• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.559-570
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• 2004

A computational fluid dynamics model for predicting moderator circulation inside the Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor vessel has been developed to estimate the local subcooling of the moderator in the vicinity of the calandria tubes. The buoyancy effect induced by the internal heating is accounted for by the Boussinesq approximation. The standard $k-{\varepsilon}$ turbulence model with logarithmic wall treatment is applied to predict the turbulent jet flows from the inlet nozzles. The matrix of the calandria tubes in the core region is simplified to a porous media in which the anisotropic hydraulic impedance is modeled using an empirical correlation of pressure loss. The governing equations are solved by DFX-4.4, a commercial CFD code developed by AEA technology. The resultant flow patterns of the constant-z slices containing the inlet nozzles and the outlet port are "mined-type", as observed in the former 2-dimensional experimental investigations. With 103% full power for conservatism, the maximum temperature of the moderator is $82.9^{\circ}C$ at the top of the core region. Considering the hydrostatic pressure change, the minimum subcooling is $24.8^{\circ}C$.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.941-951
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• 2016

The aim of this work is to simulate the thermohydraulic consequences of a main steam line break and to compare the obtained results with Rossendorf Coolant Mixing Model (ROCOM) 1.1 experimental results. The objective is to utilize data from steady-state mixing experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations to determine the flow distribution and the effect of thermal mixing phenomena in the primary loops for the improvement of normal operation conditions and structural integrity assessment of pressurized water reactors. The numerical model of ROCOM was developed using the FLUENT code. The positions of the inlet and outlet boundary conditions and the distribution of detailed velocity/turbulence parameters were determined by preliminary calculations. The temperature fields of transient calculation were averaged in time and compared with time-averaged experimental data. The perforated barrel under the core inlet homogenizes the flow, and therefore, a uniform temperature distribution is formed in the pressure vessel bottom. The calculated and measured values of lowest temperature were equal. The inlet temperature is an essential parameter for safety assessment. The calculation predicts precisely the experimental results at the core inlet central region. CFD results showed a good agreement (both qualitatively and quantitatively) with experimental results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.61-68
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• 2021

Experiments of vertically upward steam-water two-phase flow have been carried out in single-side heated narrow rectangular channel with a gap of 3 mm. Flow patterns were identified and classified through visualization directly. Slug flow was only observed at 0.2 MPa but replaced by block-bubble flow at 1.0 MPa. Flow pattern maps at the pressure of 0.2 MPa and 1.0 MPa were plotted and the difference was analyzed. The experimental data has been compared with other flow pattern maps and transition criteria. The results show reasonable agreement with Hosler's, while a wide discrepancy is observed when compared with air-water two-phase experimental data. Current criteria developed based on air-water experiments poorly predict bubble-slug flow transition due to the different formation and growth of bubbles. This work is significant for researches on heat transfer, bubble dynamics and flow instability.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.860-866
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• 2022

An accurate prediction of the pressure drop along the flow paths is crucial in the design of advanced passive systems cooled by heavy liquid metal coolants. To date, a generic pressure drop correlation over spacer grids by Rehme has been applied extensively, which was obtained from substantial experimental data with multiple types of components. However, a few experimental studies have reported that the correlation may give large discrepancies. To provide a more reliable correlation for ring-type spacer grids, the current numerical study aims at figuring out the most critical factor among four hypothetical parameters, namely the flow area blockage ratio, number of fuel rods, type of fluid, and thickness of the spacer grid in the flow direction. Through a set of computational fluid dynamics simulations, we observed that the flow area blockage ratio dominantly influences the pressure loss characteristics, and thus its dependence should be more emphasized, whereas the other parameters have little impact. Hence, we suggest a new correlation for the drag coefficient as C_B = C_ν,m/ε^2.7, where C_ν,m is formulated by a nonlinear fit of simulation data such that C_ν,m = -11.33 ln(0.02 ln(Re_b)).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권6호
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• pp.2029-2038
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• 2024

A deep understanding of the characteristics and mechanism of geyser boiling and capillary pumping is necessary to optimize a high-temperature sodium heat pipe. In this work, the Volume of Fluid (VOF) two-phase model and the capillary force model in the mesh wick were used to model the complex phase change and fluid flow in the heat pipe. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations successfully predicted the process of bubble nucleation, growth, aggregation, and detachment from the wall in the liquid pool of the evaporation section of the heat pipe in horizontal and tilted states, as well as the reflux phenomenon of capillary suction within the wick. The accuracy and stability of the capillary force model within the wick were verified. In addition, the causes of geyser boiling in heat pipes were analyzed by extracting the oscillation distribution of heat pipe wall temperature. The results show that adding the capillary force model within the wick structure can reasonably simulate the liquid backflow phenomenon at the condensation; Under the horizontal and inclined operating conditions of the heat pipe, the phenomenon of local dry-out will occur, resulting in a sharp increase in local temperature. The speed of bubble detachment and the timely reflux of liquid sodium (condensate) replenishment in the wick play a vital role in the geyser temperature oscillation of the tube wall. The numerical simulation method and the results of this study are anticipated to provide a good reference for the investigation of geyser boiling in high-temperature heat pipes.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제18권2_spc호
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• pp.327-336
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• 2020

HANARO (High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor)는 우라늄의 핵분열 연쇄반응에서 생성된 중성자를 이용하여 다양한 연구개발을 수행하는 열출력 30 MW 규모의 연구용 원자로이다. 탈기탱크는 HANARO의 부속시설에 설치되어 있다. 탈기탱크는 내부환경요인으로 인해 기체오염물질을 발생시킨다. 탈기탱크는 기체오염물질을 허용 가능한 수준 이하로 유지하기위해 필요하며 기체시료채취판넬의 분석기에 의해 모니터링 된다. 응축수가 발생하여 기체시료채취판넬의 분석기 내부로 유입된다면, 분석기의 측정 챔버 내부에 부식이 발생하여 고장을 야기한다. 응축수의 생성 원인은 탈기탱크에 존재하는 기체가 분석기로 유입되는 과정에서 탈기탱크와 분석기사이 온도 차이다. 응축수 생성을 억제하고 계통 내부에 생성된 응축수를 효율적으로 제거하기 위해 탈기탱크와 기체시료채취판넬 사이에 히팅시스템이 설치되었다. 이 연구에서 우리는 히팅시스템의 효율성을 알고자 한다. 또한 Wall Condensation Model을 이용하여 유체 입구온도, 외부온도 및 히팅 케이블 설정온도 변화에 따른 파이프 온도와 평균응축량의 변화를 모델링하였다.

• 한국표면공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국표면공학회 2018년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.54-54
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• 2018

To optimize the deposition parameters of diamond films, the temperature, pressure, and distance between the filament and the susceptor need to be considered. However, it is difficult to precisely measure and predict the filament and susceptor temperature in relation to the applied power in the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) system. In this study the temperature distribution inside the system was numerically calculated for the applied powers of 12, 14, 16 and 18 kW. The applied power needed to achieve the appropriate temperature at a constant pressure and other conditions was deduced, and applied to actual experimental depositions. The numerical simulation was conducted using the commercial computational fluent dynamics software, ANSYS-FLUENT. To account for radiative heat-transfer in the HFCVD reactor, the discrete ordinate (DO) model was used. The temperatures of the filament surface and the susceptor at different power levels were predicted to be 2512 ~ 2802 K, and 1076 ~ 1198 K, respectively. Based on the numerical calculations, experiments were performed. The simulated temperatures for the filament surface were in good agreement with experimental temperatures measured using a 2-color pyrometer. The results showed that the highest deposition rate and the lowest deposition of non-diamond was obtained at a power of 16 kW.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.213-224
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• 2008

The pumping of coolant in a liquid metal fast reactor may be performed with an annular linear induction electro-magnetic (EM) pump. Linear induction pumps use a traveling magnetic field wave created by poly-phase currents, and the induced currents and their associated magnetic field generate a Lorentz force, whose effect can be the pumping of the liquid metal. The flow behaviors in the pump are very complex, including a time-varying Lorentz force and pressure pulsation, because an induction EM pump has time-varying magnetic fields and the induced convective currents that originate from the flow of the liquid metal. These phenomena lead to an instability problem in the pump arising from the changes of the generated Lorentz forces along the pump's geometry. Therefore, a magneto-hydro-dynamics (MHD) analysis is required for the design and operation of a linear induction EM pump. We have developed a time-harmonic 2-dimensional axisymmetry MHD analysis method based on the Maxwell equations. This paper describes the analysis and numerical method for obtaining solutions for some MHD parameters in an induction EM pump. Experimental test results obtained from an induction EM pump of CLIP-150 at the STC "Sintez," D.V. Efremov Institute of Electro-physical Apparatus in St. Petersburg were used to validate the method. In addition, we investigated some characteristics of a linear induction EM pump, such as the effect of the convective current and the double supply frequency (DSF) pressure pulsation. This simple model overestimated the convective eddy current generated from the sodium flow in the pump channel; however, it had a similar tendency for the measured data of the pump performance through a comparison with the experimental data. Considering its simplicity, it could be a base model for designing an EM pump and for evaluating the MHD flow in an EM pump.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제40권12호
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• pp.815-824
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• 2016

가압경수로에 장전되는 핵연료집합체는 연료 봉 다발과 지지격자 및 상하단 고정체로 구성되어 있다. 고온 고압의 냉각수는 원자로 하부로 유입되어 연료 봉 사이로 형성된 부수로를 따라 노심 상부로 흐른다. 경수로핵연료의 주요 열수력 성능인자는 정상운전시 압력강하 및 임계열속이며 사고시에는 급랭 시간이다. 한국원자력연구원에서는 경수로핵연료의 성능을 향상시키고 국산화를 위해 고성능 경수로핵연료, 이중냉각 핵연료 및 사고저항성 핵연료를 개발하였다. 경수로핵연료의 열수력 핵심기술을 개발하기 위해 압력강하 실험, 난류 유동혼합/열전달 실험, 임계열속 및 급랭 시험을 수행하였으며 전산유체역학 방법도 활용하였다. 더불어 사용후핵연료의 임시저장을 위한 건식저장 용기의 열유동에 대한 전산유체해석을 수행하였다. 한편, 경수로핵연료의 열수력 기반기술을 개발하고 실용화를 위해 대학 및 산업체와 협력연구도 진행하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권10호
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• pp.3874-3897
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• 2023

A high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was performed using the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model for the lower plenum of the High-Temperature Test Facility (HTTF), a ¼ scale test facility of the modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR) managed by Oregon State University. In most next-generation nuclear reactors, thermal stress due to thermal striping is one of the risks to be curiously considered. This is also true for HTGRs, especially since the exhaust helium gas temperature is high. In order to evaluate these risks and performance, organizations in the United States led by the OECD NEA are conducting a thermal hydraulic code benchmark for HTGR, and the test facility used for this benchmark is HTTF. HTTF can perform experiments in both normal and accident situations and provide high-quality experimental data. However, it is difficult to provide sufficient data for benchmarking through experiments, and there is a problem with the reliability of CFD analysis results based on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes to analyze thermal hydraulic behavior without verification. To solve this problem, high-fidelity 3-D CFD analysis was performed using the LES model for HTTF. It was also verified that the LES model can properly simulate this jet mixing phenomenon via a unit cell test that provides experimental information. As a result of CFD analysis, the lower the dependency of the sub-grid scale model, the closer to the actual analysis result. In the case of unit cell test CFD analysis and HTTF CFD analysis, the volume-averaged sub-grid scale model dependency was calculated to be 13.0% and 9.16%, respectively. As a result of HTTF analysis, quantitative data of the fluid inside the HTTF lower plenum was provided in this paper. As a result of qualitative analysis, the temperature was highest at the center of the lower plenum, while the temperature fluctuation was highest near the edge of the lower plenum wall. The power spectral density of temperature was analyzed via fast Fourier transform (FFT) for specific points on the center and side of the lower plenum. FFT results did not reveal specific frequency-dominant temperature fluctuations in the center part. It was confirmed that the temperature power spectral density (PSD) at the top increased from the center to the wake. The vortex was visualized using the well-known scalar Q-criterion, and as a result, the closer to the outlet duct, the greater the influence of the mainstream, so that the inflow jet vortex was dissipated and mixed at the top of the lower plenum. Additionally, FFT analysis was performed on the support structure near the corner of the lower plenum with large temperature fluctuations, and as a result, it was confirmed that the temperature fluctuation of the flow did not have a significant effect near the corner wall. In addition, the vortices generated from the lower plenum to the outlet duct were identified in this paper. It is considered that the quantitative and qualitative results presented in this paper will serve as reference data for the benchmark.