• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.113-124
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• 1992

The offshore industry created a need for quality wet weld repairs. Wet welding is a fast method of repair providing sound, structural quality welds. It requires less support equipment than a similar underwater dry weld repair or the alternative mechanical connections. Compared to welds made in air, underwater wet welds are plagued by increased hardness due to rapid quenching by the surrounding water. In this paper is described the experimntal study of improving the cooling rates of wet welds of TMCP steel plate by shielding around weld arc surroundings. The principal results of this experimental investigation can be summarized as follows : By shielding around weld arc surrounding, the cooling rates resulting from wet welds on TMCP steel plate could be lower than that of nonshielded wet welds and the fesibility on high quality of mecanical properties of wet weld on TMCP steel plate was carried out with shielded weld arc surrounding.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.61-66
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• 2013

This paper presents the results of finite element simulations of elastic wave propagation in an underwater steel plate and the verification of a proposed method utilizing elastic wave-based damage detection. For the simulation and verification, we carried out the following procedures. First, three-dimensional finite element models were constructed using a general purpose finite element program. Second, two types of damages (mechanical defects and deteriorations) were applied to the underwater steel plate and three parameters (defect location, defect width, and depth) were considered to adjust the severity of the applied damages. Third, elastic waves were generated using the oblique incident method with a Gaussian tone burst, and the response signals were obtained at the receiving point for each defect or deterioration case. In addition, the received time domain signals were analyzed, particularly by measuring the magnitudes of the maximum amplitudes. Finally, the presence and severity of each type of damage were identified by the decreasing ratios of the maximum amplitudes. The results showed that the received signals for the models had the same global pattern with minor changes in the amplitudes and phases, and the decreasing ratio generally increased as the damage area increased. In addition, we found that the defect depth was more critical than the width in the decrease of the amplitude. This mainly occurred because the layout of the depth interfered with the elastic wave propagation in a more severe manner than the layout of the width. An inverse analysis showed that the proposed method is applicable for detecting mechanical defects and quantifying their severity.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 2021

For application in nuclear decommissioning, underwater laser cutting studies were conducted on thick stainless-steel plates for various cutting directions using a 6 kW fiber laser. For cutting along the horizontal direction with horizontal laser irradiation, the maximum cutting speed was 110 mm·min^-1 for a 48 mm thick stainless-steel plate. For cutting along the vertical direction with horizontal laser irradiation, a maximum speed of 120 mm·min^-1 was obtained for the same thickness, which confirmed that the cutting performance was similar but slightly better. Moreover, when cutting with vertically downward laser irradiation, the maximum cutting speed was 120 mm·min^-1 for a plate of the same thickness. Thus, the cutting performance for vertical irradiation was nearly identical to that for horizontal irradiation. In conclusion, it was possible to cut thick stainless-steel plates regardless of the laser irradiation and cutting directions, although the assist gas rose up due to buoyancy. These observations are expected to benefit laser cutting procedures during the actual dismantling of nuclear facilities.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.1122-1129
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• 2001

Underwater wet arc welding process was experimentally investigated by using the six types of flux coated electrodes of 3.2 mm diameter and the KR-RA steel plate of 11 mm thickness as base metal. Two types of electrodes were domestic covered arc welding electrode(CR13, CR14) and another two types of wet welding electrodes(UWCS, TN20)were imported goods, and the other two type (UWX1, UWX2) were individually designed flux coated electrodes for experimental welding purpose. Main experimental results are summerized as follows: 1. It is ascertained that individually designed flux coated electrode(UWX1) could be used in practice with KR-RA steel plate for underwater wet arc bead welds. 2. Welding arc can be generated easily and considerably kept in stable using TN20 and UWX1 electrodes. 3. The micro Vickers hardness value and the portion of martensite in the HAZ were increased in all the electrodes by rapid cooling rate, but it is relatively maintain stable for UWCS, TN20 and UWX1 electrodes.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.107-114
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• 2007

Underwater wet arc welds were experimentally performed on 11mm thick SS400 mild steel plate as base metal by using six different types of flux coated electrodes of 4.0mm diameter; KSKR, KSKT, USBL, JPUW, UWEA, and UWEB. As results, the developed flux coated underwater electrode had a good weldability compared with other domestic terrestrial electrodes. By rapid cooling rate, the hardness value of HAZ were increased by quenching effects. Mechanical properties for the multi-pass butt-welding specimen are also tested experimentally. The feasibility of the developed underwater electrode was experimentally studied and the results achieved in this wet arc welds have shown that the developed wet welding electrode UWEB can have a degree of integrity.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.147-150
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• 1997

The characteristics of underwater welding of SWS490 steel were investigated. The bead-on-plate type welding with one or three pass using ilmenite and water-proofed type electrodes was performed by varying welding currents and the sizes of electrodes used. The amounts of hydrogen absorbed inter the weld metal were measured according to the JIS Z 3118 specification and the results were interpreted in terms of the cold cracking behaviours of the welded steel. The microstructural changes as well as the microhardness distribution after underwater welding were also investigated using Vickers microhardness tester and S.E.M (scanning electron microscopy) and O.M (optical microscopy). The results indicated that the cold cracking could be avoided by three pass welding under low current with an electrode with a small diameter.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.73-79
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• 2001

Underwater wet bead-on-plate welds were experimentally performed on 11mm thick SS400 steel plate as base metal by using six different types of flux coated electrodes of 3.2mm diameter. Two kinds of different flux coated wet arc electrodes (UW-1, UW-2) were individually designed flux materials, three kinds of the electrodes (E4301, E4311, E4313) were terrestrial electrodes and the another one (TN20) was an imported underwater wet welding electrode. As results, the individually designed flux coated underwater electrode, UW-2 and TN20 had a good starting and the excellent arc stability compared with other electrodes. No significant difference of bead appearance could be detected, but the slag detachability of TN20 electrodes was relatively undesirable. By rapid cooling rate, the hardness value and the portion of martensite of HAZ were increased, but it was considerably maintain stable for TN20 and UW-2 electrodes. The individually designed flux coated electrode, UW-2 could be used in practice for underwater bead welds.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 1991

In this paper, an attempt has been taken for improving the weldability of wer welds of TMCP steel plate by shielding around weld arc surroundings. The principal results of this experimental investigation can be summarized as follows: 1) The cooling rates resulting from wet wlds with the developed electrode on TMCP steel plate could be lower than that of the non-shieled wet welds. 2) The metallurgical characteristics in umderwater wet welds of TMCP steel plate and the developed electrode could be improved by shielding around weld arc surroundings.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.55-62
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• 1998

While excellent joint quality has been obtained using dry chamber underwater welding methods, the size limitations imposed by this process restrict its use for underwater construction work. The wet underwater shielded metal-arc welding eliminates this restriction but suffers from poor weld properties by the 1-pass bead-on-plate welding due to the excessive diffusible hydrogen. On the other hand, in the wet underwater welding, it is well known that the quantity of diffusible hydrogen in multi-pass welded parts reduce to less than that in 1-pass welded parts. Therefore, in this paper, welding experiments are made the 3-pass bead-on-plate welds by using TMCP and normalized steel plates and E4301 and cellulose coated electrode. After that, The amounts of the hydrogen absorbed into the 3-pass welded area were measured according to the JIS Z 3118 specification. The microstructural changes as well as the microhardness distribution after the underwater 3-pass welding were also investigated using Vickers microhardness tester and S.E.M and O.M. The results indicated that the quantity of diffusible hydrogen in 3-pass welded areas was reduced little less than a half of one of that in 1-pass welded areas at the specific welding condition. As a result, the cold cracking of 3-pass welded areas decreased by reduced effect of diffusible hydrogen. In the underwater 3-pass welding, the micrography of cold cracking fracture surface showed mainly the cleavage of hydrogen embrittlement.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.293-300
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• 2007

Turbulent boundary layer over an underwater vehicle is formed when it moves underwater and wall pressure fluctuation within the turbulent boundary layer generates flow-induced noise by exciting the elastic hull of the underwater vehicle. One of the methods to reduce this flow noise is to attach a compliant layer on the surface of the vehicle. In order to observe the possibility of noise reduction in the water when the compliant layer treatments are applied on the surface, three types of specimens those are a bare steel plate, a steel plate coated with neoprene and a steel plate with polyurethane coating material are tested at various flow speeds in a low noise cavitation tunnel. This paper presents the results of measurements and analysis of wall pressure fluctuations which is a main source of flow noise, within the turbulent boundary layer on three specimens. Its results could be shown that about 10dB reduction of wall fluctuation pressure at high frequencies was achieved due to the dissipation of turbulent energy by the compliant coating while it makes the turbulent boundary layer thicker and changes the behavior of turbulent flow in the layer.