• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.44-47
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• 2011

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.05a
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• pp.544-549
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• 1995

An analysis for Steam Line Break (SLB) events which result in a return-to-power conditions after reactor trip was performed for a postulated Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 cycle 8. Analysis methodology for post-trip return-to-power SLB is quite different from that of a no return-to-power SLB and is more complicated. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an methodology to analyze the response of the NSSS parameter and the fuel performance for the post-trip return-to-power SLB events. In this analysis, the cases with and without offsite power were simulated by crediting 3-D reactivity feedback effect due to local heatup around stuck CEA and compared with the cases without 3-D reactivity feedback with respect to fuel performance, departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR) and linear heat generation rate (LHGR).

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.658-661
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• 1996

Information that can be obtained from nuclear power plant trip cases is important for the efforts to reduce the trip occurrences. However, trip case reports, generally printed in documents, have shortcomings in using the contents. A database system called Information System of Trip Event Cases (INSTEC) is being developed to improve the use of trip information. INSTEC will provide the information obtained from the analysis of Korean nuclear power plant trips, such as component failures or human errors that induced the trips, problems contributed to the trips, and the sequence of unit events. In this study, in the process of INSTEC development, information analysis has been performed and a prototype of the system was developed. The prototype of INSTEC with user interface was presented to plant personnel to collect their opinion on INSTEC by using a questioninnaire. As results, it is confirmed that INSTEC would be helpful and useful for plant personnel to review the trip case information.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.47-58
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• 2020

Most of the reactor trips in Korean NPPs related to core protection systems were caused not because of proximity of boiling crisis and, consequently, a damage in the core, but due to particular miscalculations or component failures related to the core protection system. The most common core protection system applied in Korean NPPs is the Core Protection Calculator System (CPCS), which is installed in OPR1000 and APR1400 plants. It generates a trip signal to scram the reactor in case of low Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR) or high Local Power Density (LPD). However, is a reactor trip necessary to protect the core? Or could a fast power reduction be enough to recover the DNBR/LPD without a scram? In order to analyze the online calculation of DNBR/LPD, and the use of fast power reduction as trip avoidance methodology, a concept of CPCS with fast power reduction function was developed in Matlab® Simulink using systems engineering approach. The system was validated with maximum of 0.2% deviation from the reference and the dynamic deviation was maximum of 12.65% for DNBR and 6.72% for LPD during a transient of 16,000 seconds.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.1047-1057
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• 2016

Design engineering process for field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based reactor trip functions are developed in this work. The process discussed in this work is based on the systems engineering approach. The overall design process is effectively implemented by combining with design and implementation processes. It transforms its overall development process from traditional V-model to Y-model. This approach gives the benefit of concurrent engineering of design work with software implementation. As a result, it reduces development time and effort. The design engineering process consisted of five activities, which are performed and discussed: needs/systems analysis; requirement analysis; functional analysis; design synthesis; and design verification and validation. Those activities are used to develop FPGA-based reactor bistable trip functions that trigger reactor trip when the process input value exceeds the setpoint. To implement design synthesis effectively, a model-based design technique is implied. The finite-state machine with data path structural modeling technique together with very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language and the Aldec Active-HDL tool are used to design, model, and verify the reactor bistable trip functions for nuclear power plants.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.617-627
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• 1998

A technically more direct Statistical Combination of Uncertainties (SCU) method, extended SCU (XSCU), was developed to statistically combine the uncertainties associated with the DNBR alarm setpoint and the DNBR trip setpoint of digital nuclear power plants. The Modified SCU (MSCU) method is currently used as the USNRC approved design method to perform the same function. In this study, the MSCU and XSCU methods were compared in terms of the total uncertainties, and the thermal margins to the DNBR alarm and trip setpoints. The MSCU method resulted in small total uncertainties due to large negative biases which are unphysical. The XSCU method gives virtually unbiased total uncertainties which are physically meaningful in order to represent the actual magnitude of the total uncertainties associated with the DNBR alarm and trip setpoints. But the thermal margins to the DNBR alarm and trip setpoints by the MSCU method agree with those by the XSCU method within allowable statistical Variations.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 1996

A total of 77 unanticipated trip cases induced by human errors in Korean nuclear power plants were collected from the nuclear power plant trip event reports and analyzed to investigate the areas of high priority for human error reduction. Prior to this analysis, a classification system was made on the four task-related categories including plant systems, work situations, task types, and error types. The erroneous actions affecting the unanticipated plant trips were indentified by reviewing carefully the description of trip events. Then, the events with erroneous action were analyzed by using the classification system. Based on the results for the individual cases, human error occurrences were counted for each of the four categories, also for the selected pairs of categories, to find out the relationships between the two categories in aspects of human errors. As a result, the plant systems, work situations, and task types, and error types which are dominant in human error occurrences were identified.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.24-28
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• 2010

The nuclear power Plant onsite AC electrical power sources are required to supply power to the engineering safety facility buses if the offsite power source is lost. Typically, Diesel Generators are used as the onsite power source. The 125 VAC buses are part of the onsite Class 1E AC and DC electrical power distribution system. The DC power distribution system ensure the availability of DC electrical power for system required to shutdown the reactor and maintain it in a safety condition after an anticipated operational occurrence or a postulated Design Base Accident. Recently, onsite DC power supply system trip occurs the loss of system function. To obtain the performance such as reliability and availability, we analyzed the cause of battery charger trip and described the improvement of DC power supply system reliability. Finally, we provide reliability performance criteria of charger in order to ensure the probabilistic goals for the safety of the nuclear power plants.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.235-246
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• 2014

The automatic seismic trip system (ASTS) continuously monitors PGA (peak ground acceleration) from the seismic wave, and automatically generates a trip signal. This work presents how the system can be designed by using a systems engineering approach under the given regulatory criteria. Overall design stages, from the needs analysis to design verification, have been executed under the defined processes and activities. Moreover, this work contributes two significant design areas for digitalized ASTS. These are firstly, how to categorize the ASTS if the ASTS has a backed up function of the manual reactor trip, and secondly, how to set the requirements using the given design practices either in overseas ASTS design or similar design. In addition, the methodology for determining the setpoint can be applied to the I&C design and development project which needs to justify the error sources correctly. The systematic approach that has been developed and realized in this work can be utilized in designing new I&C (instrument and control system) as well.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.3167-3179
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• 2024

In abnormal states of nuclear power plants (NPPs), operators undertake mitigation actions to restore a normal state and prevent reactor trips. However, in abnormal states, the NPP condition fluctuates rapidly, which can lead to human error. If human error occurs, the condition of an NPP can deteriorate, leading to reactor trips. Sudden shutdowns, such as reactor trips, can result in the failure of numerous NPP facilities and economic losses. This study develops a remaining trip time (RTT) prediction system as part of an operator support system to reduce possible human errors and improve the safety of NPPs. The RTT prediction system consists of an algorithm that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and explainable AI (XAI) methods, such as autoencoders, light gradient-boosting machines, and Shapley additive explanations. AI methods provide diagnostic information about the abnormal states that occur and predict the remaining time until a reactor trip occurs. The XAI method improves the reliability of AI by providing a rationale for RTT prediction results and information on the main variables of the status of NPPs. The RTT prediction system includes an interface that can effectively provide the results of the system.