• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.233-240
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• 2024

The wall friction correlations of oscillatory natural circulation loops are highly loop-specific, making it difficult to perform 1-D system simulations before obtaining specific experimental data. To better predict the friction characteristics, the nonlinear dynamics of a toroidal single-phase natural circulation loop were numerically investigated, and the transition effect was considered. The k-k_L-ω transitional turbulence and k-ω SST turbulence models were used to compute the flow characteristics of the loop under different heating powers varying from 0.48 to 1.0 W/cm², and the results of both models were compared with previous experiments. The mass flow rates and friction factors predicted by the k-k_L-ω model showed a better agreement with the experimental data than the results of the k-ω SST model. The oscillation frequencies calculated using both models agreed well with the experimental data. The k-k_L-ω transitional turbulence model provided better friction-factor predictions in oscillatory natural circulation loops because it can reproduce the temporal and spatial variation of the wall shear stress more accurately by capturing the movement of laminar, transition turbulent zones inside unstable natural circulation loops. This study shows that transition effects are a possible explanation for the highly loop-specific friction correlations observed in various oscillatory natural circulation loops.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권12호
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• pp.3918-3929
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• 2021

In this study, we experimentally investigate of a two-phase natural circulation loop that functions as a passive containment cooling system (PCCS). The experimental apparatus comprises two loops: a hot loop, for simulating containment under severe accidents, and a natural circulation loop, for simulating the PCCS. The experiment is conducted by controlling the pressure and inlet temperature of the hot loop in the range of 0.59-0.69 MPa (abs) and 119.6-158.8 ℃, respectively. The heat balance of the hot loop is established and compared with a natural circulation loop to assess the thermal reliability of the experimental apparatus, and an additional system is installed to measure the vapor mass flow rate. Furthermore, the thermal-hydraulic characteristics are considered in terms of a temperature, mass flow rate, heat transfer coefficient (HTC), etc. The flow rate of the natural circulation loop is induced primarily by flashing, and a distortion is observed in the local HTC because of the fully develop as well as subcooled boiling. As a result, we present the amount of heat capacity that the PCCS can passively remove according to the experimental conditions and compared the heat transfer performance using Chen's and Dittus-Boelter correlation.

• 한국추진공학회지
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.43-52
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• 2019

극저온 유체를 사용하는 발사체는 극저온 유체의 자연순환회로를 이용하여 발사체의 엔진 입구를 냉각한다. 자연순환회로의 질량유량은 순환시스템을 구성하는 배관의 길이 및 직경과 시스템으로 들어오는 열유입에 의하여 결정된다. 극저온 유체의 자연순환회로의 순환 검증 및 질량유량 측정을 위하여 실험을 진행하였으며, 이론적 계산 결과와 비교하였다. 비교 결과 12%의 오차가 있음을 확인하였다. 이 결과를 바탕으로 발사체 상단에서 저중력 구간 및 가속 구간에서의 자연순환 질량유량을 예측한 내용을 포함한다. 가속구간에서는 산화제탱크가 100 kPa 내외로 유지하는 것이 자연순환유량 증가에 이로웠으며, 저중력구간에서는 중력가속도의 크기에 따른 최적 압력으로 조절해야 자연순환유량의 최고값을 유지할 수 있었다.

• 한국초전도ㆍ저온공학회논문지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.49-52
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• 2013

An experiment to investigate the natural circulation of a cryogen has been performed. The study is motivated mainly by our recent development of cryogenic cooling system for prototype superconducting cyclotron without any circulating pump. In the natural circulation loop system, a cooling channel is attached on the outer surface of the aluminium block and the liquid nitrogen passes through inside of the channel to cool the block indirectly. A cryocooler as a heat sink is located at the top to re-condense cryogenic vapor coming from the aluminium block in which electrical heater is installed as a heat source. The main dimensions are determined using the relevant analysis and the natural circulation loop is successfully fabricated. The temperature distributions in the loop are measured during initial cool-down process and in steady state, from which the modified Grashof numbers are calculated and compared with the existing correlation estimated with one-dimensional analysis for steady state flow.

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2007년도 춘계학술대회B
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• pp.2194-2199
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• 2007

An experimental study is performed to investigate the thermal and flow characteristics of subcooled liquid nitrogen in a natural circulation loop. Experimental apparatus is designed and constructed such that a closed loop is cooled at the top by a cryocooler and heated nearly at the bottom by cartridge heaters. Steady state is obtained by controlling the heating power to the cartridge heaters and a thin-film heater to reduce the cooling power of the cryocooler. Temperature is measured at several locations of the loop and the mass flow rate through the loop is estimated from the energy balance in terms of the measured temperatures. Experiment is repeated for various values of the vertical height between the cooling and heating parts. The results show that the heat transfer capability of the loop has a maximum at a certain value of height. The optimal height to maximize the heat transfer is in a good agreement with analytical prediction to take into account the buoyancy and viscous forces in the loop.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.826-833
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• 2022

A two-phase natural circulation test using SMART integral test loop (SMART-ITL) was conducted to explore thermo-hydraulic phenomena of two-phase natural circulation in the SMART reactor. Specifically, the test examined the natural circulation in the primary loop under a stepwise coolant inventory loss while keeping the core power constant at 5% of the scaled full power. Based on the test results, three flow regimes were observed: single-phase natural circulation (SPNC), two-phase natural circulation (TPNC), and boiler-condenser natural circulation (BCNC). The flow rate remained steady in the SPNC, slightly increased in the TPNC, and dropped abruptly and maintained in the BCNC. Using a natural circulation flow map, the natural circulation characteristic in the SMART-ITL was compared with those in pressurized water reactor simulators. In the SMART-ITL, a BCNC regime appeared instead of siphon condensation and reflux condensation regimes because of the use of once-through steam generators.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권2호
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• pp.446-454
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• 2021

Critical heat flux (CHF) has traditionally been evaluated using look-up tables or empirical correlations for nuclear power plants. However, under complex moving condition, it is necessary to reconsider the CHF characteristics since the conventional CHF prediction methods would no longer be applicable. In this paper, the additional forces caused by motions have been added to the annular film dryout (AFD) mechanistic model to investigate the effect of moving condition on CHF. Moreover, a theoretical model of the natural circulation loop with additional forces is established to reflect the natural circulation characteristics of the loop system. By coupling the system loop with the AFD mechanistic model, a CHF prediction program called NACOM for natural circulation loop under moving condition is developed. The effects of three operating conditions, namely stationary, inclination and rolling, on the CHF of the loop are then analyzed. It can be clearly seen that the moving condition has an adverse effect on the CHF in the natural circulation system. For the calculation parameters in this paper, the CHF can be reduced by 25% compared with the static value, which indicates that it is important to consider the effects of moving condition to retain adequate safety margin in subsequent thermal-hydraulic designs.

• 에너지공학
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.233-241
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• 1999

온수생산을 위하여 기존의 강제순환식이 아닌 자연순환식 회로를 이용한 대형 온수생산 시스템을 개발하였다. 그리고 이 시스템의 설계와 성능평가를 위한 시뮬레이션 프로그램을 개발하여 실용화 가능성을 제시하였다. 실제규모의 성능실험에서 주어진 기하학적 조건하에 시스템이 정상상태 운전 시 보일러 가열량(695㎾)일 때, 급수 유량이 0.3$\ell$/s 로 일정하게 순환함을 보였다. 그리고, 비정상상태로 작동 할 경우 순환유량이 0.4~0.6 $\ell$/s 로 시스템이 불안정함을 실험을 통해 확인하였다. 개발된 프로그램과 대형의 온수생산 시스템의 성능평가의 비교.검증을 통하여 시뮬레이션 프로그램을 이용한 시스템 설계에 적용될 수 있음을 보였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.308-320
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• 1989

이 연구는 PWR를 모의한 2루프장치에서 1차냉각재의 재고량 및 비응축성가스가 단상 및 이상 자연순환에 미치는 영향을 실험적으로 조사하고져 한 것이다. 실험장치는 U튜브를 가진 2개의 열교환기로 구성되었다. 일련의 실험을 통하여 다음 사실을 확인하였다. 이상 자연순환의 유량은 1차 냉각재 재고량의 크기에 크게 의존한다. 본 실험에서는 이상 자연순환을 유지하기 위해서는 1차 냉각재 재고량의 수위가 노즐 중심선을 유지해야 함을 알게 되었다. 비응축성 가스의 존재는 단상 자연순환을 정지시킬 수 있으며 그러나 이상 자연순환에는 큰 영향을 주지 않는다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.1272-1278
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• 2019

A lumped kinetic modeling platform is developed to investigate the coupled nuclear/thermo-fluid features of the closed natural circulation loop in a low power lead cooled fast reactor. This coolant material serves a reliable choice with noticeable thermo-physical safety characteristics in terms of natural convection. Boussienesq approximation is resorted to appropriately reduce the governing partial differential equations (PDEs) for the fluid flow into a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). As a main contributing step, the coolant circulation speed is accordingly correlated to the loop operational power and temperature levels. Further temporal analysis and control synthesis activities may thus be carried out within a more consistent state space framework. Nyquist stability criterion is thereafter employed to carry out a sensitivity analysis for the system stability at various power and heat sink temperature levels and results confirm a widely stable natural circulation loop.