• 설비공학논문집
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.186-194
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• 2016

As a turbulence-enhancing device, a mixing vane installed at a spacer grid of the fuel assembly plays a role in improving the convective heat transfer by generating either swirl flow in the subchannels or cross flow between fuel rod gaps. Therefore, both configuration and arrangement pattern of a mixing vane are important factors that determine the performance of a mixing vane. In this study, in order to examine the flow distribution features inside $5{\times}5$ fuel assembly with swirl-type mixing vanes used in benchmark calculation of OECD/NEA, simulations were conducted with commercial CFD software ANSYS CFX R.14. Predicted results were compared to data measured from MATiS-H (Measurement and Analysis of Turbulent Mixing in Subchannels-Horizontal) test facility. In addition, the effect of swirl-type mixing vanes on flow pattern inside the fuel assembly was described.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권10호
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• pp.3775-3786
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• 2023

Mixing Vane Grid (MVG) is one of the most important structures in fuel assembly due to its high performance in mixing the coolant and ultimately increasing Critical Heat Flux (CHF), which avoids the temperature rising suddenly of fuel rods. To evaluate the mixing performance of the MVG, a Total Diffusion Coefficient (TDC) mixing coefficient is defined in the subchannel analysis code. Conventionally, the TDC of the spacer grid is obtained from the combination of experiments and subchannel analysis. However, the processing of obtaining and determine a reasonable TDC is much challenging, it is affected by boundary conditions and MVG geometries. In is difficult to perform all the large and costing rod bundle tests. In this paper, the CFD method was applied in TDC analysis. A typical 5 × 5 MVG was simulated and validated to estimate the mixing performance of the MVG. The subchannel code was used to calculate the TDC. Firstly, the CFD method was validated from the aspect of pressure drop and lateral temperature distribution in the subchannels. Then the effect of boundary conditions including the inlet temperature, inlet velocities, heat flux ratio between hot and cold rods and the arrangement of hot and cold rods on MVG mixing and TDC were studied. The geometric effects on mixing are also carried out in this paper. The effect of vane pattern on mixing was investigated to determine which one is the best to represent the grid's mixing performance.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.329-337
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• 2016

연료집합체의 지지격자에 설치된 혼합날개는 난류 강화 기구로서 부수로 내부에서 선회류 또는 연료봉 간극사이에서 횡류를 발생시켜 대류열전달을 증진시키는 역할을 한다. 따라서 혼합날개의 기하학적인 형상 및 배열 형태는 혼합날개의 성능을 결정하는 중요한 인자이다. 본 연구에서는 OECD/NEA의 벤치마크 계산에서 활용된 분할 형태의 혼합날개가 장착된 $5{\times}5$ 연료집합체 내부에서의 유동분포 특성을 파악하기 위해 상용 전산유체역학 소프트웨어인 ANSYS CFX R.14를 사용하여 계산을 수행하였고, 계산결과를 MATiS-H 시험장치의 측정값과 비교하였다. 또한 분할 형태의 혼합날개 형상이 연료집합체 내부유동 형태에 미치는 영향에 대해 설명하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.381-393
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• 1993

이 논문은 하강하는 물의 막과 상승하는 공기유동으로 구성된 수직 다봉채널내서의 역유동 플러딩에 관한 실험결과를 발표한 것이다. 특히 다봉속에 혼합깃이 있는 것과 없는 스페이서 그릿 및 블럭키지가 프러딩의 거동에 미치는 영향이 조사되었다. 시험부에는 5$\times$5 지르칼로이관속이 사용되었다. 플러딩에 관한 전의 해석적 모델과 실험적 상관식들을 본 실험결과와 비교한즉 기존의 모델과 상관식들이 매우 높은 플러딩 곡선을 예측함이 발혀졌다. 스페이서 그릿은 이것이 없는 봉속과 비교하면 낮은 플러딩 공기유량을 나타낸다. 그러나 혼합깃이 있는 스페이서 그릿은 이것이 없는 스페이서 그릿에 비하여 높은 플러딩 공기유량이 요구된다. 블럭키지를 가진 봉속은 더욱더 높은 플러딩 공기유량을 갖는다. 세가지 형식의 시험봉 속에 대한 실험적 플러딩 상관식이 얻어졌다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권5호
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• pp.1914-1928
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• 2022

To improve the heat transfer efficiency of the reactor fuel assembly, it is necessary to accurately calculate the two-phase flow boiling characteristics and the critical heat flux (CHF) in the fuel assembly. In this paper, a Eulerian two-fluid model combined with the extended wall boiling model was used to numerically simulate the 5 × 5 fuel rod bundle with spacer grids (four sets of mixing vane grids and four sets of simple support grids without mixing vanes). We calculated and analyzed 11 experimental conditions under different pressure, inlet temperature, and mass flux. After comparing the CHF and the location of departure from the nucleate boiling obtained by the numerical simulation with the experimental results, we confirmed the reliability of computational fluid dynamic analysis for the prediction of the CHF of the rod bundle and the boiling characteristics of the two-phase flow. Subsequently, we analyzed the influence of the spacer grid and mixing vanes on the void fraction, liquid temperature, and secondary flow distribution. The research in this article provides theoretical support for the design of fuel assemblies.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.493-520
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• 2009

During the last four decades, 16 Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and 4 Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) have been constructed and operated in Korea, and nuclear fuel technology has been developed to a self-reliant state. At first, the PWR fuel design and manufacturing technology was acquired through international cooperation with a foreign partner. Then, the PWR fuel R&D by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has improved fuel technology to a self-reliant state in terms of fuel elements, which includes a new cladding material, a large-grained $UO_2$ pellet, a high performance spacer grid, a fuel rod performance code, and fuel assembly test facility. The MOX fuel performance analysis code was developed and validated using the in-reactor test data. MOX fuel test rods were fabricated and their irradiation test was completed by an international program. At the same time, the PWR fuel development by Korea Nuclear Fuel (KNF) has produced new fuel assemblies such as PLUS7 and ACE7. During this process, the design and test technology of fuel assemblies was developed to a self-reliant state. The PHWR fuel manufacturing technology was developed and manufacturing facility was set up by KAERI, independently from the foreign technology. Then, the advanced PHWR fuel, CANFLEX(CANDU Flexible Fuelling), was developed, and an irradiation test was completed in a PHWR. The development of the CANFLEX fuel included a new design of fuel rods and bundles.. The nuclear fuel technology in Korea has been steadily developed in many national R&D programs, and this advanced fuel technology is expected to contribute to a worldwide nuclear renaissance that can create solutions to global warming.