• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.617-621
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to analyze piping failure trend of safety pipings In domestic nuclear power plants. First, database for the piping failure was constructed with 105 data fields. The database includes plant population data, event data, and service history data. 7 kinds of piping failures in domestic NPPs were investigated. Among the 7 cases, detailed root causes were investigated for 3 cases. The first one is pipe wall thinning in main feedwater pipings of Westinghouse 3 loop type plants. The root cause of the wall thinning was flow accelerated corrosion near welding area. The next one is leak event in chemical and volume control system(CVCS) due to vibration. Some cracks occurred in socket welding area. The events showed that the integrity or socket weld is very vulnerable to vibration. The last one is also a leak event in primary sampling line in Korean standard reactor due to thermal fatigue. Although the structural integrity was not maintained by the events, there was no effect on nuclear safety in the above 3 piping failure eases.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.370-377
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• 2009

A simple preliminary analysis is often useful to check a validity of design alternatives before the detailed analysis phase in the viewpoint of efficiency. This paper describes a preliminary analysis procedure for the selection among basket design candidates for the spent fuel shipping cask of Korean standard nuclear power plant. As the cask should maintain the structural integrity in hypothetical accident condition, the case of 9 m drop is significantly considered as the worst scenario among the accident conditions in structural design viewpoint in this paper. As basket design options, totally four different types are considered and analyzed in the point of structural integrity at drop impact and weldability for fabrication. As a result, an insertion round plate type with densely spaced supports turns out to be the best in both of the viewpoints, though the weld plate type shows a bit more design margin.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.408-422
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• 1999

To reduce the fast neutron fluence which deteriorates the RPV integrity, additional shields were assumed to be installed at the outer core structures of the Kori Unit 1 reactor, and its reduction effects were examined. Full scope Monte Carlo simulation with MCNP4A code was made to estimate the fast neutron fluence at the RPV. An optimized design option was found from various choices in geometry and material for shield structure. It was expected that magnitude of fast neutron fluence would be reduced by 39% at the circumferential weld of the RPV, resulting in extension of plant lifetime by 4.6 EFPYs based on the criterion of PTS requirement It was investigated that the nuclear characteristics and thermal hydraulic factors at the internal core were only negligibly influenced by the installation of additional shield structure.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.961-970
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• 2012

Often, probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) approaches have been adopted to quantify the failure probabilities of Ni-base alloy components, especially due to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC), in a primary piping system of pressurized water reactors. In this paper, the key features of an advanced PFM code, PINEP-PWSCC (Probabilistic INtegrity Evaluation for nuclear Piping-PWSCC) for such purpose, are described. In developing the code, we adopted most recent research results and advanced models in calculation modules such as PWSCC crack initiation and growth models, a performance-based probability of detection (POD) model for Ni-base alloy welds, and so on. To verify the code, the failure probabilities for various Alloy 182 welds locations were evaluated and compared with field experience and other PFM codes. Finally, the effects of pre-existing crack, weld repair, and POD models on failure probability were evaluated to demonstrate the applicability of PINEP-PWSCC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.51-58
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• 2000

Recently, the J/T analysis based on elastic-plastic finite element analysis is popularly used in the nuclear industry to assess the integrity of a cracked pipe. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of stress-strain curve for weld metal, variation of crack incremental length(${\delta}a$), and crack face pressure on the J/T analysis result. For this purpose, a parametric analysis was performed and the results calculated from finite element analysis were compared with those from the piping experimental data(stainless steel weldment pipe with circumferential through-wall crack). The numerical result using base metal material property is in agreement with the experimental one and the maximum load is decreased as the ${\delta}a$ for J/T analysis is increased.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.34-39
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• 2003

Recent deepwater offshore structures in the Gulf of Mexico utilize butt welded tubular joints. Application of a welded tubular joint includes tendons, production risers, and steel catenary risers. Fatigue life assessment of these joints becomes more critical, as the structures to which they are attached are allowed to undergo cyclic and sometimes large displacements around an anchored position. Estimation of the fatigue behavior of these tubular members in the design stage is generally condrcted by using S-N curves, as specified in the codeds and standards. Applying the stress concentration factor of the welded structure to the S-N approach often results in a very conservative assessment, because the stress field acting on the tubular has a non-uniform distribution through the thickness. Fatigue life analysis using fracture mechanics has been applied in the design of the catenary risers. This technology enables the engineer to establish proper requirements on weld quality and inspection acceptance criteria to assure satisfactory structural integrity during its design life. It also provides guidance on proper design curves and a methodology for accounting for the effects of non-uniform stress distribution through the wall thickness. Still, there is inconsistency when designing tubular joints using a conventional S-N approach and when specifying weld flaw acceptance criteria using fracture mechanics approach. This study developed fatigue curves that are consistent with both the S-N approach and the fracture mechanics approach. Accounting for non-uniform stress distribution and threshold stress intensity factor were key parameters in relating both approaches. A series of S-N curves, generated from the fracture mechanics approach, were compared to the existing S-N curves. For flat plate butt joint, the S-N curve generated from fracture mechanics matches with the IIW class 100 curve when initial crack depth was 0.5 mm (0.02 ). The new curves for tubular joint agree very well with the experimental results. The comparison also indicated the degree of conservatism built into the API X design curve.

• International Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology Speciallssue:Selected Papers
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2003

Recent deepwater offshore structures in the Gulf of Mexico utilize butt welded tubular joints. Application of a welded tubular joint includes tendons, production risers, and steel catenary risers. Fatigue life assessment of these joints becomes more critical, as the structures to which they are attached are allowed to undergo cyclic and sometimes large displacements around an anchored position. Estimation of the fatigue behavior of these tubular members in the design stage is generally conducted by using S-N curves, as specified in the codes and standards. Applying the stress concentration factor of the welded structure to the S-N approach often results in a very conservative assessment, because the stress field acting on the tubular has a non-uniform distribution through the thickness. Fatigue life analysis using fracture mechanics has been applied in the design of the catenary risers. This technology enables the engineer to establish proper requirements on weld quality and inspection acceptance criteria to assure satisfactory structural integrity during its design life. It also provides guidance on proper design curves and a methodology for accounting for the effects of non-uniform stress distribution through the wall thickness. Still, there is inconsistency when designing tubular joints using a conventional S-N approach and when specifying weld flaw acceptance criteria using fracture mechanics approach. This study developed fatigue curves that are consistent with both the S-N approach and the fracture mechanics approach. Accounting for non-uniform stress distribution and threshold stress intensity factor were key parameters in relating both approaches. A series of S-N curves, generated from the fracture mechanics approach, were compared to the existing S-N curves. For flat plate butt joint, the S-N curve generated from fracture mechanics matches with the IIW class 100 curve when initial crack depth was 0.5 mm (0.02). The new curves for tubular joint agree very well with the experimental results. The comparison also indicated the degree of conservatism built into the API X design curve.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.635-642
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• 2011

It is well known that conventional welding techniques can result in welding defects due to the large groove angle of the weld. In this context, the narrow gap welding (NGW) technique is applied in the nuclear industry because of its inherent merits such as the reduction in welding time and the shrinkage of the weld, and the small deformation of the weld resulting from the small groove angle and welding bead width. In this paper, the distribution of welding residual stress and deformation behavior of the ER308L weld due to NGW are predicted through nonlinear two-dimensional finite element analysis, in which the actual NGW process is simulated in detail. In particular, the effects of the shape of weld, i.e., the width of the weld and the shape of the welding groove, on the residual stress are investigated. The present results can be used to assess the integrity of defective nuclear components and to improve the welding process.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2015

Residual stresses arising from the materials processing such as welding and joining affect significantly the structural integrity depending on the external loading condition. The quantitative measurement of the residual stresses is of great importance in order to characterize the effects of the residual stresses on the structural safety. In this paper, we introduce a newly devised destructive technique, the contour method (CM), which is applied for the measurements of the residual stress distributions through the thickness of a 80 mm thick steel weld. Residual stresses are evaluated from the contour, which is the normal displacement on a cut surface produced by the relaxation of residual stresses, using a finite element model. The CM provides a two-dimensional map of the residual stresses normal to the cut surface. The CM developed in the present study was validated in comparison with the residual stress distribution determined by a well-established neutron-diffraction residual stress instrument (RSI) instrumented in HANARO neutron research reactor.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1846-1857
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• 2021

Ultrasonic nondestructive testing is important for monitoring the structural integrity of dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) in pressure vessels and piping in nuclear power plants. However, there is a low probability of crack detection via inspection of DMWs using ultrasonic waves because the grain structures (grain orientations) of the weld area cause distortion and splitting of ultrasonic beams propagating in anisotropic media. To overcome this issue, the grain orientation should be known, and a precise ultrasonic wave simulation technique in anisotropic media is required to model the distortion and splitting of the waves accurately. In this study, a method for nondestructive prediction of the DMW grain orientations is presented for accurate simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation behavior in the weld area. The ultrasonic wave propagation behavior in anisotropic media is simulated via finite-element analysis when ultrasonic waves propagate in a transversely isotropic material. In addition, a methodology to predict the DMW grain orientation is proposed that employs a simulation technique for ultrasonic wave propagation behavior calculation and an optimization technique. The simulated ultrasonic wave behaviors with the grain orientations predicted via the proposed method demonstrate its usefulness. Moreover, the method can be used to determine the focal law in DMWs.