• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.1404-1411
• /
• 2016

Pipe wall thinning in the secondary piping system of a nuclear power plant is currently a major problem that typically affects the safety and reliability of the nuclear power plant directly. Regular in-service inspections are carried out to manage the piping system only during the overhaul. Online thickness monitoring is necessary to avoid abrupt breakage due to wall thinning. To this end, a transducer that can withstand a high-temperature environment and should be installed under the insulation layer. We propose a thin plate type of embedded ultrasonic transducer based on magnetostriction. The transducer was designed and fabricated to measure the thickness of a pipe under a high-temperature condition. A number of experimental results confirmed the validity of the present transducer.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2001.06d
• /
• pp.807-812
• /
• 2001

This paper represents the wall thinning analysis results for secondary side piping of two types of domestic nuclear power plants based on the DB establishment and F AC analysis study for NPP secondary system piping. CHECWORKS code utilized in this study has been applied world widely to wall thinning analyses for secondary side piping and its reliability has also been proved. The predicted wear rates for several piping systems of a pressurized water reactor NPP are compared with those of a pressurized heavy water reactor NPP and with the measured wear rates. On the basis of comparison results of the predicted and measured wear rates, the analysis results can be effectively applied to the development of a standard thinned pipe management program targeted all domestic nuclear power plants.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.96-99
• /
• 2014

The aim of the study was to evaluate the water treatment of pressurized water reactor secondary side by the mixed amine of ammonia and ethanolamine, from the standpoint of corrosion control, as compared with all volatile treatment of ammonia. The pressurized water reactor systems have switched a secondary side pH control agent to minimize the corrosion in the moisture separator/reheater and feedwater heater systems and the transport of corrosion products into steam generator. As results of field test, pH was increased in the steam generator and the wet steam area of moisture separator/reheater and the concentration of Fe were decreased by more than 50% as compared with water treatment of ammonia.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2015

Local wall thinning and integrity degradation caused by several mechanisms, such as flow accelerated corrosion (FAC), cavitation, flashing and/or liquid drop impingements, are a main concern in carbon steel piping systems of nuclear power plant in terms of safety and operability. Thinned pipe management program (TPMP) had been developed and optimized to reduce the possibility of unplanned shutdown and/or power reduction due to pipe failure caused by wall thinning in the secondary side piping system. This program also consists of several technical elements such as prediction of wear rate for each component, prioritization of components for inspection, thickness measurement, calculation of actual wear and wear rate for each component. Decision making is associated with replacement or continuous service for thinned pipe components. Establishment of long-term strategy based on diagnosis of plant condition regarding overall wall thinning is also essential part of the program. Prediction models of wall thinning caused by FAC had been established for 24 operating nuclear plants. Long term strategies to manage the thinned pipe component were prepared and applied to each unit, which was reflecting plant specific design, operation, and inspection history, so that the structural integrity of piping system can be maintained. An alternative integrity assessment criterion and a computer program for thinned piping items were developed for the first time in the world, which was directly applicable to the secondary piping system of nuclear power plant. The thinned pipe management program is applied to all domestic nuclear power plants as a standard procedure form so that it contributes to preventing an accident caused by FAC.

• Plant Journal
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.43-51
• /
• 2019

The stress concentration of the integral welded attachments (IWA) often used to support piping system has been a big issue because it induces local stresses in piping. The method to evaluate local stresses associated with attachments on elbows has been suggested in EPRI TR-107453. However, there are limitations regarding specific parameters range in order to use correlation equation. In this paper, parametric study based on piping elbow size and attachment dimension was performed utilizing finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate the secondary stress indices of hollow circular cross section welded attachments on piping elbows with the extended parameters range. The results of the FEA were used to develop correlation formulas for calculating secondary stress indices. The empirical equations in this study are suggested as an alternative evaluation method of EPRI TR-107453 by extending parameters range.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.29 no.8 s.239
• /
• pp.1102-1108
• /
• 2005

The integrity of nuclear piping systems has to be maintained sufficiently all the times during operation. In order to maintain the integrity, reliable assessment procedures including fracture mechanics analysis, etc, are required. Up to now, the integrity assessment has been performed using conventional deterministic approach even though there are lots of uncertainties to hinder a rational evaluation. In this respect, probabilistic approach is considered as an appropriate method for piping system evaluation. The objectives of this paper are to develop a probabilistic assessment program using reliability index and simulation technique and to estimate the damage probability of wall-thinned pipes in secondary systems. The probabilistic assessment program consists of three evaluation modules which are first order reliability method, second order reliability method and Monte Carlo simulation method. The developed program has been applied to evaluate damage probabilities of wall-thinned pipes subjected to internal pressure, global bending moment and combined loading. The sensitivity analysis results as well as prototypal evaluation results showed a promising applicability of the probabilistic integrity assessment program.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.79-86
• /
• 2023

Damage to gas and fire protection piping systems can lead to secondary disasters after an earthquake, so their seismic design is crucial. Accordingly, various types of seismic restraint installations are being devised, and a new suspended piping trapeze restraint installation has also recently been developed in Korea. In this study, a cyclic loading test was performed on the developed trapeze support system, and its performance was evaluated according to ASHRAE 171, the standard for seismic and wind restraint design established by the American Society of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The three support system specimens did not break or fracture, causing only insignificant deformations until the end of the experiment. Based on the experimentally rated strength and displacement performance, this trapeze support system is expected to control the seismic movement of piping during an earthquake.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
• /
• 2007.06a
• /
• pp.178-178
• /
• 2007

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.101-106
• /
• 2016

NSSS (Nuclear Steam Supply System) and BOP (Balance of Plant) design works for PGSFR (Prototype Gen-IV Sodium Fast Reactor) have been conducted in Korea. NSSS major components, e.g. reactor vessel, steam generator and secondary sodium main pipes, are designed according to the rule of ASME boiler and pressure vessel code division 5, in which DBA (Design by Analysis) methods are used in the stress assessments. However, there is little discussions about detail rules for BOP piping design. In this paper, the detail methodologies of BOP piping stress assessment are discussed including safety systems and non-safety system pipings. It is confirmed that KEPIC MGE(ASME B31.1) and ASME BPV code division 5 HCB-3600 can be used in stress assessments of non-safety pipes and class B pipes, respectively. However, class A pipe design according to ASME BPV code division 5 HBB-3200 has many difficulties applying to PGSFR BOP design. Finally, future development plan for class A pipe stress assessment method is proposed in this paper.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2011

Reliability of piping systems is essential to the safety of any important industrial facilities. During an earthquake, damage to the piping system can occur. It can also cause considerable economic losses and the loss of life following earthquakes. Traditionally, the study of the secondary system was less important than primary structure system, however it has recently been emerging as a key issue for the effective maintenance of the structural system and to help reduce nonstructural earthquake damage. The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate seismic design requirements and the seismic performance of gas and fire protection piping systems installed in reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. In order to characterize the seismic behavior of the existing piping system in an official building, 10 simulated earthquakes and 9 recorded real earthquakes were applied to ground level and the building system by the newmark average acceleration time history method. The results developed by this research can be used for the improvement of new seismic code/regulatory guidelines of secondary systems as well as the improvement of seismic retrofitting or the strengthening of the current piping system.