The described technology can quantitatively evaluate a material embrittlement behavior under various gaseous hydrogen environments (temperature and pressure). The described technology may include a small-punch test device allowing a specimen to be fixed inside a jig comprising upper and lower dies, gas to be filled at the lower part of the specimen, and a punch for applying force to be included at the upper part thereof so as to bend the specimen in a vertical downward direction under an environment of the influent gas and measure the same. The small-punch test device also includes an insulating container provided so as to encompass the jig therein and a temperature measuring device connected to the inside of the insulating container so as to measure the internal temperature of the insulating container and the temperature of the specimen. The small-punch test device further includes a heat transfer device transferring heat to the specimen.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and methods for applying a force on a sample. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a stress cell (200) comprising a frame (205); an actuator arrangement (210) coupled to the frame; and a coupler (220) for coupling the actuator arrangement to the sample (230). The coupler (220) includes a first coupler portion connected to the actuator arrangement (210) and a second coupler portion connectable to the sample (230). The first coupler portion is flexibly coupled to the frame. The actuator arrangement (210) comprises a first element (214) having a first variable length and a second element (212) having a second variable length, and is adapted to vary a difference between the first length and the second length to provide the force.

A method for testing for hydrogen embrittlement, including mounting a container around a steel alloy test specimen, the container having a closed bottom below a notched area on the test specimen and an open upper end above the notched area; applying a tensile load to the test specimen and sustaining the load for a selected duration to incubate potential hydrogen embrittlement cracks with a sub-critical flaw size if sufficient hydrogen in dangerous levels is present in the test specimen; then, while sustaining the load, dispensing a cryogenic fluid into the container, immersing and chilling the notched area, reducing the sub-critical flaw size for any hydrogen embrittlement cracks incubated; and with the sustained load, fracturing the notched area if the sub-critical flaw size of any hydrogen embrittlement cracks incubated reaches a critical flaw size.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and methods for applying a force on a sample. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a stress cell (200) comprising a frame (205); an actuator arrangement (210) coupled to the frame; and a coupler (220) for coupling the actuator arrangement to the sample (230). The coupler (220) includes a first coupler portion connected to the actuator arrangement (210) and a second coupler portion connectable to the sample (230). The first coupler portion is flexibly coupled to the frame. The actuator arrangement (210) comprises a first element (214) having a first variable length and a second element (212) having a second variable length, and is adapted to vary a difference between the first length and the second length to provide the force.

A device for stress-freezing experiments during fracturing process according to the present application, in which heating and cooling treatment on a specimen under corresponding temperature control according to a preset temperature gradient and a photosensitive curve is performed by a temperature control system, to realize stress-freezing of the specimen; a pressure is applied to a specimen by a true triaxial servo loading system; and corresponding fracturing experiments are performed to the specimen by a fracturing liquid pumping system having an output end arranged in a thermo-controlled oven.

A test fixture for securing a test article is disclosed. The test fixture includes a frame, an upper grip, at least one heat shield, a cooling assembly, and insulation. The frame defines an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion of the frame is releasably mounted to a vibration device. The upper grip is connected to the upper portion of the frame and the lower grip is connected to the lower portion of the frame. The heat shield is positioned to insulate at least one of the upper grip and the lower grip. The upper grip is configured to secure an upper portion of the test article along an upper interface. The lower grip is configured to secure a lower portion of the test article along a lower interface. The cooling assembly transports a cooling medium across at least one of the upper interface and the lower interface.

A device for stress-freezing experiments during fracturing process according to the present application, in which heating and cooling treatment on a specimen under corresponding temperature control according to a preset temperature gradient and a photosensitive curve is performed by a temperature control system, to realize stress-freezing of the specimen; a pressure is applied to a specimen by a true triaxial servo loading system; and corresponding fracturing experiments are performed to the specimen by a fracturing liquid pumping system having an output end arranged in a thermo-controlled oven.

A test fixture for securing a test article is disclosed. The test fixture comprises a frame, an upper grip, a lower grip, a tensioner assembly, and a cooling assembly. The frame defines an upper portion and a lower portion, where the lower portion of the frame is configured to be releasably mounted to a vibration device. The upper grip is connected to the upper portion of the frame and the lower grip is connected to the lower portion of the frame. The upper grip is configured to secure an upper portion of the test article along an upper interface, and the lower grip is configured to secure a lower portion of the test article along a lower interface. The tensioner assembly is located at the upper portion of the test fixture. The cooling assembly transports a cooling medium across at least one of the upper interface and the lower interface.

Methods of evaluating mechanical fatigue using nondestructive techniques are described herein. Such techniques involve mechanically testing a component to establish a relationship between some measure of actuation and a temperature profile produced during the testing. Measurements from a separate external heating test that generates a similar temperature profile on the component may then be used to generate an estimate of a fatigue lifespan of the component by utilizing data from those tests.

An integrated controller for an environmental testing system simultaneously controls and synchronizes vibration, temperature, and humidity in an environment test chamber over a specified reliability test duration, and performs condition-based measurement and processing of vibration data obtained from the environment test chamber for one or more specified trigger conditions. The controller executes a combined run schedule using a single internal clock and a hardware processor, to generate parameter control commands for the environment test chamber that remain synchronized to the single internal clock over the duration of a test, even one that lasts for weeks or months. This permits multi-variate processing of measured instantaneous values of temperature, humidity, and vibration to obtain, e.g., condition-dependent vibration power spectra and averages for available conditions of temperature, humidity, or both.