• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.273-286
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• 2007

This paper presents the research activities performed to date for the development of a supercritical pressure water-cooled reactor (SCWR) in Korea. The research areas include a conceptual design of an SCWR with an internal flow recirculation, a reactor core conceptual design, a heat transfer test with supercritical $CO_2$, an adaptation of an existing safety analysis code to the supercritical pressure condition, and an evaluation of candidate materials through a corrosion study. Methods to reduce the cladding temperature are introduced from two different perspectives, namely, thermal-hydraulics and core neutronics. Briefly described are the results of an experiment on the heat transfer at a supercritical pressure, an experiment that is essential for the analysis of the subchannels of fuel assemblies and the analysis of a system safety. An existing system code has been adapted to SCWR conditions, and the process of a first-hand validation is presented. Finally, the corrosion test results of the candidate materials for an SCWR are introduced.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2011

Si-rich-layer-coated U-7 wt%Mo plates were prepared in order to evaluate the diffusion barrier performance of the Si-rich layer in U-Mo vs. Al interdiffusion. Pure Si powder was used for coating the U-Mo plates by annealing at $900^{\circ}C$ for 1 h under vacuum of approximately 1 Pa. Si-rich layers containing more than 60 at% of Si were formed on U-7 wt%Mo plates. Diffusion couple tests were conducted in a muffle furnace at $560-600^{\circ}C$ under vacuum using Si-rich-layer-coated U-Mo plates and pure Al plates. Diffusion couple tests using uncoated U-Mo plates and Al-(0, 2 or 5 wt%)Si plates were also conducted for comparison. Si-rich-layer coatings were more effective in suppressing the interaction during diffusion couple tests between coated U-Mo plate and Al, when compared with U-Mo vs. Al-Si diffusion couples, since only small amounts of Al in the coating could be found after the diffusion couple tests. Si-rich-layer-coated U-7wt%Mo particles were also prepared using the same technique for U-7 wt%Mo plates to observe the microsturctures of the coated particles.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1736-1746
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• 2021

The results of full-scale numerical experiments of a hybrid thorium-containing fuel cell facility operating in a close-to-critical state due to a controlled source of fusion neutrons are discussed in this work. The facility under study was a complex consisting of two blocks. The first block was based on the concept of a high-temperature gas-cooled thorium reactor core. The second block was an axially symmetrical extended plasma generator of additional neutrons that was placed in the near-axial zone of the facility blanket. The calculated models of the blanket and the plasma generator of D-T neutrons created within the work allowed for research of the neutronic parameters of the facility in stationary and pulse-periodic operation modes. This research will make it possible to construct a safe facility and investigate the properties of thorium fuel, which can be continuously used in the epithermal spectrum of the considered hybrid fusion-fission reactor.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.344-350
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• 2021

As the High Flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO) has been recently required to support new R&D relevant to future nuclear systems requiring a much higher neutron fluence, the development of irradiation capsule technology for long-term irradiation testing was performed in three steps (3, 5, 10 dpa). At first, several design improvements of a standard capsule were suggested based on a failure analysis of the capsule and successfully applied for irradiation testing at HANARO at up to eight reactor operation cycles equivalent to 3 dpa. Based on a schematic stress analysis of the vulnerable parts of the previous capsule, an optimized design of the capsule was made for 5 dpa irradiation. The newly designed capsule was safely out-pile tested up to 450 days, which was equivalent to 5 dpa irradiation in the reactor. The test results were submitted to the Reactor Safety Review Committee of HANARO and irradiation testing for 5 dpa was approved. The capsule was also successfully out-pile tested to evaluate the possibility of irradiation testing for 10 dpa. For a higher neutron fluence exceeding 10 dpa, new capsule technologies, including a new capsule that has a different bottom design and neutron flux boosting capsule, were also suggested.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4551-4559
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• 2022

The aim of this research is to analyze the characteristics of a core melt discharged from the reactor vessel and the spreading behavior the core melt in the reactor cavity of the SMART. First, a severe accident sequence under conservative conditions is simulated by the MELCOR code to obtain the conditions for an analysis of the spreading behavior and coolability of the ex-vessel melt. Second, the spreading behavior and coolability of the ex-vessel melt are analyzed by the MELTSPREAD code. The level, temperature, and pressure of the water in the cavity as well as the temperature, mass, composition, and discharge velocity of the melt were utilized to construct the ex-vessel analysis. The melt spread only to part of the cavity, and that the height of the corium in a static state was less than 25 cm. The characteristics of a small modular reactor on the spreading behavior and coolability of melt were analyzed. In the SMART, the amount of melt discharged into the cavity is relatively small and the area of the cavity is sufficiently large when compared to a high-power pressurized water reactor. It was found that the coolability of an ex-vessel core melt can be sufficiently secured.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1353-1354
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• 2004

It was estimated by an analysis method thai the inner shell of HANARO reactor will be deformed due to pressure, loads, creep and growth during reactor operation. To confirm the analysis validity and safe operation of reactor, we developed tools to remotely measure the straightness of the inner shell located 12m below the pool top. The performance and the accuracy of the measurement tools have been verified through tests using a dummy inner shell and steel straight edge. The accuracy of the measurement shows very good results with a maximum error of 0.06mm by steel straight edge. The technical experiences described in this paper will be a good reference not only for the operation and maintenance of HANARO but also for the next performance of the measurement in the future.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.66-82
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• 1999

The national long-term R&D program, updated in 1997, requires Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI) to complete by the year 2006 the basic design of Korea Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor(KALIMER), along with supporting R&D work, with the capability of resolving the issue of spent fuel storage as well as with significantly enhanced safety. KALIMER is a 150 MWe pool-type sodium cooled prototype reactor that uses metallic fuel. The conceptual design is currently under way to establish a self-consistent design meeting a set of major safety design requirements for accident prevention. Some of the current emphasis includes those for inherent and passive means of negative reactivity insertion and decay heat removal, high shutdown reliability, prevention of and protection from sodium chemical reaction, and high seismic margin, among others. All of these requirements affect the reactor design significantly and involve extensive supporting R&D programs. This paper summarizes some of the results of conceptual engineering and design analyses performed for the safety of HAMMER in the area of inherent safety, passive decay heat removal, sodium water reaction, and seismic isolation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 1978

Multigroup constant calculation system for TRIGA-type reactor analysis was provided. Calculations for initial criticality, temperature coefficient, flux and power distributions of TRICA-Mark III reactor were carried out by using diffusion code CITATION. And some of results were compared with the values of start-up experiments and design values. It could be confirmed that the prepared computation system is very useful for TRIGA-type reactor analysis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.847-858
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• 2013

Since 2001, a series of five irradiation test campaigns for atomized U-Mo dispersion fuel rods, KOMO-1, -2, -3, -4, and -5, has been conducted at HANARO (Korea) in order to develop high performance low enriched uranium dispersion fuel for research reactors. The KOMO irradiation tests provided valuable information on the irradiation behavior of U-Mo fuel that results from the distinct fuel design and irradiation conditions of the rod fuel for HANARO. Full size U-Mo dispersion fuel rods of 4-5 $g-U/cm^3$ were irradiated at a maximum linear power of approximately 105 kW/m up to 85% of the initial U-235 depletion burnup without breakaway swelling or fuel cladding failure. Electron probe microanalyses of the irradiated samples showed localized distribution of the silicon that was added in the matrix during fuel fabrication and confirmed its beneficial effect on interaction layer growth during irradiation. The modifications of U-Mo fuel particles by the addition of a ternary alloying element (Ti or Zr), additional protective coatings (silicide or nitride), and the use of larger fuel particles resulted in significantly reduced interaction layers between fuel particles and Al.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.1200-1209
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• 1999

Prediction model was composed by optimal parameter estimation from best fitting on reactant temperature profile, inlet and outlet temperature of coolant and yield of dual fixed-bed catalytic reactor(FBCR) which was measured in the industrial field. In order to design the FBCR which could obtain maximum conversion and yield, we investigated the effect of catalyst bed length and reactor radius changes. An uniform activity FBCR showed the best performance at z = 2.8 m of total catalysst bed length in case of reactor radius r = 0.01241 m and z =2.80 m(upper layer: 1.88 m, lower layer: 0.92 m) under reactor radius r = 0.01254 m for a dual activities FCBR. In case of reactor radius changes, the axial temperature profile and maximum radial temperature was rapidly risen for radius increase. The reactor radius decrease showed the opposite result.