Japan Society Of Mechanical Engineers Research Articles

Greetings From the Chair of the JSME Power Energy Systems Division

Abstract I would like to extend New Year's greetings to the readers, reviewers and editors of the ASME Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science (NERS) as Chair of the Power and Energy Systems Division (PESD) of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME).

Proposal of inspection and evaluation rules of the Rules on Fitness-for-Service to eliminate the circumferential crack angle limitation of class 1 piping

The Rules on Fitness-For-Service (the Rules on FFS) of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) limits the circumferential crack angle to 60 degrees or less for Class-1 piping. This limitation was based on a deterministic evaluation because of the concern about fracture that would occur if the measurement error of the crack size was taken into consideration. However, ASME Section XI, which is a standard similar to the Rules on FFS, has no limitation on the circumferential crack angle, and the crack angle limitation is unique to the Rules on FFS. After the first edition of the Rules on FFS was published in 2000, some research on crack size measurement were performed. The number of inspections according to the measurement error that satisfy the target fracture frequency regardless of the crack angle can be evaluated by using probabilistic evaluation. In this study, the number of measurements of the crack size required to satisfy the target fracture frequency is determined based on the thickness of pipes, crack size measurement error, the fracture frequency according to the number of crack size measurements, and the conditional core damage probability due to pipe fracture. Based on this result, the requirement for inspection and evaluation of the Rules on FFS was proposed.

Investigation for Stress Intensity Factor Solutions on Nozzle Corner Flaw (Part 2)

In order to provide a stress intensity factor (K)-solution for a nozzle corner flaw subjected to internal pressure for the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) Rules on Fitness for Service (FFS) for nuclear power plant, four candidates, which are the Paris and Sih based solution, the Fife’s solution, the Kobayashi’s solution and the solution of a flat plate with a semi-elliptical surface flaw in the JSME Rules on FFS, were compared with the Ks by Finite Element Method. As the result, the flat plate solution was confirmed to be the most adequate for K calculation of a nozzle corner flaw in the JSME Rules on FFS.

Report of Alternative ☆ Energy Contest

The Alternative ☆ Energy Contest was launched in 2008 as the new energy utilization contest for students of universities and National Institute of Technologies, which was held in collaboration with Technology and Society Division, The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. In this report, the number of applications, participants and sponsoring companies were investigated in the 14th Alternative ☆ Energy Contest held at College of Engineering, Nihon University on Saturday, October 16, 2021. In addition, we classified the energy sources and energy conversions in the presentation.

Assessment of Failure Life Evaluation Methods for Structural Discontinuities With Fatigue and Creep-Fatigue Tests on Multiperforated Plate Made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo Steel

Abstract In the design of components for service at elevated temperatures, fatigue and creep-fatigue due to cyclic loading are some of the most important failure modes, and the assessment of failure life at structural discontinuities is a key issue within the evaluation of the integrity of the components. Since several fatigue and creep-fatigue life evaluation methods have been proposed, this study compares and assesses these different methods by performing fatigue and creep-fatigue tests of perforated plate made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel. Multiperforated plate was subjected to mechanical cyclic loading at 550 °C, and crack initiation and propagation at the surfaces of the holes were observed. The stress distribution was varied by changing the hole arrangement and loading level. A series of finite element analyses (FEA) were carried out to predict the number of cycles to failure by the several failure life evaluation methods, and these predictions were then compared with the test results. Several types of evaluation methods that use the elastic FEA were applied, namely, the stress redistribution locus (SRL) method, simple elastic follow-up method, and the methods described in the design and construction code for fast reactors (FRs) published by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME FRs code). In addition to these, evaluation was also carried out using the results of inelastic FEA to compare these elastic FEA-based estimation methods. The comparisons indicate that, for all conditions tested, the SRL method provided a rational prediction of the fatigue and creep-fatigue life when κ = 1.6 was applied, where κ = 1.6 is the recommended reduction factor for this method in general use. A comparison of the SRL method and the results of the inelastic FEA indicated that the applicability of the value of factor κ in the SRL method depends on the elastic region remaining in the cross section including the evaluated point and the spread in the plastically deformed region in the specimen.

Influence of Mean Strain on Fatigue Life of Stainless Steel in Pressurized Water Reactor Water Environment

Abstract The Influence of application of the mean strain on the fatigue life was investigated for Type 316 stainless steel in the simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary water environment. Low-cycle fatigue tests were conducted for a constant mean strain by controlling the strain range to be 1.2%. The applied strain rates were 0.4%/s, 0.004%/s, or 0.001%/s. The applied mean strain was 15% in nominal strain. In addition, cold worked specimens were also used for the tests without applying the mean strain. The cold working simulated the application of mean strain without an increase in surface roughness due to the application of plastic deformation. By inducing the cold working at low temperature, the influence of martensitic phase on the fatigue life was also examined. The PWR water environment reduced the fatigue life and the degree of the fatigue life reduction was consistent with the prediction model of the code issued by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) and NUREG/CR-6909 Rev. 1. Increases in the maximum peak stress and stress range caused by cold working did not cause any apparent change in the fatigue life. It was revealed that the 10.5 wt% martensitic phase and the increase in the surface roughness caused by the application of 15% mean strain did not bring about further fatigue life reduction. The current JSME and NUREG/CR-6909 models were applicable for predicting the fatigue in the PWR water environment even when the mean strain or cold working was applied.

Education of Engineers’ Ethics by The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers

The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers enacted the Code of Ethics in 1999 and established the Engineering Ethics Committee in 2000. This committee has been working to enlightment of the ethics for students, teachers, engineers and researchers. This committee published a report on ethics education for departments of mechenical engineering at universities and colleges. This committee has held forums and workshops on engineering ethics every year, and published columns on its journals.

Fabrication and Evaluation of an Anode-Supported Honeycomb SOFC with Built-in Catalytic Partial Oxidation Micro-Reformer

Honeycomb solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can achieve high power density with improved thermo-mechanical durability at high temperatures [1]. In this study, a compact SOFC with catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reforming catalyst [2, 3] embedded in the flow channels of the porous honeycomb anode support was fabricated and evaluated. I-V measurements and gas chromatography analyses for the outlet gas were carried out while methane/air mixture gas was fed as fuel. The gas chromatograph detected hydrogen in the reformed gas. Temperature distribution in the cell was also measured.AcknowledgmentsThe authors are indebted to Professor Kohei Ito of Kyushu University for valuable discussions. References H. Nakajima, S. Murakami, S. Ikeda, and T. Kitahara, Heat and Mass Transfer, 54, 2545 (2018). A. J. Santis-Alvarez, M. Nabavi, B. Jiang, T. Maeder, P. Muralt, and D. Poulikakos, Chemical Engineering Science 84, 469 (2012). W. Matsunaka, H. Nakajima, A. J. Santis-Alvarez, D. Poulikakos, and K. Ito, The Proceedings of Conference of Kyushu Branch, The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, 71, F21, 2018.

Problems and suggestions for improvement in technology and society division

While searching for lecture papers in the technical and social sectors, I found the lack of public information on the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers department website. This is a matter that should be taken into consideration regarding the way the organization should be, and considering the impact of future departmental activities, we would like to make an immediate improvement proposal, and make a status report and an improvement proposal.

Special Section: ICONE-26

This Special Section in this issue of the ASME Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science is dedicated to selected papers from the 26th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-26) held in London, United Kingdom, during July 22–26, 2018. The selected ICONE-26 papers were revised and reviewed to meet the journal standards and requirements.The ICONE conference is a premier global annual conference on nuclear engineering, science, and technology that has a quarter century history and is organized by the Nuclear Engineering Division (NED) of the ASME, the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), and the Chinese Nuclear Society (CNS). The first conference, ICONE-1, was held in 1991 in Tokyo with the JSME and ASME as sponsors. In 2005, the Chinese Nuclear Society (CNS) formally joined as the third sponsor and hosted ICONE-13 in Beijing. The ICONE-series of conferences are global significant events of choice for nuclear professionals to stay technically current, follow industry trends, promote professional development, and provide a platform for information exchange and dissemination. The contributions from industry, government, and academia lead to the success of ICONE as the quality and number of the technical presentations steadily increased. In addition to the archival paper publications, ICONE assists the nuclear industry in developing future generations of nuclear professionals to meet industry needs. This is achieved through an excellent student paper competition program that includes a significant number of students from around the globe, supported and partially funded by the conference sponsors (60 finalists in total consisting of 15 students from each of the following four regions: North America, Europe, China, and Japan with Asia at large).Based on the turnout and the comments received from many of the nearly 900 registered participants, the 26th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-26), held in London, UK, was a great success. In total, 57% of the participants were from academia, 29% from the industry, and 11% from government. Geographically, the largest part of participants came from China (45%), European Union (20%, including 7% from UK), Japan (16%), USA and Canada (11%), and South Korea (6%). More than 670 final technical papers and 760 presentations were made during the ICONE-26 conference from countries worldwide in a total of 15 technical tracks. These statistics show emphatically that ICONE presents a truly worldwide view on Nuclear Power, and there is no better venue to express viewpoints or share information with likeminded professionals.The ICONE-26 organizers invited the authors to submit their revised and augmented papers for journal publication consideration. The selected final papers presented in this special section cover a wide area of topics in nuclear science and technology. Reflecting the state of the nuclear industry, there are several papers dealing with analysis, simulation, management, experiments, context evaluation, and consequences of postulated design basis and severe accidents. This special issue also contains papers related to research and development challenges into advanced reactors, fusion technology, decontamination and decommissioning, radiation protection, and other related topics.The guest editors want to warmly thank the authors and reviewers for their efforts and support in producing this journal issue. During the editorial process, the papers went through the rigorous peer-review process. The ICONE-based special issue or section of the Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science is now already traditional and we hope to continue the journal publication of selected augmented papers from the future ICONE conferences. The guest editors would like to extend their thanks to the editorial board of the journal and, in particular, the editor, Dr. Igor Pioro, for their support during the preparation of this special section. Finally, we hope that the readers enjoy this special ICONE-26 based section.Guoqiang Wang, Ph.D. ICONE-26 Conference Chair Fellow ASME Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 e-mail: WangG@Westinghouse.comShripad Revankar, Ph.D. ICONE-26 Technical Program Chair Fellow ASME School of Nuclear Engineering,Purdue University,West Lafayette, IN 47907e-mail: shripad@purdue.eduLeon Cizelj, Ph.D. ICONE-26 Conference Co-Chair Fellow ASME Reactor Engineering Division, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia e-mail: Leon.Cizelj@ijs.siRobert Stakenborghs ICONE-26 Steering Committee Chair Fellow ASME ILD, Inc., Baton Rouge, LA 70808 e-mail: bob@ildpower.comJovica Riznic, Ph.D. ICONE-26 Organizing Committee Co-Chair Fellow ASME Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottava, ON K1P 59S, Canada e-mail: jovica.riznic@canada.ca

A JSME Code Case on Piping Seismic Design Based on Inelastic Response Analysis and Strain-Based Fatigue Criteria

Abstract A Code Case in the framework of the Nuclear Codes and Standards of Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) has been published to incorporate seismic design evaluation methodologies for piping systems by detailed inelastic response analysis and strain-based fatigue criteria as an alternative design rule to the current rule, in order to provide a more rational seismic design evaluation by taking directly the response reduction due to plasticity energy absorption into account. The Code Case provides two strain-based criteria: one is a limit to maximum amplitude of equivalent strain amplitude derived from detailed analysis and the other is a limit to the fatigue usage factor also based on the equivalent strain amplitude. Some discussions are provided on the adequacy of additional damping in the simplified inelastic analysis and the safety margin and reliability of fatigue evaluation by the detailed inelastic response analysis provided in the Code Case.

A proposal of skill evaluation method for production systems digital design with production simulation

Since we recognize needs for official training of personnel for the digital age, we expect a skill evaluation method of training skills for personnel in production systems design fields. To address this situation, we propose a skill evaluation method for production systems digital design with production simulation. The proposed method was developed by the subcommittee of JSME (the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers). The subcommittee consists of experts from industry, the government and universities. The proposed method will promote the training of personnel for the digital age as a standard across different industries, taking advantage of production simulation.

Three-dimensional fatigue crack growth simulation of embedded cracks using s-version FEM

PurposeSince the most of structures and structural components suffers from cyclic loadings, the study on the fatigue failure due to the crack growth has a great importance. The purpose of this paper is to present a three-dimensional fatigue crack growth simulation of embedded cracks using s-version finite element method (SFEM). Using the numerical results, the validity of the fitness-for-service (FFS) code evaluation method is verified.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, three-dimensional fatigue crack propagation analysis of embedded cracks is performed using the SFEM. SFEM is a numerical analysis method in which the shape of the structure is represented by a global mesh, and cracks are modeled by local meshes independently. The independent global and local meshes are superimposed to obtain the displacement solution of the problem simultaneously.FindingsThe fatigue crack growth of arbitrary shape of cracks is slow compared to that of the simplified circular crack and the crack approximated based on the FFS code of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). The results tell us that the FFS code of JSME can provide a conservative evaluation of the fatigue crack growth and the residual life time.Originality/valueThis paper presents a three-dimensional fatigue crack growth simulation of embedded cracks using SFEM. Using this method, it is possible to apply mixed mode loads to complex shaped cracks that are closer to realistic conditions.

Congratulations on the 30th Anniversary of the JRM

Congratulations to the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics (JRM) on its 30th anniversary. I would like to thank all authors and readers who have contributed to the JRM through 30 years. The JRM started as an English-language journal published to provide articles on robot technologies to the world from Japan. It has been jointly edited by the Robotics and Mechatronics Division (RMD) of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) and Fuji Technology Press Ltd. Five years ago, when the English-language journal of the JSME was reorganized, the JRM also underwent some changes, and it has since been issued under the editorial direction of Fuji Technology Press Ltd. Immediately after the reorganization, beginning with Vol.26, I was appointed Editor-in-Chief. Now, as five years have passed, the next Editor-in-Chief will take over from Vol.31. Over these five years, the number of submissions and their quality have been our major concern, as we have been seeking to register the JRM with the Science Citation Index (SCI). To achieve this goal, we have published special issues on the robot technologies required as the field has progressed as well as on the mechatronics technologies that underlie them. The JRM plans to continue providing the world with information on robot technologies, so please keep reading it and submitting your articles to it on a regular basis. Yoshihiro Takita

Celebrating the Publication of the 30th Anniversary Issue

I congratulate the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics (JRM) on the publication of its 30th anniversary issue. As one of JRM’s past Editors-in- Chief, I am extremely pleased and proud of this great achievement. JRM was the first journal dealing with robotics and mechatronics in the world when it was launched thirty years ago. Since then, the journal has made a strong impact on the robotics and mechatronics field. It has been hard for the journal to provide high quality issues for so many years. I would like to sincerely express my great respect to Mr. Hayashi, founder and former president of Fuji Technology Press Ltd.; former Editors-in-Chief Prof. Yamafuji, Prof. Fukuda, and Prof. Kaneko; the current Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Takita; and our colleagues, including the editorial board and editorial staff, for their hard work. I would also like to express my great appreciation to all the authors, reviewers, and readers for their superb contributions. This grand thirty-year achievement could not have been attained without all their contributions. I was Editor-in-Chief for seven years ‒ volumes 19 through 25 ‒ beginning in January 2007. I enjoyed my role as Editor-in-Chief, since many young, talented researchers and engineers took part in the editorial process, and I could discuss with them how we would achieve a high-quality journal. I remember clearly how hard they worked to edit superlative volumes by proposing and organizing special issues with up-to-date topics. During that period, we had the good fortune of collaborating with the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). They supported us in providing committee members for our editorial board, and in collecting and reviewing the many excellent papers. I would also express my thanks to JSME for their abundant and generous support. Because of it, JRM achieved a high reputation and contributed to both academia and industry. Today there are many relevant journals in the world. Competing with them and producing an even higher quality journal than ever before are the most critical issues in the next step of JRM’s advancement. I applaud the current editorial board members and staff and expect JRM to become the very top journal in the field. In conclusion, I hope I can celebrate with you ten and twenty years from now, again and again! Tatsuo Arai

Effect of Sd seismic loading on the allowable flaw sizes in acceptance standards of reactor pressure vessels

The Rules on Fitness-For-Service for Nuclear Power Plants of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (the Rules on FFS) specify the acceptance standard, the crack size that is not necessary for evaluation, of reactor pressure vessels and pipes. When determining the acceptance standard, the crack growth due to the S1 seismic loading assumed during the plant service was evaluated, and it was confirmed that the effect of the earthquake on structural integrity was negligible. However, since the seismic load in the latest regulatory standards was changed from S1 to Sd earthquake, the crack growth behavior due to Sd earthquake was examined, and it was confirmed that the effect of the Sd earthquake on the structural integrity was as small as the S1 earthquake.

Opposition-based learning for self-adaptive control parameters in differential evolution for optimal mechanism design

In recent decades, new optimization algorithms have attracted much attention from researchers in both gradient- and evolution-based optimal methods. Many strategy techniques are employed to enhance the effectiveness of optimal methods. One of the newest techniques is opposition-based learning (OBL), which shows more power in enhancing various optimization methods. This research presents a new edition of the Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm in which the OBL technique is applied to investigate the opposite point of each candidate of self-adaptive control parameters. In comparison with conventional optimal methods, the proposed method is used to solve benchmark-test optimal problems and applied to real optimizations. Simulation results show the effectiveness and improvement compared with some reference methodologies in terms of the convergence speed and stability of optimal results. © 2019 The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers

An axial crack growth prediction procedure initiated at butt welded joint (Growth prediction for surface crack deeper than semi-circular and that retarded at weld fusion line)

Structural integrity of cracked pipes is assessed by predicting crack growth. In the fitness-for-service code of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), the crack growth is predicted using stress intensity factor at the deepest and surface points. A semi-elliptical crack is assumed not to become deeper than a semi-circular crack. However, in reality, the stress corrosion cracking initiated at nickel alloy welds stops growing at the fusion line and becomes deeper than a semi-circular crack. Furthermore, crack shape is close to a rectangular shape rather than a semi-elliptical shape. In this study, validity of the JSME code procedure was discussed for predicting the growth of stress corrosion cracking at nickel alloy welds. Crack growth was simulated by finite element analysis together with an auto meshing technique. Various residual stress distributions and retardation of the crack growth at the fusion line were considered in the simulation. It was demonstrated that the growth prediction procedure prescribed in the JSME code brought about a conservative prediction even if the crack became deeper than the depth of a semi-circular shape crack. It was revealed that, when the growth to the surface direction was retarded at the fusion line, the change in crack size in the depth direction could be predicted conservatively by the current JSME procedure. It was suggested that, when the retardation at the fusion line is assumed in the growth prediction, the crack shape should be modelled by a rectangular shape.

METHOD OF MEASURING THE LOAD DISTRIBUTION OF SPUR GEAR STAGES

Precise information about the load distribution in the tooth contact can improve the quality of calculation results regarding strength and durability of spur and helical gear stages. A method of measuring the load distribution of spur gear stages in lab conditions has been developed. The basic idea is, that tangential deformations on the backside of a loaded tooth flank are directly linked to the load distribution on the tooth flank. A measuring procedure to detect the aforementioned tangential deformations has been developed. The measurement results can be compared to calculated load distributions with two methods. The first method is to generate tangential deformations out of a calculated load distribution by using the finite element method (FEM). The measurement results can be compared to the so determined tangential deformations. The second method is to directly generate a load distribution out of the measurement results. Calculated load distributions can be directly compared to a so determined load distribution. Therefore, an iterative calculation approach using the FEM has been developed. Using the methods mentioned before, calculated load distributions can be validated. © 2017 The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Experimental Studies on Non-Evaporating and Evaporating Sprays of n-Dodecane and n-Hexadecane

In the present study, spray characteristics of two single component surrogates, n-dodecane and n-hexadecane, are experimentally measured and compared with the spray characteristics of diesel and Jatropha methyl ester (JME). The property differences between surrogates are similar to the property differences between diesel and JME. The spray structure is compared under non-evaporating and evaporating conditions in terms of spray-tip penetration, spray-cone angle, liquid length, vapour penetration, vapour spread angle, etc. A high pressure spray chamber with optical access has been used in the present study which allows studying sprays under ambient conditions up to a pressure of 50 bar pressure and a temperature of 900 K. Sprays are studied at injection pressures of 1000 bar and 1500 bar. The results show that sprays of n-dodecane exhibit narrower spray cone angles, similar spray-tip penetrations, around 20 shorter liquid length as compared to those of n-hexadecane. These differences between spray characteristics of surrogates are similar to those of diesel and biodiesel. Thus, experimental data of n-dodecane and n-hexadecane can help to validate CFD models for their ability to simulate the differences in spray characteristics of fuels having different physical properties. A separate comparison of spray characteristics of diesel and n-hexadecane showed that it is an acceptable surrogate for diesel in terms of non-evaporating and evaporating spray characteristics. Copyright © 2017 by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.