• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 한국원자력학회 2005년도 춘계학술발표회
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• pp.389-390
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 한국원자력학회 2005년도 추계학술발표회
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• pp.103-104
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 한국재료학회 2002년도 추계학술발표강연 및 논문개요집
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• pp.193-193
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 한국원자력학회 1999년도 추계학술발표회요약집
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• pp.249.1-249
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2017년도 추계학술논문요약집
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• pp.85-86
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• 2017

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.23-34
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• 2020

Two-phase flow and heat transfer characteristics during the reflood phase of a single heated rod in the KHU reflood experimental facility were examined. Two-phase flow behavior during the reflooding experiment was carefully visualized along with transient temperature measurement at a point inside the heated rod. By numerically solving one-dimensional inverse heat conduction equation using the measured temperature data, time-resolved wall heat flux and temperature histories at the interface of the heated rod and coolant were obtained. Once water coolant was injected into the test section from the bottom to reflood the heated rod of >700℃, vast vapor bubbles and droplets were generated near the reflood front and dispersed flow film boiling consisted of continuous vapor flow and tiny liquid droplets appeared in the upper part. Following the dispersed flow film boiling, inverted annular/slug/churn flow film boiling regimes were sequentially observed and the wall temperature gradually decreased. When so-called minimum film boiling temperature reached, the stable vapor film between the heated rod and coolant was suddenly collapsed, resulting in the quenching transition from film boiling into nucleate boiling. The moving speed of the quench front measured in the present study showed a good agreement with prediction by a correlation in literature. The obtained results revealed that typical two-phase flow and heat transfer behaviors during the reflood phase of overheated fuel rods in light water nuclear reactors are well reproduced in the KHU facility. Thus, the verified reflood experimental facility can be used to explore the effects of other affecting parameters, such as CRUD, on the reflood heat transfer behaviors in practical nuclear reactors.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권7호
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• pp.2756-2766
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• 2024

Small rod-controlled pressurized water reactors (PWR) are the ideal energy source for vessel propulsion, benefiting from their high reactivity control efficiency. Since the control rods (CRs) increase the complexity of reactivity control, this paper seeks to study the performance of CRs in small rod-controlled PWRs to extend the lifetime and reduce power offset due to CRs. This study investigates CR grouping, move-in/out strategies, and axially non-uniform design effects on core neutron physics metrics. These metrics include axial offset (AO), core lifetime (CL), fuel utilization (FU), and radial power peaking factor (R-PPF). To simulate the movement of the CRs, a "Critical-CR-burnup" function was developed in OpenMC. In CR designs, the CRs are grouped into three banks to study the simultaneous and prioritized move-in/out strategies. The results show CL extension from 590 effective full power days (EFPDs) to 638-698 EFPDs. A lower-worth prioritized strategy minimizes AO and the extremum values decrease from -0.69 and + 0.81 to -0.28 and + 0.51. Although an axially non-uniform CR design can improve AO at the beginning of cycle (BOC), considering the overall CR worth change is crucial, as a significant decrease can adversely impact axial power distribution during the middle of cycle (MOC).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.225-232
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• 2008

An estimation has been made for inventories and characteristics of spent nuclear fuel(SNF) to be generated from existing and planned nuclear power plants based on the 3rd Basic Plan for Electric Power Demand and Supply. The characteristics under consideration in this study are dimensions, a fuel rod array, a weight, $^{235}U$ enrichment, and the discharge burnup in terms of fuel assembly. These are essentially needed for designing a pyroprocessing facility. It is appeared that the anticipated quantity by the end of 2077 is about 23,000 tU for PWR spent nuclear fuel. It is revealed that the proportion of SNF with the initial $^{235}U$ enrichment below 4.5 weight percent(wt.%) is approximately 95 % in total. For SNF with 16$\times$16 fuel rod array the proportion is expected approximately 74% in total. It appears that the average burnup of SNF will be 55 GWd/tU after the medium and/or latter part of 2010s while the average burnup is 45 GWd/tU at present. Finally, a requirement in terms of reference SNF for designing the pyroprocessing facility has been derived from the above-mentioned results. The anticipated SNF seems to be 16$\times$16 Korean Standard Fuel Assembly with a cross section of 21.4 cm$\times$21.4 cm, a length of 453 cm, a mass of 672 kg, the initial $^{235}U$ enrichment of 4.5 wt.%, and the discharge burnup of 55 GWd/tU.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.59-63
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• 2012

The spacer grid is one of the main structural components in a fuel assembly. It supports fuel rods, guides cooling water and maintains geometry from external impact load and cyclic stress by the vibration of nuclear fuel rod, it is necessary to have sufficient strength against dynamic external load and fatigue strength. In this study, the mechanical properties and fatigue characteristics of laser beam welded zircaloy thin sheet are examined. The material used in this study is a zirconium alloy with 0.66 mm of thickness. The fatigue strength under cyclic load was evaluated at stress ratio R=0.1. S-N curves are presented with statistical testing method recommend by JSME- S002 and compared with S-N curves at R.T. and $315^{\circ}C$. As a result of the experimental approach, the design guide of fatigue strength is proposed and the results obtained from this study are expected to be useful data for spacer gird design.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• 제14권8호
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• pp.816-822
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• 2000

In the core of the nuclear power plant of PWR, several cases of fuel failure by unknown causes have been experienced for various fuel types. From the common features of the failure pattern, failure lead time, flow conditions, and flow induced vibration characteristics in nuclear fuel bundles, it is deduced that the fretting wear failure of the fuel rod at the spacer grid position is due to the fluidelastic vibration. In the past, fluidelastic vibration was simulated by quasi -static semi-analytical model, so called the static model, which could not account for the interaction between the rods within a bundle. To overcome this defect and to provide for more flexibilities applicable to the fuel bundle, Tanaka's unsteady model was modified to accomodate the geometrical differences and governing parameter changes during the operations such as the number of rods, pitch to diameter ratio (P/D), spring force, damping coefficient, etc. The critical velocity was calculated by solving the governing equations with the MATLAB code. A comparison between the estimated critical velocity and the test result shows a good agreement. Finally, the level of decrease of the critical velocity due to the reduction in the spring force and reduced damping coefficient due to the radiation exposure is also estimated.