• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.2047-2052
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• 2004

Inconel-600 alloy has been used as steam generator tube material for current pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The long-term operation of steam generators showed that the use of this material induced localized corrosion damages and increased tube wear of steam generator. To protect these problems, steam generator tube material is being changed to Inconel-690 alloy. Based on the current trend, we have chosen Inconel 690 as the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) steam generator(SG) tube material and performed the design optimization of preventive measure against tube fretting wear for the APR1400 steam generator. In this paper, we examined the technical consideration in this modification : the selection of material, wear characteristics, effect of the Egg-crate Flow Distribution Plate installation, and effect analysis of vertical strip installation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2009

A fretting wear test rig for cross contacting tube specimens, which employs a piezoelectric actuator, has been developed. Along with the simple loading scheme using dead weights, the rig is very simple to be used also. The accuracy was found acceptable. Inconel 690 tubes were tested in room temperature and ambient condition. Normal load and sliding amplitude range up to 35N and $100{\mu}m$, respectively. The sizes of wear scar and the wear volumes were measured, and wear coefficients have been calculated based on those. A study on the fretting wear mechanism of the tubes has been attempted via microscopic observation. Rugged wear surfaces are induced by the separation and adhesion of particles and formation and subsequent fracture of surface layers. Lapped specimens were also tested and abrasive wear seems to be playing a dominant role.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.144-148
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• 2006

The experimental investigation was performed to find the associated changes in characteristics of fretting wear with various water temperatures. The fretting wear tests were carried out using the zirconium alloy tubes and the grids with increasing the water temperature. The tube materials in water of $20^{\circ}C,\;50^{\circ}C\;and\;80^{\circ}C$ were tested with the applied load of 20 N and the relative amplitude of $200{\mu}m$. The worn surfaces were observed by SEM, EDX analysis and 2D surface profiler. As the water temperature increased, the wear volume was decreased, but oxide layer was increased on the worn surface. The abrasive wear mechanism was observed at water temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ and adhesive wear mechanism occurred at water temperature of $50^{\circ}C,\;80^{\circ}C$. As the water temperature increased, surface micro-hardness was decreased, but wear depth and wear width were decreased due to increasing stick phenomenon. Stick regime occurred due to the formation of oxide layer on the worn surface with increasing water temperatures

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.73-79
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• 2002

Fretting wear test in room temperature air was performed to evaluate the wear mechanism of fuel rod using a fretting wear tester, which has been developed for experimental study. The main focus was to compare the wear behaviors of fuel rod against support springs at different contact geometries (i.e. concave and convex) and slip directions (axial and transverse). The wear on the tube was examined by the surface roughness tester, which measures the volume. The result indicated that with change of contact geometry from 5N of normal load to 0.1mm gap, wear volume of tube Increased in the condition of concave spring, but slowly decreased in convex spring. From the results of SEM observation, wear mechanism of each test condition was also depend on the above contact parameters. The wear mechanism of each test condition in room temperature air is discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.81-88
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• 2001

To study the influence of the shape of contacting bodies (especially the end profile) on slip regime, wear test is conducted in the case of the contact between tube and support. Two different end profiles of the support are used such as truncated wedge and rounded punch. During the test, 10, 30 and 50 N are applied as normal force and slip displacement varies between 10-200 $\mu\textrm{m}$. The tube and the support specimens are made of Zircaloy-4 and a specially designed wear tester is used. Tests are carried out in air at room temperature. Wear on the tube is examined by measuring microscope. Partial and gross slip regimes are classified from the observed wear shape. Surface roughness tester is also used to measure the wear depth and contour, from which wear volume is evaluated. The transition from partial to gross slip is also investigated by investigating the considerable increase of wear volume. From the result, the boundary between the partial and the gross slip is newly determined in the conventional fretting map for the present specific contact configuration. Since the transition is related with the amount of energy dissipation from the contact surface so is wear, it is regarded that wear can be restrained by designing a proper shape of support.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.950-955
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• 2004

Slip displacement is brought into focus to study the tube fretting wear that occurs on the contact by the springs. An oscillating tube was in contact with plate support springs. The contact condition was varied as normal force 5 N, and gaps of 0.1 and 0.2 mm in the experiment. The oscillation range of the tube was also varied as 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.7 mm. Formulas for predicting the slip displacement range were derived in terms of the vibration amplitudes measured during the tube oscillation. It was found that the slip displacement in transverse direction was much higher ($720{\sim}33000$ times) than that in axial one. This resulted in the severer wear on the contact suffered from transverse slip.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.112.2-112.2
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.296-303
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• 2001

In nuclear power steam generators, high flow rates can induce vibration of the tubes resulting in fretting wear damage due to contacts between the tubes and their supports. In this paper the fretting wear tests and the sliding wear tests were performed using the steam generator tube materials of Inconel 690 against STS 304. Sliding tests with the pin-on-disk type tribometer were done under various applied loads and sliding speeds at air and water environment. Fretting tests were done under various vibrating amplitudes, applied normal loads and various temperatures. From the results of sliding and fretting wear tests, the wear of Inconel 690 can be predictable using the work rate model. Depending on normal loads and vibrating amplitudes, distinctively different wear mechanisms and often drastically different wear rates can occur. At room temperature, the wear coefficient K of Inconel 690 is 7.57${\times}$10$\^$13/Pa$\^$1/ in air and it is 1.93${\times}$10$\^$13/Pa$\^$1/ in water. At room temperature, it is found that the wear volume in air is more than in water. In water, the wear coefficient K at 50$^{\circ}C$ and 80$^{\circ}C$ is 4.35${\times}$10$\^$-13/Pa$^1$ and 5.81${\times}$10$\^$-13/Pa$^1$ respectively, Therefore, it is found that the wear volume extremely increases by increasing on temperature in water. This study shows that the dissolved oxygen with temperature increment increases and the wear due to fluidity is severe.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.41-49
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• 2003

Tube oscillation behaviour is experimentally investigated for the study on the fuel rod fretting that is caused by the flow-induced vibration in nuclear reactor. The experiment was conducted in all at room temperature. The specimen of tube assembly was supported by plate springs which simulated the spacer grids and fuel rods of a fuel assembly. To investigate the influence of contact condition between the grids and rods, normal load of 10 and 5 N, gaps of 0.1 and 0.3 mm were applied. The range of the oscillation at the center of the fuel rod specimen was varied as 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 mm to simulate the fuel rod vibration due to flow. Displacements near the contact were measured with four displacement sensors during the tube oscillation. As results, the shape of oscillation (phase) varied depending on the contact condition. The oscillation displacement increased considerably from the contact to gap condition. The displacement increased further as the gap size increased. It is regarded that the spring shape influences the tube oscillation behaviour. Simple calculation showed that the slip displacement was very small. Therefore, cumulative damage concept is necessary for the fuel rod wear. The mechanism of plowing is thought required to explain the severe wear in the case of gap existence.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.637-644
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• 2012

In a nuclear power plant, fretting wear due to impact motion between U-tubes and support structures located in steam generators can cause serious problems. In order to guarantee the reliability of the steam generator, the damage due to fretting wear should be thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the fretting wear mechanism qualitatively and quantitatively. Hence, fretting wear simulation is performed for the environments to which the actual steam generators in nuclear power plants are exposed. Initial experimental results are obtained for various experimental parameters, and the effect of the work rate and temperature on fretting wear is evaluated. In water, the wear coefficients for $90^{\circ}C$, $200^{\circ}C$, and $340^{\circ}C$ are found to be $9.051{\times}10^{-16}\;Pa^{-1}$, $3.009{\times}10^{-15}\;Pa^{-1}$, and $2.235{\times}10^{-15}\;Pa^{-1}$, respectively. It is also found that the wear coefficient at room temperature is larger than that at low temperature in water because of the dynamic viscosity of water.