• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11b
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• pp.3175-3180
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• 2008

A metal-fueled pool-type liquid metal fast reactor (LMFR) provides large margins to sodium boiling and fuel damage under accident conditions. The favorable passive safety results are obtained by both a reactivity feedback mechanism in the core and a passive decay heat removal system. Among the various reactivity feedbacks, the ones by a thermal expansion of a radial dimension of the core and by the control rod drivelines are strongly dependent on the flow conditions in the core and the hot pool, respectively. The effects of multidimensional thermal hydraulic characteristics on these reactivity feedbacks are investigated by the system-wide safety analysis code SSC-K with advanced thermal hydraulics models. Particularly a detailed three dimensional thermal hydraulics reactor core model is integrated into SSC-K for use in a whole system analysis of the passive safety aspects of LMR designs. The model provides fuel and cladding temperatures for every fuel pin in a reactor and coolant temperatures for every coolant sub-channel in the reactor.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.467-474
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• 2021

A study on optimal shape selection of a mechanical fastening for the repair of crack defect of ROK Air Force F-5 fighter wing was conducted. The crack defect occurred in the spar of the wing, and the technical manual does not specify the repair method. However, ROK Air Force decided to develop a repair technology for this defect in consideration of various logistic conditions. Three repair shapes for the proper repair were devised and the finite element analysis was performed to examine the structural safety of these three connection members. As a result of the structural safety review, two connection members except one were structurally safe with safety margins over zero because the calculated stress values were at or below the yield strength level. Therefore, two connection members were determined to be able to use for repair under the condition that the aircraft operated within the design limit load. The results of this study would be very useful if the same defect occurs in long-term aircraft operated by the ROK Air Force.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.68-73
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• 2020

The proportion of airline accidents caused by human factors is steadily increasing. The aviation industry has made considerable progress in reducing the accident rate; however, since the early 1980s, the accident rate has remained constant. Due to airspace congestion, the safety margins of these existing safety promotion methods are gradually decreasing; thus, new methods to prevent accidents and quasi-accidents must be devised. Causative factors of aviation accidents include increased air traffic due to increased air demand, increased cumulative working hours due to long-distance flights, and complicated flight environments. Accidents often occur when several small errors accumulate in the normal course of operation, rather than after a single error. Accordingly, in this study, the impacts on air navigation due to human error by aviation maintenance personnel and varying international standards (i.e., KOCA vs. F.A.A vs. EASA) analyzed, and the relationship between human decision-making and behavior was investigated. The resulting safety analysis and alternatives were presented to prevent aviation maintenance accidents and cognitive ergonomics errors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7627-7632
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• 2015

Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety and adequacy of surgical margins with salvage transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for recurrent or residual head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients who underwent salvage TORS using the 'DaVinci' robot were enrolled in the study and data related to their surgical time, complications and functional outcome were recorded. Results: The feasibility of salvage TORS in our study was observed to be 100%. Positive margins were encountered in only 6.7% of patients. Mean blood loss was 23.3 ml with no patient requiring blood transfusion. Postoperative complications in the form of primary haemorrhage requiring active surgical intervention occurred in 13.3%. Oral feeding could be started as early as the 3rd postoperative day in a few patients, with nasogastric tubes being removed on the 12th postoperative day. Long term gastrostomy tube dependency was seen in 10% cases. Median survival of patients was 19 months. Conclusions: Salvage TORS is a safe, effective and feasible option in the management of treatment failure cases. It offers an alternative surgical approach with unexpected benefits in terms of tracheostomy tube use, Ryle's tube and gastrostomy dependence.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.324-329
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• 2004

In this study, an application of crack morphology variables in the Leak-Before-Break(LBB) evaluation for nuclear piping systems is investigated, including influences on the leakage crack size and crack instability loads. The crack surface roughness and the number of flow turns as a function of the crack opening displacement are applied to LBB evaluations for KSNP pressurizer surge line, for which fatigue and stress corrosion cracking are considered as failure mechanisms. As a result, there would be a significant impact on safety margins to acceptance criteria for the surge line if crack morphology variables are applied additionally to the current regulatory guide without re-analyses for justification of safety factors being applied on the leakage crack size and piping loads for evaluations.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.961-968
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• 2013

The Arabian Gulf region has one of the highest ocean temperatures, reaching above 35 degrees and ambient temperatures over 50 degrees in the summer. Two nuclear power plants (NPP) are being introduced in the region for the first time, one at Bushehr (1,000 MWe PWR plant from Russia), and a much larger one at Barakah (4X1,400 MWe PWR from Korea). Both plants take seawater from the Gulf for condenser cooling, having to modify the secondary/tertiary side cooling systems design by increasing the heat transfer surface area from the country of origin. This paper analyses the secondary side of a typical PWR plant operating under the Rankine cycle with a simplified thermal-hydraulic model. Parametric study of ocean cooling temperatures is conducted to estimate thermal efficiency variations and its associated design changes for the secondary side. Operational safety is reviewed to deliver rated power output with acceptable safety margins in line with technical specifications, mainly in the auxiliary systems together with the cooling water temperature. Impact on the Gulf seawater as the ultimate heat sink is considered negligible, affecting only the adjacent water near the NPP site, when compared to the solar radiation on the sea surface.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.2288-2297
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• 2023

Current designs of both large reactor units and small modular reactors utilize a nuclear fuel with increasing enrichment. This increasing demand for better nuclear fuel utilization is a challenge for nuclear fuel handling facilities. The operation with higher enriched fuels leads to reduced reserves to legislative and safety criticality limits of spent fuel transport, storage and final disposal facilities. Design changes in these facilities are restricted due to a boron content in steel and aluminum alloys that are limited by rolling, extrusion, welding and other manufacturing processes. One possible solution for spent fuel pools and casks is the burnup credit method that allows decreasing very high safety margins associated with the fresh fuel assumption in spent fuel facilities. This solution can be supplemented or replaced by an alternative solution based on placing the neutron absorber material directly into the fuel assembly, where its efficiency is higher than between fuel assemblies. A neutron absorber permanently fixed in guide tubes decreases system reactivity more efficiently than absorber sheets between the fuel assemblies. The paper summarizes possibilities of fixed neutron absorbers for various nuclear fuel and fuel handling facilities. Moreover, an absorber material was optimized to propose alternative options to boron. Multiple effective absorbers that do not require steel or aluminum alloy compatibility are discussed because fixed absorbers are placed inside zirconium or steel cladding.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

Currently, there is no technical standard and regulation for seismic analysis of non-nuclear safety piping. Accordingly, ASME Sec.III ND, a standards applied to safety class 3 piping, is applied. However, the technical standard applied for other than seismic analysis is ASME B31, which leads to controversy. In this study, the feasibility of applying ASME B31E was confirmed by reviewing rulescomparing technical standards, and evaluating piping allowable stress margins. The evaluation revealed that applying ASME B31.1 as a technical standard is too conservative compared to ASME Sec.III ND. On the other hand, ASME B31E (issued at the request of the industry) clearly presents the technical standards for seismic analysis of ASME B31 piping, and shows a similar level of conservatism compared to ASME Sec.III ND. It is expected to reduce the controversy over technical standards for seismic analysis of non-nuclear safety piping by applying ASME B31E.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.168-173
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• 2015

A steam generator tubing is one of the main pressure boundary of the reactor coolant system in the nuclear power plants. Structural integrity refers to maintaining adequate margins against failure of the tubing. Burst pressure of a tube at tube support plate can be higher than that for a free-span tube because failure behaviors could be interfered from the tube support plate. Alternative repair criteria for out-diameter stress corrosion cracking indications in tubes to the drilled type tube support plate were developed, however, there are very limited information to the eggcrate type tube support plate. This paper discussed reinforcement effect of steam generator tube burst pressure with axial out-diameter stress corrosion cracking within an eggcrate type tube support plate. A series of tube burst tests were performed under the room temperature and it was found out that there is no significant but marginal effects.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.639-647
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• 2018

In this study, the effects of selecting water/silver nanofluid as both a coolant and a reactivity controller during the first operating cycle of a light water nuclear reactor are investigated. To achieve this, coupled neutronic-thermo-hydraulic analysis is employed to simulate the reactor core. A detailed VVER1000/446 reactor core is modeled in monte carlo code (MCNP), and the model is verified using the porous media approach. Results show that the maximum required level of silver nanoparticles is 1.3 Vol.% at the beginning of the cycle; this value drops to zero at the end of cycle. Due to substitution of water/boric acid with water/Ag nanofluid, reactor operation time at maximum power extends to 357.3 days, and the energy generation increases by about 27.3%. The higher negative coolant temperature coefficient of reactivity in the presence of nanofluid in comparison with the water/boric acid indicates that the reactor is inherently safer. Considering the safety margins in the presence of the nanofluid, minimum departure from nucleate boiling ratio is calculated to be 2.16 (recommendation is 1.75).