Investigation of Electron Beam Welding Characteristics Using AA6061-T6 for Nuclear Plate-Type Fuel Assembly

This study was carried out to establish an electron beam welding process for nuclear plate-type fuel assembly fabrication. A preliminary investigation for plate fuel fabrication was conducted with a consideration of the weld performance using AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy made through the EBW (Electron Beam Welding) process. The optimum welding parameters for the plate-type fuel assembly were obtained in terms of the accelerating voltage, beam current and welding time. The welds made by the optimum parameters showed slightly lower tensile strengths than those of the un-welded specimens. The integrity of the welds by the EBW process was confirmed by the results of the tensile test, an examination of the macro-cross sections and the fracture surfaces of the welded specimens.