• 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 Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2024

This study investigates the effects of temperatures and strain rates on the strength and ductility of Gr.91 (ASME Grade 91) steel which is widely being used as a heat-resistant material in Generation IV nuclear and super critical thermal power plants. The tensile behavior of modified 9Cr-1Mo (Gr.91) steel was studied for the three strain rates of 6.67×10^-5/s, 6.67×10^-4/s and 6.67×10-3/s over the temperature range from room temperature (RT) to 650℃. Experimental results showed that at specific combinations of temperatures (300~400℃) and strain rates, serrations appeared in the stress-strain curves. Concurrently, abnormal behaviors such as a plateau in yield strength and tensile strength, a minimum in ductility and negative strain rate sensitivity were observed. These phenomena were analyzed as significant characteristics of dynamic strain aging (DSA). Since this abnormal behavior in Gr.91 steel affects the material strength, it is judged that a correlation analysis between DSA and material strength should be crucial in the design and integrity evaluation of Gr. 91 steel pressure vessel and piping subjected to high-temperature loading.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.891-892
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• 2011

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2014

Gr. 91 steel is used for the major structural components of Generation-IV reactor systems, such as a very high temperature reactor(VHTR) and sodium-cooled fast reactor(SFR). Since these structures are designed for up to 60 years at elevated temperatures, the prediction of long-term creep life is important for a design application of Gr. 91 steel. In this study, a number of creep rupture data were collected through world-wide literature surveys, and using these data, the long-term creep life was predicted in terms of three methods: the single-C method in Larson-Miller(L-M) parameter, multi-C constant method in the L-M parameter, and a modified method("sinh" equation) in the L-M parameter. The results of the creep-life prediction were compared using the standard deviation of error value, respectively. Modified method proposed by the "sinh" equation revealed better agreement in creep life prediction than the single-C L-M method.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.61-68
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• 2016

Characteristics of dissimilar metal welds between alloy steel ASTM A387 Gr. 91 and carbon steel ASTM A516 Gr.70 made with Flux cored arc welding(FCAW) have been evaluated in terms of microstructure, mechanical strength, chemical analysis by EDS as well as corrosion test. Three heat inputs of 15.0, 22.5, 30.0kJ/cm were employed to make joints of dissimilar metals with E91T1-B9C wire. Post-weld heat treatment was carried out at $750^{\circ}C$ for 2.5 h. Based on microstructural examination, tempered martensite and lower bainite were formed in first layer of weld metal. The amount of tempered martensite was decreased and the amount of lower bainite was increased with increasing heat input and layer. Heat affected zone of alloy steel showed the highest hardness due to the formation of tempered Martensite and lower Bainite. Tensile strengths of dissimilar welds decreased with increasing heat inputs. Dissimilar welds seemed to have a good hot cracking resistance due to the low HCS index below 4. The salt spray test of dissimilar metals showed that the corrosion rate increased with increasing heat inputs due to the increase of the amount of lower Bainite.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.68-74
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• 2017

Characteristics of dissimilar metal welds between alloy steel ASTM A387 Gr. 91 and carbon steel ASTM A516 Gr.70 made with Flux cored arc welding(FCAW) have been evaluated in terms of microstructure, mechanical strength, chemical analysis by EDS as well as corrosion test. Three heat inputs of 15.0, 22.5, 30.0kJ/cm were employed to make joints of dissimilar metals with E71T-1C wire. Post-weld heat treatment was carried out at $750^{\circ}C$ for 2.5 h. Based on microstructural examination, Intragranular polygonal ferrite and grainboundary ferrite were formed only in first layer of weld metal. Another layers consisted of acicular ferrite and $Widmannst{\ddot{a}}tten$ ferrite. The amount of acicular ferrite was increased with decreasing heat input and layer. Heat affected zone of alloy steel showed the highest hardness due to the formation of tempered martensite and lower bainite. Lower and upper bainite were formed in heat affected zone of carbon steel. Tensile strengths of dissimilar metal welds decreased with increasing heat inputs. Dissimilar metal welds showed a good hot cracking resistance due to the low HCS index below 4. The salt spray test of dissimilar metals welds showed that the weight loss rate by corrosion below 170 hours was decreased with increasing heat inputs due to the increase of the amount of acicular ferrite.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.275-280
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• 2011

This paper focuses on reliability prediction of long-term creep strength for Modified 9Cr-1Mo steel (Gr. 91) which is considered as one of the structural materials of next generation reactor systems. A "Z-parameter" method was introduced to describe the magnitude of standard deviation of creep rupture data to the master curve which can be plotted by log stress vs. The larson-Miller parameter (LMP). Statistical analysis showed that the scattering of the Z-parameter for the Gr. 91 steel well followed normal distribution. Using this normal distribution of the Z-parameter, the various reliability curves for creep strength design, such as stress-time temperature parameter reliability curves (${\sigma}$-TTP-R curves), stress-rupture time-reliability curves (${\sigma}-t_{r}-R$ curves), and allowable stress-temperature- reliability curves ([${\sigma}$]-T-R curves) were reasonably drawn, and their results are discussed.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2016

The material properties of heat resistant materials at power plants are affected by thermal aging as operating time is accumulated. In this study, the influence of thermal aging on yield strength, tensile strength and fracture behavior for Mod.9Cr-1Mo (ASME Grade 91) steel which is a material widely adopted for Generation IV nuclear energy system has been investigated and analyzed. Service exposed Gr.91 steel materials sampled from a piping system of an ultra-supercritical (USC) plant in Korea with accumulated operation time of 73,716 hours were used for material testing. The test results of the service exposed material specimens were compared with those of the virgin Gr.91 steel specimens. Those test data were compared with the material properties of ASME code and RCC-MRx code. Conservatisms of the material properties in the design codes have been quantified based on the comparisons of those from virgin and service exposed material specimens.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.111-111
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• 2018

ASTM A387-Gr.91 강은 우수한 고온 강도, 크리이프 저항성 그리고 내산화성 등으로 인해 화력 및 바이오매스 발전 시설과 같은 고온 설비의 구조재료로 널리 사용되고 있다. 고온 환경에서 높은 강도는 탄화물과 탄질화물에 의한 석출강화가 주 요인으로 작용한다. 열처리 과정에서 Mo, Cr, Mn, 그리고 Fe는 구-오스테나이트 및 마르텐사이트 라스 입계에 $M_{23}C_6$ 탄화물로 석출되며, V, Nb, 및 N은 조직 내부에 미세한 MX 탄질화물로 석출된다. 따라서 합금의 고온 강도는 조직 내 석출물의 개수밀도와 크기에 크게 의존한다. 그러나 적용 환경의 특성 상 고온 노출에 따른 2차상 석출 및 조대화의 조직열화 현상이 발생하며, 이는 재료의 강도를 저하시킨다. 본 연구에서는 ASTM A387-Gr.91 강의 미세조직 열화에 따른 강도저하 및 파괴 양상을 고찰하는데 그 목적을 두었다. 본 연구에서 사용된 ASTM A387-Gr.91 강의 화학성분(wt, %)은 0.1 C, 0.38 Si, 0.46 Mn, 0.25 Ni, 8.38 Cr, 0.93 Mo, 0.18 V, 0.09 Nb, 그리고 나머지는 Fe 이다. 조직열화 및 기계적 강도저하 특성을 평가하기 위한 등온열화는 $650^{\circ}C$의 대기 환경에서 최대 1000시간동안 실시하였다. 열화된 시험편의 미세조직 및 탄화물에 대한 분석은 SEM과 EDS를 이용하여 실시하였다. 그리고 기계적 강도 평가는 인장실험과 비커스 경도시험을 통해 실시하였다. 또한 열화 시간에 따른 파단양상의 변화를 관찰하기 위해 인장시험편의 파단면을 SEM과 EDS를 이용하여 분석하였다. 그 결과, 열화에 따른 마르텐사이트 라스의 소실, 탄화물의 조대화, 그리고 2차상 석출의 조직 열화현상이 나타났다. 또한 기계적 강도는 조직 열화에 따라 저하되는 경향을 나타냈다.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.91-106
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• 2022

This paper has focused on presenting a three dimensional theory of elasticity for free vibration of 3D-graphene foam reinforced polymer matrix composites (GrF-PMC) cylindrical panels resting on two-parameter elastic foundations. The elastic foundation is considered as a Pasternak model with adding a Shear layer to the Winkler model. The porous graphene foams possessing 3D scaffold structures have been introduced into polymers for enhancing the overall stiffness of the composite structure. Also, 3D graphene foams can distribute uniformly or non-uniformly in the shell thickness direction. The effective Young's modulus, mass density and Poisson's ratio are predicted by the rule of mixture. Three complicated equations of motion for the panel under consideration are semi-analytically solved by using 2-D differential quadrature method. The fast rate of convergence and accuracy of the method are investigated through the different solved examples. Because of using two-dimensional generalized differential quadrature method, the present approach makes possible vibration analysis of cylindrical panels with two opposite axial edges simply supported and arbitrary boundary at the curved edges. It is explicated that 3D-GrF skeleton type and weight fraction can significantly affect the vibrational characteristics of GrF-PMC panel resting on two-parameter elastic foundations.