• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.802-810
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• 2020

Three-dimensional finite element simulations are implemented for the in-pile thermo-mechanical behavior in U-Mo/Al monolithic fuel plates with different thermal creep rates of cladding involved. The numerical results indicate that the thickness increment of fuel foil rises with the thermal creep coefficient of cladding. The maximum Mises stress of cladding is reduced by ~85% from 344 MPa on the 98.0^th day when the creep coefficient of cladding increases from 0.01 to 10.0, due to its equivalent thermal creep strain enlarged by 3.5 times. When the thermal creep coefficient of Aluminum cladding increases from 0 to 1.0, the maximum mesoscale stress of fuel foil varies slightly. At the same time, the peak mesoscale normal stress of fuel foil can reach 51 MPa on the 98.0^th day for the thermal creep coefficient of 10, which increases by 60.3% of that with the thermal creep un-occurred in the cladding. The maximum through-thickness creep strain components of fuel foil differ slightly for different thermal creep coefficients of cladding. The dangerous region of fuel foil becomes much closer to the heavily irradiated side when the creep coefficient of cladding becomes 10.0. The creep performance of Aluminum cladding should be optimized for the integrity of monolithic fuel plates.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권12호
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• pp.2901-2909
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• 2020

Thermal creep is a key property of zircaloy cladding. CZ developed by CGN is a new zircaloy used as PWR fuel cladding. This research is devoted to investigating the thermal creep behavior of CZ and build the thermal creep model of CZ. Twenty internal pressure creep tests were conducted, and the ranges of temperature and Tresca stress were 320-430 ℃ and 70-300 MPa, respectively. Real-time creep data were analyzed by separating primary creep and steady-state creep. Based on Soderberg model and creep test data, CZ thermal creep model is derived. As a whole, the mean value and the standard deviation of P/M of CZ saturated primary creep strain are very close to these from steady-state creep rate, however, the predictive effect of primary creep is less satisfactory. Four conditions, where there exists large deviation between predicted values and test data, are 320 ℃ and 300 MPa, 350 ℃ and 190 MPa, 380 ℃ and 160 MPa, 380 ℃ and 190 MPa, respectively. As primary creep was much smaller than steady-state creep in long-time operation, the thermal creep model built can be applied to predict the thermal creep behavior of CZ cladding.

• 열처리공학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.235-241
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• 2005

Thermal creep properties of the advanced zirconium fuel claddings named by HANA alloys which were developed for high burn-up application were evaluated. The creep test of HANA cladding tubes was carried out by the internal pressurization method in temperature range from 350 to $400^{\circ}C$ and in the hoop stress range from 100 to 150 MPa. Creep tests were lasted up to 800 days, which showed the steady-state secondary creep rate. The creep resistance of HANA fuel claddings was affected by final annealing temperature and various factors, such as alloying element, applied stress and testing temperature. From the results the microstructure observation of the samples before and after creep test by using TEM, the dislocation density was increased in the sample of after creep test. The Sn as an alloying element was more effective in the creep resistance than other elements such as Nb, Fe, Cr and Cu due to solute hardening effect of Sn. In case of HANA fuel claddings, the improved creep resistance was obtained by the control of final heat treatment temperature as well as alloying element.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제14권7호
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• pp.451-456
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• 2004

Thermal creep properties of the zirconium tube which was developed for high burnup application were evaluated. The creep test of cladding tubes after various final heat treatment was carried out by the internal pressurization method in the temperature range from $350^{\circ}C to 400^{\circ}C$ and from 100 to 150 MPa in the hoop stress. Creep tests were lasted up to 900days, which showed the steady-state secondary creep rate. The creep resistance of zirconium claddings was higher than that of Zircaloy-4. Factors that affect creep resistance, such as final annealing temperature, applied stress and alloying element were discussed. Tin as an alloying element was more effective than niobium due to solute hardening effect of tin. In case of advanced claddings, the optimization of final heat treatment temperature as well as alloying element causes a great influence on the improvement of creep resistance.

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2004년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.279-284
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• 2004

In this study, we suggested the ring creep test using the ring specimen of Arsene for estimating the burst creep properties of the cladding in stead of burst creep test. For this objective, we used the load-displacement conversion relationship of ring specimen called LCRR which had been determined on our previous study at high temperature by performing the ring tensile test and the numerical analysis. Then we carried out both the ring creep test and the burst creep test between 350 $^{\circ}C$ and 600$^{\circ}C$ which were higher then the in-service temperature of the cladding in a reactor. The creep properties from the ring creep test with applying LCRR were compared with those from the burst creep test of closed-end specimens. From the results, it could be seen an very strong relationship between them, especially in Larson- Miller parameter. So, it is expected that we can easily anticipate the creep properties of not only claddings but also various small pressure pipes using the ring creep test.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제29권7호
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• pp.964-969
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• 2005

In this study, we suggested the ring creep test using the ring specimen of Arsene for estimating the burst creep properties of the cladding in stead of burst creep test. For this objective, we used the load-displacement conversion relationship of ring specimen called LCRR which had been determined on our previous study at high temperature by performing the ring tensile test and the numerical analysis. Then we carried out both the ring creep test and the burst creep test between $350^{\circ}C$ and $600^{\circ}C$ which were higher than the in-service temperature of the cladding in a reactor. The creep properties from the ring creep test with applying LCRR were compared with those from the burst creep test of closed-end specimens. From the results, it could be seen an very strong relationship between them, especially in Larson-Miller parameter. So, it is expected that we can easily predict the creep properties of not only claddings but also various small pressure pipes using the ring creep test.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.249-258
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• 2010

Recently, many utilities have considered interim dry storage of spent nuclear fuel as an option for increasing spent fuel storage capacity. Foreign nuclear regulatory committees have provided some regulatory and licensing requirements for relatively low- and medium-burned spent fuel with respect to the prevention of spent fuel degradation during transportation and interim dry storage. In the present study, the effect of cladding creep and hydride distribution on spent fuel degradation is reviewed and performance tests with high-burned Zircaloy-4 and advanced Zr alloy spent fuel are proposed to investigate the effect of burnup and cladding materials on the current regulatory and licensing requirements. Creep tests were also performed to investigate the effect of temperature and tensile hoop stress on hydride reorientation and subsequently to examine the temperature and stress limits against cladding material failure. It is found that the spent fuel failure is mainly caused by cladding creep rupture combined with mechanical strength degradation and hydride reorientation. Hydride reorientation from the circumferential to radial direction may reduce the critical stress intensity that accelerates radial crack propagation. The results of cladding creep tests at $400^{\circ}C$ and 130MPa hoop stress performed in this study indicate that hydride reorientation may occur between 2.6% to 7.0% strain in tube diameter with a hydrogen content range of 40-120ppm. Therefore, it is concluded that hydride re-orientation behaviour is strongly correlated with the cladding creep-induced strain, which varies as functions of temperature and stress acting on the cladding.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권7호
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• pp.2312-2322
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• 2021

In recent studies, the creep rate of Zircaloy-4, one of the basic property parameters of the nuclear fuel code, has been commonly used with the axial creep model proposed by Rosinger et al. However, in order to calculate the circumferential deformation of the fuel cladding, there is a limitation that a difference occurs depending on the anisotropic coefficients used in deriving the circumferential creep equation by using the axial creep equation. Therefore, in this study, the existing axial creep law and the derived circumferential creep results were analyzed through a circumferential creep test by the internal pressurization method in the isothermal conditions. The circumferential creep deformation was measured through the optical image analysis method, and the results of the experiment were investigated through constructed IDECA (In-situ DEformation Calculation Algorithm based on creep) code. First, preliminary tests were performed in the isotropic β-phase. Subsequently in the anisotropic α-phase, the correlations obtained from a series of circumferential creep tests were compared with the axial creep equation, and optimized anisotropic coefficients were proposed based on the performed circumferential creep results. Finally, the IDECA prediction results using optimized anisotropic coefficients based on creep tests were validated through tube burst tests in transient conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권10호
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• pp.3379-3397
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• 2021

In this study, a multi-physics modeling method was developed to analyze a nuclear fuel rod's thermo-mechanical behavior especially for high temperature anisotropic creep deformation during ballooning and burst occurring in Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). Based on transient heat transfer and nonlinear mechanical analysis, the present work newly incorporated the nuclear fuel rod's special characteristics which include gap heat transfer, temperature and burnup dependent material properties, and especially for high temperature creep with material anisotropy. The proposed method was tested through various benchmark analyses and showed good agreements with analytical solutions. From the validation study with a cladding burst experiment which postulates the LOCA scenario, it was shown that the present development could predict the ballooning and burst behaviors accurately and showed the capability to predict anisotropic creep behavior during the LOCA. Moreover, in order to verify the anisotropic creep methodology proposed in this study, the comparison between modeling and experiment was made with isotropic material assumption. It was found that the present methodology with anisotropic creep could predict ballooning and burst more accurately and showed more realistic behavior of the cladding.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.372-378
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• 2000

The effect of alloying elements on the creep resistance of Zr alloys was investigated using thermal creep tests that were performed as a part of advanced fuel cladding development. The creep tests were conducted at 40$0^{\circ}C$ and 150 MPa for 240 hr. A statistical model was derived from the relationship between the steady-state creep rate and the content of individual alloying elements. The creep strengthening effect decreased in the following sequence : Nb, Sn, Mn, Cr, Mo, Fe and Cu. The high creep resistance of Sn and the opposite effect of Fe on zirconium alloys seem to be associated with their lowering and enhancing, respectively, the self-diffusivity of the zirconium matrix.