• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.416-423
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• 2009

High-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) using solid oxide cell is a challenging method for highly efficient large-scale hydrogen production as a reversible process of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The overall efficiency of the HTSE hydrogen and synthesis gas production system was analyzed thermo-electrochemically. A thermo-electrochemical model for the hydrogen and synthesis gas production system with solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) was established. Sensitivity analyses with regard to the system were performed to investigate the quantitative effects of key parameters on the overall efficiency of the production system. The overall efficiency with SOEC and VHTR was expected to reach a maximum of 58% for the hydrogen production system and to 62% for synthesis gas production system by improving electrical efficiency, steam utilization rate, waste heat recovery rate, electrolysis efficiency, and thermal efficiency. Therefore, overall efficiency of the synthesis production system has higher efficiency than that of the hydrogen production system.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.469-474
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• 2014

The high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR-10) is designed to produce electricity and hydrogen. Graphite is used as reflector, support structures, and a moderator in reactor core; it has good resistance to neutron and is a suitable material at high temperatures. Friction is generated in the graphite structures for the core reflector, support structures, and moderator because of vibration from the HTR-10 fuel cycle flow. In this study, the wear characteristics of the isotropic graphite IG-110 used in HTR-10 were evaluated. The reciprocating wear test was carried out for graphite against graphite. The effects of changes in the contact load and sliding speeds at room temperature and $400^{\circ}C$ on the coefficient of friction and specific wear rate were evaluated. The wear behavior of graphite IG-110 was evaluated based on the wear surfaces.

• Journal of Institute of Convergence Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 2017

SI process is one of the most advanced thermochemical water splitting cycles enabling mass production of hydrogen without emitting carbon dioxide when coupled to nuclear heat energy. The highest temperature (close to $1000^{\circ}C$) required in SI process is well matched with the outlet temperature of a coolant circulating a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor at around $950^{\circ}C$. In Section 3, some heat exchangers are included to recover heats from process flows at high temperature. In this work, we designed a heat exchanger based on the $1Nm^3/hr$ $H_2$ production capacity using commercial tools for chemical process design.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.893-905
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• 2016

Numerous advanced reactor concepts have been proposed to replace light water reactors ever since their establishment as the dominant technology for nuclear energy production. While most designs seek to improve cost competitiveness and safety, the implausibility of doing so with affordable materials or existing nuclear fuel infrastructure reduces the possibility of near-term deployment, especially in developing countries. The organic nuclear concept, first explored in the 1950s, offers an attractive alternative to advanced reactor designs being considered. The advent of high temperature fluids, along with advances in hydrocracking and reforming technologies driven by the oil and gas industries, make the organic concept even more viable today. We present a simple, cost-effective, and safe small modular nuclear reactor for offshore underwater deployment. The core is moderated by graphite, zirconium hydride, and organic fluid while cooled by the organic fluid. The organic coolant enables operation near atmospheric pressure and use of plain carbon steel for the reactor tank and primary coolant piping system. The core is designed to mitigate the coolant degradation seen in early organic reactors. Overall, the design provides a power density of 40 kW/L, while reducing the reactor hull size by 40% compared with a pressurized water reactor while significantly reducing capital plant costs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.375-387
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• 2004

This paper presents a transient multicomponent mixture analysis tool developed to analyze the molecular diffusion, natural convection, and chemical reactions related to air ingress phenomena that occur during a primary-pipe rupture of a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HIGR). The present analysis tool solves the one-dimensional basic equations for continuity, momentum, energy of the gas mixture, and the mass of each gas species. In order to obtain numerically stable and fast computations, the implicit continuous Eulerian scheme is adopted to solve the governing equations in a strongly coupled manner. Two types of benchmark calculations were performed with the data of prerious Japanese inverse U-tube experiments. The analysis program, based on the ICE technique, runs about 36 times faster than the FLUENT6 for the simulation of the two experiments. The calculation results are within a 10% deviation from the experimental data regarding the concentrations of the gas species and the onset times of natural convection.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.79-87
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• 2000

This paper describes experimental investigations of helium-air exchange flow through openings with vertical partitions. Such exchange flows may occur following rupture accident of stand pipe in high temperature gas cooled reactor. Exchange flow rates are investigated experimentally by using partitioned opening and opening with extended partition to assess fluids interference of the exchange flow at the stand pipe rupture accident. A tests vessel with the two types of opening on top of test cylinder is used in the experiments. An estimation method of mass increment is developed and applied to measure the exchange flow rate. A technique of flow visualization by Mach-Zehnder interferometer is provided to recognize the exchange flows. Amplitude and progress of interference fringes of the flows are observed and used as a support in comparison with the exchange flow rates. Flow passages of upward flow of the helium and downward flow of the air for both two types of the opening are separated by inserted partition within the opening, but in the case of partitioned opening, unseparated flow is formed at the opening entrance and the two flows interface. The exchange flow rate for the partitioned opening is not greater than that of the opening with extended partition because of the fluids interference at the entrance of opening. Finally, the fluids interference at the opening entrance is found to be one of important factors on the helium-air exchange flow rate.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.113-120
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• 2008

In this study, The TRITGO code was introduced, which can predict the amount of tritium production, it's transport, removal, distribution and the level of contamination for the produced hydrogen by the tritium on the VHTR (very high temperature gas cooled reactor). The TRITGO code was improved so that the permeation to the IS Iodine Sulfide) loop for producing the hydrogen can be simulated. The contamination level of the produced hydrogen by the tritium was predicted by the improved code for the VHTR with 600MW thermal power. The contamination level for the produced hydrogen by tritium was predicted as 0.055 Bq/$H_2-g$. This level is three order of lower than the regulation value of 56 Bq/$H_2-g$ from Japan. From this study, the following results were obtained. it is important that the fuel coating (SiC layer) should be kept intact to prevent the tritium from releasing. Also it is necessary that the level of impurity such as 3He and Li in the helium coolant and the reflector consisting of the graphite should be kept as low as possible. It was found that the capacity of the purification system for filtering the impurities directly from the coolant will be the important design parameter.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.175-181
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• 2016

This study investigates the dispersibility of carbon in carbon contained ammonium diuranate (C-ADU) gel particles and the characteristics of C-ADU gel liquid droplets produced by the vibrating nozzle and integrated aging-washing-drying equipment. It was noted that the excellent stability of carbon dispersion was only observed in the C-ADU gel particle that contained carbon black named CB 10. ADU gel liquid droplets containing carbon particles with the excellent sphericity of approximately 1,950 mm were then obtained using an 80-100-Hz vibrating nozzle system. Dried C-ADU gel particles obtained by the aging-washing-drying equipment were thermal decomposed until $500^{\circ}C$ at a rate of $1^{\circ}C/min$ in an air or in 4% $H_2$ gas atmosphere. The thermally decomposed C-ADU gel particles showed 24% weight loss and a more complicated profile than that of ADU gel particles.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1736-1746
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• 2021

The results of full-scale numerical experiments of a hybrid thorium-containing fuel cell facility operating in a close-to-critical state due to a controlled source of fusion neutrons are discussed in this work. The facility under study was a complex consisting of two blocks. The first block was based on the concept of a high-temperature gas-cooled thorium reactor core. The second block was an axially symmetrical extended plasma generator of additional neutrons that was placed in the near-axial zone of the facility blanket. The calculated models of the blanket and the plasma generator of D-T neutrons created within the work allowed for research of the neutronic parameters of the facility in stationary and pulse-periodic operation modes. This research will make it possible to construct a safe facility and investigate the properties of thorium fuel, which can be continuously used in the epithermal spectrum of the considered hybrid fusion-fission reactor.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2009

A set of experiments has been conducted on the performance sensitivity of the passive residual heat removal system (PRHRS) for an advanced integral type reactor, SMART, by using a high temperature and high pressure thermal-hydraulic test facility, the VISTA facility. In this paper the effects of the opening delay of the PRHRS bypass valves and the closing delay of the secondary system isolation valves, and the initial water level and the initial pressure of the compensating tank (CT) are investigated. During the reference test a stable flow occurs in a natural circulation loop that is composed of a steam generator secondary side, a secondary system, and a PRHRS; this is ascertained by a repetition test. When the PRHRS bypass valves are operated 10 seconds later than the secondary system isolation valves, the primary system is not properly cooled. When the secondary system isolation valves are operated 10 or 30 seconds later than the PRHRS bypass valves, the primary system is effectively cooled but the inventory of the PRHRS CT is drained earlier. As the initial water level of the CT is lowered to 16% of the full water level, the water is quickly drained and then nitrogen gas is introduced into the PRHRS, resulting in the deterioration of the PRHRS performance. When the initial pressure of the PRHRS is at 0.1MPa, the natural circulation is not performed properly. When the initial pressures of the PRHRS are 2.5 or 3.5 MPa, they show better performance than did the reference test.