• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2547-2555
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• 2021

The frequency of reactor coolant leakage is expected to increase over the lifetime of a nuclear power plant owing to degradation mechanisms, such as flow-acceleration corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. When loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) occur, several parameters change rapidly depending on the size and location of the cracks. In this study, leak flow during LOCAs is predicted using a deep fuzzy neural network (DFNN) model. The DFNN model is based on fuzzy neural network (FNN) modules and has a structure where the FNN modules are sequentially connected. Because the DFNN model is based on the FNN modules, the performance factors are the number of FNN modules and the parameters of the FNN module. These parameters are determined by a least-squares method combined with a genetic algorithm; the number of FNN modules is determined automatically by cross checking a fitness function using the verification dataset output to prevent an overfitting problem. To acquire the data of LOCAs, an optimized power reactor-1000 was simulated using a modular accident analysis program code. The predicted results of the DFNN model are found to be superior to those predicted in previous works. The leak flow prediction results obtained in this study will be useful to check the core integrity in nuclear power plant during LOCAs. This information is also expected to reduce the workload of the operators.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.297-303
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• 2023

This study aimed to evaluate hydrogen permeation behaviors of pre-strained twinning-induced plasticity steel with or without Zn coating using electrochemical permeation technique. In contrast to un-strained and 30% strained samples, permeation current density was measured in the 60% strained sample. Tensile pre-straining at 60% involved microstructural modifications, including a high level of dislocation density and stacking fault with a semi-coherent twin boundary, which might provide a high diffusion path for hydrogen atoms. However, reproducibility of measurements of hydrogen permeation current was low due to non-uniform deformation and localized stress concentration. On the other hand, the permeation current was not measured in pre-strained TWIP steel with Zn coating. Instead, numerous blisters with some cracks were observed on the surface of the coating layer. In locally damaged Zn coating under tensile straining, hydrogen atoms could relatively easily permeate through the coating layer. However, they were trapped at the interface between the coating layer and the substrate, which might delay hydrogen penetration into the steel substrate.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.48-60
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• 1993

1974년에 유럽에서 시작된 PISC(Program for the Inspection of Steel Components ; PISC-I, II, III) 수행결과나 1980년대초 실시된 미국의 BWR 원전 배관계통의 입계응력부식균열(IGSCC ; Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracks)검사결과에서 나타난 바와 같이 기존의 규격 요건과 절차에 따른 원자력발전소 기기에 대한 초음파탐상검사는 그 실효성에 많은 문제점이 제기되었다. 따라서, 원전기기의 건전성 및 초음파탐상검사 결과의 신뢰도를 보증하기 위한 각종 연구가 진행되고 여러 방안이 모색되어 왔다. 그 결과, 원전 가동중검사 규격에 "초음파탐상검사자 자격인정 요건"과 "초음파탐상검사 시스템(검사자, 장비 및 절차서)에 대한 기량검증 요건"이 새로이 부가되었다. 본고에서는 초음파탐상검사 결과의 신뢰도 확보에 있어 필수불가결한 요건인 원전기기 초음파 탐상검사 시스템에 대한 기량검증 요건을 자세히 기술한다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 1991.11a
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• pp.54-58
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• 1991

It is well known that metal cutting leaves a plastically deformed layer in the machined surface. This residual phenomenon affects in various forms the physical properties of machined components such as the fatigue strength, the dimensional instability, microcracks, and the stress corrosion cracking. These physical properties, so called surface integrity, are very important for designing highly stressed and critically loaded components. Typical plastic strains in the machined surface are very difficult to measure, since they are located within a very short distance from the surface and they change very rapidly. There is an alternative way to determine the residual strain in plastically deformed materials by measuring the grain size after a subsequent recrystallization process. Although, this technique has been successfully applied by several researchers to find the plastic zone around notches and cracks in various materials and welding beads, few works have been reported using the recrystallization method to determine the residual strains in machined surface. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation Is to explore the effectiveness of the recrystallization technique in machining applications, and in particular, to find the effect of cutting parameters, i.e., depth of cut and rake angle on the plastic strains.

• 한국기계연구소 소보
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 1981

Fatigue, the birth and growth of cracks in metal parts subjected to repeated loading, has been a problem plaguing engineers since the Industrial Revolution and the advent of rotating or reciprocating machinery. Designing against metal fatigue was studied briefly in several aspects. Examples of fatigue failures were shown. Fatigue was classified by loading: uniaxial Fatigue, multiaxial fatigue, cumulative fatigue da¬mage. Fatigue design criteria were discussed: Infinite-Life Design, Safe-Life Design, Fail-Safe Design, and Damage Tolerant Design. Mitigation of notch effects by design, improvement of fatigue strength of metal parts by residual stress and surface finishing were discussed. Relative fatigue beha¬vior was studied under various environmantal conditions. Especially the effects of corrosion, temperature, fretting, and irradiation were covered.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.573-578
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• 2001

For the corrosion protect ion of the natural gas transmission pipelines, two methods are used, cathodic protection and coating technique. In the case of cathodic protection, defects are embrittled by occurring hydrogen at the crack tip or material surface. It is however very important to evaluate whether cracks in the embrittled area can grow or not, especially in weld metal. In this work, on the basis of elastic plastic fracture mechanics, we performed CTOD test ing with varying test conditions, such as the potential and current density. The CTOD of the base steel and weld metal showed a strong dependence of the test conditions. The CTOD decreased with increasing cathodic potential and current density. The morphology of the fracture surface showed quasi-cleavage. Hydrogen introduced fractures, caused by cathodic overprotection.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 2014

The paper presents an overview of the present state of study on the fatigue behaviors at very high number of cycles ($N_f$ > $10^7$). A classification of materials with typical S-N curves and influencing factors such as notches, residual stresses, temperatures, corrosion environments and stress ratios are given. The microstructural inhomogeneities of materials and micro-cracks played an important roles in very high cycle fatigue behaviors. The failure mechanisms for the fatigue design of materials and components are mentioned.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.197-203
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• 2001

Micro-defects induced by design and production failure or working environments are known as the cause of SCC(Stress Corrosion Cracking) in aged structures. Therefore, the evaluation of structural integrity based on micro-cracks is required not only a manufacturing step but also in-service term. So we introduce a new nondestructive inspection method using the magneto-optical film to detect micro-cracks. The method has some advantage such as high testing speed, real time data acquistion and the possibility of remote sensing by using of a magneto-optical film that takes advantage of the change of magnetic domains and domain walls. This paper introduces the concept of the new nondestructive inspection method using the magneto-optical film, also proves the possibility of this method as a remote testing system under oscillating load considering application on real fields by applying the method to four types of specimens.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.20-27
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• 2010

In order to prevent the corrosion of component contacted primary water designed alloy 600 material in the nuclear power plant. But the primary water stress corrosion cracking(PWSCC) of alloy 600 and weld area occurs continuously due to the residual stress. The leakage accident resulted from PWSCC in the drain nozzle of the steam generator of domestic power plants. Heater sleeves of the pressurizer are welded with alloy 600 weld material and therefore exposed to the primary water environment. PWSCC occurred in heater sleeve material and weld area of many foreign power plants. The current issue of domestic nuclear power plants are consequently concentrated to PWSCC of similar material. In order to improve the detection and the sizing of the PWSCC in the welding sleeve of the pressurizer, the automatic UT system and multi-directions probe sets have been developed. The experimental studies have been performed using the mock-up block containing artificial reflectors(ID connected EDM notch) and semi-artificial cracks made from thermal fatigue. The automatic UT System is applied in the detection and the length sizing of the ID/OD on the tube and the J-groove weld area of the artificial reflectors and results of the detection and the sizing are compared respectively. Also, the developed automatic UT system is successfully accomplished to inspect the heater sleeve and the J-groove weld area on the pressurizer for the detection of PWSCC.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.225-235
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• 2010

There are many types of the geometric transitions such as dent, bulge, protrusion, expansion, etc, on the inner and outer surfaces of heat exchanger tubes, steam generator tubes, and condenser tubes of nuclear power plants. Such geometric transition causes a local residual stress in heat exchanger tubes and acts as a structural factor accelerating the evolution of defects, in particular stress corrosion cracks. In the conventional eddy current test methods, the bobbin coil profilometry can provide 2-dimensional geometric information on the variation of the average inner diameter along the tube length, but the 3-dimensional distribution and the quantitative size of a local geometric transition existing in the tube cannot be measured. In this paper, a new eddy current probe, developed for the 3-dimensional profile measurement, is introduced and its superior performance is compared with that from the conventional bobbin coil profilometry for the various types of geometric transition. Also, the accuracy of the probe for the quantitative profile measurement is verified by comparing the results with that from the laser profilometry. It is expected that the new eddy current probe and techniques can be effectively used for an optimization of the tube expansion process, and the management of tubes with geometric transitions in service.