• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.145-150
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• 2007

The spacer grid set is a component in the nuclear fuel assembly. The set supports the fuel rods saftely. Therefore, the spacer gl1d set should have sufficient strength for the external impact forces. The fretting wear occurs between the spring of the fuel rod and the spacer grid due to tile flow-induced vibration. The conceptual design of the spacer grid set is performed based on the Independence Axiom of axiomatic design. Two functional requirements are defined and corresponding design parameters are selected. The overall flow of the design is defined according to the application of axiomatic design. The design for the impact load is carried out by using nonlinear dynamic analysis to determine the length of the dimple. Topology optimization is carried out to determine a new configuration of the spring. The fretting wear is reduced by shape optimization using the homology theory. In the design to reduce the fretting wear, the deformed shape of the spring should be the same as that of the fuel rod. This condition is transformed to a function and considered as a constraint in the shape optimization process. The fretting wear is expected to be reduced due to the homology constraint. The objective function is minimizing the maximum stress to allow a slight plastic deformation. Shape optimization results are confirmed through nonlinear static analysis because the contact area becomes wider.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.214-214
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• 1998

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.273-273
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.298-298
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• 2002

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 1996

The in-reactor fuel rod support conditions against the fretting wear-induced damage can be evaluated by residual spacer grid spring deflection or rod-to-grid gap. In order to evaluate the impact of fuel design parameters on the fretting wear-induced damage, a simulation methodology of the in-reactor fuel rod supporting conditions as a function of burnup has been developed and implemented in the GRIDFORCE program. The simulation methodology takes into account cladding creep rate, initial spring deflection, initial spring force, and spring force relaxation rate as the key fuel design parameters affecting the in-reactor fuel rod supporting conditions. Based on the parametric studies on these key parameters, it is found that the initial spring deflection, the spring force relaxation rate and cladding creepdown rate are in the order of the impact on the in-reactor fuel rod supporting conditions. Application of this simulation methodology to the fretting wear-induced failure experienced in a commercial plant indicates that this methodology can be utilized as an effective tool in evaluating the capability of newly developed cladding materials and/or new spacer grid designs against the fretting wear-induced damage.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2006

Sliding wear tests have been performed to evaluate the effect of normal load decrease on the wear depth of nuclear fuel rods in room temperature air. The objectives of this study are to quantitatively evaluate the supporting ability of spacer grid springs, to estimate the wear depth by using the contacting force decrease and to compare the wear behavior with increasing test cycles (up to $10^7$) at each spring condition. The result showed that the contacting load decrease depends on the spring shape and the applied slip amplitude. The estimated wear depth is smaller when compared with measured wear depth. Based on the test results, the wear mechanism, the role of wear debris layer and the spring shape effect were discussed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2581-2589
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• 2002

In this research, fretting tests were conducted in air to investigate the wear characteristics of fuel cladding materials with the fretting parameters such as normal load, slip amplitude, frequency and the number of cycles. A high frequency fretting wear tester was designed for this experiment by KAERI. After the experiments, the wear volume and the shape of wear contour were measured by the surface roughness tester. Tribologically transformed structures(TTS) were analysed by means of optical and scanning electron microscopes to identify the main wear mechanisms. The results of this study showed that the wear volume were increased with increasing slip amplitude, and the shape of wear contour was transformed V-type to W-type. Also, it was found that the critical slip amplitude was 168${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. These phenomena mean that wear mechanism transformed partial slip to gross slip to accelerate wear volume. The wear depth increased with an increase of friction coefficient due to increase of normal load and frequency. The fretting wear mechanisms were believed that, after adhesion and surface plastic deformation occurred by relative sliding motion on the contact between two specimens, TTS creation was induced by surface strain hardening and wear debris were detached from the contact surface which were produced by the micro crack propagation and creation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2010

Fretting wear behavior under elastic deformable contacts was experimentally examined by using a simulated dual cooled fuel rod and its supporting structure. As this fuel rod has larger outer diameter than the typical solid rod to accommodate sufficient internal flow, new supporting structure geometries should be designed and their reliabilities (i.e. vibration characteristics, fretting wear resistance, etc.) are also examined with both analytical and experimental methods. In this study, the supporting structure characteristics and fretting wear behaviors are analyzed and examined by using one of the supporting structure candidates which has an embossing shape. The supporting structure characteristics were examined by using a specially designed test rig and their results were compared with that of analytical method. Based on the test results, the relationship between the supporting structure characteristics and their fretting wear behaviors was discussed in detail.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.112.2-112.2
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• 2005

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.250-255
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• 2009

Oxidation characteristics of Zirlo and Zircaloy-4 tubes, which are widely used as nuclear power fuel cladding, are studied in steam environment up to $1200^{\circ}C$. Oxidation resistances are compared in terms of the mass increase due to the absorption of oxygen. The evolution of microscopic structure accompanied with the oxidation process is investigated. Also, the influence of oxidation on the fretting wear characteristics of the tubes is studied. Piezo-electrically actuated rig is employed to fret the tubes with cross-contacting arrangement. Wear scar is observed and measured, by using microscopes and a 3D-profiler. The results of fretting wear are quantified in terms of scar size, wear volume and wear coefficient, and compared for the three different tube materials of oxidated Zirlo, virgin Zirlo and Zircaloy-4.