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KMID : 0371819980300030262
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Nuclear Engineering and Technology
1998 Volume.30 No. 3 p.262 ~ p.272
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A Review of Pressure Tube Failure Accident in the CANDU Reactor and Methods for Improving Reactor Performance
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Yoo Ho-Sik
Chung Jin-Gon
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Abstract
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The experiences and causes of pressure tube cracking accidents in the CANDU reactors and the development of the fuel channel at AECL(Atomic Energy Canada Limited) have been described. Most of the accidents were caused by Delayed Hydride Cracking(DHC). In the cases of the Pickering units 3&4 and the Bruce unit 2, excessive residual stresses induced by an improper rolled joint process played a role in DHC. In the-Pickering unit 2 cracks formed by contact between the pressure and calandria tubes due to the movement of the garter spring were the direct cause of the failure. To extend the life of a fuel channel, several R&D programs examining each component of the fuel channel have been carried out in Canada. For a pressure tube, the main concern is focused on changing the fabrication processes, e.g., increasing cold working rate, conducting intermediate annealing and adding a third element like Fe, V, and Cr to the tube material. In addition to them, chromium plating on the end fitting and increasing wall thickness at both ends of the calandria tube are considered. There has also been much interest in the improvement of fuel channel performance in our country and several development programs are currently under way.
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KEYWORD
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