1. A method of processing a non-magnetic alloy workpiece, comprising:
heating the workpiece to a warm working temperature;
open die press forging the workpiece to impart a desired strain to a central region of the workpiece; and
radial forging the workpiece to impart a desired strain to a surface region of the workpiece.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein after the steps of open die press forging and radial forging, the strain imparted to the central region and the strain imparted to the surface region are each in a range of from 0.3 inchinch to 1.0 inchinch;
wherein a difference in strain from the central region to the surface region is not more than 0.5 inchinch.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein after the steps of open die press forging and radial forging, the strain imparted to the central region and the strain imparted to the surface region are each in a range of from 0.3 inchinch to 0.8 inchinch.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein after the steps of open die press forging and radial forging, the strain imparted to the surface region is substantially equivalent to the strain imparted to the central region.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the open die press forging step precedes the radial forging step.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the radial forging step precedes the open die press forging step.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the warm working temperature is in a range spanning a temperature that is one-third of an incipient melting temperature of the non-magnetic alloy up to a temperature that is two-thirds of an incipient melting temperature of the non-magnetic alloy.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the warm working temperature comprises any temperature up to the highest temperature at which recrystallization (dynamic or static) does not occur in the non-magnetic alloy.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-magnetic alloy comprises one of a non-magnetic stainless steel alloy, a nickel alloy, a cobalt alloy, and an iron alloy.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-magnetic alloy comprises a non-magnetic austenitic stainless steel alloy.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the warm working temperature is from 950\xb0 F. to 1150\xb0 F.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to heating the workpiece to the warm working temperature, annealing the workpiece.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the workpiece comprises a non-magnetic stainless steel alloy; and annealing the workpiece comprises heating the workpiece at 1850\xb0 F. to 2300\xb0 F. for 1 minute to 10 hours.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the heating the workpiece to the warm working temperature further comprises allowing the workpiece to cool from an annealing temperature to the warm working temperature.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece comprises a circular cross-section.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the circular cross-section of the workpiece has a diameter greater than 5.25 inches.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the circular cross-section of the workpiece has a diameter greater than or equal to 7.25 inches.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the circular cross-section of the workpiece has a diameter in a range of 7.25 inches to 12.0 inches.
19. A method of processing a non-magnetic austenitic stainless steel alloy workpiece, the method comprising:
heating the workpiece to a warm working temperature in the range of 950\xb0 F. to 1150\xb0 F.;
open die press forging the workpiece to impart a final strain of between 0.3 inchinch to 1.0 inchinch in a central region of the workpiece; and
radial forging the workpiece to impart a final strain of between 0.3 inchinch to 1.0 inchinch in a surface region of the workpiece;
wherein a difference in strain from the central region to the surface region is not more than 0.5 inchinch.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein:
open die press forging the workpiece imparts a final strain of between 0.3 inchinch to 0.8 inchinch in a central region of the workpiece; and
radial forging the workpiece imparts a final strain of between 0.3 inchinch to 0.8 inchinch in a surface region of the workpiece.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the open die press forging step precedes the radial forging step.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein the radial forging step precedes the open die press forging step.
23. The method of claim 19, further comprising, prior to heating the workpiece to the warm working temperature, annealing the workpiece.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein annealing the workpiece comprises heating the workpiece at 1850\xb0 F. to 2300\xb0 F. for 1 minute to 10 hours.
25. The method of claim 23, wherein the heating the workpiece to the warm working temperature further comprises allowing the workpiece to cool from the annealing temperature to the warm working temperature.
26. The method of claim 19, wherein the workpiece comprises a circular cross-section.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the circular cross-section of the workpiece has a diameter of greater than 5.25 inches.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein the circular cross-section of the workpiece has a diameter of greater than or equal to 7.25 inches.
29. The method of claim 26, wherein the circular cross-section of the workpiece has a diameter in a range of 7.25 inches to 12.0 inches.
30. A non-magnetic alloy forging comprising:
a circular cross-section with a diameter greater than 5.25 inches; and
at least one mechanical property that is substantially uniform through a cross-section of the forging;
31. The non-magnetic alloy forging of claim 30, wherein the non-magnetic alloy forging comprises one of a non-magnetic stainless steel alloy, a nickel alloy, a cobalt alloy, and an iron alloy.
32. The non-magnetic alloy forging of claim 30, wherein the non-magnetic alloy forging comprises a non-magnetic austenitic stainless steel alloy.
33. The non-magnetic alloy forging of claim 30, wherein the substantially uniform mechanical property is one of ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, percent elongation, and percent reduction in area.
34. The non-magnetic alloy forging of claim 30, wherein a diameter of the circular cross-section is greater than or equal to 7.25 inches.
35. The non-magnetic alloy forging of claim 34, wherein the diameter of the circular cross-section is in a range from 7.25 inches to 12 inches.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A mobile boration system configured to provide nuclear reactor systems with borated coolant that can mix components of the borated coolant on-site, to provide borated water, the mobile boration system comprising:
a) a water source or a connection to a water source;
b) a water soluble boron powder source;
c) a heater to heat the water;
d) a pump operable to provide a motive force to move water to a desired location;
e) a metering system configured to provide a metered flow of the boron powder source and water heated by the heater;
f) a mixer configured to provide metered mixing of the heated water and the water soluble boron source to provide a metered concentration of waterboric acid slurry;
g) a dilution tank;
h) a hot stream conduit connected between the mixer and the dilution tank, configured to convey the heated waterboric acid slurry to the dilution tank;
i) a dilution stream conduit connecting an inlet port on the dilution tank to a cool dilution stream relative to the heated waterboric acid slurry;
j) a diluted boric acid output connected to an exit port on the dilution tank for conveying a mixture of the dilution stream and the heated waterboric acid slurry to a nuclear reactor system;
k) a transport arrangement configured to transport the mobile boration system to the nuclear reactor system, wherein the transport arrangement eliminates the need for onsite storage of conventionally large volumes of boratedboric acid water solutions; and
l) an insulated chamber housing the mixer and a length of the hot stream conduit with the dilution tank outside of the insulated chamber.
2. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the heater heats the waterboric acid slurry in the mixer.
3. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the pump of (e) is selected from the group consisting of a positive displacement pump and a centrifugal pump with a flow meter.
4. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the water soluble boron powder source is supplied by a hopper and a screw feed conveyor.
5. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the mixer is a mechanical mixer which can provide sufficient agitation to ensure the slurry goes into solution with air entrainment of less than 1 vol. %.
6. The mobile boration system of claim 4, wherein the screw feed conveyor and the hopper can provide a controlled volume flow of the water soluble boron powder source.
7. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the transport arrangement is selected from a truck trailer, a railcar flatbed, a sea transport or an air transport.
8. The mobile boration system of claim 1, including a tank containing a chemical additive, said additive facilitating dissolution of the water soluble boron powder source in the volume of water.
9. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the water source is selected from the group consisting of pumped water or tank water.
10. The mobile boration system of claim 1 including an environmental control system for heating an inside of the insulated chamber.
11. The mobile boration system of claim 1 including a compressor connected to the dilution tank to supply compressed air to the upper interior of the dilution tank.
12. The mobile boration system of claim 1 including a control system which is responsive to an operator input of set points to automatically control a concentration of boric acid exiting the dilution tank.
13. The mobile boration system of claim 1 including an H2BO3 powder delivery system that includes a compressed air input that provides an air blanket to prevent powder agglomeration caused by moisture migration to the interface between the water soluble boron powder source and the mixer.
14. The mobile boration system of claim 13 wherein the mixer is maintained substantially at atmospheric pressure.