In-pile creep test system

Abstract

The present invention provides a remote-controlled in-pile creep test system used in in-pile creep tests for measuring and determining mechanical properties of nuclear materials irradiated in research reactors. The in-pile creep test system includes a creep tester vertically installed in a water pool of a nuclear reactor and used in a tensile, compressive or repeated loading or low cyclic fatigue creep test; a detecting unit electrically connected to the creep tester and used for detecting a temperature of the tester and creep strain of a specimen installed in the tester; a gas supply unit connected to the creep tester through gas supply tubes and controllably supplying helium gas from a helium gas reservoir tank to the tester or returning helium gas from the tester to the tank by an operation of an air compressor and a vacuum pump; and a control unit electrically connected to both the detecting unit and gas supply unit so as to control an operation of the creep test system in response to results of a comparison of input data from the detecting unit and the gas supply unit with stored data, whereby the creep tester has simple structure for the convenience of installing the specimen and assembling the capsule parts and also is easily cut and disassembled in a hot cell, and prevents damage or breakage of the specimen during a procedure of removing the specimen from the tester after a creep test, and is used for performing creep tests for specimens having a variety of shapes and sizes.