• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2017

When an integral pressurized water reactor is operated under low power conditions, once-through steam generator group operation strategy is applied. However, group operation strategy will cause nonuniform coolant flow distribution at the core inlet and lower plenum. To help coolant flow mix more uniformly, a flow mixing chamber (FMC) has been designed. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics methods have been used to investigate the coolant distribution by the effect of FMC. Velocity and temperature characteristics under different low power conditions and optimized FMC configuration have been analyzed. The results illustrate that the FMC can help improve the nonuniform coolant temperature distribution at the core inlet effectively; at the same time, the FMC will induce more resistance in the downcomer and lower plenum.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.1017-1023
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• 2019

The increase of the alternate current frequency results in increased rotational speed of the electrical motors and connected pumps. The consequence for the reactor coolant pumps is increased flow in primary coolant system. Increase of the current frequency can be initiated by the subsynchronous resonance phenomenon (SSR). This paper analyses the implications of the SSR and consequential increase of the frequency on the nuclear power plant safety. The Simulink $MATLAB^{(R)}$ model of the steam turbine and governor system and RELAP5 computer code of the pressurized water reactor are used in the analysis. The SSR results in fast increase of reactor coolant pumps speed and flow in the primary coolant system. The turbine trip value is reached in short time following SSR. The increase of flow of reactor coolant pumps results in increase of heat removal from reactor core. This results in positive reactivity insertion with reactor power increase of 0.5% before reactor trip is initiated by the turbine trip. The main parameters of the plant did not exceed the values of reactor trip set points. The pressure drop over reactor core is small discarding the possibility of core barrel lift.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 1992

Radioactive nuclides deposited on out-of-core surface after the radiation in the core by the transport of corrosion products (CRUD) through the primary coolant system in PWR which is the major plant type in Korea, are leading sources of radiation exposure to plant maintenance personnel. Thus, the optimal chemistry operation method is required for the reduction of radiation exposure by the corrosion products. This study analysed the actual water chemistry operation data of four operating domestic PWRs. And in order to evaluate the coolant chemistry operation data, a computer code which can calculate the activity buildup in the various chemistry conditions of PWR coolant was employed. Through the analysis of comparison between the activity buildup of actual water chemistry operation mode and that of assumed Elevated Li operation mode calculated by the computer code, it was found that the out-of core radioactivity can be reduced by diminishing the deposition of corrosion products on the core in case that the Elevated Li operation mode is applied to the coolant chemistry operation of PWR. And the higher coolant pH operation was shown to have the advantage of the reduction of out-of-core activity buildup if the integrity of system structural materials and fuel cladding is guaranteed.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.5 no.1 s.14
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• pp.49-54
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• 2002

HANARO, 30 MW of research reactor, was installed at the depth of 13m in an open pool. The $90\%$ of primary coolant was designed to pass through the core and to remove the reaction heat of the cote. The rest, $10\%$, of the primary coolant was designed to bypass the core. And the reactor coolant through and bypass the core was inhaled at the top of chimney by the coolant pump to prevent the radiated gas from being lifted to the top of reactor pool. But, the part of core bypass coolant was not inhaled by the reactor coolant pump and reached at the top of reactor pool by natural convection, and increased the radiation lovel on the top of reactor pool. To reduce the radiation level by protecting the natural convection of the core bypass flow, the hot water layer (HWL, hereinafter) was installed with the depth of 1.2 m from the top of reactor pool. As the HWL was normally operated, the radiation level was reduced to five percent ($5\%$) in comparing with that before the installation of the HWL. When HANARO was operated at a higher temperature than the normal temperature of the HWL by operating the standby heater, it was found that the radiation level was more reduced than that before operation. To verify the reason, the heat loss of the HWL was calculated by Visual Basic Program. It was confirmed through the results that the larger the temperature difference between the HWL and reactor hall was, the more the evaporation loss increased. And it was verified that the radiation level above was reduced mote safely by increasing the capacity of heater.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.101-111
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• 2004

The main purpose of a liquid metal reactor core thermal-hydraulic design is to efficiently extract the core thermal power by distributing the appropriate sodium coolant flow according to the power distribution in the core. The thermal-hydraulic design procedure consists of the coolant flow distribution to the sub-assemblies, the coolant/fuel temperature calculations and detailed subchannel analysis. This paper describes the LMR core thermal-hydraulic design methodology and summarizes the major design and analysis results of KALIMER breeder and breakeven cores and subassemblies. KALIMER is a 150 MWe rated (392 MWth) heterogeneous core with U-TRU-Zr ternary alloy fuel and sodium coolant.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.202-210
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• 2006

In the nuclear power plant, emergency core coolant system (ECCS) is furnished at reactor coolant system (RCS) in order to cool down high temperature water in case of emergency. However, in this coolant system, thermal stratification phenomenon can be occurred due to coolant leaking in the check valve. The thermal stratification produces excessive thormal stresses at the pipe wall so as to yield thermal fatigue crack (TFC) accident. In the present study, when the turbulence penetration occurs in the branch pipe, the maximum temperature differences of fluid at the pipe cross-sections of the T-branch with thermal stratification are examine.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.980-992
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• 2024

Steam line break accident (SLB) in the nuclear reactor is one of the representative Non-LOCA accidents in which thermal-hydraulics and neutron kinetics are strongly coupled each other. Thus, the multi-scale and multi-physics approach is applied in this study in order to examine a realistic safety margin. An entire reactor coolant system is modelled by system scale node, whereas sub-channel scale resolution is applied for the region of interest such as the reactor core. Fuel performance code is extended to consider full core pin-wise fuel behaviour. The MARU platform is developed for easy integration of the codes to be coupled. An initial stage of the steam line break accident is simulated on the MARU platform. As cold coolant is injected from the cold leg into the reactor pressure vessel, the power increases due to the moderator feedback. Three-dimensional coolant and fuel behaviour are qualitatively visualized for easy comprehension. Moreover, quantitative investigation is added by focusing on the enhancement of safety margin by means of comparing the minimum departure from nucleate boiling ratio (MDNBR). Three factors contributing to the increase of the MDNBR are proposed: Various geometric parameters, realistic power distribution by neutron kinetics code, Radial coolant mixing including sub-channel physics model.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.51-60
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• 2003

In the nuclear power plant, emergency core coolant system (ECCS) is furnished at reactor coolant system (RCS) in order to cool down high temperature water in case of emergency. However, in this coolant system, thermal stratification phenomenon can occur due to coolant leaking in the check valve. The thermal stratification produces excessive thermal stresses at the pipe wall so as to yield thermal fatigue crack (TFC) accident. In the present study, effects of turbulence penetration on the thermal stratification into T-branches with square cross-section in the modeled ECCS are analysed numerically. Standard k-$\varepsilon$ model is employed to calculate the Reynolds stresses in momentum equations. Results show that the length and strength of thermal stratification are primarily affected by the leak flow rate of coolant and the Reynolds number of duct. Turbulence penetration into the T-branch of ECCS shows two counteracting effects on the thermal stratification. Heat transport by turbulence penetration from main duct to leaking flow region may enhance thermal stratification while the turbulent diffusion may weaken it.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2003

In the nuclear power plant, emergency core coolant system (ECCS) is furnished at reactor coolant system (RCS) in order to cool down high temperature water in case of emergency. However, in this coolant system, thermal stratification phenomenon can occur due to coolant leaking in the check valve. The thermal stratification produces excessive thermal stresses at the pipe wall so as to yield thermal fatigue crack (TFC) accident. In the present study, effects of turbulence penetration on the thermal stratification into T-branches with square cross-section in the modeled ECCS are analysed numerically. $textsc{k}$-$\varepsilon$ model is employed to calculate the Reynolds stresses in momentum equations. Results show that the length and strength of thermal stratification are primarily affected by the leak flow rate of coolant and the Reynolds number of the main flow in the duct. Turbulence penetration into the T-branch of ECCS shows two counteracting effects on the thermal stratification. Heat transport by turbulence penetration from the main duct to leaking flow region may enhance thermal stratification while the turbulent diffusion may weaken it.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.379-385
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• 2020

This paper presents a design for preventing coolant leaks in the core part of a heater mounted in a combat vehicle. The heater is a device that makes heated coolant flow through the heater core in the crew room. A problem with coolant leaks in the heater core area during the operation of a combat vehicle was identified. This problem is caused mainly by high pressure at the junction of the tank and tube due to the vulnerability of this area. To solve this problem, an improved core was made by improving the welding method and changing the end region of the heater core to a structure that can withstand high pressure. When pressure was applied sequentially to the existing core and improved core, a leak occurred at 7.0 kgf/㎠ in the existing core while the improved core maintained its structure up to 17.0 kgf/㎠, highlighting the improvement. Finally, performance tests and environment tests were conducted to demonstrate the suitability of the improved structure. The improved heater will be applied to combat vehicles. This paper is expected to serve as a reference for improving defense capabilities by securing reliability as well as the design and analysis of failures of similar equipment.nse capabilities through securing reliability as well as the design and analysis of failures of similar equipment.