• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.773-780
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• 2012

The article presented is concerned with an evaluation of the corrosion behavior of SA-508 low alloy steel (LAS) and Type 309L stainless steel (SS) cladding of a reactor pressure vessel under the simulated primary water chemistry of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). The uniform corrosion and galvanic corrosion rates of SA-508 LAS and Type 309L SS were measured in three different control conditions: power operation, shutdown, and power operation followed by shutdown. In all conditions, the dissimilar metal coupling of SA-508 LAS and Type 309L SS exhibited higher corrosion rates than the SA-508 base metal itself due to severe galvanic corrosion near the cladding interface, while the corrosion of Type 309L in the primary water environment was minimal. The galvanic corrosion rate of the SA-508 LAS and Type 309L SS couple measured under the simulated power operation condition was much lower than that measured in the simulated shutdown condition due to the formation of magnetite on the metal surface in a reducing environment. Based on the experimental results, the corrosion rate of SA-508 LAS clad with Type 309L SS was estimated as a function of operating cycle simulated for a typical PWR.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.2399-2408
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• 2002

A prediction procedure has been developed to evaluate the microtructures and material properties of heat affected zone (HAZ) in pressure vessel steel weld, based on temperature analysis, thermodynamics calculation and reaction kinetics model. Temperature distributions in HAE are calculated by finite element method. The microstructures in HAZ are predicted by combining the temperature analysis results with the reaction kinetics model for austenite grain growth and austenite decomposition. Substituting the microstructure prediction results into the previous experimental relations, the mechanical material properties such as hardness, yielding strength and tensile strength are calculated. The prediction procedure is modified and verified by the comparison between the present results and the previous study results for the simulated HAZ in reactor pressure vessel (RPV) circurnferential weld. Finally, the microstructures and mechanical material properties are determined by applying the final procedure to real RPV circumferential weld and the local weak zone in HAZ is evaluated based on the application results.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 1983

Many pressure vessels for the hot H$\sub$2//H$\sub$2/S service are made of 2+1/4Cr-1Mo steel with austenitic stainless steel overlay to combat agressive corrosion due to hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen dissolves in to materials during operation, and sometimes gives rise to unfore-seeable damages. Appropriate precautions must, therefore, be taken to avoid the hydrogen induced damages in the design, fabrication and operation stage of such reactor vessels. Recently, hydrogeninduced cracking (or Disbonding) was found at the interface between base metal and stainless weld overlay of a desulfurizing reactor. Since the stainless steel overlay weld metal is subjected to thermal and internal-pressure loads in reactor operation, it is desirable for the overlay weld metal to have high strength and ductility from the stand point of structural safety. In section III of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Post-Weld Heat Treatment(PWHT) of more than one hour per inch at over 1100.deg. F(593.deg. C) is required for the weld joints of low alloy pressure vessel steels. This heat treatment to relieve stresses in the welded joint during construction of the pressure vessel is considered to cause sensitization of the overlay weld metal. The present study was carried out to make clear the diffusion of carbon migration by PWHT in dissimilar metal welded joint. The main conclusion reached from this study are as follows: 1) The theoretical analysis for diffusion of carbon in stainless steel overlay weld metal does not agree with Fick's 2nd law but the general law of molecular diffusion phenomenon by thermodynamic chemical potential. 2) In the stainless steel overlay welded joint, the PWHT at 720.deg. C for 10 hours causes a diffusion of carbon atoms from ferritic steel into austenitic steel according to the theoretical analysis for carbon migration and its experiment. 3) In case of PWHT at 720.deg. C for 10 hours, the micro-hardness of stainless steel weld metal in bonded zone increase very highly in the carburized layer with remarkable hardening than that of weld metal.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.7
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• pp.884-894
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• 2015

Background: Fibers in concrete resist the growth of cracks and enhance the postcracking behavior of structures. The addition of fibers into a conventional reinforced concrete can improve the structural and functional performance of safety-related concrete structures in nuclear power plants. Methods: The influence of fibers on the ultimate internal pressure capacity of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) was investigated through a comparison of the ultimate pressure capacities between conventional and fiber-reinforced PCCVs. Steel and polyamide fibers were used. The tension behaviors of conventional concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete specimens were investigated through uniaxial tension tests and their tension-stiffening models were obtained. Results: For a PCCV reinforced with 1% volume hooked-end steel fiber, the ultimate pressure capacity increased by approximately 12% in comparison with that for a conventional PCCV. For a PCCV reinforced with 1.5% volume polyamide fiber, an increase of approximately 3% was estimated for the ultimate pressure capacity. Conclusion: The ultimate pressure capacity can be greatly improved by introducing steel and polyamide fibers in a conventional reinforced concrete. Steel fibers are more effective at enhancing the containment performance of a PCCV than polyamide fibers. The fiber reinforcementwas shown to bemore effective at a high pressure loading and a lowprestress level.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2013

This work is concerned with an evaluation of dynamic boric acid corrosion (BAC) of low alloy steel for reactor pressure vessel of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Mockup test method was newly established to investigate dynamic BAC of the low alloy steel under various conditions simulating a primary water leakage incident. The average corrosion rate was measured from the weight loss of the low alloy steel specimen, and the maximum corrosion rate was obtained by the surface profilometry after the mockup test. The corrosion rates increased with the rise of the leakage rate of the primary water containing boric acid, and the presence of oxygen dissolved in the primary water also accelerated the corrosion. From the specimen surface analysis, it was found that typical flow-accelerated corrosion and jet-impingement occurred under two-phase fluid of water droplet and steam environment. The maximum corrosion rate was determined as 5.97 mm/year at the leakage rate of 20 cc/min of the primary water with a saturated content of oxygen within the range of experimental condition of this work.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2000

Safety and integrity are required for reactor pressure vessels because they are operated in high temperature. There are single specimen method multiple specimen method and load ratio analysis method which used as evaluation of safety and integrity for reactor pressure vessels. In this study the fracture resistance curve(J-R curve) elastic-plastic fracture toughness($J_{IC}$) and material tearing modulus ($T_{mat}$) of SA 508 class 3 alloy steel used as reactor pressure vessel steel are measured and evaluated at room temperature 20$0^{\circ}C$ and 30$0^{\circ}C$ according to unloading compliance method and load ration analysis method. And then the comparison with experimental $J_{IC}$ and theoretical$J_{IC}$ by local fracture strain is managed.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.43-51
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• 2012

The Demolition blasting has been applied for buildings and structures so far. In this study, however, a confined vessel blasting filled with water has been focused. A small amount of explosives were placed in a sealed vessel with water, perfect elastic body, supposed as a relay agent in it, and the blasting aspect was observed. Blasting pressure was standardized by Abel's equation of state. In result, if there was a relay agent in it, the pressure vessel was torn apart with smaller power than its tensile strength. If there was not, it needed 7.1~8.5 times as much power as the previous one, and the blasting pressure had not also affected the demolition and it had gone or vanished until it reached a certain point, In terms of pressure vessel made by steel, the elastic-plastic failure was took a place, and the first yield point happened along the welded area as a form of heating plastic failure we thought.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 1995

The elastic-plastic fracture toughness($J_{IC}$) and fracture resistance (J-R curve) of SA508-3 alloy steel used for nuclear reactor pressure vessel are investigated by using CT-type specimens. Fracture toughness tests are conducted by unloading compliance method and multiple specimen method at room temperature, -2$0^{\circ}C$ and 20$0^{\circ}C$. The apparent negative crack growth phenomenon which usually arises in partial unloading compliance test is well known. The negative crack growth phenomenon in determining J sub(IC) or J-R cure from partial unloading compliance experiments may be eliminated by the offset technique. In this study, the evaluation of $J_{IC}$ multiple specimen method recommended by the JSME gives the most reliable results by using half-size CT(similar-type) specimens.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1829-1834
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• 2001

The aim of this study is to investigate the ductile fracture behavior under mixed mode (I/II) loading using SA533B pressure vessel steel. Anti-symmetric 4-point (AS4P) bonding tests were performed to obtain the J-R curves under two different mixed mode (I/II) loadings. In addition, the fractographic examination of fracture surfaces was carried out to compare with those of pure Mode I and Mode II. In conclusions, the J-R curves under Mixed Mode (I/II) loading were located between those of Mode I and Mode II loadings. When the mixture ratio of mixed mode (I/II) loading was high, the J-R currie of mixed mode (I/II) loading approached that of pure mode I loading after some amount of crack propagation. In contrast with the above fact, if the mixture ratio was low, the J-R curve looked after that of pure mode II loading. The fractographic evidences such as the shape of dimples under different loading conditions supported these conclusions.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.226-228
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• 2000