• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.50 no.6
• /
• pp.915-922
• /
• 2018

Metallic fuel has been considered for sodium-cooled fast reactors because it can maximize the uranium resources. It generates rare earth elements as fission products, where it is reported by aggravating the fuel-cladding chemical interaction at the operating temperature. Rare earth elements form a multicomponent alloy (Ce-Nd-Pr-La-Sm-etc.) during reactor operation, where it shows a higher reaction thickness than a single element. Experiments have been carried out by simplifying multicomponent alloys for mono or binary systems because complex alloys have difficulty in the analysis. In previous experiments, xCe-yNd was fabricated with two elements, Ce and Nd, which have a major effect on the fuel-cladding chemical interaction, and the thickness of the reaction layer reached maximum when the rare earth elements ratio was 1:1. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect and relationship of rare earth elements on such synergistic behavior. Single and binary rare earth model alloys were prepared by selecting five rare earth elements (Ce, Nd, Pr, La, and Sm). In the single system, Nd and Pr behaviors were close to diffusion, and Ce showed a eutectic reaction. In the binary system, Ce and Sm further increased the reaction layer, and La showed a non-synergy effect.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.240-252
• /
• 2015

In the original licensing application for the prototype fast-breeder reactor, MONJU, the event progression during an unprotected loss of flow (ULOF), which is one of the technically inconceivable events postulated beyond design basis, was evaluated. Through this evaluation, it was confirmed that radiological consequences could be suitably limited even if mechanical energy was released. Following the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, a new nuclear safety regulation has become effective in Japan. The conformity of MONJU to this new regulation should hence be investigated. The objectives of the present study are to conduct a preliminary evaluation of ULOF for MONJU, reflecting the knowledge obtained after the original licensing application through CABRI experiments and EAGLE projects, and to gain the prospect of in-vessel retention for the conformity of MONJU to the new regulation. The preliminary evaluation in the present study showed that no significant mechanical energy release would take place, and that thermal failure of the reactor vessel could be avoided by the stable cooling of disrupted-core materials. This result suggests that the prospect of in-vessel retention against ULOF, which lies within the bounds of the original licensing evaluation and conforms to the new nuclear safety regulation, will be gained.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.8
• /
• pp.1025-1044
• /
• 2009

Systematic research has been conducted by KAERI to develop a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle energy conversion system coupled with a sodium cooled fast reactor. For the development of the supercritical $CO_2$ Brayton cycle ECS, KAERI researched four major fields, separately. For the system development, computer codes were developed to design and analyze the supercritical $CO_2$ Brayton cycle ECS coupled with the KALIMER-600. Computer codes were developed to design and analyze the performance of the major components such as the turbomachinery and the high compactness PCHE heat exchanger. Three dimensional flow analysis was conducted to evaluate their performance. A new configuration for a PCHE heat exchanger was developed by using flow analysis, which showed a very small pressure loss compared with a previous PCHE while maintaining its heat transfer rate. Transient characteristics for the supercritical $CO_2$ Brayton cycle coupled with KALIMER-600 were also analyzed using the developed computer codes. A Na-$CO_2$ pressure boundary failure accident was analyzed with a computer code that included a developed model for the Na-$CO_2$ chemical reaction phenomena. The MMS-LMR code was developed to analyze the system transient and control logic. On the basis of the code, the system behavior was analyzed when a turbine load was changed. This paper contains the current research overview of the supercritical $CO_2$ Brayton cycle coupled to the KALIMER-600 as an alternative energy conversion system.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.233-239
• /
• 2017

The CA (Control Assembly) of an SFR has a CRA(Control Rod Assembly) with an inner duct and control rod. During an emergency situation, the CRA falls into the duct of the CA for a rapid shut-down. The drop time and impact velocity of the CRA are important parameters with respect to the reactivity insertion time and the structural integrity of the CRA. The objective of this study was to investigate the dynamic behavior and integrity of the CRA owing to a drop impact. The impact analysis of the CRA under normal/abnormal drop conditions was carried out using the commercial FEM code LS-DYNA. Results of the drop impact analysis demonstrated that the CRA maintained structural integrity, and could be safely inserted into the flow hole of the damper under abnormal conditions.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.39-48
• /
• 2010

In order to investigate the effects of tempering temperature and heat-treatment path on the microstructural and mechanical properties of ASTM Gr.92 steels, four samples with different tempering temperatures and heat-treatment paths wer prepared. THeree experimental steels showed tempered martensitic microstructures, but the sample tempered at $810^{\circ}C$ was presumed to retain partially untempered martensitic microstructures due to a lower ${\alpha}$+${\gamma}$ phase regime. $M_{23}C_6$, V(C,N), and Nb(C,N) precipitates were observed in all samples. In addition $Cr_2N$ was observed to be precipitated finely and uniformly by isothermal heat-treatment. The lath width and precipitate size in the isothermal heat-treated samples were much smaller than those of the tempered-only specimens. Because of a fine and uniform precipitate, a reduction of lath width would enhance precipitation hardeing, and it was shown that mechanical propertiesincluding the hardness and tensile properties of the steels were improved by isothermal heat-treatment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.772-784
• /
• 2024

The hexagonal nodal code RENUS has been enhanced to handle irregularly deformed hexagonal assemblies. The underlying RENUS methods involving triangle-based polynomial expansion nodal (T-PEN) and corner point balance (CPB) were extended in a way to use line and surface integrals of polynomials in a deformed hexagonal geometry. The nodal calculation is accelerated by the coarse mesh finite difference (CMFD) formulation extended to unstructured geometry. The accuracy of the unstructured nodal solution was evaluated for a group of 2D SFR core problems in which the assembly corner points are arbitrarily displaced. The RENUS results for the change in nuclear characteristics resulting from fuel deformation were compared with those of the reference McCARD Monte Carlo code. It turned out that the two solutions agree within 18 pcm in reactivity change and 0.46% in assembly power distribution change. These results demonstrate that the proposed unstructured nodal method can accurately model heterogeneous thermal expansion in hexagonal fueled cores.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.12
• /
• pp.4412-4421
• /
• 2022

The pressure measurement in the high-temperature liquid metal system, such as Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor(SFR), is important and yet it is very challenging due to its nature. The measuring pressure is relatively at low range and the applied temperature varies in wide range. Moreover, the pressure transfer material in impulse line needs to considered the high temperature condition. The conventional diaphragm-based approach cannot be used for it is impossible to remove the effect of thermal expansion. In this paper, the Fiber Bragg Grating(FBG) sensor-based pressure measuring concept is suggested that it is free of problems induced by the thermal expansion. To verify this concept, a prototype was fabricated and tested in an appropriate conditions. The uncertainty analysis result of the experiment is also included. The final result of this study clearly showed that the FBG-based pressure transmitter system is applicable to the extreme environment, such as SFR and any other high-temperature liquid metal system and the measurement uncertainty is within reasonable range.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.35 no.9
• /
• pp.1083-1090
• /
• 2011

A steam generator poses many difficulties during the development of a sodium-cooled fast reactor because of the sodium-water-reaction problems. Until now, several types of steam generators have been developed, but the specifications of these generators differed in each country. Moreover, even if a country had developed a steam generator, it was not used in the subsequent reactor because the current techniques were not stabilized to select the proper steam generator. As a common development, the Benson steam cycle with few welding locations and high economical efficiency may be adopted. Moreover, the design is dwelled on the convenience of inspection, detection, control, and maintenance for the wear caused by sodiumwater reactions. The specifications of the designed steam generators were reviewed and the current technical problems for steam generators were analyzed. Concepts were proposed to overcome the current technical problems for steam generators.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.45-51
• /
• 2015

Grade 91 steel is used for the major structural components of Generation-IV reactor systems such as a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) and sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). Since these structures are designed for up to 60 years at elevated temperatures, the prediction of long-term creep life is very important to determine an allowable design stress of elevated temperature structural component. In this study, a large body of creep rupture data was collected through world-wide literature surveys, and using these data, the long-term creep life was predicted in terms of three methods: Larson-Miller (L-M), Manson-Haferd (M-H) and Wilshire methods. The results for each method was compared using the standard deviation of error. The L-M method was overestimated in the longer time of a low stress. The Wilshire method was superior agreement in the long-term life prediction to the L-M and M-H methods.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.64-69
• /
• 2014

Gr. 91 steel is used for the major structural components of Generation-IV reactor systems, such as a very high temperature reactor(VHTR) and sodium-cooled fast reactor(SFR). Since these structures are designed for up to 60 years at elevated temperatures, the prediction of long-term creep life is important for a design application of Gr. 91 steel. In this study, a number of creep rupture data were collected through world-wide literature surveys, and using these data, the long-term creep life was predicted in terms of three methods: the single-C method in Larson-Miller(L-M) parameter, multi-C constant method in the L-M parameter, and a modified method("sinh" equation) in the L-M parameter. The results of the creep-life prediction were compared using the standard deviation of error value, respectively. Modified method proposed by the "sinh" equation revealed better agreement in creep life prediction than the single-C L-M method.