• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2020

Small nuclear reactor features higher power capacity, longer operation life than conventional power sources. It could be an ideal alternative of existing power source applied for special equipment for terrestrial or underwater missions. In this paper, a 25kWe heat pipe cooled reactor power source applied for multiple use is preliminary designed. Based on the design, a thermal-hydraulic analysis code for heat pipe cooled reactor is developed to analyze steady and transient performance of the designed nuclear reactor. For reactor design, UN fuel with 65% enrichment and potassium heat pipes are adopted in the reactor core. Tungsten and LiH are adopted as radiation shield on both sides of the reactor core. The reactor is controlled by 6 control drums with B₄C neutron absorbers. Thermoelectric generator (TEG) converts fission heat into electricity. Cooling water removes waste heat out of the reactor. The thermal-hydraulic characteristics of heat pipes are simulated using thermal resistance network method. Thermal parameters of steady and transient conditions, such as the temperature distribution of every key components are obtained. Then the postulated reactor accidents for heat pipe cooled reactor, including power variation, single heat pipe failure and cooling channel blockage, are analyzed and evaluated. Results show that all the designed parameters satisfy the safety requirements. This work could provide reference to the design and application of the heat pipe cooled nuclear power source.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.925-936
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• 2020

To ascertain the characteristics of pool sloshing behavior that might be encountered during a core disruptive accident of sodium-cooled fast reactors, in our earlier work several series of experiments were conducted under various scenarios including the condition with mono-sized solid particles. It is found that under the particle-bed condition, three typical flow regimes (namely the bubble-impulsion dominant regime, the transitional regime and the bed-inertia dominant regime) could be identified and a flow-regime model (base model) has been even successfully established to estimate the regime transition. In this study, aimed to further understand this behavior at more realistic particle-bed conditions, a series of simulated experiments is newly carried out using mixed-size particles. Through analyses, it is verified that for present scenario, by applying the area mean diameter, our previously-developed base model can provide the most appropriate predictive results among the various effective diameters. To predict the regime transition with a form of extension scheme, a correction factor which is based on the volume-mean diameter and the degree of convergence in particle-size distribution is suggested and validated. The conducted analyses in this work also indicate that under certain conditions, the potential separation between different particle components might exist during the sloshing process.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.534-540
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• 2022

Liquid hydrogen has the best storage capacity per unit mass and is economical among storage methods for using hydrogen as fuel. As the demand for hydrogen increases, the need to develop a storage and supply system of liquid hydrogen is emphasizing. In order to liquefy hydrogen, it is necessary to pre-cool it to a maximum inversion temperature of -253℃. The Gifford-McMahon (GM) refrigerator is the most reliable and commercialized refrigerator among small-capacity cryogenic refrigerators, which can extract high-efficiency hydrogen through liquefied hydrogen production and boil of gas re-liquefaction. Therefore, in this study, the optimal conditions for liquefying gas hydrogen were sought using the GM cryocooler. The process was simulated by PRO/II under various cooling capacities of the GM refrigerator. In addition, the flow rate of hydrogen was calculated by comparing with specific refrigerator capacity depending on the pressure and flow rate of a refrigerant medium, helium. Simulations were performed to investigate the optimal values of the liquefaction flow rate and compression pressure, which aim for the peak refrigeration effect. Based on this, a liquefaction system can be selected in consideration of the cycle configuration and the performance of the refrigerator.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1676-1685
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• 2021

We develop a new high-fidelity multiphysics model to simulate boron chemistry in the porous Chalk River Unidentified Deposit (CRUD) deposits. Heat transfer, capillary flow, solute transport, and chemical reactions are fully coupled. The evaporation of coolant in the deposits is included in governing equations modified by the volume-averaged assumption of wick boiling. The axial offset anomaly (AOA) of the Seabrook nuclear power plant is simulated. The new model reasonably predicts the distributions of temperature, pressure, velocity, volumetric boiling heat density, and chemical concentrations. In the thicker CRUD regions, 60% of the total heat is removed by evaporative heat transfer, causing boron species accumulation. The new model successfully shows the quantitative effect of coolant evaporation on the local distributions of boron. The total amount of boron in the CRUD layer increases by a factor of 1.21 when an evaporation-driven increase of soluble and precipitated boron concentrations is reflected. In addition, the concentrations of B(OH)₃ and LiBO₂ are estimated according to various conditions such as different CRUD thickness and porosity. At the end of the cycle in the AOA case, the total mass of boron incorporated in CRUD deposits of a reference single fuel rod is estimated to be about 0.5 mg.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.523-532
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• 2022

Turbocharger technology is one of the ways to survive in a competitive market that is facing increasing demand for fuel and improving the efficiency of vehicle engines. Turbocharging allows the engine to operate at close to its maximum power, thereby reducing the relative friction losses. One way to optimally understand the behavior of a turbocharger is to better understand the heat flow. In this paper, a 1.7 liter, 4 cylinder and 16 air valve gasoline engine turbocharger with compressible, viscous and 3D flow was investigated. The purpose of this paper is numerical investigation of the number of heat transfer in gasoline engines turbochargers under 3D flow and to examine the effect of different types of coatings on its performance; To do this, modeling of snail chamber and turbine blades in CATIA and simulation in ANSYS-FLUENT software have been used to compare the results of turbine with experimental results in both adiabatic and non-adiabatic (heat transfer) conditions. It should be noted that the turbine blades are modeled using multiple rotational coordinate methods. In the experimental section, we simulated our model without coating in two states of adiabatic and non-adiabatic. Then we matched our results with the experimental results to prove the validation of the model. Comparison of numerical and experimental results showed a difference of 8-10%, which indicates the accuracy and precision of numerical results. Also, in our studies, we concluded that the highest effective power of the turbocharged engine is achieved in the adiabatic state. We also used three types of SiO₂, Sic and Si₃N₄ ceramic coatings to investigate the effect of insulating coatings on turbine shells to prevent heat transfer. The results showed that SiO₂ has better results than the other two coatings due to its lower heat transfer coefficient.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.58-67
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• 2023

Results of dry-run tests, cold-flow tests, and hot-firing tests performed to throttle a methane engine uni-element thrust chamber are covered in the paper. After installing flow control valves on the oxidizer and fuel supply lines of the methane engine combustion test facility, a number of dry-run tests were repeated so that the valves could reach set strokes quickly and stably. Then, cold-flow tests using liquid nitrogen and gaseous nitrogen were conducted to confirm the stable supply of the simulated propellants according to the valve control. Finally, using liquid oxygen and gaseous methane, hot-firing tests for fixed and continuous thrust control of 50% to 10% of the nominal thrust were successfully performed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.999-1008
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• 2023

Deformed fuel rods can cause a partial blockage of the flow area in a subchannel. Such flow blockage will influence the core coolant flow and further the core heat transfer during the reflooding phase and subsequent severe accidents. Nevertheless, most of the system analysis codes simulate the accident process based on the assumed flow blockage ratio, resulting in inconsistencies between simulated results and actual conditions. This paper aims to study the influence of flow blockage in severe accident scenario of the CAP1400 reactor. First, the flow blockage model of ISAA code is improved based on the FRTMB module. Then, the ISAA-FRTMB coupling system is adopted to model and calculate the QUENCH-LOCA-0 experiment. The correctness and validity of the flow blockage model are verified by comparing the peak cladding temperature. Finally, the DVI Line-SBLOCA accident is induced to analyze the influence of flow blockage on subsequent CAP1400 reactor core heat transfer and core degradation. From the results of the DVI Line-SBLOCA accident analysis, it can be concluded that the blockage ratio is in the range of 40%-60%, and the position of severe blockage is the same as that of cladding rupture. The blockage reduces the circulation area of the core coolant, which in turn impacts the heat exchange between the core and the coolant, leading to the early failure and collapse of some core assemblies and accelerating the core degradation process.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.319-327
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• 2010

A nuclear plant ESF ACS simulator was designed, built, and verified to perform experiment related to ESF ACS of nuclear power plants. The dimension of 3D CAD model was based on drawings of the main control room(MCR) of Yonggwang units 5 and 6. The CFD analysis was performed based on the measurement of the actual flow rate of ESF ACS. The air flowing in ACS was assumed to have $30^{\circ}C$ and uniform flow. The flow rate across the HEPA filter was estimated to be 1.83 m/s based on the MCR ACS flow rate of 12,986 CFM and HEPA filter area of 9 filters having effective area of $610{\times}610mm^2$ each. When MCR ACS was modeled, air flow blocking filter frames were considered for better simulation of the real ACS. In CFD analysis, the air flow rate in the lower part of the active carbon adsorber was simulated separately at higher than 7 m/s to reflect the measured value of 8 m/s. Through the CFD analyses of the ACSes of fuel building emergency ventilation system, emergency core cooling system equipment room ventilation cleanup system, it was confirmed that all three EFS ACSes can be simulated by controlling the flow rate of the simulator. After the CFD analysis, the simulator was built in nuclear grade and its reliability was verified through air flow distribution tests before it was used in main tests. The verification result showed that distribution of the internal flow was uniform except near the filter frames when medium filter was installed. The simulator was used in the tests to confirm the revised contents in Reg. Guide 1.52 (Rev. 3).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2009

This study has been carried out to look into the characteristics of an oxidative-dissolution of fission products (FP) co-dissolved with uranium (U) in a $(NH_4)_2CO_3$ carbonate solution. Simulated FP-oxides which contained 12 components have been added to the solution to examine their dissolution characteristics. It is found that $H_2O_2$ is an effective oxidant to minimize the oxidative-dissolution of FP. In the 0.5 M $(NH_4)_2CO_3$-0.5 M $H_2O_2$ solution, some elements such as Re, Te, Cs and Mo seem to be dissolved together with U, while 98${\pm}$2% for Re and Te, 94${\pm}$2% for Cs, and 29${\pm}$2 % for Mo are dissolved for 2 hours. It is revealed that dissolution rates of Re, Te and Cs are high (completely dissolved within 10${\sim}$20 minutes) due to their high solubility in the $(NH_4)_2CO_3$ solution regardless of the addition of $H_2O_2$, and independent of the concentrations of $Na_2CO_3$ and $H_2O_2$. However, the dissolution ratio of Mo seems to be slightly increased with time and about 33 % for 4 hours, indicating a very slow dissolution rate and also independent of the $(NH_4)_2CO_3$ concentration. It is found that the most important factor for the oxidative-dissolution of FP is the pH of the solution and an effective dissolution is achieved at a pH between 9${\sim}$10 in order to minimize the dissolution of FP.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.656-662
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• 2007

Fuel reformer using plasma and shift reactor for CO oxidation were designed and manufactured as $H_2$ supply device to operate a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). $H_2$ selectivity was increased by non-thermal plasma reformer using GlidArc discharge with Ni catalyst simultaneously. Shift reactor was consisted of steam generator, low temperature shifter, high temperature shifter and preferential oxidation reactor. Parametric screening studies of fuel reformer were conducted, in which there were the variations of the catalyst temperature, gas component ratio, total gas ratio and input power. and parametric screening studies of shift reactor were conducted, in which there were the variations of the air flow rate, stema flow rate and temperature. When the $O_2/C$ ratio was 0.64, total gas flow rate was 14.2 l/min, catalytic reactor temperature was $672^{\circ}C$ and input power 1.1 kJ/L, the production of $H_2$ was maximized 41.1%. And $CH_4$ conversion rate, $H_2$ yield and reformer energy density were 88.7%, 54% and 35.2% respectively. When the $O_2/C$ ratio was 0.3 in the PrOx reactor, steam flow ratio was 2.8 in the HTS, and temperature were 475, 314, 260, $235^{\circ}C$ in the HTS, LTS, PrOx, the conversion of CO was optimized conditions of shift reactor using simulated reformate gas. Preheat time of the reactor using plasma was 30 min, component of reformed gas from shift reactor were $H_2$ 38%, CO<10 ppm, $N_2$ 36%, $CO_2$ 21% and $CH_4$ 4%.