• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.709-731
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• 2022

Loss of fracture resistance due to thermal aging degradation is a potential limiting factor affecting the long-term (80+ year) viability of nuclear reactors. To evaluate the effects of decades of aging in a practical time frame, accelerated aging must be employed prior to mechanical characterization. In this study, a variety of chemically and microstructurally diverse austenitic stainless steels were aged between 0 and 30,000 h at 290-400 ℃ to simulate 0-80+ years of operation. Over 600 static fracture tests were carried out between room temperature and 400 ℃. The results presented include selected J-R curves of each material as well as K_0.2mm fracture toughness values mapped against aging condition and ferrite content in order to display any trends related to those variables. Results regarding differences in processing, optimal ferrite content under light aging, and the relationship between test temperature and Mo content were observed. Overall, it was found that both the ferrite volume fraction and molybdenum content had significant effects on thermal degradation susceptibility. It was determined that materials with >25 vol% ferrite are unlikely to be viable for 80 years, particularly if they have high Mo contents (>2 wt%), while materials less than 15 vol% ferrite are viable regardless of Mo content.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.363-375
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• 2022

Flexural capacity prediction is a challenging problem for externally prestressed concrete beams (EPCBs) due to the unbonded phenomenon between the concrete beam and external tendons. Many prediction equations have been provided in previous research but typically ignored the differences in deformation mode between internal and external unbonded tendons. The availability of these equations for EPCBs is controversial due to the inconsistent deformation modes and ignored second-order effects. In this study, the deformation characteristics and collapse mechanism of EPCB are carefully considered, and the ultimate deflected shape curves are derived based on the simplified curvature distribution. With the compatible relation between external tendons and the concrete beam, the equations of tendon elongation and eccentricity loss at ultimate states are derived, and the geometric interpretation is clearly presented. Combined with the sectional equilibrium equations, a rational and simplified flexural capacity prediction method for EPCBs is proposed. The key parameter, plastic hinge length, is emphatically discussed and determined by the sensitivity analysis of 324 FE analysis results. With 94 collected laboratory-tested results, the effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed, and comparisons with the previous formulas are made. The results show the better prediction accuracy of the proposed method for both stress increments and flexural capacity of EPCBs and the main reasons are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.81-88
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• 2022

It is necessary to better understand the effect of age-related degradation on the performance of reinforced concrete shear walls in nuclear power plants in order to ensure their structural safety in the event of earthquakes. Therefore, this paper studies seismic fragility of the typical shear wall in nuclear power plants under earthquake excitation Reinforced concrete shear wall is composed of wall, horizontal and vertical flanges. Due to characteristics of its geometry, it is difficult to predict the ultimate behavior of shear wall under earthquake excitation. In this study, for more realistic numerical simulation, the Latin Hyper-Cube (LHC) simulation technique was used to generate uncertain variables for the material properties of concrete shear walls. The effects of crack, characteristics of inelastic behavior of concrete, and loss of cross section were considered in the nonlinear finite element analysis. The effects of aging-related deterioration were investigated on the performance of reinforced concrete shear walls through analysis of undegraded concrete shear walls and degraded concrete shear walls. The resulting seismic fragility curves present the change of performance of concrete shear wall due to age-related degradation.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.371-384
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• 2023

Precast roofing systems employing prestressed elements often serve as smart structural solutions for the construction of industrial buildings. The precast concrete elements usually employed are highly engineered, and often consist in thin-walled members, characterised by a complex behaviour in fire. The present study was carried out after a fire event damaged a precast industrial building made with prestressed beam and roof elements, and non-prestressed curved barrel vault elements interposed in between the spaced roof elements. As a consequence of the exposure to the fire, the main elements were found standing, although some locally damaged and distorted, and the local collapse of few curved barrel vault elements was observed in one edge row only. In order to understand and interpret the observed structural performance of the roof system under fire, a full fire safety engineering process was carried out according to the following steps: (a) realistic temperature-time curves acting on the structural elements were simulated through computational fluid dynamics, (b) temperature distribution within the concrete elements was obtained with non-linear thermal analysis in variable regime, (c) strength and deformation of the concrete elements were checked with non-linear thermal-mechanical analysis. The analysis of the results allowed to identify the causes of the local collapses occurred, attributable to the distortion caused by temperature to the elements causing loss of support in early fire stage rather than to the material strength reduction due to the progressive exposure of the elements to fire. Finally, practical hints are provided to avoid such a phenomenon to occur when designing similar structures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.34-41
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• 2015

Oxy-methane nonpremixed flames diluted with $CO_2$ were investigated to clarify impact of radiation heat loss and chemical effects of additional $CO_2$ to oxidizer stream on flame extinction. Flame stability maps were presented with functional dependencies of critical diluents mole fraction upon global strain rate at several oxidizer stream temperatures in $CH_4-O_2/N_2$, $CH_4-O_2/CO_2$, and $CH_4-O_2/CO_2/N_2$ counterflow flames. The effects of radiation heat loss on the critical diluent mole fractions for flame extinction are not significant even at low strain rate in nonpremixed $CH_4-O_2/N_2$ diffusion flame, whereas those are significant at low strain rate and are negligible at high strain rate (> $200s^{-1}$) in $CH_4-O_2/CO_2$ and $CH_4-O_2/CO_2/N_2$ counterflow flames. Chemical effects of additional $CO_2$ to oxidizer stream on the flame extinction curves were appreciable in both $CH_4-O_2/CO_2$ and $CH_4-O_2/CO_2/N_2$ flames. A scaling analysis based on asymptotic solution of stretched flame extinction was applied. A specific radical index, which could reflect the OH population in main reaction zone via controlling the mixture composition in the oxidizer stream, was identified to quantify the chemical kinetic contribution to flame extinction. A good correlation of predicted extinction limits to those calculated numerically were obtained via the ratio between radical indices and oxidizer Lewis numbers for the target and baseline flames. This offered an effective approach to estimate extinction strain rate of nonpremixed oxy-methane flames permitting air infiltration when the baseline flame was taken to nonpremixed $CH_4-O_2/N_2$ flame.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.169-188
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• 2023

Fires in tunnels are characterized by higher temperature rise and higher maximum temperatures compared to ground fires. For this reason, countries such as the Netherlands and Germany have developed separate temperature-time curves for use in tunnel fires. Fires in tunnels cause damage to the tunnel lining, such as loss of section and deterioration of the material properties. This study reviewed the design concept of fire stability of structures, section loss due to spalling, changes in physicochemical and mechanical properties of tunnel lining materials, fireproofing materials for structure safety, and fire damage prediction models. In order to secure the stability of a structure against fire, it is necessary to identify the type of structure and the possible fire load at the design stage, identify the expected section loss and damage range, and prepare for such damage through fireproofing materials. In this study, we have summarized the matters that can be referred to in performing such a series of tasks and presented our opinions on them.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.3 s.54
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• pp.539-553
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• 1996

The study was conducted from May to September in 1994 to investigate applicability of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening version(HHIE-S) in parallel with the pure-tone audiometer to the initial screening test of noise-induced hearing loss(NIHL) in some noise-exposed workers. Subjects were selected by systemic sampling that took every 10th person from 6, 700 workers taking the annual occupational health examination by the department of Health Maintenance of Dongsan Hospital Keimyung University in Taegu. The authors administered the pure-tone audiometric test and self-reported questionnaire of HHIE-S including items of sociodemographic and job-related variables concurrently. The final subjects analysed were 1,019(488 males and 531 females) excluding fourteen persons who had many missing values in their questionnaires. The reliability coefficients of HHIE-S scale by Cronbach's alpha were 0.84. In the univariate analysis of hearing handicap measured by the HHIE-S, work duration, military service and the hearing threshold loss at 1KHz and 4KHz by the initial audiometer were significant in males while age, work duration and hearing threshold loss at 1KHz and 4KHz were significant in females. In the stepwise linear regression analysis, hearing threshold loss at 1KHz and 4KHz, was the only selected variable explaining the hearing handicap in males and hearing threshold loss at 1KHz and 4KHz, age, and work duration were selected in females. In ROC curves for HHIE-S scores against NIHL as gold standard which was defined by the follow-up audiogram as more than 30dB of the average of 0.5/1/2KHz and 50dB at 4KHz, the optimal cutoff for the parallel HHIE-S appeared to be 8. The results suggest that HHIE-S appeared to have some reliability and validity in this data and might be used in screening NIHL in parallel with pure-tone audiometer in noise-exposed workers.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.123-130
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• 2016

High-frequency induction heating equipment can heat the metal by applying a High-Frequency power to the resonant circuit. The resonance circuit is composed of the work coil and the conduction-cooled power capacitor, it influences the performance of the heat treatment equipment according to the characteristics of the capacitor. However, dependence on conduction-cooled power capacitor's import is high due to lack of core technology research and development. Minimizing the generation of internal heat transmitted inside during LC resonance, reduce the reactive power loss, there is a need for a capacitor within the voltage characteristic outstanding. To implement localization it is vital that prior study of the analysis on the frequency response characteristic for the finished capacitor advanced manufacturer be implemented. Studying the interpolation method to read the value at any point of the characteristic curve for a given log-log scale was applied to the analysis tool of the capacitor by my proposed algorithm. The simulation for reproducing frequency response curves was attempted by assuming a capacitor in a simplified series equivalent RC circuit to obtain the equivalent series resistance value. It was confirmed that the reproduction rate was the result value above 83% as compared to the simulation of the properties and characteristics on the actual reactive power for Peak value, and that the algorithm can be applicable when analyzing and predicting the characteristic curves of a simpled model capacitor.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.357-363
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• 2008

This study investigates the durability of carbon/epoxy composites for use on train car bodies under a salt water spray environment. Salt water solution with 5% NaCl, similar to natural salt water, was used for the salt water environmental tests. The specimens were obtained from a composite panel consisting of an epoxy matrix reinforced with T700 carbon fabric. The specimens were exposed to the salt water environment for up to 12 months. Mechanical tests were performed to obtain tensile properties, flexural properties, and shear properties. Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to measure such thermal properties as storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan $\delta$. Also FT/IR tests were conducted to investigate changes in chemical structure with exposure. The results revealed that fiber-dominated mechanical properties were not affected much by exposure time, but matrix-dominated mechanical properties decreased with increasing exposure time. Storage modulus was not very sensitive to exposure time, but glass transition temperature was affected, slightly decreasing with increasing exposure time. Although the peak intensity of FT/IR curves was affected slightly by exposure time, the peak shape and peak location of FT/IR curves were not noticeably changed. Carbon/epoxy composites used for this study were relatively stable to the salt water environment.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.3642-3654
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• 1975

The purpose of this thesis is to derive a unit hydrograph which may be applied to the ungaged watershed area from the relations between directly measurable unitgraph properties such as peak discharge(qp), time to peak discharge (Tp), and lag time (Lg) and watershed characteristics such as river length(L) from the given station to the upstream limits of the watershed area in km, river length from station to centroid of gravity of the watershed area in km (Lca), and main stream slope in meter per km (S). Other procedure based on routing a time-area diagram through catchment storage named Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph(IUH). Dimensionless unitgraph also analysed in brief. The basic data (1969 to 1973) used in these studies are 9 recording level gages and rating curves, 41 rain gages and pluviographs, and 40 observed unitgraphs through the 9 sub watersheds in Nak Oong River basin. The results summarized in these studies are as follows; 1. Time in hour from start of rise to peak rate (Tp) generally occured at the position of 0.3Tb (time base of hydrograph) with some indication of higher values for larger watershed. The base flow is comparelatively higher than the other small watershed area. 2. Te losses from rainfall were divided into initial loss and continuing loss. Initial loss may be defined as that portion of storm rainfall which is intercepted by vegetation, held in deppression storage or infiltrated at a high rate early in the storm and continuing loss is defined as the loss which continues at a constant rate throughout the duration of the storm after the initial loss has been satisfied. Tis continuing loss approximates the nearly constant rate of infiltration (${\Phi}$-index method). The loss rate from this analysis was estimated 50 Per cent to the rainfall excess approximately during the surface runoff occured. 3. Stream slope seems approximate, as is usual, to consider the mainstreamonly, not giving any specific consideration to tributary. It is desirable to develop a single measure of slope that is representative of the who1e stream. The mean slope of channel increment in 1 meter per 200 meters and 1 meter per 1400 meters were defined at Gazang and Jindong respectively. It is considered that the slopes are low slightly in the light of other river studies. Flood concentration rate might slightly be low in the Nak Dong river basin. 4. It found that the watershed lag (Lg, hrs) could be expressed by Lg=0.253 (L.Lca)0.4171 The product L.Lca is a measure of the size and shape of the watershed. For the logarithms, the correlation coefficient for Lg was 0.97 which defined that Lg is closely related with the watershed characteristics, L and Lca. 5. Expression for basin might be expected to take form containing theslope as {{{{ { L}_{g }=0.545 {( { L. { L}_{ca } } over { SQRT {s} } ) }^{0.346 } }}}} For the logarithms, the correlation coefficient for Lg was 0.97 which defined that Lg is closely related with the basin characteristics too. It should be needed to take care of analysis which relating to the mean slopes 6. Peak discharge per unit area of unitgraph for standard duration tr, ㎥/sec/$\textrm{km}^2$, was given by qp=10-0.52-0.0184Lg with a indication of lower values for watershed contrary to the higher lag time. For the logarithms, the correlation coefficient qp was 0.998 which defined high sign ificance. The peak discharge of the unitgraph for an area could therefore be expected to take the from Qp=qp. A(㎥/sec). 7. Using the unitgraph parameter Lg, the base length of the unitgraph, in days, was adopted as {{{{ {T}_{b } =0.73+2.073( { { L}_{g } } over {24 } )}}}} with high significant correlation coefficient, 0.92. The constant of the above equation are fixed by the procedure used to separate base flow from direct runoff. 8. The width W75 of the unitgraph at discharge equal to 75 per cent of the peak discharge, in hours and the width W50 at discharge equal to 50 Per cent of the peak discharge in hours, can be estimated from {{{{ { W}_{75 }= { 1.61} over { { q}_{b } ^{1.05 } } }}}} and {{{{ { W}_{50 }= { 2.5} over { { q}_{b } ^{1.05 } } }}}} respectively. This provides supplementary guide for sketching the unitgraph. 9. Above equations define the three factors necessary to construct the unitgraph for duration tr. For the duration tR, the lag is LgR=Lg+0.2(tR-tr) and this modified lag, LgRis used in qp and Tb It the tr happens to be equal to or close to tR, further assume qpR=qp. 10. Triangular hydrograph is a dimensionless unitgraph prepared from the 40 unitgraphs. The equation is shown as {{{{ { q}_{p } = { K.A.Q} over { { T}_{p } } }}}} or {{{{ { q}_{p } = { 0.21A.Q} over { { T}_{p } } }}}} The constant 0.21 is defined to Nak Dong River basin. 11. The base length of the time-area diagram for the IUH routing is {{{{C=0.9 {( { L. { L}_{ca } } over { SQRT { s} } ) }^{1/3 } }}}}. Correlation coefficient for C was 0.983 which defined a high significance. The base length of the T-AD was set to equal the time from the midpoint of rain fall excess to the point of contraflexure. The constant K, derived in this studies is K=8.32+0.0213 {{{{ { L} over { SQRT { s} } }}}} with correlation coefficient, 0.964. 12. In the light of the results analysed in these studies, average errors in the peak discharge of the Synthetic unitgraph, Triangular unitgraph, and IUH were estimated as 2.2, 7.7 and 6.4 per cent respectively to the peak of observed average unitgraph. Each ordinate of the Synthetic unitgraph was approached closely to the observed one.