• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 1994

In a PWR rod cluster control assembly(RCCA) for shutdown is released upon action of control rod drive mechanism and falls down through the guide thimble by its weight. Drop time and impact velocity of the RCCA are two key parameters with respect to reactivity insertion time and the mechanical integrity of fuel assembly. Therefore, the precise control of drop time and impact velocity is prerequisite to modifying the existing design features of the RCCA and guide thimble or newly designing them. During its falling down into the core, the RCCA is retarded by various forces acting on it such as fluid resistance caused by the RCCA movement, buoyance and mechanical friction caused by contacting inner surface of the guide thimble, etc. However, complicated coupling of the various forces makes it difficult to derive an analytical dynamic equation for the drop time and impact velocity. This paper deals with the development of a computer program containing an analytical dynamic equation applicable to the Korean Fuel Assembly(KOFA). The computer program is benchmarked with an available single control rod drop tests. Since the predicted values are in good agreement with the test results, the computer program developed in this paper can be employed to modify the exiting design features of the RCCA and guide thimble and to develope their new design features for advanced nuclear reactors.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.815-824
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• 2016

The fuel assembly for pressurized water reactor (PWR) consists of fuel rod bundle, spacer grid and bottom/top end fittings. The cooling water in high pressure and temperature is introduced in lower plenum of reactor core and directed to upper plenum through the subchannel which is formed between the fuel rods. The main thermal-hydraulic performance parameters for the PWR fuel are pressure drop and critical heat flux in normal operating condition, and quenching time in accident condition. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has been developing an advanced PWR fuel, dual-cooled annular fuel and accident tolerant fuel for the enhancement of fuel performance and the localization. For the key thermal-hydraulic technology development of PWR fuel, the KAERI LWR fuel team has conducted the experiments for pressure drop, turbulent flow mixing and heat transfer, critical heat flux(CHF) and quenching. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was also performed to predict flow and heat transfer in fuel assembly including the spent fuel assembly in dry cask for interim repository. In addition, the research cooperation with university and nuclear fuel company was also carried out to develop a basic thermal-hydraulic technology and the commercialization.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.180-187
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• 1997

A formula for estimating the elastic stiffness of TW-HDS with a uniformly tapered width from w$_{0}$ to w$_{1}$ over the length, has been analytically derived based on Euler beam theory and Castigliano's theorem. Elastic stiffnesses of the TW-HDSs designed in the same dimensional design spaces as the KOFA HDSs have been estimated from the derived formula, in addition, a sensitivity study on the elastic stiffness of the TW-HDSs has been carried out. Analysis results show that elastic stiffnesses of the TW-HDSs have been by far higher than those of the KOFA HDSs, and that, as the effects of axial and shear force on the elastic stiffness have been 0.15-0.21%, most of the elastic stiffness is attributed to the bending moment. As a result of sensitivity analysis, the elastic stiffness sensitivity at each design variable is quantified and design variables having remarkable sensitivity are identified. Among the design variables, leaf thickness is identified as that of having the most remarkable sensitivity of the elastic stiffness.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1276-1290
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• 1997

The previous elastic stiffness formulas of leaf type holddown spring assemblies(HDSs) have been corrected and extended to be able to consider the point of taper runout for the TT-HDS and all the strain energies for both the TT-HDS and the TW-HDS based on Euler beam theory and Castigliano'stheorem. The elastic stiffness sensitivity of the leaf type holddown spring assemblies was analyzed using the derived elastic stiffness formulas and their gradient vectors obtained from the mid-point formula. As a result of the sensitivity analysis, the elastic stiffness sensitivity at each design variable is quantified and design variables having remarkable sensitivity are identified. Among the design variables, leaf thickness is identified as that of having the most remarkable sensitivity of the elastic stiffness. In addition, it was found that the sensitivity of the leaf type HDS's elastic stiffness is exponentially correlated to the leaf thickness.