Macroscopic elastic stress and strain produced by irradiation

Nuclear Fushion

article

Luca Reali¹  Max Boleininger¹  Mark R. Gilbert¹  Sergei L. Dudarev¹ 

[1] UK Atomic Energy Authority, Culham Science Centre

关键词: virtual tokamak;    irradiation induced stress and strain;    radiation effects;    multi-scalemodelling;    neutron irradiation;    ion irradiation;    elasticity;   

DOI  :  10.1088/1741-4326/ac35d4

来源: Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

Using the notion of eigenstrain produced by the defects formed in a material exposed to high energy neutron irradiation, we develop a method for computing macroscopic elastic stress and strain arising in components of a fusion power plant during operation. In a microstructurally isotropic material, the primary cause of macroscopic elastic stress and strain fields is the spatial variation of neutron exposure. We show that under traction-free boundary conditions, the volume-average elastic stress always vanishes, signifying the formation of a spatially heterogeneous stress state, combining compressive and tensile elastic deformations at different locations in the same component, and resulting solely from the spatial variation of radiation exposure. Several case studies pertinent to the design of a fusion power plant are analysed analytically and numerically, showing that a spatially varying distribution of defects produces significant elastic stresses in ion-irradiated thin films, pressurised cylindrical tubes and breeding blanket modules.

【 授权许可】

Unknown