• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권10호
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• pp.1275-1284
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• 2009

A directly heated $SO_3$ decomposer for the sulfur-iodine and hybrid-sulfur processes has been introduced and analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code CFX 11. The use of a directly heated decomposition reactor in conjunction with a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) allows for higher decomposition reactor operating temperatures. However, the high temperatures and strongly corrosive operating conditions associated with $SO_3$ decomposition present challenges for the structural materials of decomposition reactors. In order to resolve these problems, we have designed a directly heated $SO_3$ decomposer using RA330 alloy as a structural material and have performed a CFD analysis of the design based on the finite rate chemistry model. The CFD results show the maximum temperature of the structural material could be maintained sufficiently below 1073 K, which is considered the target temperature for RA 330. The CFD simulations also indicated good performance in terms of $SO_3$ decomposition for the design parameters of the present study.

• 대한금속재료학회지
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• 제50권10호
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• pp.721-728
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• 2012

This paper evaluates the reliability of creep rupture life under service conditions of Alloy 617, which is considered as one of the candidate materials for use in a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) system. A Z-parameter, which represents the deviation of creep rupture data from the master curve, was used for the reliability analysis of the creep rupture data of Alloy 617. A Service-condition Creep Rupture Interference (SCRI) model, which can consider both the scattering of the creep rupture data and the fluctuations of temperature and stress under any service conditions, was also used for evaluating the reliability of creep rupture life. The statistical analysis showed that the scattering of creep rupture data based on Z-parameter was supported by normal distribution. The values of reliability decreased rapidly with increasing amplitudes of temperature and stress fluctuations. The results established that the reliability decreased with an increasing service time.

• 동력기계공학회지
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.45-51
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• 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.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.429-436
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• 2011

The corrosion of materials exposed to high temperature helium in a very high temperature reactor is caused by interaction with the impurities in the helium. This interaction then induces high temperature mechanical deterioration. By considering the effect of the impurity concentration on material corrosion, a long-term coolant chemistry guideline can be determined for the range of impurity concentration at which the material is stable for a long time. In this work, surface reactions were investigated by analyzing the thermodynamics and the experimental results for Alloy 617 exposed to controlled impure helium at $950^{\circ}C$. Moreover, the surfaces were examined for the Alloy 617 crept in air and in uncontrolled helium, which was explained by possible surface reactions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권6호
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• pp.831-840
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• 2009

In order to evaluate the start-up behavior and to identify, through abnormal operation occurrences, the transient behaviors of the Sulfur Iodine(SI) process, which is a nuclear hydrogen process that is coupled to a Very High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (VHTR) through an Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX), a dynamic simulation of the process is necessary. Perturbation of the flow rate or temperature in the inlet streams may result in various transient states. An understanding of the dynamic behavior due to these factors is able to support the conceptual design of the secondary helium loop system associated with a hydrogen production plant. Based on the mass and energy balance sheets of an electrodialysis-embedded SI process equivalent to a 200 $MW_{th}$ VHTR and a considerable thermal pathway between the SI process and the VHTR system, a dynamic simulation of the SI process was carried out for a sulfuric acid decomposition process (Second Section) that is composed of a sulfuric acid vaporizer, a sulfuric acid decomposer, and a sulfur trioxide decomposer. The dynamic behaviors of these integrated reactors according to several anticipated scenarios are evaluated and the dominant and mild factors are observed. As for the results of the simulation, all the reactors in the sulfuric acid decomposition process approach a steady state at the same time. Temperature control of the inlet helium is strictly required rather than the flow rate control of the inlet helium to keep the steady state condition in the Second Section. On the other hand, it was revealed that the changes of the inlet helium operation conditions make a great impact on the performances of $SO_3$ and $H_2SO_4$ decomposers, but no effect on the performance of the $H_2SO_4$ vaporizer.

• 대한용접접합학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한용접접합학회 2005년도 추계학술발표대회 개요집
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• pp.195-197
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• 2005

An intermediate heat exchanger(IHX) is a key component in a next-generation VHTR with process heat applications such as hydrogen production and also for an indirect gas turbine system. Therefore, high temperature brazing with nickel-based filler metal(MBF-15) was carried out to study the joining characteristic(microstucture, joining strength) of nickel-based superalloy(Haynes 230) by vacuum brazing. The experimental brazing was carried out at the brazing process, an applied pressure of about 0.74Mpa and the three kinds of brazing temperatures were 1100, 1150, and $1190^{\circ}C$ with holding time 5 minute. It's joining phenomena were analyzed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with EPMA. The results of microstructure in the centre-line region of a joint brazed with MBF-15 show a typical ternary eutectic of v-nickel, nickel boride and chromium boride.

• 한국전산유체공학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.59-67
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• 2009

An accurate prediction of the bypass flow is of great importance in the VHTR core design concerning the fuel thermal margin. Nevertheless, there has not been much effort in evaluating the amount and the distribution of the core bypass flow. In order to evaluate the behavior and the distribution of the coolant flow, a unit-cell experiment was carried out. Unit-cell is the regular triangular section which is formed by connecting the centers of three hexagonal blocks. Various conditions such as the inlet mass flow rate, block combinations and the size of bypass gap were examined in the experiment. CFD analysis was carried out to analyze detailed characteristics of the flow distribution. Commercial CFD code FLUENT 6.3 was validated by comparing with the experimental results. In addition, SST model and standard k-$\varepsilon$ model were validated. The results of CFD simulation show good agreements with the experimental results. SST model shows better agreement than standard k-$\varepsilon$ model. Results showed that block combinations and the size of the bypass gap have an influence on the bypass flow ratio but the inlet mass flow rate does not.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.25-78
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• 2005

As a key and core knowledge for the design of various types of nuclear reactors, the discipline of reactor physics has been advanced continually in the past six decades and has led to a very sophisticated fabric of analysis methods and computer codes in use today. Notwithstanding, the discipline faces interesting challenges from next-generation nuclear reactors and innovative new fuel designs in the coming. After presenting a brief overview of important tasks and steps involved in the nuclear design and analysis of a reactor, this article focuses on the currently-used design and analysis methods, issues and limitations, and current activities to resolve them as follows: (1) Derivation of the multi group transport equations and the multi group diffusion equations, with representative solution methods thereof. (2) Elements of modem (now almost three decades old) diffusion nodal methods. (3) Limitations of nodal methods such as transverse integration, flux reconstruction, and analysis of UO2-MOX mixed cores. Homogenization and related issues. (4) Description of the analytic function expansion nodal (AFEN) method. (5) Ongoing efforts for three-dimensional whole-core heterogeneous transport calculations and acceleration methods. (6) Elements of spatial kinetics calculation methods and coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics transient analysis. (7) Identification of future research and development areas in advanced reactors and Generation-IV reactors, in particular, in very high temperature gas reactor (VHTR) cores.

• 비파괴검사학회지
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.436-442
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• 2008

최근 VHTR(very high temperature reactor)에 대한 연구에서 흑연이 노심내 구조재, 반사재, 감속재로서 가장 적절한 재료로 인식되고 있다. 운전온도는 약 $900^{\circ}C$로 원자로 내부에 유입되는 소량의 불순물에도 흑연은 산화되기 쉬우며 산화된 흑연은 공극률이 증가하며 구조재료로서 가져야 할 파괴인성이 낮아진다. 본 연구에서는 산화 전후의 흑연에 대하여 초음파특성을 측정하고, 이를 기반으로 흑연에 대한 초음파탐상검사의 유효성을 타진하였다. 흑연의 초음파특성 측정 결과 초음파속도는 탄소강의 약 1/2, 음파 감쇠는 5배 이상, 신호대잡음비는 약 1/3로 측정되었다. 산화 후, 초음파속도는 as-received 상태에 비하여 미소하게 감소되었으나 초음파감쇠는 200% 이상으로 그 차이가 두드러지게 나타났다. 신호대잡음비에 기반하여 POD (probability of detection)을 산출한 결과, 100 mm 미만의 깊이를 가지는 측면공(SDH; side drilled hole)는 산화 전후에 큰 차이를 나타내지 않으므로 해당 깊이를 가지는 결함에 대해서 초음파탐상검사는 비교적 신뢰성 있는 검사를 수행할 수 있다고 판단된다. 상용 자동초음파탐상 장비에서의 테스트 결과 80 mm이하의 깊이에서는 인적오류가 크지 않을 것으로 예상할 수 있었으며, 위상배열 초음파 기법을 통한 검사를 수행한 결과 역시 양호한 신호대잡음비로 측면공들을 모두 검출할 수 있었다.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.426-432
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• 2011

The oxidation behavior of CVD ${\beta}$-SiC was investigated for Very High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (VHTR) applications. This study focused on the surface analysis of the oxidized CVD ${\beta}$-SiC to observe the effect of impurity gases on active/passive oxidation. Oxidation test was carried out at $950^{\circ}C$ in the impurity-controlled helium environment that contained $H_2$, $H_2O$, CO, and $CH_4$ in order to simulate VHTR coolant chemistry. For 250 h of exposure to the helium, weight changes were barely measurable when $H_2O$ in the bulk gas was carefully controlled between 0.02 and 0.1 Pa. Surface morphology also did not change based on AFM observation. However, XPS analysis results indicated that a very small amount of $SiO_2$ was formed by the reaction of SiC with $H_2O$ at the initial stage of oxidation when $H_2O$ partial pressure in the CVD ${\beta}$-SiC surface placed on the passive oxidation region. As the oxidation progressed, $H_2O$ consumed and its partial pressure in the surface decreased to the active/passive oxidation transition region. At the steady state, more oxidation did not observable up to 250 h of exposure.