KOWARI - Residual-Stress Diffractometer
KOWARI is the name of the new
neutron Residual Stress Diffractometer at
Australia's new research reactor
OPAL,
ANSTO.
Strain scanning using
thermal neutrons is a
powder diffraction technique in a polycrystalline block of material probing the change of atomic spacing due to internal or external
stress.
It provides a diagnostic non-destructive tool to optimize e.g. post-weld heat treatment of welded structures. Tensile stresses for example drive crack growth in engineering components and compressive stresses inhibit crack growth (for example cold-expanded holes subject to fatigue cycling). Life extension strategies have high economic impact and strain scanning provides the stresses needed to calculate remaining life as well as the means to monitor the condition of components since it is non-destructive.
One of the main features is the sample table that will allow to examine large engineering components while orienting and positioning them very accurately. KOWARI is part of the
Bragg Institute's park of
neutron scattering instruments.
It got its name from the Australian marsupial
Kowari.
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KOWARI home page
