• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.2901-2909
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• 2020

Thermal creep is a key property of zircaloy cladding. CZ developed by CGN is a new zircaloy used as PWR fuel cladding. This research is devoted to investigating the thermal creep behavior of CZ and build the thermal creep model of CZ. Twenty internal pressure creep tests were conducted, and the ranges of temperature and Tresca stress were 320-430 ℃ and 70-300 MPa, respectively. Real-time creep data were analyzed by separating primary creep and steady-state creep. Based on Soderberg model and creep test data, CZ thermal creep model is derived. As a whole, the mean value and the standard deviation of P/M of CZ saturated primary creep strain are very close to these from steady-state creep rate, however, the predictive effect of primary creep is less satisfactory. Four conditions, where there exists large deviation between predicted values and test data, are 320 ℃ and 300 MPa, 350 ℃ and 190 MPa, 380 ℃ and 160 MPa, 380 ℃ and 190 MPa, respectively. As primary creep was much smaller than steady-state creep in long-time operation, the thermal creep model built can be applied to predict the thermal creep behavior of CZ cladding.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.802-810
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• 2020

Three-dimensional finite element simulations are implemented for the in-pile thermo-mechanical behavior in U-Mo/Al monolithic fuel plates with different thermal creep rates of cladding involved. The numerical results indicate that the thickness increment of fuel foil rises with the thermal creep coefficient of cladding. The maximum Mises stress of cladding is reduced by ~85% from 344 MPa on the 98.0^th day when the creep coefficient of cladding increases from 0.01 to 10.0, due to its equivalent thermal creep strain enlarged by 3.5 times. When the thermal creep coefficient of Aluminum cladding increases from 0 to 1.0, the maximum mesoscale stress of fuel foil varies slightly. At the same time, the peak mesoscale normal stress of fuel foil can reach 51 MPa on the 98.0^th day for the thermal creep coefficient of 10, which increases by 60.3% of that with the thermal creep un-occurred in the cladding. The maximum through-thickness creep strain components of fuel foil differ slightly for different thermal creep coefficients of cladding. The dangerous region of fuel foil becomes much closer to the heavily irradiated side when the creep coefficient of cladding becomes 10.0. The creep performance of Aluminum cladding should be optimized for the integrity of monolithic fuel plates.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2024

In this study, the influence of thermal aging on structural integrity is investigated for Gr. 91 steel. A commercial grade Gr. 91 steel is used for the virgin material, and service-exposed Gr. 91 steel is sampled from a steam pipe of a super critical plant. Time versus creep strain curves are obtained through creep tests with various stress levels at 600 ℃ for the virgin and service-exposed Gr. 91 steels, respectively. Based on the creep test results, the improved Omega model is characterized for describing the total creep strain curve for both Gr. 91 steels. The proposed parameters for creep deformation model are used for predicting the steady-state creep strain rate, creep rupture curve, and stress relaxation. Creep-fatigue damage is evaluated for the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) in a large-scale sodium test facility of STELLA-2 by using creep deformation model with proposed creep parameters and creep rupture curve for both Gr. 91 steels. Based on the comparison results of creep fatigue damage for the virgin and service-exposed Gr. 91 steels, the thermal aging effect has been shown to be significant.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2000.10b
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• pp.1145-1150
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• 2000

Concrete behaves as ductile material at high temperature. The existing stress-strain relationship is not valid at high temperature condition. Thus, stress-strain curve of concrete at high temperature is re-established by modifying Saenz's suggestion in this study. A constitutive model of concrete subjected to elevated temperature is also suggested. The model consists of three components; free thermal stain, mechanical strain and thermal creep strain. As the temperature increase, the thermal creep becomes more critical to the failure of concrete. The thermal creep strain of concrete is derived from the modified power-law relation for the steady state creep. The proposed equation for thermal creep employs a Dorn's temperature compensated time theorem

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.1481-1485
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• 2020

The creep behavior of Ni-Cr-W alloy at 950 ℃ has been investigated by a novel creep testing system which is capable of in-situ measurement of strain. Tubular specimens were pressurized with argon gas for effective stresses up to 32 MPa. Experimental results show that the thermal fatigue reduces the creep life of the tubular specimens and with the introduction of thermal cycling fatigue the primary stage disappears and the creep rate higher than the pure thermal creep (without thermal fatigue). Also the creep behavior of Ni-Cr-W alloy doesn't consist in the secondary stage. A new creep equation has been derived and implemented into finite element method. The results from the finite element analyses are in good agreement with the creep experiment.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2004

The initiation and the propagation of solder joint crack depend on its environmental conditions, such as high temperature creep and thermal fatigue. Creep is known to be the most important factor for the mechanical failure of solder joints in micro-electronic components and micro-systems. This is mainly caused by the different thermal expansion coefficients of the materials used in the micro-electronic packages. To determine the reliability of solder joints and consequently the electronic components, the characterization of the creep behavior of this group of materials is crucial. This paper is to apply the theory of creep into solder joints and to provide related technical information needed for evaluation of reliability of solder joint to failure. 63Sn-37Pb solder was used in this study. This paper experimentally shows a way to enhance the reliability of solder joints.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.372-378
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• 2000

The effect of alloying elements on the creep resistance of Zr alloys was investigated using thermal creep tests that were performed as a part of advanced fuel cladding development. The creep tests were conducted at 40$0^{\circ}C$ and 150 MPa for 240 hr. A statistical model was derived from the relationship between the steady-state creep rate and the content of individual alloying elements. The creep strengthening effect decreased in the following sequence : Nb, Sn, Mn, Cr, Mo, Fe and Cu. The high creep resistance of Sn and the opposite effect of Fe on zirconium alloys seem to be associated with their lowering and enhancing, respectively, the self-diffusivity of the zirconium matrix.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2013

The thermal creep is one of the major factors causing the buckle of steel columns in the fire events. But, few related studies have been reported to evaluate the factors affecting the thermal creep of steel column experimentally or numerically. In this study a series of Fire-resistant steel columns with three different slenderness ratios under a sustained load are tested under a uniform temperature up to six hours in order to evaluate the creep upon three selected factors, temperature, applied load, and column slenderness. Based on experimental results, a proposed creep strain rate model is established as the function of a single parameter of the load ratio of temperature LR(T) to determine the buckling time of steel column due to creep. Furthermore it is found that the creep can be neglected when LR(T) is smaller than 0.77.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.91-96
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• 2018

Microstructural development of ferritic 11Cr-3.45W heat-resistance steel for ultra-supercritical power plant during creep and thermal aging was investigated using electron microscopy. The test samples were isothermally aged at $700^{\circ}C$ for up to 4000 hours and subjected to creep loading at $700^{\circ}C$ for predetermined periods of lifetime to prepare the damaged materials. In this structural material, a various secondary phases are the primary influence on mechanical properties of ferritic heat-resistance steel. The typical precipitates of $M_{23}C_6$, MX and $M_2X$ secondary phases had been analyzed through qualitative and quantitative manner. Coarsening of precipitates and increase of lath width were observed during creep and thermal aging. This phenomenon was remarkable for creep process compared with isothermal aging process.