• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.147-159
• /
• 2024

Plutonium-238 has always been considered as the one of the promising radioisotopes for space nuclear power supply, which has long half-life, low radiation protection level, high power density, and stable fuel form at high temperatures. The industrial-scale production of ²³⁸Pu mainly depends on irradiating solid ²³⁷NpO₂ target in high flux reactors, however the production process faces problems such as large fission loss and high requirements for product quality control. In this paper, a conceptual design study of producing ²³⁸Pu in a multi-purpose high flux reactor was evaluated and analyzed, which includes a sensitivity analysis on ²³⁸Pu production and a further study on the irradiation scheme. It demonstrated that the target structure and its location in the reactor, as well as the operation scheme has an impact on ²³⁸Pu amount and product quality. Furthermore, the production efficiency could be improved by optimizing target material concentration, target locations in the core and reflector. This work provides technical support for irradiation production of ²³⁸Pu in high flux reactors.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.417-422
• /
• 2006

The present paper describes the 45 MW High Flux Reactor (HFR) which is located in Petten, The Netherlands. This paper focuses on selected technical aspects of this reactor and on nuclear fuel irradiation experiments. These fuel experiments are mainly experiments on Light Water Reactor (LWR) and Very/High Temperature Reactor (V/HTR) fuels, but also on Fast Reactor (FR) fuels, transmutation fuels and Material Test Reactor (MTR) fuels.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.8
• /
• pp.2723-2733
• /
• 2023

Transuranic nuclides (such as ²³⁸Pu, ²⁵²Cf, ²⁴⁹Bk, etc.) have a wide range of application in industry, medicine, agriculture, and other fields. However, due to the complex conversion chain and remarkable fission losses in the process of transuranic nuclides production, the generation amounts are extremely low. High flux reactor with high neutron flux and flexible irradiation channels, is regarded as the promising candidate for producing transuranic nuclides. It is of great significance to increase the conversion ratio of transuranic nuclides, resulting in higher efficiency and better economy. In this paper, we perform an optimization design evaluation of producing transuranic nuclides in high flux reactor, which includes optimization design of irradiation target and influence study of reactor core loading. It is demonstrated that the production rate increases with appropriately determined target material and target structure. The target loading scheme in the irradiation channel also has a significant influence on the production of transuranic nuclides.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.8
• /
• pp.3085-3094
• /
• 2022

The design concept of a Small High-flux Multipurpose LBE(Lead Bismuth Eutectic) cooled Fast Reactor (SHMLFR) was proposed in the paper. The primary cooling system of the reactor is forced circulation, and the fuel element form is arc-plate loaded high enrichment MOX fuel. The core is cylindrical with a flux trap set in the center of the core, which can be used as an irradiation channel. According to the requirements of the core physical design, a series of physical design criteria and constraints were given, and the steady and transient parameters of the reactor were calculated and analyzed. Regarding the thermal and hydraulic phenomena of the reactor, a simplified model was used to conduct a preliminary analysis of the fuel plates at special positions, and the temperature field distribution of the fuel plate with the highest power density under different coolant flow rates was simulated. The results show that the various parameters of SHMLFR meet the requirements and design criteria of the physical design of the core and the thermal design of the reactor. This implies that the conceptual design of SHMLFR is feasible.

• 전기의세계
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.18-23
• /
• 1970

A neutron detector, in general, can not be utilized as the thermal neutron detecting chamber in the nuclear power reactor, especially P.W.R. due to the characteristics of high temperature, high pressure and high neutron flux in a reactor vessel. We have performed an experiment to detect the thermal neutrons at 400.deg. C and high flux of thermal neutron in a power reactor. Coating boron-10 on the aluminium plates by means of surface diffusion method at 600.deg. C for 5 hours in an electric furace, also we made a typical chamber which was compensated ionization chamber filled with free air as an ionization gas. It was checked the chamber characteristics in the TRIGA MARK-II Reactor at the power level from zero to 250KW. The chamber current showed a perfect linear increase to power increase. However, many variation of the measured current were observed within the power of 50KW.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2003.07a
• /
• pp.601-604
• /
• 2003

The magnetic field generated in the iron core, which is required for the magnetic field to link each coil of the flux-lock type reactor, affects the fault current limiting characteristics of the flux-lock type high-Tc superconducting fault current limiter(SFCL). By applying numerical analysis for equivalent circuit of flux-lock type SFCL, the magnetic field induced in the iron core including currents of each coil was investigated. Through the analysis of magnetic field, we have analyzed that the magnetic field linked the 3rd coil, which is wound in the iron core, prevents the saturation of the iron core, but decreases the impedance of the flux-lock type SFCL.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.499-507
• /
• 2020

Research reactors for radioisotope production, fuel and material testing and research activities are designed, constructed and operated based on the society's needs. In this study, neutronic and thermal hydraulic design of a high neutron flux research reactor core for radioisotope production is presented. Main parameters including core excess reactivity, reactivity variations, power and flux distribution during the cycle, axial and radial power peaking factors (PPF), Pu₂₃₉ production and minimum DNBR are calculated by nuclear deterministic codes. Core calculations performed by deterministic codes are validated with Monte Carlo code. Comparison of the neutronic parameters obtained from deterministic and Monte Carlo codes indicates good agreement. Finally, subchannel analysis performed for the hot channel to evaluate the maximum fuel and clad temperatures. The results show that the average thermal neutron flux at the beginning of cycle (BOC) is 1.0811 × 10¹⁴ n/㎠-s and at the end of cycle (EOC) is 1.229 × 10¹⁴ n/㎠-s. Total Plutonium (Pu₂₃₉) production at the EOC evaluated to be 0.9487 Kg with 83.64% grade when LEU (UO₂ with 3.7% enrichment) used as fuel. This designed reactor which uses LEU fuel and has high neutron flux and low plutonium production could be used for peaceful nuclear activities based on nuclear non-proliferation treaty concepts.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.10
• /
• pp.3824-3832
• /
• 2022

Prompt capture gammas are an important part of the fission reactor gamma field. Because some of the structural materials after neutron capture can emit photons with high energies forming the dominant component of the gamma spectrum in the high energy region, the following study of the high energy capture gamma was carried out. High energy gamma radiation may play a major role in areas of the radiation sciences as reactor dosimetry. The HPGe measurements and calculations of the high-energy aluminum capture gamma were performed at two moderator levels in the VR-1 pool-type reactor. The result comparison for nominal levels was within two sigma uncertainties for the major 7.724 MeV peak. A larger discrepancy of 60% was found for the 7.693 MeV peak. The spectra were also measured using a stilbene detector, and a good agreement between HPGe and stilbene was observed. This confirms the validity of stilbene measurements of gamma flux. Additionally, agreement of the wide peak measurement in 7-9.2 MeV by stilbene detector shows the possibility of using the organic scintillators as an independent power monitor. This fact is valid in these reactor types because power is proportional to the thermal neutron flux, which is also proportional to the production of capture gammas forming the wide peak.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.33 no.9
• /
• pp.709-717
• /
• 2009

Heat transfer rate is a very important factor for the performance of a steam reformer because a steam reforming reaction is an endothermic reaction. Coaxial cylindrical reactor is the reactor design which can improve the heat transfer rate. Temperature, fuel conversion and heat flux in the coaxial cylindrical steam reformer are studied in this paper using numerical method under various operating conditions. Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and pseudo-homogeneous model are incorporated for the catalytic surface reaction. Dominant chemical reactions are assumed as a Steam Reforming (SR) reaction, a Water-Gas Shift (WGS) reaction, and a Direct Steam Reforming (DSR) reaction. Although coaxial cylindrical steam reformer uses 33% less amount of catalyst than cylindrical steam reformer, its fuel conversion is increased 10 % more and its temperature is also high as about 30 degree. There is no heat transfer limitation near the inlet area at coaxial-type reactor. However, pressure drop of the coaxial cylindrical reactor is 10 times higher than that of cylindrical reactor. Operating parameters of coaxial cylindrical steam reformer are the wall temperature, the inlet temperature, and the Gas Hourly Space Velocity (GHSV). When the wall temperature is high, the temperature and the fuel conversion are increased due to the high heat transfer rate. The fuel conversion rate is increased with the high inlet temperature. However, temperature drop clearly occurs near the inlet area since an endothermic reaction is active due to the high inlet temperature. When GHSV is increased, the fuel conversion is decreased because of the heat transfer limitation and short residence time.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.921-930
• /
• 2001

A new theoretical critical heat flux (CHF) model was developed for the forced convective flow boiling at high pressure, high mass velocity, and low quality. The present model for an intermittent vapor blanket was basically derived from the sublayer dryout theory without including any empirical constant. The vapor blanket velocity was estimated by an axial force balance, and the thickness of vapor blanket was determined by a radial force balance for the Marangoni force and lift force. Based on the comparison of the predicted CHF with the experimental data taken from previous studies, the present CHF model showed satisfactory results with reasonable accuracy.