• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.414-422
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• 2021

The aim of this work considers a second order point reactor kinetics model based on the P1 approximation of transport theory, called in this work as P1 point reactor model. The P1 point reactor model implicitly considers the time derivative of the neutron source which has not been thus considered previously. The inverse method to calculate the reactivity in nuclear reactors -chosen because its high accuracy- Matrix Formulation. The numerical results shown that the Matrix Formulation for the reactivity estimation constitutes a method with insignificant calculation errors.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.94-101
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• 2015

This paper presents findings on the second-order sliding-mode controller for a nuclear research reactor. Sliding-mode controllers for nuclear reactors have been used for some time, but higher-order sliding-mode controllers have the added advantage of reduced chattering. The nonlinear model of Pakistan Research Reactor-1 has been used for higherorder sliding-mode controller design and performance evaluation. The reactor core is simulated based on point kinetics equations and one delayed neutron groups. The model assumes feedback from lumped fuel and coolant temperatures. The effect of xenon concentration is also considered. The employed method is easy to implement in practical applications, and the second-order sliding-mode control exhibits the desired dynamic properties during the entire output-tracking process. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in terms of performance, robustness, and stability.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.452-457
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• 1996

A system, such as a reactor point kinetics equation, can be solved with Adomian Decomposition Method (ADM) which uses the notion that all solutions and operators can be expressed as an infinite sum of those basis states, like Adomian polynomials. In this work, ADM is applied to point reactor kinetics equations for step reactivity insertion, ramp input of reactivity, and nonlinear feedback cases without linearization approximation. The results of ADM are more accurate and faster than those of other existing methods, even though we use comparatively large time step sizes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.1340-1346
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• 2020

The aim of this paper is to explore the 8th-order Adams-Bashforth-Moulton (ABM8) method in the solution of the point reactor kinetics equations. The numerical experiment considers feedback reactivity by Doppler effects, and insertions of reactivity. The Doppler effects is approximated with an adiabatic nuclear reactor that is a typical approximation. The numerical results were compared and discussed with several solution methods. The CATS method was used as a benchmark method. According with the numerical experiments results, the ABM8 method can be considered as one of the main solution method for changes reactivity relatively large.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

An innovative concept for a passive reactor shutdown system, so called self-actuated shutdown system(SASS), is inevitably required for the inherent safety in liquid metal reactor, which is designed with the totally different concept from the usual reactor shutdown system in LWR. SASS using Curie point electromagnet(CPEM) was selected as the passive reactor shutdown system for KALIMER (Korea Advanced Liquid MEtal Reactor). A mock-up of the SASS was designed, fabricated and tested. From the test it was confirmed that the mockup was self-actuated at the Curie point of the temperature sensing material used in the mockup. An articulated control rod was also fabricated and assembled with the CPEM to confirm that the control rod can be inserted into core even when the control rod guide tube is deformed due to earthquake. The operability of SASS in the actual sodium environment should be confirmed in the future. All the design and test data will be applied to the KALIMER design.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.102-107
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• 1997

A stiffness in a dynamical system is numerically studied to investigate a sensitivity of a reactor to the delayed neutron spectra with the Doppler feedback. To test numerical procedure, we adopted a case of a reactivity accident in a point reactor model. We found that the stiffness is sensitive to a reactivity insertion rate and the delayed neutron spectra in the Doppler feedback phase. Our numerical results show that global reactor characteristics are not very sensitive to the delayed neutron spectra even though their instantaneous ones are sensitive. We present the time evolution of each precursor group explicitly.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.546-555
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• 2019

Since the first nuclear reactor first critical, nuclear systems has gone through four generations of history, and the fourth generation nuclear system will be truly realized in the near future. The notions of SVBR and lead-bismuth eutectic alloy coolant put forward by Russia were well received by the international nuclear science community. Lead-bismuth eutectic alloy with the ability of the better neutron economy, the low melting point, the high boiling point, the chemical inertness to water and air and other features, which was considered the most promising coolant for the 4th generation nuclear reactors. This study mainly focuses on the structural design optimization of the 4th-generation reactor coolant pump, including analysis of external characteristics, inner flow, and transient characteristic. It was found that: the reactor coolant pump with a central symmetrical dual-outlet volute structure has better radial-direction balance, the pump without guide vane has better hydraulic performance, and the pump with guide vanes has worse torsional vibration and pressure pulsation. This study serves as experience accumulation and technical support for the development of the 4th generation nuclear energy system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.149-154
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• 1998

A subcritical reactor driven by a linear proton accelerator has been considered as a nuclear waste incinerator at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI). Since the multiplication factor of a subcritical reactor is less than unity, to compensate exponentially decreasing fission neutrons from spallation reactions are essentially required for operating the reactor in its steady state. furthermore, the profile of accelerator beam currents is very important in controlling a subcritical reactor, because the reactor power varies in accordance of the profile of external neutrons. We have developed a code system to find numerical solutions of reactor kinetics equations, which are the simplest dynamic model for controlling reactors. In a due course of our previous numerical study of point kinetics equations for critical reactors, however, we learned that the same code system can be used in studying dynamic behavior of the subcritical reactor. Our major motivation of this paper is to investigate responses of subcritical reactors for small changes in thermal hydraulic parameters. Building a thermal hydraulic model for the subcritical reactor dynamics, we performed numerical simulations for dynamic responses of the reactor based on point kinetics equations with a source term. Linearizing a set of coupled differential equations for reactor responses, we focus our research interest on dynamic responses of the reactor to variations of the thermal hydraulic parameters in transient phases.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.463-469
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• 1995

The point-kinetics reactor system which is subject to feedback effects may have multiple steady-state solutions for some operating conditions. A necessary and sufficient condition for multiple steady-state solutions of the point-kinetics reactor feedback system for an external input reactivity is obtained through their theoretical approach. If and only if the steady-state feedback reactivity of the reactor system is not strictly monotonic on some values of the feedback variables, then the reactor system has multiple steady-state solutions for the equilibrium operating conditions corresponding to the values of the feedback variables. Also, if and only if the steady--state feedback reactivity is strictly monotonic on all the feedback variables, then the reactor system has only one steady-state solution for all the operating conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1731-1735
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• 2021

The operation of the nuclear reactor requires accurate and fast methods and techniques for analysing its kinetics. These techniques become even more important when the MOX-fuel is used due to the lower value of delayed neutron fraction 𝛽 for ²³⁹Pu. Based on a Birth-and-Death process review, the mathematical model of thermal reactor core has been proposed different from existing ones. The analytical method for thermal point-reactor parameters evaluation is described within this work. The proposed method is applied for analysis of the unsteady transient processes taking place in a thermal reactor at its start-up or shutdown power change, as well as during small accidental power variation from the rated value. Theoretical determination of MASURCA reactor core reactivity through the analysis of experimental data on neutron time spectra was made.