• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.233-239
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• 2004

Primary water stress corrosion cracking of steam generator tubings occur on many tubes in pressurized water reactors(PWRs), and they are repaired using sleeves or plugs. In order to develop proper repair criteria, it is necessary to know the leak behavior of the tubes, which have stress corrosion cracks. Crack development tests were carried out on the tubes at room temperature, and leak rate and burst pressure were measured on the degraded tubes at room temperature and a high temperature. No leakage was detected on the tubes where 100 % through wall crack developed, at 1560 psi, which is an operating pressure difference of pressurized water reactors(PWRs). In some tests, leak rates of the tubes increased with time at a constant internal water pressure. A test tube showed a very small amount of leakage at 2700 psi in a high temperature pressure test at $282^{\circ}C$, but it disappeared after the pressure increased slightly. Even cracks are 100 % through wall, they need to open in order to reach a certain amount of leak rate at the operating pressure difference.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.384-390
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• 2016

It is important to have a pipeline leak-detection system that determines the presence of a leak and quickly identifies its location. Current leak detection methods use a acoustic emission sensors, microphone arrays, and camera images. Recently, many researchers have been focusing on using cameras for detecting leaks. The advantage of this method is that it can survey a wide area and monitor a pipeline over a long distance. However, conventional methods using camera monitoring are unable to target an exact leak location. In this paper, we propose a method of detecting leak locations using leak-detection results combined with multi-frame analysis. The proposed method is verified by experiment.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.29-33
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• 2008

As the measures of nuclear power plant utilities and manufacturers to reduce the defects of tube expansion region during manufacturing steam generators, many types of NDEs(Non-Destructive Examinations) are conducted to inspect the expansion region. The expansion region of tube is subject to degrade because of stress concentration induced by tube expansion, sludge pile and high temperature. So the inspections for tube expansion region have been reinforced. Liquid penetrant test, helium leak test, Bobbin profile test and hydraulic test are performed to confirm the integrity of tube expanded by hydraulic expansion method. Liquid penetrant test and helium leak test are used to inspect seal weld region on tubesheet end part. Bobbin Profile test is used to inspect fully the expanded region of steam generator tube. Hydraulic test finally verifies the integrity of seal weld region on tubesheet end part.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.100.1-100.1
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.183-190
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• 1996

Leak-before-break(LBB) approach has been shown to be both cost and risk effective by reducing maintenance cost and occupational exposure when applied to high energy piping in nuclear power plants. For Korean Next Generation Reactor(KNGR) development, LBB is considered for the Main Steam Line(MSL) piping inside containment. Unlike the reactor coolant piping leakages which can be detected by particulate and gaseous radiation monitoring, main steam line leak detection systems must be based on principles that do not involve radioactivity. Ceramics are widely used as humidity sensor materials which can be further developed for nuclear applications. In this paper, we describe the progress in the development of ceramic humidity sensors for use with the main steam lines of KNGR.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.1829-1835
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• 2000

The experimental results of sodium-water reaction noise measurement in frequency range $1{/sim}200kHz$ are presented. The experiments of noise generation under the condition of sodium test facility, water leak rate $0.01{\sim}1.2g/s$ and temperature of sodium $250{\sim}500^{\circ}C$, were carried out. From theoretical study it is noted that the noise resonant attenuation on hydrogen bubbles in liquid sodium plays the significant role for leak noise spectra formation. Interaction of leak noise and hydrogen bubbles in sodium being accompanied by thermal, emission and viscosity energy dissipation was studied. Acoustic noise spectra were investigated from point of view of water leak detection in sodium/water steam generator. The results of sodium-water reaction noise absorption on hydrogen bubbles in liquid sodium by temperature $250{\sim}500^{\circ}C$ are presented. The theoretical model of noise absorption using the coefficients of attenuation was developed. From calculation the coefficients of attenuation were estimated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.1162-1173
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• 2016

In this paper, we describe a physicomathematical model of the processes that occur in a sodium circuit with a variable flow cross-section in the case of a water leak into sodium. The application area for this technique includes the possibility of analyzing consequences of this leak as applied to sodium-water steam generators in fast neutron reactors. Hydrodynamic processes that occur in sodium circuits in the event of a water leak are described within the framework of a one-dimensional thermally nonequilibrium three-component gas-liquid flow model (sodium-hydrogen-sodium hydroxide). Consideration is given to the results of a mathematical modeling of experiments involving steam injection into the sodium loop of a circulation test facility. That was done by means of the computer code in which the proposed model had been implemented.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.1023-1029
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• 1998

Small water leak experiment was carried out for the 5Cr-1Mo steel specimen in sodium atmosphere. Perfect re-open time for the leak path of a specimen, by micro leak, was 129 minutes, and its size observed about 2 mm diameter at sodium side. The halos phenomena appeared around of leak spot before the leak path has re-opened, and the size of halos observed was different from the real re-open size of a specimen. Also, the corrosion of a specimen initiated from sodium side, but it did not occur at steam side. In AES analysis, the segregation phenomena of Cr in the specimen was found much more than those of other elements. And also, the sodium compounds formed by sodium-water reaction and deposited onto the leak site of specimen were observed by EPMA analysis and SEM photograph. It is postulated that the corrosion products could be precipitated to form mixed Na Fe Cr compounds.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.75-76
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• 2005

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.227-232
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• 2013

A number of components installed in the secondary system of nuclear power plants are exposed to aging mechanisms such as FAC (Flow-Accelerated Corrosion), Cavitation, Flashing, and LDIE (Liquid Droplet Impingement Erosion). Those aging mechanisms can lead to thinning of the components. In April 2013, one (1) inch small bore piping branched from the main steam line experienced leakage resulting from wall thinning in a 1,000 MWe Korean PWR nuclear power plant. During the normal operation, extracted steam from the main steam line goes to condenser through the small bore piping. The leak occurred in the downstream of an orifice. A control valve with vertical flow path was placed on in front of the orifice. This paper deals with UT (Ultrasonic Test) thickness data, SEM images, and numerical simulation results in order to analyze the extent of damage and the cause of leakage in the small bore piping. As a result, it is concluded that the main cause of the small bore pipe wall thinning is liquid droplet impingement erosion. Moreover, it is observed that the leak occurred at the reattachment point of the vortex flow in the downstream side of the orifice.