• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2021

The thickness of pipe can be locally reduced during operation due to wall thinning. Due to its significance on structural integrity, many non-destructive detecting techniques and assessment methods are available. In this study, the elastic bending compliance of local wall-thinned pipe is presented in terms of the wall thinning geometry: wall thinning depth, circumferential angle and longitudinal length. Elastic finite element (FE) analysis further shows that the presented equation can be used for any wall thinning shape. The proposed solution differs from FE results by less than 6% for all cases analyzed. The bending compliance increases linearly with increasing longitudinal thinning length and non-linearly with increasing thinning angle and depth.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2011

The objective of this study is to classify the geometry of wall-thinning defect that causes a circumferential crack in the pipe elbows subjected to internal pressure. For this objective, first of all a criterion to determine the occurrence of circumferential cracking at wall-thinned area was developed based on finite element simulation for burst tests of pipe elbow specimens that showed axial and circumferential cracking at wall-thinned area. In addition, parametric finite element analysis including various wall-thinning geometries, locations, and pipe geometries was conducted and the wall-thinning geometries that initiate circumferential crack were determined by applying the criterion to the results of parametric analysis. It showed that the circumferential crack occurs at wall-thinning defect, which has a deep, wide, and short geometry. Also, it is indicated that the pipe elbows with larger radius to thickness ratio are more susceptible to circumferential cracking at wall-thinned area.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.496-505
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• 2007

This paper proposes closed-form plastic limit load solutions for elbows under in-plane bending, via three-dimensional (3-D), small strain FE limit analyses using elastic-perfectly plastic materials. A wide range of elbow and thinning geometries are considered. For systematic analyses of the effect of the axial thinning length on limit loads, two limiting cases are considered; a sufficiently long wall thinning, and the circumferential part-through surface crack. Closed-form plastic limit load solutions for wall thinning with intermediate longitudinal extents are then obtained from these two limiting cases. The effect of the axial extent of wall thinning on plastic limit loads for elbows is highlighted by comparing that for straight pipes. Although the proposed solutions are developed for the case when wall thinning exists in the center of elbows, it is also shown that they can be applied to the case when wall thinning exists anywhere within the elbow.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.586-593
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• 2007

This paper proposes closed-form plastic limit load solutions for elbow with local wall thinning at extrados under internal pressure. This work was performed using 3-dimensional, small strain FE analyses based on elastic-perfectly plastic materials. The wide range of elbow and local wall thinning geometries are considered. For systematic analyses for effect of axial thinning extent on limit loads, two limiting cases are considered; a sufficiently long thinning, and the circumferential part-through surface crack. Then, the closed-form plastic limit load solutions for intermediate thinning are obtained by using result of two limiting cases. The effect of axial thinning extent for elbow on plastic limit load is highlighted by comparing with that for straight pipes. Although the proposed limit load solutions are developed for the case when local wall thinning exist in the center of elbow, it is also shown that they can be applied to the case when local wall thinning exists anywhere within elbow.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.30 no.7 s.250
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• pp.707-714
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• 2006

A numerical analysis study has performed in terms of fluid dynamics to identify the wall thinning generated in the main feedwater isolation valve body of a nuclear power plant. To review the relations between flow characteristics and the wall thinning induced by flow accelerated corrosion (FAC), numerical analysis using FLUENT code and ultrasonic tests (UT) were performed. The local velocities according to the analysis results were compared with the distribution of the measured wall thickness by ultrasonic tests. The comparison results show that the local velocity in the x-direction had no correlation with the wall thinning but the local velocity in the y-direction and turbulence intensity had a great influence on that. These results provide a good match to those of the previous studies - locations colliding vertically against components undergo severe wall thinning. These results may be utilized to the design modification and the wall thinning management for main feedwater isolation valves for preventing the wall thinning degradation.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.21 no.1 s.74
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• pp.51-58
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• 2007

This study on the effects of local wall-thinned location on the fracture behavior of pipes was carried out, and the results were compared with the analytical results. Local wall-thinning for the bending test was machined with various sizes on the outside of pipes, in order to simulate the metal loss, due to erosion/corrosion. In addition, we had carried out FE analysis for the pipes with local wall thinning on the inside, and its results were comparatively studied with that of the outside. Three-dimensional elasto-plastic analyses were able to accurately simulate fracture behaviors of inner or outer wall thinning. Fracture types, obtained from the experiments and analyses, could be classified into ovalization, local buckling and crack initiation, depending on the thinned length and thinned ratio. Based on the results, the fracture behaviors of pipes with the outer wall thinning can be applied to estimate the fracture behaviors of pipes with the inner wall thinning.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.35-43
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• 2005

Feedwater heaters of many nuclear power plants have recently experienced wall thinning damage, which will increase as operating time progresses. As it is judged that the wall thinning damages have generated due to local fluid behavior around the impingement baffle installed in downstream of the high pressure turbine extraction steam line to avoid colliding directly with the tubes, numerical analyses using PHOENICS code were performed for two models with original clogged impingement baffle and modified multi-hole impingement baffle. To identify the relation between wall thinning and fluid behavior, the local velocity components in x-, y-, and z-directions based on the numerical analysis for the model with the clogged impingement baffle were compared with the wall thickness data by ultrasonic test. From the comparison of the numerical analysis results and the wall thickness data, the local velocity component only in the y-direction, and not in the x- and z-direction, was analogous to the wall thinning configuration. From the result of the numerical analysis for the modified impingement baffle to mitigate the shell wall thinning, it was identified that the shell wall thinning may be controlled by the reduction of the local velocity in the y-direction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.17-24
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• 2008

Elbows with various shapes of local wall thinning were numerically analyzed by finite element method to get load-displacement curves and the maximum loads. Results were compared with the experimental data obtained by another study. Elastic-plastic analysis were carried out under the combined loading conditions of internal pressure and in-plane bending loads. Two types of bending loads were considered such as elbow opening mode and elbow closing mode. Also, two different wall thinning geometries were modeled. Wall thinning area located extrados or intrados of elbow inner surface was considered. Longitudinal and circumferential lengths of the thinning area and the thinned thickness were varied for analysis. The results showed that the maximum load of the wall-thinned elbow decreased with increasing of the circumferential thinning length and the thinned thickness in both of extrados and intrados thinning locations in both loading types. The maximum load obtained by the analysis were in good agreement with the experimentally measured maximum load with the same wall thinning type and dimensions. This supports accuracy of the analysis results obtained in this study.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.847-852
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• 2009

Feedwater heaters of many nuclear power plants have recently experienced severe wall thinning damange, which will increase as operating time progresses. Several nuclear power plants in Korea have experienced wall thinning damage in the area around the impingement baffle inside feed-water heater installed downstream of the turbine extraction stream line. At that point, the extract steam from the turbine is two phase fluid at high temperature, high pressure, and high speed. Since it flows to reverse direction after impinging the impingement baffle, the shell wall of feedwater heaters may be affected by flow-accelerated corrosion. In this paper, to compare wall thinning range according to change entrance nozzle diameter and position with reference numerical analysis model's wall thinning range, various numerical analysis models applied. In case of changing diameter, four different diameter is applied. And a side of nozzle position, two different position-vertical type and parallel type-is applied. And then this paper describes operation of numerical analysis which is composed similar condition with real feed water heater. In conclusion, this study shows effective design for shall wall thinning by changing nozzle diameter and position.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.173-179
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• 2008

The current machinery and tools of secondary channel of the nuclear power plants were produced in the carbon-steel and low-alloy steel. What produced with the carbon-steel occurs wall thinning effect from flow accelerated corrosion by the fluid flow at high temperature, high pressure. Several nuclear power plants in Korea have experienced wall thinning damage in the area around the impingement baffle-installed. Wall thinning by flow accelerated corrosion occurs piping system, the heat exchanger, steam condenser and feedwater heaters etc,. Feedwater heaters of many nuclear power plants have recently experienced sever wall thinning damage, which will increase as operating time progress. This study describes the comparisons between the numerical results using the FLUENT code and experimental data of down scale model.