• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.597-609
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• 2020

Accident Tolerant Fuels have been widely studied since the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in 2011 as one of the options on how to further enhance the safety of nuclear power plants. Deposition of protective coatings on nuclear fuel claddings has been considered as a near-term concept that will reduce the high-temperature oxidation rate and enhance accidental tolerance of the cladding while providing additional benefits during normal operation and transients. This study focuses on experimental testing of Zr-based alloys coated with Cr-based coatings using Physical Vapour Deposition. The results of long-term corrosion tests, as well as tests simulating postulated accidents, are presented. Zr-1%Nb alloy used as nuclear fuel cladding serves as a substrate and Cr, CrN, Cr_xN_y layers are deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering and reactive magnetron sputtering. The deposition procedures are optimized in order to improve coating properties. Coated as well as reference uncoated samples were experimentally tested. The presented results include standard long-term corrosion tests at 360℃ in WWER water chemistry, burst (creep) tests and mainly single and double-sided high-temperature steam oxidation tests between 1000 and 1400℃ related to postulated Loss-of-coolant accident and Design extension conditions. Coated and reference samples were characterized pre- and post-testing using mechanical testing (microhardness, ring compression test), Thermal Evolved Gas Analysis analysis (hydrogen, oxygen concentration), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (EDS, WDS, EBSD) and X-ray diffraction.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.477-488
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• 2010

Zr-based amorphous alloy matrix composites reinforced with stainless steel (STS) and tantalum continuous fibers were fabricated without pores or defects by a liquid pressing process, and their quasi-static and dynamic deformation behaviors were investigated by using a universal testing machine and a Split Hopkinson pressure bar, respectively. The quasi-static compressive test results indicated that the fiberreinforced composites showed amaximum strength of about 1050~1300 MPa, and its strength maintained over 700 MPa until reaching astrain of 40%. Under dynamic loading, the maximum stresses of the composites were considerably higher than those under quasi-static loading because of the strain-rate hardening effect, whereas the fracture strains were considerably lower than those under quasi-static loading because of the decreased resistance to fracture. The STS-fiber-reinforced composite showed a greater compressive strength and ductility under dynamic loading than the tantalum-fiber-reinforced composite because of the excellent resistance to fracture of STS fibers.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.1975-1988
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• 2024

It is important to maintain cladding integrity in spent nuclear fuel management. This study proposes a numerical analysis method to evaluate the fracture resistance of irradiated zirconium alloy cladding under pinch load known to cause Mode-III failure. The mechanical behavior and fracture of the cladding under pinch loading can be evaluated by a Ring Compression Test (RCT). To simulate the fracture of hydride precipitates, zirconium matrix, and Zr/hydride interfaces under the stress field generated by RCT, a micro-structure crack propagation simulation method based on Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) has been proposed. Our RCT simulation model was constructed from microscopic images of irradiated cladding. In this study, we developed an automated process to generate a pixel-based finite element model by separating the hydride precipitates, zirconium matrix, and interfaces using an image segmentation method. The appropriate element size was selected to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of a crack propagation simulation. The load-displacement curves and strain energies from RCT were compared and analyzed with the simulation results of different element sizes. The finalized RCT simulation model can be used to establish the failure criterion of fuel rods under pinch loading. The advantages and limitations of the proposed method are fully discussed here.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.109-112
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• 2004

The HDDR (Hydrogenation-Disproportionation-Desorption-Recombination) process is a special method to produce anisotropic NdFeB powders for bonded magnet. The effect of the modified HDDR process on magnetic properties of $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$-based magnet with several composition $Nd_{11.2}Fe_{66.5-x}Co_{15.4}B_{6,8}Zr{0.1}Ga_x(x=0{\sim}1.0)$ and that of microelement Ga, disproportional temperature and annealing temperature on $_jH_c$, grain size were investigated in order to produce anisotropic powder with high magnetic properties. It was found that modified HDDR process is very effective to enhance magnetic properties and to fine grain size. The addition of Ga could change disproportionation character remarkably of the alloy and could improve magnetic properties of magnet powder. Increasing annealing temperature induces significant grain growth. And grain size produced by modified HDDR process is significantly smaller than those produced by conventional HDDR process.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2016

For a long time, a top priority in the nuclear industry was the safe, reliable, and economic operation of light water reactors. However, the development of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) became a hot topic in the nuclear research field after the March 2011 events at Fukushima, Japan. In Korea, innovative concepts of ATF have been developing to increase fuel safety and reliability during normal operations, operational transients, and also accident events. The microcell $UO_2$ and high-density composite pellet concepts are being developed as ATF pellets. A microcell $UO_2$ pellet is envisaged to have the enhanced retention capabilities of highly radioactive and corrosive fission products. High-density pellets are expected to be used in combination with the particular ATF cladding concepts. Two concepts-surface-modified Zr-based alloy and SiC composite material-are being developed as ATF cladding, as these innovative concepts can effectively suppress hydrogen explosions and the release of radionuclides into the environment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.265-276
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• 2013

Pressure tubes made of Zr-2.5 wt% Nb alloy are important components consisting reactor coolant pressure boundary of a pressurized heavy water reactor, in which unanticipated through-wall cracks and rupture may occur due to a delayed hydride cracking (DHC). The Canadian Standards Association has provided deterministic and probabilistic structural integrity evaluation procedures to protect pressure tubes against DHC. However, intuitive understanding and subsequent assessment of flaw behaviors are still insufficient due to complex degradation mechanisms and diverse influential parameters of DHC compared with those of stress corrosion cracking and fatigue crack growth phenomena. In the present study, a deterministic flaw assessment program was developed and applied for systematic integrity assessment of the pressure tubes. Based on the examination results dealing with effects of flaw shapes, pressure tube dimensional changes, hydrogen concentrations of pressure tubes and plant operation scenarios, a simple and rough method for effective cooldown operation was proposed to minimize DHC risks. The developed deterministic assessment program for pressure tubes can be used to derive further technical bases for probabilistic damage frequency assessment.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.611-614
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• 2018

Laminate composites composed of $0.95Pb(Zr_{0.52}Ti_{0.48})O_3-0.05Pb(Mn_{1/3}Sb_{2/3})O_3$ piezoelectric ceramic and Fe-Si-B based magnetostrictive amorphous alloy are fabricated, and the effect of control of the areal dimensions and the thickness of the piezoelectric layer on the magnetoelectric(ME) properties of the laminate composites is studied. As the aspect ratio of the piezoelectric layer and the magnetostrictive layer increases, the maximum value of the ME voltage coefficient(${\alpha}_{ME}$) increases and the intensity of the DC magnetic field at which the maximum ${\alpha}_{ME}$ value appears decreases. Moreover, as the thickness of the piezoelectric layer decreases, ${\alpha}_{ME}$ tends to increase. The ME composites exhibit ${\alpha}_{ME}$ values higher than $1Vcm^{-1}Oe^{-1}$ even at the non-resonance frequency of 1 kHz. This study shows that, apart from the inherent characteristics of the piezoelectric composition, small thicknesses and high aspect ratios of the piezoelectric layer are important dimensional determinants for achieving high ME performance of the piezoelectric-magnetostrictive laminate composite.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.2475-2490
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• 2022

The Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) is a new concept of fuel, which can not only withstand the consequences of the accident for a longer time, but also maintain or improve the performance under operating conditions. ISAA is a self-developed severe accident analysis code, which uses modular structures to simulate the development processes of severe accidents in nuclear plants. The basic version of ISAA is developed based on UO₂-Zr fuel. To study the potential safety gain of ATF cladding, an improved version of ISAA, referred to as ISAA-ATF, is introduced to analyze the station blackout accident of PWR using ATF cladding. The results show that ATF cladding enable the core to maintain a longer time compared to zirconium alloy cladding, thereby enhancing the accident mitigation capability. Meanwhile, the generation of hydrogen is significantly reduced and delayed, which proves that ATF can improve the safety characteristics of the nuclear reactor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09b
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• pp.936-936
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• 2006

Bulk amorphous materials have been intensively studied to apply for various advanced industry fields due to their high mechanical, chemical and electrical properties. These materials have been produced by several techniques such as mechanical alloying, melt spinning and gas atomization, etc. Among them, the atomization is the most potential technique for commercialization due to high cooling rate during solidification of the melt and mass productivity. However, the amorphous powders still have some limitations because of their low ductility and toughness. Therefore, intensive efforts have to be carried out to increase the ductility and toughness. In this study, the Ni-based amorphous powder was produced by the gas atomization process. And in order to increase the ductile toughness, ductile Cu phase was coated on the Ni amorphous powder by spray drying process. The characteristics of the as-synthesis powders have been examined and briefly mentioned. The master alloy with $Ni_{57}Zr_{20}Ti_{16}Si_2Sn_3$ was prepared by vacuum induction melting furnace with graphite crucible and mold. The atomization was conducted at $1450^{\circ}C$ under the vacuum of $10^{-2}$ torr. The gas pressure during atomization was varied from 35 to 50 bars. After making the Ni amorphous powders, the spray drying was processed to produce the Cu -coated Ni amorphous composite powder. The amorphous powder and Cu nitrate solution were mixed together with a small amount of binder and then it was sprayed at temperature of $130^{\circ}C$ and rotating speed of 15,000 R.P.M.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.229-236
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• 2018

Accident-tolerant fuels (ATFs) are currently of high interest to researchers in the nuclear industry and in governmental and international organizations. One widely studied accident-tolerant fuel concept is multilayer cladding (also known as coated cladding). This concept is based on a traditional Zr-based alloy (Zircaloy-4, M5, E110, ZIRLO etc.) serving as a substrate. Different protective materials are applied to the substrate surface by various techniques, thus enhancing the accident tolerance of the fuel. This study focuses on the results of testing of Zircaloy-4 coated with pure chromium metal using the cold spray (CS) technique. In comparison with other deposition methods, e.g., Physical vapor deposition (PVD), laser coating, or Chemical vapor deposition techniques (CVD), the CS technique is more cost efficient due to lower energy consumption and high deposition rates, making it more suitable for industry-scale production. The Cr-coated samples were tested at different conditions ($500^{\circ}C$ steam, $1200^{\circ}C$ steam, and Pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressurization test) and were precharacterized and postcharacterized by various techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), or nanoindentation; results are discussed. Results of the steady-state fuel performance simulations using the Bison code predicted the concept's feasibility. It is concluded that CS Cr coating has high potential benefits but requires further optimization and out-of-pile and in-pile testing.