Structural health monitoring of stainless-steel nuclear fuel storage canister using acoustic emission

Abstract

Nuclear power generation constitutes a significant component of the energy infrastructure within the United States. The dry cask storage system canister, used for storing highly radioactive spent fuel, demands vigilant structural health monitoring. This paper explores the feasibility of monitoring of stress corrosion cracking in large-scale dry cask storage system canisters using acoustic emission sensors. In this paper, a 304H stainless steel plate, reflecting a typical canister, was subjected to conditions inducing stress corrosion cracking by exposure to a potassium tetrathionate solution and tensile stresses. Analysis of the captured acoustic emission signals showed that the sensors were able to detect this corrosion even at considerable distances from the cracks. Moreover, a finite element model was designed to simulate the acoustic emission signals, thus providing a preliminary understanding of the signal profiles at different sensor locations and potentially providing guidance on the optimal placement of the sensors during field monitoring.