• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.3272-3282
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• 2022

To improve the safety and life extension qualities of nuclear fuel rods which is currently made of zirconium (Zr) alloy, research on the application of chromium (Cr) coating was conducted. Cr coating has advantages such as increased corrosion resistance and reduced oxidation rate, but non-destructive thickness evaluation studies are needed to ensure the reliability of the steps taken to provide uniform coating thickness. Eddy current testing (ECT) is a representative non-destructive technique for such as thickness evaluation and surface defect inspection. To inspect changes in thickness at micron scale, the Swept Frequency Eddy Current Testing (SFECT) method was applied to select a frequency range sensitive to changes in thickness. The coating thickness was evaluated using changes in signals, such as that for impedance. In this study, basic research was performed to evaluate the thickness of the Cr coating on a rod using an encircling sensor and the SFECT technique. The sensor design parameters were determined through simulation, after which the new sensor was manufactured. A sensor capable of measuring the thickness of a non-uniformly Cr-coating rod was selected through an experiment evaluating the performance of the manufactured sensor. This was done using the impedance-difference of a Cr-coating rod and a Zr alloy rod. The possibility of evaluation of the Cr coating thickness was confirmed by comparing the experimental results with the selected sensor and the signals of the measured Cr-coating rod. All simulation results were verified experimentally.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.3260-3267
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• 2023

Zr-Nb alloy have been widely used as fuel rods in nuclear power plants. However, from the Fukushima nuclear accident, the weakness of the rod was revealed under harsh conditions, and research on the safety of these types of rods was conducted after the disaster. The method of depositing chromium onto the existing Zr-Nb alloy fuel rods is being considered as a means by which to compensate for the weakness of Zr-Nb alloy rods because chromium is strong against oxidation at high temperatures and has high strength. In order to secure these advantages, it is important to maintain the Cr thickness of the rods and properly inspect the rods before and during their use in power generation. Eddy current testing is a typical means of evaluating the thickness of thin metals and detecting surface defects. Depending on the size and shape of the inspected object, various eddy current sensors can be applied. In particular, because pancake sensors can be manufactured in very small sizes, they can be used for inspections even in narrow spaces, such as a nuclear fuel assembly. In this study, an eddy current technique was developed to confirm the feasibility of Cr coating thickness evaluations. After determining the design parameters of the pancake sensor by means of a FEM simulation, a FPCB pancake sensor was manufactured and the optimal frequency was selected by measuring minute changes in the Cr-coating thickness using the developed sensor.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.72-76
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• 2005

Friction surfacing of STS304 consumable rod on S45C substrate was investigated by microstructural observation and mechanical tests. STS304 layer formed a strongly-bonded thick layer under a wide range of surfacing conditions. The highest coating eefficiency was obtained in the condition of 1000rpm-2.5mm/sec-2.5mm/sec. The hardness distribution showed the peak value in the boundary layer and as the consumable rotation speed increased, the boundary layer also hardness increasing. As the consumable rotation speed and the traveling speed increased, the coating efficiency tended to decrease. On the other hand, as the feeding speed increased, the coating efficiency appeared to be increased. The new Fe-Cr-Ni alloy layer is showed in the interface layer on $5\~15{\mu}m$ width. After friction surfacing, corrosion resistance of STS 304 surfacing layers were equaled to that of STS304 consumable rod.

• Plant Journal
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.63-71
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• 2010

The best way to prevent the corrosion of piston rod is a selection of quality of the material and method of construction which minimize the porosity. The high velocity oxy fuel(HVOF) method, which generates lower porosity than existing plasma spray, was applied to ceramic laminated bond layer. Porosity percentage fell to bellow 2%, lower than that of plasma spray at 7%. Coating material of ceramic-coated main layer was selected as the $Cr_2O_3$ affiliation material, which is more dense than $Al_2O_3$ affiliation. To fill up the pores formed after the coating process, we sealed the bond layer and main layer. Sealing process was performed twice, once after the coating and once after the grinding. Upon the anti-corrosion test on the sealed sample and on the non-sealed sample, it is confirmed that the sealed sample was not corroded for 1,000 hours while the non-sealed sample was corroded within 48 hours.