• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.116-123
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• 2018

This study is a model experimental study using a phantom to propose an optimized brain CT scan protocol that can reduce the radiation dose of a patient and remain quality of image. We investigate the CT scan parameters of brain CT in clinical medical institutions and to measure the important parameters that determine the quality of CT images. We used 52 multislice spiral CT (SOMATOM Definition AS+, Siemens Healthcare, Germany). The scan parameters were tube voltage (kVp), tube current (mAs), scan time, slice thickness, pitch, and scan field of view (SFOV) directly related to the patient's exposure dose. The CT dose indicators were CTDIvol and DLP. The CT images were obtained while increasing the imaging conditions constantly from the phantom limit value (Q1) to the maximum value (Q4) for AAPM CT performance evaluation. And statistics analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficients. The result of tube voltage that the increase in tube voltage proportionally increases the variation range of the CT number. And similar results were obtained in the qualitative evaluation of the CT image compared to the tube voltage of 120 kVp, which was applied clinically at 100 kVp. Also, the scan conditions were appropriate in the tube current range of 250 mAs to 350 mAs when the tube voltage was 100 kVp. Therefore, by applying the proposed brain CT scanning parameters can be reduced the radiation dose of the patient while maintaining quality of image.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.254-259
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• 2014

A pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) core has 380 fuel channels contained and supported by a horizontal cylindrical vessel known as the calandria, whereas a pressurized water reactor (PWR) has only a single reactor vessel. The pressure tube, which is a pressure-retaining component, has a 103.4 mm inside diameter ${\times}$ 4.19 mm wall thickness, and is 6.36 m long, made of a zirconium alloy (Zr-2.5 wt% Nb). This provides support for the fuel while transporting the $D_2O$ heat-transfer fluid. The simple tubular geometry invites highly automated inspection, and good approach for all inspection. Similar to all nuclear heat-transfer pressure boundaries, the PHWR pressure tube requires a rigorous, periodic inspection to assess the reactor integrity in accordance with the Korea Nuclear Safety Committee law. Volumetric-based nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques utilizing ultrasonic and eddy current testing have been adopted for use in the periodic inspection of the fuel channel. The eddy current testing, as a supplemental NDE method to ultrasonic testing, is used to confirm the flaws primarily detected through ultrasonic testing, however, eddy current testing offers a significant advantage in that its ability to detect surface flaws is superior to that of ultrasonic testing. In this paper, effectiveness of flaw detection and the depth sizing capability by eddy current testing for the inside surface of a pressure tube, will be introduced. As a result of this examination, the ET technique is found to be useful only as a detection technique for defects because it can detect fine defects on the surface with high resolution. However, the ET technique is not recommended for use as a depth sizing method because it has a large degree of error for depth sizing.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.95-102
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• 2009

A steam generator (boiler) in thermal power plants, consisting of more than 30,000 parts and components, can lead to the plant shutdown with damage to even the small part of the components; esp., like weld failures on boiler tubes. Consequently it is greatly demanded to improve the quality of the weld on the boiler tube for the stable operation of the power plants. Because of the feature of the welding, which is done past by melting the work pieces and adding a filler material that cools to become a strong coalescence, there is a great possibility that weld failures take place. As a result, it is regulated to make a non-destructive testing, like radiography test, to detect defects and flaws in the weld. The current film radiography test provides a lower image quality exceeding 2.0% of a basic quality level for a penetrameter, it is very likely to fail to detect micro defect. As a result, the prevention for the boiler tube failure has not been made effectively. In this study, computed radiography technology has been applied as a digital radiography test to the boiler tube weld, and Se-75 radiation source was used to improve the image quality, instead of Ir-192 source. As a result of this study, it is proven to save the time and cost for test and to enhance the quality level of penetrameter penetrating image, which enables to upgrade the quality of radiography test to the boiler tube weld.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.28-33
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• 2010

As a part of license renewal for the continued operation of Wolsong unit 1, the periodic safety review report was submitted near the end of design lifetime, 2012, and now is under reviewing. Major components of primary system such as pressure tubes, feeder pipes and so on are being replaced and many components of secondary system are also being repaired. So the license renewal of Wolsong unit 1 is expected to be acquired without significant issues. But on the other hand, steam generators of Wolsong unit 1 had the good performance and therefore the replacement and repair for the steam generator are not needed. Recently it is reported that some cracks were detected in a few of european steam generator with Alloy 800 tubes and the cause of cracks was the outer diameter stress corrosion cracking(ODSCC) due to the concentration of chemical impurities on the outer surface of tube. Accordingly the overall review on this issue was performed. The long-term operation is likely to results to form the concentration mechanism for the tube corrosion as the sludge build-up in the secondary side of steam generator and the crack in the crevice between tube and tube-sheet and expansion transitions is apt to be occurred. In this paper, the history of steam generator inspection and operation of Wolsong unit 1 are reviewed and the reliability of steam generator tube is evaluated and the steam generator aging management program for Wolsong unit 1 is introduced.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.887-893
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of X-ray generators installed in hospitals and universities and apply the quality control items of diagnostic X-ray generators to recognize the importance of periodic performance management. First, the reproducibility and linearity test results showed that the PAE of the reproducibility evaluation was high for the GX-650 devices that met the acceptance criteria in all the experimental conditions and lacked the periodic quality control. In the linearity evaluation, when the tube voltage was set to 100 kVp, It was measured to deviate from the error. In addition, it was found that the PAE in the low-accuracy evaluation results relative to an X-ray tube voltage and tube current of the device low occurrence frequency. The HVL experiment was included in all of the devices at the HVL by tube voltage. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the importance of quality control of all devices rather than hospital and laboratory, and to manage the device performance by actively managing the device, and to establish a short - term quality control system like special medical devices.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.106-112
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• 2016

In this study, circular concrete column specimens confined by carbon sheet tube with different winding angles and different number of carbon sheet plies(3T, 5T and 7T) were tested to propose design equations and a strength reduction factor. Specimens were designed by 300 mm diameter and 600 mm height with $90^{\circ}{\pm}0^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}{\pm}30^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}{\pm}45^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}{\pm}60^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}{\pm}75^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}{\pm}90^{\circ}$ carbon fiber angles. A 10,000 kN UTM was used for compressive strength test of specimens by displacement control method with 0.01 mm/sec velocity. Estimation equations of compressive strength and ultimate strain of circular concrete column specimens confined by carbon sheet tube using a regression analysis and a strength reduction factor to apply ultimate strength design method of concrete were proposed. The strength reduction factor(${\phi}$) of circular concrete columns confined by carbon sheet tube was estimated as 0.64 by the Monte Carlo Analysis Method. Manufacture and construction process have to be perfectly managed by construction managers because the structural capacities of carbon tubes were depends on construction abilities of manufacturing operators.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.622-634
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• 2003

This paper is concerned with a computational method for recovering a crack shape of steam generator tubes of nuclear plants. Problems on the shape identification are discussed arising in the characterization of a structural defect in a conductor using data of eddy current inspection. A surface defect on the generator tube ran be detected as a probe impedance trajectory by scanning a pancake type coil. First, a mathematical model of the inspection process is derived from the Maxwell's equation. Second, the input and output relation is given by the approximate model by virtue of the hybrid use of the finite element and boundary element method. In that model, the crack shape is characterized by the unknown coefficients of the B-spline function which approximates the crack shape geometry. Finally, a parameter estimation technique is proposed for recovering the crack shape using data from the probe coil. The computational experiments were successfully tested with the laboratory data.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1991.07a
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• pp.730-733
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• 1991

The inspection for steam generator tubes of nuclear power plants is performed by eddy current test method. In the current, human experts should check enormous amounts of eddy current(EC) signals to find abnormal ones on the computer screen. This method could cause a few problems. The purpose of this paper is to develop an expert system which can automatically evaluate EC signals of steam generator tubes. Since this expert system can replace or help human experts, the reliability in EC signal evaluation can be improved, and the required man-power can be reduced. Additionally, application of this system can shorten the overhaul period, contribute to a safe operation of the nuclear power plant.

• Transactions on Control, Automation and Systems Engineering
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.182-188
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• 2000

High-frequency electric resistance welding (HERW) technique is one of the most productive manufacturing method currently available for pipe and tube production because of its high welding speed. In this process, a heat input is controlled by skilled operators observing color and shape of bead but such a manual control can not provide reliability and stability required for manufacturing pipes of high grade quality because of a variety of bead shapes and noisy environment. In this paper, in an effort to provide reliable quality inspection, we propose a neural network-based method for classification of bead shape. The proposed method utilizes the structure of Kohonen network and is designed to learn the skill of the expert operators and to provide a good solution to classify bead shapes according to their welding conditions. This proposed method is implemented on the real pipe manufacturing process, and a series of experiments are performed to show its effectiveness.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.209-218
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• 2003

The analytical studies included nonlinear finite element analysis of split-tee connection details subjected to axial load and lateral load. A three-dimensional model of the connections between CFT columns and H-beams has been developed. Both initial geometrical imperfections and residual stresses are taken into consideration. A geometrically nonlinear load-displacement analysis of the structure containing the imperfection is then performed, using the Riks method. Analytical results are compared with existing experimental results. Extensive parametric analyses are carried out to investigate the relation of the connections between CFT columns and H-beam to various parameters such as the axial load, column width-thickness ratio, and split-tee thickness.