The thermophysical performance and solid mechanics behavior of UO2-36.4vol % BeO fuel pellets cladded with Zircaloy, SiC, and FeCrAl, and Zircaloy cladding materials coated with SiC and FeCrAl, are investigated based on simulation results obtained by the CAMPUS code. In addition, the effect of coating thickness (0.5, 1 and 1.5 mm) on fuel performance and mechanical interaction is discussed. The...

In this work, we explore the possibility of using photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) as a fiber-optic sensing platform for structural health monitoring, based on long-period gratings (LPGs). Two types of PCF-LPG sensors are proposed for detection of structure corrosion and vibration, respectively. We numerically and experimentally investigate the behaviors of modal transition in the PCF-LPG humidit...

Pipelines are the main transportation means for oil and gas products across large distances. Due to the severe conditions they operate in, they are regularly inspected using conventional Pipeline Inspection Gages (PIGs) for corrosion damage. The motivation for researching a real-time distributed monitoring solution arose to mitigate costs and provide a proactive indication of potential failures...

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is one of the most commonly used materials for the coating of bioceramic titanium (Ti) alloys. However, HA has poor mechanical properties and a low bonding strength. Accordingly, the present study replaces HA with a composite coating material consisting of fluorapatite (FA) and 20 wt % yttria (3 mol %) stabilized zirconia (ZrO₂, 3Y-TZP). The FA/ZrO₂ coatings are deposited on...

The Ni-Ti-Si composite coatings were successfully fabricated on Ti6Al4V by laser cladding. The microstructure were studied by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and EDS (energy dispersive spectrometer). It has been found that Ti₂Ni and Ti₅Si₃ phases exist in all coatings, and some samples have TiSi₂ phases. Moreover, due to the existence of these phases, coatings presented relatively higher mic...

Zirconium alloys have been used as a fuel cladding material for a long time because they have good corrosion resistance and irradiation stability in a reactor environment. However, it was recognized that the severe oxidation and creep ballooning behaviors of zirconium alloy cladding tubes at an accident condition of a nuclear reactor have to be considered to improve nuclear plant safety after t...

High-speed laser cladding technology can significantly improve the efficiency of coating preparation and effectively widen application range cladding. In this study, Ni45 powders were deposited on steel substrate by traditional low speed high-speed process, respectively. The efficiency, surface forming, cross-sectional microstructure, microhardness, wear corrosion resistance properties cladded ...

We theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that the resonant wavelength of long period fiber gratings (LPG) could be shifted in a large magnitude by coating only nm-thick thin-film whose refractive index is higher than that of the glass cladding. The resonant wavelength shift results from either the variation of the thickness of the film and/or the variation of the refractive index of the...

At first step polymer optical fibers (POFs) are used in short distance for optical data transmissions. At second step SiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by sonochemical-assisted method. Silica nanoparticles were added to polymer matrix to prepare polymer based nanocomposites. Most of the POF applications are in the medical and electrical devices. There are several methods for fabrication of POFs,...

Optical fibers with different types of polymer coatings were exposed to three sterilization conditions: multiple autoclaving, treatment with ethylene oxide and treatment with gamma rays. Effects of different sterilization techniques on key optical and mechanical properties of the fibers are reported. The primary attention is given to behavior of the coatings in harsh sterilization environments....