• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.95-103
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• 2011

In the block type VHTR core, there are inevitable gaps among core blocks for the installation and refueling of the fuel blocks. These gaps are called bypass gap and the bypass flow is defined as a coolant flows through the bypass gap. Distribution of core bypass flow varies according to the reactor operation since the graphite core blocks are deformed by the fast neutron irradiation and thermal expansion. Furthermore, the cross-flow through an interfacial gap between the stacked blocks causes flow mixing between the coolant holes and bypass gap, so that complicated flow distribution occurs in the core. Since the bypass flow affects core thermal margin and reactor efficiency, accurate prediction and evaluation of the core bypass flow are very important. In this regard, experimental and computational studies were carried out to evaluate the core bypass flow distribution. A multi-block experimental apparatus was constructed to measure flow and pressure distribution. Multi-block effect such as cross flow phenomenon was investigated in the experiment. The experimental data were used to validate a CFD model foranalysis of bypass flow characteristics in detail.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2019

The main objective of nuclear reactor safety is to maintain the nuclear fuel in a thermally safe condition with enough safety margins during normal operation and anticipated operational occurrences. In this research, core flow bypass is studied under the conditions of the unavailability of safety systems. As core bypass occurs, the core flow rate is assumed to decrease exponentially with a time constant of 25 s to new steady state values of 20, 40, 60, and 80% of the nominal core flow rate. The thermal hydraulic code PARET is used through these calculations. Reactor thermal hydraulic stability is reported for all cases of core flow bypass.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2009

An accurate prediction of the bypass flow is of great importance in the VHTR core design concerning the fuel thermal margin. Nevertheless, there has not been much effort in evaluating the amount and the distribution of the core bypass flow. In order to evaluate the behavior and the distribution of the coolant flow, a unit-cell experiment was carried out. Unit-cell is the regular triangular section which is formed by connecting the centers of three hexagonal blocks. Various conditions such as the inlet mass flow rate, block combinations and the size of bypass gap were examined in the experiment. CFD analysis was carried out to analyze detailed characteristics of the flow distribution. Commercial CFD code FLUENT 6.3 was validated by comparing with the experimental results. In addition, SST model and standard k-$\varepsilon$ model were validated. The results of CFD simulation show good agreements with the experimental results. SST model shows better agreement than standard k-$\varepsilon$ model. Results showed that block combinations and the size of the bypass gap have an influence on the bypass flow ratio but the inlet mass flow rate does not.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.745-752
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• 2013

For thermo-fluid and safety analyses of a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR), intensive efforts are in progress in the developments of the GAMMA+ code of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and the AGREE code of the University of Michigan (U of M). One of the important requirements for GAMMA+ and AGREE is an accurate modeling capability of a bypass flow in a prismatic core. Recently, a series of air experiments were performed at Seoul National University (SNU) in order to understand bypass flow behavior and generate an experimental database for the validation of computer codes. The main objective of the present work is to validate the GAMMA+ and AGREE codes using the experimental data published by SNU. The numerical results of the two codes were compared with the measured data. A good agreement was found between the calculations and the measurement. It was concluded that GAMMA+ and AGREE can reliably simulate the bypass flow behavior in a prismatic core.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.67-80
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• 2017

The high-speed bypass effect on the heat exchanger performance has been investigated numerically. The plate-fin type heat exchanger was modeled using two-dimensional porous approximation for the fin region. Governing equations of mass, momentum, and energy equations for compressible turbulent flow were solved using ideal-gas assumption for the air flow. Various bypass-channel height were considered for Mach numbers ranging 0.25-0.65. Due to the existence of the fin in the bypass channel, the main flow tends to turn into the core region of the channel, which results in the distorted velocity profile downstream of the fin region. The boundary layer thickness, displacement thickness, and the momentum thickness showed the variation of mass flow through the fin region. The mass flow variation along the fin region was also shown for various bypass heights and Mach numbers. The volumetric entropy generation was used to assess the loss mechanism inside the bypass duct and the fin region. Finally, the correlations of the friction factor and the Colburn j-factor are summarized.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.611-616
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• 1997

The thermal-hydraulic effects of removing the RCC guide thimble plugs are evaluated for 8 Westinghouse type PWR plants in Korea as a part of feasibility study: core outlet loss coefficient, thimble bypass flow, and best estimate flow. It is resulted that the best estimate thimble bypass flow increases about by 2% and the best estimate flow increases approximately by 1.2%. The resulting DNBR penalties can be covered with the current DNBR margin. Accident analyses are also investigated that the dropped rod transient is shown to be limiting and relatively sensitive to bypass flow variation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05b
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• pp.166-172
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• 1996

The thermal-hydraulic effects of removing the RCC guide thimble plugs are evaluated for Westinghouse type PWR plants as a part of feasibility study: core outlet loss coefficient, thimble bypass flow, and best estimate flow. It is resulted that the best estimate thimble bypass flow increases about by 2% and the best estimate flow increase approximately by 1.2%. The resulting DNBR penalties can be covered within the current DNBR margin. Accident analyses are also investigated and the dropped rod transient is shown to be limiting and relatively sensitive to bypass flow variation.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.419-424
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• 2002

The HANARO, a multi-purpose research reactor of 30 MWth open-tank-in-pool type, has been under normal operation since its initial criticality In February, 1995. Many experiments should be safely performed to activate the utilization of the HANARO. A flow simulation facility is being developed for the endurance test of reactivity control units for extended life times and the verification of structural integrity of those experimental facilities prior to loading in the HANARO. This test facility is composed of three major parts; a half-core structure assembly, flow circulation system and support system. The flow circulation system is composed of a circulation pump, a core flow pipe, a core bypass flow pipe and instruments. The system is to be filled with de-mineralized water and the flow should be met the design flow to simulate similar flow characteristics in the core channel of the half-core test facility to the HANARO. This paper, therefore, describes an analytical analysis to study the flow behavior of the system. The computational flow analysis has been performed for the verification of system pressure variation through the three-dimensional analysis program with standard k-$\epsilon$ turbulence model and for the verification of the structural piping integrity through the finite element method. The results of the analysis are satisfied the design requirements and structural piping integrity of flow circulation system.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.7 no.1 s.22
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• pp.30-35
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• 2004

The HANARO, a multi-purpose research reactor of 30 MWth open-tank-in-pool type, has been under normal operation since its initial criticality in February, 1995. Many experiments should be safely performed to activate the utilization of the HANARO. HANARO flow simulation facility is being developed for the endurance test of reactivity control units for extended life time and the verification of structural integrity of those experimental equipments prior to loading in the HANARO. This facility is composed of three major parts; a half-core structure assembly, a flow circulation system and a support system. The flow circulation system is composed of a circulation pump, a core flow piping, a core bypass flow piping and instruments. The system is to be filled with de-mineralized water and the flow should be met the design requirements to simulate a similar flow characteristics in the core channel of the half-core structure assembly to the HANARO. This paper, therefore, presents an analytical analysis to study the flow behavior of the system. Computational flow analysis has been performed for the verification of system pressure variation through the three-dimensional analysis program with the standard $k-{\epsilon}$ turbulence model and for the verification of the structural piping integrity through the finite element method. According to the analysis results, it could be said that the design requirements and the structural piping integrity of the flow circulation system are satisfied.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.221-226
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• 2001

HANARO, 30MW of research reactor, was installed at the depth of 13m of open pool, The $90\%$ of primary coolant was designed to pass through the core and to remove the reaction heat of the core. 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 protect that the radiated gas was 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 level 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 1.2m 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 with 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. It was confirmed through the results that the larger the temperature difference between the HWL and reactor hall was, the more the evaporation loss was increased. And it was verified that the radiation level above was reduced more safely by increasing the capacity of heater.