• 한국소음진동공학회논문집
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• 제16권11호
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• pp.1115-1123
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• 2006

Nuclear fuel rods are exposed to axial flow in a reactor, and flow-induced-vibration due to the flow usually causes damage in the fuel rods. Thus a prior knowledge about dynamic behavior of a fuel rod exposed to the flow condition should be provided. This paper shows that dynamic characteristics of a nuclear fuel rod depend on axial flow velocity. Assuming small lateral displacement, the effects of uniform axial flow are investigated. The analytic results show that axial flow generally reduces fuel rod stiffness and raises its damping in normal condition. Also, the critical axial velocities which make the fuel rod behavior unstable were found. That is, solving generalized eigenvalue equation of the fuel rod dynamic system, the eigenvalues with positive real part are detected. Based on the simulation results, on the other hand, it turns out that the ordinary axial flow in nuclear reactors does not affect to stability of a nuclear fuel rod even in the conservative condition.

• 전기학회논문지
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• 제61권12호
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• pp.1948-1952
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• 2012

The paper presents modal testing and analysis in order to obtain the dynamic characteristics of a middle spacer grids of a nuclear fuel rod. A spacer grid is one of the important structural elements supporting nuclear fuel rods. Such a fuel rod can be oscillated by its thermal expansion, neutron irradiation and etc. due to cooling water flow under the operation of a nuclear power plant. When the fuel rod vibrates, fretting wear due to repeated friction motion between the fuel rods and spacer grids can be occurred, and so the fuel rod is damaged. In this paper, through modal analysis and testing, natural frequencies and modes of a middle spacer grid were calculated, and the following conclusions were obtained. Firstly the numerical first-seven natural frequencies for spacer grids of a fuel rod having complicated structures have a small difference within 3.8% with experimental natural frequencies, and so the suitability of simulation results was verified. Secondly, experimental mode shapes for a middle spacer grid of a nuclear fuel rod were verified by obtaining lower non-diagonal terms through MAC(Modal Assurance Criteria), and were confirmed by the simulation modes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.73-82
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• 2001

Pressurized water reactor(PWR) fuel rods. which are continuously supported by a spring system called a spacer grid(SG), are exposed to reactor coolant at a flow velocity of up to 6-8 m/s. It is known that the vibration of 3 fuel rod is generated by the coolant flow, a so-called flow-induced-vibration(FIV), and the relative motion induced by the FIV between the fuel rod and the SG can wear away the surface of the fuel rod, which occasionally leads to its fretting failure. It is, therefore, important to understand the vibration characteristics of the fuel rod and reflect that in its design. In this paper, vibration analyses of the fuel rod with two different SGs were performed using both analytical and experimental methods. Updating of the finite element(FE) model using the measured data was performed in order to enhance confidence in the FE model of fuel rods supported by an SG. It was found that the modal parameters are very sensitive to the spring constant of the SG.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.255-266
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• 1980

핵연료봉의 동특성을 구명하였다. 지지그림과 연료봉의 모델을 작성하였고, 이들 모델을 실험을 통해 입증하였다. 유한요소모델과 SAPV전자계산 푸로그램을 사용하여 자연진동수와 모드를 구하였다. 핵연료봉의 n=1모드동특성을 쉽게 계제할 수 있는 간단한 보모델을 제시하였다. 보모델의 결과는 유한요소법에 의한것과 거의 비슷함을 보였다.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.3-11
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• 1999

The atomic fuel rods between top and bottom end pieces of reactor need to be extended for high combustion rate of future-type fuel to increase the irradiation in the axial direction. For allowing axial extension of the fuel rods, the space between top and bottom end pieces should be expanded. Thus the thickness reduction of the flow plate is necessary. This study was carried out the mechanical strength test by using strain gages as a function of flow plate thickness, the existence of skirt and loading condition for the Korean Fuel Assembly(KOFA). The experimental apparatus was designed for load conditions, uniformly distributed load and displacement. Test method using whiffle tree of uniformly distributed load has been comparatively conservative. The test results were compared with those of finite element analysis and the test method on bottom end piece was established.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 2001년도 ICCAS
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• pp.123.3-123
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• 2001

To recycle the uranium resources in the spent nuclear fuels, all the fuel rods are extracted from the spent fuel assemblies. The remaining components of the spent fuel assembly after extracting all the rods, so called a NFBC(Non-Fuel Bearing Components), should be compacted to minimize the waste volume. To this present, KAERI (Korea Atomic Research Institute) has developed he NFBC compactor by introducing a new concept of cutting and compaction, In this paper, to achieve he maximum compaction ration of the NFBC volume while reducing compactor size, an fuzzy controller, which determines the reference force of the compactor, is proposed with using he fuzzy-inference.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.424-429
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• 1993

핵연료 소결체가 장전되는 핵연료봉의 끝부분에는 각각의 핵연료봉을 구분해주는 고유의 문자가 인쇄되어 있다. 핵연료 집합체 제조 과정에서 각각의 핵연료봉은 고유 문자에 의해 구분되어 체계적으로 관리되고 있으며 아울러 핵연료 연소 이상상태 감시 및 사용후 핵연료 검사 분야에서 핵연료봉 제조과정 추적에 이용되고 있다. 핵연료봉 문자 자동인식은 핵연료 집합체 제조과정의 자동화를 위한 핵심 기술이다. 본 연구에서는 핵연료봉 문자인식 시스템을 개발하여, 핵 연료봉단에 기록된 각 문자로 부터 추출한 메쉬 특징값을 데이타베이스에 저장된 특정 문자의 특징값과 비교하여 자동으로 문자인식을 수행하도록 하였다. 실험 결과, 95.83 퍼센트의 양호한 인식률을 기록하였다.

• 한국압력기기공학회 논문집
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.163-170
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• 2023

Since spent nuclear fuel assemblies (SFA) are transported to interim storage or final disposal facility after cooling the decay heat, finite element analysis (FEA) with simplification is widely used to show their integrity against cladding failure to cause dispersal of radioactive material. However, there is a lack of research addressing the comprehensive impact of shape and element simplification on analysis results. In this study, for the optimization of a typical pressurized water reactor SFA, different types of finite element models were generated by changing number of fuel rods, fuel rod element type and assembly length. A series of FEA in use of these different models were conducted under a shock load data obtained from surrogate fuel assembly transportation test. Effects of number of fuel rods, element type and length of assembly were also analyzed, which shows that the element type of fuel rod mainly affected on cladding strain. Finally, an optimal finite element model was determined for other practical application in the future.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1996년도 춘계학술발표회논문집(1)
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• pp.257-262
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• 1996

The characteristics of adjuster rods have been studied for the application to DUPIC core in two aspects: the half an hour xenon override capability and power flattening. The transient analysis has shown that the adjusters used for CANDU 6 have the reactivity worths more than required to override xenon load for DUPIC core. Parametric study has shown that removing 7 adjuster rods in the middle row and adjusting the strength of the rest of adjuster rods can provide the performances no worse than those of natural uranium core.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.493-520
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• 2009

During the last four decades, 16 Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and 4 Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) have been constructed and operated in Korea, and nuclear fuel technology has been developed to a self-reliant state. At first, the PWR fuel design and manufacturing technology was acquired through international cooperation with a foreign partner. Then, the PWR fuel R&D by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has improved fuel technology to a self-reliant state in terms of fuel elements, which includes a new cladding material, a large-grained $UO_2$ pellet, a high performance spacer grid, a fuel rod performance code, and fuel assembly test facility. The MOX fuel performance analysis code was developed and validated using the in-reactor test data. MOX fuel test rods were fabricated and their irradiation test was completed by an international program. At the same time, the PWR fuel development by Korea Nuclear Fuel (KNF) has produced new fuel assemblies such as PLUS7 and ACE7. During this process, the design and test technology of fuel assemblies was developed to a self-reliant state. The PHWR fuel manufacturing technology was developed and manufacturing facility was set up by KAERI, independently from the foreign technology. Then, the advanced PHWR fuel, CANFLEX(CANDU Flexible Fuelling), was developed, and an irradiation test was completed in a PHWR. The development of the CANFLEX fuel included a new design of fuel rods and bundles.. The nuclear fuel technology in Korea has been steadily developed in many national R&D programs, and this advanced fuel technology is expected to contribute to a worldwide nuclear renaissance that can create solutions to global warming.