• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.61-68
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• 2015

The function of Feed Water Ring is to provide the flow path from Feedwater Nozzle to inside of SG(steam generator). Significant amounts of general FAC on the outside of the Feed Water Ring are not likely due to the low flow velocities in this area. However, on the interior of the Feed Water Ring, there may be areas of local higher flow velocity which could lead to higher FAC rates. These may include the inlet tee from the Feedwater Nozzle into the Feed Water Ring, the areas where the Feed Water Ring changes diameter, and especially the entrance area to the J-Nozzles. In this paper, the results of root cause analysis of through-wall hole observed at domestic WH 51F SG Feed Water Ring and its effect on the integrity and performance of SG are described. And, the maintenance strategy for WH 51F SG Feed Water Ring and the monitoring strategy for Downcomer Feed Water Ring of CE System 80 SG are presented.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.191-198
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• 2008

Flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) phenomenon of low alloy carbon steels in nuclear power plant has been known as one of major degradation mechanisms. It has a potential to cause nuclear pipe rupture accident which may directly impact on the plant reliability and safety. Recently, the equipotential switching direct current potential drop (ES-DCPD) method has been developed, by the present authors, as a method to monitor wall loss in a piping. This method can rapidly monitor the thinning of piping, utilizing either the wide range monitoring (WiRM) or the narrow range monitoring (NaRM) technique. WiRM is a method to monitor wide range of straight piping, whereas NaRM focuses significantly on a narrow range such as an elbow. WiRM and NaRM can improve the reliability of the current FAC screening method that is based on computer modeling on fluid flow conditions. In this paper, the measurements by ES-DCPD are performed with signal sensitivity analyses in the laboratory environment for extended period and showed the viability of ES-DCPD for real plant applications.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 대한기계학회 2007년도 춘계학술대회A
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• pp.1702-1707
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• 2007

The reduction of pipe-thickness induced by flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) is one of the most serious problems on the maintenance of piping system in nuclear power plants (NNP). If the thickness of a pipe component is reduced below the critical level, it cannot sustain pressure and consequently results in leakage or rupture. For this reason, wall thinning by FAC has been inspected in secondary side piping systems in NPPs. In this research Round Robin Test (RRT) was conducted to verify confidence of wall thinning measurement system in NPP. 12 inspectors from 3 companies participated and 23 specimens were used according to standard practice in RRT. The gage R&R analysis was introduced in regard to repeatability and reproducibility that are affected to measurement system errors. Confidence intervals of thickness measurement system were obtained.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 대한기계학회 2003년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.617-621
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to analyze piping failure trend of safety pipings In domestic nuclear power plants. First, database for the piping failure was constructed with 105 data fields. The database includes plant population data, event data, and service history data. 7 kinds of piping failures in domestic NPPs were investigated. Among the 7 cases, detailed root causes were investigated for 3 cases. The first one is pipe wall thinning in main feedwater pipings of Westinghouse 3 loop type plants. The root cause of the wall thinning was flow accelerated corrosion near welding area. The next one is leak event in chemical and volume control system(CVCS) due to vibration. Some cracks occurred in socket welding area. The events showed that the integrity or socket weld is very vulnerable to vibration. The last one is also a leak event in primary sampling line in Korean standard reactor due to thermal fatigue. Although the structural integrity was not maintained by the events, there was no effect on nuclear safety in the above 3 piping failure eases.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 대한기계학회 2003년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.622-628
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of local wall thinning on the collapse of elbow subjected to internal pressure and bending moment. Thus, the nonlinear 3D finite element analyses were performed to obtained collapse moment of elbow containing various wall thinning defects under two loading; modes (closing and opening modes) and defect locations (intrados and extrados). From the results of analyses, the influence of wall thinning defect on the global moment-rotation behavior of elbow was discussed, and the dependance of collapse moment of elbow on wall thinning depth, length, and circumferential angle was investigated under different loading mode and defect location.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• 제29권7호
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• pp.947-954
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to develop failure pressure evaluation models, which are applicable to straight pipes and elbows containing an internally wall thinning defect induced by flow-accelerated-corrosion (FAC). In this study, thus, three dimensional finite element (FE) analyses are performed to investigate the dependences of failure pressure of internally wall thinned pipe on the defect shape, the pipe geometry, and the defect location and bend radius of elbow. Also, the existing failure pressure assessment models for externally wall thinned pipes are examined. Based on these, the new models for assessing failure pressure of piping components with an internally wall thinning defect are proposed. Comparison of failure pressure, predicted by proposed models, with FE analysis result shows good agreement regardless of pipe type, defect shape, and defect location and bend radius.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 대한기계학회 2004년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.264-267
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• 2004

Wall thinning of carbon steel pipe components due to Flow-Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) is one of the most serious threats to the integrity of steam cycle piping systems in Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). Since the mid-1990s, secondary side piping systems in Korean NPPs have experienced wall thinning, leakages and ruptures caused by FAC. Korea Electric power Research Institute (KEPRI) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., LTD. (KHNP) have conducted a study to develop the methodology for systematic pipe management and established the Korean Thinned Pipe Management Program (TPMP). To effectively maintain the integrity of piping system, FAC engineer should understand the criterions of the structural integrity evaluation and the safety margin assessment for the thinned pipe component. This paper describes the technical items of TPMP, and shows the example of the integrity evaluation and safety margin assessment for three thinned pipe component of a NPP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.39-45
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• 2003

The failure mode of a pipe due to local wall thinning is increasingly more attention in the nuclear power plant industry. To assess the integrity of locally wall thinned pipe, it is necessary to perform many simulations under various conditions. Because the modeling for locally wall thinned elbow is more complicated than that of straight pipe the efficient modeling method for finite element analysis is necessary. In this study, the more simple efficient modeling method of three-dimensional finite element analysis for locally wall thinned elbow has been suggested and verified. And using the method, the failure mode of local wall thinned elbows that have different thinning lengths and circumferential angles is evaluated. From the results, we concluded that the collapse load of elbows has been decreased by the increase of wall thinning shape factors such as thinning lengths and circumferential angles.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.375-384
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• 1999

The credibility of CHECWORKS FAC model analysis was evaluated for plant application in a model plant chosen for demonstration. The operation condition at each pipe component was defined before the wear rate analysis by plant data base, water chemistry analysis, and network flow analysis. The predicted wear was compared with the measured wear for 57 sample components selected from 43 susceptible line groups analysed. The inspected 57 locations represent components of highest predicted wear in each line group. Both absolute value and relative ranking comparisons indicated reasonable correlations between the predicted and the measured values. Four components showed much higher measured wear rates than the predicted ones in the feed water train from main feed water pump discharge to steam generator, probably due to high hydrazine concentration operation the effect of which had not been incorporated into the CHECWORKS model. The measured wear was higher than the predicted one consistently for components with least susceptibility to FAC. It is believed that the conservatism maintained during UT data analysis dominated the measurement accuracy. A great deal of enhancement is anticipated over the current plant pipe management program when a comprehensive plant pipe management program is implemented based on the model analysis.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.81-92
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• 1996

The cementless fixation of bone ingrowth by porous coatings on artificial hip joint prostheses are replacing polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) bone cement fixations. However, the major interests in the field of porous metal coating are environmental corrosivity accelerated by metal ion release, deterioration in the mechanical property of the coating, and the mechanical failure of the coatings as well as the substrate. Therefore, the selection of right materials for coatings and the development of porous coating techniques must be accomplished. Because of the existing problems in Ti and Ti alloys which are used extensively, this study is focused on the plasma spraying technique for coating on super stainless steel substrate. In order to determine the optimum conditions which satisfy the requirement for the porous coatings, under the plasma spraying, we selected the experimental parameters which extensively influenced on the characteristics of the coating through the pre-examination. Spray distance has been selected among 120, 160, and 200mm and primary gas flow rate among 70, 100, and 130 SCFH. Current and secondary gas($H_2$) flow rate was fixed at 400A, and 15 SCFH respectively. To understand the characteristics of the coatings, surface morphology, cross-sectional micro-structure, surface roughness, residual stress, and corrosion resistance were elucidated and the best conditions for the bone ingrowth improvement on artificial hip joint prostheses were found.