• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 2009

Bitumen extraction and sulfur removal from Athabasca oil sand were conducted using water in sub- and supercritical condition. Bitumen yield in micro reactor was investigated in the pressure range of 15~30 MPa, the temperature of 360 and $380^{\circ}C$ and water density $0.074{\sim}0.61g/cm^3$ for 0~120 min. Bitumen yield increased with reaction pressure irrespective of temperature and dramatically increased in especially supercritical region due to hydrogen formed from water gas shift reaction. Total amount of gas product decreased with reaction pressure but the portion of sulfur and hydrogen increased a little with increasing pressure to 25 and 30 MPa. It is seen that supercritical condition was favourable to the hydrogen formation and sulfur removal. Bitumen yield and sulfur removal from original oil sand reached a maximum 22% and 40% respectively in supercritical condition(the reaction time of 60 min at $380^{\circ}C$ and 25 or 30 MPa).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.1079-1087
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• 2018

There are many parameters that affect the natural circulation flow, such as height difference, heating power size, pipe diameter, system pressure and inlet temperature and so on. In general analysis the heating power is often regarded as a uniform distribution. The ANSYS-CFX numerical analysis software was used to analyze the flow heat transfer of supercritical water under different heating power distribution conditions. The distribution types of uniform, power increasing, power decreasing and sine function are investigated. Through the analysis, it can be concluded that different power distribution has a great influence on the flow of natural circulation if the total power of heating is constant. It was found that the peak flow of supercritical water natural circulation is maximal when the distribution of heating power is monotonically decreasing, minimal when it is monotonically increasing, and moderate at uniform or the sine type of heating. The simulation results further reveal the supercritical water under different heat transfer conditions on its flow characteristics. It can provide certain theory reference and system design for passive residual heat removal system about supercritical water.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.103-112
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• 2017

Application of the supercritical condition in reactor core cooling needs to be properly justified based on the extreme level of parameters involved. Therefore, a numerical study is presented to compare the thermalhydraulic performance of supercritical and single-phase natural circulation loops under low-to-intermediate power levels. Carbon dioxide and water are selected as respective working fluids, operating under an identical set of conditions. Accordingly, a three-dimensional computational model was developed, and solved with an appropriate turbulence model and equations of state. Large asymmetry in velocity and temperature profiles was observed in a single cross section due to local buoyancy effect, which is more prominent for supercritical fluids. Mass flow rate in a supercritical loop increases with power until a maximum is reached, which subsequently corresponds to a rapid deterioration in heat transfer coefficient. That can be identified as the limit of operation for such loops to avoid a high temperature, and therefore, the use of a supercritical loop is suggested only until the appearance of such maxima. Flow-induced heat transfer deterioration can be delayed by increasing system pressure or lowering sink temperature. Bulk temperature level throughout the loop with water as working fluid is higher than supercritical carbon dioxide. This is until the heat transfer deterioration, and hence the use of a single-phase loop is prescribed beyond that limit.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.257-272
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• 2007

Supercritical water-cooled reactors (SCWRs) are recognized as a Generation IV reactor concept. The Super LWR is a pressure-vessel type thermal spectrum SCWR with downward-flow water rods and is currently under study at the University of Tokyo. This paper reviews Super LWR safety. The fundamental requirement for the Super LWR, which has a once-through coolant cycle, is the core coolant flow rate rather than the coolant inventory. Key safety characteristics of the Super LWR inhere in the design features and have been identified through a series of safety analyses. Although loss-of-flow is the most important abnormality, fuel rod heat-up is mitigated by the "heat sink" and "water source" effects of the water rods. Response of the reactor power against pressurization events is mild due to a small change in the average coolant density and flow stagnation of the once-through coolant cycle. These mild responses against transients and also reactivity feedbacks provide good inherent safety against anticipated-transient-without-scram (ATWS) events without alternative actions. Initiation of an automatic depressurization system provides effective heat removal from the fuel rods. An "in-vessel accumulator" effect of the reactor vessel top dome enhances the fuel rod cooling. This effect enlarges the safety margin for large LOCA.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3395-3400
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• 2007

Heat transfer experiments at a vertical annulus passage were carried out in the SPHINX(Supercritical Pressure Heat Transfer Investigation for NeXt Generation) to investigate the heat transfer behaviors of supercritical $CO_2$. The collected test data are to be used for the reactor core design of the SCWR (SuperCritical Water-cooled Reactor). The mass flux was in the range of 400${\sim}$1200 kg/$m^2$s and the heat flux was chosen up to 150 kW/$m^2$. The selected pressures were 7.75 and 8.12 MPa. The heat transfer data were analyzed and compared with the previous tube test data. The test results showed that the heat transfer characteristics were similar to those of the tube in case of a normal heat transfer mode and degree of heat transfer deterioration became smaller than that in the tube. Comparison of the experimental heat transfer coefficients with the predicted ones by the existing correlations showed that there was not a distinct difference between the correlations.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2006

Various indirect power cycle options for a helium cooled gas cooled fast reactor (GFR) with particular focus on a supercritical $CO_2(SCO_2)$ indirect cycle are investigated as an alternative to a helium cooled direct cycle GFR. The balance of plant (BOP) options include helium-nitrogen Brayton cycle, supercritical water Rankine cycle, and $SCO_2$ recompression Brayton power cycle in three versions: (1) basic design with turbine inlet temperature of $550^{\circ}C$, (2) advanced design with turbine inlet temperature of $650^{\circ}C$ and (3) advanced design with the same turbine inlet temperature and reduced compressor inlet temperature. The indirect $SCO_2$ recompression cycle is found attractive since in addition to easier BOP maintenance it allows significant reduction of core outlet temperature, making design of the primary system easier while achieving very attractive efficiencies comparable to or slightly lower than, the efficiency of the reference GFR direct cycle design. In addition, the indirect cycle arrangement allows significant reduction of the GFR &proximate-containment& and the BOP for the $SCO_2$ cycle is very compact. Both these factors will lead to reduced capital cost.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.919-928
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• 2005

This study introduces the development of new supercritical water oxidation(SCW)(multiple step oxidation) to destruct recalcitrant organic substances totally and safely by using sodium nitrate as an oxidant. This method has solved the problems of conventional SCW, such as precipitation of salt due to lowered permittivity, pressure increase following rapid rise of reaction temperature, and corrosion of reactor due to the generation of strong acid. Destruction condition and rate in the supercritical water were examined using Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC) and ion exchange resins as organic substances. The experiment was carried out at $450^{\circ}C$ for 30min, which is relatively lower than the temperature for supercritical water oxidation $(600-650^{\circ}C)$. The decomposition rates of various incombustible organic substances were very high [PVC$(87.5\%)$, Anion exchange resin$(98.6\%)$, Cationexchange resin$(98.0\%)$]. It was observed that hetero atoms existed in organic compounds and chlorine was neutralized by sodium (salt formation). However, relatively large amount of sodium nitrate (4 equivalent) was required to raise the decomposition ratio. For complete oxidation of PCB was intended, the amount of oxidizer was an important parameter.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.03b
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• pp.292-295
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• 2008

In a SCWR (SuperCritical pressure Water cooled Reactor), the coolant temperature initially at below the pseudo-critical temperature at the bottom of a reactor core increases as the coolant flows upward through the sub-channels of the fuel assemblies, and it finally becomes higher than the pseudo-critical temperature when it leaves the reactor core. At certain conditions, heat transfer deterioration occurs near the pseudo-critical temperature and it may cause a drastic rise of the fuel surface temperature resulting a fuel failure. Therefore, an accurate estimation of the heat transfer coefficient is very important for the thermal-hydraulic design of a reactor core. An experiment on heat transfer to the vertically upward flowing $CO_2$ at a supercritical pressure in a circular tube were performed at KAERI. The internal diameter of the test section is 6.32 mm, which corresponds to the hydraulic diameter of a sub-channel in the conceptional design proposed by KAERI. The test range of the mass flux is 285 to 1200 kg/m$^2$s and the maximum heat flux is 170 kW/m$^2$. The inlet pressure is maintained at 8.12 MPa, which is 1.1 times the critical pressure. A new correlation, which covers both the normal and deterioration heat transfer regimes was proposed and compared with the estimations by exiting correlations.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11b
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• pp.3181-3188
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• 2008

The supercritical $CO_2$ Brayton cycle energy conversion system is presented as a promising alternative to the present Rankine cycle. The principal advantage of the S-$CO_2$ gas is a good efficiency at a modest temperature and a compact size of its components. The S-$CO_2$ Brayton cycle coupled to a SFR also excludes the possibilities of a SWR (Sodium-Water Reaction) which is a major safety-related event, so that the safety of a SFR can be improved. KAERI is conducting a feasibility study for the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-$CO_2$) Brayton cycle power conversion system coupled to KALIMER(Korea Advanced LIquid MEtal Reactor). The purpose of this research is to develop S-$CO_2$ Brayton cycle energy conversion systems and evaluate their performance when they are coupled to advanced nuclear reactor concepts of the type under investigation in the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems. This paper contains the research overview of the S-$CO_2$ Brayton cycle coupled to KALIMER-600 as an alternative energy conversion system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.785-796
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• 2009

A KALIMER-600 concept which is a type of sodium-cooled fast reactor, has been developed at KAERI. It uses sodium as a primary coolant and is a pool-type reactor to enhance safety. Also, a supercritical carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) Brayton cycle is considered as an alternative to an energy conversion system to eliminate the sodium water reaction and to improve efficiency. In this study, a simplified model for analyzing the thermodynamic performance of the KALIMER-600 coupled with a supercritical $CO_2$ Brayton cycle was developed. To develop the analysis model, a commercial modular modeling system (MMS) was adopted as a base engine, which was developed by nHance Technology in USA. It has a convenient graphical user interface and many component modules to model the plant. A new user library for thermodynamic properties of sodium and supercritical $CO_2$ was developed and attached to the MMS. In addition, some component modules in the MMS were modified to be appropriate for analysis of the KALIMER-600 coupled with the supercritical $CO_2$ cycle. Then, a simplified performance analysis code was developed by modeling the KALIMER-600 plant with the modified MMS. After evaluating the developed code with each component data and a steady state of the plant, a simple power reduction and recovery event was evaluated. The results showed an achievable capability for a performance analysis code. The developed code will be used to develop the operational strategy and some control logics for the operation of the KALIMER-600 with a supercritical $CO_2$ Brayton cycle after further studies of analyzing various operational events.