• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.5
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• pp.637-650
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• 2021

The paper presents an investigation of the widely varying mechanical performance and behaviour of steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete beams using non-destructive techniques of Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) under four-point bending. Laboratory experiments are performed on both differently reinforced concrete beams with 0.33%, 0.52% and 1.11% of tension reinforcement against balanced section. The results show that the ultimate load-carrying capacity increases with an increase in tensile reinforcement in both cases. In addition to that, AE waveform parameters of amplitude and number of AE hits successfully correlates and picks up the divergent mechanism of cracking initiation and progression of failure in steel reinforced and GFRP reinforced concrete beams. AE activity is about 20-30% more in GFRP-RC beams as compared to steel-RC beams. It was primarily due to the lower modulus of elasticity of GFRP bars leading to much larger ductility and deflections as compared to steel-RC beams. Furthermore, AE XY event plots and longitudinal strain profiles using DIC gives an online and real-time visual display of progressive AE activity and strains respectively to efficaciously depict the crack evolution and their advancement in steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams which show a close matching with the micro-and macro-cracks visually observed in the actual beams at various stages of loading.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.846-854
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• 2024

FEMAXI-ATF is being developed for fuel performance modeling of SiC cladded UO2 fuel with focuses on modeling pellet-cladding mechanical interactions (PCMI). The code considers probability distributions of mechanical strengths of monolithic SiC (mSiC) and SiC fiber reinforced SiC matrix composite (SiC/SiC), while it models pseudo-ductility of SiC/SiC and propagation of cladding failures across the wall thickness direction in deterministic manner without explicitly modeling cracks based on finite element method in one-dimensional geometry. Some hypothetical BWR power ramp conditions were used to test sensitivities of different model parameters on the analyzed PCMI behavior. The results showed that propagation of the cladding failure could be modeled by appropriately reducing modulus of elasticities of the failed wall element, so that the mechanical load of the failed element could be re-distributed to other intact elements. The probability threshold for determination of the wall element failure did not have large influence on the predicted power at failure when the threshold was varied between 25 % and 75 %. The current study is still limited with respect to mechanistic modeling of SiC failure as it only models the propagation of the cladding wall element failure across the homogeneous continuum wall without considering generations and propagations of cracks.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.4561-4569
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• 2023

A correct understanding of vibration-based degradation is crucial from the standpoint of maintenance for Steam Generators (SG) as crucial mechanical equipment in nuclear power plants. This study has established a novel approach to developing a model for investigating tube bundle degradation according to crack growth caused by two-phase Flow-Induced Vibration (FIV). An important step in the approach is to calculate the two-phase flow field parameters between the SG tube bundles in various zones using the porous media model to determine the velocity and vapor volume fraction. Afterward, to determine the vibration properties of the tube bundles, the Fluid-Solid Interaction (FSI) analysis is performed in eighteen thermal-hydraulic zones. Tube bundle degradation based on crack growth using the sixteen most probable initial cracks and within each SG thermal-hydraulic zone is performed to calculate useful lifetime. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model, Paris law, and Wiener process model are considered to model the turbulent crossflow around the tube bundles, simulation of elliptical crack growth due to the vibration characteristics, and estimation of SG tube bundles degradation, respectively. The analysis shows that the tube deforms most noticeably in the zone with the highest velocity. As a result, cracks propagate more quickly in the tube with a higher height. In all simulations based on different initial crack sizes, it was observed that zone 16 experiences the greatest deformation and, subsequently, the fastest degradation, with a velocity and vapor volume fraction of 0.5 m/s and 0.4, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.153-159
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• 2007

This paper is experimental investigation for failure characteristics and performance of a RC beams strengthened with GFSP which were developed for improvement of the early debonding problems in the externally bonded FRP systems. To represent damages and load conditions of the existing beam, pre-cracks and repeating loads are adopted for experimental parameters. In this experiment, it is confirmed that strengthening with GFSP is a very effective strengthening method for an increase in strength, a decrease in deflection, a control of the crack. But it shown that the design of the beams to be strengthened with GFSP should be consider a brittle behavior of the grass fiber on the flexural capacity.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.108-108
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• 2009

Precipitation hardening nickel base alloys strengthened by intermetallic compounds are extensively used to manufacture on the components of the hot section of gas turbine engines. To ensure structural stability and maintenance of strength properties for a long time, nickel alloys are normally subjected to complex alloying with elements to form ${\gamma}'$(gamma prime). Such alloys have a limited weldability, are normally welded in high temperature. However, laser welding have a merit that applies in room temperature as easy control of welding parameter and heat input. In this study, $CO_2$ laser welding is applied on STS304 plate with good ductility and precipitation hardening nickel base alloy (GTD111DS) used blade material. Also, several welding parameters are applied on powder, power and travel speed. There are no cracks in Rene 80 and IN 625 powder when STS304 plate is used. But IN 625 powder has no cracks and Rene 80 have some cracks in welds with GTD111DS substrate. Adjusting of welding parameter is tried to apply Rene 80 having a good strength compare to IN 625. In the result of adjusted welding parameter, optimized welding parameters are set with low power, low feed rate and high welding speed. Tensile strength of GTD111DS substrate with Rene 80 powder is same and over than the one of base metal in room temp and high temp($760^{\circ}C$).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.9-17
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• 2010

The FPCB is used for electronic products such as LCD display. The process of manufacturing FPCB includes a cutting process, in which each single FPCB is cut and separated from the panel where a series of FPCBs are arrayed. The most-widely used cutting method is the mechanical punching, which has the problem of creating burrs and cracks. In this paper, the cutting characteristics of the FPCB have been experimented using Nd:YAG DPSS UV laser as a way of solving this problem. To maximize the industrial application of this laser cutting process, test samples of the multilayered FPCB have been chosen as it is actually needed in industry. The cutting area of the FPCB has four different types of layer structure. First, to cut the test sample, the threshold laser cut-off fluence has been found. Various combinations of laser and process parameters have been made to supply the acquired laser cut-off fluence. The cutting characteristics in terms of the variation of the parameters are analyzed. The laser and process parameters are optimized, in order to maximize the cutting speed and to reach the best quality of the cutting area. The laser system for the process automation has been also developed.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.61-66
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• 2010

Silicon nitride is widely used as an engineering ceramics because it has high strength, abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance even at high temperature. However, machining of silicon nitride is difficult due to its high hardness and brittleness. Laser assisted machining(LAM) allows effective cutting using CBN tool by locally heating the cutting part to the softening temperature of YSiAlON using the laser beam. The effect of preheating depending on process parameters were studied to find out the oxidation mechanism. If silicon nitride is sufficiently preheated, the surface is oxidized and $N_2$ gas is formed and escapes from the material, thereby making the cutting process more advantageous. During laser preheating process before machining, high temperature results in strong oxidation which makes the bloating, silicate layers and micro cracks. Using the results of these experiments, preheating characteristics and oxidation behavior were found out.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2547-2555
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• 2021

The frequency of reactor coolant leakage is expected to increase over the lifetime of a nuclear power plant owing to degradation mechanisms, such as flow-acceleration corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. When loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) occur, several parameters change rapidly depending on the size and location of the cracks. In this study, leak flow during LOCAs is predicted using a deep fuzzy neural network (DFNN) model. The DFNN model is based on fuzzy neural network (FNN) modules and has a structure where the FNN modules are sequentially connected. Because the DFNN model is based on the FNN modules, the performance factors are the number of FNN modules and the parameters of the FNN module. These parameters are determined by a least-squares method combined with a genetic algorithm; the number of FNN modules is determined automatically by cross checking a fitness function using the verification dataset output to prevent an overfitting problem. To acquire the data of LOCAs, an optimized power reactor-1000 was simulated using a modular accident analysis program code. The predicted results of the DFNN model are found to be superior to those predicted in previous works. The leak flow prediction results obtained in this study will be useful to check the core integrity in nuclear power plant during LOCAs. This information is also expected to reduce the workload of the operators.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.1 s.173
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• pp.144-155
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• 2000

초록 The validity, of a single parameter such as stress intensity, factor K or J-integral in traditional fracture mechanics depends strongly on the geometry, and loading condition. Therefore the second parameter like T-stress measuring the stress constraint is additionally needed to characterize the general crack-tip fields. While many, research works have been done to verify, the J-T description of elastic-plastic crack-tip stress fields in plane strain specimens, limited works (especially. for bimaterials) have been performed to describe the structural surface crack-front stress fields with the two parameters. On this background, via detailed three dimensional finite element analyses for surface-cracked plates and straight pipes of homogeneous materials and bimaterials under various loadings, we investigate the extended validity or limitation of the two parameter approach. We here first develop a full 3D mesh generating program for semi-elliptical surface cracks, and calculate elastic T-stress from the obtained finite element stress field. Comparing the J-T predictions to the elastic-plastic stresses from 3D finite element analyses. we then confirm the extended validity of fracture mechanics methodology based on the J-T two parameters in characterizing the surface crack-front fields of welded plates and pipes under various loadings.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.101-108
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• 2010

The drum clutch investigated in this study is formed in 5 forming steps, which are 1st deep drawing, 2nd deep drawing, restriking, embossing, and $Grob^{TM}$ processes. Dimensional accuracy of the final products greatly depends upon how much more accurate pre-form is manufactured in the previous forming processes before the $Grob^{TM}$ process. The deep drawing, restriking and embossing processes in which the pre-form is formed are very important and decisive steps. Thus in some cases, excessive strain by these operations causes dimensional inaccuracy and cracks initiated from the base and wall of the product. Process variables such as the punch shapes both of 1st and 2nd deep drawing, and punch angle were selected to evaluate the deformation characteristics. The optimum parameters were determined from forming simulations using commercial FEM codes, DEFORM and Tauchi method, specifically developed for metal forming simulation. Finally, experiments for the whole drum clutch forming processes were carried out to verify the optimized forming parameters and the analytical results.