• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권9호
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• pp.2054-2063
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• 2020

The high-temperature oxidation behavior of ZrSi₂ used as a coating material for nuclear fuel cladding was investigated for developing accident-tolerant fuel cladding of light water reactors. Bulk ZrSi₂ samples were prepared by spark plasma sintering. In situ X-ray diffraction was conducted in air at 900, 1000, and 1100 ℃ for 20 h. The microstructures of the samples before and after oxidation were examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the oxide layer of zirconium silicide exhibited a layer-by-layer structure of crystalline ZrO₂ and amorphous SiO₂, and the high-temperature oxidation resistance was superior to that of Zircaloy-4 owing to the SiO₂ layer formed. ZrSi₂ was coated on the Zircaloy-4 tube surface using laser 3D printing, and the coated tube was oxidized for 2000 s at 1200 ℃ under a vapor/argon mixture atmosphere. The outer surface of the coated tube was hardly oxidized (10-30 ㎛), while the inner surface of the uncoated tube was significantly oxidized to approximately 300 ㎛.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• 제24권5호
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• pp.22-28
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• 2006

A spacer grid assembly, which is an interconnected array of slotted grid straps and is welded at the intersections to form an egg crate structure, is one of the main structural components of the nuclear fuel assembly for Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). The weld quality of spacer grids in PWRs fuel is extremely important for the fuel assembly performance in the nuclear renter. The spacer grid welds are currently evaluated mainly by the metallographic examination although it reveals only cross-points which are welded by the laser beam. This experiment is also to compare the weldability of Zircaloy-4 spacer grids using by the GTA and LB. The effect of node geometries of spacer grids for the GTAW and LBW has been studied and optimum conditions of spacer grid welding have been found. Microstructures and micro-hardness of the GTA and LB welded zones have been also compared.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.117-123
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• 1977

소입된 질칼로이-4의 가공시효(strain ageing) 현상에 미치는 시효시간 및 온도의 효과를 523-588 狂 온도 구간에서 1~52초의 짧은 시효기간에 조사하였다. 이 실험 조건하에서, 가공시효응력은 5.55$\times$$10^{-4}$ sec$^{-1}$ 신연속도(strain rate) 경우 시효시간 및 시효온도가 증가할수록 증가하였다. 소입된 질칼로이-4의 응력부하 하의 가공시효 현상이 두 한계로 나타나는 것이 확인되었는데 첫단계는 0.39ev의 활성화 에너지 값의 구간으로 이는 전위 (dislocation) 주위의 응력상태로 인한 침입형 산소원자들의 Snoek타입의 배열 (ordering)로 인한 것으로 고려되었으며 두번째 단계는 0.6ev 활성화에너지 값을 갖는 구간으로 이는 주로 산소원자들의 장범위확산에 기인하는 것으로 해석되었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.193-202
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• 2010

In order to study the cladding properties of zirconium after a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA)-simulation oxidation and water quenching test, commercial Zircaloy-4 and two kinds of HANA claddings were oxidized at temperatures ranging from $900^{\circ}C$ to $1250^{\circ}C$ and exposed for 300 s, and then cooled to $700^{\circ}C$ before quenching. Microstructural observations were made to evaluate the matrix characteristics with the chemical compositions after the LOCA-simulation test. Ring compression testing was then performed to compare the ductile behaviour of the HANA and Zircaloy-4 claddings. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was carried out for temperatures ranging from room temperature to $1250^{\circ}C$ for the oxide layer to verify the oxide crystal structure at each oxidation temperature.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2000년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.393-396
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• 2000

Spent fuel rod cutting device should cut a spent fuel rod to an optimal size in order to fast decladding operation. In this paper, for developing spent fuel rod cutting device with cutter blade, rod properties such as dimension and material of zircaloy tube and fuel pellet are investigated at first and then, various methods of existing cutting devices used commercially are investigated and their performance are analyzed and compared. This device is designed to be operated automatically via remote control system considering later use in Hot-Cell (radioactive area) and the mdularization in the structure of this device makes maintenance easy. SUS and Zircaloy-4 are selected as cut material used in the test of spent fuel rod cutting device by cutter blade. In order for constructing the high durable cutter blade, various materials are analyzed in terms of quality, shape, characteristic, and heat treatment, etc. and from these results, spent fuel rod cutting device is designed and manufactured based on the considerations of durability, round shape sustainability of rod cross-section, debris generation, and fire risk, etc.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.31-41
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• 1991

The nodular corrosion behavior of Zircaloy-4 alloy was investigated by autoclave test at 50$0^{\circ}C$ under 1500 psi for the specimens quenched into water from $700^{\circ}C$, 80$0^{\circ}C$, 90$0^{\circ}C$, and 105$0^{\circ}C$. It was observed that the corrosion resistance of Zircalloy-4 specimen increased with increase in annealing temperature, and annealing at $\alpha$-region temperatures resulted in nodular corrosion while annealing at the temperature range of $\alpha$+$\beta$ and $\beta$ did not show nodular corrosion. It was also found that the size of nodule formed on the surface of the specimens increased with increase in exposure time in autoclave, but the total number of nodule remained uncha-nged. The corrosion of furnace-cooled specimens progressed mostly in the interior of grains where Fe and Cr alloying elements were largely depleted during the cooling process. However, the grain boundary seemed to act as a barrier to the nodular corrosion. From combining the present results with other works, it is suggested that the nodules nuc-leate in the local region where some of alloying elements are depleted.

• 한국윤활학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국윤활학회 2001년도 제34회 추계학술대회 개최
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• pp.19-26
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• 2001

The wear characteristic of Zircaloy-4 tube, which is used for a cladding of light water reactor fuel rod, is investigated experimentally. The experiment is conducted with contacting the crossed tube specimens in air as well as in water at room temperature with various combination of contact normal force and sliding distance of reciprocating motion. The contour and the volume of each wear are examined to study the effect of contact condition and environment on wear. As a result, it is found that the wear volume in the water environment is larger than that in the air for all the contact (i.e., force and sliding distance) conditions. However, the wear depth is greater in air than in water if the contact normal force and the sliding distance are larger. These are explained by the ease of detachment of wear particles from the contact surface. On the other hand, workrate model is applied with the contact shear force range measured by our wear tester. Investigated is the correlation between the workrate and the wear volume increase rate of the present experiment. The parabolic curve is found to fit well for the present wear data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.175-183
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• 2001

Various welding processes are now available for end cap closure of nuclear fuel element such as TG(Tungsten Inert Gas) welding, magnetic resistance welding and laser welding. Even though the resistance and TIG welding processes are widely used for manufacturing commercial fuel elements, they can not be recommended for the remote seal welding of a fuel element at a hot cell facility due to the complexity of electrode alignment, difficulity in the replacement of parts in the remote manner and a large heat input for a thin sheath. Therefore, the Nd:YAG laser system using optical fiber transmission was selected for Zircaloy-4 end cap welding inside hot cell. The laser welding apparatus was developed using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser of 500 watt average power with optical fiber transmission. The weldability of laser welding was satisfactory with respect to the microstructures and mechanical properties comparing with TIG and resistance welding. The optimum operation processes of laser welding and the optical fiber transmission system for hot cell operation in a remote manner have been developed The effects of irradiation on the properties of the laser apparatus were also being studied.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제28권8호
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• pp.1341-1345
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• 2007

The surface chemistry of D2O dosed Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) surface followed by Ar-ion bombardment and annealing was studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). In the XPS study, Ar-ion bombardment caused decrease of the oxygen on the surface region of Zry-4 and therefore led to change the oxidation states of the zirconium from oxide to metallic form. In addition, oxidation states of zirconium were changed to lower oxidation states of zirconium due to depopulation of oxygen on the surface region by annealing. Up to about 787 K, the bulk oxygen diffused out to the subsurface region and after this temperature, the oxygen on the surface of Zry-4 was depopulated. UPS study showed that the valence band spectrum of the D2O exposed Zry-4 exhibited a dominant peak at around 13 eV and no clear Fermi edge was detected. After stepwise Ar+ sputtering processes, the decrease of the oxygen on the surface of Zry-4 led to suppress the dominant peak around 13 eV, the peak around 9 eV and develop a new peak of the metallic Zr 4d state (20.5-21.0 eV) at the Fermi level.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권11호
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• pp.2565-2571
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• 2020

Background: Understanding the behaviour of nuclear fuel claddings by conducting burst test on single cladding tube under simulated loss-of-coolant accident conditions and developing theoretical cum empirical predictive computer codes have been the focus of several investigations. The developed burst criterion (a) assumes symmetrical deformation of cladding tube in contrast to experimental observation (b) interpolates the properties of Zircaloy-4 cladding in mixed α+β phase (c) does not account for azimuthal temperature variations. In order to overcome all these drawbacks of burst criterion, it is reasoned that artificial intelligence technique may be a better option to predict the burst parameters. Methods: Artificial neural network models based on feedforward backpropagation algorithm with logsig transfer function are developed. Results: Neural network architecture of 2-4-4-3, that is model with two hidden layers having four nodes in each layer is found to be the most suitable. The mean, maximum, and minimum prediction errors for this optimised model are 0.82%, 19.62%, and 0.004%, respectively. Conclusion: The burst stress, burst temperature, and burst strain obtained from burst criterion have average deviation of 19%, 12%, and 53% respectively whereas the developed neural network model predicted these parameters with average deviation of 6%, 2%, and 8%, respectively.