• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2008

In order to detect the internal defects which occur in welding parts of pressure vessel and structures, radiographic testing and ultrasonic testing is applied. However, because of the risks of radiation exposure and film processing, radiographic testing takes a relatively long time to verify the test results and it has affected in the production process. Typically, the manual ultrasonic testing is not easy to reproduce the result and it is highly dependent on the tester's skills. The TOFD technique, one of the automatic ultrasonic testings is spreading alternatively. This research describes the comparing test results by applying radiographic testing and TOFD technique to a mock-up specimen incruding the flaws. The TOFD technique will contribute to improve the objective reliability of the ultrasonic technique.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.127-132
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• 2002

Recent deepwater offshore structures in Gulf of Mexico utilize butt welded tubular joints. Application of welded tubular joint includes tendons, production risers, and steel catenary risers. Fatigue life assessment of these joints becomes more critical because the structures to which they are attached are allowed to undergo cyclic and sometimes large displacements around an anchored position. Estimating the fatigue behavior of these tubular members in the design stage is generally conducted by using S-N curves specified in the codes and standards. Applying the stress concentration factor of the welded structure to S-N approach often results in very conservative assessment because the stress field acting on the tubular has a non-uniform distribution through the thickness. Fracture mechanics and fitness for service (FFS) technology have been applied in the design of the catenary risers. This technology enables the engineer to establish proper requirements on weld quality and inspection acceptance criteria to assure satisfactory structural integrity during its design life. It also provides guidance on proper design curves to be used and a methodology for accounting for the effects of non-uniform stress distribution through the wall thickness. An attempt was made to develop set of S-N curves based on fracture mechanics approach by considering non-uniform stress distribution and a threshold stress intensity factor. Series of S-N curves generated from this approach were compared to the existing S-N curves. For flat plate butt joint, the S-N curve generated from fracture mechanics matches with the IIW class 100 curve when initial crack depth was 0.5 mm (0.02"). Similar comparison with API X′ was made for tubular joint.. These initial crack depths are larger than the limits of inspection by current Non-destructive examination (NDE) means, such as Automatic Ultrasonic Inspection (AUT). Thus a safe approach can be taken by specifying acceptance criteria that are close to limits of sizing capability of the selected NDE method. The comparison illustrates conservatism built into the S-N design curve.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.21-25
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• 2011

Although many defects in PZR heater sleeve have been reported continually from operating experiences in oversea nuclear power plant, utilities get into difficulties in finding appropriate methods for diagnostics of the components due to the limited access or high radiation problems. Recently, as an alternative, diagnostics using Guided Wave Testing(GWT) are proposed and the attention of the methods has been growing gradually because of their long range inspection capability. This study is to investigate the effectiveness of GWT to detect PWSCC in welding points of PZR heater sleeve. Moreover, mode sensitivity analysis of GWT and optimal frequency for the diagnostics of PWSCC are presented by testing the mock-ups specimens that contain artificial flaws.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.38-40
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• 2006

Nuclear power plants are urged to reduce operating and maintaining costs to remain competitive as well as to increase the safety preventing the radioactive material to the atmosphere. To reduce the cost and to increase the safety, the inspection of balance-of-plant heat exchanger becomes important. However, there are some problems for plugging the heat exchanger tubes since the criterion and its basis are not clearly described. The codes and standards related to show the tube plugging criteria may not exist currently. In this paper, a method to establish the tube plugging criteria of BOP heat exchangers is introduced and the tube plugging criteria for the non-regenerative heat exchanger in the steam generator blow-down system of nuclear power plant. This method relies on the similar method used to establish the plugging criteria for the steam generator tubes.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.181-194
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• 1992

Deformations of a prototype vacuum chamber for the Storage Ring of the Pohang Light Source Project, due to both welding and baking, have been measured using the Optical Tooling Technique. The measurements aim for the acquisition of data for inspection of the chamber design and for the establishment of positional relationship with the components surrounding the chamber. The effectiveness of the Optical Tooling Technique, as a replacement for the conventional mechanical precision measurement, has been proved by the successful measurements of the vacuum chamber deformations.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.19-34
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• 1996

A review was made of fatigue failures of nuclear power plant components in Japan, which were experienced in service and during periodical inspection. No case has been recently reported of a service fatigue failure of a reactor pressure vessel itself, excluding nozzle corner cracks, that occurred many years ago. But, service fatigue failures have been occasionally experienced in piping systems, pumps, and valves, on which fatigue design seems to have been inadequately applied. The causes of fatigue failures can be divided into two categories: mechanical-vibration-induced fatigue and thermal-fluctuation-induced fatigue. Vibration-induced fatigue failure occurs more frequently than is generally thought. The lesson gleaned from the present survey is a recognition that a service fatigue failure may occur due to any one or a combination of the following factors: (1) lack of communication between designers and fabrication engineers, (2) lack of knowledge about a possibility of fatigue failure and poor consideration about the effects of residual stresses, (3) lack of consideration on possible vibration in the design and fabrication stages, and (4) lack of fusion or poor penetration in a welded joint.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.185-187
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• 2005

The reactor pressure vessel head of PWR has penetrations for control rod drive mechanism and instrumentation systems. The Primary coolant water and operating temperature can cause the stress-corrosion cracking of these nickel-based alloy penetrations. It is difficult to detect and size flaws such as SCC in the reactor head penetrations using conventional W methods because of complex geometry, Therefore, the utilities are using the TOFD technique for the detection and sizing of the flaw. This study shows the correlation between the ultrasonic wave direction and the orientation of the flaw and the range of flaw depth which can be detected by the TOFD techniques.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2017

Purpose: In recent years, weight reduction for improving fuel efficiency of the vehicle and cost reduction have been developed. The structure of suspension link is widely used as a single plate press structure which can reduce process and weight compared to existing pipe welding method. However, it was found that the lifetime of a single plate press structure is determined by initial defects that occurred during initial manufacturing rather than fatigue damage caused by driving. Methods: I research the mechanism of failure phenomenon of the single plate press assist arm of rear wheel. In addition, I investigate durability effect parameters to determine the link lifetime in inserting bush into single plate press process through durability test. Conclusion: I discover significant durability effect parameter in inserting bush into single plate press process. It is expected that the durability can be improved by suggesting a bush inserting process inspection guide for similar suspension link like single plate press structure.

• Journal of Auto-vehicle Safety Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.50-56
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate vulnerable parts of tower crane structures by analyzing extensive non-destructive test data. Approximately ten percent of domestically registered tower cranes were inspected by using magnetic particle inspection. The testing was carried out as advised in KS B 0213. The non-destructive results was analyzed with respect to jib types, age and crane size. As a result, the number of crack occurrences were the largest in mast parts, followed by main jib part. Moreover, it was found that turntables were important parts deserved to be noticed at the perspective of safe maintenance.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.108-116
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• 2014

The proper stress history measurement should be conducted in order to examine the accurate cause of fatigue cracks or the fatigue safety in the steel bridge. Only one strain gauge is generally installed in the field for the stress history examination because of the field circumstances, economic feasibility, workability, and so on. However, this method may not consider the actual size of the specific structure, the gauge length, and the affect of stress concentration in the welded joint. In addition, it is difficult to apply for the stress analysis. Therefore, this study suggests improvements that are a great number of gauge installations, the gauge location adjustment, and the use of the minimum length gauge. It is drived the correlative equation of strain for the distance between the welding toe and the strain gauge installation, and compare correlative equation with equation of IIW. Also, this study could estimate the remaining life and fatigue damage of bridge in service by selecting the suitable stress category. In conclusion, it is possible to understand the member which is high in the fatigue cracks, and the quantitative relations between the welding toe and the strain gauge installation distances. The proposed approach in this study can make an more accurate fatigue damage and a remaining life prediction so that the improved method should be applied in measuring the strain of bridges from now on.