• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.243-249
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• 2001

In this study, the progressive inelastic deformation, so called, thermal ratchet phenomenon which can occur in high temperature liquid metal reactor was simulated with thermal ratchet structural test facility and 316L stainless steel test cylinder. The inelastic deformation of the reactor baffle cylinder can occur due to the moving temperature distribution along the axial direction as the hot free surface moves up and down under the cyclic heat-up and cool-down of reactor operations. The ratchet deformations were measured with the laser displacement sensor and LVDTs after cooling the structural specimen which experiences thermal load up to $550^{\circ}$ and the temperature differences of about $500^{\circ}C$. During structural thermal ratchet test, the temperature distribution of the test cylinder along the axial direction was measured from 28 channels of thermocouples and the temperatures were used for the ratchet analysis. The thermal ratchet deformation analysis was performed with the NONSTA code whose constitutive model is nonlinear combined kinematic and isotropic hardening model and the test results were compared with those of the analysis. Thermal ratchet test was carried out with respect to 9 cycles of thermal loading and the maximum residual displacements were measured to be 1.8mm. It was shown that thermal ratchet load can cause a progressive deformation to the reactor structure. The analysis results with the combined hardening model were in reasonable agreement with those of the tests.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.479-486
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• 2002

In this study, the progressive inelastic deformation, so called, thermal ratchet phenomenon which can occur in high temperature structures of liquid metal reactor was simulated with thermal ratchet structural test facility and 316L stainless steel test cylinder. The thermal ratchet deformation at the reactor baffle cylinder of the liquid metal reactor can occur due to the moving temperature distribution along the axial direction as the sodium free surface moves up and down under the cyclic heat-up and cool-down transients. The ratchet deformation was measured with the laser displacement sensor and LVDTs after cooling the structural specimen which is heated up to 55$0^{\circ}C$ with steep temperature gradients along the axial direction. The temperature distribution of the test cylinder along the axial direction was measured with 28 channels of thermocouples and was used for the ratchet analysis. The thermal ratchet deformation was analyzed with the constitutive equation of nonlinear combined hardening model which was implemented as ABAQUS user subroutine and the analysis results were compared with those of the test. Thermal ratchet load was applied 9 times and the residual displacement after 9 cycles of thermal load was measured to be 1.79mm. The ratcheting deformation shapes obtained by the analysis with the combined hardening model were in reasonable agreement with those of the structural tests.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.342.2-342
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• 2001

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.400-408
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• 2003

A study on the progressive inelastic deformation behavior of the 316 L stainless steel cylindrical structure with plate-to-shell junction under moving temperature front was carried out by structural test and analysis. The structural test intends to simulate the thermal ratcheting behavior occurring at the reactor baffle of the liquid metal reactor as free surface of hot sodium pool moves up and down under plant transients. The thermal ratchet load that heats the specimen up to 550$^{\circ}C$ was applied repeatedly and residual deformation was measured. The thermal ratcheting test was carried out with two types of cylindrical structures, one with plate to-shell junction and the other without the junction to investigate the effects of the geometric discontinuities on the global ratcheting deformation. The temperature distributions of the test specimens were measured and were used for the ratcheting analysis. The ratchet deformations were analyzed with the constitutive equation of the non-linear combined hardening model. The analysis results were in good agreement with those of the structural tests.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.297-305
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• 2006

The thermal ratcheting deformation at the reactor baffle and upper internal structure of the liquid metal reactor (LMR) can occur due to movement of the hot sodium free surface. In in-service inspection of reactor internals of LMR, a new inspection technique should be developed for the detection of the thermal ratcheting damage. In this study, an inspection technique using ultrasonic guided wave is proposed for the detection of the thermal ratcheting damage of cylindrical vessels. A 316L stainless steel cylindrical shell specimen has been prepared. The thermal ratchet structural tests were cyclically performed by heat-up up to $550^{\circ}C$ with steep temperature gradients along the axial direction after cool-down by cooling water. Ultrasonic guided wave propagation has been characterized by analysis of dispersion curve of the stainless steel plate. The zero-order antisymmetric $A_0$ guided wave has been selected as the optimal mode for detection of the ratcheting deformation. It is confirmed that the thermal ratcheting deformation can be detected by the measurement of transit time difference of circumferentially propagated $A_0$ guided waves.