• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 1994

Experimental studies hate been peformed to investigate vapor explosion phenomena which may threaten the containment integrity during severe accidents in nuclear power plants. In this study, experimental equipment is constructed for vapor explosion experiments, and the vapor explosion experiments were conducted using water/R22. During the experiments, water/R22 interaction phenomena were observed using the high speed camera, and the explosion pressure and released mechanical energy were measured with pressure transducer and pressure relief tube. And the effects of some important parameters-hot liquid temperature, hot liquid injection velocity, hot liquid injection velocity, hot liquid injection time, and cold liquid depth-were investigated on the vapor explosion. Also, the experiment with grid was conducted to study reactor -vessel-lower-structure effect on fuel/coolant interaction. Water/R22 explosion conversion ratios were measured between 0.5∼1.6%.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1051-1060
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• 2010

The effect of materials on fuel coolant interactions (FCIs) was analyzed on the basis of a solidified particle size response for TROI experiments.$^{(1)}$ The solidified particle size response can provide an understanding of the relationship among the initial condition, the mixing, and an explosion. Through a comparison of the size distributions of the solidified particles in the case of explosive and non-explosive FCIs, it is revealed that an explosive FCI results in the production of a large amount of fine particles and a small amount of large particles. The material effect of the size of solidified particles was analyzed using non-explosive FCIs without losing the information on the mixing. This analysis indicates that an explosive melt includes large particles that participate in the steam explosion, whereas a nonexplosive melt includes smaller particles and finer particles.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.26-34
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• 2018

Explosions of vapor cloud formed due to the leakage from installations with flammable fuels have often occurred in Korea and foreign countries. In this study, TNT equivalency method and Multi-Energy method for vapor cloud explosion blast modelling are described and demonstrated in a case study. As TNT equivalency method is simple and direct, it has been widely used for modelling a vapor cloud explosion blast. But TNT equivalency method found to be difficult to select a proper correlation between the amount of combustion energy produced from the vapor cloud explosion and the equivalent amount of TNT to model its blast effects. Multi-Energy method assumes that the strength of vapor cloud explosion blast depends on the layout of the space where the vapor cloud is spreading. Strictly speaking, the explosive potential of a vapor cloud is dependent upon the density of the obstructed regions. In this study, Flixborough accident are analyzed as a case study to assess the applicability of TNT equivalency method and Multi-Energy method. TNT equivalency method and Multi-Energy method found to be applicable if coefficient of TNT equivalency and coefficient of strength of explosion blast are selected properly.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.05a
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• pp.531-537
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• 1995

본 논문에서는 증기폭발의 전파과정을 해석하기 위한 수학적 모델을 제시하였다. 이 모델은 용융물, 용융파편, 그리고 냉각재 기상과 액상 둥 4상 유체의 2차원적인 천이거동을 지배방정식 및 관련상관식의 수치적 해를 구함으로써 증기폭발의 전파속도 및 폭발압력 등을 예측할 수 있다. 모델에 사용된 주요 상관식은 용융물 분쇄, 냉각재 상변화, 에너지 교환, 그리고 운동량 교환함으로 구성되어 있다. 냉각재의 상태를 결정하는데 있어서 냉각재의 기상과 액상 사이의 열역학적인 비평형을 허용할 수 있도록 냉각재의 상태방정식을 구성하였다. 주석/물의 증기폭발에 대한 예제계산을 수행한 결과 폭발의 전파속도 및 압력 등에 있어서 합당한 것으로 밝혀졌다. 또한 중요한 초기변수(중기 분율, 용융물 분율) 및 관련상관식에 대한 민감도 분석을 수행함으로써 모델개선을 위한 중요인자를 제시하였다.

• Journal of the KSME
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.270-280
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• 1988

증기폭발현상에 대한 기존의 연구내용들이 개괄적으로 소개되었다. 지난 30여년간 대규모 및 소규모 증기폭발에 대해 수많은 이론 및 실험적 연구가 진행되어 왔으나 아직 많은 과제들이 미해결의 상태로 남아 있다. 이들은 (1) 연료-냉각수 접촉양식의 영향 (2) 초기 혼합과정에 대한 에너지 전달 및 유동해석 (3) 연료파괴 과정에 대한 정량적 해석 (4) 폭발과정의 전파에 대한 제인자의 영향 (5) 팽창과정 중 슬러그(slug)의 영향 등이며 현상 자체의 난이성과 위 험성에 비추어 볼 때 해석에 많은 문제점을 안고 있다. 그러나 과학적인 호기심과 더불어 산 업재해 방지 및 현상의 생산적 이용이라는 최종목표에 도달하기 위해서는 체계적으로 집중적인 연구가 꾸준히 계속되어야 할 것이다.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

Vapor cloud explosions show different characteristics from that caused by ordinary TNT explosives and their loading effect is similar to pressure waves. Typical methods used for blast pressure calculations are the TNT-equivalent method and multi-energy method. The TNT-equivalent method is based on shock waves, similar to a detonation phenomenon, and multi-energy method is based on pressure waves, similar to a deflagration phenomenon. This study was conducted to derive an appropriate blast pressure by applying various plant explosion cases. SDOF analysis and nonlinear dynamic analysis were performed to compare the degree of deformation and damage of the selected structural members for the explosion cases. The results indicated that the multi-energy method was more exact than the TNT-equivalent method in predicting the blast pressure of vapor cloud explosions. The blast pressure of vapor cloud explosion in plants can be more accurately calculated by assuming the charge strength of multi-energy method as 7 or 8.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.355-361
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• 2014

Steam explosions can be caused by fuel-coolant interactions resulting from failure of the external vessel cooling system in a new nuclear power plant. This can threaten the integrity of structures, including the nuclear reactor and the containment building. In the present study, an improved technique for analyzing the steam explosion phenomenon was proposed on the basis of previous research and was verified by simulations involving alumina experiments. Also, the improved analysis technique was applied to determine the pressure history of the reactor cavity in accordance with postulated failure locations. The results of the analysis revealed that the effects of vessel side failure are more serious than those of vessel bottom failure, with approximately 70% higher maximum pressure.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.265-275
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• 1993

A vapor explosion has been a concern in nuclear reactor safety due to its potential for a destructive mechanical energy release. In order to properly assess the hazard of a vapor explosion, it is necessary to accurately estimate the conversion efficiency of the thermal energy to mechanical energy. In the absence of a complete model to determine the explosive energy yield, one may have to rely on a simpler upper bound estimate such as a thermodynamic model. This paper discusses various thermodynamic models and presents a clarification of each model in their mathematical formulation and the thermodynamic work conversion. It is shown that the work release in the shock adiabatic model of Board and Hall is essentially equal to that of Hicks-Menzies thermodynamic model. The effect of coolant void fraction on the explosion efficiency is also predicted based on these thermodynamic models. Finally, the Hicks-Menzies model is modified to account for the chemical reaction between a metallic fuel and water and the resultant effects on the explosion expansion work are discussed.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.96.2-96.2
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.100.2-100.2
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• 2005