• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.7
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• pp.1513-1523
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• 2017

Improvement of numerical analysis methods has been required to solve complicated phenomena that occur in nuclear facilities. Particularly, fluid-structure interaction (FSI) behavior should be resolved for accurate design and evaluation of complex reactor vessel internals (RVIs) submerged in coolant. In this study, the FSI effect on dynamic characteristics of RVIs in a typical 1,000 MWe nuclear power plant was investigated. Modal analyses of an integrated assembly were conducted by employing the fluid-structure (F-S) model as well as the traditional added-mass model. Subsequently, structural analyses were carried out using design response spectra combined with modal analysis data. Analysis results from the F-S model led to reductions of both frequency and Tresca stress compared to those values obtained using the added-mass model. Validation of the analysis method with the FSI model was also performed, from which the interface between the upper guide structure plate and the core shroud assembly lug was defined as the critical location of the typical RVIs, while all the relevant stress intensities satisfied the acceptance criteria.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2023

This paper describes a newly-developed analysis methodology in comprehensive vibration assessment program (CVAP) of reactor internals to develop a valid-prototype for the design of nuclear power plants. The new analysis methodology developed in this study will be confirmed through a scale model testing (SMT). Based on the measurements obtained from dynamic pressure transducers in the SMT, a new non-dimensional equation is developed to apply the forcing functions at reactor internals for the prototype. In addition to the new non-dimensional equation, a computational fluid dynamics(CFD) is used to develop the application of the hydraulic loads at reactor internals for the prototype.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1270-1275
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• 1997

This paper concerns with the finite element analysis of reactor internals with structural faults. For investigating the influence of hold-down spring faults on dynamic characteristics of CSB (core support barrel), reactor internals of Ulchin-1 nuclear power plant are modeled using finite element method and simulated with artificial defects on the hold-down springs. To prove the validity of the finite element models, the calculated natural frequencies of CSB in normal state are compared with those from the measurement results, which shows good agreement. According to results of finite element analysis, CSB beam mode natural frequency decreases by 4.5% in the case of 10% partial relaxation of hold-down springs, and decreases by 18.4% in the case of 20%. The range of shell mode natural frequency change is within 5.3%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.425-425
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2010.10a
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• pp.433-438
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• 2010

Reactor vessel internals comprehensive vibration assessment program(RVI CVAP) is one of the necessary tests to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants. RVI CVAP of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide 1.20(U.S. NRC R.G. 1.20) consists of the analysis, measurement, and inspection. One of the core technologies of the measurement program for RVI CVAP is to select suitable sensors. We analyzed RVI design data of Palo Verde nuclear generating station(U.S.) and Yonggwang nuclear generating station(Korea) and investigated measuring sensors used in both of them; moreover, we investigated sensors used for measurement of RVI CVAP for the last 20 years throughout the world. Based on these results, we selected the most suitable sensors for RVI CVAP in Advanced Power Reactor 1400(APR1400).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.582-589
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• 1998

This paper presents the analysis results of ex-core and in-core neutron noise, acceleration signals and pressure fluctuation measured at Ulchin Nuclear Unit 1 & 2 to identify and monitor the reactor internals vibration including fuel motion. A phase separation algorithm developed by authors was applied to the neutron noises to clearly identify the reactor internals vibratory motion. The beam mode frequency of the core support barrel was identified to be 8Hz and the shell mode to be 20Hz. The first frequency of the fuel assembly was also found to be 3Hz, while first two acoustic frequencies of the primary coolant system were 6 and 17.5Hz. By monitoring and analyzing these frequencies periodically, it is possible to diagnose the operating condition of reactor internals and to provide an early detection of faults for the predictive maintenance.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.1127-1132
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• 2013

The failure of reactor internals may have a significant effect on the safe operation and shutdown of a reactor. Various agings related to neutron irradiation occur or can potentially occur in the reactor internals owing to high neutron irradiation levels. Austenitic stainless steel, one of the principal materials constituting the reactor internals, shows different mechanical material behaviors such as tensile/creep properties and fracture toughness with neutron irradiation levels. This variation should be considered when the structural integrity of the reactor internals against agings during the design lifetime or continued operation period is evaluated. In this study, user subroutine programs considering the variation of mechanical material behaviors with neutron irradiation levels were developed. The programs were validated by testing them for various conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.679-686
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• 2000

Reactor Noise is defined as the fluctuations of measured instrumentation signals during full-power operation of reactor which have informations on reactor system dynamics such as neutron kinetics, thermal-hydraulics, and structural dynamics. Reactor noise analyses of ex-core neutron detector signals have been performed to monitor the vibration modes of reactor internals such as fuel assembly and Core Support Barrel in Yonggwang 3&4 Nuclear Power Plant. A real time mode separation technique have been developed and applied for the analyses. It has been found that the first vibration mode frequency of the fuel assembly was around 2.5 Hz, the beam and shell mode frequencies of CSB(Core Support Barrel) 8 Hz and 14.5 Hz, respectively. Also the analyses data base have been constructed for the continuous monitoring and diagnose of the reactor internals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2017

This paper aims to evaluate the conservatism in the design of APR1400 (Advanced Pressurized water Reactor 1400 designed by KHNP) reactor internals component, the LSS (Lower Support Structure). Re-engineering of the LSS is done based on the system design condition data and applicable ASME code that was used for the original APR1400 design. Systems engineering approach is applied to design the LSS of APR1400 without refering APR1400 LSS dimensional parameters and tries to verify important design parameters of APR1400 LSS as well as the validity of the re-engineering design process as independent verification method of reactor component design. Systems engineering approach applied in this study following V-model approach. The re-engineered LSS design showed more than enough conservatism for static loading case. The maximum deflection of LSS is under 1mm (calculated value is 0.25mm) from 4000 mm diameter of LSS. Hence the deflection can be ignored in other reactor internals for structural integrity assessment. Especially the effect of LSS deflection on fuel assembly can be minimized and which is one of the main requirements of LSS design. It also showed that the maximum stress intensity is 2.36MPa for the allowable stress intensity of 60.1 MPa. The stress resulted from the static load is also very small compared to the maximum allowable stress intensity, hence there is more than enough conservatism in the LSS design.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2716-2727
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• 2021

The core shroud is one of the most important internal components of the reactor vessel internals because it meets the neutron fluence directly emitted by the nuclear fuel. In particular, dynamic effects for an earthquake should be evaluated with respect to the neutron irradiation flux. As a prerequisite to this study, simplified and detailed finite element models are developed for the core shroud using the ANSYS Design Parametric Language. Using the El Centro earthquake, seismic analyses are performed for the simplified and detailed core shroud models. Modal characteristics are obtained and their results are used for a time history analysis. Response spectrum analyses are also performed to access the degree of seismic excitation. The results of these analyses are compared to investigate the response characteristics between the simplified and detailed core shroud models from the time history and response spectrum analyses.