• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2013

In recent years steel-concrete composite shear walls have been widely used in enormous high-rise buildings. Due to high strength and ductility, enhanced stiffness, stable cycle characteristics and large energy absorption, such walls can be adopted in the auxiliary building; surrounding the reactor containment structure of nuclear power plants to resist lateral forces induced by heavy winds and severe earthquakes. This paper demonstrates a set of nonlinear numerical studies on I-shaped composite steel-concrete shear walls of the nuclear power plants subjected to reverse cyclic loading. A three-dimensional finite element model is developed using ABAQUS by emphasizing on constitutive material modeling and element type to represent the real physical behavior of complex shear wall structures. The analysis escalates with parametric variation in steel thickness sandwiching the stipulated amount of concrete panels. Modeling details of structural components, contact conditions between steel and concrete, associated boundary conditions and constitutive relationships for the cyclic loading are explained. Later, the load versus displacement curves, peak load and ultimate strength values, hysteretic characteristics and deflection profiles are verified with experimental data. The convergence of the numerical outcomes has been discussed to conclude the remarks.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2024

The safety-related raw water system's strong operational condition supports the radiation defense and biological shield of nuclear plant containment structures. Gaps and failures in maintaining proper working condition of main equipment like pump were among the most common causes of unavailability of safety related raw water systems. We integrated the advanced data analytics tools to evaluate the maintenance records of water systems and gave special consideration to deficiencies related to pump. We utilized maintenance data over a three-and-a-half-year period to produce metrics like MTBF, MTTF, MTTR, and failure rate. The visual analytic platform using tableau identified the efficacy of maintenance & deficiency in the safety raw water systems. When the number of water quality violation was compared to the other O&M deficiencies, it was discovered that water quality violations account for roughly 15% of the system's deficiencies. The pumps were substantial contributors to the deficit. Pump availability was predicted and optimized with real time data using response surface method. The prediction model was significant with r-squared value of 0.98. This prediction model can be used to predict forth coming pump failures in nuclear plant.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.3068-3084
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• 2021

Investigations of large commercial aircraft impact effect on nuclear power plant (NPP) buildings have been drawing extensive attentions, particularly after the 9/11 event, and this paper aims to experimentally assess the damage and vibrations of NPP buildings subjected to aircraft crash. In present Part I, two shots of reduce-scaled model test of aircraft impacting on NPP building were carried out. Firstly, the 1:15 aircraft model (weighs 135 kg) and RC NPP model (weighs about 70 t) are designed and prepared. Then, based on the large rocket sled loading test platform, the aircraft models were accelerated to impact perpendicularly on the two sides of NPP model, i.e., containment and auxiliary buildings, with a velocity of about 170 m/s. The strain-time histories of rebars within the impact area and acceleration-time histories of each floor of NPP model are derived from the pre-arranged twenty-one strain gauges and twenty tri-axial accelerometers, and the whole impact processes were recorded by three high-speed cameras. The local penetration and perforation failure modes occurred respectively in the collision scenarios of containment and auxiliary buildings, and some suggestions for the NPP design are given. The maximum acceleration in the 1:15 scaled tests is 1785.73 g, and thus the corresponding maximum resultant acceleration in a prototype impact might be about 119 g, which poses a potential threat to the nuclear equipment. Furthermore, it was found that the nonlinear decrease of vibrations along the height was well reflected by the variations of both the maximum resultant vibrations and Cumulative Absolute Velocity (CAV). The present experimental work on the damage and dynamic responses of NPP structure under aircraft impact is firstly presented, which could provide a benchmark basis for further safety assessments of prototype NPP structure as well as inner systems and components against aircraft crash.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 1990

The safety of concrete nuclear containment structures should be secured against all kinds of loading due to various natural disasters or extraordinary accidental loads. The current design criteria of concrete containment structures are not based on the reliabillty-based design concept but rely on the conventional design concept. In this paper, a probabillty-based reliability analysis were proposed based on a FEM-based random vibration analysis and serviceability limit state of structures. The limit state model defined for the study is a serviceability limit state in terms of the more realistic crack failure that might cause the emission of radioactive materials, and the results are compared with those of the strength limit state. More accurate reliability analyses under various dynamic loads such as earthquake loads were made possible by incorporation the FEM and random vibration theory, which is different from the conventional reliability analysis method. The uncertainties in loads and resistance available in Korea and the refernces were adapted to the situation of Korea, and especially in the case of earthquake, the design earthquake was assessed based on the available re ports on probabilistic description of earthquake ground acceleration in the Korea peninsula.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.417-428
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• 2020

Investigations of the commercial aircraft impact effect on nuclear island infrastructures have been drawing extensive attention, and this paper aims to perform the safety assessment of Generation III nuclear power plant (NPP) buildings subjected to typical commercial aircrafts crash. At present Part III, the local damage of the rigid components of aircraft, e.g., engine and landing gear, impacting the steel concrete (SC) structures of NPP containment is mainly discussed. Two typical SC target panels with the thicknesses of 40 mm and 100 mm, as well as the steel cylindrical projectile with a mass of 2.15 kg and a diameter of 80 mm are fabricated. By using a large-caliber air gas gun, both the projectile penetration and perforation test are conducted, in which the striking velocities were ranged from 96 m/s to 157 m/s. The bulging velocity and the maximal deflection of rear steel plate, as well as penetration depth of projectile are derived, and the local deformation and failure modes of SC panels are assessed experimentally. Then, the commercial finite element program LS-DYNA is utilized to perform the numerical simulations, by comparisons with the experimental and simulated projectile impact process and SC panel damage, the numerical algorithm, constitutive models and the corresponding parameters are verified. The present work can provide helpful references for the evaluation of the local impact resistance of NPP buildings against the aircraft engine.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.381-396
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• 2020

Investigations of the commercial aircraft impact effect on nuclear island infrastructures have been drawing extensive attention, and this paper aims to perform the safety assessment of Generation III nuclear power plant (NPP) buildings subjected to typical commercial aircrafts crash. At present Part I, finite element (FE) models establishment and validations for both the aircrafts and NPP buildings are performed. (i) Airbus A320 and A380 aircrafts are selected as the representative medium and large commercial aircrafts, and the corresponding fine FE models including the skin, beam, fuel and etc. are established. By comparing the numerically derived impact force time-histories with the existing published literatures, the rationality of aircrafts models is verified. (ii) Fine FE model of the Chinese Zhejiang Sanao NPP buildings is established, including the detailed structures and reinforcing arrangement of both the containment and auxiliary buildings. (iii) By numerically reproducing the existing 1/7.5 scaled aircraft model impact tests on steel plate reinforced concrete (SC) panels and assessing the impact process and velocity time-history of aircraft model, as well as the damage and the maximum deflection of SC panels, the applicability of the existing three concrete constitutive models (i.e., K&C, Winfrith and CSC) are evaluated and the superiority of Winfrith model for SC panels under deformable missile impact is verified. The present work can provide beneficial reference for the integral aircraft crash analyses and structural damage assessment in the following two parts of this paper.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.82-91
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• 1996

This is a basic study for the static and dynamic analysis on the elasto-plastic and elasto-viscoplastic of an axi-symmetric shell. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanical characteristics of a nuclear reinforced concrete containment structure, which was selected as a model, by a numerical analysis using a finite element method. The structure was modeled with discrete ring elements of 8-noded isoparametric element rotating against the symmetrical axis, and the interaction between the foundation and the structure was modeled by Winkler's model. Also, the meridional tendon was modeled with 2-node truss elements, and the hoop tendon was done with point elements in two degrees of freedom. The effect of the tendon was considered without the increasement in total degree of freedom as the stiffness matrix of modeled tendon elements was assembled on the stiffness matrix of ring elements linked with the tendon. The results obtained from the analysis of an example were summarized as follows : 1. The stresses in the hoop direction on the interior and exterior surfaces of the structure were shown in changes of similar trend, and high stresses appeared on the structure wall 2. The stresses in the meridional direction on the interior and exterior surfaces were shown in change of different trend. Especially, the stresses at the junctions between the dome and the wall and between the wall and the bottom plate of the structure were very high, compared with those at other parts of the structure. 3. The stress changes in the direction of thickness on the crown of the dome were much linearly distributed. However, as the amount of tendon increased, the stresses in the upper and lower parts of the wall established with the tendon were shown stress concentration. 4. The stress changes in the direction of thickness on the center of the structure wall was linearly distributed in the all cases, and special stress due to the use of the tendon was not shown.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.7_spc
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• pp.453-460
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• 2016

The Gyeong-Ju earthquake in the magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scaleoccurred in September 12, 2016. Because there are many nuclear power plants (NPP) near the epicenter of the Gyeong-Ju earthquake, the seismic stability of nuclear power plants is becoming a social problem. In order to evaluate the safety of seismically isolated NPP, the seismic response of a NPP subjected to the Gyeong-Ju earthquake was compared with those of 30 sets of artificial earthquakes corresponding to the nuclear standard design spectrum (NSDS). A 2-node model and a simple beam-stick model were used for the seismic analysis of seismically isolated NPP structures. Using 2-node model, the effect of internal temperature rise, decrease of shear stiffness, increase of lateral displacement and decrease of vertical stiffness according to nonlinear behavior of lead-rubber bearing (LRB) were evaluated. The displacement response, the acceleration response, and the shear force response of the seismically isolated nuclear containment structure were evaluated using the simple beam-stick model. It can be observed that the seismic responses of the isolated nuclear structure subjected to Gyeong-Ju earthquake is significantly less than those to the artificial earthquakes corresponding to NSDS.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.715-722
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• 2011

In this paper, the behavior of nuclear-power plant subjected to an aircraft impact is performed using the parallel analysis. In the erstwhile study of an aircraft impact to the nuclear-power plant, it has been used that the impact load is applied at the local area by using the impact load-time history function of Riera, and the target structures have been restricted to the simple RC(Reinforced Concrete) walls or RC buildings. However, in this paper, the analysis of an aircraft impact is performed by using a real aircraft model similar to the Boeing 767 and a fictitious nuclear-power plant similar to the real structure, and an aircraft model is verified by comparing the generated history of the aircraft crash against the rigid target with another history by using the Riera's function which is allowable in the impact evaluation guide, NEI07-13(2009). Also, in general, it is required too much time for the hypervelocity impact analysis due to the contact problems between two or more adjacent physical bodies and the high nonlinearity causing dynamic large deformation, so there is a limitation with a single CPU alone to deal with these problems effectively. Therefore, in this paper, Message-Passing MIMD type of parallel analysis is performed by using self-constructed Linux-Cluster system to improve the computational efficiency, and in order to evaluate the parallel performance, the four cases of analysis, i.e. plain concrete, reinforced concrete, reinforced concrete with bonded containment liner plate, steel-plate concrete structure, are performed and discussed.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.136-142
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• 2019

Nuclear power plant concrete structures are in contact with the coast, and durability due to chloride attack is very important because it is used as cooling water by taking seawater. For this purpose, a 3-year long-term saltwater immersion test was carried out to evaluate chloride ion diffusion coefficient and age apponent (m) The m values of the foundation with 4,000 class was 0.35 ~ 0.39, similar to KCI or ACI suggested values. essential service water constructions and tunnels of 5,000 class were 0.44 ~ 0.53 and 6,000 class, and 0.62 of reactor containment buildings were similar to the proposed values of FIB. As a result of the prediction of the service life with the measured age coefficient, all the safety related concrete structures of the nuclear power plants satisfied the service life of more than 60 years.