InertStrain: Long term creep strain measurement at high temperature using inert gas

蒸汽管道的长期蠕变监测对电厂的安全运行至关重要。InertStrain提案旨在开发一种可应用于发电厂的创新蠕变应变测量技术。其核心思想是使用惰性气体保护部件的检测区域免受高达650°C的高温管道原始表面上的氧化和其他污染，以便在电厂环境中长时间进行精确的蠕变应变测量。已提交专利申请（GB1411277.5）以保护该概念。本方案的主要创新点在于该专利的实施，即研究和验证可以实现使用惰性气体（例如氩气）的气密密封以长时间保护检测区域，从而可以通过数字图像相关技术测量精确的蠕变应变。密封件必须在电厂中的环境温度和高达650°C的工作温度之间经受数月、数年甚至数十年的多次循环。

Long term creep monitoring in steam pipes is of crucial importance to the safe operation of power plants. The InertStrain proposal aims to develop an innovative creep strain measurement technique which can be applied to power plants. The central idea is to use inert gas to protect the inspection area of a component from oxidation and other contamination on the original surface of a high temperature pipe up to 650°C so that accurate creep strain measurement can be made over a prolonged period of time in a power plant environment. A patent application (GB1411277.5) has been filed to protect the concept. The main innovation of this proposal lies on the implementation of this patent, i.e. to research and validate that air-tight sealing using inert gas such as Argon can be achieved to protect the inspection area over prolonged time, so that accurate creep strain can be measured by digital image correlation technique. The sealing must survive numerous cycles between ambient temperature and operating temperature up to 650°C in a power plant over many months, years or even decades.