Session: OAC-04-03 Storage and Transportation of Radioactive and other Hazardous Materials - 3

Paper Number: 106649

106649 - Free Drop Impact Data Acquisition Using Digital Image Correlation 

Radioactive materials are widespread throughout our everyday activities and are used in many different types of industries, and there are about 3 million shipments of radioactive materials that occur each year in the United States. Because radioactive materials are so widespread, safety and security are top priorities for the Package Testing Program (PTP) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and effective and accurate data collection methods are imperative. The packaging used to carry nuclear materials is subjected to rigorous tests to verify its durability. One such test is the free-drop test.  Impact data are often collected through an accelerometer attached to the test unit. Unfortunately, these devices are easily broken in the testing environment and are expensive to procure, install, and post-process.  Digital image correlation (DIC) using high-speed images offers a non-contact alternative.  DIC is an optical method that employs image registration techniques to accurately measure changes in images.  To verify the suitability of the cameras and process, a test weight was dropped from various heights, and the impact acceleration was derived using DIC. This paper compares the results with data from the attached accelerometer. A total of nine drop tests were performed with three different image capture rates (frames per second) and from three different package drop heights.  An ANSYS LS-Dyna model was also used to determine theoretically predicted deceleration rates for comparison with the DIC and accelerometer data.

Presenting Author: Veronica Montgomery Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Presenting Author Biography: Veronica is a student at Embry-Riddle University majoring in astronomy and astrophysics. She interned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the summer of 2022. During her internship, she worked in free drop impact assessment using digital imaging correlation and verifying the results with finite element analysis and accelerometers.

Authors:

Veronica Montgomery Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Oscar Martinez Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Paul Nogradi Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Lance Lowe Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Abiodun Adeniyi Oak Ridge National Laboratory