• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.2918-2927
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• 2020

This paper proposes a simplified elastic-plastic analysis procedure using the penalty factors presented in the Code Case N-779 for strain-based fatigue assessment of nuclear safety class 1 components under severe seismic loads such as safety shutdown earthquake and beyond design-basis earthquake. First, a simplified elastic-plastic analysis procedure for strain-based fatigue assessment of nuclear safety class 1 components under the severe seismic loads was proposed based on the analysis result for the simplified elastic-plastic analysis procedure in the Code Case N-779 and the stress categories corresponding to normal operation and seismic loads. Second, total strain amplitude was calculated directly by performing finite element cyclic elastic-plastic seismic analysis for a hot leg nozzle in pressurizer surge line subject to combined loading including deadweight, pressure, seismic inertia load, and seismic anchor motion, as well as was derived indirectly by applying the proposed analysis procedure to the finite element elastic stress analysis result for each load. Third, strain-based fatigue assessment was implemented by applying the strain-based fatigue acceptance criteria in the ASME B&PV Code, Sec. III, Subsec. NB, Article NB-3200 and by using the total strain amplitude values calculated. Last, the total strain amplitude and the fatigue assessment result corresponding to the simplified elastic-plastic analysis were compared with those using the finite element elastic-plastic seismic analysis results. As a result of the comparison, it was identified that the proposed analysis procedure can derive reasonable and conservative results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.343-356
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• 2022

As a part of round robin analysis to develop a finite element elastic-plastic seismic analysis procedure for nuclear safety class 1 components, a series of parametric analyses was carried out on the simulated pressurizer surge line system model to investigate sensitivity of the analysis results to finite element analysis variables. The analysis on the surge line system model considered dynamic effect due to the seismic load corresponding to PGA 0.6 g and elastic-plastic material behavior based on the Chaboche combined hardening model. From the parametric analysis results, it was found that strains such as accumulated equivalent plastic strain and equivalent plastic strain are more sensitive to the analysis variables than von Mises effect stress. The parametric analysis results also identified that finite element density and ovalization option in the elbow elements have more significant effect on the analysis results than the other variables.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.340-350
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• 2015

This paper proposes strain-based acceptance criteria for assessing plastic instability of the safety class 1 nuclear components made of ferritic steel during level D service loads. The strain-based criteria were proposed with two approaches: (1) a section average approach and (2) a critical location approach. Both approaches were based on the damage initiation point corresponding to the maximum load-carrying capability point instead of the fracture point via tensile tests and finite element analysis (FEA) for the notched specimen under uni-axial tensile loading. The two proposed criteria were reviewed from the viewpoint of design practice and philosophy to select a more appropriate criterion. As a result of the review, it was found that the section average approach is more appropriate than the critical location approach from the viewpoint of design practice and philosophy. Finally, the criterion based on the section average approach was applied to a simplified reactor pressure vessel (RPV) outlet nozzle subject to SSE loads. The application shows that the strain-based acceptance criteria can consider cumulative damages caused by the sequential loads unlike the stress-based acceptance criteria and can reduce the overconservatism of the stress-based acceptance criteria, which often occurs for level D service loads.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2018

The paper presents preliminary investigation results for the effect of the baseline correction in the acceleration excitation method on finite element seismic analysis results (such as accumulated equivalent plastic strain, equivalent plastic strain considering cyclic plasticity, von Mises effective stress, etc) of nuclear safety Class I components. For investigation, finite element elastic-plastic time-history seismic analysis is performed for a surge line including a pressurizer lower head, a pressurizer surge nozzle, a surge piping, and a hot leg surge nozzle using the Chaboche hardening model. Analysis is performed for various seismic loading methods such as acceleration excitation methods with and without the baseline correction, and a displacement excitation method. Comparing finite element analysis results, the effect of the baseline correction is investigated. As a result of the investigation, it is identified that finite element analysis results using the three methods do not show significant difference.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1901-1910
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• 2023

The safety-class (1E) digital control system (DCS) of nuclear power plant characterized structural multiple redundancies, therefore, it is important to quantitatively evaluate the reliability of DCS in different degree of backup loss. In this paper, a reliability evaluation model based on T-S fuzzy fault tree (FT) is proposed for 1E DCS of nuclear power plant, in which the connection relationship between components is described by T-S fuzzy gates. Specifically, an output rejection control system is chosen as an example, based on the T-S fuzzy FT model, the key indicators such as probabilistic importance are calculated, and for a further discussion, the T-S fuzzy FT model is transformed into Bayesian Network(BN) equivalently, and the fault diagnosis based on probabilistic analysis is accomplished. Combined with the analysis of actual objects, the effectiveness of proposed method is proved.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.21 no.6 s.78
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• pp.20-25
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• 2006

In the design of class 1 components to apply ASME code section III NB, a fatigue is considered as one of the important failure mechanisms. Fatigue analysis procedure and standard fatigue design curve(S-N curve) is suggested in ASME code, which had to be performed to meet the integrity of components at the design step. As the plant life extension for operating power plants and the long-lived plant design, however, are being progressed, the fact which the existing ASME fatigue design curve can not consider fatigue effects sufficiently comes to the fore. To find the technical solution for these problems, a number of researches and discussion are continued up to now. In this study, the detailed fatigue analyses using the 3 dimensional modeling for the fatigue-weakened components were performed to develop the optimized fatigue analysis procedure and their results are compared with other reference solutions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.53-59
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• 2010

A fatigue damage caused by cyclic load is considered as one of the important failure mechanisms that threaten the integrity of structures and components in a nuclear power plant. In ASME code section III NB, the fatigue analysis procedure and standard S-N curves for the class 1 components are described and these criteria should be met at the design step of components. As the current ASME S-N curves are based on the very conservative assumptions such as a local stress concentration effect, immoderate transient frequencies and a constant Young's modulus, however, they can not precisely address the fatigue behavior of components. In order to find out the technical solution for these problems, a number of researches and discussion have been carried out continuously at home and abroad over the decades. In this study, detailed fatigue analyses for DVI nozzle with various mesh density of finite elements were performed to evaluate effect of stress concentration factors on the fatigue analysis procedure and the excessive conservatism of stress concentration factors are confirmed through the analysis results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.618-625
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• 2019

When newcomer countries consider a nuclear power programme, it is recognized that the most important organizations are the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization (NEPIO), the regulator, and an operating organization. Concerning the number of construction delays these days, one of the essential organizations is an Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA). According to World Nuclear Industry Status Report, all of the reactors under construction in eight out of the thirteen countries have experienced delays. Globally, the Flamanville 3 project and Sanmen Unit 1 are 6.5 years and 5 years late respectively. One of the major reasons of delay is due to inappropriate manufacturing and inspection on safety class components. The recommendations are made to develop such an organization: (i) find existing inspection organizations in relevant industries, (ii) contract with expatriates who have experience on nuclear inspection, (iii) develop a legislative framework to authorize the inspection organization with enforcement, (iv) include a contract clause in the BIS for developing the AIA, (v) hold training programmes from vendor country, (vi) during manufacturing and construction, domestic AIA shall be involved.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.101-106
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• 2016

NSSS (Nuclear Steam Supply System) and BOP (Balance of Plant) design works for PGSFR (Prototype Gen-IV Sodium Fast Reactor) have been conducted in Korea. NSSS major components, e.g. reactor vessel, steam generator and secondary sodium main pipes, are designed according to the rule of ASME boiler and pressure vessel code division 5, in which DBA (Design by Analysis) methods are used in the stress assessments. However, there is little discussions about detail rules for BOP piping design. In this paper, the detail methodologies of BOP piping stress assessment are discussed including safety systems and non-safety system pipings. It is confirmed that KEPIC MGE(ASME B31.1) and ASME BPV code division 5 HCB-3600 can be used in stress assessments of non-safety pipes and class B pipes, respectively. However, class A pipe design according to ASME BPV code division 5 HBB-3200 has many difficulties applying to PGSFR BOP design. Finally, future development plan for class A pipe stress assessment method is proposed in this paper.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2003

Performance demonstration with real flawed specimens has been strongly required for nondestructive evaluation of safety class components in nuclear power plant. Mechanical or thermal fatigue crack and intergranular stress corrosion cracking could be occured in the in-service nuclear power plant and mechanical fatigue crack was selected to study in this paper. Specimen was designed to produce mechanical fatigue flaw under tensile stress. The number of cycles and the level of stress were controlled to obtain the desired flaw roughness. After the accurate physical measurement of the flaw size and location, fracture surface was seal-welded in place to ensure the designed location and site. The remaining weld groove was then filled by using gas-tungsten are welding(GTAW) and flux-cored arc welding(FCAW). Results of radio graphic and ultrasonic testing showed that fatigue cracks were consistent with the designed size and location in the final specimens.