Transient thermal finite element analysis of CFC-Cu ITER monoblock using X-ray tomography data
Evans, Llion; Margetts, L.; Casalegno, V.; et al.Lever, L.M.; Bushell, J.; Lowe, T.; Wallwork, A.; Young, Philippe G.; Lindemann, A.; Schmidt, M.; Mummery, P.M.
Date: 28 May 2015
Journal
Fusion Engineering and Design
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher DOI
Abstract
The thermal performance of a carbon fibre composite-copper monoblock, a sub-component of a fusion reactor divertor, was investigated by finite element analysis. High-accuracy simulations were created using an emerging technique, image-based finite element modelling, which converts X-ray tomography data into micro-structurally faithful ...
The thermal performance of a carbon fibre composite-copper monoblock, a sub-component of a fusion reactor divertor, was investigated by finite element analysis. High-accuracy simulations were created using an emerging technique, image-based finite element modelling, which converts X-ray tomography data into micro-structurally faithful models, capturing details such as manufacturing defects. For validation, a case study was performed where the thermal analysis by laser flash of a carbon fibre composite-copper disc was simulated such that computational and experimental results could be compared directly. Results showed that a high resolution image-based simulation (102 million elements of 32. μm width) provided increased accuracy over a low resolution image-based simulation (0.6 million elements of 194. μm width) and idealised computer aided design simulations. Using this technique to analyse a monoblock mock-up, it was possible to detect and quantify the effects of debonding regions at the carbon fibre composite-copper interface likely to impact both component performance and expected lifetime. These features would not have been accounted for in idealised computer aided design simulations.
Engineering
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
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