• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.762-769
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• 2024

The TMSR-SF0 simulator is an integral effect thermal-hydraulic experimental system for the development of thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR) program in China. The simulator has two heat transport loops with liquid FLiNaK. In literature, the 95% level confidence uncertainties of the thermophysical properties of FLiNaK are recommended, and the uncertainties of density, heat capacity, thermal conductivity and viscosity are ±2%, ±10, ±10% and ±10% respectively. In order to investigate the effects of thermophysical properties uncertainties on the molten salt heat transport system, the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the heat transfer characteristics of the simulator system are carried out on a RELAP5 model. The uncertainties of thermophysical properties are incorporated in simulation model and the Monte Carlo sampling method is used to propagate the input uncertainties through the model. The simulation results indicate that the uncertainty propagated to core outlet temperature is about ±10 ℃ with a confidence level of 95% in a steady-state operation condition. The result should be noted in the design, operation and code validation of molten salt reactor. In addition, more experimental data is necessary for quantifying the uncertainty of thermophysical properties of molten salts.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.3
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• pp.311-325
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• 2020

In applying the spectral stochastic finite element methods to the frequency response analysis, the conventional methods are known to give unstable and inaccurate results near the natural frequencies. To address this issue, a new sensitivity based stabilized formulation for stochastic frequency response analysis is proposed in this paper. The main difference over the conventional spectral methods is that the polynomials of random variables are applied to both numerator and denominator in approximating the harmonic response solution. In order to reflect the resonance behavior of the structure, the denominator polynomials is constructed by utilizing the natural frequency sensitivity and the random mode superposition. The numerator is approximated by applying a polynomial chaos expansion, and its coefficients are obtained through the Galerkin or the spectral projection method. Through various numerical studies, it is seen that the proposed method improves accuracy, especially in the vicinities of structural natural frequencies compared to conventional spectral methods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.593-598
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• 2000

In this paper the critical speed analysis and design sensitivity investigation are carried out with an APU(auxiliary power unit) gas turbine having a spline shaft connection. The DDM(direct differential method) is directly applied to formulate the critical speed design sensitivity problem of a general nonsymmetric-matrix rotor-bearing system. The design sensitivity analysis have shown that the critical speed change rate to the support modeling of the spline shaft connection point is extremely negligible, and thereby its design uncertainty is lifted. It has also been confirmed that the critical speeds up to the 4th are not sensitive to the design stiffness coefficients of 4-main bearings or supports, including two air foil bearings. Further, the critical speed change rate to the shaft-element length have shown quantitatively that the spline shaft has some limited influence on the 4th critical speed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.78 no.5
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• pp.529-543
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• 2021

Inevitable source-uncertainties in geometry configuration, boundary condition, and material properties may deviate the structural dynamics from its expected responses. This paper aims to examine the influence of these uncertainties on the vibration of functionally graded beams. Finite element procedures are presented for Timoshenko beams and utilized to generate reliable datasets. A prerequisite to the uncertainty quantification of the beam vibration using Monte Carlo simulation is generating large datasets, that require executing the numerical procedure many times leading to high computational cost. Utilizing artificial neural networks to model beam vibration can be a good approach. Initially, the optimal network for each beam configuration can be determined based on numerical performance and probabilistic criteria. Instead of executing thousands of times of the finite element procedure in stochastic analysis, these optimal networks serve as good alternatives to which the convergence of the Monte Carlo simulation, and the sensitivity and probabilistic vibration characteristics of each beam exposed to randomness are investigated. The simple procedure presented here is efficient to quantify the uncertainty of different stochastic behaviors of composite structures.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.2670-2677
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• 2023

In the nuclear safety studies, a new trend refers to the evaluation of uncertainties as a mandatory component of best-estimate safety analysis which is a modern and technically consistent approach being known as BEPU (Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty). The major objectives of this study consist in performing a study of uncertainties/sensitivities of the major analysis results for a generic CANDU 6 Nuclear Power Plant during Station Blackout (SBO) progression to understand and characterize the sources of uncertainties and their effects on the key figure-of-merits (FOMs) predictions in severe accidents (SA). The FOMs of interest are hydrogen mass generation and event timings such as the first fuel channel failure time, beginning of the core disassembly time, core collapse time and calandria vessel failure time. The outcomes of the study, will allow an improvement of capabilities and expertise to perform uncertainty and sensitivity analysis with severe accident codes for CANDU 6 Nuclear Power Plant.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.773-776
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• 2004

The so-called Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis on reinforced concrete bridge can provide useful information for initial design and maintenance plan of the RC bridge. This paper proposes an LCC prediction equation and a sensitivity analysis method for RC bridges. An LCC equation for the RC bridge which includes initial investment cost, maintenance cost, and demolition cost was derived and verified from the data for design and construction of an RC slab bridge. In order to solve uncertainty problem on actual discount rate and material characteristics in the analysis of LCC of concrete bridges, a sensitivity analysis method on the LCC using the Monte Carlo simulation technique was suggested.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.434-437
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• 2003

Evaluation or the patterning accuracy of e-beam lithography machines requires a high precision inspection system that is capable of measuring the true xy-locations of fiducial marks generated by the e-beam machine under test. Fiducial marks are fabricated on a single photo mask over the entire working area in the form of equally spaced two-dimensional grids. In performing the evaluation, the principles of self-calibration enable to determine the deviations of fiducial marks from their nominal xy-locations precisely, not being affected by the motion errors of the inspection system itself. It is. however, the fact that only repeatable motion errors can be eliminated, while random motion errors encountered in probing the locations of fiducial marks are not removed. Even worse, a random error occurring from the measurement of a single mark propagates and affects in determining locations of other marks, which phenomenon in fact limits the ultimate calibration accuracy of e-beam machines. In this paper, we describe an uncertainty analysis that has been made to investigate how random errors affect the final result of self-calibration of e-beam machines when one uses an optical inspection system equipped with high-resolution microscope objectives and a precision xy-stages. The guide of uncertainty analysis recommended by the International Organization for Standardization is faithfully followed along with necessary sensitivity analysis. The uncertainty analysis reveals that among the dominant components of the patterning accuracy of e-beam lithography, the rotationally symmetrical component is most significantly affected by random errors, whose propagation becomes more severe in a cascading manner as the number of fiducial marks increases

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2004

Recently, much attentions are paid to the risk associated with increased uses of medium size radiation sources in medical and industrial fields. In this study, radiation risks to the worker and to the general public due to $^{99m}Tc$ generator were assessed for both normal and accident conditions. Based on the event tree technique, exposure scenarios for various situations were derived. Uncertainty analysis based on the Monte-Carlo technique was applied to the risk assessment for workers and members of the public in the vicinity of the work place. In addition, sensitivity analysis was performed on each of the five independent input parameters to identify importance of the parameters with respect to the resulting risk. Because the frequencies of normal tasks are fat higher than those of accidents, the total risk associated with normal tasks were higher than the accident risk. The annual dose due to normal tasks were $0.6mSv\;y^{-1}$ for workers and $0.014mSv\;y^{-1}$ for public, while in accident conditions $3.96mSv\;y^{-1}\;and\;0.0016mSv\;y^{-1}$, respectively. Uncertainty range of accident risk was higher by 10 times than that of normal risk. Sensitivity analysis revealed that source strength, working distance and working time were crucial factors affecting risk. This risk analysis methodology and its results will contribute to establishment of risk-informed regulation for medium and large radioactive sources.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.241-247
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• 2011

Although intensive development continues on innovative sensor systems, there is still considerable uncertainty in deciding on the number of sensors required and their locations in order to obtain adequate information on structural behavior. This paper is concerned with the sensor locations on a beam-structure for prognostic structural health monitoring. The purpose of this study is to investigate how to determine optimal sensor placement(OSP) from the sensitivity information of a known failure mode. The sensitivity of the forced vibration response of a beam to the variation of stiffness due to a crack is calculated analytically and used to determine the optimal sensor locations for the specified failure mode. The results of this method compared with the results of different OSP methods. The results have shown that the proposed method on optimal sensor placement is very effective in structural health monitoring.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2005.05b
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• pp.324-328
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• 2005

This study is to figure out uncertainty relationship between input data and calibrated parameter on unsteady hydraulic routing model. The uncertainty would be present to model results as a variant water surface profile along the channel. Firstly, Manning's n is calibrated through the model with assumed uncertainty on input hydrograph. Then, spatially distributed n-values sets based on the calibrated n values are used to get water profile of each n-values set. The results show that ${\pm}0.002$ of error in Manning's n cause ${\pm}30cm$ of maximum water surface differences at the Sumjin river.