• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.498-508
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• 2021

Micro reactors are increasingly being considered for utilization as distributed power sources. Hence, the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) of a direct supercritical-CO₂-cooled fast reactor, called micro modular reactor (MMR), was performed in this study; this reactor was developed using innovative design concepts. It adopted a modular design and passive safety systems to minimize site constraints. As the MMR is in its conceptual design phase, design weaknesses and valuable safety insights could be identified during PSA. Level 1 internal event PSA was carried out involving literature survey, system characterization, identification of initiating events, transient analyses, development of event trees and fault trees, and quantification. The initiating events and scenarios significantly contributing to core damage frequency (CDF) were determined to identify design weaknesses in MMR. The most significant initiating event category contributing to CDF was the transients with the power conversion system initially available category, owing to its relatively high occurrence frequency. Further, an importance analysis revealed that the safety of MMR can be significantly improved by improving the reliability of reactor trip and passive decay heat removal system operation. The findings presented in this paper are expected to contribute toward future applications of PSA for assessing unconventional nuclear reactors in their conceptual design phases.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.30 no.12 s.255
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• pp.1196-1202
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• 2006

A MEMS methanol reformer was fabricated and its performance was evaluated in the present study. Catalytic steam reforming of methanol was selected because the process had been widely applied in macro scale reformers. Conventional Cu/ZnO catalyst that was prepared by co-precipitation method to give the highest coating quality was used. The reactor structure was made by bonding three layers of glass wafers. The internal structure of the wafer was fabricated by the wet-etching process that resulted in a high aspect ratio. The internal surface of the reactor was coated by catalyst and individual wafers were fusion-bonded to form the reactor structure. The internal volume of the microfabricated reactor was $0.3cm^3$ and the reactor produced exhaust gas with hydrogen concentration at 73%. The production rate of hydrogen was 4.16 ml/hr that could generate power of 350 mW in a typical PEM fuel cell.

• Clean Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2009

Commercial catalyst (Cu-Zn/$Al_2O_3$, Johnson Matthey Co., 83-3 Catalyst) was applied to the hydrogen production by steam reforming of methanol in the micro-channel reactor (MCR). The steam reforming of methanol was tested over Cu-Zn catalyst at temperatures in the range of 200 and 300$^{\circ}C$, the catalyst size of 0.05${\sim}$2.2 mm, the space velocity of 3,000${\sim}$10,000 $hr^{-1}$ in a fixed bed continuous flow reactor. The conversion of methanol and the yield $H_2$ preferred high temperatures and low space velocities, and had optimal results with the particle size of 0.35 mm. Based on the results from experiments with fixed bed reactor, two types of MCR, boat bed and stacked bed MCRs, were studied. The stacked bed type MCR showed better methanol conversion compared with the boat type one.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.3919-3927
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• 2022

This study presents an optimal design of the coolant system of a non-refueling full-life small reactor by analyzing the space-integrated geometrical and electromagnetic variables of an extra vessel electromagnetic pump (EVEMP) for the circulation of a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant. The EVEMP is an ideal alternative to the thermal-hydraulic system of non-refueling full-life micro reactors as it possesses no internal structures, such as impellors or sealing structures, for the transportation of LBE. Typically, the LBE passes through the annular flow channel of a reactor, is cooled by the heat exchanger, and then circulates back to the EVEMP flow channel. This thermal-hydraulic flow method is similar to natural circulation, which enhances thermal efficiency, while providing a golden time for cooling cores in the event of an emergency. When the forced circulation technology of the EVEMP was applied, the non-refueling full-life micro reactor achieve an output power of 60 MWt, which is higher than that achievable via the natural circulation method (30 MWt). Accordingly, an optimized EVEMP for Micro URANUS with a flow rate of 4196 kg/s and developed pressure of 73 kPa under a working temperature of 250 ℃ was designed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2004

Analysis model for the two-phase catalytic reactor is presented. With the progress in development of micro thermofluidic devices, needs fur understanding of the phenomena in two phase reaction in cm scale has been arisen. To investigate thermal and reactive performance of down scaled two phase reactor simple analysis model that is a kind of lumped flow model is proposed. Analysis model presented is based on the experiment on mm scale model reactor. Target experiment is catalytic decomposition of 70wt％ hydrogen peroxide with existence of perovskite L $a_{0.8}$S $r_{0.2}$Co $O_3$ catalyst. It is composed of balance equations of mass and energy. Each phase is considered to be a species fur the simplicity. Axial diffusion and transversal distribution of properties are neglected. Two phase catalytic reaction is modeled as successive gasification of liquid lump around catalyst and reaction in gas phase. Heat transfer is modeled by model function ofNu number. Modeled Nu is expressed as Nu=N $u_{0}$ (1＋ $a_1$( $a_2$ $T^{-}$ $a_3$)exp( $a_4$ $T^{-1}$)exp( $a_{5}$ z). Transfer coefficients are determined by the comparison of experimental results. With the model, heat transfer characteristics are investigated. Also by the mass transfer coefficient, characteristics in mass transfer is investigated. With the result basic understanding on design and analysis of mm scale two-phase reactive device is obtained. Also it can be further applied to micro scale reactive device fabricated by micromachining.ing..

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.123-126
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• 2006

Reduction kinetics and intermediates behaviour of three high explosives (HMX, RDX, and TNT) were studies in batch reactors using either nano or micro size zero valent iron(ZVI) as reducing agent. The kinetics constants normalize to the mass of iron($k_M$) or to the surface area ($k_{SA}$) were measured and compared along with the changes of intermediate concentrations of each explosive. Results showed that $k_M$ and $k_{SA}$ values neither correlated each other nor explained the behaviour of intermediates of each high explosive in the batch reactor, in which initial intermediates decreased rapidly with nano ZVI treatment whereas the intermediates accumulated and stayed longer in the micro ZVI treated reactor.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.265-270
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• 2004

Experiment study on a down scaled two-phase catalytic reactor is presented. As a preliminary step for the development of catalytic reactor, nano-particulate catalyst was prepared. Perovskite La$\_$0.8/Sr$\_$0.2/CoO$_3$is chosen and synthesized as a catalyst considering superior catalytic performance in reduction and oxidation process where oxygen is involved among the reagent. Reactor that has a scale of 2${\times}$10${\times}$25mm was made by machining of A1 block as a layered structure considering further extension to micro-machining. Hydrogen peroxide of 70wt% was adopted as reactant and was provided to the reactor loaded with 1.5 g of catalyst. Reactant flow rate was varied by precision pump with a range of 0.15cc/min to 17.2cc/min. Temperature distribution within reactor was recorded by 3 thermocouples and total amount of liquid product was measured. Temperature distribution and factors that affect temperature were observed and relation between temperature distribution and production rate was also analyzed. Relative time scale plays a significant role in the performance of the reactor. To obtain steady state operation, appropriate ratio of flow rate, catalyst mass and reactor geometry is required and furthermore to get more efficient production rate temperature distribution should be evenly distributed. The database obtained by the experiment will be used as a design parameter for micro reactor.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.114.2-114.2
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• 2010

마이크로 반응기술은 작은 반응기 부피, 높은 열전달, 넓은 반응 면적/부피 및 정확한 반응시간 조절이 가능하기 때문에 화학공정의 고집적화, 반응 선택도의 향상 및 안전도 향상을 꾀할 수 있는 장점이 있다. 이러한 마이크로 반응 기술을 중소형 천연가스 및 국내에서 소규모로 국지적으로 발생하는 메탄의 활용 방안으로서 개발함은 청정 합성유를 제조함으로서 석유 자원의 고갈과 고유가에 대비하여 에너지 자원의 다변화 및 자립을 확보 할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 마이크로 반응기술을 적용한 미세 유로 반응기(Micro Channel Reactor)를 사용하여 메탄 스팀 개질 반응 특성을 연구하였다. 미세유로 반응기는 내부 홀이 존재하는 plate를 적층함으로 반응기내에 반응가스가 이동할 수 있는 미세유로가 존재하게 하였다. 이러한 미세유로는 반응기의 크기가 작음에도 반응기내에서 반응가스가 충분히 반응할 수 있는 시간과 높은 열전달 효율을 가질 수 있게 한다. 메탄 스팀 개질 반응에 사용된 촉매는 Ni 촉매를 사용하였고, 반응에 필요한 열원으로는 수소 연소에서 발생한 열을 사용하여 반응을 유도하였다. 본 반응기는 외부의 열원을 사용하지 않고, 반응기 내부의 수소 연소에서 발생한 열을 사용함으로 적은 발생 열만으로 메탄 스팀 개질 반응에 필요한 에너지를 얻을 수 있고, 열의 손실이 적다. 또한 메탄 스팀 개질 반응으로 발생한 일부의 수소를 열원으로 이용하여 에너지 사용면에서도 효율적인 반응 공정이다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.24-31
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• 2019

Recently, an air-lift bio-reactor operated by micro bubbles has been utilized to product hydrogen fuel. To enhance the performance, characteristics of hydrodynamics inside the bio-reactor were analyzed using a numerical simulation for two-phase flow. An Eulerian model was employed for both of liquid and gas phases. The standard k-ε model was used for turbulence induced by micro bubbles. A Population Balance Model was employed to consider size distribution of bubbles. A hollow cylinder was introduced at the center of the reactor to reduce a dead area which disturbs circulation of CO bubbles. An appropriate diameter of the draft tube and hollow cylinder were optimized for better performance of the bio-reactor. The optimum model could be obtained when the cross-sectional area ratio of the hollow cylinder to the reactor, and the width ratio of the riser to the downcomer approached 0.4 and 3.5, respectively. Consequently, it is expected that the optimum model could enhance the performance of the bio-reactor with the homogeneous distribution and higher density of CO, and more effective mixing.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.275-282
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• 2024

Lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) is used as coolant for MicroURANUS, a small marine nuclear power plant, and this coolant is transported in the plant by an electromagnetic pump. Given the considerable heat generated by the electromagnetic pump, the cooling of the pump is essential. This study compared air cooling and water-cooling methods and found that the maximum temperatures during air and water cooling were 640 K and 372 K, respectively. These findings were utilized to design an electromagnetic pump with water-cooling. The maximum temperature of the pump was lower than the boiling point of water; thus, the pump did not require a separate pressurization. Consequently, the resistance problem of the coil and the deformation problem of the material caused by generated heat can be solved through water-cooling.