• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.2550-2563
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• 2022

This study performed a precise dynamic finite element time history elastic-plastic seismic analysis considering the welds, which have been not considered in design stage, on the nuclear components subjected to severe seismic loadings such as beyond-design basis earthquakes for sustainable nuclear power plants. First, the dynamic finite element elastic-plastic seismic analysis was performed for a general design practice that does not take into account the welds of the pressurizer surge line system, one of safety class I components in nuclear power plants, and then the reference values for the accumulated equivalent plastic strain, equivalent plastic strain, and von Mises effective stress were set. Second, the dynamic finite element elastic-plastic seismic analyses were performed for the case of considering only the mechanical strength over-mismatch of the welds as well as for the case of considering both the strength over-mismatch and welding residual strain. Third, the effects of the strength over-mismatch and welding residual strain were analyzed by comparing the finite element analysis results with the reference values. As a result of the comparison, it was found that not considering the strength over-mismatch may lead to conservative assessment results, whereas not considering the welding residual strain may be non-conservative.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.2918-2927
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• 2020

This paper proposes a simplified elastic-plastic analysis procedure using the penalty factors presented in the Code Case N-779 for strain-based fatigue assessment of nuclear safety class 1 components under severe seismic loads such as safety shutdown earthquake and beyond design-basis earthquake. First, a simplified elastic-plastic analysis procedure for strain-based fatigue assessment of nuclear safety class 1 components under the severe seismic loads was proposed based on the analysis result for the simplified elastic-plastic analysis procedure in the Code Case N-779 and the stress categories corresponding to normal operation and seismic loads. Second, total strain amplitude was calculated directly by performing finite element cyclic elastic-plastic seismic analysis for a hot leg nozzle in pressurizer surge line subject to combined loading including deadweight, pressure, seismic inertia load, and seismic anchor motion, as well as was derived indirectly by applying the proposed analysis procedure to the finite element elastic stress analysis result for each load. Third, strain-based fatigue assessment was implemented by applying the strain-based fatigue acceptance criteria in the ASME B&PV Code, Sec. III, Subsec. NB, Article NB-3200 and by using the total strain amplitude values calculated. Last, the total strain amplitude and the fatigue assessment result corresponding to the simplified elastic-plastic analysis were compared with those using the finite element elastic-plastic seismic analysis results. As a result of the comparison, it was identified that the proposed analysis procedure can derive reasonable and conservative results.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2018

The paper presents preliminary investigation results for the effect of the baseline correction in the acceleration excitation method on finite element seismic analysis results (such as accumulated equivalent plastic strain, equivalent plastic strain considering cyclic plasticity, von Mises effective stress, etc) of nuclear safety Class I components. For investigation, finite element elastic-plastic time-history seismic analysis is performed for a surge line including a pressurizer lower head, a pressurizer surge nozzle, a surge piping, and a hot leg surge nozzle using the Chaboche hardening model. Analysis is performed for various seismic loading methods such as acceleration excitation methods with and without the baseline correction, and a displacement excitation method. Comparing finite element analysis results, the effect of the baseline correction is investigated. As a result of the investigation, it is identified that finite element analysis results using the three methods do not show significant difference.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.343-356
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• 2022

As a part of round robin analysis to develop a finite element elastic-plastic seismic analysis procedure for nuclear safety class 1 components, a series of parametric analyses was carried out on the simulated pressurizer surge line system model to investigate sensitivity of the analysis results to finite element analysis variables. The analysis on the surge line system model considered dynamic effect due to the seismic load corresponding to PGA 0.6 g and elastic-plastic material behavior based on the Chaboche combined hardening model. From the parametric analysis results, it was found that strains such as accumulated equivalent plastic strain and equivalent plastic strain are more sensitive to the analysis variables than von Mises effect stress. The parametric analysis results also identified that finite element density and ovalization option in the elbow elements have more significant effect on the analysis results than the other variables.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.220-227
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• 1999

The Purpose of this paper is to evaluate the buckling strength of conceptually designed KALIMER reactor vessel. For evaluation of the buckling load buckling load the design equations and the finite element analysis are used. In finite element method the eigenvalue buckling analysis nonlinear elastic buckling analysis using snap-through buckling method and nonlinear elastic-plastic buckling analysis are carried out. the calculated buckling loads of KALIMER reactor vessel using the finite element method are in well agreement with those of the design equations. From the calculated results of buckling load in KALIMER rector vessel it is shown that the plasticity of vessel materials significantly affects the buckling load but the initial imperfection has little effects, In checking the limits of bucking load of KALIMER reactor vessel using the ASME B & PV Section III. Subsection NH the non-seismic isolation design can not satisfy the buckling limit requirements but the seismic isolation design can sufficiently satisfy the requirements.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2022

When piping system in a nuclear power plant is subjected to a beyond design seismic condition, it is important to accurately determine possibility of crack initiation and, if initiation occurs, its location and time. From recent experimental works on elbow pipes, it was found that the crack initiation location and crack propagation direction of the SA403 WP316 stainless steel elbow pipe were affected by the pipe thickness. In this paper, the crack initiation location and crack propagation direction for SA403 WP316 stainless steel elbow pipes with different thickness were analyzed via elastic-plastic finite element analysis. Based on FE results, the effect of the pipe thickness on different crack initiation location and crack propagation direction was analyzed using ovality, stress and strain components. It was also confirmed that the presence of internal pressure had no effect on the crack initiation location and crack propagation direction.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.489-499
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• 2019

Elastic-plastic behavior of nuclear power plant elbow piping under seismic loads has been conducted in this study. Finite element analyses are performed using classical Bilinear kinematic hardening model (BKIN) and Multilinear kinematic hardening model (MKIN) as well as a nonlinear kinematic hardening model (Chaboche model). The influence of internal pressure and seismic loading on ratcheting strain of elbow pipe is studied by means of the three models. The results found that the predicted results of Chaboche model is maximum, closely followed by the predicted results of MKIN model, and the minimum is the predicted results of BKIN model. Moreover, comparisons of analysis results for each plasticity model against predicted results for a equivalent cyclic loading elbow component and for a simplified piping system seismic test are presented in the paper.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.235-255
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• 2016

This paper experimentally investigated the behavior of steel frame structures of traditional-style buildings subjected to combined constant axial load and reversed lateral cyclic loading conditions. The low cyclic reversed loading test was carried out on a 1/2 model of a traditional-style steel frame. The failure process and failure mode of the structure were observed. The mechanical behaviors of the steel frame, including hysteretic behaviors, order of plastic hinges, load-displacement curve, characteristic loads and corresponding displacements, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and stiffness degradation were analyzed. Test results showed that the Dou-Gong component (a special construct in traditional-style buildings) in steel frame structures acted as the first seismic line under the action of horizontal loads, the plastic hinges at the beam end developed sufficiently and satisfied the Chinese Seismic Design Principle of "strong columns-weak beams, strong joints-weak members". The pinching phenomenon of hysteretic loops occurred and it changed into Z-shape, indicating shear-slip property. The stiffness degradation of the structure was significant at the early stage of the loading. When failure, the ultimate elastic-plastic interlayer displacement angle was 1/20, which indicated high collapse resistance capacity of the steel frame. Furthermore, the finite element analysis was conducted to simulate the behavior of traditional-style frame structure. Test results agreed well with the results of the finite element analysis.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.501-513
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• 2017

To investigate the seismic performance of Y-shaped eccentrically braced frames fabricated with high-strength steel (Y-HSS-EBFs), a shake table test of a 1:2 scaled three-story Y-HSS-EBF specimen was performed. The input wave for the shake table test was generated by the ground motions of El Centro, Taft, and Lanzhou waves. The dynamic properties, acceleration, displacement, and strain responses were obtained from the test specimen and compared with previous test results. In addition, a finite element model of the test specimen was established using the SAP2000 software. Results from the numerical analysis were compared with the test specimen results. During the shake table test, the specimen exhibited sufficient overall structural stiffness and safety but suffered some localized damage. The lateral stiffness of the structure degenerated during the high seismic intensity earthquake. The maximum elastic and elastoplastic interstory drift of the test specimen for different peak ground accelerations were 1/872 and 1/71, respectively. During the high seismic intensity earthquake, the links of the test specimen entered the plastic stage to dissipate the earthquake energy, while other structural members remained in the elastic stage. The Y-HSS-EBF is a safe, dual system with reliable seismic performance. The numerical analysis results were in useful agreement with the test results. This finding indicated that the finite element model in SAP2000 provided a very accurate prediction of the Y-HSS-EBF structure's behavior during the seismic loadings.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.6 s.40
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• pp.45-54
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• 2004

Recently, as steel structures become higher and more long-spanned, application of high-strength steels is increasing gradually. For seismic design of steel structures using high-strength steels(POSTEN60, POSTEN80), analytical method, can describe the large deformation and inelastic cyclic behavior generated by non-proportional cyclic loading, are required. In this paper, cyclic plasticity model was proposed by results of monotonic loading tests ant cyclic loading tests. Three-dimensional finite element analysis is developed by using proposed model and finite deformation theory and verified as compare with experiment result. Using 3-dimensional elastic-plastic finite deformation analysis, seismic analysis of high-strength steel pipe-section piers are carried out. Also, seismic performance of high-strength steel pipe-section piers in parameter of diameter-thickness ratio was clarified.