• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1340-1342
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• 2002

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.529-536
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• 2003

The objective of this study is to investigate the reorientation of hydrides with applied stress intensity factor, the peak temperature and the time when to apply the stress intensity factor in a Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube during its thermal cycle treatment. Cantilever beam (CB) specimens with a notch of 0.5 mm in depth made from the Zr-2.5Nb tube were subjected to electrolytic hydrogen charging to contain 60 ppm H and then to a thermal cycle involving heating to the peak temperature of either 310 or $380^{\circ}C$, holding there for 50 h and then cooling to the test temperature of $250^{\circ}C$. The stress intensity factor of either 6.13 or $18.4\;MPa\sqrt{m}$ was applied at the beginning of the thermal cycle, at the end of the hold at the peak temperatures and after cooling to the test temperature, respectively. The reorientation of hydrides in the Zr-2.5Nb tube was enhanced with the increased peak temperature and applied stress intensity factor. Furthermore, when the CB specimens were subjected to $18.4\;MPa\sqrt{m}$ from the beginning of the thermal cycle, the reoriented hydrides occurred almost all over the Zr-2.5Nb tube, surprisingly suppressing the growth of a DHC crack. In contrast, when the CB specimens were subjected to the stress intensity factor at the test temperature, little reorientation of hydrides was observed except the notch region, leading the Zr-2.5Nb to grow a large DHC crack. Based on the correlation between the reorientation of hydrides and the DHC crack growth, a governing factor for DHC is discussed along with the feasibility of the Kim's DHC model.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.246-252
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• 2018

A series of simulated reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) tests on irradiated fully recrystallized boiling water reactor Zircaloy-2 cladding has been performed by means of the expansion-due-to-compression (EDC) test method. The EDC method reproduces fuel pellet-clad mechanical interaction (PCMI) conditions for the cladding during RIA transients with respect to temperature and loading rates by out-of-pile mechanical testing. The tested materials had a large variation in burnup and hydrogen content (up to 907 wppm). The results of the EDC tests showed variation in the PCMI resistance of claddings with similar burnup and hydrogen content, making it difficult to clearly identify ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures. The EDC-tested samples of the present and previous work were investigated by light optical and scanning electron microscopy to study the influence of factors such as azimuthal variation of the Zr-hydrides and the presence of hydride rims and radially oriented hydrides. Two main characteristics were identified in samples with low ductility with respect to hydrogen content and test temperature: hydride rims and radial hydrides at the cladding outer surface. Crack propagation and failure modes were also studied, showing two general modes of crack propagation depending on distribution and amount of radially oriented hydrides. It was concluded that the PCMI resistance of irradiated cladding under normal conditions with homogenously distributed circumferential hydrides is high, with good margin to the RIA failure limits. To further improve safety, focus should be on conditions causing nonfavorable hydride distribution, such as hydride reorientation and formation of hydride blisters at the cladding outer surface.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.159-167
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• 2012

Hydrogen is in the spotlight as an alternative next generation energy source for the replacement of fossil fuels because it has high specific energy density and emits almost no pollution, with zero $CO_2$ emission. In order to use hydrogen safely, reliable storage and transportation methods are required. Recently, solid hydrogen storage systems using metal hydrides have been under extensive development for application to fuel cell vehicles and fuel cells of MCFC and SOFC. For the practical use of hydrogen on a commercial basis, hydrogen storage materials should satisfy several requirements such as 1) hydrogen storage capacity of more than 6.5wt.% $H_2$, moderate hydrogen release temperature below $100^{\circ}C$, 3) cyclic reversibility of hydrogen absorption/desorption, 4) non toxicity and low price. Among the candidate materials, Li based metal hydrides are known to be promising materials with high practical potential in view of the above requirements. This paper reviews the characteristics and recent R&D trends of Li based complex hydrides, Li-alanates, Li-borohydrides, and Li-amides/imides.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.30 no.12 s.255
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• pp.1526-1533
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• 2006

The aim of this research was to confirm the existence of the thermal creep degradation by hydrides of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube materials. Small punch creep tests were performed to obtain the relationship between a creep displacement and a loading period at $300^{\circ}C$. A creep stress and a creep strain rate were also converted from the previous results. The creep material constants and the creep stress exponents at the different hydride contents were compared. Finally the hydrides of the axial and circumferential section were observed using OM, SEM and TEM. The following conclusions were made: 1) The degradation of the thermal creep by hydrides was existed and it strongly depended on the hydride contents. 2) As the hydride contents were increased, the creep stress exponents (m) were also increased. 3) Even though the hydride was not precipitated in 50 ppm materials at $300^{\circ}C$, the degradation of thermal creep was found. Therefore, it was believed that this phenomenon strongly related to the hydride precipitation at room temperature.

• Solar Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.169-175
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• 1998

Metal hydrides can be used for the purpose of heat storage and transportation from the industrial complex which own recoverable waste heats to the neighboring cities by the medium of hydrogen. The properties of metal hydrides, some problems of heat transportation using metal hydrides, and the example of heat transportation system were discussed.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.84-91
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• 2005

수소저장기술은 수소경제를 달성하기 위해 개발해야할 핵실요소기술이다. 이 논문에서는 고체수소저장기술의 최신 개발 동향을 고찰하였다. 나노구조 탄소계 물질(nanostructured carbon materials), 유기금속구조물(metal organic framework, MOFs), 금속수소화물(metal hydrides), 클래스레이트수화물(clathrate hydrates), 금속착수소화물(complex chemical hydrides)과 같은 고체수소저장매체를 중점적으로 고찰하였다. 그 결과 지금까지 개발된 고체수소저장재료의 수소저장용량은 고체의 표면적에 비례하여 증가함을 알 수 있었다. 탄소나노튜브의 수소저장 메커니즘을 연구하여 탄소나노튜브의 표면적이 수소저장량을 증가시키는데 중요한 인자로 작용함을 알 수 있었다.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-73
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the delayed hydride cracking (DHC) of Zr-2.5Nb alloy. The DHC model has some defects: first, it cannot explain why the DHC velocity (DHCV) becomes constant regardless of an applied stress intensity factor, even though the stress gradient is affected by the applied stress intensity factor at the notch tip. Second, it cannot explain why the DHCV has a strong dependence on the method of approaching the test temperature by a cool-down or a heating-up, even under the same stress gradient, and third, it cannot predict any hydride size effect on the DHC velocity. The DHC tests were conducted on Zr-2.5Nb compact tension specimens with the test temperatures reached by a heating-up method and a cool-down method. Crack velocities were measured in hydrided specimens, which were cooled from solution-treatment temperatures at different rates by being furnace-cooled, water-quenched, and liquid nitrogen-quenched. The resulting hydride size, morphology, and distributions were examined by optical metallography. It was found that fast cooling rates, which produce very finely dispersed hydrides, result in higher crack growth rates. This different DHC behavior of the Zr-2.5Nb tube with the cooling rate after a homogenization treatment is due to the precipitation of the $\gamma$-hydrides only in the water-quenched Zr-2.5Nb tube. This experiment will provide supporting evidence that the terminal solid solubility of a dissolution (TSSD) of $\gamma$-hydrides is higher than that of $\delta$-hydrides.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.439-451
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• 2005

This article provides a panoramic overview of the state-of-the-art technologies in the field of solid-state hydrogen storage methods. The emerging solid-state hydrogen storage techniques, such as nanostructured carbon materials, metal organic framework (MOFs), metal and inter-metal hydrides, clathrate hydrates, complex chemical hydride are discussed. The hydrogen storage capacity of the solid-sate hydrogen storage materials increases in proportion to the surface area of the solid materials. Also, it is believed that new functional nanostructured materials will offer far-reaching solutions to the development of on-board hydrogen storage system for the application of the transportation vehicles.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.681-688
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• 2014

Hydride reorientation behaviors of PWR cladding tubes under typical interim dry storage conditions were investigated with the use of as-received 250 and 485ppm hydrogen-charged Zr-Nb alloy cladding tubes. In order to evaluate the effect of typical cool-down processes on the radial hydride precipitation, two terminal heat-up temperatures of 300 and $400^{\circ}C$, as well as two terminal cool-down temperatures of 200 and $300^{\circ}C$, were considered. In addition, two cooling rates of 2.5 and $8.0^{\circ}C/min$ during the cool-down processes were taken into account along with zero stress or a tensile hoop stress of 150MPa. It was found that the 250ppm hydrogen-charged specimen experiencing the higher terminal heat-up temperature and the lower terminal cool-down temperature generated the highest number of radial hydrides during the cool-down process under 150MPa hoop tensile stress, which may be explained by terminal solid hydrogen solubilities for precipitation, and dissolution and remaining circumferential hydrides at the terminal heat-up temperatures. In addition, the slower cool-down rate generates the larger number of radial hydrides due to a cooling rate-dependent, longer residence time at a relatively high temperature that can accelerate the radial hydride nucleation and growth.