• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.2395-2407
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• 2022

The sodium-cooled fast reactor is among the innovative nuclear technologies selected in the framework of the development of Generation IV concepts, allowing the irradiation of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuels (MOX). A fundamental step for the safety assessment of MOX-fuelled pins for fast reactor applications is the evaluation, by means of fuel performance codes, of the integral thermal-mechanical behaviour under irradiation, involving the fission gas behaviour and release in the fuel-cladding gap. This work is dedicated to the performance analysis of an inner-core fuel pin representative of the ASTRID sodium-cooled concept design, selected as case study for the benchmark between the GERMINAL and TRANSURANUS fuel performance codes. The focus is on fission gas-related mechanisms and integral outcomes as predicted by means of the SCIANTIX module (allowing the physics-based treatment of inert gas behaviour and release) coupled to both fuel performance codes. The benchmark activity involves the application of both GERMINAL and TRANSURANUS in their "pre-INSPYRE" versions, i.e., adopting the state-of-the-art recommended correlations available in the codes, compared with the "post-INSPYRE" code results, obtained by implementing novel models for MOX fuel properties and phenomena (SCIANTIX included) developed in the framework of the INSPYRE H2020 Project. The SCIANTIX modelling includes the consideration of burst releases of the fission gas stored at the grain boundaries occurring during power transients of shutdown and start-up, whose effect on a fast reactor fuel concept is analysed. A clear need to further extend and validate the SCIANTIX module for application to fast reactor MOX emerges from this work; nevertheless, the GERMINAL-TRANSURANUS benchmark on the ASTRID case study highlights the achieved code capabilities for fast reactor conditions and paves the way towards the proper application of fuel performance codes to safety evaluations on Generation IV reactor concepts.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.753-763
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• 2020

In this article, the influence of fuzzified uncertain composite elastic properties on non-linear deformation behaviour of the composite structure is investigated under external mechanical loadings (uniform and sinusoidal distributed loading) including the different end boundaries. In this regard, the composite model has been derived considering the fuzzified elastic properties (through a triangular fuzzy function, α cut) and the large geometrical distortion (Green-Lagrange strain) in the framework of the higher-order mid-plane kinematics. The results are obtained using the fuzzified nonlinear finite element model via in-house developed computer code (MATLAB). Initially, the model accuracy has been established and explored later to show the dominating elastic parameter affect the deflection due to the inclusion of fuzzified properties by solving a set of new numerical examples.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.143-157
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• 2021

Expansive soil is the most predominant geologic hazard which shows a large amount of shrinkage and swelling with changes in their moisture content. This study investigates the macro-mechanical and micro-structural behaviours of dredged natural expansive clay from coal mining treated with ordinary Portland cement or hydrated lime addition. The stabilised expansive soil aims for possible reuse as pavement materials. Mechanical testing determined geotechnical engineering properties, including free swelling potential, California bearing ratio, unconfined compressive strength, resilient modulus, and shear wave velocity. The microstructures of treated soils are observed by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive spectroscopy to understand the behaviour of the expansive clay blended with cement and lime. Test results confirmed that cement and lime are effective agents for improving the swelling behaviour and other engineering properties of natural expansive clay. In general, chemical treatments reduce the swelling and increase the strength and modulus of expansive clay, subjected to chemical content and curing time. Scanning electron microscopy analysis can observe the increase in formation of particle clusters with curing period, and x-ray diffraction patterns display hydration and pozzolanic products from chemical particles. The correlations of mechanical properties and microstructures for chemical stabilised expansive clay are recommended.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2002.10b
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• pp.201-202
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• 2002

The abrasive wear behaviour of $Al_2O_3$ particle-reinforced aluminium composite was investigated. The wear rate of the composite and the matrix alloy has been expressed in terms of the applied load, sliding distance and particle size using linear factorial design approach.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1121-1131
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• 1998

The present study is numerically investigated for the high-pressure effects on the vaporization process in the convection-dominating flow field. Numerical results agree well with the available experimental data. The fuel droplet vaporization characterization is parametrically studied for the wide range of the operating conditions encountered with the high-pressure combustion process of turbocharged diesel engines.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.251-252
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• 2006

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.184-189
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• 1995

The antiwear performance of dialkyl 3, 5-di-t-butyl 4-hydroxy benzyl phosphonates was investigated using a four ball wear test machine. Diethyl 3, 5-di-t-butyl 4-hydroxy benzyl phosphonate (DEP) and dibutyl 3,5-di-t-butyl 4-hydroxy benzyl phosponate (DBP) among them showed excellent antiwear performances compared with conventional additives, ZDDP and TCP as the bulk oil temperature and the sliding velocity increased. The surface analysis through an optical microscopy was conducted for tribological studies.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.27-52
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• 2014

For landfill monitoring and aftercare, long-term prognoses of emission and deformation behaviour are required. Landfills may be considered as heterogeneous porous soil-like structures, in which flow and transport processes of gases and liquids interact with local material degradation and mechanical deformation of the solid skeleton. Therefore, in the framework of continuous porous media mechanics a model is developed that permits the investigation of coupled mechanical, hydraulical and biochemical processes in municipal solid waste landfills.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.222-228
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• 1995

Mechanical alloying behaviour was investigated after adding 6, 8, 12wt% Fe powder into A1 matrix, respectively, in order to develop Al alloy. And the mechanical characteristics of the alloy which was produced by the above method were studied. The hardness and ultimata tensile strength of the material with different compositions were found to be increased with annealing temperatures and holding times. Intermetallic compound of $Al_3Fe$ and carbide of $Al_4C_3$ phases, which were generated from the different compositions during annealing, were found. It was suggested that enhancement of mechanical properties of Al-Fe alloy system was due to the presence of these preapitates that constrained grain growth and blocked dislocation movement in the alloy system.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.314-321
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• 2004

Thermal distortion of non-contacting mechanical seals with inclined rubbing surfaces is affected by friction heat between seal ring and seal seat. The circulation fluid along the inclined rubbing surfaces maintains cooling friction heat and lubrication between the sealing surfaces of mechanical seal with an inclined surface. Mechanical seals with inclined sealing surfaces may be useful for reducing the frictional heating and power loss because of the introduction of cooling fluids to the sealing gap between seal ring and seal seat. From the FEM computed result shows that the thermal behavior and von Mises stress of sealing faces with an inclined angle 60 are much reduced in comparison of the conventional mechanical face seal with rectangular sealing surfaces.