• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.66-73
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• 2014

This study was considered to occur the local wall thinning at elbow which is flowing the steam and high-pressure water of high-temperature. The angle of elbow is ${\Theta}=45^{\circ}$ and $67.545^{\circ}$. The damage behaviors of inner or outer wall thinning elbow under internal pressure were calculated by FEA(finite element analysis). We compared the simulated results by FEA with experimental data. The FEA results are as follows: In the FEA results of three types of wall thinning ratio, the circumferential and longitudinal stresses show the similar values regardless of the angle of elbow, respectively. The circumferential strain was greater at elbow of small angle, but the longitudinal strain was nearly same. The FEM stress of outer wall thinning elbow was slightly higher than that of the inner wall thinning elbow, and strain was also slightly higher. In the experiments, the circumferential strain was increased with the increase in the internal pressure, and increased rapidly on about 0.2% of strain. The longitudinal strain was small. The strain at break was much smaller than 0.2%. In the relation between pressure and eroded ratio, the criteria that can be used safely under operating pressure and design pressure were obtained. The results of FEA were in relatively good agreement with those of the experiment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.2678-2685
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• 2020

The pipe bends and elbows in nuclear power plants (NPPs) are vulnerable to degradation mechanisms and can cause wall-thinning defects. As it is difficult to detect both the defects generated inside the wall-thinned pipes and the preliminary signs, the wall-thinning defects should be accurately estimated to maintain the integrity of NPPs. This paper proposes a deep fuzzy neural network (DFNN) method and estimates the collapse moment of wall-thinned pipe bends and elbows. The proposed model has a simplified structure in which the fuzzy neural network module is repeatedly connected, and it is optimized using the least squares method and genetic algorithm. Numerical data obtained through simulations on the pipe bends and elbows with extrados, intrados, and crown defects were applied to the DFNN model to estimate the collapse moment. The acquired databases were divided into training, optimization, and test datasets and used to train and verify the estimation model. Consequently, the relative root mean square (RMS) errors of the estimated collapse moment at all the defect locations were within 0.25% for the test data. Such a low RMS error indicates that the DFNN model is accurate in estimating the collapse moment for wall-thinned pipe bends and elbows.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.681-686
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• 2008

In this paper, we estimated the degree of pipe thinning by using two accelerometers. It uses measured velocity of flexural wave traveling along the pipes. If the thickness of the wall decreases because of pipe thinning, flexural stiffness of the pipes decreases and accordingly, traveling velocity of flexural wave decreases. Thus, if we install two vibration sensors outside of the pipes and measures traveling velocity of flexural waves regularly, we can estimate and monitor the degree of pipe thinning quickly. In order to test the method we experimented with pipes, and get the result that group velocity varies according to the degree of pipe thinning. It verified this method can be used to monitor the pipe thinning.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1286-1292
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• 2008

In this paper, we estimated the degree of pipe thinning by using two accelerometers. It uses measured velocity of flexural wave traveling along the pipes. If the thickness of the wall decreases because of pipe thinning, flexural stiffness of the pipes decreases and accordingly, traveling velocity of flexural wave decreases. Thus, if we install two vibration sensors outside of the pipes and measures traveling velocity of flexural waves regularly, we can estimate and monitor the degree of pipe thinning quickly. In order to test the method we experimented with pipes, and get the result that group velocity varies according to the degree of pipe thinning. It verified this method can be used to monitor the pipe thinning.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2000

Significant wall thinning due to flow accelerated corrosion(FAC）was recently reported in main feedwater pipes in 3 Korean pressurized water reactor(PWR) plants. The main feedwater pipes in one plant were repaired using overlay weld method at the outside of pipe, while those in 2 other plants were replaced with new pipes. In this study, the effect of the wall thinning in the main feedwater pipes on piping integrity was evaluated using finite element method. Especially, the effects of both the overlay weld repair and the stress concentration in notch-type thinned area on the piping integrity were investigated. The results are as follows : (1) The piping load carrying capacity may significantly decrease due to FAC. In special, the load carrying capacity of the main feedwater pipe was reduced by about 40% during about 140 months operation in Korean PWR plants. (2) By performing overlay weld repair at the outside of pipe, the piping load carrying capacity can increase and the stress concentration level in the thinned area can be reduced.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.483-491
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• 2011

When pipe components made of carbon steel in nuclear, fossil, and industry are exposed to flowing fluid, wall thinning caused by FAC(flow accelerated corrosion) can be generated and eventually ruptured at the portion of pressure boundary. A study to identify the locations generating local wall thinning and to disclose turbulence coefficient related to the local wall thinning was performed. Experiment and numerical analyses for tee of down scaled piping components were performed and the results were compared. In particular, flow visualization experiment which was used alkali metallic salt was performed to find actual location of local wall thinning inside tee components. To disclose the relationship between turbulence coefficients and local wall thinning, numerical analyses were performed for tee components. The turbulence coefficients based on the numerical analyses were compared with the local wall thinning based on the measured data. From the comparison of the results, the vertical flow velocity component(Vr) flowing to the wall after separating in the wall due to the geometrical configuration and colliding with the wall directly at an angle of some degree was analogous to the configuration of local wall thinning.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.7 s.238
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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.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2015

Local wall thinning and integrity degradation caused by several mechanisms, such as flow accelerated corrosion (FAC), cavitation, flashing and/or liquid drop impingements, are a main concern in carbon steel piping systems of nuclear power plant in terms of safety and operability. Thinned pipe management program (TPMP) had been developed and optimized to reduce the possibility of unplanned shutdown and/or power reduction due to pipe failure caused by wall thinning in the secondary side piping system. This program also consists of several technical elements such as prediction of wear rate for each component, prioritization of components for inspection, thickness measurement, calculation of actual wear and wear rate for each component. Decision making is associated with replacement or continuous service for thinned pipe components. Establishment of long-term strategy based on diagnosis of plant condition regarding overall wall thinning is also essential part of the program. Prediction models of wall thinning caused by FAC had been established for 24 operating nuclear plants. Long term strategies to manage the thinned pipe component were prepared and applied to each unit, which was reflecting plant specific design, operation, and inspection history, so that the structural integrity of piping system can be maintained. An alternative integrity assessment criterion and a computer program for thinned piping items were developed for the first time in the world, which was directly applicable to the secondary piping system of nuclear power plant. The thinned pipe management program is applied to all domestic nuclear power plants as a standard procedure form so that it contributes to preventing an accident caused by FAC.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.299-304
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• 2008

This paper presents plastic limit loads of piping branch junctions with local wall thinning under combined pressure and in-plane bending, based on systematic three-dimensional finite element limit analyses using elastic-perfectly plastic materials. An ideal branch junction without weld or reinforcement around the intersection is considered with two locations of wall thinning; one in the run pipe, and the other in the branch pipe. Based on FE results, effects of thinning geometries on plastic limit moments are quantified and simple approximations of plastic limit loads are proposed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.732-740
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• 2022

A piping system stress analysis need to be re-performed for structural integrity assessment after reinforcement of a pipe with significant wall thinning. For efficient stress analysis, a one-dimensional beam element for the wall-thinned pipe with reinforcement needs to be developed. To develop the beam element, this work presents analytical equations for elastic stiffness of the wall-thinned pipe with reinforcement are analytically derived for axial tension, bending and torsion. Comparison with finite element (FE) analysis results using detailed three-dimensional solid models for wall-thinned pipe with reinforcement shows good agreement. Implementation of the proposed solutions into commercial FE programs is explained.