• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1742-1756
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• 2023

The hydrogen behavior in a nuclear containment vessel is a significant issue when discussing the potential of hydrogen combustion during a severe accident. After the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in Japan, we have investigated in-depth the hydrogen transport mechanisms by utilizing experimental and numerical approaches. Computational fluid dynamics is a powerful tool for better understanding the transport behavior of gas mixtures, including hydrogen. This paper describes a Large-eddy simulation of gas mixing driven by a high-buoyancy flow. We focused on the interaction behavior of heat and mass transfers driven by the horizontal high-buoyant flow during density stratification. For validation, the experimental data of the Containment InteGral effects Measurement Apparatus (CIGMA) facility were used. With a high-power heater for the gas-injection line in the CIGMA facility, a high-temperature flow of approximately 390 ℃ was injected into the test vessel. By using the CIGMA facility, we can extend the experimental data to the high-temperature region. The phenomenological discussion in this paper helps understand the heat and mass transfer induced by the high-buoyancy flow in the containment vessel during a severe accident.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.410-423
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• 2000

A two-dimensional numerical model is developed and applied to the LAVA-EXV tests performed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to investigate the external cooling effect on the thermal margin to failure of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during a severe accident. The computational program was written to predict the temperature profile of a two-dimensional spherical vessel segment accounting for the conjugate heat transfer mechanisms of conduction through the debris and the vessel, natural convection within the molten debris pool, and the possible ablation of the vessel wall in contact with the high temperature melt. Results of the sensitivity analysis and comparison with the LAVA-EXV test data indicated that the developed computational tool carries a high potential for simulating the thermal behavior of the RPV during a core melt relocation accident. It is concluded that the main factors affecting the RPV failure are the natural convection within the debris pool and the ablation of the metal vessel, The simplistic natural convection model adopted in the computational program partly made up for the absence of the mechanistic momentum consideration in this study. Uncertainties in the prediction will be reduced when the natural convection and ablation phenomena are more rigorously dealt with in the code, and if more accurate initial and time-dependent conditions are supplied from the test in terms of material composition and its associated thermophysical properties.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.469-476
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• 2013

In a postulated severe core damage accident in a PHWR, multiple failures of core cooling systems may lead to the collapse of pressure tubes and calandria tubes, which may ultimately relocate inside the calandria vessel forming a terminal debris bed. The debris bed, which may reach high temperatures due to the decay heat, is cooled by the moderator in the calandria. With time, the moderator is evaporated and after some time, a hot dry debris bed is formed. The debris bed transfers heat to the calandria vault water which acts as the ultimate heat sink. However, the questions remain: how long would the vault water be an ultimate heat sink, and what would be the failure mode of the calandria vessel if the heat sink capability of the reactor vault water is lost? In the present study, a numerical analysis is performed to evaluate the thermal loads and the stresses in the calandria vessel following the above accident scenario. The heat transfer from the molten corium pool to the surrounding is assumed to be by a combination of radiation, conduction, and convection from the calandria vessel wall to the vault water. From the temperature distribution in the vessel wall, the transient thermal loads have been evaluated. The strain rate and the vessel failure have been evaluated for the above scenario.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.681-682
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.38-41
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• 2007

The increase of $CO_2$ emission by increasing of fossil fuel usage has been understood a major cause of global warming. The supply of electric energy is heavily dependent on the massive thermal power and nuclear power plant before developing the renewable energy to supply the electric energy stably at a low price. The large and sound forged components of pressure vessel, turbine and generator are widely used in power plant such as wind power, hydroelectric power generation, nuclear power and thermal power plant. This paper is discussed the trend of manufacturing technology for pressure vessel and turbine to satisfy the required condition of utility company. It is also introduced a strategy of forging industry to cope with carbon tax.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1327-1330
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• 2004

An underwater robotic system has been developed and applied to visual inspection of reactor vessel internals. The Korea Electric Power Robot for Visual Test (KeproVt) consists of an underwater robot, a vision processor-based measuring unit, a master control station and a servo control station. The robot guided by the control station with the measuring unit can be controlled to have any motion at any position in the reactor vessel with $\pm$1 cm positioning and $\pm$2 degrees heading accuracies with enough precision to inspect reactor internals. A simple and fast installation process is emphasized in the developed system. The developed robotic system was successfully deployed at the Younggwang Nuclear Unit 1 for the visual inspection of reactor internals.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.408-422
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• 1999

To reduce the fast neutron fluence which deteriorates the RPV integrity, additional shields were assumed to be installed at the outer core structures of the Kori Unit 1 reactor, and its reduction effects were examined. Full scope Monte Carlo simulation with MCNP4A code was made to estimate the fast neutron fluence at the RPV. An optimized design option was found from various choices in geometry and material for shield structure. It was expected that magnitude of fast neutron fluence would be reduced by 39% at the circumferential weld of the RPV, resulting in extension of plant lifetime by 4.6 EFPYs based on the criterion of PTS requirement It was investigated that the nuclear characteristics and thermal hydraulic factors at the internal core were only negligibly influenced by the installation of additional shield structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.257-265
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• 2011

Plant-specific analyses of 5 types of domestic reactors in Korea are performed to assure the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during transients which are expected to initiate pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events. The failure probability of the RPV due to PTS is obtained by performing probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis. The through-wall cracking frequency is calculated and compared to the acceptance criterion. Considering the fluence at the end of life expected by surveillance test, the sufficient safety margin is expected for the structural integrity of all reactor pressure vessels except for the oldest one during the pressurized thermal shock events. If the flaw with aspect ratio of 1/12 is considered to eliminate the conservatism, the acceptance criteria is not exceeded for all plants until the fluence level of $8{\times}10^{19}\;n/cm^2$, generating sufficient margin beyond the design life.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 2004

Radiation hardening is a multiscale phenomenon involving various processes over a wide range of time and length. We present a multiscale model for estimating the amount of radiation hardening in pressure vessel steel in the environment of a light water reactor. The model comprises two main parts: molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and a point defect cluster (PDC) model. The MD simulation was used to investigate the primary damage caused by displacement cascades. The PDC model mathematically formulates interactions between point defects and their clusters, which explains the evolution of microstructures. We then used a dislocation barrier model to calculate the hardening due to the PDCs. The key input for this multiscale model is a neutron spectrum at the inner surface of reactor pressure vessel steel of the Younggwang Nuclear Power Plant No.5. A combined calculation from the MD simulation and the PDC model provides a convenient tool for estimating the amount of radiation hardening.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.683-688
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• 2012

The structural integrity of mechanical components during several transients should be assured in the design stage. This requires a fatigue analysis including thermal and stress analyses. As an example, this study performs a fatigue analysis of the reactor pressure vessel of SMART during arbitrary transients. Using heat transfer coefficients determined based on the operating environments, a transient thermal analysis is performed and the results are applied to a finite element model along with the pressure to calculate the stresses. The total stress intensity range and cumulative fatigue usage factor are investigated to determine the adequacy of the design.