• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.192-200
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• 2001

Hydride blisters were formed on the outer surface of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube by a non- uniform steady thermal diffusion process. A thermal gradient was applied to the pressure tube with a heat bath kept at a temperature of 415$^{\circ}C$ and an aluminum cold finger cooled with flowing water of 15$^{\circ}C$. Optical microscopy and tree-dimensional laser profilometry were used to characterize the hydride blisters with different hydrogen concentrations and thermal diffusion time. Hydride blisters were expected to start at a hydrogen concentration of 30 - 70 ppm and a thermal diffusion time of 4 - 6$\times$10$^{5}$ sec. The hydride blister size increases with higher hydrogen concentrations and longer thermal diffusion time . Some of the samples revealed cracks on the hydride blisters. The ratio of hydride blister depth to height was estimated as approximately 8: 1.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제35권5호
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• pp.369-377
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• 2003

Since Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes have a high risk for the formation of blisters during their operation in pressurized heavy water reactors, there has been a strong incentive to develop a method for the non-destructive detection of blisters grown on the tube surfaces. However, because there is little mismatch in acoustic impedance between the hydride blisters and zirconium matrix, it is not easy to distinguish the boundary between the blister and zirconium matrix with conventional ultrasonic methods. This study has focused on the development of a special ultrasonic method, so called ultrasonic velocity ratio method for a reliable detection of blisters formed on Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes. Hydride blisters were grown on the outer surface of the Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube using a cold finger attached to a steady state thermal diffusion equipment. To maximize a difference in the ultrasonic velocity in hydride blisters and the zirconium matrix, the ultrasonic velocity ratio of longitudinal wave to shear wave, $V_L/V_S$, has been determined based on the flight time of the longitudinal echo and reflected shear echo from the outer surface of the tubes. The feasibility of the ultrasonic velocity ratio method is confirmed by comparing the contour plots reproduced by this method with those of the blisters grown on the Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제19권11호
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• pp.174-182
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• 2002

The integrity evaluation of pressure tube is essential for the safety of CANDU reactor, and integrity must be assured when flaws or contacts between pressure tube and surrounding calandria tube are found. In order to complete the integrity evaluation, not only complicated and iterative calculation procedures but also a lot of data and knowledge are required. For this reason, an integrity evaluation system, which provides an efficient way of the evaluation with the help of attached databases, was developed. The developed system was built on the basis of ASME Sec.？ and FFSG issued by the AECL, and applicable for the evaluation of blister, sharp flaw and blunt notch. Delayed hydride cracking and blister evaluation modules are included in the general flaw and notch evaluation module. In order to verify the developed system, several case studies have been performed and the results were compared with those from AECL. A good agreement was observed between those two results.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1999년도 추계학술발표회요약집
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• pp.260.2-260
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• 1999

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2019년도 춘계학술논문요약집
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• pp.65-66
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• 2019

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2003년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.1133-1138
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• 2003

The pressure tubes, which contain high temperature heavy water and fuel, are within the core of a CANDU nuclear reactor, and are thus subjected to high stresses, temperature gradient, and neutron flux. Further, it is well known that pressure tubes of cold-worked Zr-2.5Nb materials result in hydrogen diffusion, which create fully-hydrided regions (frequently called Blister). Thus a proper investigation of hydrogen diffusion within zirconium-alloy nuclear components, such as CANDU pressure tube and fuel channels is essential to predict the structural integrity of these components. In this respect, this paper presents numerical investigation of hydrogen diffusion to quantify the hydrogen concentration for blister growth of CANDU pressure tube. For this purpose, coupled temperature-hydrogen diffusion analyses are performed by means of two-dimensional finite element analysis. Comparison of predicted temperature field and blister with published test data shows good agreement.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.189-195
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• 2004

The pressure tubes, which contain high temperature heavy water and fuel, are within the core of a CANDU nuclear reactor, and are thus subjected to high stresses, temperature gradient, and neutron flux. Further, it is well known that pressure tubes of cold-worked Zr-2.5Nb materials result in hydrogen diffusion, which create fully-hydrided regions (frequently called Blister). Thus a proper investigation of hydrogen diffusion within zirconium-alloy nuclear components, such as CANDU pressure tube and fuel channels is essential to predict the structural integrity of these components. In this respect, this paper presents numerical investigation of hydrogen diffusion to quantify the hydrogen concentration fur blister growth of CANDU pressure tube. For this purpose, coupled temperature-hydrogen diffusion analyses are performed by means of two-dimensional finite element analysis. Comparison of predicted temperature field and blister with published test data shows good agreement.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.947-957
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• 2003

The pressure tube is a major component of the CANDU reactor, which supports nuclear fuel bundle. In order to complete the integrity evaluation of pressure tube, expert knowledge, iterative calculation procedures and a lot of input data are required. More over, results of integrity assessment may be different according to the evaluation method. For this reason, an integrity evaluation system, which provides efficient way of evaluation with the help of attached database, was developed. The present system was built on the basis of 3D FEM results, ASME Sec. XI, and Fitness For Service Guidelines for CANDU pressure tubes issued by the AECL (Atomic Energy Canada Limited). The present system also covers the delayed hydride cracking and the blister evaluation, which are the characteristics of pressure tube integrity evaluation. In order to verify the present system, several case studies have been performed and the results were compared with those from AECL. A good agreement was observed between those two results.

• 비파괴검사학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.334-341
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• 2003

중수로 압력관이 주위를 둘러싸고 있는 칼란드리아관과 접촉될 경우, 압력관의 내면과 외면의 온도차로 인하여 수소(중수소)의 열 확산이 발생하며 결과적으로 압력관 외면에 수소화물 블리스터가 형성된다. 수소화물 블리스터는 음향학적으로 지르코늄 매질과 연속성을 가지기 때문에 일반적인 초음파 검사법으로는 탐지하기가 어렵다. 지르코늄 압력관 외면에 발생한 작은 수소화물 블리스터를 압력관 내면에서 탐지하기 위하여 초음파 모드 변환 및 속도비 방법을 개발하였다. 정적인 열확산 실험 장치를 사용하여 압력관 외면에 수소화물 블리스터를 성장시켰다. 종파 에코의 비행시간과 모드 변환된 반사 횡파 에코의 비행시간을 측정하여 종파 대 횡파 속도비를 계산하였으며 이를 속도비를 수정된 등고선 표현 방식으로 나타냈다. 초음파 속도비 방법이 일반적인 종파 비행시간방법보다 수소화물 블리스터 탐지 감도가 우수하며 블리스터 형상화 측면에서도 실제 형상과 유사하게 재현하고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 또한 중수로 압력관 초음파 검사사양과 동일하게 최적화 조건에서 수소화물 블리스터 탐지한계는 보수적인 관점에서 압력관 외면에 나타나는 크기를 기준으로 약 $500{\mu}m$로 평가되었다.

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2000년도 추계학술대회논문집A
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• pp.843-848
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• 2000

The pressure tube is a major component of the CANDU reactor, which supports nuclear fuel bundle and it's containment vessel. If a flaw is found during the periodic inspection from the pressure tubes, the integrity evaluation must be carried out, and the safety requirements must be satisfied for continued service. In order to complete the integrity evaluation, complicated and iterative calculation procedures are required. Besides, a lot of data and knowledge for the evaluation are required for the entire integrity evaluation process. For this reason, an integrity evaluation system, which provides efficient way of evaluation with the help of attached databases, was developed. The developed system was built on the basis of ASME Sec. XI and FFSG(Fitness For Service Guidelines for zirconium alloy pressure tubes in operating CANDU reactors) issued by the AECL, and covers the delayed hydride cracking(DHC). Various analysis methods are provided for the integrity evaluation of pressure tube. In order to verify the developed system, several case studies have been performed and the results were compared with those from AECL. A good agreement was observed between those two results.