• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.8 s.239
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• pp.1102-1108
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• 2005

The integrity of nuclear piping systems has to be maintained sufficiently all the times during operation. In order to maintain the integrity, reliable assessment procedures including fracture mechanics analysis, etc, are required. Up to now, the integrity assessment has been performed using conventional deterministic approach even though there are lots of uncertainties to hinder a rational evaluation. In this respect, probabilistic approach is considered as an appropriate method for piping system evaluation. The objectives of this paper are to develop a probabilistic assessment program using reliability index and simulation technique and to estimate the damage probability of wall-thinned pipes in secondary systems. The probabilistic assessment program consists of three evaluation modules which are first order reliability method, second order reliability method and Monte Carlo simulation method. The developed program has been applied to evaluate damage probabilities of wall-thinned pipes subjected to internal pressure, global bending moment and combined loading. The sensitivity analysis results as well as prototypal evaluation results showed a promising applicability of the probabilistic integrity assessment program.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to evaluate structural integrity of a weldment which is partially screwed and then welded. Two finite element models are constructed and solved: operating temperature and internal pressure are considered in the first simple model, and welding process and normal operating condition including heat-up process are simulated in the second model. Structural integrity assessment criteria are satisfied with both finite element models, therefore the repair weldment finely sustains structural integrity of this assembly and prevents leakage. Stresses are dramatically increased when weld residual stress is considered, but it should be considered as a secondary stress.

• 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.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.7 no.1 s.22
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• pp.30-35
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• 2004

The HANARO, a multi-purpose research reactor of 30 MWth open-tank-in-pool type, has been under normal operation since its initial criticality in February, 1995. Many experiments should be safely performed to activate the utilization of the HANARO. HANARO flow simulation facility is being developed for the endurance test of reactivity control units for extended life time and the verification of structural integrity of those experimental equipments prior to loading in the HANARO. This facility is composed of three major parts; a half-core structure assembly, a flow circulation system and a support system. The flow circulation system is composed of a circulation pump, a core flow piping, a core bypass flow piping and instruments. The system is to be filled with de-mineralized water and the flow should be met the design requirements to simulate a similar flow characteristics in the core channel of the half-core structure assembly to the HANARO. This paper, therefore, presents an analytical analysis to study the flow behavior of the system. Computational flow analysis has been performed for the verification of system pressure variation through the three-dimensional analysis program with the standard $k-{\epsilon}$ turbulence model and for the verification of the structural piping integrity through the finite element method. According to the analysis results, it could be said that the design requirements and the structural piping integrity of the flow circulation system are satisfied.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.609-615
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• 2001

This study proposes analysis and evaluation method of time series ultrasonic signal using attractor analysis for fusion joint part of polyethylene piping. Quantitatively characteristics of fusion joint part is analysed features extracted from time series. Trajectory changes in the attractor indicated a substantial difference in fractal characteristics. These differences in characteristics of fusion joint part enables the evaluation of unique characteristics of fusion joint part. In quantitative fractal feature extraction, feature values of 4.291 in the case of debonding and 3.694 in the case of bonding were proposed on the basis of fractal dimensions. In quantitative quadrant feature extraction, 1,306 point in the case of bonding(one quadrant) and 1,209 point(one quadrant) in the case of debonding were proposed on the basis of fractal dimensions. Proposed attractor feature extraction can be used for integrity evaluation of polyethylene piping material which is in case of bonding or debonding.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.81-92
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• 2014

The integrity evaluation of river levee includes slope stability evaluation of riverside land and protected low-land, and safety of piping with respect to critical gradient and critical velocity based on related regulations, such as Design Criteria Rivers Commentary (2009), Structural Design Criteria Based Commentary (2009). The design hydro-graph is the most important design input factor for the integrity evaluation; it can be inaccurate due to the absence of its decision methods suggested by the national level. The authors in this paper evaluated numerical analytic levee integrity for piping and slope stability by changing each design hydro-graph, including rising ordinary water level, lasting flood water level, falling water level, and flood frequency for Mun-san-jae on Nak-dong River. Finally, the authors suggested that the levee integrity of piping and slope stability are very sensitive to the changes of increasing time of ordinary water level by 57 hours and lasting time of the flood water level by 53 hours, respectively, for Mun-san-jae.

• 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.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.216-221
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• 2004

The operating experience showed that the fatigue is one of the major piping failure mechanisms in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The pressure and/or temperature loading transients, the vibration, and the mechanical cyclic loading during the plant operation may induce the fatigue failure in the nuclear piping. Recently, many fatigue piping failure occurred at the socket weld area have been widely reported. Many failure cases showed that the gap requirement between the pipe and fitting in the socket weld was not satisfied though the ASME Code Sec. III requires 1/16 inch gap in the socket weld. The ASME Code OM also limits the vibration level of the piping system, but some failure cases showed the limitation was not satisfied during the plant operation. In this paper, the fatigue behavior of the socket weld in the nuclear piping was estimated by using the three dimensional finite element method. The results are as follows. (1) The socket weld is susceptible to the vibration if the vibration levels exceed the requirement in the ASME Code OM. (2) The effect of the pressure or temperature transient load on the socket weld in NPPs is not significant because of the very low frequency of the transient during the plant lifetime operation. (3) 'No gap' is very risky to the socket weld integrity for the specific systems having the vibration condition to exceed the requirement in the ASME OM Code and/or the transient loading condition. (4) The reduction of the weld leg size from $1.09*t_1$ to $0.75*t_1$ can affect severely on the socket weld integrity.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.10-17
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• 2020

Securing the integrity of steam generator tubes is an essential requirement for safe operation of nuclear power plants. Therefore, tubes that do not satisfy integrity requirements are no longer usable and must be repaired according to the related requirements. In general, the repair criterion is that the damage depth is more than 40% of the tube wall thickness. However, the plugging limit can be changed and be applied, provided a technical proof is given that integrity can be secured against specific degradation at a specific plants and that approval can be obtained from a regulatory agency. A typical example is alternative repair criteria for defects within the tube sheet or tube support plates. In this paper, a background of establishing the plugging limit for steam generator tubes and changes in maintenance criteria are reviewed as examples.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.757-763
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• 2020

City gas buried pipes are managed by corrosion protection to prevent corrosion. In the case of the press-in section, the double pipe and the main pipe may cause corrosion under the influence of stray current, which can shorten the life of the pipes. In addition, if the insulator is filled in the press-in section, the press-in section itself is a single structure, and can be directly affected by external impact, and when the surrounding ground subsidence occurs, the stress may be concentrated, resulting in serious consequences. In this study, a serration-type shock absorber in the form of a sliding support was proposed as a new buried double piping construction method using EPS. The serration-type shock absorber can contribute to the improvement of the integrity of the buried double piping, as it can utilize the gas piping's own ductility and stress distribution characteristics with proper anti-corrosion management and shock-absorbing material properties by preventing contact inside the buried double pipe. However, for application to ground piping, there remains a task to supplement the vulnerability against fire due to the characteristics of EPS materials.