• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.7
• /
• pp.179-185
• /
• 2001

Porthole die extrusion is profitable to manufacture long tube with hollow section. The material through portholes is gathered within chamber and welded under high pressure. This weldability which classifies the quality of tube product is affected by several variables and die shape. But, porthole die extrusion has been executed on the experience of experts due to the complicated die assembly and complexity of metal flow. Analytic approaches that are useful in profitable die design and in the improvement of productivity are inevitably demanded. Therefore, the objective of this study is respectively to analyze the behavior of metal flow and to determine welding pressure of hot extrusion product according to the various billet temperature, bearing length and tube thickness by FE analysis and its results are compared with tube expanding tests.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.39-46
• /
• 2015

In this research, we studied the pressure drop affecting on the internal surface roughness and the curvature radius of a U-tube, which is used for the cooling system in PWR(Pressurized Water Reactor). Using ANSYS-FLUENT, a commercial code based on CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics) technique, we compared a Moody chart with the Darcy friction factor changed by a range of various surface roughness and Reynolds numbers of a straight pipe model. We studied the effect giving variation about a range of various surface roughness and the curvature radius of the full scale U-tube model. The material of the heat transfer tube is Inconel 690 used in the steam generator. We compared the velocity distribution of selected 4 locations, and derived the correlation between the surface roughness and the pressure drop for the U-tube of each representative curvature radius using the linear regression method.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.262-272
• /
• 1998

The experiences and causes of pressure tube cracking accidents in the CANDU reactors and the development of the fuel channel at AECL(Atomic Energy Canada Limited) have been described. Most of the accidents were caused by Delayed Hydride Cracking(DHC). In the cases of the Pickering units 3&4 and the Bruce unit 2, excessive residual stresses induced by an improper rolled joint process played a role in DHC. In the Pickering unit 2, cracks formed by contact between the pressure and calandria tubes due to the movement of the garter spring were the direct cause of the failure. To extend the life of a fuel channel, several R&D programs examining each component of the fuel channel have been carried out in Canada. For a pressure tube, the main concern is focused on changing the fabrication processes, e.g., increasing cold working rate, conducting intermediate annealing and adding a third element like Fe, V, and Cr to the tube material. In addition to them, chromium plating on the end fitting and increasing wall thickness at both ends of the calandria tube are considered. There has also been much interest in the improvement of fuel channel performance in our country and several development programs are currently under way.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.118-128
• /
• 2021

The oxide layer in samples taken from an irradiated Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube from a CANDU-PHWR reactor was analyzed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The examined tube had been exposed to temperatures ranging from 264 to 306 ℃ and a neutron fluence of 8.9 × 10²¹ n/cm² (E > 1 MeV) for the maximum 10 effective full-power years in a nuclear power plant. Measuring oxide layer thickness generally employs optical microscopy. However, in this study, analysis of the oxide layer from the irradiated pressure tube components was undertaken through X-ray image mapping obtained using EPMA. The oxide layer characteristics were analyzed by X-ray image mapping with 256 × 256 pixels using EPMA. In addition, the slope of the oxide layer was measured for each location. A particular advantage of this study was that backscattered electrons and X-ray image mapping were obtained at a magnification of 9,000 when 20 kV volts and 30 uA of current were applied to radiation-shielded EPMA. The results of this study should usefully contribute to the study of the oxide layer properties of various types of metallic materials irradiated by high radiation in nuclear power plants.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.241-241
• /
• 1999

With the aim of assessing the degradation of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes operating in the Wolsong unit-1 nuclear power plant, characterization tests are being conducted on irradiated Zr-2.5Nb tubes removed after 10-year operation. The examined tube had been exposed to temperatures ranging from 264 to 306℃ and a neutron fluence of 8.9×$10^{21}$ n/cm²(E>1 MeV) at the maximum. Tensile tests were carried out at temperatures ranging from RT to 300℃. The density of a-type and c-type dislocations was examined on the irradiated Zr-2.5Nb tube using a transmission electron microscope. Neutron irradiation up to 8.9×$10^{21}$ n/cm²(E>1 MeV) yielded an increase in a-type dislocation density of the Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube to 7.5×$10^{14} m^{-2}$, which was highest at the inlet of the tube exposed to the low temperature of 275℃. In contrast, the c-component dislocation density did not change with irradiation, keeping an initial dislocation density of 0.8×$10^{14} m^{-2}$ over the whole length of the tube. As expected, the neutron irradiation increased mechanical strength by about 17-26% in the transverse direction and by 34-39% in the longitudinal direction compared to that of the unirradiated tube at 300℃. The change in the mechanical properties with irradiation is discussed in association with the microstructural change as a function of temperature and neutron fluence.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 2011

CANDU reactor core is composed a few hundreds pressure tubes, which support and locate the nuclear fuels in the reactor. Each pressure tube provides pressure boundary and flow path of primary heat transport system in the core region. In order to guarantee the structural integrity of pressure tube flaws which can be found by in-service inspection, crack growth and fracture initiation assessment have to be performed. Stress intensity factors are important and basic information for structural integrity assessment of planar and laminar flaws (e. g. crack). This paper reviews and confirms the stress intensity factor of axial crack, proposed in CSA N285.8-05, which is an fitness-for-service evaluation code for pressure tubes in CANDU nuclear reactors. The stress intensity factors in CSA N285.8-05 were compared with stress intensity factors calculated by three methods (finite element results, API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 Fitness-For-Service and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI). The effects of Poisson's ratio and anisotropic elastic modulus on stress intensity factors were also discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2011

This study focused on the localization of swivel type tube couplers, which all depend on imports. In this study, a computer application analysis was performed using a finite element method as a preliminary study. In the major developments related to the objective of this study, the air brake system produced by car makers represents a different in the installation point of an air tank according to the type of cars or in the length and direction of its hoses and that leads to cause lots of problems. For solving such problems, the design of the major elements in a swivel type tube coupler was analyzed using a finite element method, and its validity was also verified. In the process that verifies the validity of this study, it was necessary to investigate how much external force affects the desorption of the tube support, which is the most important element in swivel type tube couplers. For achieving the investigation, a pressure test was implemented for the tube support according to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards(FMVSS). In the results of the pressure test, all samples satisfied the FMVSS. In addition, several tests were implemented by installing the sample of the developed swivel type tube coupler to an actual vehicle. In particular, rotation tests with various angles were applied by welding the swivel type coupler to an air tank through an argon welding process. In the results of the installing test for an actual vehicle, it was verified that the designed structure was determined as a structure that is able to endure the eccentric torque and deformation pressure applied to several directions that are the major problems in such fixed type tube couplers. Therefore, in the comparison of the performance of the developed product with the product of PARKER, it was possible to verify that the localized swivel type tube coupler developed in this study shows more excellent than that of the existing products by PARKER.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.39-44
• /
• 2019

The evaporator is a key driver of an air conditioning system's efficiency. In this study, we study methods of maximizing the efficiency of a Massey Ferguson (MF) evaporator by measuring how the cooling performance of different shapes vary with temperature. We varied the tube insertion depth as well as the shape of the evaporator's header and tube. When we compare header shapes of "D", "Ellipse", and "Quadrangle" types, we find that the elliptical header creates the smallest pressure loss and the highest temperature difference. Between tube shapes of "Rectangular", "Projection", and "Circular" types, the "Projection" type tube creates the most temperature difference. We also investigated the depth of tube insertion in the header and find that tube insertion of 5 - 10 mm is feasible; we selected the depths of 5, 7, and 10 mm since they corresponded to approximately 30%, 50%, and 70% of the total width of the header. The tube insertion test demonstrated that a tube insertion depth of 7 mm creates the least pressure loss and the highest temperature difference. In conclusion, the optimal evaporator design uses an "Ellipse" type header, "Projection" type tube, and a tube insertion depth between 30 and 50% of the header width.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.7-12
• /
• 2007

In order to evaluate the integrity of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes, probabilistic fracture mechanics(PFM) approach was employed. Failure assessment diagram(FAD), plastic collapses, and critical crack lengths(CCL) were used for evaluating the failure probability as failure criteria. The Kr-FAD as failure assessment diagram was used because fracture of pressure tubes occurred in brittle manner due to hydrogen embrittlement of material by deuterium fluence. The probabilistic integrity evaluation observed AECL procedures and used fracture toughness parameters of EPRI and recently announced theory. In conclusion, the probabilistic approach using the Kr-FAD made it possible to determine major failure criterion in the pressure tube integrity evaluation.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.353-358
• /
• 2004

Tracing the study of the burst test of steam generator tube, few studies have been reported to effect of external pressure acting on secondary-side in service condition. In this study the burst tests of Inconel 690TT were conducted in order to evaluate burst strength characteristics under the effect of external pressure. We obtained the result that the burst strength of Inconel 690TT increased when external pressure increased while both total circumferential elongation and uniform burst elongation were not affected. Also, according to the increased of external pressure, the size of the burst opening became smaller and the tear was getting severe.