• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.227-239
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• 2015

The thermal, mechanical, and neutronic performance of the metal alloy fast reactor fuel design complements the safety advantages of the liquid metal cooling and the pool-type primary system. Together, these features provide large safety margins in both normal operating modes and for a wide range of postulated accidents. In particular, they maximize the measures of safety associated with inherent reactor response to unprotected, doublefault accidents, and to minimize risk to the public and plant investment. High thermal conductivity and high gap conductance play the most significant role in safety advantages of the metallic fuel, resulting in a flatter radial temperature profile within the pin and much lower normal operation and transient temperatures in comparison to oxide fuel. Despite the big difference in melting point, both oxide and metal fuels have a relatively similar margin to melting during postulated accidents. When the metal fuel cladding fails, it typically occurs below the coolant boiling point and the damaged fuel pins remain coolable. Metal fuel is compatible with sodium coolant, eliminating the potential of energetic fuel-coolant reactions and flow blockages. All these, and the low retained heat leading to a longer grace period for operator action, are significant contributing factors to the inherently benign response of metallic fuel to postulated accidents. This paper summarizes the past analytical and experimental results obtained in past sodium-cooled fast reactor safety programs in the United States, and presents an overview of fuel safety performance as observed in laboratory and in-pile tests.

• 설비공학논문집
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.18-30
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• 1999

A heat transfer analysis for the two-dimensional (2-D) steady state using finite difference method (FDM) is performed to predict the thermal behavior of the primary first-wall (FW) system of fusion reactor under various geometric and thermo-hydraulic conditions, such as the beryllium (Be) armor thickness, pitch of cooling tube, and coolant velocity. The FW consists of authentic steel (type 316 stainless steel solution annealed) for cooling tubes, Cu for cooling tubes embedding material, and Be for a protective armor, based on the International Thermonuclear Experiment Reactor (ITER) report. The present 2-D analysis, the control volume discretized with hybrid grid (rectangular grid and polar grid) and Gauss-Seidel iteration method are adapted to solve the governing equations. In the present study, geometric and thermo-hydraulic parameters are optimized with consideration of several limitations. Consequently, it is suggested that the adequate pitch of cooling tube is 22-32mm, the beryllium armor thickness is 10-12mm, and that the coolant velocity is 4.5m/s-6m/s for $100^{\circ}C$ of inlet coolant temperature. The cooling tube should locate near beryllium armor. But, it would be better for locating the center of Cu wall, considering problems of material and manufacturing. Also, 2-D analysis neglecting the axial temperature distribution of cooling tube is appropriate, regarding the discretization error in axial direction.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.893-905
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• 2016

Numerous advanced reactor concepts have been proposed to replace light water reactors ever since their establishment as the dominant technology for nuclear energy production. While most designs seek to improve cost competitiveness and safety, the implausibility of doing so with affordable materials or existing nuclear fuel infrastructure reduces the possibility of near-term deployment, especially in developing countries. The organic nuclear concept, first explored in the 1950s, offers an attractive alternative to advanced reactor designs being considered. The advent of high temperature fluids, along with advances in hydrocracking and reforming technologies driven by the oil and gas industries, make the organic concept even more viable today. We present a simple, cost-effective, and safe small modular nuclear reactor for offshore underwater deployment. The core is moderated by graphite, zirconium hydride, and organic fluid while cooled by the organic fluid. The organic coolant enables operation near atmospheric pressure and use of plain carbon steel for the reactor tank and primary coolant piping system. The core is designed to mitigate the coolant degradation seen in early organic reactors. Overall, the design provides a power density of 40 kW/L, while reducing the reactor hull size by 40% compared with a pressurized water reactor while significantly reducing capital plant costs.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1998년도 춘계학술발표회논문집(1)
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• pp.404-410
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• 1998

In Yonggwang nuclear units 3 and 4 currently under commercial operation, the cold leg temperature was very close to the technical specification limit of 298$^{\circ}C$ during initial startup testing, which was caused by the higher-than-expected reactor coolant system flow. Accordingly, the reference temperature (Tref) program needed to be revised to allow more flexibility for plant operations. In this study, the method of a specific test performed at Yonggwang nuclear unit 4 to revise the Tref program was described and the test results were discussed. In addition, the modified Tref program was evaluated on its potential impacts on system performance and safety. The methods of changing the Tref program and the associated pressurizer level setpoint program were also explained. Finally, for Ulchin nuclear unit 3 and 4 currently under initial startup testing, the effects of reactor coolant system flow rate on the coolant temperature were evaluated from the thermal hydraulic standpoint and an optimum Tref program was recommended.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.234-240
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• 2007

As a reactor coolant pump (RCP) is operated in the nuclear power system for a long time, so its surface is continuously contaminated by radioactive scales. In order to maintain for RCP internals, a special chemical decontamination process should be used to reduce the radiation from the RCP surface. In this study, applicable possibility in chemical decontamination for RCP was investigated for the various stainless steels. The stainless steel (STS) 304 showed the best electrochemical properties for corrosion resistance and the lowest weight loss ratio in chemical decontamination process model 3-1 than other materials. However, the pitting corrosion was generated in both STS 415 and STS 431 with the increasing numbers of cycle. The intergranular corrosion in STS 415 was sporadically observed. The sizes of their pitting corrosion were also increased with increasing cycle numbers.

• 한국유체기계학회 논문집
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.41-46
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• 2014

The thermal-flow characteristics of screw compressor were numerically investigated with various geometrical configurations of its coolant flow passage applied to the separate block for enhancing the heat transfer performance of it. The length ratio($L_s/D$=4.8, 5.6, 6.4) and thickness ratio(t/D=0.2, 0.4, 0.6) of the separate block in the flow passage of the water jacket were adopted to design parameters. Results showed that the pressure drop and heat transfer were increased as the length of separate block increases due to the flow separation and centrifugal force. The results were graphically depicted with various flow and geometrical conditions.

• 한국기계가공학회지
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.201-207
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• 2012

This study was carried out to improve the design of heat exchanger for small marine diesel engine. As air pollutants emitted from small marine diesel engine become international problem, IMO(International Marine Organization) tried to establish severe regulations for NOx reduction. The formation of NOx is affected by cooling system, for instance, such as intercooler, heat exchanger, exhaust manifold, and therefore cooling systems are one of essential parts for design of small marine diesel engine. In this study, heat exchanger for small marine diesel engine was modeled and simulated using CATIA V5R19 and ANSYS FLUENT V.13. Thermal flow simulation for heat exchanger was performed to find the optimal design. As the results, maximum velocity of engine coolant in shell inside was 9.1m/s and it was confirmed that outlet temperature and temperature drop for engine coolant could be calculated by simulating proportional relations of temperature between engine coolant and sea water.

• 대한설비공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한설비공학회 2007년도 동계학술발표대회 논문집
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• pp.216-221
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• 2007

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of a coolant circuit arrangement on the heat transfer and air pressure drop of a fin-tube sensible heat exchanger with the corrugated fin surface. The air inlet temperature was set to $23^{\circ}C$,the relative humidity to 50% and the air inlet flow rate to 20, 22, $25m^3/min$, respectively. while the coolant temperature was set to $7^{\circ}C$, and the coolant mass flow rate to 10, 16, 22kg/min, respectively. Experiment showed that the exchanger having a diameter of 12.7mm with parallel circuit does better performance in sensible heat transfer and air pressure drop than those three of diameter of 12.7mm with a series circuit and that with diameter of 15.88mm with a parallel circuit.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제10권5호
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• pp.167-174
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• 2011

Due to commercialization of nuclear power, most countries have taken interest in decontamination process of nuclear power plant and tried to develop a optimum process. Because open literature of the decontamination process are rare, it is hard to obtain skills on decontamination of foreign country and it is necessarily to develop proper chemical decontamination process system in Korea. In this study, applicable possibility in chemical decontamination for reactor coolant pump (RCP) was investigated for the various stainless steels. The stainless steel (STS) 304 showed the best electrochemical properties for corrosion resistance and the lowest weight loss ratio in chemical decontamination process with immersion type than other materials. However, the pitting corrosion was generated in both STS 415 and STS 431 with the increasing numbers of cycle. The intergranular corrosion in STS 431 was sporadically observed. The sizes of their pitting corrosion also increased with increasing cycle numbers.

• 한국신뢰성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신뢰성학회 2006년도 학술발표대회 논문집
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• pp.27-31
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• 2006

Rubber hoses for automobile radiators are apt to degraded and thus failed due to the influence of contacting stresses of air and coolant liquid under thermal and mechanical loadings. The aging behaviors of the skin part of the hoses due to thermo-oxidative and electro-chemical stresses were experimentally analyzed. Through the thermo-oxidative aging test, it was shown that the surface hardness IRHD(International Rubber Hardness Degrees) of the rubber increased with a considerable reduction of failure strain as the aging time and temperature were large. On account of the penetration of coolant liquid into the skin part the weight of rubber specimens influenced by electro-chemical degradation (ECD) test increased, whereas their failure strain and IRHD hardness decreased. The hardness decreased further as the test site on the hose skin approached to the negative pole.