestehend aus Metall und Faser-Verbund-Kunststoffen, wird demonstriert, wie sich Änderungen des lebensdauerbestimmenden Eigenspannungszustandes auf eine sichere Gebrauchsdauer auswirken. Zur Erfassung dieser Eigenspannungsänderungen wird ein zerstörungsfreier Ansatz auf Grundlage einer experimentellen Modalanalyse vorgestellt. Die daraus gewonnen Daten fließen unmittelbar in ein erarbeitetes Betriebsfestigkeitsmodell ein. Abschließend werden die generierten Modellergebnisse mit experimentell ermittelten Lebensdauern verglichen und bewertet.
Mit „Knallgas“ in die Zukunft? Sicherheit von Wasserstoff – Von der Herstellung bis zur Nutzung
(2022)
Der Vortrag gibt eine Antwort auf die Frage: „Ist der Umgang mit Wasserstoff so sicher, dass wir unsere Zukunft darauf aufbauen können?“
Dr. Mair stellt das Kompetenzzentraum H2Safety@BAM vor. Er beginnt mit dem spektakulären Wasserstoff-Unfall auf dem Tempelhofer Feld aus dem Jahr 1894, kommt zur Gründung des Kompetenzzentrums im Kontext der Wasserstoffstrategien Deutschlands und der EU und erläutert deren sicherheitsfokussierte Ausrichtung, um Vertrauen in Wasserstofftechnologien zu schaffen und zu bewahren.
Danach werden die physikalischen Eigenschaften von Wasserstoff im Vergleich zu Methan (Erdgas) vorgestellt. Dies leitet über zur Betrachtung des Hindenburg-Unfall sin Lakehurst 1937.
Im nächsten Abschnitt werden der weltweite Bedarf an H2, sein Importbedarf aus deutscher Sicht, das weltweite Erzeugungspotential und der Transportaufwand der üblichen H2-Derivate dargelegt.
Die zentrale Frage ist die nach der Sicherheit von Wasserstoff als Ergebnis der bisher ergriffenen Maßnahmen. Es werden wenige der immer wieder geschehenden Unfälle im Transport von Energieträgern vorgestellt, was zur Erkenntnis führt, dass, um die Sicherheit objektiv beurteilen zu können, der Risikobegriff herangezogen werden muss.
Das Risiko basiert auf der Konsequenz und der Häufigkeit eines Ereignisses. Mit Blick auf den bereits erkennbaren Markhochlauf wird dargelegt, wie eine Risikosteuerung in Abhängigkeit der Produkte im Transport funktionieren kann. Hierzu muss beachtet werden, dass jede Eigenschaft streut. Damit sind auch die Zuverlässigkeit jedes einzelnen Speichers, des gesamten Bestandes an Gasspeichern, im Neuzustand und erst recht mit zunehmendem Alter einer Streuung unterworfen, die aktuell nur über Stichproben abgeschätzt werden kann.
Es wird an Beispielen aufgezeigt, welche Prüftechniken und Beurteilungsmethoden die BAM zur Sicherheitsbeurteilung von Transportspeichern und sogar Tankstellen einsetzt und weiterentwickelt.
Dies führt zu einem Petitum für probabilistische Betrachtungsweisen von Produktsicherheit mit Blick auf die Qualität der Rechtsvorschriften, der Produktdesigns und der Herstellung von Produkten für die Wasserstoffanwendung.
The presentation summarizes all the safety concerns that have led DIN to reject an ISO project about extremely large gas/hydrogen transport units.
The core point is the consequence potential, which has increased considerably with the scope of the standardization project in comparison with state of the art systems. At the same time, there is a lack of an approach to take into account the reliability requirements that depend on the consequences, at least up to the level of a catastrophe.
The presentation is divided in two parts, each evaluates a different aspect of safety.
It starts with the analysis of consequences resulting from worst case ruptures of gas cylinders. The number of harmed persons and fatalities dependent from the pressure-volume product and the kind of stored gas. In parallel, there is a national accepted rule for accepted failure rates depending from this pV-product created by BAM. When combining both aspects it become clear that the pressure-volume product can be used as a good indicator for consequences. At a level of about 120 MPa m3 the maximum consequence starts to become catastrophic character. This shows the reason why the representatives of DIN insisted in limiting relevant pV-limits for tubes and cylinders to 1 Mio. bar litres.
The second part gives a raff overview on the parameters influencing the acceptance rates of borderline basic populations. This is added by some slides giving an idea for the improvement of the minimum burst requirement and finally completed by a proposal for improved acceptance criteria for the burst test.
The basic idea is: an increased pV-product of tubes has the be reflected by an increased safety level.
Bei der Bestrahlung und Bewitterung von polymeren Werkstoffen wird die Degradation durch eine Absorption von Strahlung initiiert und meistens durch weitere Klimagrößen, wie z.B. Wärme, Feuchte und atmosphärische Gase beeinflusst. Die Messung einer effektiven Bestrahlungsstärke und ihre zeitliche Integration sind deshalb von großer Bedeutung.
Photochemische Prozesse werden beim Sehen oder allgemeiner bei Farbstoffen schon durch sichtbare (VIS) Strahlung, dagegen bei der Erythembildung der Haut und der Photodegradation von Polymeren erst durch die energiereicheren Photonen der ultravioletten (UV) Strahlung initiiert. Die spektrale Empfindlichkeit des Auges und die Erythembildung sind im VIS- bzw. UV-Bereich sehr stark wellenlängenabhängig, was durch die Angabe der mit der spektralen Hellempfindlichkeit V() des Auges bewerteten VIS-Strahlung in Lux (lx) bzw. die mit der Erythem-Wirkfunktion bewertete UV Strahlung als dimensionsloser UV-Index berücksichtigt wird. Spektrale Empfindlichkeiten.
Die Photodegradation von Polymeren ist im UV-Bereich ebenfalls stark wellenlängenab-hängig, was bisher nicht berücksichtigt wurde. Seit Mitte der 70er Jahre, als die lx- bzw lxh- Messung bei der Strahlungsbeanspruchung langsam durch die Ermittlung der radiometrischen UV-Bestrahlungsstärke bzw. der UV-Bestrahlung im gesamten UV-Bereich abgelöst wurde, gab es hier bei der Bewitterungsprüfung keine weiteren Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Charakterisierung der Strahlungsbeanspruchung im UV-Bereich.
Seit Jahren liegen zahlreiche Ergebnisse über die spektrale Empfindlichkeit von Photo-degradationsprozessen vor, die zeigen, dass die spektrale Empfindlichkeit im Bereich der Globalstrahlung bei ca. 300 nm, am größten ist und im langwelligen UV-Bereich bei ca. 400 nm gegen Null geht. Die Messungen der radiometrischen Größen UV-Gesamt-bestrahlungsstärke und UV-Gesamtbestrahlung erfasst deshalb über weite Wellen-längenbereiche Strahlungsanteile, die für die Photodegradation bedeutungslos sind und mittelt über potenziell bedeutsame Änderungen im kurzwelligen UV-Bereich hinweg.
Es wird das Konzept eines neuen UV-Radiometers vorgestellt, dessen spektrale Empfindlichkeit einer mittleren spektralen Empfindlichkeit der Photodegradation von Polymeren entspricht. Die effektive UV-Bestrahlungsstärke und UV-Bestrahlung kann dadurch wesentlich genauer erfasst werden.
Mess- und prüftechnische Verfahren sind zur Prozesskontrolle und Sicherheitsüberwachung in Wasserstofftechnologien von hoher Bedeutung. Typische Anwendungsgebiete von Sensoren sind Sicherheitsüberwachung, Leckdetektion und Prozesskontrolle. In diesem Beitrag werden Themen zur Erkennung von freigesetztem Wasserstoff sowie die Bestimmung des Wasserstoff-Luftverhältnisses mit Gassensoren, Fehlstellenerkennung mit geführten Ultraschallwellen zur Lebensdauerüberwachung (Structural Health Monitoring) von Wasserstoffspeichern sowie der Einsatz faseroptischer Sensoren zur Überwachung des Dehnungs- und Alterungsverhaltens sowie zur Schadensfrüherkennung von Wasserstoffspeichern vorgestellt.
This presentation describes the testing methods used to determine the thermal properties of insulation materials and mechanical properties of materials used for the load-bearing structure for pressure tanks (up to 4 bar) and cryogenic liquids (LNG, -162 °C at atmospheric pressure). Goal is to design a transportation tank that does not exceed 4 bars (relative) within 10 h, starting at atmospheric pressure. PUR-foam is a suitable material for the insulation. A 12,5 l small scale tank prototype reached 4 bar (relative) within 87 minutes, which is, regarding the influence of the size, a satisfying result. The mechanical properties change significantly at cryogenic temperatures. The bending modulus is similar at first, but decreases at a certain point by 2/3. However, the maximum stress is much higher and could not be reached within this testing setup.
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.
Der Foliensatz beginnt mit den Erwartungen der EU zum Wasserstoffverbrauch und der Visualisierung, wie Risikosteuerung bei stark wachsender Technik funktionieren kann, und welchen zeitlichen Vorlauf man für die Einführung von neuen Zulassungsanforderungen benötigt. Der Begriff Sicherheit wird über den Risikobegriff definiert und am Beispiel quantifiziert. Danach werden verschiedene Werkzeuge vorgestellt, die dazu geeignet sind, die Risikosteuerung im Markthochlauf zu realisieren: Die statistische Bewertung von Stichproben, die probabilistische Bewertung von Populationen, die Lebensdauervorhersage von Populationen. Dies führt weiter zum Gedanken eines probabilistischen Zulassungsansatzes und zum Potential Monte-Carlo-Experimentes in der Bewertung der Wirkung von deterministischen Baumusterprüfkriterien. All dies sind Themen, die nach Meinung des Vortragenden Zukunftsprojekte der Normung sein sollten, um ein Werkzeug zu erhalten, das auch weitgehend ohne produktspezifische Erfahrung geeignet ist, Sicherheit in einer H2-Gesellschaft zu gewährleisten.
Der Vortrag beginnt mit dem erwarteten Bedarf an Wasserstoff und der Frage der Risikosteuerung bei stattfindender Marktdurchsetzung. Dem gegenüber ist an einem Beispiel der Prozess der Regelsetzung gestellt, was die Notwendigkeit pro-aktiven Handelns zeigt.
Es wird über die risikobasierte Definition von Sicherheit gezeigt, welche Bedeutung die Erfassung der Fertigungsstreuung hat und wie die quantitative Erfassung und Bewertung aussehen könnte. Zuletzt wird über den Aspekt der Alterung auf das Potential probabilistischer Zulassungsansätze verwiesen und aufgezeigt, wie die Wirkung von Vorschriften nach dem probabilistischen Sicherheitskriterium bewertet und optimiert werden kann.
Markthochlauf von Wasserstoff - probabilistische Sicherheitsbewertung von Speichern und Normen
(2021)
Der Foliensatz beginnt mit der Kurzvorstellung des Kompetenzzentrums H2Safety@BAM und weiteren Informationen zum Kompetenzfeld MatCom. Danach werden die Erwartungen der EU zum Wasserstoffverbrauch vorgestellt und visualisiert, wie Risikosteuerung bei stark wachsender Technik funktionieren kann, und welchen zeitlichen Vorlauf man für die Einführung von neuen Zulassungsanforderungen benötigt. Der Begriff Sicherheit wird über den Risikobegriff definiert und am Beispiel quantifiziert. Danach werden verschiedene Werkzeuge vorgestellt, die dazu geeignet sind, die Risikosteuerung im Markthochlauf zu realisieren: Die statistische Bewertung von Stichproben, die probabilistische Bewertung von Populationen, die Lebensdauervorhersage von Populationen. Dies führt weiter zum Gedanken eines probabilistischen Zulassungsansatzes und zum Potential Monte-Carlo-Experimentes in der Bewertung der Wirkung von deterministischen Baumusterprüfkriterien. All dies sind Themen, die nach Meinung des Vortragenden Zukunftsprojekte der Normung sein sollten, um ein Werkzeug zu erhalten, das auch weitgehend ohne produktspezifische Erfahrung geeignet ist, Sicherheit in einer H2-Gesellschaft zu gewährleisten.
In this presentation the main requirements of BAM-GGR 016 regarding maintenance and periodic inspections were explained. BAM ensures during acceptance of the quality management program that specific and relevant instructions for maintenance and periodic inspections are developed and handed to the operator of the packaging. Examples are given.
Understanding the failure mechanisms that lead to leakage of rubber seals at low temperatures is important. Rubber properties are highly temperature dependent. Changes in behaviour at low temperatures can result from the rubber-glass transition and for some rubbers by partial crystallisation. Experimental results on the low temperature behaviour of different rubber seals were discussed to help understand seal failure processes.
Low temperature performance of rubber seals - Influence of crystallite formation on seal performance
(2018)
Rubbers are widely used as sealing materials in various applications. In many fields the function of seal materials at low temperatures is necessary. Therefore, the understanding of failure mechanisms that lead to leakage at low temperatures is of high importance.
It is known that rubbers possess strongly temperature dependent material properties. At low temperatures high changes in the material properties are observed which can be caused by the rubber-glass transition (abbr. glass transition) or for some rubbers also by partial crystallisation at lower temperatures. During continuous cooling the material changes during rubber-glass transition from rubber-like entropy-elastic behaviour to stiff energy-elastic behaviour. In case of (thermal-) crystallisation the formed crystallites act as additional (physical) crosslinks within the material but the molecules in the amorphous phase can still behave like a rubber. Hence, rubbers are normally used above rubber-glass transition and (thermal-) crystallization temperature but the minimum working temperature limit is heavily depending on the application conditions. Therefore, the lower operation temperature limit of rubber seals is under investigation.
In the past we have investigated material properties and sealing behaviour of rubber seals at low temperatures. As the initial work was dedicated to purely static sealing conditions we started to investigate the effect of a small partial release of rubber seals at low temperatures to study the influence of dynamic events on leak tightness. In addition, other groups report on the influence of counterpart surface and adhesion.
In this contribution we focus on the difference between purely amorphous elastomers and elastomers which become partially crystalline at low temperatures. The influence of partial crystallization on the low temperature performance of rubber seals is discussed.
Elastomers show a high versatility which makes them ideal materials for sealing applications in various fields. Especially under changing application conditions the high recovery potential of this class of material is beneficial to compensate temperature or pressure fluctuation, and geometrical changes resulting from mechanical loads in e.g. accident conditions. Out of these reasons elastomers are also used in containers for low and intermediate level radioactive waste and for spent fuel transportation casks. In cask designed for low and intermediate level waste elastomer seals can act as primary seal responsible for the containment function whereas in spent fuel storage and transportation casks (dual purpose casks (DPC)) elastomer seals are used as auxiliary seals to allow leakage rate measurements of metal barrier seals. An inherent prerequisite for this kind of application is the long time-scale of operation without or with limited possibility of seal replacement. In Germany an interim storage license for DPC`s is typically issued for 40 years, a timeframe which might increase in future due to challenges of the final repository siting procedure. For low and intermediate level waste, also long time periods are required before final disposal can be achieved. Therefore, the performance of elastomer seals over extended time periods is, as for other applications, of high importance.
A typical approach to ensure long-term functionality is to perform accelerated aging tests to calculate an estimated lifetime by assuming e.g. Arrhenius like equations for the time-temperature relationship. This approach requires a suitable end of life criterion considering the application of interest. This often can represent a challenge on its own.
As BAM is involved in most of the cask licensing procedures and especially responsible for the evaluation of cask-related long-term safety issues we initiated several test programs for investigating the behavior of elastomer seals. Experiments concerning the low temperature performance down to -40°C and the influence of gamma irradiation have been started first. Currently the thermal aging behavior of elastomer seals, which is the topic of this contribution, is examined.
For our aging investigations we use a broad approach to first determine the property changes in different elastomer materials due to thermo-oxidative aging at elevated temperatures and secondly we test how the typical methods of lifetime extrapolation can be applied to these results. This approach enables us to detect and exclude undesired side effects which very often influence lifetime estimations. In this contribution, our recent results are discussed.
The investigation of the long-term performance of sealing systems employed in containers for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel is one research focus area for division 3.4 “Safety of Storage Containers” at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM). Our investigations comprise investigations on metallic and elastomeric seals and covers experimental investigations to get a database on the component/material behaviour, work on analytical descriptions and numerical analysis. Our aim is to understand the long-term behaviour of the sealing systems for evaluation of their performance during possible extended interim storage and subsequent transportation.
Motivation:
- Reduktion der CO 2 Emissionen von Verbrennungsmotoren durch den Einsatz von LNG als alternativer Kraftstoff
- Aktuell werden doppelwandige Edelstahltanks mit Vakuumisolation für den Transport eingesetzt
- Reduktion des Tankgewichts und Vereinfachung der Konstruktion soll durch die Substitution mit GFK inklusive einer Isolationsschicht erreicht werden
- Leichtere Überprüfung von einwandigen Tankkonstruktionen
- Günstiges Versagensverhalten von GFK im Brandfall
Zusammenfassung:
- Thermische Performance kann mit Isolation aus PU Schaum erreicht werden
- Messung der Abdampfrate bildet einfache Möglichkeit zur Bestimmung der thermischen Performance
- Mikrorisse in der Matrix führen zur Leckage -> Liner notwendig
- Biegemodul bis 30 MPa vergleichbar, danach Abfall um ca. 50 % bei tiefen Temperaturen
Ausblick:
- Prüfung von GFK Proben mit Fasern in 0°-Orientierung
- Prüfung der thermischen Performance mit Demonstratoreinheiten verschiedene Größen
- Entwicklung einer Skalierungsfunktion, um Ergebnisse von druckloser Prüfung auf Druckanstieg zu übertragen
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.
Es werden die Ergebnisse von Leckageratenmessungen an den Verschlüssen von Gefahrgutverpackungen unterschiedlicher Bauarten vorgestellt. Die Prüfungen wurden mit dem Überdruckverfahren mit Ansammlung unter Verwendung des Prüfgases Helium vorgenommen. Die gemessenen Deckelleckageraten zeigen Größenordnungsunteschiede von mehreren Zehnerpotenzen. Durch einen Vergleich mit berechneten Grenzwerten lässt sich die Indentifizierung kritischer Bauarten vornehmen.
Kurzfassung. Die meisten Faserverbundbehälter, die in Europa für den Transport gefährlicher Stoffe oder als Speicherbehälter für Wasserstoff oder Erdgas in Fahrzeugen Verwendung finden, werden für eine nicht begrenzte Lebensdauer ausgelegt. In regelmäßigen Abständen sind für diese Druckbehälter wiederkehrende Prüfungen vorgeschrieben, die in der Regel aus visuellen Inspektionen und hydraulischen Innendruckprüfungen bestehen [1]. Die wiederkehrenden Prüfungen sind jedoch weder geeignet, die sichere Betriebsdauer festzulegen noch den Alterungszustand der Druckbehälter zu beurteilen. Aufgrund des weiter steigenden Drucks zur Kosten- und Gewichtsreduktion von Faserverbundbehältern und der damit einhergehenden Ausnutzung der existierenden Sicherheitsmargen gewinnen Methoden zur Beurteilung des Alterungsverhaltens dieser Druckbehälter immer mehr an Bedeutung.
Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde in der BAM das orhaben „Alterungsverhalten von Composite-Druckgefäßen mit Carbonfaser-Compositen unter gekoppelten Beanspruchungen (COD-AGE)“ gestartet, um die Alterung von Faserverbundbehältern mittels verschiedener zerstörungsfreier Prüfverfahren zu untersuchen. Die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse wurden an einem Typ 4 Hybridbehälter mit Kunststoffliner gewonnen, in den im Rahmen des Herstellungsprozesses optische Glasfasern in verschiedenen Schichten integriert wurden. Der Behälter wurde mittels hydraulischem Innendruck und erhöhter Umgebungstemperatur zyklisch bis zum Lebensende belastet. Zwischen den einzelnen Lastsequenzen erfolgte eine an die wiederkehrende Prüfung im Betrieb angelehnte hydraulische Druckbelastung.
Sowohl die hydraulische Alterung als auch die Druckrampen wurden mittels Schallemissionsprüfung (SEP) und verteilter faseroptischer Sensorik mit dem Ziel einer frühzeitigen Versagensvorhersage überwacht. Durch die Schallemissionsanalyse sollte untersucht werden, ob zum Lebensende hin ein signifikanter Anstieg der Schallemissionsaktivität und -intensität, unterteilt in verschiedene Lastbereiche, beobachtet werden kann. Zusätzlich zum kontinuierlichen Monitoring der Zyklierung sollten die Druckrampen separat untersucht werden, um hier Potenziale für die wiederkehrende Prüfung zu erkennen.
This work focuses on the question if the bubble test prescribed in the Dangerous Goods Regulations has sufficient sensitivity to detect leakage rates which could result in the formation of explosive atmospheres during transport. The sensitivity of the bubble test is not directly comparable with other leak testing methods because of its different flow conditions.
Therefore, a normalized minimum detectable leakage rate under Helium test conditions is calculated for the bubble test. This sensitivity of the bubble test under reference conditions is compared with limit leakage rates for a worst-case transport scenario. The sensitivity of the bubble test is not sufficient to prove the limit leakage rates for 6-L packagings. The Formation of explosive vapour-air-mixtures cannot be excluded. Therefore, more sensitive leak testing methods should be considered for smaller packaging design types.
Packages for the transport of radioactive material are often equipped with impact limiters consisting of wood. Mostly this wood is encapsulated by steel sheets. The impact limiters are needed to ensure that the transport casks meet the IAEA safety requirements. According to the IAEA safety requirements a package has to withstand consecutively severe mechanical tests followed by a thermal test. The mechanical tests have to produce maximum damage concerning the thermal test. Following this, the impact limiters may have serious pre-damage when the thermal tests begins. The IAEA safety requirements state that during and following the fire test, the specimen shall not be artificially cooled and any combustion of materials of the package shall be permitted to proceed naturally.
Small scale fire tests with wood filled metal drums by BAM and works of the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) showed that pre-damaged steel encapsulated wooden structures could start smoldering initiated by the thermal test. These processes supply additional energy to the cask which should be considered within the safety assessment of the package.
As not much is known about smoldering processes in encapsulated wooden structures with a reduced oxygen supply the need for a test was identified. To investigate the influence of a smoldering impact limiter concerning the amount of energy supplied to the cask in dependence of the time BAM conducted a large scale impact limiter thermal test. For that, a pre-damaged impact limiter with a diameter of 2,3 m was mounted on a water tank simulating a cask. A complex system of a regulated pump, a heater, a cooler, a slide valve, a flow meter and numerous thermocouples were installed and connected to a control unit to ensure all needed operating conditions.
After a pre-heating compared to typical SNF decay-heat, the 30 min lasting fire phase of the thermal test was started. After that, the expected and initiated smoldering began. The results of the large scale test are presented in this poster. Systematic small scale tests will follow to identify the influence of different parameters, e.g. moisture content and scale effects. The tests took place at BAM Test Site for Technical Safety (TTS) with its various possibilities for mechanical and thermal tests. The results of these tests will have direct influence in the safety assessment of transport cask for the transport of radioactive material.
Packages for the transport of radioactive material are often equipped with impact limiters consisting of wood. Mostly this wood is encapsulated by steel sheets. The impact limiters are needed to ensure that the transport casks meet the IAEA safety requirements. According to the IAEA safety requirements a package has to withstand consecutively severe mechanical tests followed by a thermal test. The mechanical tests have to produce maximum damage concerning the thermal test. Following this, the impact limiters may have serious pre-damage when the thermal tests begins. The IAEA safety requirements state that during and following the fire test, the specimen shall not be artificially cooled and any combustion of materials of the package shall be permitted to proceed naturally.
Small scale fire tests with wood filled metal drums by BAM and works of the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) showed that pre-damaged steel encapsulated wooden structures could start smoldering initiated by the thermal test. These processes supply additional energy to the cask which should be considered within the safety assessment of the package.
As not much is known about smoldering processes in encapsulated wooden structures with a reduced oxygen supply the need for a test was identified. To investigate the influence of a smoldering impact limiter concerning the amount of energy supplied to the cask in dependence of the time BAM conducted a large scale impact limiter thermal test. For that, a pre-damaged impact limiter with a diameter of 2,3 m was mounted on a water tank simulating a cask. A complex system of a regulated pump, a heater, a cooler, a slide valve, a flow meter and numerous thermocouples were installed and connected to a control unit to ensure all needed operating conditions.
After a pre-heating compared to typical SNF decay-heat, the 30 min lasting fire phase of the thermal test was started. After that, the expected and initiated smoldering began. The results of the large scale test are presented in this poster. Systematic small scale tests will follow to identify the influence of different parameters, e.g. moisture content and scale effects. The tests took place at BAM Test Site for Technical Safety (TTS) with its various possibilities for mechanical and thermal tests. The results of these tests will have direct influence in the safety assessment of transport cask for the transport of radioactive material.
der Vortrag stellt den aktuellen Bearbeitungsstand und Ergebnisse des laufenden Drittmittelvorhabens LaMEP vor. Hierbei geht es um Alterungsprozesse an sicherheitsrelevanten Behälterkomponenten während der langfristigen trockenen Zwischenlagerung bestrahlter Brennlemente und hochradioaktiver Abfälle. Die Untersuchungen umfassen Metall- und Elstomerdichtungen sowie Polymerkomponenten zur Neutronenabschirmung.
Heizöllagerbehälter aus Polyethylenformstoffen werden seit Beginn der 70-iger Jahre in Deutschland hergestellt. Die Hersteller empfehlen zur Gewährleistung der Sicherheit nach Ablauf von 30 Jahren den Ersatz dieser Behälter. Polyethylenformstoffe unterliegen im Laufe ihrer Nutzungsdauer der Alterung durch die Veränderung ihrer Eigenschaften. Das Ausmaß der Alterung und die Art des Abbauvorganges hängen im Wesentlichen vom chemischen Abbau des Polyethylens, der Wanddicke des Behälters und den Umgebungsbedingungen ab. Bisher lagen keine Untersuchungen zum Langzeitverhalten der Polyethylenformstoffe vor, insbesondere nach einer Nutzungsdauer der Tanks über 30 Jahre. Ziel der Untersu-chungen war, den tatsächlichen Schädigungsgrad der Polyethylenformstoffe im Vergleich zu den unbelasteten Formstoffen zu ermitteln. Da die BAM bis Mitte der 90-iger Jahre für die Prüfungen und Gutachten zur Zulassung dieser Behälter zuständig war, sind die Werkstoffdaten noch vorhanden.
Als Untersuchungsmethoden wurden die Bestimmung der Schmelze-Masse-Fließrate (MFR) und die Fourier-Transformation-IR-Spektroskopie (FTIR) von Tankausschnitten aus dem Bereich des Bodens, des Mantels und des Daches von 10 ausgesonderten Behältern aus den Polyethylenformstoffen A und B herangezogen. Die Messungen der MFR der Tankaus-schnitte aus diesen Bereichen zeigten Unterschiede in den Werten in Abhängigkeit vom Ge-wicht (5 kg oder 21,6 kg), welches eingesetzt wurde. Eine Abnahme der MFR-Werte wurde für die größere Anzahl der Tankwandungsausschnitte aus dem Formstoff B nach einer Lebensdauer der Tanks > 30 Jahre gemessen. Dieser Formstoff wurde hauptsächlich durch innere Alterung infolge Vernetzungen, Verzweigungen und Weichmacherverlust und weniger durch oxidativen Abbau geschädigt. Die FTIR-Messungen der Proben aus dem Bereich des Bodens und des Mantels der Tanks zeigten, dass die Intensität der asymmetrischen/symmetrischen CH2 -Streckschwingungen im Bereich: 2800 - 2900 cm-1 und der CH2 -Biegeverformungsschwingung bei 1400 cm-1 aufgrund von Kettenspaltungen zugenommen haben. Die Intensität der Carbonylstreckschwingung C=O bei 1740 cm-1 ist niedrig. Sie ist ein Maß für die Oxidation des Polymerwerkstoffes.
Täglich werden mehrere tausend Tonnen in Säcken verpackter Gefahrgüter über die Straßen transportiert. Laut den internationalen Gefahrgutvorschriften für den innerstaatlichen und grenzüberschreitenden Verkehr ADR müssen Gefahrgutsäcke aus Papier „staubdicht“ sein. Die Autobahnpolizei Münster wies bei einem Vortrag in der BAM darauf hin, dass im Rahmen polizeilicher LKW-Kontrollen Ladeflächen voller Staub vorgefunden wurden, ohne dass ein Defekt an einem Gefahrgutsack festgestellt werden konnte.
Ziel der Arbeit war es, eine Prüfkammer zu entwickeln, welche in der Lage ist, nach Fallversuchen mit Gefahrgutsäcken aus Papier den freigesetzten luftgetragenen Staub zu bestimmen. Eine anschließende Bewertung soll die gesundheitlichen Gefahren des entstandenen Aerosols aufzeigen. Durch die Auswertung erster Fallversuche wurde exemplarisch die „Dichtheit“ vorhandener Gefahrgutsäcke bestimmt und die Fraktionen der entstandenen Aerosole wurden mit den Arbeitsplatzgrenzwerten verglichen.
Der Vortrag stellt das Kompetenzzentrum H2Safety der BAM vor und zeigt Aspekte besonderer Kompetenz des Zentrums mit Blick auf das Kompetenzfeld TestCert.
Beginnend mit dem H2-Unfall auf dem Tempelhofer Feld in 1894 wird dargestellt welche Bedeutung Sicherheitsfragen zu Wasserstoff für das Kompetenzzentrum H2Safety haben. Danach wird die Struktur und die Arbeitsschwerpunkte erläutert und die verantwortlichen Personen kurz vorgestellt. Das Kompetenzfeld TestCert wird vertieft erläutert und hier auf das Spektrum der wissenschaftlichen und technischen Dienstleistungen hingewiesen. Darauf aufbauend werden die statistischen Aspekte eines Markthochlaufes wie auch die der Streuung einer Population und deren Alterung dargelegt. Zuletzt kommt der Hinweis auf das Potential der Bewertung von Baumusterprüfkriterien mithilfe der Monte-Carlo-Simulation.
BAM is the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing and the competent authority for mechanical and thermal safety assessment of transport packages for spent fuel and high level waste. In context with safety assessment of RAM packages BAM performed numerous drop tests in the last decades. The tests were mostly accompanied by extensive and various measurement techniques especially by instrumented measurements with strain gages and accelerometers.
The procedure of drop testing and the resulting measurement analysis are the main methods to evaluate the safety against mechanical test conditions. Measurement techniques are dedicated to answer questions in regard to the structural integrity of a RAM package, the mechanical behavior of the prototype as well as of its content under impact conditions.
Test results like deceleration-time functions constitute a main basis for the validation of assumptions in the safety analysis and for the evaluation of numerical calculations. In this context the adequate selection of accelerometers and measurement systems for the performance of drop tests is important. Therefore it is not only necessary to find suitable positions for the accelerometers at the test specimens, but also to consider technical boundary conditions as e.g. temperature.
Nach der Reaktorkatastrophe in Fukushima 2011 hat die Bundesregierung beschlossen die Nutzung der Kernenergie bis zum Jahr 2022 zu beenden. Seitdem erfolgt der Rückbau und die Stilllegung der kerntechnischen Anlagen in Deutschland. Dieser Vortrag erörtert die Herausforderungen, die sich mit dem Transport und der Lagerung von Kernbrennstoffen ergeben und leitet daraus Anforderungen ab, die an Transportbehälter gestellt werden.
For transport package design and operation according to the IAEA regulations, the package shall be securely stowed and its retention system shall be capable to withstand load conditions of routine transport. The supporting IAEA Advisory Material SSG-26 provides information how to do that.
Up to now package designers in different countries use other load factors for the design of attachment points than those specified in the IAEA guidance material. In particular the acceleration values vary between different countries and lead to difficulties during the validation of foreign approval certificates. Therefore the IAEA started a discussion process to review the existing guidance text. An international working group was constituted in 2013. Representatives came from different stakeholders, e.g. transport operators, competent authorities and modal organizations. The discussions concluded especially on the transport conditions which has to be considered for stowage design, including on the one hand the relevance of the load factors used for strength and fatigue analysis and on the other hand the criteria which have to be considered for the attachment points.
The proposed acceleration values will be compared to those measured during recent multi-modal testing by Sandia National Laboratories that measured the acceleration levels experienced by a spent fuel flask during heavy-haul truck, sea, and rail transport.
The ISO standard 10276 is dealing with the load attachment systems of packages as well. This standard considers the trunnion design, manufacturing and operational aspects. The regular standard revision phase started in 2017. An expert group discussed new state-of-the-art technology, different analysis approaches for strength and fatigue analysis and proposed revised text for the ISO standard for international discussion. The finite-element analysis approach incl. appropriate acceptance criteria are described and referenced.
The paper describes relevant tie-down aspects, gives background argumentation relevant to analysis approaches, and tries to support harmonized application of the revised IAEA guidance material and the future revised ISO standard.
Nowadays, in every terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem, even in the remotest areas, small residues of plastics, the so called microplastic (MP) can be found. MPs are particles with a size of 1-1000 µm (ISO/TR 21960:2020), mainly containing synthetic polymers like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Even styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) as an indication for tire wear is included due to similar particle formation. To understand the MPs consequences to the environment, it is of high priority to capture its extent of contamination. It is surprising that in the analysis of polymer masses in environmental samples, PE, PS and SBR are often detected, but only small amounts of PP, although this is the second most commonly produced standard plastic and many MP particles originate from carelessly disposed packaging materials.
This presentation provides hypotheses about the reasons of rare PP identification and mass quantification in environmental samples. Different investigations of pristine PP and representative environmental samples, including the pre-treatment by Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) or with density separation followed by the thermal extraction / desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) are presented. The results are discussed according to the material properties and a possible degradation mechanism under different weathering conditions which indicate less stability under relevant storage conditions.
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.
In Germany, spent nuclear fuel and high active waste from reprocessing is stored in transport and storage containers with double lid systems that are equipped with metal seals completing the primary sealing barrier. The tasks of the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) within the interim storage licensing procedures ruled by the German Atomic Energy Act include the long-term safety evaluation of the container design regarding the permanently safe enclosure of the inventory. In order to generate a knowledge base for the safety evaluation, research regarding the long-term behavior of the critical components is performed. So far, the containers are licensed for an interim storage period of 40 years. However, due to significant delays in establishing a final repository, the required time span for interim storage is expected to increase significantly. Thus, a widespread investigation program is run to gain systematic data on the long-term behavior of the seals and to develop prediction models.
Long-term seal investigations consider the development of their restoring seal force, their useable resilience and their achievable leakage rate caused by aging at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 150 °C. This year, the total time span of the tests reaches 10 years. Furthermore, seal segments are aged at the selected temperatures for up to 300 days. From these segments additional information on the sealing behavior, changes of the seal contact and the material behavior is gained.
This contribution deals with the current results of the long-term seal investigations at BAM. Furthermore, insights of the more in-depth component and material investigations of the metal seals with focus on the seal contact development are discussed and the ongoing work aiming for an analytical description of the thermo-mechanical aging effects on metal seals are presented.
Tanks for heating oil made of polyethylene grades have been on the market since the early 1970s in Germany. Tank manufacturers recommend the replacement of the tanks after a period of 30 years due to guarantee safety. Polyethylene grades are subject to ageing by alteration of the properties during their life cycle. The degree of ageing and the nature of the degradation process mainly depend on the chemical degradation of the polyethylene, the wall thickness of the tank and the environmental conditions. There are no results available on the long-term behavior of the polyethylene grades, especially after a service life of more than 30 years. The aim of this investigation was the determination of the factual degree of damage in comparison to the uncontaminated polyethylene grades. Material data of the used polyethylene grades are available because the BAM was the competent authority for the tests and expert reports for the approval of these tanks until the middle of the 1990s.
The determination of the Melt Flow Rate (MFR) and the Fourier Transmission IR Spectroscopy (FTIR) of tank sections from the bottom, the shell and the roof of 10 segregated heating oil storage tanks produced of polyethylene grades A and B were used as tests methods.
The MFR measurements of the tank sections showed differences in the values depending on the weight which was used (5 kg or 21.6 kg). A reduction of the MFR values was measured for most of the sections of tanks made of polyethylene grade B after a service life of the tanks of more than 30 years. This grade is mainly subject to the internal ageing by cross-linkages, increased degree of branched molecules and loss of the plasticizer, and to a lesser extent by oxidative degradation. The FTIR analysis, especially of tank sections of the bottom and the shell showed that the intensity of the CH2 asymmetric and symmetric stretching vibrations in the range: 2800 - 2900 cm-1 and the CH2 bending deformation vibration at 1400 cm-1 increased due chain scissions. The intensity of the carbonyl stretching vibration C=O at 1740 cm-1 is low. The carbonyl index characterizes the degree of oxidation.