• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.2591-2603
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• 2023

Simulating the Corrosion-Related Unidentified Deposit (CRUD) on the surface of fuel assemblies is necessary to predict the axial offset anomaly and the localized corrosion induced by the CRUD during the operation of nuclear power plants. A new CRUD model was developed to predict the formation of the CRUD deposits, considering the deposition and erosion mechanisms. The heat transfer and capillary flow within the CRUD were also considered to evaluate the boiling amount within the CRUD layer. This model predicted a CRUD deposit thickness of 44 ㎛ during a one-cycle operation of the Seabrook nuclear power plant. The CRUD deposition tended to accelerate and decelerate during the simulation, by being related to boiling mechanism on the deposits surface. Additionally, during a three-cycle operation corresponding to the refueling period, the CRUD deposition was saturated at a thickness of 80 ㎛, which was in good agreement with the suggested thickness for CRUD buildupin pressurized water reactors. Surface boiling on the thin CRUD deposits enhanced the acceleration of the deposition, even when the wick boiling properties were not favorable for CRUD deposition. To ensure the certainty of the simulation results, sensitivity analyses were conducted for the porosity, chimney density, and the constants employed in the proposed model of the CRUD.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.218-222
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• 2009

A level-set (LS) method is presented for computation of boiling phenomena which involve liquid-vapor interfaces that evolve, merge and break up in time, the flow and temperature fields influenced by the interfacial motion, and the microlayer that forms between the solid and the vapor phase near the wall. The LS formulation for tracking the phase interfaces is modified to include the effects of phase change on the liquid-vapor interface and contact angle on the liquid-vapor-solid interline. The LS method can calculate an interface curvature accurately by using a smooth distance function. Also, it is straightforward to implement for two-phase flows in complex geometries. The numerical method is applied for analysis of nucleate boiling on a horizontal surface and film boiling on a horizontal cylinder.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.1914-1928
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• 2022

To improve the heat transfer efficiency of the reactor fuel assembly, it is necessary to accurately calculate the two-phase flow boiling characteristics and the critical heat flux (CHF) in the fuel assembly. In this paper, a Eulerian two-fluid model combined with the extended wall boiling model was used to numerically simulate the 5 × 5 fuel rod bundle with spacer grids (four sets of mixing vane grids and four sets of simple support grids without mixing vanes). We calculated and analyzed 11 experimental conditions under different pressure, inlet temperature, and mass flux. After comparing the CHF and the location of departure from the nucleate boiling obtained by the numerical simulation with the experimental results, we confirmed the reliability of computational fluid dynamic analysis for the prediction of the CHF of the rod bundle and the boiling characteristics of the two-phase flow. Subsequently, we analyzed the influence of the spacer grid and mixing vanes on the void fraction, liquid temperature, and secondary flow distribution. The research in this article provides theoretical support for the design of fuel assemblies.

• 전기의세계
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.16-24
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• 1964

The dynamic equations of the void fraction and the water velocity in boiling region of the BWR reactor core are derived. And these equations are approximated to be able to set on an PACE analog computor. The transient analysis and the frequency response obtained by analog computer are compared with other by digital computor.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.92-102
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• 2017

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction converts syngas (mixture of CO and H2) to valuable hydrocarbon products. Simulation of low temperature Fischer -Tropsch Synthesis reaction and heat transfer at intensified process condition using catalyst filled single and multichannel microchannel reactor is considered. Single channel model simulation indicated potential for process intensification (higher GHSV of $30000hr^{-1}$ in presence of theoretical Cobalt based super-active catalyst) while still achieving CO conversion greater than ~65% and $C_{5+}$ selectivity greater than ~74%. Conjugate heat transfer simulation with multichannel reactor block models considering three different combinations of reactor configuration and coolant type predicted ${\Delta}T_{max}$ equal to 23 K for cross-flow configuration with wall boiling coolant, 15 K for co-current flow configuration with subcooled coolant, and 13 K for co-current flow configuration with wall boiling coolant. In the range of temperature maintained (498 - 521 K), chain growth probability calculated is desirable for low-temperature Fisher-Tropsch Synthesis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.313-326
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• 2007

In this paper, an algorithm to reconstruct two orthogonal images into a three-dimensional image is developed in order to measure the bubble size and volume in a two-phase boiling flow. The central-active contour model originally proposed by P. $Szczypi\'{n}ski$ and P. Strumillo is modified to reduce the dependence on the initial reference point and to increase the contour stability. The modified model is then applied to the algorithm to extract the object boundary. This improved central contour model could be applied to obscure objects using a variable threshold value. The extracted boundaries from each image are merged into a three-dimensional image through the developed algorithm. It is shown that the object reconstructed using the developed algorithm is very similar or identical to the real object. Various values such as volume and surface area are calculated for the reconstructed images and the developed algorithm is qualitatively verified using real images from rubber clay experiments and quantitatively verified by simulation using imaginary images. Finally, the developed algorithm is applied to measure the size and volume of vapor bubbles condensing in a subcooled boiling flow.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2023

This study presents a numerical simulation investigating hydrodynamic characteristics of high-temperature hydrocarbon aviation fuel injected through a plain orifice injector. The analysis encompassed the temperature range up to the critical point, and the obtained results were compared with prior experimental observations. The analysis unveiled that the injector's exit pressure remains equivalent to the ambient pressure when the fuel injection temperature is below the boiling point. However, when the fuel temperature surpasses the boiling point, the exit pressure of the injector transitions to the saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the fuel injection temperature. Consequently, the exit pressure of the injector increases in tandem with the rapid increase of the saturation vapor pressure due to escalating fuel temperatures. This rise in the exit pressure necessitates a proportional increase in fuel injection pressure to ensure a fixed fuel mass flow rate. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the discharge coefficient obtained by applying the exit pressure instead of the ambient pressure did exhibit no decrease, but rather was maintained at a nearly constant value, comparable to its level below the boiling point.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.2029-2038
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• 2024

A deep understanding of the characteristics and mechanism of geyser boiling and capillary pumping is necessary to optimize a high-temperature sodium heat pipe. In this work, the Volume of Fluid (VOF) two-phase model and the capillary force model in the mesh wick were used to model the complex phase change and fluid flow in the heat pipe. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations successfully predicted the process of bubble nucleation, growth, aggregation, and detachment from the wall in the liquid pool of the evaporation section of the heat pipe in horizontal and tilted states, as well as the reflux phenomenon of capillary suction within the wick. The accuracy and stability of the capillary force model within the wick were verified. In addition, the causes of geyser boiling in heat pipes were analyzed by extracting the oscillation distribution of heat pipe wall temperature. The results show that adding the capillary force model within the wick structure can reasonably simulate the liquid backflow phenomenon at the condensation; Under the horizontal and inclined operating conditions of the heat pipe, the phenomenon of local dry-out will occur, resulting in a sharp increase in local temperature. The speed of bubble detachment and the timely reflux of liquid sodium (condensate) replenishment in the wick play a vital role in the geyser temperature oscillation of the tube wall. The numerical simulation method and the results of this study are anticipated to provide a good reference for the investigation of geyser boiling in high-temperature heat pipes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.92-98
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• 2018

The flow of cooling water in a passive containment cooling system (PCCS), used to remove heat released in design basis accidents from a concrete containment of light water nuclear power plant, was conducted in order to investigate the thermo-fluid equilibrium among many parallel tubes of PCCS. Numerical simulations of the subcooled boiling flow within a coolant loop of a PCCS, which will be installed in innovative pressurized-water reactor (PWR), were conducted using the commercially available computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS-CFX. Shear stress transport (SST) and the RPI model were used for turbulence closure and subcooled flow boiling, respectively. As the first step, the simplified geometry of PCCS with 36 tubes was modeled in order to reduce computational resource. Even and uneven thermal loading conditions were applied at the outer walls of parallel tubes for the simulation of the coolant flow in the PCCS at the initial phase of accident. It was observed that the natural circulation maintained in single-phase for all even and uneven thermal loading cases. For uneven thermal loading cases, coolant velocity in each tube were increased according to the applied heat flux. However, the flows were mixed well in the header and natural circulation of the whole cooling loop was not affected by uneven thermal loading significantly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2017

The external reactor vessel cooling (ERVC) is well known strategy to mitigate a severe accident at which nuclear fuel inside the reactor vessel is molten. In order to compare the heat removal capacity of ERVC between the nuclear reactor designs quantitatively, numerical method is often used. However, the study for ERVC using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is still quite scarce. As a validation study on the numerical prediction for ERVC using CFD, the subcooled boiling flow and natural circulation of coolant at the ULPU-V experiment was simulated. The commercially available CFD software ANSYS-CFX was used. Shear stress transport (SST) model and RPI model were used for turbulence closure and wall-boiling, respectively. The averaged flow velocities in the downcomer and the baffle entry under the reactor vessel lower plenum are in good agreement with the available experimental data and recent computational results. Steam generated from the heated wall condenses rapidly and coolant flows maintains single-phase flow until coolant boils again by flashing process due to the decrease of saturation temperature induced by higher elevation. Hence, the flow rate of coolant natural circulation does not vary significantly with the change of heat flux applied at the reactor vessel, which is also consistent with the previous literatures.