• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.225-231
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• 2012

Fitness-for-Service is a useful technology to determine replacement timing, next inspection timing or in-service when nuclear power plant's buried pipes are damaged. If is possible for buried pipes to be aged by material loss, cracks and occlusion as operating time goes by. Therefore Fitness-for-Service technology for buried pipe is useful for plant industry to perform replacement and repair. Fitness-for-Service for buried pipe is studied in terms of existing code and standard for Fitness-for-Service and a current developing code case. Fitness-for-Service for buried pipe was performed according to Code Case N-806 developed by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.42-47
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• 2010

Recently, many techniques have been developed for the inspection of pipelines using guided waves. However, few researches have been made on the application of those techniques for buried underground pipes. Guided wave motions in the buried pipes are somewhat different from those of on-ground pipes which have traction-free (air) boundary condition on outer pipe walls and thus are strongly affected by the mechanical property of the surrounding soils. Therefore, it should be investigated the effect of soil properties on the guided wave behavior in buried pipe. On the other hand, the mechanical property of soil is largely depending on its moisture conditions nevertheless of other influential factors such as void ratio. In this study, the effect of moisture conditions in soils on mode attenuation of guided waves in the buried pipe is investigated. To this end, numerical study is performed to characterize mode attenuation behavior in buried pipes and the effective mode which is suitable for long range inspection is identified.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2023

In this study, a deep learning algorithm was used to diagnose electric potential signals obtained through CIPS and DCVG, used indirect inspection methods to confirm the soundness of buried pipes. The deep learning algorithm consisted of CNN(Convolutional Neural Network) model for diagnosing the electric potential signal and Grad CAM(Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping) for showing the flaw prediction point. The CNN model for diagnosing electric potential signals classifies input data as normal/abnormal according to the presence or absence of flaw in the buried pipe, and for abnormal data, Grad CAM generates a heat map that visualizes the flaw prediction part of the buried pipe. The CIPS/DCVG signal and piping layout obtained from the 3D finite element model were used as input data for learning the CNN. The trained CNN classified the normal/abnormal data with 93% accuracy, and the Grad-CAM predicted flaws point with an average error of 2m. As a result, it confirmed that the electric potential signal of buried pipe can be diagnosed using a CNN-based deep learning algorithm.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2016

To find the buried pipes and cavities, GPR detection were proceed by the type and depth of underground pipes and cavities buried in the Chamber. In the case of asphalt pavement and non-pavement, the exploration of buried pipe were easy than the concrete and reinforced concrete pavement. In the case of air cavity, the buried depth of 1 m was evaluated as the detection was possible.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2015

Since the operation period of nuclear power plants has increased, the degradation of buried pipes gradually increases and recently it seems to be one of the emerging issues. Maintenance on buried pipes needs high quality of management system because outer surface of buried pipe contacts the various soils but inner surface reacts with various electrolytes of fluid. In the USA, USNRC and EPRI have tried to manage the degradation of buried pipes. However, there is little knowledge about the inspection procedure, test and manage program in the domestic nuclear power plants. This paper focuses on the development and build-up of real-time monitoring and control system of buried pipes. Pipes to be tested are tape-coated carbon steel pipe for primary component cooling water system, asphalt-coated cast iron pipe for fire protection system, and pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe for sea water cooling system. A control system for cathodic protection was installed on each test pipe which has been monitored and controlled. For the calculation of protection range and optimization, computer simulation was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics (Altsoft co.).

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2013

By carrying out numerical analyses and model experiments, this paper presents the attenuation characterization of an L(0,2) guided ultrasonic wave propagating in a buried steel pipe. From this investigation, we first find that the L(0,2) mode has a better attenuation property. Second, it is shown from the numerical analyses that the attenuation increases with increases in the soil embedment length (0, 500, 1000, and 1500 mm) and degrees of saturation (0, 50, 99, and 100%). Third, it is also shown from the model experiment that the attenuation increases as the embedment lengths and soil moisture quantities (0, 10, 20, and 30 kg) increase. Finally, we find that an exponential extrapolation gives a better attenuation prediction because the extrapolation gives similar attenuation patterns between the numerical and experimental results.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.292-300
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• 2018

The modeling of 3D finite elements based on CAD data has been used to detect sites of corrosion defects in buried pipes. The results generated sophisticated profiles of electrolytic potential and vectors of current distributions on the earth surface. To identify the location of defects in buried pipes, the current distribution on the earth surface was projected to a plane of incidence that was identical to the pipe locations. The locations of minimum electrolytic potential value were found. The results show adequate match between the locations of real and expected defects based on modeling. In addition, the defect size can be calculated by integrating the current density curve. The results show that the defect sizes were $0.74m^2$ and $0.69m^2$, respectively. This technology may represent a breakthrough in the detection of indirect damage in various cases involving multiple defects in size and shape, complex/cross pipe systems, multiple anodes and stray current.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.265-280
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• 2020

External corrosion of buried pipes can be controlled using both coating and cathodic protection. However, deterioration of the coating can occur due to several reasons. The detection reliabilty of coating flaw detection methods is affected by interference such as metal objects connected to rectifiers and copper grids. When performing parallel direct current voltage gradient (DCVG) inspection, a sine wave form without potential reversal in voltage gradient appears in the area where the interference exists. However, this area may be not identified using existing methods. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of analyzing direction on the reliability of coating flaw detection of pipes buried in soil using a multi-electrode detector. DCVG on the buried pipe was measured along the buried pipe. This measurement parallel to the pipe was repeated. Measured data were analyzed for parallel, vertical, and diagonal directions. The reliability of coating flaw detection was improved by up to 46.4% compared to the conventional method.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.539-547
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• 2010

In this study, characteristics of the fundamental longitudinal guided wave mode, L(0,1), which is a usual mode employed in the inspection of the above-ground pipe, of the buried pipe were numerically investigated considering property changes in the surrounding soil. Results showed that soil conditions are significantly affecting the attenuation of L(0,1) mode in the pipe embedded in soil. Especially, if the soil is partially saturated, the attenuation of L(0,1) mode is larger and is very similar regardless of the degree of water saturation in the surrounding soil. However, when the soil is fully saturated, the attenuation of L(0,1) mode is less and show different trend with its partially saturated counterparts.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.12-19
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• 2014

To minimize the risk of corrosion on buried pipeline and to maximize the efficiency of cathodic protection, various indirect inspection techniques have been used for decades. In the United States, 49 CFR has regulated the external corrosion direct assessment for buried pipelines. In Korea, there is no provision for external corrosion direct assessment but there is only, according to the KGS Code, provision that if the survey of the defects of buried pipeline and the leakage test for the pipe were conducted, it is deemed to leakage inspection. We, therefore, have suggested external corrosion direct assessment method appropriate to domestic status through the survey of the regulations and standards of UK and the USA and the investigation of domestic situation on coating damage detection method. The proposed external corrosion direct evaluation method was used as the basis when introducing the precision safety diagnosis regulation for the medium-pressure pipe in Korea.