Development of Electron Beam Welding Technology Using AA6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy for Nuclear Fuel Plate Assembly
This study was carried out to establish the electron beam welding process for a nuclear fuel plate assembly fabrication. A preliminary investigation for plate fuel fabrication was conducted with a consideration of weld performance using AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy made by the EBW (Electron Beam Welding) process. The optimum welding parameters for the fuel plate 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.