Design, implementation, and testing of a cryogenic loading capability on an engineering neutron diffractometer

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3436637· OSTI ID:22053762

Woodruff, T R; Krishnan, V B; Vaidyanathan, R ^[1]; Clausen, B; Sisneros, T; Livescu, V; Brown, D W; Bourke, M A. M. ^[2]

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1. Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC), University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816 (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

A novel capability was designed, implemented, and tested for in situ neutron diffraction measurements during loading at cryogenic temperatures on the spectrometer for materials research at temperature and stress at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This capability allowed for the application of dynamic compressive forces of up to 250 kN on standard samples controlled at temperatures between 300 and 90 K. The approach comprised of cooling thermally isolated compression platens that in turn conductively cooled the sample in an aluminum vacuum chamber which was nominally transparent to the incident and diffracted neutrons. The cooling/heat rate and final temperature were controlled by regulating the flow of liquid nitrogen in channels inside the platens that were connected through bellows to the mechanical actuator of the load frame and by heaters placed on the platens. Various performance parameters of this system are reported here. The system was used to investigate deformation in Ni-Ti-Fe shape memory alloys at cryogenic temperatures and preliminary results are presented.

• OSTI ID: 22053762
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 81, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACTUATORS
CRYOGENICS
DEFORMATION
DESIGN
HEAT RATE
IRON ALLOYS
MATERIALS TESTING
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
NEUTRON DIFFRACTOMETERS
NICKEL ALLOYS
PERFORMANCE
SHAPE MEMORY EFFECT
SPECTROMETERS
STRESS ANALYSIS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TITANIUM ALLOYS
VACUUM SYSTEMS