• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2014

The purpose of this paper is to assess the structural integrity of piping penetrations for nuclear power plants. A piping qualification analysis describes loads due to deadweight, pressure difference acts normal to the plate, thermal transients, and earthquakes, among other events, on piping penetrations that have been modeled as an anchor. Amodel was analyzed using a commercial finite element program. Apiping penetration analysis model was constructed with an assembly of pipe, head fittings and sleeves. Normally, the design load, thus obtained, will consist of three moments and three forces, referred to a Cartesian coordinate system. When comparing the stress analysis results from each required cutting position, the general membrane stress intensities and local membrane plus bending stress intensities during a structural evaluation cannot exceed the allowable amount of stress for the design loads. Therefore, the piping penetration design satisfies the code requirements.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.67-72
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• 2001

The LBB behavior and the crack opening displacement after a crack penetrated wall thickness of statically indeterminate piping system were investigated in this study, compared with statically determinate piping system. The reduction of ultimate strength caused by a crack was relatively small in the statically indeterminate piping system. The statically indeterminate piping system has more safety margin for LBB behavior than the statically determinate piping system. The crack opening displacement could be evaluated by using the plastic rotation angle proposed to evaluate the crack opening displacement after crack penetration in pipe with a non-penetrating crack.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.725-730
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• 2010

The leak-before-break behavior and the crack opening displacement were investigated of statically indeterminate piping system and statically determinate piping system after a crack penetration. The reduction in the ultimate strength caused by a crack was relatively small in the statically indeterminate piping system. The leak-before-break in the statically indeterminate piping system had a larger safety margin than that in the statically determinate piping system. The crack opening displacement after crack penetration in a pipe with a nonpenetrating crack was evaluated by using a plastic rotation angle.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06d
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• pp.110-114
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• 2001

A numerical analysis has been perfonned to estimate the effect of turbulent penetration and thermal stratified flow in the branch lines piping. This phenomenon of thermal stratification are usually observed in the piping lines of the safety related systems and may be identified as the source of fatigue in the piping system due to the thermal stress loading which are associated with plant operating modes. The turbulent penetration length reaches to $1^{st}$ valve in safety injection piping from reactor coolant system (RCS) at normal operation for nuclear power plant when a coolant does not leak out through valve. At the time, therefore, the thermal stratification does not appear in the piping between RCS piping and $1^{st}$ valve of safety injection piping. When a coolant leak out through the $1^{st}$ valve by any damage, however, the thermal stratification can occur in the safety injection piping. At that time, the maximum temperature difference of fluid between top and bottom in the piping is estimated about $50^{\circ}C$.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.322-327
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• 2001

The internal leaks of RCS pressure boundary valves may cause thermal fatigue crack because of the TASCS in RCS branch line. After experienced unisolable piping failures in several PWR plants, many studies have peformed to understand these phenomena and various methods were applied to ensure the structural integrity of piping. In this paper, the cause of unisolable piping failures and the alternatives to prevent recurrence of failure were reviewed. Also, the severity of piping failure including susceptibility of valve leaks was evaluated for the Westinghouse 2-loop plant. The length of turbulent penetration on RHR inlet piping was measured and, thermal fluid analysis and fatigue analysis was performed for this piping. As a means of ensuring the structural integrity, temperature monitoring and specialized UT and other alternatives were compared for the further application.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1833-1838
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• 2003

In the nuclear power plant, emergency core coolant system(ECCS) is furnished at reactor coolant system(RCS) in order to cool down high temperature water in case of emergency. However, in this coolant system, thermal stratification phenomenon can be occurred due to coolant leaking in the check valve. The thermal stratification produces excessive thermal stresses at the pipe wall so as to yield thermal fatigue crack(TFC) accident. In the present study, when the turbulence penetration occurs in the branch piping, the maximum temperature differences of fluid at the pipe cross-sections of the T-branch with thermal stratification are examine

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2014

A Failure or degradation of reactor upper head penetration is a recurring problem due to long term operation at nuclear power plants. And a flaw in the reactor upper head penetration has caused unplanned plant shutdown for repair as well as high economic impact on the plants. Consequently, a detection of flaws is of the utmost importance. Prior to the replacement of reactor upper head penetration, some utilities have repaired the flaws of reactor upper head penetration generated by overlay weld. Until now, only the base metal in reactor upper head penetration has been inspected according to 10 CFR 50.55a and ASME code case N-729-1. Accordingly, it is difficult to detect manufacturing defects and repair defects in overlay weld. This paper presents a case study on the application of Time of Flight Diffraction technique for reactor head penetration mockup with artificial flaws in overlay weld. This study offers a way to understand the flaws detected in reactor upper head penetration overlay weld.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

A failure or degradation of reactor upper head penetration is a troublesome problem at Nuclear Power Plants. A flaw in the reactor upper head penetration can result in unplanned plant shutdown for repair, and cause serious economic losses on the plants. Consequently, a detection of flaws is a matter of more importance. Until now, only the base metal, not including J-groove weld, in reactor upper head penetration has been inspected in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a and ASME code case N-729-1 requirements. Accordingly, it is rather difficult to detect manufacturing defects and repair defects in J-groove weld. This paper presents a case study on the application of Time of Flight Diffraction UT technique to examine the J-groove weld in reactor head penetration using reactor head penetration mockup with artificial flaws. We expect that this study result will offer a way to understand the non-destructive examination technology for J-groove weld in reactor upper head penetration.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2010

US NRC issued rulemaking of 10CFR50.55a to perform the Perservice and Inservice inspection for Reactor Vessel Head Penetration Nozzle of US Nuclaer plant. The rulemaking was required the EPRI Demonstration to verify the NDE technique performing special Ultrasonic examination. In order to meet this requirement, the UT and ECT procedures was demonstrated and the NDE personnel were qualified by EPRI. In this paper, the NDE technique and analysis method are described the Preservice inspection for the Palo Verde #1/2/3 Replacement Reactor Vessel Head Penetration Nozzle using the qualified procedures and personnel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.237-248
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• 2013

Thermal stratification has continuously caused several piping failures in nuclear power plants since the early 1980s. However, this critical thermal effect was not considered when the old nuclear power plants were designed. Therefore, it is urgent to evaluate this unexpected thermal effect on the structural integrity of piping systems. In this paper, the thermal effects of stratified flow in two different safety injection piping systems were investigated by using a coupled CFD-FE method. Since stratified flow is generally generated by turbulent penetration and/or valve leakage, thermal stress analyses as well as CFD analyses were carried out considering these two primary causes. Numerical results show that the most critical factor governing thermal stratification is valve leakage and that temperature distribution significantly changes according to the leakage path. In particular, in-leakage has a high possibility of causing considerable structural problems in RCS piping.