• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.9
• /
• pp.3464-3471
• /
• 2023

The Uranium/Molybdenum metallic fuel has been proposed as promising advanced fuel concept especially in the dispersed fuel geometry. The fuel is manufactured in the form of small fuel droplets (particles) placed in a fuel pin covered by a matrix. In addition to fuel particles, the pin contains voids necessary to compensate material swelling and release of fission gases from the fuel particles. When investigating this advanced fuel design, two important questions were raised. Can the dispersed fuel performance be analyzed using homogenization without significant inaccuracy and what size of fuel drops should be used for the fuel design to achieve optimal utilization? To answer, 2D burnup calculations of fuel assemblies with different fuel particle sizes were performed. The analysis was supported by an additional 3D fuel pin calculation with the dispersed fuel particle size variations. The results show a significant difference in the multiplication factor between the homogenized calculation and the detailed calculation with precise fuel particle geometry. The recommended fuel particle size depends on the final burnup to be achieved. As shown in the results, for lower burnup levels, larger fuel drops offer better multiplication factor. However, when higher burnup levels are required, then smaller fuel drops perform better.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2016

Liquid fuel can be easily exploded and release more energy of detonation than conventional explosives because it has different explosion mechanism. In order to analyze dispersion characteristics of liquid fuel for the safety purpose, two tests are conducted. First, pre-test, which is a computer simulation, is carried out by a software called ANSYS AUTODYN to eliminate the effect of a canister that usually causes irregular dispersion of the fuel. Second, field test is performed to find out the amount and density effect of bursting charge. High speed cameras are installed in front of the canister to visualize the mechanism. Velocity, area and radius of the dispersed cloud are measured by image processing software, these are shown that the amount of bursting charge affects cloud velocity and area but density is not a significant factor of cloud formation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.650-659
• /
• 2016

As a type of accident-tolerant fuel, fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) fuel was proposed after the Fukushima accident in Japan. The FCM fuel consists of tristructural isotropic particles randomly dispersed in a silicon carbide (SiC) matrix. For a fuel element with such high heterogeneity, we have proposed a two-temperature homogenized model using the particle transport Monte Carlo method for the heat conduction problem. This model distinguishes between fuel-kernel and SiC matrix temperatures. Moreover, the obtained temperature profiles are more realistic than those of other models. In Part I of the paper, homogenized parameters for the FCM fuel in which tristructural isotropic particles are randomly dispersed in the fine lattice stochastic structure are obtained by (1) matching steady-state analytic solutions of the model with the results of particle transport Monte Carlo method for heat conduction problems, and (2) preserving total enthalpies in fuel kernels and SiC matrix. The homogenized parameters have two desirable properties: (1) they are insensitive to boundary conditions such as coolant bulk temperatures and thickness of cladding, and (2) they are independent of operating power density. By performing the Monte Carlo calculations with the temperature-dependent thermal properties of the constituent materials of the FCM fuel, temperature-dependent homogenized parameters are obtained.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers A
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.265-274
• /
• 2001

Recently, the operation of power systems has become more difficult because the peak demand load is increasing continuously and the daily load factor is getting worse and worse. Also, the consideration of deregulation and global environment in electric power industry is required. In order to overcome those problems, a study on the planning and operation in power systems of dispersed generating sources such as fuel cell systems, photovoltaic systems and wind power systems, has been performed energetically. This paper presents a method for determining an optimal operation strategy of dispersed co-generating sources, especially fuel cell generation systems, considering thermal supply as well as electric power supply. In other words, the optimal operation of those sources can be determined easily by the principle of equal incremental fuel cost and the thermal merit of those sources can be also evaluated quantitatively through Kuhn-Tucker's optimal conditions. In additions, an priority method using the comparison of total cost at the peak load time interval is presented in order ot select the optimal locations of those sources. The validity of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated using a model system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.660-672
• /
• 2016

In Part I of this paper, the two-temperature homogenized model for the fully ceramic microencapsulated fuel, in which tristructural isotropic particles are randomly dispersed in a fine lattice stochastic structure, was discussed. In this model, the fuel-kernel and silicon carbide matrix temperatures are distinguished. Moreover, the obtained temperature profiles are more realistic than those obtained using other models. Using the temperature-dependent thermal conductivities of uranium nitride and the silicon carbide matrix, temperature-dependent homogenized parameters were obtained. In Part II of the paper, coupled with the COREDAX code, a reactor core loaded by fully ceramic microencapsulated fuel in which tristructural isotropic particles are randomly dispersed in the fine lattice stochastic structure is analyzed via a two-temperature homogenized model at steady and transient states. The results are compared with those from harmonic- and volumetric-average thermal conductivity models; i.e., we compare $k_{eff}$ eigenvalues, power distributions, and temperature profiles in the hottest single channel at a steady state. At transient states, we compare total power, average energy deposition, and maximum temperatures in the hottest single channel obtained by the different thermal analysis models. The different thermal analysis models and the availability of fuel-kernel temperatures in the two-temperature homogenized model for Doppler temperature feedback lead to significant differences.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.7
• /
• pp.1729-1737
• /
• 2019

This paper presents neutronics design of VVER-1000 fuel assembly using burnable poison particles (BPPs) for controlling excess reactivity and pin-wise power distribution. The advantage of using BPPs is that the thermal conductivity of BPP-dispersed fuel pin could be improved. Numerical calculations have been conducted for optimizing the BPP parameters using the MVP code and the JENDL-3.3 data library. The results show that by using $Gd_2O_3$ particles with the diameter of $60{\mu}m$ and the packing fraction of 5%, the burnup reactivity curve and pin-wise power distribution are obtained approximately that of the reference design. To minimize power peaking factor (PPF), total BP amount has been distributed in a larger number of fuel rods. Optimization has been conducted for the number of BPP-dispersed rods, their distribution, BPP diameter and packing fraction. Two models of assembly consisting of 18 BPP-dispersed rods have been selected. The diameter of $300{\mu}m$ and the packing fraction of 3.33% were determined so that the burnup reactivity curve is approximate that of the reference one, while the PPF can be decreased from 1.167 to 1.105 and 1.113, respectively. Application of BPPs for compensating the reduction of soluble boron content to 50% and 0% is also investigated.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
• /
• v.48 no.8
• /
• pp.570-576
• /
• 1999

$LaCrO_3$-dispersed Cr alloys for metallic interconnector of solid oxide fuel cell have been studied as function of $LaCrO_3$ content in the range of 5 to 25 vol.% in order to examine the electric conductivity, the oxidation property and the thermal expansion behavior of these alloys. The $LaCrO_3$-dispersed Cr alloys showed high electrical conductivities of $3~5\times10^4$ S/cm at room temperature, and as the $LaCrO_3$content increased the conductivity decreased slightly. During the cyclic oxidation test at $1100^{\circ}C$, the weight change of the Cr alloys decreased with increasing number of oxidation cycle except first cycle, which is attributed to the vaporization of the oxide scale. More addition of the $LaCrO_3$ content reduced also the weight change of the Cr alloys. These mean that the oxide scale formed at the surface of the Cr alloy becomes stable with increasing number of oxidation cycle and$LaCrO_3$ content. The measured thermal expansion of the Cr alloy was well fitted to that of 8 mol% $Y_2O_3$-stabilized $ZrO_2$ electrolyte. These results demonstrate that $LaCrO_3$-dispersed Cr alloy is a useful material for metallic interconnector of solid oxide fuel cell.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.55 no.4
• /
• pp.400-405
• /
• 2018

FCM nuclear fuel, a concept proposed as an accident tolerant fuel in light water reactors, consists of TRISO fuel particles embedded in a SiC matrix. The uniform dispersion of internal TRISO fuel particles in the FCM fuel is very important for improving the fuel efficiency. In this study, FCM sintered pellets with various volume ratios of TRISO-coated particles were prepared by hot press sintering. The distribution of TRISO-coated particles was quantitatively analyzed using X-ray ${\mu}CT$ and expressed as a dispersion uniformity index. TRISO-coated particles were most uniformly dispersed in the FCM pellets prepared using only overcoated TRISO particles without mixing of additional SiC matrix powder. FCM pellets with uniformly dispersed TRISO particle volume fraction of up to 50% were prepared using overcoated TRISO particles with varying thickness.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.7
• /
• pp.859-870
• /
• 2013

The paper summarizes the irradiation test and post-irradiation examination (PIE) data for the U-Mo low-enriched fuel that was irradiated in the MIR reactor under the RERTR Program. The PIE data were analyzed for both full-size fuel rods and mini-rods with atomized powder dispersed in Al matrix as well as with additions of 2%, 5% and 13% of silicon in the matrix and ZrN protective coating on the fuel particles. The full-size fuel rods were irradiated up to an average burnup of ${\sim}60%^{235}U$; the mini-rods were irradiated to an average burnup of ${\sim}85%^{235}U$. The presented data show a significant increase of the void fraction in the U-Mo alloy as the U-235 burnup rises from ~ 40% up to ~ 85%. The effect of irradiation test conditions and U-235 burnup were analyzed with regard to the formation of an interaction layer between the matrix and fuel particles as well as generation of porosity in the U-Mo alloy. Shown here are changes in distribution of U fission products as the U-235 burnup increases from ~ 40% up to ~ 85%.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.130-145
• /
• 2019

Widespread commercialization of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is expected to be realized in various application fields with the advent of cost-effective fabrication of cells and stacks in high volumes. Cost-reduction efforts have focused on production yield, power density, operation temperature, and continuous manufacturing. In this article, we examine several issues associated with processing for SOFCs from the standpoint of the bimodal packing model, considering the external constraints imposed by rigid substrates. Optimum compositions of composite cathode materials with high volume fractions of the second phase (particles dispersed in matrix) have been analyzed using the bimodal packing model. Constrained sintering of thin electrolyte layers is also discussed in terms of bimodal packing, with emphasis on the clustering of dispersed particles during anisotropic shrinkage. Finally, the structural transition of dispersed particle clusters during constrained sintering has been correlated with the structural stability of thin-film electrolyte layers deposited on porous solid substrates.