• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.545-553
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• 2016

The failure probabilities of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for low temperature over-pressurization (LTOP) and cool-down transients are calculated in this study. For the cool-down transient, a pressure-temperature limit curve is generated in accordance with Section XI, Appendix G of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code, from which safety margin factors are deliberately removed for the probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis. Then, sensitivity analyses are conducted to understand the effects of some input parameters. For the LTOP transient, the failure of the RPV mostly occurs during the period of the abrupt pressure rise. For the cool-down transient, the decrease of the fracture toughness with temperature and time plays a main role in RPV failure at the end of the cool-down process. As expected, the failure probability increases with increasing fluence, Cu and Ni contents, and initial reference temperature-nil ductility transition ($RT_{NDT}$). The effect of warm prestressing on the vessel failure probability for LTOP is not significant because most of the failures happen before the stress intensity factor reaches the peak value while its effect reduces the failure probability by more than one order of magnitude for the cool-down transient.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.32-37
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• 2021

The piston reservoir is mainly used in hydraulic blow-down system for aerospace engineering. The reservoir is heavy due to both hydraulic cylinder and piston in pressurization. The positive expulsion tank with rubber diaphragm has been mostly applied propellant and fuel tank at low pressure to satellites. To reduce weight, the reservoir that can be used at high pressure with rubber diaphragm was developed. In this research, the prediction of life-time for the rubber diaphragm was implemented through an accelerated life test, as a part of development of new reservoir. Also, the diaphragm was stored in an temperature chamber at the same condition as and operation with hydraulic oil. As a result, the life-time for a rubber diaphragm was successfully evaluated via Arrhenius law and Time-Temperature Superposition based on failure times over temperatures in the accelerated test.