• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.846-855
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• 2020

A loose part monitoring system is used to detect unexpected loose parts in a reactor coolant system in a nuclear power plant. It is still necessary to develop a new methodology for the localization and mass estimation of loose parts owing to the high estimation error of conventional methods. In addition, model-based diagnostics recently emphasized the importance of a model describing the behavior of a mechanical system or component. The purpose of this study is to propose a new localization and mass-estimation method based on finite element analysis (FEA) and optimization technique. First, an FEA model to simulate the propagation behavior of the bending wave generated by a metal sphere impact is validated by performing an impact test and a corresponding FEA and optimization for a downsized steam-generator structure. Second, a novel methodology based on FEA and optimization technique was proposed to estimate the impact location and mass of a loose part at the same time. The usefulness of the methodology was then validated through a series of FEAs and some blind tests. A new feature vector, the cross-correlation function, was also proposed to predict the impact location and mass of a loose part, and its usefulness was then validated. It is expected that the proposed methodology can be utilized in model-based diagnostics for the estimation of impact parameters such as the mass, velocity, and impact location of a loose part. In addition, the FEA-based model can be used to optimize the sensor position to improve the collected data quality in the site of nuclear power plants.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.1E
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• pp.5-19
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• 1996

This paper proposes a loose part monitoring system (LPMS) design with a signal processing method based on fuzzy logic. Considering fuzzy characteristics of metallic impact waveform due to not only interferences from various types of noises in an operating nuclear power plant but also complex wave propagation paths within a monitored mechanical structure, the proposed LPMS design incorporates the comprehensive relation among impact signal features in the fuzzy rule bases for the purposes of alarm discrimination and impact diagnosis improvement. The impact signal features for the fuzzy rule bases include the rising time, the falling time, and the peak voltage values of the impact signal envelopes. Fuzzy inference results based on the fuzzy membership values of these impact signal features determine the confidence level data for each signal feature. The total integrated confidence level data is used for alarm discrimination and impact diagnosis purposes. Through the perpormance test of the proposed LPMS with mock-up structures and instrumentation facility, test results show that the system is effective in diagnosis of the loose part impact event(i.e., the evaluation of possible impacted area and degree of impact magnitude) as well as in suppressing false alarm generation.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2022

This study proposes a low-cycle fatigue life derived from measurement points on pipe elbows, which are components that are vulnerable to seismic load in the interface piping systems of nuclear power plants that use seismic isolation systems. In order to quantitatively define limit states regarding leakage, i.e., actual failure caused by low-cycle fatigue, in-plane cyclic loading tests were performed using a sine wave of constant amplitude. The test specimens consisted of SCH40 6-inch carbon steel pipe elbows and straight pipes, and an image processing method was used to measure the nonlinear behavior of the test specimens. The leakage lines caused by low-cycle fatigue and the low-cycle fatigue curves were compared and analyzed using the relationship between the relative deformation angles, which were measured based on each of the measurement points on the straight pipe, and the moment, which was measured at the center of the pipe elbow. Damage indices based on the combination of ductility and dissipation energy at each measurement point were used to quantitatively express the time at which leakage occurs due to through-wall cracking in the pipe elbow.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.81-89
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• 1996

It is very important for ultrasonic test method to evaluate the integrity of the class I components in nuclear power plants. However, as the rltrasonic test is affected by internal structures and configurations of test materials, backscattering, that is, time invariant noise is generated in large grain size materials. Due to the above reason, the received signal results in low signal to noise(S/N) ratio. Split spectrum processing(SSP) technique is effective to suppress the grain noise. The conventional SSP technique. however, has been applied to unique algorithm. This paper shows that MPO(minimization and polarity threshold) algorithm which two algorithms are applied simulatancously, was utilized, the signal processing time was shorten by using the new constant-Q SSP with the FIR filter which frequency to bandwidth ratio is constant and the optimum parameters were analysed for the signal processing to longitudinal wave and shear wave with the same requirements of inspection on nuclear power plant site. Moreover, the new ultrasonic test instrument, the reference block of the same product form and material specification, stainless stell test specimens and copper test specimens block of the same fabricated for the application of new SSP technique. As the result of experimental test with new ultrasonic test instrument and test specimens, the signal to noise ratio was improved by appying the new SSP technique.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.664-670
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• 2012

A study on the in situ regeneration effect of commercial deactivated SCR catalyst which had been exposed to the off gas from the heavy oil fired power plant for a long time was carried out in a simulated in situ conditions by washing with distilled water and various acid solutions in a short time. The catalytic performance test of the regenerated SCR catalysts was carried out in the micro reactor with simulated off gas of the heavy oil fired power plant and all prepared catalysts were characterized by BET, Porosimeter, EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometer) and ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) to investigate correlations between catalytic activity and surface characteristics of them. The characterization results of the regenerated catalysts showed that the specific surface area was restored 95% more than that of fresh catalyst. Under this study, the activity of the regenerated catalysts with acid solution (3~6 M) without using ultrasonic wave in a simulated in situ conditions was restored 90% more than that of the fresh catalyst. It was found that improved activity of regenerated catalyst was caused by removing the deactivating materials from the surface of the deactivated SCR catalyst through acid washing.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.5A
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• pp.351-360
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• 2011

Jacket-type offshore structures are always exposed to severe environmental conditions such as salt, high speed of current, wave, and wind compared with other onshore structures. In spite of the importance of maintaining the structural integrity for offshore structure, there are few cases to apply structural health monitoring (SHM) system in practice. The impedance-based SHM is a kind of local SHM techniques and to date, numerous techniques and algorithms have been proposed for local SHM of real-scale structures. However, it still requires a significant challenge for practical applications to compensate unknown environmental effects and to extract only damage features from impedance signals. In this study, the impedance-based SHM was carried out on a 1/20-scaled model of an Uldolmok current power plant structure under changes in temperature and transverse loadings. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied using conventional damage index to eliminate principal components sensitive to environmental change. It was found that the proposed PCA-base approach is an effective tool for long-term SHM under significant environmental changes.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.145-151
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• 1991

The final purpose of this study is to examine the uses of coal ash, by-product from thermal power plant as a type of filling-embankment materials and the reuses of ash ponds. In this time, to investigate the dynamic properties, we made the test piece specimen with coal ashes, and obtained the damping ratio. In place(ash pond), the damping property by underground wall was investigated before and after soil improvements. The damping ratio of coal ash test piece specimen of 12% cement is the highest and that of 9% cement or chemical grout, that of 6% cement is in order. In same coal ash test piece, the damping ratio increases with decreasing the void ratio. In conclusion, it could be said that the damping ratio increases with the stiffness of materials. In the ash pond, the damping effect is the most when trench is set through the vibration wave propagation course, and when soil is improved the higher stiffness of the improved soil is, the more damping effect appeared. It is justified to obtain not only the dropping of permeability and the strength increase, but also the damping effect fairly by soil improvements.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.5 s.39
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• pp.79-89
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• 2004

This paper presents the results of experimental studies on the equipment isolation effect in the nuclear containment. For this purpose, shaking table tests were performed. The purpose of this study is enhancement of seismic safety of equipment in the Nuclear Power Plant. The isolation system, known as Friction Pendulum System (FPS), combines the concepts of sliding bearings and pendulum motion was selected. Peak ground acceleration, bidirectional motion, effect of vertical motion and frequency contents of selected earthquake motions were considered. As a result, these are founded that the vertical motion of seismic wave affect to the base isolation and the isolation effect decreased in case of near fault earthquake motion.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.231-235
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• 2009

The mainly objectives of this study was a combustion dynamics and instability characteristics in a model dump type combustor which is scale down of GE 7FA+e DLN 2.6 gas turbine combustor with running at Seo-Inchon combined cycle power plant. Model gas turbine injector has 2-stage swirl vane and it's reduced 1/3 size of the original one. The shape of plenum and combustor were designed for similar acoustic characteristics. As the result, this research have been shows the peak frequency of model combustor was changed quarter-wave mode to Helmholtz resonator mode in plenum and longitudinal mode in dump combustor at unstable flame conditions caused by the different of combustor temperature and fuel-air mixture distributions.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2021.06a
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• pp.215-215
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• 2021

인도네시아 수마트라 지진해일(2004년)과 동일본 대지진(2011년)으로 인해 해당지역에서 막대한 인적·물적 피해가 발생하였으며, 지진해일에 대한 사람들의 경각심은 더욱 커지게 된 계기가 되었다. 반면 우리나라는 지진이 빈번하게 발생하는 국가에 비해 상대적으로 지진해일에 대해 안전하다는 국민들의 인식이 강한 것이 사실이다. 하지만 최근 우리나라에서 크고 작은 지진이 발생(2016년 경주 지진, 2017년 포항 지진 등)함에 따라 국민들은 지진 및 지진해일 안전에 대한 경각심이 높아지고 있다. 또한 한반도 주변에서 지진은 끊임없이 발생하고 있으며, 과거 우리나라는 지진해일로 인한 인명 및 재산피해가 기록된 사례도 존재한다(Cho, 2018). 본 연구에서는 원자력 발전소에서 지진해일에 대한 위험성에 대비하기 위해 지진해일 수치모형 실험을 통해 계산된 지진해일고 결과값에 대해 적절한 확률분포 모형을 개발한 후 각 지진해일 시나리오의 연초과 확률을 분석함으로써, 확률론적 지진해일 재해도 분석(PTHA : Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis)을 실시하는 것이다. 최종적으로는 연구대상지역의 지진해일 안전성 평가에 기여할 수 있는 검증된 자료를 제공한다. PTHA 분석은 미국(Park and Cox, 2016), 인도네시아(Horspool et al., 2014), 남유럽(Lorito et al., 2014), 일본(Japan Society of Civil Engineers, 2016) 등에서 연구가 활발하게 이루어졌으며 현재도 활발한 연구가 진행되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 먼저, 역사 지진해일 및 우리나라 근해에서 발생가능한 지진원(단층매개변수) 조사, 그리고 지진해일 수치모형실험 case 선정을 위한 파향선추적모형(wave ray-tracing) 수행, 마지막으로 지진해일고의 불확실성을 고려하기 위한 로직트리(Logic-Tree)기법 적용 시 사용하게 될 지진해일 단층매개변수 선정을 위한 지진해일 수치모형 실험 등을 수행한다.