• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.189-195
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• 2021

A technology for designing and licensing a dedicated radiation shielding facility needs to be developed for safe and efficient operation an R&D center. Technology development is important for smooth operation of such facilities. Causes of damage to internal structures (such as baffle former bolt (BFB) of pressurized water reactor) of a nuclear power reactor should be analyzed along with prevention and countermeasures for similar cases of other plants. It is important to develop technologies that can comprehensively analyze various characteristics of internal structures of long term operated reactors. In high-temperature, high-pressure operating environment of nuclear power plants, cases of BFB cracks caused by irradiated assisted stress corrosion cracks (IASCC) have been reported overseas. The integrity of a reactor's internal structure has emerged as an important issue. Identifying the cause of the defect is requested by the Korean regulatory agency. It is also important to secure a foundation for testing technology to demonstrate the operating environment for medium-level irradiated testing materials. The demonstration testing facility can be used for research on material utilization of the plant, which might have highest fluence on the internal structure of a reactor globally.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.2591-2603
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• 2023

Simulating the Corrosion-Related Unidentified Deposit (CRUD) on the surface of fuel assemblies is necessary to predict the axial offset anomaly and the localized corrosion induced by the CRUD during the operation of nuclear power plants. A new CRUD model was developed to predict the formation of the CRUD deposits, considering the deposition and erosion mechanisms. The heat transfer and capillary flow within the CRUD were also considered to evaluate the boiling amount within the CRUD layer. This model predicted a CRUD deposit thickness of 44 ㎛ during a one-cycle operation of the Seabrook nuclear power plant. The CRUD deposition tended to accelerate and decelerate during the simulation, by being related to boiling mechanism on the deposits surface. Additionally, during a three-cycle operation corresponding to the refueling period, the CRUD deposition was saturated at a thickness of 80 ㎛, which was in good agreement with the suggested thickness for CRUD buildupin pressurized water reactors. Surface boiling on the thin CRUD deposits enhanced the acceleration of the deposition, even when the wick boiling properties were not favorable for CRUD deposition. To ensure the certainty of the simulation results, sensitivity analyses were conducted for the porosity, chimney density, and the constants employed in the proposed model of the CRUD.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.1244-1249
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• 2024

A combination of flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) tests and corresponding computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tests were performed to determine the hydrodynamic parameters that could help predict the highly susceptible location to FAC in the elbow section. The accelerated FAC tests were performed on a specimen containing elbow sections fabricated using commercial 2-inch carbon steel pipe. The tests were conducted at flow rates of 9 m/s under the following conditions: water temperature of 150 ℃, dissolved oxygen <5 ppb, and pH 7. Thickness reduction of the specimen pipe due to FAC was measured using ultrasonic testing. CFD was conducted on the FAC test specimen, and the turbulence intensity, and shear stress were analyzed. Notably, the location of the maximum hydrodynamic parameters, that is, the wall shear stress and turbulent intensity, is also the same location with maximum FAC rate. Therefore, the shear stress and turbulence intensity can be used as hydrodynamic parameters that help predict the FAC-induced wall-thinning rate. The results provide a method to identify locations susceptible to FAC and can be useful for determining inspection priority in piping systems.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.108-113
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• 2005

One of the recent safety issues in the pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) is the cracking of the feeder pipe. Because of the limited accessibility to the cracked region and a high dose of radiation exposure, it is difficult to inspect all the pipes with the conventional ultrasonic method. In order to solve this problem, a long-range guided wave technique has been developed. A computer program to calculate the dispersion curves in the pipe was developed and the dispersion curves for the feeder pipes in PHWR plants were determined. Several longitudinal and/or flexural modes were selected from the review of the dispersion curves and an actual experiment has been carried out with the specific alignment of the piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers. They were confirmed as L(0,1)) and/or flexural modes(F(m,2)) by the short time Fourier transformation(STFT) and were sensitive to the circumferential cracks, but not to the axial cracks in the pipe. An electromagnetic acoustic transducers(EMAT) was designed and fabricated for the generation and reception of the torsional guided wave. The axial cracks were detected by a torsional mode(T(0,1)) generated by the EMAT.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.113-119
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• 2015

Alloy 82/182 weld metals had been extensively used in joining the components of the PWR primary system. Unfortunately, there have been a number of incidents of cracking caused by PWSCC in Alloy 82/182 welds during the operation of PWR worldwide. To mitigate PWSCC, optimization of water-chemistry conditions, especially dissolved hydrogen (DH) and Zn contents, is considered as the most promising and effective remedial method. In this study, the PWSCC behaviours of Alloy 182 weld were investigated in simulated PWR environments with various DH content. Both in-situ and ex-situ oxide characterizations as well as PWSCC initiation tests were performed. The results showed that PWSCC crack initiation time was shortest in PWR water (DH: 30cc/kg). Also, high stress reduced crack initiation time. Oxide layer showed multi-layered structures consisted of the outer needle-like Ni-rich oxide layer, Fe-rich crystalline oxide, and inner Cr-rich inner oxide layers, which was not altered by the level of applied stress. To analyse the multi-layer structure of oxides, EIS measurement were fitted into an equivalent circuit model. Further analyses including TEM and EDS are underway to verify appropriateness of the equivalent circuit model.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.145-151
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• 2014

The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of the concentration ratios of Ni and Fe ions on crud deposition onto the fuel cladding surface in the simulated primary environments of a pressurized water reactor. Crud deposition tests were conducted in the Ni and Fe concentration ratios of 20:20 ppm, 39:1 ppm and 1:39 ppm at $325^{\circ}C$ for 14 days. In the case of the same Ni and Fe ion ratio (20:20), nickel ferrite with a polyhedral shape was formed. Nickel oxide deposits with a needle shape were formed in the condition of high Ni to Fe ion ratio (39:1), While polyhedral iron oxide and needle-like nickel oxide formed in the condition of low Ni to Fe ion ratio (1:39). The amount of deposits increased, when Fe oxides were formed. This indicates that Fe rich oxides stimulated Ni oxide deposition.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.56-61
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• 2014

The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of dissolved hydrogen concentration on crud deposition onto the fuel cladding surface in the simulated primary environments of a pressurized water reactor. Crud deposition tests were conducted in the dissolved hydrogen concentration range of 5~70 cc/kg at $325^{\circ}C$ for 14 days. Needle-shaped NiO deposits were formed in the hydrogen range of 5~25 cc/kg, while polygonal nickel ferrite deposits were observed at a hydrogen concentration above 35 cc/kg. However, the dissolved hydrogen content seems to have little effect on the amount of crud deposits.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.186-194
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• 2014

Establishment of adhesion strength measurement procedure for marine epoxy coatings was conducted in order to ensure reliability of the test results. It was found that (1) the increase in thickness of the substrates would induce increase of pull-off strength. Especially, the increase in adhesion strength with the substrate thickness increment was attributed to the transition of stress mode to the pure tensile mode excluding bending effect. (2) The longer curing time, the higher pull-off strength. It may be due to higher cross-linking density of the coating (3) The pull-off strength increases as coating thickness increases due to the diminishment of bending effect (4) The longer drying time after water immersion, the higher pull-off strength. It may be due to the evaporation of water molecule at the coating-substrate interface.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.78-88
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• 1995

This paper was performed to study the utility of the SP(small punch) test and the AE(acoustic emission) test in the evaluation of SCC(stress corrosion cracking) susceptibility for parent metal and bond line of HT80 steel-weld joint by SAW(submerged arc welding) with the various pH values. The loading rate used was 3*10$^{-4}$ mm/min and the corrosive environment used was synthetic sea water during the SP test and the AE test. According to the test results, the SCC susceptibility of the parent metal was increased in the order of pH6.0, pH8.2 and pH10.0. On the other hand, the bond line showed almost the same high SCC susceptibility in all pH concentrations. Synthetically, from the results of the SCC susceptibility, the macro- and micro-SEM observation, the microfracture behaviors by AE test and the relationship between SCC susceptibility and displacement at incipient failure, .delta.$_{i.f-AE}$, it can be concluded that the SP test and the AE test are the good test methods to evaluate the SCC susceptibility for parent metal and bond line of the weld joint with the change of environmental factors.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.48-60
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• 1993

The cause of corrosion failure found in structures or various components operating in severe corrosive environments has been attributed to stress corrosion cracking(SCC)which is resulting from the combined effects of corrosive environments and static tensile stress. Slow strain rate test (SSRT) provides a rapid reliable method to determine SCC susceptibility of metals and alloys for a broad range of application. The chief advantage of SSRT procedures is that it is much more aggressive in producing SCC than conventional constant strain or constant load tests, so that the testing time is considerably reduced. Therefore, in this paper, the combined effects of material properties and strain rate on the tensile ductility and fracture morphology of parents and weldment for SM45C, SCM440 and SM20C steels were examined and discussed in synthetic sea water. The susceptibility of SCC was the most severe under the strain rate of $1.0{\times}10^{-6} sec^{-1}$, and R.O.A. can be used for parent and maximum load for weldment to evaluate the parameter for SCC susceptibility.