• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.1310-1317
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• 2017

GASFLOW-MPI is a widely used scalable computational fluid dynamics numerical tool to simulate the fluid turbulence behavior, combustion dynamics, and other related thermal-hydraulic phenomena in nuclear power plant containment. An efficient scalable linear solver for the large-scale pressure equation is one of the key issues to ensure the computational efficiency of GASFLOW-MPI. Several advanced Krylov subspace methods and scalable preconditioning methods are compared and analyzed to improve the computational performance. With the help of the powerful computational capability, the large eddy simulation turbulent model is used to resolve more detailed turbulent behaviors. A backward-facing step flow is performed to study the free shear layer, the recirculation region, and the boundary layer, which is widespread in many scientific and engineering applications. Numerical results are compared with the experimental data in the literature and the direct numerical simulation results by GASFLOW-MPI. Both time-averaged velocity profile and turbulent intensity are well consistent with the experimental data and direct numerical simulation result. Furthermore, the frequency spectrum is presented and a -5/3 energy decay is observed for a wide range of frequencies, satisfying the turbulent energy spectrum theory. Parallel scaling tests are also implemented on the KIT/IKET cluster and a linear scaling is realized for GASFLOW-MPI.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.192.1-192.1
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• 2003

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.24-35
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• 2004

In order to analyze the hydrogen distribution during a severe accident in the APR1400 containment, GASFLOW II was used. For the APR1400 NPP, a hydrogen mitigation system is considered from the design stage, but a fully time-dependent, three-dimensional analysis has not been performed yet. In this study GASFLOW code II is used for the three-dimensional analysis. The first step to analysis involving hydrogen behavior in a full containment with the GASLOW code is to generate a realistic geometry model, which includes nodalization and modeling of the internal structures such as walls, ceilings and equipment. Geometry modeling of the APR1400 is conducted using GUI program by overlapping the containment cut drawings in a graphical file format on the mesh view. The total number of mesh cells generated is 49,476. And the calculated free volume of the APR1400 containment by GASFLOW is almost the same as the value from the GOTHIC modeling. A hypothetical SB-LOCA scenario beyond design base accident was selected to analyze the hydrogen behavior with the hydrogen mitigation system. The source of hydrogen and steam for the GASFLOW II analysis is obtained from a MAAP calculation. Combustion pressure and temperature load possibilities within the compartments used in the GOTHIC analysis are studied based on the Sigma-Lambda criteria. Finally the effectiveness of HMS installed in the APR1400 containment is evaluated from the point of severe accident management

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2015

During the past 10 years, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has performed a study to control hydrogen gas in the containment of the nuclear power plants. Before the Fukushima accident, analytical activities for gas distribution analysis in experiments and plants were primarily conducted using a multidimensional code: the GASFLOW. After the Fukushima accident, the COM3D code, which can simulate a multidimensional hydrogen explosion, was introduced in 2013 to complete the multidimensional hydrogen analysis system. The code validation efforts of the multidimensional codes of the GASFLOW and the COM3D have continued to increase confidence in the use of codes using several international experimental data. The OpenFOAM has been preliminarily evaluated for APR1400 containment, based on experience from coded validation and the analysis of hydrogen distribution and explosion using the multidimensional codes, the GASFLOW and the COM3D. Hydrogen safety in nuclear power has become a much more important issue after the Fukushima event in which hydrogen explosions occurred. The KAERI is preparing a large-scale test that can be used to validate the performance of domestic passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs) and can provide data for the validation of the severe accident code being developed in Korea.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.617-648
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• 2009

Under the government supported long-term nuclear R&D program, the severe accident research program at KAERI is directed to investigate unresolved severe accident issues such as core debris coolability, steam explosions, and hydrogen combustion both experimentally and numerically. Extensive studies have been performed to evaluate the in-vessel retention of core debris through external reactor vessel cooling concept for APR1400 as a severe accident management strategy. Additionally, an improvement of the insulator design outside the vessel was investigated. To address steam explosions, a series of experiments using a prototypic material was performed in the TROI facility. Major parameters such as material composition and void fraction as well as the relevant physics affecting the energetics of steam explosions were investigated. For hydrogen control in Korean nuclear power plants, evaluation of the hydrogen concentration and the possibility of deflagration-to-detonation transition occurrence in the containment using three-dimensional analysis code, GASFLOW, were performed. Finally, the integrated severe accident analysis code, MIDAS, has been developed for domestication based on MELCOR. The data transfer scheme using pointers was restructured with the modules and the derived-type direct variables using FORTRAN90. New models were implemented to extend the capability of MIDAS.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.10 no.3 s.30
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• pp.9-18
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• 2005

During a hypothetical severe accident in a nuclear power plant (NPP), hydrogen is generated by the active reaction of fuel-cladding and steam in the reactor pressure vessel and released with steam into the containment. In order to mitigate hydrogen hazards possibly occurred in the NPP containment, hydrogen mitigation system (HMS) is usually adopted. The design of the next generation NPP (APR1400) designed in Korea specifies 26 passive autocatalytic recombiners and 10 igniters installed in the containment for the hydrogen mitigation. in this study, the analysis of the hydrogen and steam behavior during a total lose of feed water (TLOFW) accident in the APR1400 containment has been conducted by using the CFD code GASFLOW. During the accident, a huge amount of hot water, steam, and hydrogen is released in the in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST). The current design of the APR1400 includes flap-type dampers at the IRWST vents which are operated depending on the pressure difference between inside and outside of the IRWST. it was found that the flaps strongly affects the flow structure of the steam and hydrogen in the containment. The possibilities of a flame acceleration and transition from deflagration to detonation (DDT) were evaluated by using Sigma-Lambda criteria. Numerical results indicate the DDT possibility could be heavily reduced in the IRWST compartment when the flaps are installed.