77 K Fatigue Crack Growth Rate of Modified CF8M Stainless Steel Castings

The National Compact Stellerator Experiment (NCSX) is the first of a new class of stellarators. The modular superconducting coils in the NCSX have complex geometry that are manufactured on cast stainless steel (modified CF8M) winding forms. Although CF8M castings have been used before at cryogenic temperature there is limited data available for their mechanical properties at low temperatures. The fatigue life behavior of the cast material is vital thus a test program to generate data on representative material has been conducted. Fatigue test specimens have been obtained from key locations within prototype winding forms to determine the 77 K fatigue crack growth rate. The testing has successfully developed a representative database that ensures confident design. The measured crack growth rates are analyzed in terms of the Paris law parameters and the crack growth properties are related to the materials microstructure.