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Many industry sectors have benefited from research carried out under ANDI projects. Neutrons are a powerful probe of materials of all kinds. Many industry sectors depend on a knowledge of materials they are using, so the potential applications for neutron materials research are very broad.
Examples by industry sector:
Examples by benefits to industry:
A steel industry research project, used neutrons to characterize a new steel product. The knowledge gained from that research resulted in a change to the applicable Canadian Standard, and opened up a new market for the company. That project is described further below.
An automobile manufacturer used neutrons to examine stresses within a prototype engine. Knowledge gained from that research validated the design for commercial production.
A petrochemical company was experiencing the regular failure of a key component in its pressurized oil-well servicing equipment. They used neutrons to examine stresses inside the massive steel component. Knowledge gained from that project resulted in a more reliable piece of equipment with the resulting savings in time and cost. That project is described further below.
Thiokol Corporation, a producer of rocket propulsion systems, came to the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre following the space shuttle Challenger tragedy, to examine a piece of the booster rocket casing using neutrons. The measurements verified that computer modelling had provided the correct, conservative estimates of residual stresses near bolt holes - i.e. that there were no surprising conditions at these locations, which might have contributed to the accident.
An aerospace company used neutrons to examine the stresses within a structural component from an aircraft fuselage. The knowledge gained from that research was used in validating the proposed manufacturing route, ensuring a safe, strong component
A nuclear industry research project focussed on the effect of long term radiation on welded joints of components inside nuclear reactors. In response to this challenging ANDI project, NRC staff at Chalk River, developed a new piece of equipment which enabled neutron measurements to be made on the samples which were highly radioactive. The knowledge gained from this research supported continuing operating of the nuclear power stations.
At Hydro-Quebec's research centre, a group of scientists were developing new materials for application in the industry. One material they were developing was for use as a cathode in the production of sodium chlorate, a bleaching agent used in the paper industry. Producing sodium chlorate is an energy-intensive process, so a more efficient cathode material could save substantial amounts of power.
The new material in question was a nanocrystalline Ti2RuFeOx alloy. The group conducted an experiment at NRC-Chalk River to precisely locate atom positions within the lattice using neutron diffraction, the only technique that allowed them to do this. This information was essential for the group to understand the new alloy.
The group report that their new cathode material reduces the overpotential by about 250-300 mV. They estimate that in the province of Quebec alone, use of the new alloy could result in a saving of $6 million annually in electricity charges.
A blade from a turbine engine Knowledge of material properties frequently has a direct impact on the safety, reliability and cost of components. Aerospace components such as turbine blades are subjected to extreme conditions in operation, where the consequences of failure are potentially severe. Knowledge of the material properties, crystalline structure and residual stresses within such components enables engineers to optimize their design and manufacture. The end result is a safer turbine engine. |
A piece of the space shuttle Challenger booster rocket Thiokol Corporation came to the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre following the space shuttle Challenger tragedy, to examine a piece of the booster rocket casing using neutrons. The measurements verified that computer modelling had provided the correct, conservative estimates of residual stresses near bolt holes - i.e. that there were no surprising conditions at these locations, which might have contributed to the accident. |
A section through a V-8 automobile When manufacturing engine blocks for cars, a steel liner is inserted in the mould to form the cylinder in which the pistons will move. Aluminum is then cast around those liners, filling the mould. As the aluminum solidifies and cools it contracts, but around the steel liners the hot metal is constrained. This sets up residual stress within the body of the casting. Auto manufacturers have used the NRC facilities at Chalk River to measure those stresses deep inside intact engine blocks to help improve casting designs for higher product reliability. |
Milling the fluid end in preparation for examination.
Schlumberger is an international high tech company with a large oilfield services business. Part of that business is centered on enhancing the productivity of older oil wells. This is accomplished by 'well fracturing' where high pressure fluid is pumped into the well that cracks the rock around the bore, allowing oil to flow more easily.
One large component used in well fracturing, called the fluid end, was failing during operation. The effect on project schedule and the expense of replacements prompted Schlumberger to look for the cause of this failure. It was clear that forensic work on this complex, heavy steel component would require a state of the art technique, so the company approached Queen's University for help. Research scientists from Queen's and NRC used neutron diffraction to investigate this problem.
The fluid end on the spectrometer
The fluid end is autofrettaged during manufacturing. This introduces residual compressive stresses that help it to withstand the high pressure operating environment. One possible explanation for the failures was that these expected compressive stresses were either absent, or gradually disappeared during service. Neutrons were an ideal tool for investigating this problem. Schlumberger provided a cracked fluid end for testing; however, the work was challenging for several reasons. The fluid end is a heavy (>2500 kg) tool steel casting approximately 1.3 m × 0.6 m × 0.5 m, incorporating a number of chambers. To access the area of interest within the component, the casting first had to be cut, then underwent additional machining. The size and weight of the component made spectrometer alignment particularly difficult.
Plan view: Neutrons enter the sample from the bottom of the picture and pass into the detector top left The ANDI service is well equipped to handle samples from a gram to a ton, and the extensive machine shop and sample preparation facilities at Chalk River Laboratories enabled all sample preparation to be conducted on-site. After careful mounting and alignment, detailed neutron diffraction measurements were made over the critical regions of the fluid end. These measurements determined that the residual compressive stresses introduced during autofrettaging were still present within the critical stress regions. Neutron diffraction measurements instead traced the cracking to a small gouge that acted as a stress concentrator during high pressure operation. |
View inside the fluid end where the defect was located Highly penetrating, yet gentle to materials, neutrons are the ideal probe for this kind of work. This powerful technique in the hands of experts from Queen's University and the National Research Council gave Schlumberger the answers they needed. This is a good example of a company that relies on technological superiority to stay competitive and maintains its industry leadership through the effective use of scientific knowledge. |
The steel-maker IPSCO undertook an ANDI project to open up a substantial new market and at the same time improve the safety and cost of Canada's highway bridges.
IPSCO Inc. is based in Regina, SK with facilities in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and the U.S. They are a world leader in the development of high pressure gas transmission linepipe and ultra high strength plate steels. They have a small R&D department, but rely heavily on research conducted in partnership with universities and government laboratories such as CANMET and NRC-CNBC Chalk River.
IPSCO plant in Regina, SK
Recently IPSCO built the world's largest temper levelling line in Scarborough, Ontario. This facility produces longer, wider and thicker steel plate from coils than previously possible. One application for such plates is in the construction of highway bridges. Unfortunately, plate from coils had long been prohibited from use in bridges in Canada because of concerns that the stresses remaining from traditional processing (known as residual stresses) may cause a failure of the girder. It was suspected that temper levelling altered the stresses in such a way as to eliminate this concern, but there was no proof. The only means to accurately measure the stresses through the full thickness of the steel was neutron diffraction. Dr. Ronald Rogge at NRC Chalk River designed and performed the experiments that assessed the effects of temper levelling on residual stresses in the material in question.
Close-up view of the IPSCO plates mounted on the x-y table of a neutron diffractometer. To the right of the picture are the two channels that house the incident (incoming) and diffracted (outgoing) beam of neutrons. The plum-bob hanging above the plate is used in determining the location of the small sample volume within the body of the plate.
Based on the results from those experiments, the Steel Structures Subcommittee of the Canadian Standards Association recommended temper leveled steel plate be approved for use. It has recently been published in Canada's first truly national Highway Bridge Design Code, CAN/CSA-S6-00. The use of temper leveled plates for bridge girders will reduce their cost and increase the safety and longevity of Canada's highway bridges.
Following that success a subsequent larger scale project with NRC at Chalk River in cooperation with McGill University has allowed IPSCO to further optimize the temper levelling process. Helping them create a product that performs more consistently than ever before, improving their edge in a highly competitive area of business.
