• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.410-416
• /
• 2010

Studies were carried out to establish the technology for sodium-clad compatibility and to analyze the compatibility behavior of the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) cladding material under a flowing sodium environment. The natural circulation facility caused by the thermal convection of the liquid sodium was constructed and the 316-series stainless steels were exposed at $650{^{\circ}C}$ liquid sodium for 1458 hours. The weight change and related microstructural change were analyzed. The results showed that the quasi-dynamic facility represented by the natural convection exhibited similar results compared to the conventional dynamic facility. Selective leaching and local depletion of the chromium, re-distribution of the carbide, and the decarburization process took place in the 316-series stainless steel under a flowing sodium environment. This process decreased as the sodium flowed along the channel, which was caused by the change in the dissolved oxygen and carbon activity in the liquid sodium.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.8
• /
• pp.3117-3129
• /
• 2022

Deeply understanding the phase change of thin liquid sodium film inside wick pore is very important for further studying high-temperature sodium heat pipe's heat transfer. For the first time, the evaporation and condensation of thin liquid sodium film are investigated by the Lennard-Jones potential of molecular dynamics. Based on the startup and normal operation of the sodium heat pipe, three different cases are simulated. First, the equilibrium is achieved and the Mass Accommodation Coefficients of the three cases are 0.3886, 0.2119, 0.2615 respectively. Secondly, the non-equilibrium is built. The change of liquid film thickness, the number of gas atoms, the net evaporation flux (J_net), the heat transfer coefficient (h) at the liquid-gas interface are acquired. Results indicate that the magnitude of the J_net and the h increase with the basic equilibrium temperature. In 520-600 K (the startup of the heat pipe), the h has approached 5-6 W m^-2 K^-1 while liquid film thickness is in 11-13 nm. The fact shows that during the initial startup of the sodium heat pipe, the thermal resistance at the liquid-gas interface can't be negligible. This work is the complement and extension for macroscopic investigation of heat transfer inside sodium heat pipe. It can provide a reference for further numerical simulation and optimal design of the sodium heat pipe in the future.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.893-899
• /
• 2024

In a secondary cooling system of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), rapid detection of hydrogen due to sodium-water reaction (SWR) caused by water leakage from a heat exchanger tube of a steam generator (SG) is important in terms of safety and property protection of the SFR. For hydrogen detection, the hydrogen detectors using atomic transmission phenomenon of hydrogen within Ni-membrane were used in Japanese proto-type SFR "Monju". However, during the plant operation, detection signals of water leakage were observed even in the situation without SWR concerning temperature up and down in the cooling system. For this reason, the study of a new hydrogen detector has been carried out to improve stability, accuracy and reliability. In this research, the authors focus on the difference in composition of hydrogen and the difference between the background hydrogen under normal plant operation and the one generated by SWR and theoretically estimate the hydrogen behavior in liquid sodium by using ultra-accelerated quantum chemical molecular dynamics (UA-QCMD). Based on the estimation, dissolved H or NaH, rather than molecular hydrogen (H₂), is the predominant form of the background hydrogen in liquid sodium in terms of energetical stability. On the other hand, it was found that hydrogen molecules produced by the sodium-water reaction can exist stably as a form of a fine bubble concerning some confinement mechanism such as a NaH layer on their surface. At the same time, we observed experimentally that the fine H₂ bubbles exist stably in the liquid sodium, longer than previously expected. This paper describes the comparison between the theoretical estimation and experimental results based on hydrogen form in sodium in the development of the new hydrogen detector in Japan.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.286-300
• /
• 2002

An algorithm for the sodium boiling model has been developed for calculation of the void reactivity feedback as well as the fuel and cladding temperatures in the KALIMER core after onset of sodium boiling. Modeling of sodium boiling in liquid metal reactors using sodium as a coolant is necessary because of phenomenon difference comparing with that observed generally in light water reactor systems. The applied model to the algorithm is the multiple-bubble slug ejection model. It allows a finite number of bubbles in a channel at any time. Voiding is assumed to result from formation of bubbies that (ill the whole cross section of the coolant channel except for the liquid film left on the cladding surface. The vapor pressure, currently, is assumed to be uniform within a bubble The present study is focused on not only demonstration of the vapor bubble behavior predicted by the developed model, but also confirmation of a qualitative acceptance for the model. As a result, the model can represent important phenomena in the sodium boiling, but it is found that further effort is also needed for its completition.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.620-625
• /
• 2018

Liquid detergent based on sodium lauryl ethoxy sulfate (SLES) as main ingredient sometimes met gelling film on the surface when it is opened in the air. It was assumed because of the change of phase diagram of micelle by concentration change of surfactant, major ingredient of detergent when the water of detergent is evaporated. SLES showed strong hexagonal liquid crystal (LC) in 30~60 wt%, and lamellar LC over 60 wt%. In this research surface gelling formation of liquid detergent which is based on SLES as main ingredient was because of water evaporation. As water of detergent was evaporated, concentration of surfactant became higher. It was checked that surface gelling was LC of mixed surfactant system. Conclusionally we applied alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) having good solubility, Sodium secondary alkane sulfonate (SAS) preventing hexagonal LC and hydrotrope sodium xylene sulfonate (SXS) and PEG1500 in order to prevent gelling film in SLES based liquid detergent. Like this, improved formula 4 and 5 can prevent the formation of gelling film on the surface of liquid detergent when it is opened in the air.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.540-548
• /
• 2016

The non-Newtonian flow curves of sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate-water lamellar liquid crystals were obtained in various concentrations and temperatures by using a cone-plate rheometer. By applying non-Newtonian flow equation to the flow curves for AOT-water lamellar liquid crystal samples, the rheological parameters were obtained. Particular attention is given to the hysteresis loop detected when the liquid crystal samples are shear under increasing-decreasing shear stress modes which result in thixotropic and dilatant behavior. Sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate-water lamellar liquid crystals behave as weak gels when they are subjected to shear flow, but when the applied stress surpasses the yield stress, they exhibit non-linear viscoelasticity. Upon decreasing shear rate, the dispersion still preserves much of its structure and consequently its shear stress remains higher than the values measured in the increasing shear rate mode.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
• /
• 2000.06a
• /
• pp.1829-1835
• /
• 2000

The experimental results of sodium-water reaction noise measurement in frequency range $1{/sim}200kHz$ are presented. The experiments of noise generation under the condition of sodium test facility, water leak rate $0.01{\sim}1.2g/s$ and temperature of sodium $250{\sim}500^{\circ}C$, were carried out. From theoretical study it is noted that the noise resonant attenuation on hydrogen bubbles in liquid sodium plays the significant role for leak noise spectra formation. Interaction of leak noise and hydrogen bubbles in sodium being accompanied by thermal, emission and viscosity energy dissipation was studied. Acoustic noise spectra were investigated from point of view of water leak detection in sodium/water steam generator. The results of sodium-water reaction noise absorption on hydrogen bubbles in liquid sodium by temperature $250{\sim}500^{\circ}C$ are presented. The theoretical model of noise absorption using the coefficients of attenuation was developed. From calculation the coefficients of attenuation were estimated.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 1998.06e
• /
• pp.247-250
• /
• 1998

The scattering of plane ultrasonic waves by the nuclear fuel pin of liquid metal reactor in sodium is studied. According to the internal composition in the cladding tube, the fuel pin has three cross sections, i.e. helium gas plenum, sodium-filled section, and fuel insertion section. The scattering spectra for each section of the fuel pin are different. The circumnavigating ultrasonic waves of each section are analyzed by the resonance scattering method. The whispering gallery wave modes are generated in the sodium-filled plenum section and the fuel rod insertion section with a sodium-gap. The circumferential wave modes are propagated in the cladding tube of the helium gas plenum section. The annular gap between the cladding tube and metal uranium pellet rod affects the scattering spectra. The different propagation characteristics can be utilized for the nondestructive method of detecting the unbonded area and measuring the level of the sodium-filled section of the fuel pin.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2008

The transformation of the liquid crystal complex made by binding of anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), into high charge density cationic polymer, the homopolymer of diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) was induced by adding of nonionic surfactants and investigated by means of microscopy and FE.SEM. Among nonionic surfactants in this experiments polyethylene glycol (3 mol) ether of lauryl alcohol (laureth-3) made variation in the complex. The laureth-3 transformed the complex into spherulite vesicle with the size of ca.$100{\mu}m$. This change increased the viscosity and the turbidity of the solution phase separated originally. Microscope showed that they are spherulite particles and polarized microscope suggested they are multi.lamellar liquid crystals. FE-SEM also proved that explicitly.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.260-265
• /
• 2015

Spherical fine cobalt powders were fabricated by new liquid reduction method. Commercial cobalt sufate heptahydrate was used as raw material. Also ethylene glycol was used as solvent and hydrazine-sodium hypophosphite mixture was used as reduction agent for the new liquid reduction method. A plate shaped cobalt powders with an approximately 300 nm were prepared by a traditional wet ruduction method using distilled water as solvent and hydrazine. Spherical fine cobalt powders with an average size of $1-3{\mu}m$ were synthesized by a new liquid reduction method in 0.3M cobalt sulfate and 1.5M hydrazine-0.6M sodium hypophosphite mixture at 333K.