• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.471-484
• /
• 2020

Previous earthquakes show that, structural safety evaluations should include the evaluation of nonstructural components. Failure of nonstructural components can affect the operational capacity of critical facilities, such as hospitals and fire stations, which can cause an increase in number of deaths. Additionally, failure of nonstructural components may result in economic, architectural, and historical losses of community. Accelerations and random vibrations must be under the predefined limitations in structures with high technological equipment, data centers in this case. Failure of server equipment and anchored server racks are investigated in this study. A probabilistic study is completed for a low-rise rigid sample structure. The structure is investigated in two versions, (i) conventional fixed-based structure and (ii) with a base isolation system. Seismic hazard assessment is completed for the selected site. Monte Carlo simulations are generated with selected parameters. Uncertainties in both structural parameters and mechanical properties of isolation system are included in simulations. Anchorage failure and vibration failures are investigated. Different methods to generate fragility curves are used. The site-specific annual hazard curve is used to generate risk curves for two different structures. A risk matrix is proposed for the design of data centers. Results show that base isolation systems reduce the failure probability significantly in higher floors. It was also understood that, base isolation systems are highly sensitive to earthquake characteristics rather than variability in structural and mechanical properties, in terms of accelerations. Another outcome is that code-provided anchorage failure limitations are more vulnerable than the random vibration failure limitations of server equipment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.981-988
• /
• 2023

A seismic event caused an accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, which further resulted in simultaneous accidents at several units. Consequently, this incident has aroused great interest in the safety of nuclear power plants worldwide. A reasonable safety evaluation of such an external event should appropriately consider the correlation between SSCs (structures, systems, and components) and the probability of failure. However, a probabilistic safety assessment in current nuclear industries is performed conservatively, assuming that the failure correlation between SSCs is independent or completely dependent. This is an extreme assumption; a reasonable risk can be calculated, or risk-based decision-making can be conducted only when the appropriate failure correlation between SSCs is considered. Thus, this study analyzed the effect of the failure correlation of SSCs on the safety of the system to realize rational safety assessment and decision-making. Consequently, the impact on the system differs according to the size of the failure probability of the SSCs and the AND and OR conditions.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.889-895
• /
• 2002

This paper presents the effect of external corrosion, material properties, operation condition and design thickness in pipeline on failure prediction using a failure probability model. The predicted failure assessment for the simulated corrosion defects discovered in corroded pipeline is compared with that determined by ANSI/ASME B31G code and a modified B31G method. The effects of environmental, operational, and random design variables such as defect depth, pipe diameter, defect length, fluid pressure, corrosion rate, material yield stress and pipe thickness on the failure probability are systematically studied using a failure probability model for the corrosion pipeline.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 2000

This paper presents the effect of shape of external corrosion in pipeline on failure prediction by using a numerical simulation. The numerical study for the pipeline failure analysis is based on the FEM(Finite Element Method)with an elastic-plstic and large-deformation analysis. Corrosion pits and narrow corrosion grooves in pressurized pipeline were analysed. A failure criterion, based on the local stress state at the corrosion and a plastic collapse failure mechanism, is proposed. The predicted failure stress assessed for the simulated corrosion defects having different corroded shapes along the pipeline axis compared with those by methods specified in ANSI/ASME B31G code and a modified B31G code. It is concluded the corrosion geometry significantly affects the failure behavior of corroded pipeline and categorisation of pipeline corrosion should be considered in the development of new guidance for integrity assessment.

• Journal of Drive and Control
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 2018

The hydraulic servo actuator has always operated very precisely with high frequency and small displacement, and is used continuously for a long time. The hydraulic servo actuator of the test equipment used in the accelerated life test in order to guarantee the service life of the automotive parts failed earlier than the products before finishing the test. This study performed an analysis on the cause of the failure of the hydraulic servo actuator used in the test equipment, changed the design of the actuator to solve the root cause of the main failure mode, and developed the improved servo actuator. Based on above process, this study established a better performances and longer lifetime of the servo actuator after testing.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.37 no.10
• /
• pp.1291-1296
• /
• 2013

Risk-based inspection (RBI) is a well-known method that is used to optimize inspection activities based on risk analysis in order to identify the high-risk components of major facilities such as power plants. RBI, when implemented and maintained properly, improves plant reliability and safety while reducing unplanned outages and repair costs. Risk is given by the product of the probability of failure (POF) and the consequence of failure (COF). A semi-quantitative method is generally used for risk assessment. Semi-quantitative risk assessment complements the low accuracy of qualitative risk assessment and the high expense and long calculation time of quantitative risk assessment. The first step of RBI is to identify important failure modes and causes in the equipment. Once these are defined, the POF and COF can be assessed for each failure. During POF and COF assessment, an effective inspection method and range can be easily found. In this paper, the calculation of the POF is improved for accurate risk assessment. A modified semi-quantitative risk assessment was carried out for boiler facilities of thermal power plants, and the next maintenance schedules for the equipment were decided.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.254-259
• /
• 2007

PM(Preventive Maintenance) can avail the generating unit to reduce cost and gain more profit in a competitive supply-side power market. So, it is necessary to perform reliability analysis on the power systems in which reliability is essential. Thus, to schedule optimal PM planning based on reliability that is defined RCM(Reliability-Centered Maintenance), FMECA(Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis) assessment is very important. Therefore, in this paper, the procedure of FMECA assessment for optimal RCM is proposed by probabilistic approach using real historical failure data of combustion-turbine generators in Korean power systems. The stochastic FMECA is performed based on the effects of probable failure modes of combustion-turbine generating unit.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
• /
• 2011.04a
• /
• pp.539-543
• /
• 2011

LNG cargo containment system (CCS) has the primary function of ensuring adequate thermal insulation with keeping natural gas below its boiling point. From the viewpoint of structural design, this LNG CCS can be treated as a laminated composite structure showing complex structural responses under the sloshing load which can be defined as a violent behavior of the liquid contents in cargo tanks due to external forced motions. As LNG CCS type, Mark III containment system from TGZ is considered in this paper and then its structural strength assessment is performed based on a simple higher-order shear deformation theory and maximum stress, maximum strain, Tsai-Wu failure criteria developed for laminated composite plates. The assessment is performed to the initial failure of the Mark III CS plate by investigating failure locations and loads.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.20 no.12
• /
• pp.2124-2135
• /
• 2006

In this paper, the reliability estimation of pipelines is performed by employing the probabilistic method, which accounts for the uncertainties in the load and resistance parameters of the limit state function. The FORM (first order reliability method) and the SORM (second order reliability method) are carried out to estimate the failure probability of pipeline utilizing the FAD (failure assessment diagram). And the reliability of pipeline is assessed by using this failure probability and analyzed in accordance with a target safety level. Furthermore, the MCS (Monte Carlo Simulation) is used to verify the results of the FORM and the SORM. It is noted that the failure probability increases with the increase of dent depth, gouge depth, operating pressure, outside radius, and the decrease of wall thickness. It is found that the FORM utilizing the FAD is a useful and is an efficient method to estimate the failure probability in the reliability assessment of a pipeline. Furthermore, the pipeline safety assessment technique with the deterministic procedure utilizing the FAD only is turned out more conservative than those obtained by using the probability theory together with the FAD. The probabilistic method such as the FORM, the SORM and the MCS can be used by most plant designers regarding the operating condition and design parameters.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.299-308
• /
• 2000

A safety assessment of reactor vessel lower head integrity under in-vessel vapor explosion loads has been performed. The core melt relocation parameters were chosen within the ranges of physically realizable bounds. The premixing and explosion calculations were performed using TRACER-II code. Using the calculated explosion pressures imposed on the lower head inner wall, strain calculations were peformed using ANSYS code. Then, the calculated strain results and the established failure criteria were used in determining the failure probability of the lower head, In the explosion analyses, it is shown that the explosion impulses are not altered significantly by the uncertain parameters of triggering location and time, fuel and vapor volume fractions in uniform premixture bounding calculations. Strain analyses show that the vapor explosion-induced lower head failure is not possible under the present framework of assessment. The result of static analysis using the conservative explosion-end pressure of 50 MPa also supports the conclusion. It is recommended, however, that an assessment of fracture mechanics for preexisting cracks be also considered to obtain a more concrete conclusion.