• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.1126-1135
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• 2022

The MARS code has been assessed for the prediction of onset of flow instability (OFI) in a vertical channel. For assessment, we built an experiment database that consists of experiments under various geometry and thermal-hydraulic condition. It covers pressure from 0.12 to 1.73 MPa; heat flux from 0.67 to 3.48 MW/m²; inlet sub-cooling from 39 to 166 ℃; hydraulic diameters between 2.37 and 6.45 mm of rectangular channels and pipes. It was shown that the MARS code can predict the OFI mass flux for pipes reasonably well. However, it could not predict the OFI in a rectangular channel well with a mean absolute percentage error of 8.77%. In the cases of rectangular channels, the error tends to depend on the hydraulic diameter. Because the OFI is directly related to the subcooled boiling in a flow channel, we suggest a modified subcooled boiling model for better prediction of OFI in a rectangular channel; the net vapor generation (NVG) model and the modified wall evaporation model were modified so that the effect of hydraulic diameter and heat flux can be accurately considered. The assessment of the modified model shows the prediction of OFI mass flux for rectangular channels is greatly improved.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.465-474
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• 2014

To validate the accuracy of the boiling heat flux partitioning model, an experiment was performed to investigate how the wall heat flux is divided into the three heat transfer modes of evaporation, quenching, and single-phase convection during subcooled nucleate boiling on a vertical wall. For the experimental partitioning of the wall heat flux, the wall heat flux and liquid-vapor distributions were simultaneously obtained using synchronized infrared thermometry and the total reflection technique. Boiling experiments of water with subcooling of $10^{\circ}C$ were conducted under atmospheric pressure, and the results obtained at the wall superheat of $12^{\circ}C$ and average heat flux of $283kW/m^2$were analyzed. There was a large difference in the heat flux partitioning results between the experiment and correlation, and the bubble departure diameter and bubble influence factor, which account for a portion of the surrounding superheated liquid layer detached by the departure of a bubble, were found to be important fundamental boiling parameters.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.72-86
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• 2016

A steam explosion may occur during a severe accident, when the molten core comes into contact with water. The pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor ex-vessel steam explosion study, which was carried out with the multicomponent three-dimensional Eulerian fuel-coolant interaction code under the conditions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Steam Explosion Resolution for Nuclear Applications project reactor exercise, is presented and discussed. In reactor calculations, the largest uncertainties in the prediction of the steam explosion strength are expected to be caused by the large uncertainties related to the jet breakup. To obtain some insight into these uncertainties, premixing simulations were performed with both available jet breakup models, i.e., the global and the local models. The simulations revealed that weaker explosions are predicted by the local model, compared to the global model, due to the predicted smaller melt droplet size, resulting in increased melt solidification and increased void buildup, both reducing the explosion strength. Despite the lower active melt mass predicted for the pressurized water reactor case, pressure loads at the cavity walls are typically higher than that for the boiling water reactor case. This is because of the significantly larger boiling water reactor cavity, where the explosion pressure wave originating from the premixture in the center of the cavity has already been significantly weakened on reaching the distant cavity wall.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.457-470
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• 2016

Most CFD codes, that mainly adopt the heat partitioning model as the wall boiling model, have shown low accuracies in predicting the two-phase flow parameters of subcooled boiling phenomena under low pressure conditions. In this study, a number of subcooled boiling experiments in vertical channels were analyzed using a thermal-hydraulic component code, CUPID. The prediction of the void fraction distribution using the CUPID code agreed well with experimental data at high-pressure conditions; whereas at low-pressure conditions, the predicted void fraction deviated considerably from measured ones. Sensitivity tests were performed on the submodels for major parameters in the heat partitioning model to find the optimized sets of empirical correlations suitable for low-pressure subcooled flow boiling. The effect of the K-factor on the void fraction distribution was also evaluated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.859-869
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• 2016

Component-scale modeling of boiling is predominantly based on the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid approach. Within this framework, wall boiling is accounted for via the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) model and, within this model, the bubble is characterized using three main parameters: departure diameter (D), nucleation site density (N), and departure frequency (f). Typically, the magnitudes of these three parameters are obtained from empirical correlations. However, in recent years, efforts have been directed toward mechanistic modeling of the boiling process. Of the three parameters mentioned above, the departure diameter (D) is least affected by the intrinsic uncertainties of the nucleate boiling process. This feature, along with its prominence within the RPI boiling model, has made it the primary candidate for mechanistic modeling ventures. Mechanistic modeling of D is mostly carried out through solving of force balance equations on the bubble. Forces incorporated in these equations are formulated as functions of the radius of the bubble and have been developed for, and applied to, low-pressure conditions only. Conversely, for high-pressure conditions, no mechanistic information is available regarding the growth rates of bubbles and the forces acting on them. In this study, we use direct numerical simulation coupled with an interface tracking method to simulate bubble growth under high (up to 45 bar) pressure, to obtain the kind of mechanistic information required for an RPI-type approach. In this study, we compare the resulting bubble growth rate curves with predictions made with existing experimental data.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1831-1843
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• 2001

In this study, convective boiling tests were conducted for enhanced tube bundles. The surface geometry consists of pores and connecting gaps. Tubes with three different pore sizes (d$_{p}$ = 0.20, 0.23 and 0.27 mm) were tested using R-123 and R-l34a for the following range: 8 kg/m$^2$s G 26 kg/m$^2$s, 10 kW/m$^2$ q0 40 kW/m$^2$and 0.1 $\chi$ 0.9. The convective boiling heat transfer coefficients were strongly dependent on heat flux with negligible dependency on mass flux or quality. For the present enhanced geometry (pores and gaps), the convective effect was apparent. The gaps of the present tubes may have served routes for the passage of two-phase mixtures, and enhanced the boiling heat transfer. The convective effect was more pronounced at a higher saturation temperature. More bubbles will be generated at a higher saturation temperature, which will lead to enhanced convective contribution. The pore size where the maximum heat transfer coefficient was obtained was larger for R-l34a (d$_{p}$ = 0.27 mm) compared with that for R-123 (d$_{p}$ = 0.23 mm). This trend was consistent with the previous pool boiling results. For the enhanced tube bundles, the convective effect was more pronounced for R-134a than for R-123. This trend was reversed for the smooth tube bundle. Possible reasoning is provided based on the bubble behavior on the tube wall. Both the modified Chen and the asymptotic model predicted the present data reasonably well. The RMSEs were 14.3% for the modified Chen model and 12.7% for the asymptotic model.model.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2017

The external reactor vessel cooling (ERVC) is well known strategy to mitigate a severe accident at which nuclear fuel inside the reactor vessel is molten. In order to compare the heat removal capacity of ERVC between the nuclear reactor designs quantitatively, numerical method is often used. However, the study for ERVC using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is still quite scarce. As a validation study on the numerical prediction for ERVC using CFD, the subcooled boiling flow and natural circulation of coolant at the ULPU-V experiment was simulated. The commercially available CFD software ANSYS-CFX was used. Shear stress transport (SST) model and RPI model were used for turbulence closure and wall-boiling, respectively. The averaged flow velocities in the downcomer and the baffle entry under the reactor vessel lower plenum are in good agreement with the available experimental data and recent computational results. Steam generated from the heated wall condenses rapidly and coolant flows maintains single-phase flow until coolant boils again by flashing process due to the decrease of saturation temperature induced by higher elevation. Hence, the flow rate of coolant natural circulation does not vary significantly with the change of heat flux applied at the reactor vessel, which is also consistent with the previous literatures.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.92-102
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• 2017

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction converts syngas (mixture of CO and H2) to valuable hydrocarbon products. Simulation of low temperature Fischer -Tropsch Synthesis reaction and heat transfer at intensified process condition using catalyst filled single and multichannel microchannel reactor is considered. Single channel model simulation indicated potential for process intensification (higher GHSV of $30000hr^{-1}$ in presence of theoretical Cobalt based super-active catalyst) while still achieving CO conversion greater than ~65% and $C_{5+}$ selectivity greater than ~74%. Conjugate heat transfer simulation with multichannel reactor block models considering three different combinations of reactor configuration and coolant type predicted ${\Delta}T_{max}$ equal to 23 K for cross-flow configuration with wall boiling coolant, 15 K for co-current flow configuration with subcooled coolant, and 13 K for co-current flow configuration with wall boiling coolant. In the range of temperature maintained (498 - 521 K), chain growth probability calculated is desirable for low-temperature Fisher-Tropsch Synthesis.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1513-1520
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• 2002

Effect of Convex Surface Curvature on the Onset of Nucleate Boiling of Subcooled Fluid Flow in Vertical Concentric Annuli An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effect of the transverse convex surface curvature of core tubes on heat transfer in concentric annular tubes. Water is used as the working fluid. Three annuli having a different radius of the inner cores, Ri=3.18mm, 6.35mm, and 12.70mm with a fixed ratio of Ri/Ro=0.5 are used over a range of the Reynolds number between about 40,000 and 80,000. The inner cores are made of smooth stainless steel tubes and heated electrically to provide constant heat fluxes throughout the whole length of each test section. Experimental result shows that heat flux values on the onset of nucleate boiling of the smaller inner diameter model is much higher than that of the larger size test model.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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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.