• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.1231-1240
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• 2019

Unlike land-based nuclear power plants, a marine or floating reactor is affected by external forces due to ocean conditions. These external forces can cause additional accelerations and affect each system and equipment of the marine reactor. Therefore, in designing a marine reactor and evaluating its performance and stability, a thermal hydraulic safety analysis code is necessary to consider the thermal hydrodynamic effects of ship motion. MARS, which is a reactor system analysis code, includes a dynamic motion model that can simulate the thermal-hydraulic phenomena under three-dimensional motion by calculating the body force term included in the momentum equation. In this study, it was verified that the dynamic motion model can simulate fluid motion with reasonable accuracy using conceptual problems. In addition, two modifications were made to the dynamic motion model; first, a user-supplied table to simulate a realistic ship motion was implemented, and second, the flow regime map determination algorithm was improved by calculating the volume inclination information at every time step if the dynamic motion model was activated. With these modifications, MARS could simulate the thermal-hydraulic phenomena under ocean motion more realistically.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.1504-1513
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• 2019

Recently, ocean nuclear reactors have received attention due to enhanced safety features. The movable and transportable characteristics distinguish ocean nuclear reactors from land-based nuclear reactors. Therefore, for safety/design analysis of the ocean reactor, the thermos-hydraulics must be investigated in the moving system. However, there are no studies reporting the general two-fluid equations that can be used for multi-dimensional simulations of two-phase flows in moving systems. This study is to systematically formulate the multi-dimensional two-fluid equations in the non-inertial frame of reference. To demonstrate the applicability of the formulated equations, we perform a total of six different simulations in 2D tanks with translational and/or rotational motions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.3
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• pp.367-378
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• 2020

This paper presents a new design concept for ocean nuclear power plants (ONPPs) using a tension leg platform (TLP). The system-integrated modular advanced reactor, which is one of the successful small modular reactors, is mounted for demonstration. The authors define the design requirements and parameters, modularize and rearrange the nuclear and other facilities, and propose a new total general arrangement. The most fundamental level of design results for the platform and tendon system are provided, and the construction procedure and safety features are discussed. The integrated passive safety system developed for the gravity based structure-type ONPP is also available in the TLP-type ONPP with minor modifications. The safety system fully utilizes the benefits of the ocean environment, and enhances the safety features of the proposed concept. For the verification of the design concept, hydrodynamic analyses are performed using the commercial software ANSYS AQWA with the Pierson-Moskowitz and JONSWAP wave spectra that represent various ocean environments and the results are discussed.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.205-214
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• 2023

As the regulations on greenhouse gas emissions at sea become strict, efforts are being made to minimize environmental pollutants emitted from fossil fuels used by ships. Considering the large sizes of ships in conjunction with securing stable supplies of environment-friendly energy, interest in nuclear energy to power ships has been increasing. In this study, the neutron irradiation that occurs during the nuclear reactor operation and its effect on the structural responses of the stiffened-plate structures are investigated. This is done by changing the material properties of DH36 steel according to the research findings on the neutron-irradiated steels and then performing the structural response analyses of the structures using analytical and finite-element numerical solutions. Results reveal the influence of neutron irradiation on the structural responses of the structures. It is shown that both the strength and stiffness of the structures are affected by the neutron-irradiation phenomenon as their maximum flexural stress and deflection are increased with the increase in the amount of neutron irradiation. This implies that strength and stiffness need to be considered in the design of ships equipped with marine nuclear reactors.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.888-895
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• 2022

Lately, ocean nuclear power plants have attracted attention as one of diverse uses of nuclear power plants. Because ocean nuclear power plants are movable or transportable, it is necessary to analyze the thermal hydraulics in a moving frame of reference, and computer codes have been developed to predict thermal hydraulics in large moving systems. The purpose of this study is to incorporate a three dimensional dynamic motion model into the SPACE code (Safety and Performance Analysis CodE) so that the code is able to analyze thermal hydraulics in an ocean nuclear power plant. A rotation system that describes three-dimensional rotations about an arbitrary axis was implemented, and modifications were made to the one-dimensional momentum equations to reflect the rectilinear and rotational acceleration effects. To demonstrate the code's ability to solve a problem utilizing a rotational frame of reference, code calculations were conducted on various conceptual problems in the two-dimensional and three-dimensional pipeline loops. In particular, the code results for the three-dimensional pipeline loop with a tilted rotation axis agreed well with the multi-dimensional CFD results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4373-4391
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• 2022

Marine reactor systems experience platform movement, and therefore, the system thermal-hydraulic analysis code needs to reflect the motion effect on the fluid to evaluate reactor safety. A moving reactor model for MARS-KS was developed to simulate the hydrodynamic phenomena in the reactor under motion conditions; however, its applicability does not cover the MULTID component used in multidimensional flow analyses. In this study, a moving reactor model is implemented for the MULTID component to address the importance of multidimensional flow effects under dynamic motion. The concept of the volume connection is generalized to facilitate the handling of the junction of MULTID. Further, the accuracy in calculating the pressure head between volumes is enhanced to precisely evaluate the additional body force. Finally, the Coriolis force is modeled in the momentum equations in an acceleration form. The improvements are verified with conceptual problems; the modified model shows good agreement with the analytical solutions and the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation results. Moreover, a simplified gravity-driven injection is simulated, and the model is validated against a ship flooding experiment. Throughout the verifications and validations, the model showed that the modification was well implemented to determine the capability of multidimensional flow analysis under ocean conditions.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 1995

The elastic-plastic fracture toughness($J_{IC}$) and fracture resistance (J-R curve) of SA508-3 alloy steel used for nuclear reactor pressure vessel are investigated by using CT-type specimens. Fracture toughness tests are conducted by unloading compliance method and multiple specimen method at room temperature, -2$0^{\circ}C$ and 20$0^{\circ}C$. The apparent negative crack growth phenomenon which usually arises in partial unloading compliance test is well known. The negative crack growth phenomenon in determining J sub(IC) or J-R cure from partial unloading compliance experiments may be eliminated by the offset technique. In this study, the evaluation of $J_{IC}$ multiple specimen method recommended by the JSME gives the most reliable results by using half-size CT(similar-type) specimens.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2000

Safety and integrity are required for reactor pressure vessels because they are operated in high temperature. There are single specimen method multiple specimen method and load ratio analysis method which used as evaluation of safety and integrity for reactor pressure vessels. In this study the fracture resistance curve(J-R curve) elastic-plastic fracture toughness($J_{IC}$) and material tearing modulus ($T_{mat}$) of SA 508 class 3 alloy steel used as reactor pressure vessel steel are measured and evaluated at room temperature 20$0^{\circ}C$ and 30$0^{\circ}C$ according to unloading compliance method and load ration analysis method. And then the comparison with experimental $J_{IC}$ and theoretical$J_{IC}$ by local fracture strain is managed.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.112-119
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• 2016

Many studies have been conducted on the performance of a passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR), but not many have focused on the locations where the PAR is installed. During a severe accident in a nuclear reactor containment, a large amount of hydrogen gas can be produced and released into the containment, leading to hydrogen deflagration or a detonation. A PAR is a hydrogen mitigation method that is widely implemented in current and advanced light water reactors. Therefore, for this study, a PAR was installed at different locations in order to investigate the difference in hydrogen reduction rate. The results indicate that the hydrogen reduction rate of a PAR is proportional to the distance between the hydrogen induction location and the bottom wall.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.7
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• pp.1738-1748
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• 2019

Previous research has shown that the inclined condition has an impact on the natural circulation (natural circulation) mode operation of Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) mounted on the movable marine platform. Due to its compact structure, small volume, strong maneuverability, the Integral Pressurized Water Reactor (IPWR) is adopted as marine reactor in general. The OTSGs of IPWR are symmetrically arranged in the annular region between the reactor vessel and core support barrel in this paper. Therefore, many parallel natural circulation loops are built between the core and the OTSGs primary side when the main pump is stopped. and the inclined condition would lead to discrepancies of the natural circulation drive head among the OTSGs in different locations. In addition, the flow rate and temperature nonuniform distribution of the core caused by inclined condition are coupled with the thermal hydraulics parameters maldistribution caused by OTSG group operating mode on low power operation. By means of the RELAP5 codes were modified by adding module calculating the effect of inclined, heaving and rolling condition, the simulation model of IPWR in inclined condition was built. Using the models developed, the influences on natural circulation operation by inclined angle and OTSG position, the transitions between forced circulation (forced circulation) and natural circulation and the effect on natural circulation operation by different OTSG grouping situations in inclined condition were analyzed. It was observed that a larger inclined angle results the temperature of the core outlet is too high and the OTSG superheat steam is insufficient in natural circulation mode operation. In general, the inclined angle is smaller unless the hull is destroyed seriously or the platform overturn in the ocean. In consequence, the results indicated that the IPWR in the movable marine platform in natural circulation mode operation is safety. Selecting an appropriate average temperature setting value or operating the uplifted OTSG group individually is able to reduce the influence on natural circulation flow of IPWR by inclined condition.