• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.411-425
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• 2017

Using a probabilistic safety assessment, a risk evaluation framework for an aircraft crash into an interim spent fuel storage facility is presented. Damage evaluation of a detailed generic cask model in a simplified building structure under an aircraft impact is discussed through a numerical structural analysis and an analytical fragility assessment. Sequences of the impact scenario are shown in a developed event tree, with uncertainties considered in the impact analysis and failure probabilities calculated. To evaluate the influence of parameters relevant to design safety, risks are estimated for three specification levels of cask and storage facility structures. The proposed assessment procedure includes the determination of the loading parameters, reference impact scenario, structural response analyses of facility walls, cask containment, and fuel assemblies, and a radiological consequence analysis with dose-risk estimation. The risk results for the proposed scenario in this study are expected to be small relative to those of design basis accidents for best-estimated conservative values. The importance of this framework is seen in its flexibility to evaluate the capability of the facility to withstand an aircraft impact and in its ability to anticipate potential realistic risks; the framework also provides insight into epistemic uncertainty in the available data and into the sensitivity of the design parameters for future research.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.3085-3099
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• 2021

Investigations of large commercial aircraft impact effect on nuclear power plant (NPP) buildings have been drawing extensive attentions, particularly after the 9/11 event, and this paper aims to numerically assess the damage and vibrations of NPP buildings subjected to aircrafts crash. In Part I of present paper, two shots of reduce-scaled model test of aircraft impact on NPP were conducted based on the large rocket sled loading test platform. In the present part, the numerical simulations of both scaled and prototype aircraft impact on NPP buildings are further performed by adopting the commercial program LS-DYNA. Firstly, the refined finite element (FE) models of both scaled aircraft and NPP models in Part I are established, and the model impact test is numerically simulated. The validities of the adopted numerical algorithm, constitutive model and the corresponding parameters are verified based on the experimental NPP model damages and accelerations. Then, the refined simulations of prototype A380 aircraft impact on a hypothetical NPP building are further carried out. It indicates that the NPP building can totally withstand the impact of A380 at a velocity of 150 m/s, while the accompanied intensive vibrations may still lead to different levels of damage on the nuclear related equipment. Referring to the guideline NEI07-13, a maximum acceleration contour is plotted and the shock damage propagation distances under aircraft impact are assessed, which indicates that the nuclear equipment located within 11.5 m from the impact point may endure malfunction. Finally, by respectively considering the rigid and deformable impacts mainly induced by aircraft engine and fuselage, an improved Riera function is proposed to predict the impact force of aircraft A380.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.3068-3084
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• 2021

Investigations of large commercial aircraft impact effect on nuclear power plant (NPP) buildings have been drawing extensive attentions, particularly after the 9/11 event, and this paper aims to experimentally assess the damage and vibrations of NPP buildings subjected to aircraft crash. In present Part I, two shots of reduce-scaled model test of aircraft impacting on NPP building were carried out. Firstly, the 1:15 aircraft model (weighs 135 kg) and RC NPP model (weighs about 70 t) are designed and prepared. Then, based on the large rocket sled loading test platform, the aircraft models were accelerated to impact perpendicularly on the two sides of NPP model, i.e., containment and auxiliary buildings, with a velocity of about 170 m/s. The strain-time histories of rebars within the impact area and acceleration-time histories of each floor of NPP model are derived from the pre-arranged twenty-one strain gauges and twenty tri-axial accelerometers, and the whole impact processes were recorded by three high-speed cameras. The local penetration and perforation failure modes occurred respectively in the collision scenarios of containment and auxiliary buildings, and some suggestions for the NPP design are given. The maximum acceleration in the 1:15 scaled tests is 1785.73 g, and thus the corresponding maximum resultant acceleration in a prototype impact might be about 119 g, which poses a potential threat to the nuclear equipment. Furthermore, it was found that the nonlinear decrease of vibrations along the height was well reflected by the variations of both the maximum resultant vibrations and Cumulative Absolute Velocity (CAV). The present experimental work on the damage and dynamic responses of NPP structure under aircraft impact is firstly presented, which could provide a benchmark basis for further safety assessments of prototype NPP structure as well as inner systems and components against aircraft crash.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.294-299
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• 2010

ELT(Emergency Locator Transmitter) is used to send distress signal in the event of an aircraft crash. It is very useful but the ELT may transmit wrong signal caused by misjudging between crash and hard-landing. The reason of this problem is the low accuracy of the mechanical G-switch currently in use. To improve the ELT, we developed an ELT system using the MEMS(Micro Electro-Mechanical Sensor) accelerometer. The ELT system consists of acceleration data acquisition/analysis system, program of crash recognition, and GPS receiving system for the position information of an aircraft crash site. A free-drop table was developed for verification of the ELT system. The free-drop table was designed to replicate the acceleration and the pulse duration of the hard landing and the crash. By using the free-drop table, we showed that the ELT system performed well.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.319-334
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• 2018

In this study, the failure mode and energy absorption capabilities of a composite shock absorber device, during an emergency landing are evaluated. The prototype has been installed and tested in laboratory simulating an emergency landing test condition. The crash absorber presents an innovative configuration able to reduce the loads transmitted to a helicopter fuselage during an emergency landing. It consists of a composite tailored tube installed on the landing gear strut. During an emergency landing this crash absorber system should be able to absorb energy through a pre-designed deformation. This solution, compared to an oleo-pneumatic shock absorber, avoids sealing checks, very high values of the shock absorber pressure, and results to be lighter, easy in maintenance, inspect and use. The activities reported in this paper have become an attractive research field both from the scientific viewpoint and the prospect of industrial applications, because they offer benefits in terms of energy absorbing, weight savings, increasing the safety levels, and finally reducing the costs in a global sense.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.397-416
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• 2020

Investigations of the commercial aircraft impact effect on nuclear island infrastructures have been drawing extensive attention, and this paper aims to perform the safety assessment of Generation III nuclear power plant (NPP) buildings subjected to typical commercial aircrafts crash. At present Part II, based on the verified finite element (FE) models of aircrafts Airbus A320 and A380, as well as the NPP containment and auxiliary buildings in Part I of this paper, the whole collision process is reproduced numerically by adopting the coupled missile-target interaction approach with the finite element code LS-DYNA. The impact induced damage of NPP plant under four impact locations of containment (cylinder, air intake, conical roof and PCS water tank) and two impact locations of auxiliary buildings (exterior wall and roof of spent fuel pool room) are evaluated. Furthermore, by considering the inner structures in the containment and raft foundation of NPP, the structural vibration analyses are conducted under two impact locations (middle height of cylinder, main control room in the auxiliary buildings). It indicates that, within the discussed scenarios, NPP structures can withstand the impact of both two aircrafts, while the functionality of internal equipment on higher floors will be affected to some extent under impact induced vibrations, and A380 aircraft will cause more serious structural damage and vibrations than A320 aircraft. The present work can provide helpful references to assess the safety of the structures and inner equipment of NPP plant under commercial aircraft impact.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.61-62
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• 2017

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.734-739
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• 2013

Representative crashworthiness requirement documents for military helicopter are MIL-STD-1290 and the Aircraft Crash Survival Design Guide(ACSDG) which were lastly revised in the 1980's. Taking analysis results of diverse U.S. Army helicopter mishaps into account, we can say that adequate guidelines do not exist to ensure crashworthiness of new generation aircraft. In this paper, U.S. Army helicopter mishap analysis conducted by U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command(RDECOM) is readjusted to review the basis of new crashworthiness design criteria for military helicopter, in other words, Full Spectrum Crashworthiness Criteria(FSCC). This analysis effort is a part of FSC development. This effort was to research and quantify the dynamics of military aircraft crashes to be used as the quantitative basis for new design criteria.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.417-428
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• 2020

Investigations of the commercial aircraft impact effect on nuclear island infrastructures have been drawing extensive attention, and this paper aims to perform the safety assessment of Generation III nuclear power plant (NPP) buildings subjected to typical commercial aircrafts crash. At present Part III, the local damage of the rigid components of aircraft, e.g., engine and landing gear, impacting the steel concrete (SC) structures of NPP containment is mainly discussed. Two typical SC target panels with the thicknesses of 40 mm and 100 mm, as well as the steel cylindrical projectile with a mass of 2.15 kg and a diameter of 80 mm are fabricated. By using a large-caliber air gas gun, both the projectile penetration and perforation test are conducted, in which the striking velocities were ranged from 96 m/s to 157 m/s. The bulging velocity and the maximal deflection of rear steel plate, as well as penetration depth of projectile are derived, and the local deformation and failure modes of SC panels are assessed experimentally. Then, the commercial finite element program LS-DYNA is utilized to perform the numerical simulations, by comparisons with the experimental and simulated projectile impact process and SC panel damage, the numerical algorithm, constitutive models and the corresponding parameters are verified. The present work can provide helpful references for the evaluation of the local impact resistance of NPP buildings against the aircraft engine.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2023

The aircraft fuel system performs a number of functions such as supplying fuel, transferring fuel between fuel tanks, and measuring the amount of residual fuel in each fuel tank. Since it is a direct cause of fire hazard in crash incident, it is a must to improve survivability of crew members by designing the airframe to tolerate expected crash impact. The civil aviation authority requires intensive verification of the fuel system design to determine precise application of the airworthiness requirement. Research activity on airworthiness certification criteria and verification scheme is still insufficient, although it has a significant importance. In this paper, as part of a study to improve flight safety by developing guidelines for demonstrating fuel system crash resistance, analysis results of fuel system crash-related airworthiness certification standards, verification scheme, and cases study applicable to military rotorcraft have been reviewed.