Publications

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Materials changes occurring upon redesign caused redevelopment of the multiple spot resistance weld procedure employed to join a 23 micrometer thick foil of 15-7PH to a thick substrate and (at a separate location) a second, smaller thermal mass substrate. Both substrates were 304L. To avoid foil wrinkling, minimal heat input was used. The foil/thick substrate weld was solid-state, though the foil/small substrate weld was not. Metallographic evidence indicated occasional separation of the solid-state weld, hence a fusion weld was desired at both locations. In the redesign, a Co-Cr-Fe-Ni alloy was substituted for the foil, and a Ni-Cr-Mo alloy was evaluated for the small substrate. Both materials are substantially more resistive than their predecessors. This study reports development of weld schedules to accommodate the changes, yet achieve the fusion weld goal. Thermal analysis was employed to understand the effects caused by the various weld schedule parameters, and guide their optimization.

The Plutonium Air Transportable Package, Model PAT-1, is certified under Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations Part 71 by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) per Certificate of Compliance (CoC) USA/0361B(U)F-96 (currently Revision 9). The purpose of this SAR Addendum is to incorporate plutonium (Pu) metal as a new payload for the PAT-1 package. The Pu metal is packed in an inner container (designated the T-Ampoule) that replaces the PC-1 inner container. The documentation and results from analysis contained in this addendum demonstrate that the replacement of the PC-1 and associated packaging material with the T-Ampoule and associated packaging with the addition of the plutonium metal content are not significant with respect to the design, operating characteristics, or safe performance of the containment system and prevention of criticality when the package is subjected to the tests specified in 10 CFR 71.71, 71.73 and 71.74.

The Plutonium Air Transportable Package, Model PAT-1, is certified under Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations Part 71 by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) per Certificate of Compliance (CoC) USA/0361B(U)F-96 (currently Revision 9). The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) submitted SAND Report SAND2009-5822 to NRC that documented the incorporation of plutonium (Pu) metal as a new payload for the PAT-1 package. NRC responded with a Request for Additional Information (RAI), identifying information needed in connection with its review of the application. The purpose of this SAND report is to provide the authors responses to each RAI. SAND Report SAND2010-6106 containing the proposed changes to the Addendum is provided separately.

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It has been shown that thermal energy imparted to a metallic substrate by laser heating induces a transient temperature gradient through the thickness of the sample. In favorable conditions of laser fluence and absorptivity, the resulting inhomogeneous thermal strain leads to a measurable permanent deflection. This project established parameters for laser micro forming of thin materials that are relevant to MESA generation weapon system components and confirmed methods for producing micrometer displacements with repeatable bend direction and magnitude. Precise micro forming vectors were realized through computational finite element analysis (FEA) of laser-induced transient heating that indicated the optimal combination of laser heat input relative to the material being heated and its thermal mass. Precise laser micro forming was demonstrated in two practical manufacturing operations of importance to the DOE complex: micrometer gap adjustments of precious metal alloy contacts and forming of meso scale cones.

Electron beam welding is a well known process used where high precision, high reliability welds are needed, often in exotic materials. Recently, it has been proposed to apply the electron beam produced in a standard scanning electron microscope (SEM), with reversible modifications to increase beam current, for microscale welding. In addition to providing the clean environment associated with the column vacuum, the SEM in imaging mode provides exceptional capabilities in visualising extremely small parts. Furthermore, the standard stage and beam motion controls offer the possibility of flexible programming of beam path with relatively minor software additions. In order to better evaluate the requirements for and effects of μE-beam welding (μEBW) on typical microtechnologically important materials, a clear understanding of the characteristics of the SEM's beam and its interaction with possible target materials is needed. The penetration ability of electrons depends strongly upon their accelerating voltage and the target they are being directed at. Hence, in some circumstances the beam may interact as a surface heat source, while in others it may act as a volume heat source, with important consequences on weld schedule development for the parts and geometry being welded. In this work, the authors explore some of the factors involved and propose simple models for the electron beam heat source which depend on the parameters being used. © 2006 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

Micro-scale welding has been successfully demonstrated using a Scanning Electron Microscope-based Electron Beam Welding (μEBW) technique. Modifications to a standard SEM to increase beam power, beam diagnostics, and Monte Carlo simulations of energy deposition are used to discuss how the technique may be used in practice. In particular, beam-material sub-surface interaction volumes and energy source location tailoring effects will be discussed. Additional desirable enhancements for the future will be noted. Copyright © 2006 ASM International®.

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The feasibility of laser welding of fused silica (aka quartz) has been demonstrated recently by others. An application requiring hermetic sealing of a thin, pressure-bearing quartz diaphragm to a thicker frame led us to explore this technique. We found that laser welding techniques normally used for metallic parts caused scorching and uneven melting. Contrary to standard practices (near focus, high travel speed, high power density), successful welds in fused silica required a broad heat source applied over a large area under a slow rotation to gradually heat the glass through the annealing, softening and finally working temperatures. Furthermore, good mechanical contact between the parts to be joined played an even more important role in this process than in typical metallic joints. A 50 W CO2 laser with 4 f.l. ZnSe2 lens and rotary head was used to weld 0.425 OD, 0.006-0.010 thick, disks to 0.500 OD tubing with 0.125 walls. Several joint geometries and beam orientations were investigated. Temperature profiles were measured and compared to an FEM thermal model. We will discuss the effects of laser power, travel speed, number of passes, joint geometry and part thicknesses on achieving hermeticity and cosmetically-acceptable joints.

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In the present work the authors describe the adaptation of a standard SEM into a flexible microjoining tool. The system incorporates exceptional control of energy input and its location, environmental cleanliness, part manipulation and especially, part imaging. Beam energetics, modeling of thermal flow in a simple geometry, significant effects of surface energy on molten pools and beam size characterization are treated. Examples of small to micro fusion welds and molten zones produced in a variety of materials (Ni, tool steel, Tophet C, Si) and sizes are given. Future directions are also suggested.

A theoretical criterion defining the threshold pulse energy and beam intensity required for melt ejection is proposed. The results of numerical simulation present dependencies of the threshold pulse energy and beam intensity as functions of laser pulse duration and beam radius. The experimental verification of the proposed criterion is described and the comparison of theoretical predictions and measurements is presented. The criterion is applied for simulation of laser drilling metal foil with thickness in the range 25 μm - 125 μm using a laser beam with 12 μam beam radius and pulse durations 10 ns and 100 ns. The computational results are used to interpret the results of an experimental study of laser drilling of 125 μm aluminum foil using a single mode beam of a XeCl laser performed at the Nederlands Centrum voor Laser Research (NCLR) and the University of Twente. Additional results on Nd:YAG spot welds in pure Ni are also presented.

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