• 시스템엔지니어링학술지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.67-77
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• 2020

Traditionally nuclear thermal hydraulic and nuclear safety has relied on numerical simulations to predict the system response of a nuclear power plant either under normal operation or accident condition. However, this approach may sometimes be rather time consuming particularly for design and optimization problems. To expedite the decision-making process data-driven models can be used to deduce the statistical relationships between inputs and outputs rather than solving physics-based models. Compared to the traditional approach, data driven models can provide a fast and cost-effective framework to predict the behavior of highly complex and non-linear systems where otherwise great computational efforts would be required. The objective of this work is to develop an AI algorithm to predict the peak fuel cladding temperature as a metric for the successful implementation of FLEX strategies under extended station black out. To achieve this, the model requires to be conditioned using pre-existing database created using the thermal-hydraulic analysis code, MARS-KS. In the development stage, the model hyper-parameters are tuned and optimized using the talos tool.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권12호
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• pp.4335-4349
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• 2023

Nuclear marine propulsion has been emerging as a next generation carbon-free power source, for which proper passive residual heat removal systems (PRHRSs) are needed for long-term safety. In particular, the characteristics of unlimited operation time and compact design are crucial in maritime applications due to the difficulties of safety aids and limited space. Accordingly, a compact and long-term-operable PRHRS has been proposed with the key design concept of using both air cooling and seawater cooling in tandem. To confirm its feasibility, this study conducted system design and a transient analysis in an accident scenario. Design results indicate that seawater cooling can considerably reduce the overall system size, and thus the compact and long-term-operable PRHRS can be realized. Regarding the transient analysis, the Multi-dimensional Analysis of Reactor Safety (MARS-KS) code was used to analyze the system behavior under a station blackout condition. Results show that the proposed design can satisfy the design requirements with a sufficient margin: the coolant temperature reached the safe shutdown condition within 36 h, and the maximum cooling rate did not exceed 40 ℃/h. Lastly, it was assessed that both air cooling and seawater cooling are necessary for achieving long-term operation and compact design.

• 시스템엔지니어링학술지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.75-93
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• 2022

Machine learning (ML) data-driven meta-model is proposed as a surrogate model to reduce the excessive computational cost of the physics-based model and facilitate the real-time prediction of a nuclear power plant's transient response. To forecast the transient response three machine learning (ML) meta-models based on recurrent neural networks (RNNs); specifically, Long Short Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and a sequence combination of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and LSTM are developed. The chosen accident scenario is a control element assembly withdrawal at power concurrent with the Loss Of Offsite Power (LOOP). The transient response was obtained using the best estimate thermal hydraulics code, MARS-KS, and cross-validated against the Design and control document (DCD). DAKOTA software is loosely coupled with MARS-KS code via a python interface to perform the Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty Quantification (BEPU) analysis and generate a time series database of the system response to train, test and validate the ML meta-models. Key uncertain parameters identified as required by the CASU methodology were propagated using the non-parametric Monte-Carlo (MC) random propagation and Latin Hypercube Sampling technique until a statistically significant database (181 samples) as required by Wilk's fifth order is achieved with 95% probability and 95% confidence level. The three ML RNN models were built and optimized with the help of the Talos tool and demonstrated excellent performance in forecasting the most probable NPP transient response. This research was guided by the Systems Engineering (SE) approach for the systematic and efficient planning and execution of the research.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권8호
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• pp.1611-1625
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• 2020

We propose a scaled-down experimental model of vertical air-natural convection channels by applying the modified Ishii-Kataoka scaling method with the assistance of numerical analyses to the Reactor Vault Cooling System (RVCS) of the Proto-type Gen-IV Sodium-cooled fast reactor (PGSFR) being developed in Korea. Two major non-dimensional numbers (modified Richardson and Friction number) from the momentum equation and Stanton number from the energy balance equation were identified to design the scaled-down experimental model to assimilate thermal-hydraulic behaviors of the natural convective air-cooling channel of RVCS. The ratios of the design parameters in the PGSFR RVCS between the prototype and the scaled-down model were determined by setting Richardson and Stanton number to be unity. The friction number which cannot be determined by the Ishii-Kataoka method was estimated by numerical analyses using the MARS-KS system code. The numerical analyses showed that the friction number with the form loss coefficient of 2.0 in the scale-down model would result in an acceptable prediction of the thermal-hydraulic behavior in RVCS. We also performed experimental benchmarking using the scaled-down model with the MARS-KS simulations to verify the appropriateness of the scale-down model, which demonstrated that the temperature rises and the average air flow velocity measured in the scale-down model.

• 한국압력기기공학회 논문집
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.37-42
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• 2022

An influence analysis on multiple steam generator tube rupture (mSGTR) followed by an unmitigated station blackout is performed to compare the plant responses according to the number of ruptured u-tubes under the assumption of a total of 10 ruptured u-tubes. In all calculation cases, the transient behaviour of major thermal-hydraulic parameters, such as the discharge flow rate through the ruptured u-tubes, reactor header pressure, and void fraction in the fuel channels is found to be overall similar to that of the base case having a single SG with 10 u-tubes ruptured. Additionally, as the conditions of low-flow coolant with high void fraction in the broken loop continued, causing the degradation of decay heat removal, the peak cladding temperature (PCT) would be expected to exceed the limit criteria for ensuring nuclear fuel integrity. However, despite the same total number of ruptured u-tubes, because of the different connection configuration between the SG and pressurizer, a difference is foud in time between the pressurizer low-level signal and reactor header low-pressure signal, affecting the time to trip the reactor and to reach the PCT limit. The present study is expected to provide the technical basis for the accident management strategy for mSGTR transient conditions of CANDU-6 plants.

• 에너지공학
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.73-88
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• 2014

Various studies on the critical flow models for sub-cooled and/or saturated water were reviewed, especially on Fauske, Moody, and Henry for basic theoretical models; Zaloudek for insight into physical phenomena for a critical flow in an orifice type flow path; Sozzi & Sutherland for a critical flow test of saturated and sub-cooled water at high pressure for orifice and nozzles; and a Marviken test on a full-scale critical flow test. In addition, critical flow tests of sub-cooled water for the break simulators in integral effect test (IET) facilities were also investigated, and a hybrid concept using Moody's and Fauske's models was considered by the authors. In the comparison of the models for the selected test data, discussions of the effect of the diameters, predictions of the critical flow models, and design aspects of break simulator for SBLOCA scenarios in the IET facilities were presented. In the effect of diameter on the critical flow rate with respect to all dimensional scales, it was concluded that the effect of diameter was found irrespective of diameter sizes. In addition, the diameter effect on slip ratio affecting the critical flow rate was suggested. From a comparison of the critical flow models and selected test data, the Henry-Fauske model of the MARS-KS code was found to be the best model predicting the critical flow rate for the selected test data under study.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제44권6호
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• pp.561-586
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• 2012

This paper describes a summary of final prediction results by system-scale safety analysis codes during the OECD/NEA/CSNI ISP-50 exercise, targeting a 50% Direct Vessel Injection (DVI) line break integral effect test performed with the Advanced Thermal-Hydraulic Test Loop for Accident Simulation (ATLAS). This ISP-50 exercise has been performed in two consecutive phases: "blind" and "open" phases. Quantitative comparisons were performed using the Fast Fourier Transform Based Method (FFTBM) to compare the overall accuracy of the collected calculations. Great user effects resulting from the combination of the possible reasons were found in the blind phase, confirming that user effect is still one of the major issues in connection with the system thermal-hydraulic code application. Open calculations showed better prediction accuracy than the blind calculations in terms of average amplitude (AA) value. A total of nineteen organizations from eleven countries participated in this ISP-50 program and eight leading thermal-hydraulic system analysis codes were used: APROS, ATHLET, CATHARE, KORSAR, MARS-KS, RELAP5/MOD3.3, TECH-M-97, and TRACE.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.979-988
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• 2017

The feasibility of cooling in a pressurized heavy water reactor after a large break loss-of-coolant accident has been analyzed using Multidimensional Analysis of Reactor Safety-KINS Standard code during the recirculation phase. Through evaluation of sensitivity of the fuel channel temperature to various effective recirculation flow areas, it is determined that proper cooling of the fuel channels in the broken loop is feasible if the effective flow area remains above approximately 70% of the nominal flow area. When the flow area is reduced by more than approximately 25% of the nominal value, however, incipience of boiling is expected, after which the thermal integrity of the fuel channel can be threatened. In addition, if a dramatic reduction of the recirculation flow occurs, excursions and frequent fluctuations of temperature in the fuel channels are likely to be unavoidable, and thus damage to the fuel channels would be anticipated. To resolve this, emergency coolant supply through the newly installed external injection path can be used as one alternative means of cooling, enabling fuel channel integrity to be maintained and permanently preventing severe accident conditions. Thus, the external injection flow required to guarantee fuel channel coolability has been estimated.

• 시스템엔지니어링학술지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.51-59
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• 2019

After Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP accident, the need for implementation of diverse and flexible coping strategies (FLEX) became evident. However, to ensure the effectiveness of the safety strategy, it is essential to quantify the uncertainties associated with the station blackout (SBO) scenario as well as the operator actions. In this paper, a systems engineering approach for uncertainty analysis (UA) of a SBO scenario in advanced pressurized water reactor is performed. MARS-KS is used as a best estimate thermal-hydraulic code and is loosely-coupled with Dakota software which is employed to develop the uncertainty quantification framework. Furthermore, the systems engineering approach is adopted to identify the requirements, functions and physical architecture, and to develop the verification and validation plan. For the preliminary analysis, 13 uncertainty parameters are propagated through the model to evaluate the stability and convergence of the framework. The developed framework will ultimately be used to quantify the aleatory and epistemic uncertainties associated with an extended SBO accident scenario and assess the coping capability of APR1400 and the effectiveness of the implemented FLEX strategies.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.402-409
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• 2019

When a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) occurs in a nuclear power plant, accident scenarios which can prevent core damage are defined based on break size. Current probabilistic safety assessment evaluates that core damage can be prevented under small-break LOCA (SBLOCA) and steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) with rapid cool down (RCD) strategy when all safety injection systems are unavailable. However, previous research has pointed out a limitation of RCD in terms of initiation time. Therefore, RCD success criteria estimation based on allowable coping time under a SBLOCA or SGTR when all safety injection systems are unavailable was performed based on time-line and thermal-hydraulic analyses. The time line analysis assumed a single emergency operating procedure flow, and the thermal hydraulic analysis utilized MARS-KS code with variables of break size, cooling rate, and operator allowable time. Results show while RCD is possible under SGTR, it is impossible under SBLOCA at the APR1400's current cooling rate limitation of 55 K/hr. A success criteria map for RCD under SBLOCA is suggested without cooling rate limitation.