Testing Capabilities
The HTF offers rigs capable of testing materials at temperatures up to 1000°C and with temperature cycling in a range of novel, demanding environments (pressurised gas for VHTR/HTR, liquid metal for SFR/LFR, inert atmospheres).
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The testing offered by the HTF includes,
but is not limited to:
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Tensile Testing (loads up to 100 kN in tension and compression)
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Fracture Testing (loads up to 250 kN and in the temperature range -196 to 1000°C)
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Creep strain / rupture (loads up to 30 kN)
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Creep crack growth (loads up to 30 kN)
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Strain and load-controlled low cycle fatigue initiation
(loads up to 100 kN in tension and compression)
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Fatigue crack growth (loads up to 100 kN in tension
and compression)
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Creep-fatigue initiation / growth (loads up to 100 kN
in tension and compression)
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Thermo-mechanical fatigue initiation / growth
(loads up to 100 kN in tension and compression)
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Miniaturised tensile / creep / fatigue testing
(loads up to 10 kN)
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High cycle fatigue endurance / crack growth
(up to 100 Hz test frequency and loads up to 10 kN)
To enable detailed analysis of tests the rigs can be equipped with the following analytical instrumentation:
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Digital image correlation (DIC) for full field strain measurement (especially useful where welds are present)
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Acoustic emission monitoring equipment for monitoring crack initiation and propagation
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Potential difference monitoring equipment for monitoring crack initiation and crack growth
High Temperature Facility Alliance Members:
