• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.546-551
• /
• 2010

The objective of this research is to estimate the crack location and size of a carbon steel pipe by using a laser ultrasound guided wave for the wall thinning evaluation of an elbow. The wall thinning of the carbon steel pipe is one of the most serious problems in nuclear power plants, especially the wall thinning of the carbon steel elbow caused by Flow-Accelerated Corrosion (FAC). Therefore, a non-destructive inspection method of elbow is essential for the nuclear power plants to operate safely. The specimens used in this study were carbon steel elbows, which represented the main elements of real nuclear power plants. The shape of the wall thinning was an oval with a width of 120mm, a length of 80mm, and a depth of 5mm. The L(0,1) and L(0,2) modes variation of the ultrasound guided wave signal is obtained from the response of the laser generation/air-coupled detection ultrasonic hybrid system represent the characteristics of the defect. The trends of these characteristics and signal processing were used to estimate the size and location of wall thinning.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.1063-1071
• /
• 2008

This paper provides a failure pressure evaluation model for local wall-thinned elbows. In this study, parametric finite element analyses are performed on the elbows containing local wall-thinning defect at their intrados and extrados, and the failure pressures are obtained from the analysis results by applying a local failure criterion that was validated by real-scale pipe tests. An evaluation model including the effects of thinning depth, length, circumferential angle, thinning location, and elbow geometries on the failure pressure is derived based on the evaluated failure pressures. The proposed model agrees well with the results of finite element analyses and reasonably estimates the dependence of failure pressure on the wall-thinning dimensions and elbow geometries. Also, the comparison with experimental data demonstrates that the proposed evaluation model can accurately predict the failure pressure of local wall-thinned elbows.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.31 no.10
• /
• pp.1017-1024
• /
• 2007

This study performed a series of burst tests at ambient temperature using real-scale elbow specimen containing a local wall-thinning defect at it's intrados or extrados and evaluated failure pressure of locally wall-thinned elbows. In the experiment, a 90-degree 100A, Sch. 80 standard elbow was employed, and various wall-thinning geometries, such as length, depth, and circumferential angle, were considered. From the results of experiment, the dependences of failure pressure of wall-thinned elbows on the defect geometries and locations were investigated. In addition, the reliability of existing models was examined by comparing the tests data with the results predicted from existing failure pressure evaluation models for locally wall-thinned elbow.

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

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.12-19
• /
• 2012

This study conducted infrared (IR) thermography tests using pipe and plate specimens with artificial wall-thinning defects to find an optimal condition for IR thermography test on the wall-thinned nuclear piping components. In the experiment halogen lamp was used to heat the specimens. The distance between the specimen and the lamp and the intensity of halogen lamp were regarded as experimental parameter. When the distance was set to 1~2 m and the lamp intensity was above 60 % of full power, a single scanning of IR thermography detected all artificial wall-thinning defects, whose minimum dimension was $2{\Theta}=90^{\circ}$, d/t=0.5, and $L/D_o=0.25$, within the pipe of 500 mm in length. Regardless of the distance between the specimen and the lamp, the image of wall-thinning defect in IR thermography became distinctive as the intensity of halogen lamp increased. The detectability of IR thermography was similar for both plate and pipe specimens, but the optimal test condition for IR thermography depended on the type of specimen.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.30 no.5 s.248
• /
• pp.533-542
• /
• 2006

In order to assess the integrity of pipes with local thinning area, the plastic strain as well as the elastic strain at the root of thinned region are required particularly when fluctuating load is applied to the pipe. For estimating elastic-plastic strain at local wall thinning area in a straight pipe under tensile load, an estimation model with idealized fully circumferential constant depth wall thinning area is proposed. Based on the compatibility and equilibrium equations a nonlinear estimation equation, from which local elastic-plastic strain can be determined as a function of pipe/defect geometry, material and the applied strain was derived. Estimation results are compared with those from detailed elastic-plastic finite element analysis, which shows good agreements. Noting that practical wall thinning in nuclear piping has not only a circular shape but also a finite circumferential length, the proposed solution for the ideal geometry is extended based on two-dimensional and three-dimensional numerical analysis of pipes with circular wall thinning.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.361-367
• /
• 2013

Many of the nuclear power plant pipe is used in high temperature and high pressure environment. Wall thinning frequently caused by the corrosion. These wall thinning in pipe is expected gradually increase as nuclear power become superannuated. Therefore there is need to evaluate wall thinning in pipe and corrosion defect by non-destructive method to prevent the accident of the nuclear power facility due to pipe corrosion. Especially for real-time assessment of the wall thinning that occurs in nuclear power plant pipe, the laser ultrasonic technology can be measured even in hard-to-reach areas, beyond the limits of earlier existing contact methods. In this study, the optical method using laser was applied for non-destructive and non-contact evaluation. Ultrasonic signals was acquired through generating ultrasonic by pulse laser and using laser interferometer. First the ultrasonic signal was detected in no wall thinning in pipe, then a longitudinal wave velocity was measured inside of pipe. Artificial wall thinning specimen compared to 20, 30, 40 and 50% of thickness of the pipe was produced and the longitudinal wave velocity was measured. It was possible to evaluate quantitatively the wall thinning area(internal defect depth) cause it was able to calculate the thickness of each specimen using measured longitudinal wave velocity.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.34-39
• /
• 2013

In the advanced research deducted infrared thermography (IRT) test using 4 inch pipe with artificial wall-thinning defect to measure on the wall-thinned nuclear pipe components. This study conducted for defect detection condition of nuclear small-bore pipe research using deducted condition in the advanced research. Defect process is processed by change for defect length, circumferential direction angle, wall-thinning depth. In the used equipment IR camera and two halogen lamps, whose full power capacitany is 1 kW, halogen lamps and Target pipe experiment performed to the distance of the changed 1 m, 1.5 m, 2 m. To analysis of the experimental results ensure for the temperature distribution data, by this data measure for defect length. artificial defect of 4 inch pipe is high reliability in the 2 m, but small-bore pipe is in the 1.5 m from the defect clearly was detected.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.241.1-241.1
• /
• 2003

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.85-90
• /
• 2010

The infrared energy is emitted in the infrared wavelength range that corresponds to the surface temperature of a object which has temperature that is over the absolute the temperature(OK). The infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-destrnctive testing method that provides thermal video for the user in real-time by converting the infrared quantity that is detected by the infrared detector into temperature. The pipes of nuclear power plant(NPP) could be thinned by the corrosion and fatigue and the defect could lead to a big accident. For this reason, the effective non-destructive testing method is necessary. In this study, the relationship between the measured temperature and the defect depth or size of NPP pipes were recognized and that was applied to detect the wall thinning defects of NPP pipes.