• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.52 no.10
• /
• pp.2402-2409
• /
• 2020

Analytical criteria for the onset of fuel fragmentation and Burst Fission Gas Release in fuel rods with ballooned claddings are formulated. On that basis, the GRSW-A model integrated with a fuel behaviour code is updated. After modification, the updated code is successfully applied to simulation of the Halden LOCA test IFA-650.12. Specifically, the calculation with Burst Fission Gas Release during the test resulted in prediction of cladding failure, whereas it could not be predicted at the test planning, before new models were implemented. A good agreement of the current model with experimental data for transient Fission Gas Release in the tests IFA-650.12 and IFA-650.14 is shown, as well.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.283-291
• /
• 2024

Sodium cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) are built with several engineered safety features and hence a severe accident such as a core melt accident is hypothetical with a probability of <10^-6/ry. However, in case of such accidents, the mixture of the molten fuel and structural materials interacts with sodium. This phenomenon is known as Molten Fuel Coolant Interaction (MFCI) and results in fragmentation of the melt due to various instabilities. The fragmented particles settle as a debris bed on the core catcher at the bottom of the reactor vessel, and continue to generate decay heat. Characteristics of the debris particles play a vital role in heat transfer from the bed and need thorough investigation. The size, shape, and physical state of the debris depend on the associated fragmentation mechanism, superheating of the melt, and sodium temperature. Experiments have been conducted by releasing simulated corium, a molten mixture of alumina and iron generated by the aluminothermy process at ~2400 ℃ into liquid sodium, to study the fragmentation phenomena. After the experiment, the fragmented debris was retrieved and the particle size distribution was determined by sieve analysis. The debris was subjected to microscopic investigation for obtaining morphological characteristics. Based on the characteristics of debris, an attempt has been made to assess of fragmentation mechanism of simulated corium in sodium.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.64-70
• /
• 2012

Samples of pure Mg, 76.5 wt%Mg-23.5 wt%Ni, and 71.5 wt%Mg-23.5 wt%Ni-5 wt%$Fe_2O_3$ were prepared by reactive mechanical grinding and their hydriding and dehydriding properties were then investigated. The reactive mechanical grinding of Mg with Ni is considered to facilitate nucleation and to shorten diffusion distances of hydrogen atoms. After hydriding-dehydriding cycling, the 76.5 wt%Mg-23.5 wt%Ni and 71.5 wt%Mg-23.5 wt%Ni-5 wt%$Fe_2O_3$ samples contained $Mg_2Ni$ phase. In addition to the effects of the creation of defects and the decrease in particle size, the addition of Ni increases the hydriding and dehydriding rates by the formation of $Mg_2Ni$. Expansion and contraction of the hydride-forming materials (Mg and $Mg_2Ni$) with the hydriding and dehydriding reactions are also considered to increase the hydriding and dehydriding rates of the mixture by forming defects and cracks leading to the fragmentation of particles. The reactive mechanical grinding of Mg-Ni alloy with $Fe_2O_3$ is considered to decrease the particle size.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.463-468
• /
• 2012

A 71.5 wt%Mg-23.5 wt%Ni-5 wt%$Fe_2O_3$ (Mg-23.5Ni-$5Fe_2O_3$) sample was prepared by a quite simple process, reactive mechanical grinding, and its hydriding and dehydriding properties were then investigated. The reactive mechanical grinding of Mg with Ni and $Fe_2O_3$ is considered to facilitate nucleation and shorten the diffusion distances of the hydrogen atoms. After the hydriding-dehydriding cycling, the Mg-23.5Ni-$5Fe_2O_3$ sample contained $Mg_2Ni$ phase. Expansion and contraction of the hydride-forming materials (Mg and $Mg_2Ni$) with the hydriding and dehydriding reactions are also considered to increase the hydriding and dehydriding rates of the mixture by forming defects and cracks leading to the fragmentation of the particles. The temperature dependence of the hydriding rate of the sample is discussed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.103-117
• /
• 1996

A mathematical model of vapor explosion propagation is presented. The model predict two-dimensional, transient flow fields and energies of the four fluid phases of melt drop, fragmented debris, liquid coolant and vapor coolant by solving a set of governing equations with the relevant constitutive relations. These relations include melt fragmentation, coolant-phase-change, and heat and momentum exchange models. To allow thermodynamic non-equilibrium between the coolant liquid and vapor, an equation of state for oater is uniquely formulated. A multiphase code, TRACER, has been developed based on this mathematical formulation. A set of base calculations for tin/water explosions show that the model predicts the explosion propagation speed and peak pressure in a reasonable degree although the quantitative agreement relies strongly on the parameters in the constitutive relations. A set of calculations for sensitivity studies on these parameters have identified the important initial conditions and relations. These are melt fragmentation rate, momentum exchange function, heat transfer function and coolant phase change model as well as local vapor fractions and fuel fractions.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.411-420
• /
• 2018

This study presents a revised crackling core model for the description of $UO_2$ sphere oxidation in air atmosphere. For close reproduction of the sigmoid behavior exhibited in $UO_2$ to $U_3O_8$ conversion, the fragmentation effect contributing to the increased reactive surface area and the concept of variable grain conversion time were considered in the model development. Under the assumptions of two-step successive reaction of $UO_2{\rightarrow}U_3O_7{\rightarrow}U_3O_8$ and final grain conversion time equivalent to ten times the initial grain conversion time, the revised model showed good agreement with the experimental data measured at 599 - 674 K and a lowest deviation when compared with Nucleation and Growth model and AutoCatalytic Reaction model. The evaluated activation energy at 100% conversion to $U_3O_8$, $57.6kJ{\cdot}mol^{-1}$, was found to be closer to the experimentally extrapolated value than to the value determined in AutoCatalytic Reaction model, $48.6kJ{\cdot}mol^{-1}$.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.120-131
• /
• 2005

The evaporation characteristics of single and multicomponent droplets hanging at the tip of a quartz fiber are studied experimentally at the different environmental conditions under normal gravity. Heptane and Hexadecane are selected as two fuels with different evaporation rates and boiling temperatures. At the first step, the evaporation of single component droplet of both fuels has been examined separately. At the next step the evaporation of several blends of these two fuels, as a binary component droplet, has been studied. The temperature and pressure range is selected between 400 and 700 $^{\circ}C$, and 0.1 and 2.5 MPa, respectively. High temperature environment has been provided by a falling electrical furnace. The initial diameter of droplet was in range of 1.1 and 1.3 mm. The evaporation process was recorded by a high speed CCD camera. The results of binary droplet evaporation show the three staged evaporation. In the the first stage the more volatile component evaporates. The droplet temperature rises after an almost non evaporating period and in the third stage a quasi linear evaporation takes place. The evaporation of the binary droplet at low pressure is accompanied with bubble formation and droplet fragmentation and leads to incomplete microexplosion. The component concentration affects the evaporation behavior of the first two stages. The bubble formation and droplet distortion does not appear at high environment pressure. Nomenclature