• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.60-68
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• 1991

The weld quality of end cap welds in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) Fuel is extremely important for the fuel performance in the nuclear reactor. The quality of resistance upset welds is currently evaluated mainly by the metallographic examination although it reveals only two weld cross-sections in a circumference welds. This investigation was, firstly, carried out to determine whether the ultrasonic examination would be applied to detect weld defects in the end cap welds and, secondly, to measure the mechanical strength of upset butt welds as a function of phase shift percentage. The major results obtained in this study are as follows: 1. The weld current and amount of upset shrinkage linearly increased with increasing the phase shift percentage. 2. Above the phase shift 55%, the defects in the welds were completely eliminated with increasing the phase of sound weld was over the thickness of cladding tube. 3. The ultrasonic testing well detected such defects in the end cap welds as upset external crack, upset split, corner crack and irregular weld flash comparing with the results of metallography. 4. The micro-fissure in the corner of the end cap welds was reliably detected by ultrasonic testing. 5. The mechanical strength in the welds increased with increasing phase shift percentage but the fracture did't occur in the welds above 55%.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.364-371
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• 2008

Ultrasonic waveguide sensor has been developed for under-sodium viewing of reactor internal structures of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). The structure design concept of a waveguide sensor assembly was suggested and evaluated for the application in SFR. A 10 m long ultrasonic waveguide sensor assembly has been manufactured and the experimental feasibility tests were carried out. The 10 m long distance propagation performance of zero-order antisymmetric $A_0$ Lamb wave has been verified. The feasibility of ultrasonic waveguide sensor has been demonstrated by the C-scanning resolution performance test.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2010

US NRC issued rulemaking of 10CFR50.55a to perform the Perservice and Inservice inspection for Reactor Vessel Head Penetration Nozzle of US Nuclaer plant. The rulemaking was required the EPRI Demonstration to verify the NDE technique performing special Ultrasonic examination. In order to meet this requirement, the UT and ECT procedures was demonstrated and the NDE personnel were qualified by EPRI. In this paper, the NDE technique and analysis method are described the Preservice inspection for the Palo Verde #1/2/3 Replacement Reactor Vessel Head Penetration Nozzle using the qualified procedures and personnel.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 1995

Abstract The experimental results which is the aerosols behavior and distribution of atomized zinc nitrate ($Zn(NO_3)_2$) solution (0.5 M) by ultrasonic vibrator were in accord with the computer simulations. i.e., most aerosols passing through the reactor (hot zone) moved toward the center of reactor by thermophoresis as the axis of reactor increase. Also, the distribution of aerosols concentration was high at the center of reactor as the axis increase. Among the synthesized ZnO particles, shell-like aggregates of fracture type which could not see at the center of reactor were observed at near the wall of reactor, and the particle size ($ 1.2 {\mu\textrm{m}$) of near the wall was larger than that ($0.9 {\mu\textrm{m}$) of the center.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2006

Reactor core and internal structures of a liquid metal reactor (LMR) can not be visually examined due to an opaque liquid sodium. The under-sodium viewing technique by using an ultrasonic wave should be applied far the visual inspection of reactor internals. In this study, an ultrasonic waveguide sensor with a strip plate has been developed for an application to the under-sodium viewing technique. The Lamb wave propagation of a waveguide sensor has been analyzed and the zero-order antisymmetric $A_0$ plate wave was selected as the application mode of the sensor. The $A_0$ plate wave can be propagated in the dispersive low frequency range by using a liquid wedge clamped to the waveguide. A new technique is presented which is capable of steering the radiation beam angle of a waveguide sensor without a mechanical movement of the sensor assembly The steering function of the ultrasonic radiation beam can be achieved by a frequency tuning method of the excitation pulse in the dispersive range of the $A_0$ mode. The technique provides an opportunity to overcome the scanning limitation of a waveguide sensor. The beam steering function has been evaluated by an experimental verification. The ultrasonic C-scanning experiments are performed in water and the feasibility of the ultrasonic waveguide sensor has been verified.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06d
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• pp.834-839
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• 2001

Calandria tube wrapping each pressure tube is one of the key structural components of CANDU reactor(Calandria) which is consisted of many pressure tubes containing nuclear fuel assemblies. As the Calandria tube(made of zirconium alloy) is sagging due to its thermal and irradiation creep during the plant operation, it possibly contacts with liquid injection nozzle crossing beneath the Calandria tube, which subsequently results in difficulties on the safe operation. It is therefore necessary to check the gap for the confirmation of no contacts between the two tubes, Calandria tube and liquid injection tube, with a proper measure during the life of plant. In this study, an ultrasonic measurement method was selected among several methods investigated. The ultrasonic device being developed for the measurement of the gap was introduced and its preliminary performance test results were presented here. The gap between LIN and CT at site was measured using by this ultrasonic device at site.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.06e
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• pp.247-250
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• 1998

The scattering of plane ultrasonic waves by the nuclear fuel pin of liquid metal reactor in sodium is studied. According to the internal composition in the cladding tube, the fuel pin has three cross sections, i.e. helium gas plenum, sodium-filled section, and fuel insertion section. The scattering spectra for each section of the fuel pin are different. The circumnavigating ultrasonic waves of each section are analyzed by the resonance scattering method. The whispering gallery wave modes are generated in the sodium-filled plenum section and the fuel rod insertion section with a sodium-gap. The circumferential wave modes are propagated in the cladding tube of the helium gas plenum section. The annular gap between the cladding tube and metal uranium pellet rod affects the scattering spectra. The different propagation characteristics can be utilized for the nondestructive method of detecting the unbonded area and measuring the level of the sodium-filled section of the fuel pin.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 1997

In this study, the ultrasonic irradiation in elevated pressure was used to alter the molecular weight and MWD of polystyrene. The high pressure reactor was filled with 0.5w/v% polystyrene solution, and then it was pressurized from 500psi to 4000psi. The ultrasound was irradiated in 10 minutes at each pressure, and the extract was collected and analyzed by GPC. Molecular weight distribution was predicted by log-normal and Schulz distribution function. The average molecular weight and polydispersity of polystyrene were decreased, as the pressure applied during the ultrasonic irradiation was increase. It was able to fractionate polymer material and control polydispersity by adjusting pressure in the ultrasonic irradiation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.338-344
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• 2010

A double rotation C-scanning system and a software program Under-Sodium MultiVIEW have been developed for the under-sodium viewing of a reactor core and in-vessel structures of a sodium-cooled fast reactor KALIMER-600. Double rotation C-scanning system has been designed and manufactured by the reproduction of double rotation plug of a reactor head in KALIMER-600. Hardware system which consists of a double rotating scanner, ultrasonic waveguide sensors, a high power ultrasonic pulser-receiver, a scanner driving module and a multi channel A/D board have been constructed. The functions of scanner control, image mapping and signal processing of Under-Sodium MultiVIEW program have been implemented by using a LabVIEW graphical programming language. The performance of Under-Sodium MultiVIEW program was verified by a double rotation C-scanning test in water.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.40-46
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• 2015

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic nano crystal surface modification (UNSM) on residual stress mitigation after Weld Inlay repair for butt dissimilar metal weld with Alloy 82/182 in reactor vessel In/Outlet nozzle. As-welded and Weld Inlay specimens were made in accordance with design standard of ASME Code Case N-766, and two planes of their weld specimens were peened by the optimum UNSM process condition. Peening characteristics for weld specimens after UNSM treatment were evaluated by surface roughness and Vickers hardness test. And, residual stress for weld specimens developed from before and after UNSM treatment was measured and evaluated by instrumented indentation technique. Consequently, it was revealed that the mitigation of residual stress in weld metal after Weld Inlay repair of reactor vessel In/Outlet nozzle could be possible through UNSM treatment.