• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.309-316
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• 2024

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.20 provides guidance on the comprehensive vibration assessment program (CVAP) to be performed on reactor internals during preoperational and startup tests. The purpose of the program is to identify loads that could cause vibration in the reactor internals and to ensure that these vibrations do not affect their structural integrity. The structural vibrational analysis program involves creating finite element analysis models of the reactor internals and calculating their structural responses when subjected to vibration loads. The appropriateness of the structural analysis methodology must be demonstrated through benchmarks or any other reasonable means. Although existing structural analysis methodologies have been proven to be appropriate and are widely used, this paper presents the development of an improved new structural analysis methodology for APR1400 reactor internals using scaled model tests.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 1998

This paper presents the detailed modelling of reactor vessel ledge region for the dynamic analysis of the coupled internals and core model. The dynamic responses due to earthquake and pipe break are calculated using the input motions of reactor vessel taken from Ulchin nuclear power plant units 3 and 4. Two different representations for detailed and simplified models of the RV ledge region are made. The dynamic responses of the reactor internals components are compared between them. Response characteristics are reported and simplified model is suggested for earthquake and pipe break analysis for the future design of the reactor internals.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.963-970
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• 2018

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Regulatory Guide 1.20 needs to perform a comprehensive vibration assessment program for reactor internals during preoperational and startup testing for nuclear power plants and extended power uprate. Although the measurement program is one of the core programs, it is rarely carried out except for a first-of-a-kind or a unique design. This article describes measurement results of vibration and stress for the comprehensive vibration assessment program for an APR-1400 reactor internals. The measurement was performed at an upper guide structure during the pre-core hot functional test of Shin Kori unit 4 reactor internals because the Shin Kori unit 3 and 4 are the first construction project for the APR-1400, and the upper guide structure assembly was to design change compared with the valid prototype. We confirmed that all measured results are within the test acceptance criteria. It means that the structural integrity of the APR-1400 reactor internals was secured for the flow-induced vibration.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.1005-1016
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• 2014

Roles of reactor internals are to support nuclear fuel, provide insertion and withdrawal channels of nuclear fuel control rods, and carry out core cooling. In case of functional loss of the reactor internals, it may lead to severe accidents caused by damage of nuclear fuel assembly and deterioration of reactor vessel due to attack of fallen out parts. The present study is to examine fluid flows in reactor internals subjected to hydrodynamic loads. In this context, an integrated model was developed and applied to two kinds of numerical analyses; one is to analyze periodic loading effect caused by pump pulsation and the other is to analyze random loading effect employing different turbulent models. Acoustic pressure distributions and flow velocity as well as pressure and temperature fields were calculated and compared to establish appropriate analysis techniques.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2016

The number of nuclear power plants operating in Korea was 24 as of year 2015. Nine units out of 24 units have been operated for a period over 20 years. Kori unit 1 has been in operation for 40 years, and an extended operation for Wolsong unit 1 was decided in 2015. There has been reported some crackings in reactor internals in PWR have been reported in Europe, USA, Japan and Korea, and some of them were replaced with new one. Repair and replacement technologies for the reactor internals have been developing in order to meet the regulatory requirements for long term operation in Korea. The technologies will also be used for the exported nuclear units. It is required to review degradation history of the reactor internals worldwide as a part of the degradation management program development. Schematics of reactor internals designed and supplied by Westinghouse, Framatome and Combustion Engineering are described herein. Materials degradation history of reactor internals of PWR plants in USA, Japan and Europe is surveyed and summarized. Some events from Korean plants are also described. Aging management strategy for the internals is suggested.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.689-698
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• 2014

Reactor internals are sensitive to dynamic loads such as earthquakes and flow induced vibration. Thus, it is essential to identify the dynamic characteristics to evaluate the seismic integrity of the structures. However, a full-sized system is too large to perform modal experiments, making it difficult to extract data on its modal characteristics. In this research, we constructed a finite element model of the APR1400 reactor internals to identify their modal characteristics. The commercial reactor was selected to reflect the actual boundary conditions. Our FE model was constructed based on scale-similarity analysis and fluid-structure interaction investigations using a fabricated scaled-down model.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.988-1003
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• 2021

Existing elastic analysis methods cannot be adhered to in order to assess the structural integrity of a reactor vessel and internals for a beyond design basis earthquake. Elasto-plastic analysis methods are required, and the factors that affect the elasto-plastic behavior of reactor materials should be taken into account. In this study, a material behavior model was developed that considers the irradiation embrittlement effect, which affects the elasto-plastic behavior of the reactor material. This was used to perform the elasto-plastic time history analyses of the reactor vessel and its internals for beyond design basis earthquake. For this investigation, appropriate beyond design basis earthquakes and reliable finite element models were used. Based on the analysis results, consideration was given to the load reduction effect and the margin change. These were transferred to the internals due to the plastic deformation of the reactor vessel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1327-1330
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• 2004

An underwater robotic system has been developed and applied to visual inspection of reactor vessel internals. The Korea Electric Power Robot for Visual Test (KeproVt) consists of an underwater robot, a vision processor-based measuring unit, a master control station and a servo control station. The robot guided by the control station with the measuring unit can be controlled to have any motion at any position in the reactor vessel with $\pm$1 cm positioning and $\pm$2 degrees heading accuracies with enough precision to inspect reactor internals. A simple and fast installation process is emphasized in the developed system. The developed robotic system was successfully deployed at the Younggwang Nuclear Unit 1 for the visual inspection of reactor internals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.05a
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• pp.1001-1007
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• 1995

A Comprehensive Vibration Assessment Program (CVAP) has been performed for Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 (YGN 4) in order to verify the structural integrity of the reactor internals for flow induced vibrations prior to commercial operation. The theoretical evidence for the structural integrity of the reactor internals and the basis for measurement and inspection are provided by the analysis. Flow induced hydraulic loads and reactor internals vibration response data were measured during pre-core hot functional testing in YGN 4 site. Also, the critical areas in the reactor internals were inspected visually to check any existence of structural abnormality before and after the pre-core hot functional testing. Then, the measured data have been analyzed and compared with the predicted data by analysis. The measured stresses are less than the predicted values and the allowable limits. It is concluded that the vibration response of the reactor internals due to the flow induced vibration under normal operation is acceptable for long term operation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 1993

Much effort is being done to standardize the PWR-type nuclear power plant in Korea. This paper presents the development of seismic design criteria for the reactor internals as a part of the standardization program for nuclear power plant. The seismic design loads of the reactor internals are calculated using the reference input motions of reactor vessel taken from Yong-gwang Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4. An overview of analysis related to the basic parameters and methodologies is presented. Also, the response of internal components for the reactor vessel motions is carefully investigated.