• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.796-801
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• 2002

Corrosion and tensile properties of zircaloy-4 cladding tube having a laser welding part in elevated temperature are studied to present the criterion of quality evaluation in nuclear reactor and find the scientific basis of SCC, with laser welding method using by coupling up cladding tube to end cap. In the result of tensile test($400^{\circ}C$), the fracture is not happened in the welding part but base metal and the result of corrosion test($400^{\circ}C$ 1500psi steam), corrosion rate of the molten zone and PMZ is a little higher than the other zone.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.89-95
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• 2001

The fretting wear characteristics of Zircaloy-4 tube at room and high temperature were Investigated experimentally. In this study, the number of cycles, slip amplitude and temperature were selected as main factors of fretting wear. The results of this research showed that the wear volume Increased with the Increase of slip amplitudes and the number of cycles but decreased with temperature and the coefficient of friction were observed different tendency between room and high temperature. According to SEM(EDS) only gross slip were observed on the surface of both specimens and compacted oxide were on worn surfaces. XRO patterns showed that the crystallization of ZrO$_2$ were observed on the worn surface at high temperature. The fretting wear were Investigated due to oxidation and accumulation of plastic flow.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2002

A new laser welding system far the appendage of bearing pads of PHWR nuclear fuel elements has been developed. This system consists of laser oscillator, a optical fiber transmission, a monitoring device and a welding controller. The basic welding experiments of the appendage of Zircaloy-4 bearing pads were carried out. The laser welded samples were investigated and made by using the optical fiber of GI $400\mu\textrm{m}$. As a result, the seam welding with the bead width of 1.0mm and the weld penetration of 0.3mm could be accomplished.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.474-483
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• 2021

To establish the exclusive role of hydrogen on burst behaviour of Zircaloy-4 during loss-of-coolant accident transients, an extensive single-rod burst tests were conducted on both unirradiated as-received and hydrogenated Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes at different heating rates and internal overpressures. The visual observations of cladding tubes during bursting as well as post-burst are presented in detail to understand the effect of hydrogen concentration, heating rate, and internal pressure. Impact of hydrogen on burst parameters-burst stress, burst strain, burst temperature-during loss-of-coolant accident transients are compared and discussed. Rupture at multiple locations for hydrogenated cladding at lower internal pressure and higher heating rate is reported for the very first time. A novel burst criterion accounting hydrogen concentration in nuclear fuel cladding is proposed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.188-192
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• 1996

재결정 Zircaloy-2의 요드에 의한 응력부식균열의 전파속도를 직류전압강하측정법 (DCPD, Direct Current Potential Drop)을 이용하여 측정하고 임계응력집중계수( $K_{ISCC}$)를 구하였다. 임계요드농도 이상인 0.01 MPa의 요드농도에서, $K_{ISCC}$는 300 $^{\circ}C$의 경우 약 15 MPa√m, 350 $^{\circ}C$의 경우 약 12 MPa√m의 응력계수였으며, plateau 구역에서의 균열속도는 $10^{-4}$~ $10^{-3}$ mm/sec 영역이었다.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.115-117
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• 2004

Nd:YAG laser welding system was used to manufacture instrumented irradiation fuel. The optimal condition of zircaloy-4 seal tube is charge voltage 180V and pulse per energy 51. We got good welding result in charge voltage 400V, pulse width 7ms, pulse frequency 5 in zircaloy-4 endcap welding.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.823-832
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• 2003

To define the causes of cladding degradation which can take place during the operation of nuclear power plants, it is required to develop the new fracture toughness test of spent fuel cladding. The fracture toughness of Zircaloy-4 cladding was estimated using the recently developed KAERI embedded Charpy (KEC) specimen. Axially notched KEC specimens cut directly from unirradiated fuel claddings, were tested in a way similar to the standard toughness test method of a Single Edge Bending (SEB) specimen. The results of KEC fracture toughness test at room temperatures were discussed and compared with those of the previous other studies. In conclusions, even though the KEC fracture toughness test of nuclear fuel claddings was easier and more reliable than those developed earlier, the results from the cladding fracture tests were not the material characteristics but the specific fracture parameters which were deeply related to the specification of claddings. In addition, the phenomenon of a thickness yielding was not observed from the fracture surface. It was closely related to the fact that the plane strain condition of the KEC specimen was changed to the plane stress condition during crack advancing. It was also supported by the fractographic evidence that the formation of ductile dimples at the crack initiation became the similar appearance such as a quasi-cleavage after the sufficient crack advancing.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.170-178
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• 1988

An automated ultrasonic flaw detection system was developed for thin-walled and short tubes such as Zircaloy-4 tubes used for cladding heavy-water reactor fuel. The system was based on the two channels immersion pulse-echo technique using 14 MHz shear wave and the specially developed helical scanning technique, in which the tube to be tested is only rotated and the small water tank with spherical focus ultrasonic transducers is translated along the tube length. The optimum angle of incidence of ultrasonic beam was 26 degrees, at which the inside and outside surface defects with the same size and direction could be detected with the same sensitivity. The maximum permissible defects in the Zircaloy-4 tubes, i.e., the longitudinal and circumferential v notches with the length of 0.76mm and 0.38mm, respectively and the depth of 0.04 mm on the inside and outside surface, could be easily detected by the system with the inspection speed of about 1 m/min and the very excellent reproducibility. The ratio of signal to noise was greater than 20 dB for the longitudinal defects and 12 dB for the circumferential defects.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.203-207
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• 1976

Strain rate dependence of the flow stress of cold-worked and annealed Zircaloy-4 was studied by stress relaxation test in temperature range of 20$0^{\circ}C$ to 45$0^{\circ}C$. The In $\sigma$-ln i curves for various temperatures were straight in the eirange of 10$^{-5}$ to 10$^{-3}$ sec$^{-1}$ . From the slope of a curve strain rate sensitivity m was obtained. The m in cold-worked Zircaloy-4 had a minimum value at 30$0^{\circ}C$, while m in annealed Zircaloy-4 had two minimum values, one at 30$0^{\circ}C$ and the other at 45$0^{\circ}C$. It was found that the temperatures of the minimum m are consistent with the temperatures of strain ageing peaks. The minimum m at 30$0^{\circ}C$ is considered to be due to strain ageing owing to the pinning of glide dislocations by oxygen atoms, while the minimum m at 45$0^{\circ}C$ for annealed specimen is attributed to iron atoms.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2009

The rate of delayed hydride cracking (DHC), V, has been measured in cold-worked and stress-relieved Zircaloy-4 fuel cladding using the Pin-Loading Tension technique. At $250^{\circ}C$ the mean value of V from 69 specimens was $3.3({\pm}0.8)x10^{-8}$ m/s while the temperature dependence up to $275^{\circ}C$ was described by Aexp(-Q/RT), where Q is 48.3 kJ/mol. No cracking or cracking at very low rates was observed at higher temperatures. The fracture surface consisted of flat fracture with no striations. The results are compared with previous results on fuel cladding and pressure tubes.