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Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (985)
The sintering temperature of BaTiO3 powder was reduced to 900 °C due to the ZnO-B2O3-Li2O-Nb2O5-Co2O3 addition. Excellent densification was achieved after sintering at 900 °C for 2 h. The low sintering temperature of newly developed capacitor materials allows a co-firing with pure silver electrodes. The dielectric constant and the temperature stability of the dielectric constant are strongly correlated with the composition of the ZnO-B2O3-Li2O additives. A high dielectric constant up to 3000 and a dielectric loss less than 0.024 were measured on multilayer capacitors sintered at 900 °C with silver inner electrodes.
Stabilising admixtures are commonly used additives in repair mortars and grouts. Beyond this, such type of admixture is increasingly used in concrete and other cementitious materials. In particular when fresh mortar or concrete properties have to be adjusted reliably, stabilising agents can be beneficially used to improve workability and robustness of the mixture. The mode of operation of these admixtures varies, rather affecting either the liquid phase or the solid particles in the dispersion, both causing strong interactions with the mortar or concrete system, and significant changes in their rheological behaviour. Furthermore, these are strongly affected by the environmental temperature during the casting process. In the paper the effect of temperature on the performance of stabilising agents in cementitious systems is presented and how performance changes affect fresh and hardening mortar or concrete properties. Particular attention is placed on interactions between stabilising agents and superplasticizers. Results are discussed with special focus on self-compacting concrete.
In situ analysis of hydrogen behaviour in stainless steels by high energy synchrotron radiation
(2011)
Hydrogen generally causes lattice distortions and phase transformations when introduced into a metal matrix. The present contribution provides a report of first in situ investigations of hydrogen effects on the lattice of the austenite and the martensite phase in a supermartensitic stainless steel using hard synchrotron radiation for respective energy dispersion diffraction measurements. Lattice distortions, such as the planar spacing expansion, have been monitored during the complete hydrogen effusion process over 24 h and are directly correlated to the dissolved hydrogen in the metal matrix. Among other results, it turned out that hydrogen at the introduced concentration level causes a reversible lattice expansion and after hydrogen effusion the lattice nearly regained its original dimensions. Hydrogen much more significantly affects the austenite phase with respect to lattice expansion than the martensite phase, but no phase transformations occur during the hydrogen desorption process.
A fire in a five-storey apartment building was investigated experimentally and numerically. The room of origin of the fire was a living room in the second floor and the fire was started by a candle on a television set. The fire spread externally over the building faccade and internally along the staircase and affected all the flats above leading to two fatalities. It is estimated that the fire was discovered minutes after ignition and the fire service was called very shortly after the detection and was at the scene 9?min after the call. By this time large sections of the façade were on fire already. The rapid fire that spread over the façade and the staircase necessitated detailed investigations. Compliance of building products with the building regulations was investigated. One conclusion of the investigations was that the person who caused the fire by leaving the candle on the TV set unattended should not be held responsible for the two fatalities in the upper floors.
Encapsulation of hydrophobic dyes in polystyrene micro- and nanoparticles via swelling procedures
(2011)
Aiming at the derivation of a generalized
procedure for the straightforward preparation of particles
fluorescing in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral
region, different swelling procedures for the loading of the
hydrophobic polarity-probe Nile Red into nano- and
micrometer sized polystyrene particles were studied and
compared with respect to the optical properties of the
resulting particles. The effect of the amount of incorporated
dye on the spectroscopic properties of the particles was
investigated for differently sized beads with different
surface chemistries, i.e., non-functionalized, aminomodified
and PEG-grafted surfaces. Moreover, photostability
and leaking studies were performed. The main criterion
for the optimization of the dye loading procedures was a
high and thermally and photochemically stable fluorescence
output of the particles for the future application of these
systems as fluorescent labels.
Hyphenated techniques for copolymer characterization with the focus on 2D-LC / mass spectrometry
(2011)
Railway structures such as rails and axles are safety relevant components since any failure includes the risk of catastrophic derailment. This paper gives a brief overview on the most important potential failure scenarios driven by fatigue crack initiation and propagation and discusses the effects of important influencing factors such as vehicle weight and speed, track quality and environmental conditions. The present paper summarizes earlier work of the authors in this field.
The aim of this paper is a collection of stress intensity factor solutions for cracks in railway axle geometries which the authors of the present special issue developed and/or used for damage tolerance analyses. These solutions comprise closed form analytical as well as tabled geometry functions and they refer to solid as well as hollow axles and various crack sites such as the T- and V-notch and the axle body.
The paper provides a discussion on damage tolerance options applied to railway axles and factors influencing the residual lifetime as well as the required inspection interval. These comprise material properties such as the scatter of the da/dNΔK curve, the fatigue crack propagation threshold ΔKth and the toughness of the material. Parameters affecting axle loading such as the press fit, rotating bending, load history and mixed crack opening modes are discussed. Finally the influence of the initial crack geometry on residual lifetime is simulated.
Single-pulse femtosecond (fs) (pulse duration ~200 fs, wavelength 398 nm) and nanosecond (ns) (pulse duration 4 ns, wavelength 355 nm) laser ablation have been applied in combination with time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) to analyze the elemental composition of the plasma plume of single-crystalline telluria (c-TeO2, grown by the balance controlled Czochralski growth method). Due to the three-order difference of the peak intensities of the ns and fs-laser pulses, significant differences were observed regarding the laser-induced species in the plasma plume. Positive singly, doubly and triply charged Te ions (Te+, Te2+, Te3+) in the form of their isotopes were observed in case of both irradiations. In case of the ns-laser ablation the TeO+ formation was negligible compared to the fs case and there was no Te trimer (Te3+) formation observed. It was found that the amplitude of Te ion signals strongly depended on the applied laser pulse energy. Singly charged oxygen ions (O+) are always present as a byproduct in both kinds of laser ablation.
The determination of critical failure parameters during thermal shock requires a time and space resolved temperature measurement of the sample. High frequency pyrometry is a suitable technique for such a measurement task, which usually requires the knowledge of the optical properties of the investigated material. Another challenge is the infrared transparency of materials to be checked in the wavelength range of the pyrometer. The thermal shock disks are very thin, due to the need of homogeneous temperature distribution and to maintain a two-dimensional problem. To allow a pyrometric temperature measurement a universal calibration method for high frequency infrared cameras has been developed. Pyrometry in various media was demanded, as well as the estimation of optical properties (reflection, transmittance and emission) for the selected ceramics to be tested.
Plasma chemical methods are well suited for introducing functional groups to the surfaces of chemically inert polymers such as polyolefins. However, a broad variety of functional groups are often formed. Unfortunately, for further chemical processing such as grafting of molecules for advanced applications a highly dense monotype functionalized polyolefin surface is needed. Therefore, the main task was to develop a selective surface functionalization process, which formed preferably only a single type of functional groups at the surface in high concentration. Amongst the novel plasma methods, the underwater plasma process (UWP) is one of most attractive options to solve the problem of monotype functionalization. Such plasma is an efficient source of ions, electrons, UV-radiation, high-frequency shock waves, radicals such as hydroxyl radical, and reactive neutral molecules such as hydrogen peroxide. In contrast to established gas phase glow discharge processes, the water phase limits the particle and radiation energies and thus the energy input into the polymer. By virtue of the liquid water environment, which moderates highly energetic plasma species, extensive oxidation, degradation, cross-linking and radical formation on the polymer are more limited as compared to gas plasma exposure. The variety of plasma produced species in the water phase is also much smaller because of the limited reaction possibilities of the plasma with water. The possibility to admix a broad variety of chemical additives makes underwater plasma even more attractive. Hydrogen peroxide and the catalyst (Fe-ZSM5) should influence and increase the equilibrium concentration of OH radicals in the underwater plasma process. It was found that these radicals played a very important role in OH functionalization of polyolefin surfaces. Hydrogen peroxide was identified to be the most prominent precursor for OH group formation in the UWP. The catalyst would affect the steady state of OH radical formation and its reaction with the substrate surface and thus accelerates the functionalization process.
The present study documents the results of an
inter-disciplinary model project that was planned with the
aim of developing an innovative winter covering system
for marble statuaries located on the Schlossbru¨cke (Berlin).
Such a system would need to fulfil the various requirements
for structural stability, aesthetics, climate and practical
use. This applied research represents the first complex
scientific study of the sustainability of a winter covering
system. The study is characterised by the use of complex
scientific instruments such as special laboratory analysis
and numerical simulation tools. The interaction between
the environment and the artefacts in connection with the
innovative winter covering structures were studied by
extensive climatic monitoring.
The halophilic γ-proteobacterium Halomonas elongata DSM 2581T thrives at high salinity by synthesizing and accumulating the compatible solute ectoine. Ectoine levels are highly regulated according to external salt levels but the overall picture of its metabolism and control is not well understood. Apart from its critical role in cell adaptation to halophilic environments, ectoine can be used as a stabilizer for enzymes and as a cell protectant in skin and health care applications and is thus produced annually on a scale of tons in an industrial process using H. elongata as producer strain. This paper presents the complete genome sequence of H. elongata (4 061 296 bp) and includes experiments and analysis identifying and characterizing the entire ectoine metabolism, including a newly discovered pathway for ectoine degradation and its cyclic connection to ectoine synthesis. The degradation of ectoine (doe) proceeds via hydrolysis of ectoine (DoeA) to Nα-acetyl-L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid, followed by deacetylation to diaminobutyric acid (DoeB). In H. elongata, diaminobutyric acid can either flow off to aspartate or re-enter the ectoine synthesis pathway, forming a cycle of ectoine synthesis and degradation. Genome comparison revealed that the ectoine degradation pathway exists predominantly in non-halophilic bacteria unable to synthesize ectoine. Based on the resulting genetic and biochemical data, a metabolic flux model of ectoine metabolism was derived that can be used to understand the way H. elongata survives under varying salt stresses and that provides a basis for a model-driven improvement of industrial ectoine production.
The torsional buckling of a cruciform column under compressive load with a vertex plasticity model
(2011)
The torsional buckling of a plastically deforming cruciform column under compressive load is investigated. The problem is solved analytically based on the von Kármán shallow shell theory and the virtual work principle. Solutions found in the literature are extended for path-dependent incremental behaviour as typically found in the presence of the vertex effect that is present in metallic polycrystals.
At the critical load for buckling the direction of straining changes by an additional shear component. It is shown that the incremental elastic–plastic moduli are spatially nonuniform for such situations, contrary to the classical J2 flow and deformation theories. The critical shear modulus that governs the buckling equation is obtained as a weighted average of the incremental elastic–plastic moduli over the cross-section of the cruciform.
Using a plasticity model proposed by the authors, that includes the vertex effect, the buckling-critical load is computed for a aluminium column both with the analytical model and a FEM-based eigenvalue buckling analysis. The stable post-buckling path is determined by the energy criterion of path-stability. A comparison with the experimentally obtained classical results by Gerard and Becker (1957) shows good agreement without relying on artificial imperfections as necessary in the classical J2 flow theory.
Resistance spot welded joints made of two advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and one high strength steel (HSS) were examined. In the high cycle fatigue regime tests were realised for one loading condition, and the load and the displacement were measured. From the load and displacement range, the stiffness was calculated and in situ normalised to its value after 1000 cycles. It was thus possible to use the normalised stiffness evaluated during the experiment as failure criterion for the fatigue test of resistance spot welded joints. In order to evaluate this failure criterion, fatigue cracks were produced in the three different steel grades mentioned above according to user-specified levels of the normalised stiffness. It was found that the fatigue crack area increases linearly and the through-sheet-thickness crack length exponentially with decreasing stiffness. The comparison of the fatigue crack propagation during the fatigue test of the three different tested base metals showed very similar values. The comparability of fatigue tests performed on spot welded joints might thus be improved by the in situ evaluated stiffness as a failure criterion. This can be also used in further work to verify results of computer simulations of the stress intensity factor at spot welds with the help of experimental results.
The widespread use and acceptance of fluorescence techniques especially in regulated areas like medical diagnostics is closely linked to standardization concepts that guarantee and improve the comparability and reliability of fluorescence measurements. At the core of such concepts are dependable fluorescence standards that are preferably certified. The ever rising interest in fluorescence measurements in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region renders the availability of spectral and intensity standards for this wavelength region increasingly important. This encouraged us to develop approaches to solid NIR standards based upon dye-doped polymers and assess their applicationrelevant properties in comparison to metal ion-doped glasses. The overall goal is here to provide inexpensive, easily fabricated, and robust internal and external calibration tools for a broad variety of fluorescence instruments ranging e.g. from spectrofluorometers over fluorescence microscopes to miniaturized fluorescence sensors.
Dye-Biomolecule Conjugates and NIR-Fluorescent Particles for Targeting of Disease-related Biomarkers
(2011)
In this study, an analytical procedure for multi-element screening of 40 elements in milk and feed samples was developed. Three different digestion and two different calibration methods were tested for the best suitability. The analytical procedure for the quantification of minor and trace elements is based on sector field ICP-MS (SF-ICP-MS). The method validation revealed good agreement between the determined elemental mass fractions and the certified values of two milk and three feed reference materials. Milk samples of dairy cows at different feeding regimes were collected from two different farms. The results of our study showed significant differences of nine elemental mass fractions (Li, P, Mn, Co, Cu, Rb, Sr, Br, I) between milk from the two locations. Further, a correlation between the elemental mass fractions of milk and the ingested feed and water was observed.
The size, surface charge and agglomeration state of nanoparticles under physiological conditions are fundamental parameters to be determined prior to their application in toxicological studies. Although silica-based materials are among the most promising candidates for biomedical applications, more systematic studies concerning the characterisation before performing toxicological studies are necessary. This interest is based on the necessity to elucidate the mechanisms affecting its toxicity. We present here TEM, SAXS and SMPS as a combination of methods allowing an accurate determination of single nanoparticle sizes. For the commercial material, Ludox TM50 single particle sizes around 30 nm were found in solution. DLS measurements of single particles are rather affected by polydispersity and particles concentration but this technique is useful to monitor their agglomeration state. Here, the influence of nanoparticle concentration, ionic strength (IS), pH and bath sonication on the agglomeration behaviour of silica particles in solution has been systematically investigated. Moreover, the colloidal stability of silica particles in the presence of BSA has been investigated showing a correlation between silica and protein concentrations and the formation of agglomerates. Finally, the colloidal stability of silica particles in standard cell culture medium has been tested, concluding the necessity of surface modification in order to preserve silica as primary particles in the presence of serum. The results presented here have major implications on toxicity investigations because silica agglomeration will change the probability and uptake mechanisms and thereby may affect toxicity.
To date silica nanoparticles (SNPs) play an important role in modern technology and nanomedicine. SNPs are present in various materials (tyres, electrical and thermal insulation material, photovoltaic facilities). They are also used in products that are directly exposed to humans such as cosmetics or toothpaste. For that reason it is of great concern to evaluate the possible hazards of these engineered particles for human health. Attention should primarily be focussed on SNP effects on biological barriers. Accidentally released SNP could, for example, encounter the alveolar-capillary barrier by inhalation. In this study we examined the inflammatory and cytotoxic responses of monodisperse amorphous silica nanoparticles (aSNPs) of 30 nm in size on an in vitro coculture model mimicking the alveolar-capillary barrier and compared these to conventional monocultures.
Methods
Thus, the epithelial cell line, H441, and the endothelial cell line, ISO-HAS-1, were used in monoculture and in coculture on opposite sides of a filter membrane. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTS assay, detection of membrane integrity (LDH release), and TER (Transepithelial Electrical Resistance) measurement. Additionally, parameters of inflammation (sICAM-1, IL-6 and IL-8 release) and apoptosis markers were investigated.
Results
Regarding toxic effects (viability, membrane integrity, TER) the coculture model was less sensitive to apical aSNP exposure than the conventional monocultures of the appropriate cells. On the other hand, the in vitro coculture model responded with the release of inflammatory markers in a much more sensitive fashion than the conventional monoculture. At concentrations that were 10-100fold less than the toxic concentrations the apically exposed coculture showed a release of IL-6 and IL-8 to the basolateral side. This may mimic the early inflammatory events that take place in the pulmonary alveoli after aSNP inhalation. Furthermore, a number of apoptosis markers belonging to the intrinsic pathway were upregulated in the coculture following aSNP treatment. Analysis of the individual markers indicated that the cells suffered from DNA damage, hypoxia and ER-stress.
Conclusion
We present evidence that our in vitro coculture model of the alveolar-capillary barrier is clearly advantageous compared to conventional monocultures in evaluating the extent of damage caused by hazardous material encountering the principle biological barrier in the lower respiratory tract.
Analyzing damages at concrete structures due to physical, chemical, and mechanical exposures need the application of innovative non-destructive testing methods that are able to trace spatial changes of microstructures. Here, the utility of three different crack detection methods for the analysis of computed tomograms of various cementitious building materials is evaluated. Due to the lack of reference samples and standardized image quality evaluation procedures, the results are compared with manually segmented reference data sets. A specific question is how automatic crack detection can be used for the quantitative characterization of damage processes, such as crack length and volume. The crack detection methods have been integrated into a scientific visualization system that allows displaying the tomography images as well as presenting the results.
Tomography data obtained from transmission electron microscopes are especially attractive due to their unrivaled spatial resolution in the nanometer range or even less, but they require enormous efforts in sample preparation and suffer from a diverse accumulation of experimental restrictions, which unavoidably result in fundamental reconstruction artifacts. These restrictions refer to: partial opacity, a limited view (limited angle or missing wedge), very few angles (with respect to the detector size), limited to a region of interest (ROI; due to the sample size), variable angular increments as well as sample degradation due the interactions with the electron beam. An advanced version of the DIRECTT (Direct Iterative Reconstruction of Computed Tomography Trajectories) algorithm proves to cope with most of these severe deviations from ideal CT measuring conditions. However, careful data preprocessing is required in order to exploit the capabilities of the algorithm.
Nanometer sized Ruthenium catalyst particles for fuel cell applications are 3D imaged at a few Ångström resolution in order to estimate their partial free surface on carbon black supports, which rule the efficiency of the catalytic activity.
Comparisons of DIRECTT reconstructions to the conventional filtered back projection, prove the significant improvements.
The computer simulation of radiography is applicable for different purposes in NDT such as for the qualification of NDT systems, the optimization of system parameters, feasibility analysis, model-based data interpretation, education and training of NDT/NDE personnel, and others. Within the framework of the European project PICASSO simulators will be adapted to support reliability assessments of NDT tasks. The radiographic simulator aRTist developed by BAM is well suited for this task. It combines analytical modelling of the RT inspection process with the CAD-orientated object description applicable to various industrial sectors such as power generation, aerospace, railways and others. The analytic model includes the description of the radiation source, the interaction of Radiation
with the material of the part, and the detection process with special focus to DIR. To support reliability estimations the simulation tool is completed by a tool for probability of detection (POD) estimation. It consists of a user interface for planning automatic simulation runs with varying parameters, specifically defect variations.
Further, an automatic image analysis procedure is included to evaluate the defect visibility and calculate the POD therefrom.
Industrial computed tomography (CT) today is an important method to analyze defects and to measure the geometry of technical products. The measurement capability of industrial CT often depends on the knowledge of the measurement errors being present. Only with this knowledge, effective corrections are possible by manufacturers, or adapted measurement procedures become possible for the customers. Thus, there is the strong need to have adequate reference standards both for the assessment of general dependencies and for the measurement of task-specific effects. Especially the latter are difficult to assess. This paper shows the application of a versatile dismountable workpiece-near reference body for the use with CT. The reference standard was made from a miniaturized cast aluminium (one-)cylinder head. It can be dismounted into four segments, each featuring reference geometries which enable a registration of CT measured and other reference datasets (e.g. from tactile CMM). The reference standard embodies complex freeform surfaces which are a challenging measurement task for CT and other sensors. Here the application of the reference standard is the study of the influence of material mixes. This is realized by adding pieces of other materials which disturb the mono-material measurement.
Results of the application of the reference standard are presented using data from industrial micro-CT systems and CMM reference data. A special emphasis is given on the workflow of the data processing and the data analysis.
Selbst die modernsten ZfP-Systeme können, wenn sie bis an die Grenzen ihrer Möglichkeiten z. B. kleine Fehler zu finden beansprucht werden, nicht alle Fehler der gleichen Größe finden. Sogar wenn ein und derselbe Fehler mehrmals geprüft wird, wird er nicht immer gefunden. Deshalb wurde, besonders für solche Anwendungsfälle wo das Übersehen eines Fehlers zu schwerwiegenden Konsequenzen führt, das Konzept der Zuverlässigkeit der ZfP eingeführt. Das Konzept der BAM beinhaltet eine ganzheitliche Betrachtungsweise mittels eines modularen Models. Die Hauptmodule des Modells sind die innewohnende Fähigkeit, die die physikalisch technischen Aspekte behandelt. Weiterhin werden die Einflüsse der Umgebung betrachtet, die den Prüfprozess stören, aber nicht zum Prüfsystem selbst gehören. Einen wesentlichen Aspekt, sowohl bei manuellen als auch bei mechanisierten Prüfungen stellt der menschliche Faktor dar. Die Betrachtungen im vorliegenden Artikel beziehen sich hauptsächlich auf die innewohnende Fähigkeit.
Wegen der dem Prüfprozess innewohnenden Unsicherheit wird die Leistungsfähigkeit eines ZfP-Systems durch eine Funktion POD (a) ausgedrückt. Zu verschiedenen Fehlergrößen (a) gehören verschiedene Fehlerauffindwahrscheinlichkeiten (POD). Die Fehlergröße (a), bei der die untere 95 % Vertrauensgrenze das Niveau von 90 % POD schneidet wird α90/95 genannt. Dieser Punkt wird als Maß für das Leistungsvermögen der ZfP-Methode benutzt.
Während der letzten 10-20 Jahre wurden auf diese Weise verschiedene Inspektionssysteme für eine gewählte ZfP-Methode mit einer einfachen Anwendungsgeometrie bewertet.
Wenn man über diese einfachen Anwendungssituationen hinaus, die Zuverlässigkeit in realen industriellen Prozessen betrachtet, treten als erstes industrielle Bauteile mit komplexer Geometrie und Defekte, die mit mehr als nur einem Parameter (Größe und Tiefe, Orientierung, Oberflächenrauhigkeit) charakterisiert werden müssen, auf die Tagesordnung. Neue hochentwickelte und automatisierte ZfP-Systeme, wie z. B. Ultraschallgruppenstrahler, lassen die Möglichkeit zu die Prüfungen digital aufzuzeichnen und später erst auszuwerten. Weiterhin erlauben es moderne Modellierungswerkzeuge den ZfP-Prozess zu simulieren und damit die Einflüsse der Wellenausbreitung und deren Wechselwirkung mit Defekten sowie die Wirkung der zusätzlichen Einflussparameter (z. B. Abstand vom Prüfkopf oder Orientierung) auf die POD zu untersuchen. Damit entsteht die Möglichkeit die räumliche Verteilung der POD im Prüfstück zu ermitteln die Volumen-POD. Die Volumen-POD kann ebenso wie die konventionelle POD als Maß für die Leistungsfähigkeit des ZfP-Systems benutzt werden. Darüber hinaus kann man das ZfP-System optimieren. Wenn z. B. bestimmte Volumenelemente nur ungenügende POD-Werte aufweisen, müssen zusätzliche Prüfungen einbezogen werden. Aber auch der umgekehrte Fall, Bereiche in denen mehrere Prüfköpfe ein POD Niveau von 100 % haben und die Zahl der Prüfungen reduziert werden kann, werden mit der Volumen-POD erkannt.
Die übergeordnete Zielsetzung unserer Untersuchung bestand darin,
am Beispiel von Prüfungen mit Ultraschall eine belastbare Aussage zum Einfluss der Arbeitsbedingungen des Prüfers auf die Qualität der Ergebnisse von zerstörungsfreien Prüfungen zu ermitteln und Möglichkeiten zur Minimierung ungünstiger Einflussfaktoren aufzuzeigen.
Der Schwerpunkt der Untersuchung wurde auf die manuelle Ultraschallprüfung gelegt und der Faktor 'Zeitdruck' (in drei Stufen variiert) als die zu variierende physische Einflussgröße gewählt. Die Variation des Faktors Zeitdruck wurde gemäß dem Prozessmodell von der Erhebung psychologischer Faktoren, die das Individuum und die Organisation beschreiben, begleitet.
Die Ultraschallprüfungen erfolgten mit zehn Prüfern am Großbehälter und an Vergleichskörpern mit eingebrachten Testfehlern (Nuten, Risse). Die ausgewählten Fehler waren typisch für Prüfaufgaben, die bei wiederkehrenden Ultraschallprüfungen in Kernkraftwerken von den Prüfern zu lösen sind. Die Prüfaufgabe bestand darin, die in den vorgegebenen Prüfabschnitten vorhandenen Reflektoren aufzufinden und deren Amplituden, Ortskoordinaten und Längenerstreckungen zu ermitteln. Als Bewertungsmaßstab für die Qualität der Prüfaussage und für den Einfluss des menschlichen Faktors diente die Präzision der gemessenen Werte. Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen hohen Einfluss des menschlichen Faktors auf das Prüfergebnis und eine Einwirkung des Zeitdrucks besonders auf die Präzision der Messwerte. Hierbei war die Wirkung des individuell wahrgenommenen Zeitdrucks zusammen mit der psychischen Arbeitsbeanspruchung signifikant. Es wurde unter anderem herausgearbeitet, dass durch eine gute Vorbereitung auf die Prüfung, z.B. durch die sorgfältige Einweisung und ein vorgeschaltetes Fertigkeitstraining an Vergleichskörpern, die Zuverlässigkeit der Prüfergebnisse verbessert werden kann.
Insgesamt hatte der Faktor 'Organisation' neben der 'Erfahrung' einen hohen Einfluss auf das Leistungsvermögen der Prüfer.
Die Projektergebnisse wurden im Abschlussbericht des Forschungsvorhabens SR2514 dargestellt, es wurden drei Empfehlungen zur Vorbereitung und Einweisung der Prüfer, zur Stärkung der Verantwortung der Prüfaufsicht und zum 4-Augen-Prinzip formuliert. Die Empfehlungen wurden in der KTA- Regel 3201.4 'Komponenten des Primärkreises von Leichtwasserreaktoren; Teil 4: Wiederkehrende Prüfungen und Betriebsüberwachung (RÄE Fassung 2010-11)', umgesetzt.
Für eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung der Sicherheit bei der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung (ZfP) ist es unvermeidlich neben der Technik auch den Prüfer und die Prüforganisation einzubeziehen. Die Prüfung der Unversehrtheit von Endlagerbehältern ist eine eine sicherheitstechnisch wichtige Anwendung. Die Betreiber der geplanten finnischen und schwedischen Endlager, Posiva und SKB, kapseln den radioaktiven Abfall in Kupferkanistern ein und deponieren die Kanister dann in Felsgestein in einer Tiefe von ca. 500m. Die Kanister bestehen aus einem zylinderförmigen Kupfermantel mit einem Deckel und einem Boden, die zusammen die Außenumhüllung ergeben sowie einer Gusseisenmatrix für die Brennstäbe. Alle Komponenten werden auf ihre Dichtheit bzw. strukturelle Unversehrtheit mittels zerstörungsfreier Prüfmethoden geprüft, um sicher zu stellen, dass im Material und in den Schweißnähten keine kritischen Defekte vorhanden sind, die zu Freisetzungen in die Umgebung führen könnten. Vier ZfP Methoden (Ultraschall-, Wirbelstrom- und radiographische Prüfung, und die visuelle Prüfung anhand einer Kamera) werden mechanisiert durchgeführt, die gewonnenen Daten werden von qualifizierten Fachleuten ausgewertet und bieten so die Möglichkeit, dass Fehler entstehen.
Das 'Human Factor'- Untersuchungskonzept besteht aus der Identifizierung potenzieller menschlicher Fehler, deren Ursachen und Präventionsmethoden. Mit Hilfe einer abgewandelten FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) wurden mögliche Risiken identifiziert, die die Wahrscheinlichkeit für das Auftreten menschlicher Fehler bei
der Datenauswertung erhöhen. Einige dieser Risiken sind beispielsweise
Verantwortungsdiffusion beim 4-Augen-Prinzip, Übervertrauen in die Technik bei der automatischen Identifikation von Defekten sowie der Aufmerksamkeitsverlust bei dynamischer Bildbetrachtung. Deren Wirkung wird derzeit experimentell überprüft, um Ansatzpunkte für Optimierungen zu ermitteln und damit die Gesamtzuverlässigkeit des Systems zu verbessern.
Die statistische Qualitätskennzahl 'Probability of Detection (POD)' hängt von der Anzahl der zugrunde liegenden, brauchbaren Ergebnisse ab. Ist die Datenmenge niedrig, so ist auch die Aussage der POD eher beschränkt. Dennoch heißt eine große Zahl von Daten, nicht gleichzeitig, dass die POD für den realen Einsatz in der Produktion genügt. Es muss unterschieden werden, auf welcher Basis unter welchen konkreten Bedingungen - die Daten erhoben wurden. Als wichtigste Ergebnisse zählen die Messergebnisse aus der Produktion der später verwendeten Prüfobjekte für den konkreten Einsatz. Noch bevor die zerstörungsfreien Prüfmethoden zuverlässig in der Produktion eingesetzt wurde, muss jedoch nachgewiesen werden, dass die real vorkommenden Fehler gefunden werden können. Das bedeutet, zu einem Zeitpunkt, an dem noch nicht ausreichend Daten vorhanden sind. Während für die realistische Prüfung die notwendige Anzahl der verschiedenen Fehler meist nicht erreicht wird, so fehlen bei der Bewertung der künstlichen Fehler wichtige Parameter und Einflussgrößen. Es muss somit eine Zwischenlösung gesucht werden, in der die Informationen von beiden Prüfungen kombiniert werden. Mit der Bayesschen Statistik ermöglicht die Mathematik diese Informationen miteinander zu kombinieren und somit beide Informationen mit in die Bewertung einfließen zu lassen.
Praktisch angewandt und erprobt wird die Vorgehensweise gemeinsam mit der Firma POSIVA, die sich mit dem Bau eines Endlagers für hoch-radioaktiven Abfall in Finnland beschäftigt. Hier wird als eine der technischen Barrieren ein Kupferbehälter für die Aufbewahrung der verbrauchten Brennstäbe genutzt. Dieser Kupferbehälter wird mit mehreren zerstörungsfreien Prüfmethoden geprüft. Anhand von Radiographiedaten wird gezeigt, dass die Aussagekraft der realistischen Fehlerdaten mit Hilfe der künstlichen Referenzfehlerdaten untermauert werden kann.