• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.618-623
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• 2022

The bipolar plate is a key component of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) that transfers reactants and electrons, discharges water and heat as by-products, and serves as a mechanical support for the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Therefore, the flow field structure of the bipolar plate plays an important role in improving fuel cell performance. In this study, PEMFC performance was investigated with copper foams with different compressibility ratios applied to cathode bipolar plates using a 25 cm² unit cell. The total resistance decreased as the compressibility ratio of the metal foams increased, and, in particular, the charge transfer and mass transfer resistance were significantly improved compared to the serpentine flow field, lowering voltage loss in medium and high current density region. In the case of pressurized air reactant flow with serpentine structure, fuel cell performance was similar to that of a compressed metal foam flow field (S3) up to the medium current density region, but low performance appeared in the high current density region due to flow field structure limitations.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.283-291
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• 2023

The physical properties were analyzed for four gas diffusion layers, and gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) for the cathode of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell were fabricated through bar coating with three binder to carbon (B/C) ratios. Among them, The GDE from JNT30-A6P showed a significant change in secondary pore volume at a B/C ratio of 0.31, which had the largest pore volume among all GDEs. In the polarization curve, JNT30-A6P GDE showed the best membrane electrode assembly (MEA) performance with a peak power density of 384 mW/cm² at a a B/C ratio of 0.31. From the distribution of relaxation time analysis, the peak 1 corresponding to mass transfer resistance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was significantly reduced in the JNT30-A6P GDE. This is the result that when the binder content decreased, the volume of the secondary pore increased, and the mass transfer resistance of ORR decreased, which played an essential role in the MEA performance.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.3775-3786
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• 2023

Mixing Vane Grid (MVG) is one of the most important structures in fuel assembly due to its high performance in mixing the coolant and ultimately increasing Critical Heat Flux (CHF), which avoids the temperature rising suddenly of fuel rods. To evaluate the mixing performance of the MVG, a Total Diffusion Coefficient (TDC) mixing coefficient is defined in the subchannel analysis code. Conventionally, the TDC of the spacer grid is obtained from the combination of experiments and subchannel analysis. However, the processing of obtaining and determine a reasonable TDC is much challenging, it is affected by boundary conditions and MVG geometries. In is difficult to perform all the large and costing rod bundle tests. In this paper, the CFD method was applied in TDC analysis. A typical 5 × 5 MVG was simulated and validated to estimate the mixing performance of the MVG. The subchannel code was used to calculate the TDC. Firstly, the CFD method was validated from the aspect of pressure drop and lateral temperature distribution in the subchannels. Then the effect of boundary conditions including the inlet temperature, inlet velocities, heat flux ratio between hot and cold rods and the arrangement of hot and cold rods on MVG mixing and TDC were studied. The geometric effects on mixing are also carried out in this paper. The effect of vane pattern on mixing was investigated to determine which one is the best to represent the grid's mixing performance.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.274-284
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to describe the spectrometric analysis of gaseous cloud formation over reactor mixed uranium-and-plutonium (UP) fuel $(U_{0.8}Pu_{0.2})O_2$ samples heated to a temperature $>2,000^{\circ}C$, and thus forecast and evaluate radiation hazards threatening humans who cope with the consequences of any accident at a fission reactor loaded by UP mixed oxide $(U_{0.8}Pu_{0.2})O_2$, such as a mixture of 80% U and 20% Pu in weight. Materials and methods: The UP nuclear fuel samples were heated up to a temperature of over $2,000^{\circ}C$ in a suitable assembly (apparatus) at out-of-pile experiments' implementation, the experimental in-depth study of metabolism of active materials in living organisms by means of artificial irradiation of pigs by plutonium. Spectrometric measurements were carried out on the different exposed organs and tissues of pigs for the further estimation of human internal exposure by nuclear materials released from the core of a fission reactor fueled with UP mixed oxide. Results: The main results of the research described are the following: (1) following the research on the influence of mixed fuel fission products (radioactive isotopes being formed during reactor operation as a result of nuclear decay of elements included into the fuel composition) on living organisms, the authors determined the quantities of plutonium dioxide ($PuO_2$) that penetrated into blood and lay in the pulmonary region, liver, skeleton and other tissues; and (2) experiments confirmed that the output speed of plutonium out of the basic precipitation locations is very small. On the strength of the experimental evidence, the authors suggest that the biological output of plutonium can be disregarded in the process of evaluation of the internal irradiation doses.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2008

This Study is to analyze the characteristics of arson fire under fire dynamics to protect people and property from arson fire which has been radically increased with the development of the Korean economy. Assembly and merchandise purposes such as theater, retail, and exhibition has been performed as the arson fire study. The experiment for this study is based on the analysis of the characteristic for its own combustion process and smoke spread when arson fire occurs. This study presents the analysis through comparing the condition of setting fire using liquid fuel such as thinner on purpose to the condition of setting fire naturally depending on each occupancy.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.133-137
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• 2006

Ion permeability characteristics in nano-polymer membrane structures are performed to investigate the chemical composition and characteristics of MEA(Membrane Electrolyte Assembly) which is one of the most important parts to decide the performance in PEMFC(Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell) system. Subsequently, the MEA manufacturing process is presented for the uniformed MEA product. In the meantime, the analysis of SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) is carried out in order to investigate the joint aspect and chemical composition of MEA. As a result of SEM analysis, it is found that the bonded catalyst and carbon composition contain the reasonable amount to get unit cell output. It is also found that the humidification gives the better performance result slightly.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.21-26
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• 1997

Recently, thorium is receiving increasing attention as an important fertile material for the expanding nuclear power programs around the world. The superior nuclear and physical properties of thorium-based fuels could lead to very low fuel cycle cost and make thorium reactors economically attractive. In addition, the use of thorium in reactors would permit more efficient utilization of low cost uranium reserves and reduction nuclear wastes. In this work, the nuclear characteristics of a new type thorium fueled reactor (Radkowsky Thorium Reactor) consisting seed-blanket assemblies are addressed and compared with those typical assemblies of a PWR (CE type). Also, an assessment on several advantages of thorium fueled reactors is provided. All these results are based on the HELIOS code calculation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.15-20
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• 1997

We present the results HELIOS verification against VENUS PWR critical experiments loaded with high plutonium content mixed oxides fuels. The effective multiplication factors are calculated to be slightly supercritical within an acceptable error bound. In the prediction of power shape, HELIOS results are in close agreement with the measured values. The RMS errors of re-normalized calculated fission rate distribution are less than 1.4 % with either explicit or implicit models or micro tubes/rods in each fuel assembly for both ALL-MOX and GD-MOX mock-up cores.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.2 no.2 s.6
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• pp.50-59
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• 2006

An experimental and numerical study is carried out to investigate the performance and the efficiency humidifying Membrane Electrolyte Assembly and having the double-layered catalyst in a fuel cell system which is taken into account the physical and thermal concept. Based on the principals of the problem, the equation of electronic charge conservation equation, gas-phase continuity equation, and mass balance equation are used for the numerical calculation. A unit cell for $200cm^2$ MEA is assembled and measured for finding better operational situation. After finding the optimal condition, 10 cell stacked PEMFC is fabricated. For the performance evaluation, V-I and power curves are examined in detail by changing the condition of humidity, temperature, pressure, thickness of catalyst and oxidant. It is found that the power is maximized around 500W at 80A.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.12a
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• pp.202-211
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• 2000

Characteristics of the fuel injection and entrainment of the primary air of gas burner have been investigated. Primary air flow rates that entrained by gas streams play major role to control the performance of the partially premixed combustion. Pressure distributions of mixing tube assembly are studied as major parameter for increasing the primary air flow rates. Buoyancy-effect burner is proposed as one alternative to improve the pressure distribution. Buoyancy effect caused by metal ring placed around the flame holes reduces pressure of the entrance of the mixing tube and that, entrained air flow rates are increased.