Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Application of X-Ray CT for Non-destructive Characterization of Graphite Fuel-Tube

  • Published:
Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Non-destructive characterization of fuel tube of compact high temperature reactor was carried out using quantitative X-ray computed tomography (CT). The fuel tube is made of graphite and parameters of its fuel/coolant channels such as area, inter-spacing and longitudinal uniformity need to be characterized properly throughout its length to ensure homogeneous temperature distribution. A prototype fuel tube was fabricated and characterized using X-ray-CT at two different resolution scales followed by quantitative image analysis. The study reveals potential of X-ray CT in detecting small scale and large scale uniformity of fuel tube channels qualitatively and quantitatively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dasgupta, K., Kar, S., Venugopalan, R., Bindal, R.C., Prabhakar, S., Tewari, P.K., Bhattacharya, S., Gupta, S.K., Sathiyamoorthy, D.: Self-standing geometry of aligned carbon nanotubes with high surface area. Mater. Lett. (2008). doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2007.10.057

  2. Prakash, J., Venugopalan, R., Paul, B., Bahadur, J., Ghosh, S.K., Sathiyamoorthy, D.: Study of thermal degradation behavior of dense and nanostructured silicon carbide coated carbon fibers in oxidative environments. Corros. Sci. 67, 142–151 (2013). doi:10.1016/j.corsci.2012.10.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Venugopalan, R., Sathiyamoorthy, D., Acharya, R., Tyagi, A.K.: Neutron irradiation studies on low density pan fiber based carbon/carbon composites. J. Nucl. Mater. 404, 19–24 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2010.06.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Dulera, I.V., Sinha, R.K.: High temperature reactors. J. Nucl. Mater. 383, 183–188 (2008). doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2008.08.056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Huo, Y.L., Chen, S.G., Liang, H.L., Wang, C.P., Zhou, J., Hu, C.Q., Liu, H.L., Wang, G.H.: Preparation and characterization of SiC coating on graphite substrate. Key Eng. Mater. 602–603, 412–415 (2014). doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.602-603.412

  6. Kingetsu, T., Takehara, M., Yarii, T., Ito, K., Masumoto, H.: Correlation between the oxidation behavior and the microstructure of SiC coatings deposited on graphite substrates via chemical vapor deposition. Thin Solid Films 315, 139–143 (1998). doi:10.1016/S0040-6090(97)00363-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Agrawal, A.K., Sarkar, P.S., Singh, B., Kashyap, Y.S., Rao, P.T., Sinha, A.: Application of X-ray micro-CT for micro-structural characterization of APCVD deposited SiC coatings on graphite conduit. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 108, 133–142 (2015). doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.12.040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zinkle, S.J., Ice, G.E., Miller, M.K., Pennycook, S.J., Wang, X.-L.: Advances in microstructural characterization. J. Nucl. Mater. 386–388, 8–14 (2009). doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2008.12.302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Gilboy, W.B.: X- and \(\gamma \)-ray tomography in NDE applications. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. 221, 193–200 (1984). doi:10.1016/0167-5087(84)90199-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Stock, S.R.: Recent advances in X-ray microtomography applied to materials. Int. Mater. Rev. 53, 129–181 (2008). doi:10.1179/174328008X277803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Feldkamp, L.A., Davis, L.C., Kress, J.W.: Practical cone-beam algorithm. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 1, 612 (1984). doi:10.1364/JOSAA.1.000612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Herman, G.T.: On the noise in images produced by computed tomography. Comput. Graph. Image Process. 12, 271–285 (1980). doi:10.1016/0146-664X(80)90015-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kak, A.C., Slaney, M.: Principles of Computerized Tomographic Imaging. Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (2001)

  14. Miao, H., Zhao, H., Gao, F., Gong, S.: Implementation of FDK reconstruction algorithm in cone-beam CT Based on the 3D Shepp–Logan model. In: 2009 2nd International Conference on Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Tianjin, pp. 1–5. IEEE (2009). doi:10.1109/BMEI.2009.5304987

  15. Schneider, C.A., Rasband, W.S., Eliceiri, K.W.: NIH Image to ImageJ: 25 years of image analysis. Nat. Methods 9, 671–675 (2012). doi:10.1038/nmeth.2089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sarkar, P.S., Pal, M.K., Sinha, A.: Development of a large area X-ray tomography system. In: 14th Asia Pacific Conference on Non-destructive Testing, pp. 3–8 (2013)

  17. Kashyap, Y.S., Yadav, P.S., Roy, T., Sarkar, P.S., Shukla, M., Sinha, A.: Laboratory-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging technique for material and medical science applications. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 66, 1083–1090 (2008). doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2007.12.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sarkar, P.S., Sinha, A., Kashyap, Y., More, M.R., Godwal, B.K.: Development and characterization of a 3D cone beam tomography system. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 524, 377–384 (2004). doi:10.1016/j.nima.2004.01.049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Schindelin, J., Arganda-Carreras, I., Frise, E., Kaynig, V., Longair, M., Pietzsch, T., Preibisch, S., Rueden, C., Saalfeld, S., Schmid, B., Tinevez, J.-Y., White, D.J., Hartenstein, V., Eliceiri, K., Tomancak, P., Cardona, A.: Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis. Nat. Methods 9, 676–682 (2012). doi:10.1038/nmeth.2019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Fusseis, F., Xiao, X., Schrank, C., De Carlo, F.: A brief guide to synchrotron radiation-based microtomography in (structural) geology and rock mechanics. J. Struct. Geol. 65, 1–16 (2014). doi:10.1016/j.jsg.2014.02.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neutron and X-ray Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India

    A. K. Agrawal, P. S. Sarkar, Y. S. Kashyap, B. Singh & A. Sinha

  2. Atomic Fuel Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India

    A. Sharma & R. Kumar

Authors
  1. A. K. Agrawal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. S. Sarkar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Y. S. Kashyap
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. R. Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. A. Sinha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. K. Agrawal.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Agrawal, A.K., Sarkar, P.S., Kashyap, Y.S. et al. Application of X-Ray CT for Non-destructive Characterization of Graphite Fuel-Tube. J Nondestruct Eval 35, 36 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-016-0353-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-016-0353-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation