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Title: Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Harvested Hypalon Cable Jacket Subjected to Accelerated Thermal Aging

Abstract

We report that for nuclear power plants (NPPs) considering second license renewal for operation beyond 60 years, knowledge of long-term operation, condition monitoring, and viability for the reactor components including reactor pressure vessel, concrete structures, and cable systems is essential. Such knowledge will provide NPP owners/operators with a basis for predicting performance and estimating the costs associated with monitoring or replacement programs for the affected systems. For cable systems that encompass a wide variety of materials, manufacturers, and in-plant locations, accelerated aging of harvested cable jacket and insulation can provide insight into a remaining useful life and methods for monitoring. Accelerated thermal aging in air at temperatures between 80°C and 120°C was conducted on a multiconductor control rod drive mechanism cable manufactured by Boston Insulated Wire (BIW). The cable, which had been in service for over 30 years, was jacketed with Hypalon and insulated with ethylene propylene rubber. From elongation at break (EAB) measurements and supporting Arrhenius analysis of the jacket material, an activation energy of 97.84 kJ/mol was estimated, and the time to degradation, as represented by 50% EAB at the expected maximum operating temperature of 45°C, was estimated to be 80 years. These values were slightly below previousmore » measurements on similar BIW Hypalon cable jacket and could be attributed to either in-service degradation or variations in material properties from production variations. Lastly, results from indenter modulus measurements and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggest possible markers that could be beneficial in monitoring cable conditions.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [2];  [3]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Department of Nuclear Engineering
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
OSTI Identifier:
1422994
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 202; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis - formerly American Nuclear Society (ANS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 42 ENGINEERING; Long-term electrical cable performance; Hypalon; accelerated aging

Citation Formats

Duckworth, Robert C., Kidder, Michelle K., Aytug, Tolga, Fifield, Leonard S., Glass, William, and Davis, Sarah. Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Harvested Hypalon Cable Jacket Subjected to Accelerated Thermal Aging. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1080/00295450.2017.1419783.
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Duckworth, Robert C., Kidder, Michelle K., Aytug, Tolga, Fifield, Leonard S., Glass, William, & Davis, Sarah. Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Harvested Hypalon Cable Jacket Subjected to Accelerated Thermal Aging. United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2017.1419783
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Duckworth, Robert C., Kidder, Michelle K., Aytug, Tolga, Fifield, Leonard S., Glass, William, and Davis, Sarah. Tue . "Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Harvested Hypalon Cable Jacket Subjected to Accelerated Thermal Aging". United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2017.1419783. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1422994.
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@article{osti_1422994,
title = {Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Harvested Hypalon Cable Jacket Subjected to Accelerated Thermal Aging},
author = {Duckworth, Robert C. and Kidder, Michelle K. and Aytug, Tolga and Fifield, Leonard S. and Glass, William and Davis, Sarah},
abstractNote = {We report that for nuclear power plants (NPPs) considering second license renewal for operation beyond 60 years, knowledge of long-term operation, condition monitoring, and viability for the reactor components including reactor pressure vessel, concrete structures, and cable systems is essential. Such knowledge will provide NPP owners/operators with a basis for predicting performance and estimating the costs associated with monitoring or replacement programs for the affected systems. For cable systems that encompass a wide variety of materials, manufacturers, and in-plant locations, accelerated aging of harvested cable jacket and insulation can provide insight into a remaining useful life and methods for monitoring. Accelerated thermal aging in air at temperatures between 80°C and 120°C was conducted on a multiconductor control rod drive mechanism cable manufactured by Boston Insulated Wire (BIW). The cable, which had been in service for over 30 years, was jacketed with Hypalon and insulated with ethylene propylene rubber. From elongation at break (EAB) measurements and supporting Arrhenius analysis of the jacket material, an activation energy of 97.84 kJ/mol was estimated, and the time to degradation, as represented by 50% EAB at the expected maximum operating temperature of 45°C, was estimated to be 80 years. These values were slightly below previous measurements on similar BIW Hypalon cable jacket and could be attributed to either in-service degradation or variations in material properties from production variations. Lastly, results from indenter modulus measurements and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggest possible markers that could be beneficial in monitoring cable conditions.},
doi = {10.1080/00295450.2017.1419783},
journal = {Nuclear Technology},
number = 1,
volume = 202,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {2}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2017.1419783
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