Use of finite element analysis for the thermal gradient determination of a neutron transparent high-pressure sample environment for neutron tomography

ABSTRACT

A 3D Finite Element Analysis model was developed to describe the temperature distribution inside a novel neutron transparent high-pressure sample assembly. The validity of the model was established by conducting experimental validation. The Finite Element Analysis model was utilised to evaluate the sample assembly’s temperature gradients and optimise its geometry and components. The results indicate that the discrepancy between the temperature recorded in the laboratory using thermocouples and the temperature calculated by the Finite Element Analysis model was only 4% under the assumption that the thermocouple was positioned in the middle of the sample assembly. The models further demonstrate that the Finite Element Analysis approach is a valuable tool for optimising the sample assembly by considering the impact of different materials and variations in the shape of its components.

KEYWORDS:

• Neutron tomography sample environment
• finite element analysis
• Paris-Edinburgh press
• thermal analysis

Acknowledgements

We thank Simon Redfern for generously giving us roPEC. Vili Grigorova would like to thank Edinburgh University and Macquarie University for their support during her PhD studies under a cotutelle agreement. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the anonymous reviewers whose valuable feedback has significantly improved the quality of our paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).