Cavitation-induced erosion in liquid metal spallation targets – A comparison between a predictive method and measured erosion damage to stainless steel target modules at the Spallation Neutron Source

Winder, Drew E.; Mcclintock, David; Bruce, Douglas R.

doi:10.1016/j.wear.2020.203257

Title: Cavitation-induced erosion in liquid metal spallation targets – A comparison between a predictive method and measured erosion damage to stainless steel target modules at the Spallation Neutron Source

Full Record
Other Related Research

Abstract

Neutrons are produced for neutron scattering instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source by bombarding liquid mercury with a pulsed high-energy proton beam. The liquid mercury target material flows through a replaceable stainless-steel target vessel and cavitates during operation due to the extremely high heating rate caused by each proton pulse. Cavitation-induced erosion damage to the mercury-facing surfaces of target vessels is a key concern for target lifetime and has been the subject of considerable research. While numerous experiments have studied and modeled the progression of cavitation erosion damage to liquid metal target containers, direct quantitative measurements of actual erosion of a spallation target vessel were previously not available. Recently, the erosion damage to multiple target vessels operated at the Spallation Neutron Source was measured using a high-resolution laser scanning system, which provided an opportunity to study the efficacy of a cavitation damage progression model. In this paper, a cavitation progression modeling procedure developed using empirical observations is compared to measurements of samples from target vessels after operation. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the technique and propose methods for improving future modeling and predictive accuracy.

Authors:

^[1];

^[1]; Bruce, Douglas R. ^[1]

Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Neutron Technologies Division

Publication Date:: 2020-03-03

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:: 1606931

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1603697

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Wear

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 450-451; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0043-1648

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats


                    Winder, Drew E., Mcclintock, David, and Bruce, Douglas R. Cavitation-induced erosion in liquid metal spallation targets – A comparison between a predictive method and measured erosion damage to stainless steel target modules at the Spallation Neutron Source.  United States: N. p., 2020. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.wear.2020.203257.

Copy to clipboard


                    Winder, Drew E., Mcclintock, David, & Bruce, Douglas R. Cavitation-induced erosion in liquid metal spallation targets – A comparison between a predictive method and measured erosion damage to stainless steel target modules at the Spallation Neutron Source.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2020.203257

Copy to clipboard


                    Winder, Drew E., Mcclintock, David, and Bruce, Douglas R. Tue .  
"Cavitation-induced erosion in liquid metal spallation targets – A comparison between a predictive method and measured erosion damage to stainless steel target modules at the Spallation Neutron Source".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2020.203257.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1606931.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_1606931,

  title        = {Cavitation-induced erosion in liquid metal spallation targets – A comparison between a predictive method and measured erosion damage to stainless steel target modules at the Spallation Neutron Source},

  author       = {Winder, Drew E. and Mcclintock, David and Bruce, Douglas R.},

  abstractNote = {Neutrons are produced for neutron scattering instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source by bombarding liquid mercury with a pulsed high-energy proton beam. The liquid mercury target material flows through a replaceable stainless-steel target vessel and cavitates during operation due to the extremely high heating rate caused by each proton pulse. Cavitation-induced erosion damage to the mercury-facing surfaces of target vessels is a key concern for target lifetime and has been the subject of considerable research. While numerous experiments have studied and modeled the progression of cavitation erosion damage to liquid metal target containers, direct quantitative measurements of actual erosion of a spallation target vessel were previously not available. Recently, the erosion damage to multiple target vessels operated at the Spallation Neutron Source was measured using a high-resolution laser scanning system, which provided an opportunity to study the efficacy of a cavitation damage progression model. In this paper, a cavitation progression modeling procedure developed using empirical observations is compared to measurements of samples from target vessels after operation. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the technique and propose methods for improving future modeling and predictive accuracy.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.wear.2020.203257},

  journal      = {Wear},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 450-451,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2020},

  month        = {3}

}

Copy to clipboard

Journal Article:

Free Publicly Available Full Text

Accepted Manuscript (Publisher)

Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Publisher's Version of Record

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2020.203257

Other availability

Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 6 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Similar Records in DOE PAGES and OSTI.GOV collections:

Quantifying the reduction in cavitation-induced erosion damage in the Spallation Neutron Source mercury target by means of small-bubble gas injection

Journal Article Jiang, Hao ; Winder, Drew ; McClintock, David ; ... - Wear

Here, a model developed to represent the progress of erosion damage in liquid-metal spallation target vessels was modified to incorporate the effect of gas injection on the erosion rate. The liquid mercury target system for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory now operates with helium gas injection to reduce target vessel fatigue stress and cavitation-induced erosion damage. Erosion damage is a primary degradation phenomenon affecting the service life of SNS target vessels, and cavitation mitigation techniques, such as small-bubble gas injection, have been implemented to reduce damage and extend target lifetimes. Erosion depths in samples removedmore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2022.204289

Full Text Available
Initial observations of cavitation-induced erosion of liquid metal spallation target vessels at the Spallation Neutron Source

Conference McClintock, David A ; Riemer, Bernie ; Ferguson, Phillip D ; ...

During operation of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory the mechanical properties of the AISI 316L target module are altered by high-energy neutron and proton radiation. The interior surfaces of the target vessel are also damaged by cavitation-induced erosion, which results from repetitive rapid heating of the liquid mercury by high-energy proton beam pulses. Until recently no observations of cavitation-induced erosion were possible for conditions prototypical to the SNS. Post irradiation examination (PIE) of the first and second operational SNS targets was performed to gain insight into the radiation-induced changes in mechanical properties of the 316Lmore »« less
Cavitation damage prediction for spallation target vessels by assessment of acoustic vibration

Journal Article Futakawa, Masatoshi ; Kogawa, Hiroyuki ; Hasegawa, Shoichi ; ... - Journal of Nuclear Materials

Liquid-mercury target systems for MW-class spallation neutron sources are being developed around the world. Proton beams are used to induce the spallation reaction. At the moment the proton beam hits the target, pressure waves are generated in the mercury because of the abrupt heat deposition. The pressure waves interact with the target vessel leading to negative pressure that may cause cavitation along the vessel wall. In order to estimate the cavitation erosion, i.e. the pitting damage formed by the collapse of cavitation bubbles, off-beam tests were performed by using an electric magnetic impact testing machine (MIMTM), which can impose equivalentmore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2008.02.058
Post irradiation examination of the Spallation Neutron Source target vessels

Journal Article McClintock, David A ; Ferguson, Phillip D ; Mansur, Louis K - Journal of Nuclear Materials

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is an accelerator-based pulsed neutron source that produces high-energy spallation neutrons by bombarding liquid mercury flowing through a stainless steel target vessel. During operation the proton beam and spallation neutrons produce radiation damage in the AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel target vessel and water-cooled shroud. The beam pulses also cause rapid heating of the liquid mercury, which may produce cavitation erosion damage on the inner surface of the target vessel. The cavitation erosion rate is thought to be highly sensitive to beam power and predicted to be the primary life-limitingmore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.10.013
Small-bubble gas injection to mitigate cavitation-induced erosion damage and reduce strain in target vessels at the Spallation Neutron Source

Journal Article McClintock, David A. ; Liu, Yun ; Bruce, Douglas R. ; ... - Materials & Design

The effectiveness of small-bubble gas injection to mitigate cavitation-induced erosion damage and decrease strain in Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) target vessels was characterized using photography, laser-line scanning, and in-situ vessel strain measurements. Observations from early targets showed that erosion damage caused appreciable mass loss along the target vessel inner wall. Later target designs incorporated a cavitation mitigation technique called small-bubble gas injection, in which small helium gas bubbles were introduced into the flowing mercury during operation. Samples removed from target vessels after operation revealed that gas injection greatly reduced or eliminated erosion damage. Photographs of the target interiors showed areasmore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2022.110937

Similar Records