• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.164-170
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• 2010

Thermodynamic consideration was performed for Alloy 617 exposed to an impure helium ($H_2$ 20pa, $H_2O$ 0.5pa, $CH_4$ 2pa and CO 5pa) at $950^{\circ}C$. Oxidation power was decreased in the order Al > Ti > Si > Cr > Mn. Decarburization and carburization reactions were available leading to carbon activity decrease and increase, respectively, depending on carbon and Cr activities. The thermodynamic prediction was compared with the experimental results obtained in similar conditions (($H_2$ 20pa, $H_2O$ 0.05pa, $CH_4$ 5pa and CO 2pa) and $950^{\circ}C$) by others for Alloy 617. The driving force for oxidation of Al, Ti and Si is very large to be oxidized at a given impure helium and the environment is actually carburizing towards the structural alloy, which is consistent with this work.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권7호
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• pp.561-570
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• 2008

When reactivity insertion such as refueling occurs in CANDU reactors, the power and the water levels are tilted in the upper outer zone of the LZCS (Liquid Zone Control System) and fluctuate unstably for a certain period of time (1-5 days). The instability described above is observed in most CANDU reactors in service around the world, but its root cause is unidentified and no solutions to this problem have been established. Therefore, this study attempted to prove experimentally and analytically that the root cause lies in the hold-up of light water on the top of the TSP (Tube Support Plate) due to the mismatch between net volumetric flow rate of light water and helium crossing the narrowed porous TSP installed within the LZCS compartment. Our method was to perform a hydrodynamic simulation of in/outflow of light water and helium. Two solutions for the aforementioned instability of LZCS are suggested. One is to regulate the compartment for both inflowing helium gas and outflowing light water; the other is to enlarge the flow paths of helium and light water within TSP. The former may be applicable to nuclear reactors in service and the latter to those planned for construction.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.269-275
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• 2006

Atmospheric-pressure cold plasma (APCP) using helium/oxygen was developed and tested as a suitable sterilization method in a clinical environment. The sterilizing effect of this method is not due to UV light, which is known to be the major sterilization factor of APCP, but instead results from the action of reactive oxygen radicals. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae deposited on a nitrocellulose filter membrane or Bacillus subtilis spores deposited on polypropylene plates were exposed to helium/oxygen plasma generated with AC input power at 10 kHz, 6 kV. After Plasma treatment, nitrocellulose filter membranes were overlaid on fresh solid media and CFUs were counted after incubation overnight. D-values were 18 sec for E. coli, 19 sec for S. aureus, 1 min 55 sec for S. cerevisiae, and 14 min for B. subtilis spores. D-values of bacteria and yeast were dependent on the initial inoculation concentration, while the D-value of B. subtilis spores showed no correlation. When treated cells were observed with a scanning electron microscope, E. coli was more heavily damaged than S. aureus, S. cevevisiae exhibited peeling, and B. subtilis spores exhibited shrunken morphology. Results showed that APCP using helium/oxygen has many advantages as a sterilization method, especially in a clinical environment with conditions such as stable temperature, unlimited sample size, and no harmful gas production.

• 한국초전도ㆍ저온공학회논문지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.25-29
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• 2012

The novel type of cable under consideration is cooled by gaseous Helium at elevated pressure. Helium is known for having poor electric breakdown strength; therefore the dielectric capabilities of this type of cable must be tested under conditions similar to the envisaged operation. In order to study the dielectric performance we have designed and built a novel high pressure cryostat rated at 2.17 MPa which has been used for testing model cables of lengths of up to 1 m. The cryostat is an open system where the gas is not re-circulated. This allows maintaining a high purity of the gas. The target temperature range is between 40 K and 70 K. This substantially increases the critical current density of the HTS compared to 77 K, which is the typical temperature of cables cooled by liquid nitrogen. The cryostat presented allows for adjusting the temperature and keeping it constant for the time necessary to run a complete dielectric characterization test. We give a detailed description of the cryostat. Measurements of partial discharge inception voltages as well as the temperature distribution along the model cables as a function of time are presented.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.163-168
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• 2016

Korea has been developing nuclear fusion fuel storage and delivery system (SDS) technologies including a basic scientific study on hydrogen storage. To develop nuclear fusion technology, it is necessary to store and supply hydrogen isotopes needed for Tokamak operation. SDS is used for storing hydrogen isotopes as a metal hydride form. The rapid hydriding of tritium is very important not only for safety reasons but also for the economic design and operation of the SDS. In this study, we designed and fabricated a medium-scale getter bed of depleted uranium (DU). The hydriding of DU has been measured by varying the initial temperature ($100-300^{\circ}C$) of the DU getter bed to investigate the influence of the cooling temperature. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of a helium blanket on the hydriding performance with 0 - 12% helium content in hydrogen.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.8-15
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• 2019

A high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) is recognized as the best candidate reactor for next generation nuclear reactors. Helium is used to be the coolant in the core of the HTGR with temperature expected to exceed $900^{\circ}C$ at the core outlet. Several iron- and nickel-based superalloys, including Alloy 800H, Hastelloy X, and Alloy 617, are potential structural materials for intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) in an HTGR. Oxidation behaviors of three selected alloys (Hastelloy X, Alloy 800H, and Alloy 617) were investigated at four different temperatures from $650^{\circ}C$ to $950^{\circ}C$ under helium environments with various concentrations of $O_2$ and $H_2O$. Preliminary results showed that chromium oxide as the primary protective layer was observed on surfaces of the three tested alloys. Based on results of mass gain and SEM analyses, Hastelloy X alloy exhibited the best corrosion resistance in all corrosion tests. Further details on the oxidation mechanism of these alloys are presented in this study.

• 한국초전도ㆍ저온공학회논문지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.57-61
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• 2020

Cooling by gas helium circulation can be used for various HTS (high temperature superconductor) magnets operating at 20~40 K, and a cryogenic blower is an essential device for circulating gas helium in the cooling system. The performance of the cryogenic blower is determined by various design parameters such as the impeller diameter, the blade number, the vane angle, the volute cross-sectional area, and the rotating speed. The trailing edge angle and the height of impeller vane are also key design factors in determining the blower performance. This study describes the design, fabrication and performance evaluation of cryogenic blower to produce a flow rate of 30 g/s at 5 bar, 35 K gas helium. The impeller shape is designed using a specific speed/specific diameter diagram and CFD analysis. After the fabrication of the cryogenic blower, a test equipment is also developed using a GM cryocooler. The measured flow rates and the pressure differences are compared with the design values at various rotating speeds and the results show a good agreement. Isentropic efficiency is also evaluated using the measured pressures and temperatures.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Society
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• 제73권10호
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• pp.1486-1494
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• 2018

Based on the semiclassical theory of chaotic scattering, Tanner et al. [J. Phys. B 40, F157 (2007)] proposed the fluctuation in the partial photoionization cross section of helium below the double-ionization threshold would show the same characteristics as in the total cross section, predicting that the Fourier spectrum of the fluctuation reveals peaks at the classical actions of closed triple collision orbits and the amplitude of the fluctuation decreases algebraically as the energy approaches the double-ionization threshold. In that paper, however, the predictions were not clearly confirmed due to the lack of experimental data with sufficient accuracy. So instead, we calculate the partial photoionization cross sections of collinear eZe helium for the energy range from the single-ionization threshold $I_{20}$ to $I_{32}$ in order to numerically confirm the predictions. Analysis of the fluctuation in the partial cross section shows that the predictions are indeed valid. Our findings mean that the fluctuation in the partial photoionization cross section can be described by classical triple collision orbits in the semiclassical limit. Thus it explains in a natural way the mirroring and mimicking structures observed in cross section signals for different ionization channels.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권12호
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• pp.2760-2770
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• 2020

A model for calculation of fuel temperature profile using binary gas mixture of Helium and Xenon for gap gas conductance is proposed here. In this model, the temperature profile of a fuel pencil from fuel centreline to fuel surface has been calculated by taking into account the dilution of Helium gas filled during fuel manufacturing due to accumulation of fission gas Xenon. In this model an explicit calculation of gap gas conductance of binary gas mixture of Helium and Xenon has been carried out. A computer code Fuel Characteristics Calculator (FCCAL) is developed for the model. The phenomena modelled by FCCAL takes into account heat conduction through the fuel pellet, heat transfer from pellet surface to the cladding through the gap gas and heat transfer from cladding to coolant. The binary noble gas mixture model used in FCCAL is an improvement over the parametric model of Lassmann and Pazdera. The results obtained from the code FCCAL is used for fuel temperature calculation in 3-D neutron diffusion solver for the coolant outlet temperature of the core at steady operation at full power. It is found that there is an improvement in calculation time without compromising accuracy with FCCAL.

• 한국초전도ㆍ저온공학회논문지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.64-68
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• 2009

To keep the superconducting (SC) magnet coils of KSTAR at proper operating conditions, not only the coils but also other cold components, such as thermal shields (TS), magnet structures, SC bus-lines (BL), and current leads (CL) must be maintained at their respective cryogenic temperatures. A helium refrigeration system (HRS) with an exergetic equivalent cooling power of 9kW at 4.5K without liquid nitrogen $(LN_2)$ pre-cooling has been manufactured and installed for such purposes. In this proceeding, we will present the commissioning and initial operation results of the KSTAR HRS. Circuits which can simulate the thermal loads and pressure drops corresponding to the cooling channels of each cold component of KSTAR have been integrated into the helium distribution system of the HRS. Using those circuits, the performance and the capability of the HRS, to fulfill the mission of establishing the appropriate operating condition for the KSTAR SC magnet coils, have been successfully demonstrated.