• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.398-406
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• 2015

In this study, R-123 flow boiling experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of nanoparticle deposition on heater surfaces on flow critical heat flux (CHF) and boiling heat transfer. It is known that CHF enhancement by nanoparticles results from porous structures that are very similar to layers of Chalk River unidentified deposit formed on nuclear fuel rod surfaces during the reactor operation period. Although previous studies have investigated the surface effects through surface modifications, most studies are limited to pool boiling conditions, and therefore, the effects of porous surfaces on flow boiling heat transfer are still unclear. In addition, there have been only few reports on suppression of wetting for decoupled approaches of reasoning. In this study, bare and $Al_2O_3$ nanoparticle-coated surfaces were prepared for the study experiments. The CHF of each surface was measured with different mass fluxes of $1,600kg/m^2s$, $1,800kg/m^2s$, $2,100kg/m^2s$, $2,400kg/m^2s$, and $2,600kg/m^2s$. The nanoparticle-coated tube showed CHF enhancement up to 17% at a mass flux of $2,400kg/m^2s$ compared with the bare tube. The factors for CHF enhancement are related to the enhanced rewetting process derived from capillary action through porous structures built-up by nanoparticles while suppressing relative wettability effects between two sample surfaces as a highly wettable R-123 refrigerant was used as a working fluid.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.668-674
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• 2017

Experimental verification of boron species in fuel CRUD (Chalk River Unidentified Deposit) would provide essential and important information about the root cause of CRUD-induced power shifts (CIPS). To date, only bonaccordite and elemental boron were reported to exist in fuel CRUD in CIPS-troubled pressurized water reactor (PWR) cores and lithium tetraborate to exist in simulated PWR fuel CRUD from some autoclave tests. We have reevaluated previous analysis of similar threadlike crystals along with examining some similar threadlike crystals from CRUD samples collected from a PWR cycle that had no indications of CIPS. These threadlike crystals have a typical [Ni]/[Fe] atomic ratio of ~2 and similar crystal morphology as the one (bonaccordite) reported previously. In addition to electron diffraction study, we have applied electron energy loss spectroscopy to determine boron content in such a crystal and found a good agreement with that of bonaccordite. Surprisingly, such crystals seem to appear also on corroded surfaces of Alloy 600 that was exposed to simulated PWR primary water with a dissolved hydrogen level of $5mL\;H_2/kg\;H_2O$, but absent when exposed under $75mL\;H_2/kg\;H_2O$ condition. It remains to be verified as to what extent and in which chemical environment this phase would be formed in PWR primary systems.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1676-1685
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• 2021

We develop a new high-fidelity multiphysics model to simulate boron chemistry in the porous Chalk River Unidentified Deposit (CRUD) deposits. Heat transfer, capillary flow, solute transport, and chemical reactions are fully coupled. The evaporation of coolant in the deposits is included in governing equations modified by the volume-averaged assumption of wick boiling. The axial offset anomaly (AOA) of the Seabrook nuclear power plant is simulated. The new model reasonably predicts the distributions of temperature, pressure, velocity, volumetric boiling heat density, and chemical concentrations. In the thicker CRUD regions, 60% of the total heat is removed by evaporative heat transfer, causing boron species accumulation. The new model successfully shows the quantitative effect of coolant evaporation on the local distributions of boron. The total amount of boron in the CRUD layer increases by a factor of 1.21 when an evaporation-driven increase of soluble and precipitated boron concentrations is reflected. In addition, the concentrations of B(OH)₃ and LiBO₂ are estimated according to various conditions such as different CRUD thickness and porosity. At the end of the cycle in the AOA case, the total mass of boron incorporated in CRUD deposits of a reference single fuel rod is estimated to be about 0.5 mg.