Failure Analysis of a Sodium Heat Pipe with Integral Lithium Fluoride Thermal Energy Storage

摘要

A sodium, 321 stainless steel heat pipe with three filled Nb-1Zr tubes for thermal energy storage with 304 S.S. screen for wicking was thermal cycled to failure and then an analysis was performed to examine the failure. It was concluded that insufficient weld depth between an end cap and tube body permitted the propagation of a crack through a possible combination of thermal/corrosion failure, creep rupture of the end cap. A number of possible scenarios for the process following a leak are discussed.