• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.177-179
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• 2007

지르코늄 합금 피복관을 고온-고압 수증기 분위기에서 산화시켰으며 이에 따른 결과를 도출하였다. 수증기 압력이 증가함에 따라서 산화량은 증가하였고, 산화막 두께 또한 두꺼워졌다. 산화된 시편의 산화막을 광학현미경과 주사전자현미경으로 관찰하였다. 대기압하에서 산화된 시편은 균일한 산화막을 갖는 반면 고압 수증기하에서 산화된 시편은 많은 균일이 관찰되었다.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2019

Zr electrorefining is demonstrated herein using Zirlo tubes in a chloride-fluoride mixed molten salt in the presence of $AlF_3$. Cyclic voltammetry reveals a monotonic shift in the onset of metal reduction kinetics towards positive potential and an increase in intensity of the additional peaks associated with Zr-Al alloy formation with increasing $AlF_3$ concentration. Unlike the galvanostatic deposition mode, a radial plate-type Zr growth is evident at the top surface of the salt during Zr electrorefining at a constant potential of -1.2 V. The diameter of the plate-type Zr deposit gradually increases with increasing $AlF_3$ concentration. Scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses for the plate-type Zr deposit show that trace amount of Al is incorporated as Zr-Al alloys with different chemical compositions between the top and bottom surface of the deposit. Addition of $AlF_3$ is effective in lowering the residual salt content in the deposit and in improving the current efficiency for Zr recovery.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.242-242
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• 1999

• 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.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.281-287
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• 2011

We consider the uncertainty in the elastic buckling formula for a thin tube. We take into account the measurement uncertainty of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio and the tolerance of the tube thickness and diameter. Elastic buckling must be prohibited for a thin tube such as a nuclear fuel rod that must satisfy a self-stand criterion. Since the predicted critical buckling pressure overestimated that found in the experiment, the determination of the minimum safety factor is crucial. The uncertainty in each parameter (i.e., Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, thickness, and diameter) is mutually independent, so the safety factor is evaluated as the sum of the inverse of each uncertainty. We found that the thickness variation greatly affects the uncertainty. The minimum safety factor of a thin tube of Zirconium alloy is evaluated as 1.547 for a thickness of 0.87 mm and 3.487 for a thickness of 0.254 mm.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.334-341
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• 2003

When the pressure tubes(f are in contact with the calandria tube(CT) in the pressurized heavy water reactor(PHWR), the temperature difference between inner and outer wall of W results in a thermal diffusion of hydrogen (deuterium) and hydride blisters are formed on the outer surface of PT. Because the hydride blisters and zirconium matrix are acoustically continuous, it is not easy to distinguish the blisters from the matrix with conventional ultrasonic method. An ultrasonic velocity ratio method was developed to detect small hydride blisters on the zirconium pressure tube. Hydride blisters were grown in the PT specimen using a steady state thermal diffusion device. The flight times of longitudinal echo and reflected shear echo from the outer surface were measured accurately. The velocity ratio of the longitudinal wave to the shear wave was calculated and displayed using contour plot. Compared to the conventional flight time method of longitudinal wave, the velocity ratio method shows superior sensitivity to detect smaller blisters as well as better images for the blister shapes. Detectable limit of the outer shape of the hydride blisters was conservatively estimated as $500{\mu}m$, with the same specifications of ultrasonic transducer used in the actual PHWR pressure tube inspection.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.52-52
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• 2001

지르칼로이-4와 장주기 고연소도용으로 개발된 신피복관인 Zirlo에 대해 LOCA 사고시 피복관이 노출되는 온도영역에서 대기압 조건에서 산화실험을 수행하였다. 온도범위는 $700{\;}-{\;}1200^{\circ}C$이다. 산화시간, 온도 에 따른 산화속도 모델이 제시되었다. 지르칼로이-4는 $1000^{\circ}C$이하의 대가압 수증기에서 3차 법칙을 따르는 반면에, Zirlo는 지속적으로 2차 법칙을 따르는 것으로 나타났다. $1000^{\circ}C$ 이상에선 Zirlo의 내부식성이 더 높게 평가되었다. 두 합금의 산화거동차이를 분석하기 위해 산화된 시편을 광학현미경으로 비교하였다. $1000^{\circ}C$ 이상 고온에서 Zirlo의 금 속내 $\alpha$상의 성장률이 지르칼로이-4에 비해 더 빨라, $\alpha$상이 더 넓게 분포하는 것으로 나타났다. 피복관 표면에 이미 존재하는 산화막은 지르칼로이-4와 Zirlo 모두 일정시간 동안 보호성을 유지하는 것으로 나타났다.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.18-30
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• 2012

Zirconium is one of the most important material used as cladding of fuel rods in nuclear reactors because of its high dimensional stability, good corrosion resistance and especially low neutron-absorbing cross section. However, Hf free nuclear grade Zr sponge is commercially produced by only three countries including USA, France and Russia. So, Zr has been thoroughly managed as a national strategic material in Korea. Most of the zirconium is used for Korean nuclear industry as nuclear fuel cladding materials manufactured from Hf free Zr alloy raw material. Also, there are some other applications such as alloying element and detonator. In this review, zirconium production and recycling technologies have been reviewed and current industrial status was also analyzed. And recent achievements in innovative reduction technologies such as electrolytic reduction process and molten oxide electrolysis were also introduced.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1133-1138
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• 2003

The pressure tubes, which contain high temperature heavy water and fuel, are within the core of a CANDU nuclear reactor, and are thus subjected to high stresses, temperature gradient, and neutron flux. Further, it is well known that pressure tubes of cold-worked Zr-2.5Nb materials result in hydrogen diffusion, which create fully-hydrided regions (frequently called Blister). Thus a proper investigation of hydrogen diffusion within zirconium-alloy nuclear components, such as CANDU pressure tube and fuel channels is essential to predict the structural integrity of these components. In this respect, this paper presents numerical investigation of hydrogen diffusion to quantify the hydrogen concentration for blister growth of CANDU pressure tube. For this purpose, coupled temperature-hydrogen diffusion analyses are performed by means of two-dimensional finite element analysis. Comparison of predicted temperature field and blister with published test data shows good agreement.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.341-346
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• 1996

사용후핵연료에 대한 장기건식저장과 관련하여 원자로에서 조사된 사용후 핵연료피복관에 대한 산화시험을 공기분위기에서 수행하였다. 피복관 시료의 50$0^{\circ}C$ 공기중 산화시험 결과 산화 초기에 급격한 산화율을 보였으며, 이 후 천이점까지 느리게 산화가 진행되다가 천이 후에는 선형적으로 급격히 무게가 증가하는 지르코늄 합금의 수증기 및 공기중에서의 전형적인 산화양상을 나타내었다. 시편별로는 가장 두꺼운 노내 산화막을 가진 시편이 가장 높은 산화율을 나타내었으며, 노내 산화시 천이점에 근접한 시편들이 가장 낮은 산화율을 보였다. 산화율이 가장 높은 시편의 천이후 영역에서의 산화율은 $\Delta$W ＝ 0.74 t ＋ 38.61과 같은 관계식으로 표현될 수 있었다. 이 때 $\Delta$W는 무게이득(mg/dm$^2$)이고 t는 산화시간(h)을 나타낸다. 시험에 사용된 피복관의 단위 산화막두께(l$\mu$m)에 대한 산화무게증가량은 약 13.4mg/dm$^2$으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과들은 사용후핵연료 중간저장 시설 및 저장캐스크의 설계 전산코드 작성 및 저장시설의 운영에 관련되어 기반자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.