Patent ID: 9291537
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A system for stress-rupture testing of materials in a high-temperature liquid salt environment, the system comprising: a vertically elongated vessel having an upper end and a lower end, the vessel comprising one or more gas ports for maintaining a controlled inert gas environment within the vessel; a first pull rod positioned within the vessel and extending downwardly from or through the upper end of the vessel, the first pull rod having a first specimen grip at a lower end of the first pull rod, the first specimen grip adapted to grip an upper end of a test specimen having a tubular gage portion for containing a salt; a second pull rod positioned within the vessel below the first pull rod, the second pull rod having a second specimen grip at an upper end of the second pull rod, the second specimen grip adapted to grip a lower end of the test specimen; a thermal break positioned within the vessel and coupled to a lower end of the second pull rod, the thermal break comprising a fixture coupled to a lower end of the second pull rod and a thermally insulating spacer supported by the fixture below the second pull rod; and a third pull rod having an upper end spaced below the lower end of the second pull rod and spaced within the thermal break fixture, the upper end of the third pull rod being supported by the thermally insulating spacer such that the third pull rod is thermally decoupled from the second pull rod by the thermally insulating spacer, the third pull rod having a lower end that extends through a lower end of the vessel and is adapted to be coupled to a loading source for applying a load to the test specimen via the second and third pull rods and the thermal break.