10.1 Remote Handling Technology Using a Manipulator for Mechanical Tests in Post Irradiation Examination


Fig. 10-1 Fixturing technique for the fatigue test using arc-shaped specimens

The axial load alignment including a specimen is the most important in the fatigue test. This fixturing technique is able to make sure within the allowable alignment with easy operation using manipulators.


Fig. 10-2 Fatigue data on unirradiated zircaloy 2 (at room temp.)

The fatigue lives of unirradiated zircaloy-2 using arc-shaped speci-mens agreed well with the reference values obtained from the standard testing method.


Fig. 10-3 Specimen handling tools

By exchanging the specimen handling tool with a remote handling tool, the machine is utilized for several mechanical tests such as a high-cycle fatigue test, a crack propagation test, a fracture toughness test and so on.



Various kinds of material testing are strongly needed for the evaluation of mechanical properties of materials irradiated in nuclear reactors and elsewhere. It is necessary to perform these tests in a limited space with concrete shielding, because of the radiation from activated materials. Therefore, it is required to develop remote handling technology with easy operation for the manipulator and miniaturized equipment.
A high cyclic fatigue testing machine was developed to evaluate the fatigue characteristics of LWR (light water reactor) fuel cladding using an arc-shaped specimen. This machine consists of a main body and specimen assembling gear (Fig. 10-1) which fixes a test piece. In the past, fatigue test data varied widely due to the inevitable applied force on installing arc-shaped specimens to the machine. New remote handling technology was developed by equipping the operable torque wrench with load cell equipped manipulators, and this made it always possible to fix a test specimen within the allowable alignment without distortion. The fatigue test data obtained as shown in Fig. 10-2 are almost equivalent to standard test results. By exchanging the specimen handling tool with remote handling, the machine is utilized for several mechanical tests such as a tensile test, a crack propagation test, a fracture toughness test and so on, as well as a fatigue test with an arc-shaped specimen as shown in Fig. 10-3. The mechanical tests using this technology will be quite useful for R&D works of LWR fuels and structural materials in the future.


Reference
M. Nishi et al., Development of PIE Techniques for Irradiated LWR Pressure Vessel Steels, JAERI-Conf 99-009, 119 (1999).

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