| NSF Org: |
OISE Office of International Science and Engineering |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 29, 2014 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | May 29, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1414960 |
| Award Instrument: | Fellowship Award |
| Program Manager: |
Anne Emig
OISE Office of International Science and Engineering O/D Office Of The Director |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2014 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2015 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $5,070.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $5,070.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
Newark DE US 19711-8222 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Seoul KS |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
EAPSI, EPSCoR Co-Funding |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.079 |
ABSTRACT
As a country, South Korea has a high percentage of its electricity generated by nuclear power. As these nuclear power plants approach the point in their life-cycle where corrosion starts causing weldment and pipe failures, it is important to develop a detection method that works in real time and while the plant is on-line. Unexpected weldment and pipe failures that were not predicted by conventional detection methods have caused work site accidents and deaths. Improving plant safety from early on can help mitigate major system failures, and decrease the plant operation costs. This project aims to develop and implement a direct current potential drop system that is usable in the harsh operating conditions of a nuclear power plant. This research will be conducted at Seoul National University under the sponsorship of Dr. Il Soon Hwang, the leading expert in the direct current potential drop measurement technique utilized in this research.
Flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) has been identified as the largest cause of secondary pipe integrity failures. Creating accurate models of pipe wall thinning and failures due to FAC is therefore an important research effort. To date, however, these models have proved to be inaccurate and pipe failures continue. The failure of the FAC models has been determined to be caused by rapid changes in the variables: pH, dissolved oxygen, or temperature, that affect the rate of FAC. In order to create accurate models the data must be sampled at a higher rate to ensure accurate representation of changing variables and pipe conditions. This project will develop, test, and characterize a laboratory system that utilizes the direct current potential drop technique to measure the change in electrical resistance for segments of piping and key weldments. The laboratory system will then be implemented in a functioning nuclear power plant. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the National Research Foundation of Korea.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Nuclear safety practices have always had strict requirements due to the possible devastation that could result from an unsafe operation. In the light of Fukushima, and Chernobyl it is apparent that safety practices, and techniques must constantly evolve to create safer operations to supply the energy needs of the world. One critical factor to the safe and economical operation of nuclear power plants is secondary plant piping integrity.
Flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) has been identified as the largest cause of secondary pipe integrity failures. As a result there are major research endeavors to create accurate models of pipe wall thinning and failures due to FAC. Up to date, however, these models have proved to be inaccurate and pipe failures continue to happen causing serious injury, death, and increased financial expenditures. The reason for the failure of the FAC models has been determined to be caused by the rapid changes in the variables: pH, dissolved oxygen, or temperature, that affect the rate of FAC. In order to create accurate models the data must be sampled at a higher rate to ensure accurate representation of the changing variables and condition of the pipe.
The goal of the current project at SNU was to implement a new methodology conceived by Professor Rangel of MIT called Array Probe Direct Current Potential Drop (DCPD). This methodology provides real time monitoring of pipe wall thickness for secondary plant piping. The goal of the proposed research was to take the current project from the laboratory, and make it a viable option in a real nuclear facility by mitigating the grounding problems, and other impediments that limit the accuracy of this methodology. The project resulted in an improved functioning prototype of a DCPD system with a path towards becoming an industrial product that will hopefully one day save lives.
Last Modified: 02/27/2015
Modified by: Joshua A Marks
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