• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.826-833
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• 2022

A two-phase natural circulation test using SMART integral test loop (SMART-ITL) was conducted to explore thermo-hydraulic phenomena of two-phase natural circulation in the SMART reactor. Specifically, the test examined the natural circulation in the primary loop under a stepwise coolant inventory loss while keeping the core power constant at 5% of the scaled full power. Based on the test results, three flow regimes were observed: single-phase natural circulation (SPNC), two-phase natural circulation (TPNC), and boiler-condenser natural circulation (BCNC). The flow rate remained steady in the SPNC, slightly increased in the TPNC, and dropped abruptly and maintained in the BCNC. Using a natural circulation flow map, the natural circulation characteristic in the SMART-ITL was compared with those in pressurized water reactor simulators. In the SMART-ITL, a BCNC regime appeared instead of siphon condensation and reflux condensation regimes because of the use of once-through steam generators.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.554-564
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• 2022

The natural circulation phenomena occurring in fully integrated nuclear reactors are associated with a unique formation mechanism. The phenomenon results from a structural feature of these reactors involving upward flow from the core, located in the central-bottom region of a single vessel, and downward flow to the steam generator in the annulus region. In this study, to understand the natural circulation in a single vessel involving a multi-layered flow path, single-phase and two-phase natural circulation tests were performed using the SMART-ITL facility, and validation analysis of the TASS/SMR-S code was performed by comparing the corresponding test results. Three single-phase natural circulation tests were sequentially conducted at 15%, 10%, and 5% of full-scaled core-power without RCP operation, following which a two-phase natural circulation test was successively conducted with an artificial discharge of coolant inventory. The simulation capability of the TASS/SMR-S code with respect to the natural circulation phenomena was validated against the test results, and somewhat conservative but reasonably comparative results in terms of overall thermalhydraulic behavior were shown.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.165-172
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• 2016

노심보충탱크(Core Makeup Tank, CMT), 안전주입탱크(SafetyInjection Tank, SIT)와 자동감압계통(Auto Depressurization System, ADS)로 구성된 1 계열의 SMART 피동안전주입계통의 주입특성을 파악하기 위한 소형냉각재상실사고(SBLOCA) 모의에 대한 실험적 연구가 수행되었다. SBLOCA의시험은 0.4 인치 안전주입수 배관파단에 대해 수행되었으며, 정상상태 조건은 실험요건서에 제시된 시험 초기 조건을 만족시키도록 746초 동안 운전되었다. 노심 출력 및 안전주입 유량 등의 경계 조건도 적절히 모의되었으며, 안전주입계통 배관에서의 파단, 히터 트립 및 잔열곡선 인가, 원자로냉각재펌프 관성서행(Coastdown), 급수 중단, CMT 및 SIT의 주입, ADS #1 개방이 SBLOCA 시나리오에 따라 적절히 모의되었다. 노심지지원통 내부의 액체환산수위는 파단 초반에 감소하다가 CMT와 SIT가 주입되면서 서서히 회복되었으며, 피동안전주입계통의 주입유량이 노심 수위를 회복하기에 충분한 것으로 판단할 수 있다.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2012년도 춘계학술논문요약집
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• pp.349-350
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• 2012

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권5호
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• pp.1890-1901
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• 2022

We have assessed the applicability of the thermal-hydraulic system analysis code, SPACE, to a small modular reactor called SMART. For the assessment, the experimental data from a scale-down integral-test facility, SMART-ITL, were used. It was conformed that the SPACE code unrealistically calculates the safety injection flow rate through the CMT and SIT during a small-break loss-of-coolant experiment. This unrealistic behavior was due to the overprediction of interfacial heat transfer at the steam-water interface in a vertically stratified flow in the tanks. In this study, a special thermal-hydraulic component model has been developed to realistically calculate the interfacial heat transfer when a strong non-equilibrium two-phase flow is formed in the CMT or SIT. Additionally, we developed a special heat structure model, which analytically calculates the heat transfer from the hot steam to the cold tank wall. The combination of two models for the tank are called the special component model. We assessed it using the SMART-ITL passive safety injection system (PSIS) test data. The results showed that the special component model well predicts the transient behaviors of the CMT and SIT.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.968-978
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• 2017

Three small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) tests with safety injection pumps were carried out using the integral-effect test loop for SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor), i.e., the SMART-ITL facility. The types of break are a safety injection system line break, shutdown cooling system line break, and pressurizer safety valve line break. The thermal-hydraulic phenomena show a traditional behavior to decrease the temperature and pressure whereas the local phenomena are slightly different during the early stage of the transient after a break simulation. A safety injection using a high-pressure pump effectively cools down and recovers the inventory of a reactor coolant system. The global trends show reproducible results for an SBLOCA scenario with three different break locations. It was confirmed that the safety injection system is robustly safe enough to protect from a core uncovery.

• 에너지공학
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.124-132
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• 2016

노심보충탱크 상부에 설치되는 유동분사기 형상에 따른 냉각수 주입특성 및 탱크 내에서의 열수력 현상 변화를 파악하기 위한 안전주입배관 2인치 파단 소형냉각재상실사고(SBLOCA) 모의시험이 잔열 및 피동잔열제거계통(PRHRS) 모의 없이 수행되었다. 두 가지 형상의 유동분사기를 설치하고 수행한 각각의 시험은 거의 유사한 초기 및 경계조건에서 수행되었으며, 이로 인해 반복시험에 대한 재현성이 충족되었다고 판단된다. 시험결과는 유동분사기의 종류(본 시험에서는 구멍의 개수에 해당)에 관계없이 유사한 열수력학적 거동을 보였으며, 초기 주입유량 관점에서는 구멍의 개수가 2배인 B형이 A형에 비해 좀 더 우수한 주입 성능을 보였다. 노심보충탱크 격리 밸브가 개방된 후 압력평형배관을 통해 유입되는 고온의 원자로냉각재는 상부 헤더에서 상대적으로 저온인 $50^{\circ}C$ 물과 혼합되면서 증기 응축과 같은 상변화에 의한 압력 변동을 동반하는 다차원 열유동 현상을 일으키게 된다. 이로 인해 초반부 노심보충탱크 주입 유량은 상온운전 조건에서 보다는 작게 되고, 일정시간 경과 후에는 유사한 주입유량 특성을 보였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권7호
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• pp.1537-1546
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• 2017

Many thermal-hydraulic tests have been conducted at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute for verification of the SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) design, the standard design approval of which was issued by the Korean regulatory body. In this paper, the contributions of these tests to the standard design approval of SMART are discussed. First, an integral effect test facility named VISTA-ITL (Experimental Verification by Integral Simulation of Transients and Accidents-Integral Test Loop) has been utilized to assess the TASS/SMR-S (Transient and Set-point Simulation/Small and Medium) safety analysis code and confirm its conservatism, to support standard design approval, and to construct a database for the SMART design optimization. In addition, many separate effect tests have been performed. The reactor internal flow test has been conducted using the SCOP (SMART COre flow distribution and Pressure drop test) facility to evaluate the reactor internal flow and pressure distributions. An ECC (Emergency Core Coolant) performance test has been carried out using the SWAT (SMART ECC Water Asymmetric Two-phase choking test) facility to evaluate the safety injection performance and to validate the thermal-hydraulic model used in the safety analysis code. The Freon CHF (Critical Heat Flux) test has been performed using the FTHEL (Freon Thermal Hydraulic Experimental Loop) facility to construct a database from the $5{\times}5$ rod bundle Freon CHF tests and to evaluate the DNBR (Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio) model in the safety analysis and core design codes. These test results were used for standard design approval of SMART to verify its design bases, design tools, and analysis methodology.