• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2016

Fuel assembly's mechanical characterization test facility (FAMeCT) in KAERI was constructed with upgraded functional features such as increased loading capacity, underwater vibration testing and severe earthquake simulation for extended fuel design guideline. This facility is designed and developed to provide out-pile fuel data for accident analysis model and fuel licensing. Functional tests of FAMeCT were performed to confirm functionality, structural integrity, and validity of newly-built fuel assembly mechanical test facility. Test program includes signal check of data acquisition system, load delivering capacity using real-sized fuel assemblies and a standard loading cylindrical rigid specimen. Fuel assembly's lateral bending test was carried out up to 30 mm of pull-out displacement. Limit case axial compression loading test up to 33 kN was performed to check structural integrity of UCPS (Upper Core Plate Simulator) support frame. Test results show that all test equipment and measurement system have acceptable range of alignment, signal to noise ratio, load carrying capacity limit without loss of integrity. This paper introduces newly constructed fuel assembly's mechanical test facility and summarizes results of functional test for the mechanical test equipment and data acquisition system.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2020

Creep rupture data for Alloy 690 steam generator tubes in a pressurized water reactor are essentially needed to demonstrate a severe accident scenario on thermally-induced tube failures caused by hot gases in a damaged reactor core. The rupture data were obtained using the tube specimens under different applied-stress levels at 650℃, 700℃, 750℃, 800℃, and 850℃. Important creep constants were proposed using various creep laws in terms of Norton power law, Monkman-Grant (M-G) relation, damage tolerance factor (λ), and Zener-Hollomon parameter (Z). In addition, a creep activation energy (Q) value for Alloy 690 tube was reasonably determined using experimental data. Creep behaviors such as creep strength, creep rates, rupture elongation showed the results of temperature dependence well. Modified M-G plot improved a correlation of the creep rate and rupture life. Damage tolerance factor for Alloy 690 tubes was found to be λ =2.20 in an average value. Creep activation energy for Alloy 690 tube was optimized for Q=350 (kJ/mol). A plot of Z parameter obeyed a good linearity, and the same creep mechanism was inferred to be operative in the present test conditions.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.173-178
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• 2012

To manage the wall thinning of carbon steel piping in nuclear power plants, the utility of Korea has performed thickness inspection for some quantity of pipe components during refueling outages and determined whether repair or replacement after evaluating UT (Ultrasonic Test) data. When the existing UT data evaluation methods, such as Band, Blanket, PTP (Point to Point) Methods, are applied to a certain pipe component, unnecessary re-inspecting situations may be generated even though the component does not thinned. In those cases, economical loss caused by repeated inspection and problems of maintaining the pipe integrity followed by decreasing of newly inspected components may be generated. EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) in USA has suggested several statistical methods, TPM (Total Point Method), LSS (Least Square Slope) Method, etc. to distinguish whether multiple inspecting components have thinned or not. This paper presents the analysis results for multiple inspecting components over three times based on both NAM (Near Area of Minimum) Method developed by KEPCO-E&C and the other methods suggested by EPRI.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.199-206
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• 2015

In this study, a new diagnosis method which can predict the working states of a pipe or its element in realtime is proposed by using an artificial neural network. The displacement data of an inspection element of a piping system are obtained by the use of PIV (particle image velocimetry), and are used for teaching a neural network. The measurement system consists of a camera, a light source and a host computer in which the artificial neural network is installed. In order to validate the constructed monitoring system, performance test was attempted for two kinds of mobile phone of which vibration modes are known. Three values of acceleration (minimum, maximum, mean) were tested for teaching the neural network. It was verified that mean values were appropriate to be used for monitoring data. The constructed diagnosis system could monitor the operation condition of a gas pipe.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2018

Materials in nuclear power plants can be embrittled by neutron irradiation. According to existing studies, the effect of the material property by irradiation embrittlement can be approximately simulated by cold working (pre-strain). In this study, finite element damage analysis method using the stress-modified fracture strain model is proposed to predict J-Resistance curves of irradiated SUS316 stainless steel. Experimental data of pre-strained SUS316 stainless steel material are obtained from literature and the damage model is determined by simulating the tensile and fracture toughness tests. In order to consider damage caused by the pre-strain, a pre-strain constant is newly introduced. Experimental J-Resistance curves for various degrees of pre-strain are well predicted.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2009

The emergency diesel generator (EDG) in a nuclear power plant (NPP) shall start within 10 secondss and supply electrical power to engineered safety features within one minute and less if a loss of offsite power (LOOP), A design-basis event, or their combination occur. Each NPP has an EDG set consisting of two diesel generators for redundancy. In addition to the EDG set, an alternate Alternating Current Diesel Generator (AAC DG) is installed and shared by several units to cope with a station black out (SBO), i.e., loss of the offsite power concurrent with reactor trip and unavailability of the EDG set. The objective of this study is to analyze the failure data of emergency diesel generators reported in overseas nuclear power plants.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 2009

There is extensive tubing pipe in the nuclear power plant under high temperature and pressure. Erosion and corrosion defects are expected on this tubing pipe due to environmental and mechanical factors. In this study, Guided Ultrasonic Wave technique was applied to detect defects. The technique explores the advantages of the Guided Ultrasonic Wave method that inspects along the wall of the pipe and can travel long distances, providing rapid collection of data. This paper presents a case study of the Guided Ultrasonic Wave testing of 3/8" tubing pipe. This study offers to understand detected signals through correlation between amplitude and depth of defects.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2009

NDE(Nondestructive examination) detects a flaw or discontinuity in materials. Flaws detected by the examination shall be evaluated for the decision basis of the integrity. The internal flaws of forging products can be detected by UT. However, UT has detection limits because of its reflected signal weakness. Normally, a 1mm or less flaw is known as the limit. If a flaw was detected, the size of flaw would be evaluated by AVG(or DGS) technique. To verify the evaluation data, alternative examination methods are needed. But there is no alternative examination methods until now. In this study, Phased array ultrasonic technique can be used to size the flaws in the generator rotor with focused beam of ultrasonic wave as a supplement method of AVG. Also, the phased array ultrasonic technique described enables the shape of flaw to be depicted exactly.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.193-198
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• 1996

The effect of dynamic strain aging (DSA) on the leak-before-break (LBB) analysis was estimated through the evaluation of leakage-size-crack and flaw stability in SA106 Gr.C piping steel. Also. the results were represented as a form of "LBB allowable load window". In the DSA temperature region. the leakage-size-crack length was smaller than that at other temperatures and it increased with increasing tensile strain rate. In the results of flaw stability analysis. the lowest instability load appeared at the temperature corresponding to minimum J- R curve which was caused by DSA. The instability load near the plant operating temperature depended on the loading rate of J-R data. and decreased with increasing tensile strain rate. These are due to the strain hardening characteristic and strain rate sensitivity of DSA. In the "LBB allowable load window". LBB allowable region was the narrowest at the temperature and loading conditions where DSA occurs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Reliability Society Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.217-224
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• 2002

The performance demonstration round robin test was conducted to quantify the capability of ultrasonic inspection for in-service and to address some aspects of reliability for nondestructive evaluation. The fifteen inspection teams who employed procedures that met or exceeded ASME Sec. XI code requirements detected the piping of nuclear power plant with various cracks to evaluate the capability of detection. With data from PD-RR test, the performance of ultrasonic nondestructive inspection could be assessed using probability of length and depth sizing of cracks.