• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.240-252
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• 2015

In the original licensing application for the prototype fast-breeder reactor, MONJU, the event progression during an unprotected loss of flow (ULOF), which is one of the technically inconceivable events postulated beyond design basis, was evaluated. Through this evaluation, it was confirmed that radiological consequences could be suitably limited even if mechanical energy was released. Following the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, a new nuclear safety regulation has become effective in Japan. The conformity of MONJU to this new regulation should hence be investigated. The objectives of the present study are to conduct a preliminary evaluation of ULOF for MONJU, reflecting the knowledge obtained after the original licensing application through CABRI experiments and EAGLE projects, and to gain the prospect of in-vessel retention for the conformity of MONJU to the new regulation. The preliminary evaluation in the present study showed that no significant mechanical energy release would take place, and that thermal failure of the reactor vessel could be avoided by the stable cooling of disrupted-core materials. This result suggests that the prospect of in-vessel retention against ULOF, which lies within the bounds of the original licensing evaluation and conforms to the new nuclear safety regulation, will be gained.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.193-206
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• 2007

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed an advanced fast reactor concept, KALIMER-600, which satisfies the Generation IV reactor design goals of sustainability, economics, safety, and proliferation resistance. The concept enables an efficient utilization of uranium resources and a reduction of the radioactive waste. The core design has been developed with a strong emphasis on proliferation resistance by adopting a single enrichment fuel without blanket assemblies. In addition, a passive residual heat removal system, shortened intermediate heat-transport system piping and seismic isolation have been realized in the reactor system design as enhancements to its safety and economics. The inherent safety characteristics of the KALIMER-600 design have been confirmed by a safety analysis of its bounding events. Research on important thermal-hydraulic phenomena and sensing technologies were performed to support the design study. The integrity of the reactor head against creep fatigue was confirmed using a CFD method, and a model for density-wave instability in a helical-coiled steam generator was developed. Gas entrainment on an agitating pool surface was investigated and an experimental correlation on a critical entrainment condition was obtained. An experimental study on sodium-water reactions was also performed to validate the developed SELPSTA code, which predicts the data accurately. An acoustic leak detection method utilizing a neural network and signal processing units were developed and applied successfully for the detection of a signal up to a noise level of -20 dB. Waveguide sensor visualization technology is being developed to inspect the reactor internals and fuel subassemblies. These research and developmental efforts contribute significantly to enhance the safety, economics, and efficiency of the KALIMER-600 design concept.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.187-192
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• 2007

The basic research on fast reactor technology was started in the mid-1960's in China. The emphasis was put on fast reactor neutronics, thermohydraulics, sodium technology, materials, fuels, safety, sodium devices and instrumentation. In 1987, the research turned to applied basic research with the conceptual design of a 60 MW experimental fast reactor as a target. The Project of the China Experimental Fast Reactor(CEFR) with a thermal power 65 MW was launched in 1993. The R&D of fast reactor technology then carried out to serve a design demonstration connected with the different phases of the conceptual, preliminary and detailed design of the CEFR. Recently, three directions of fast rector technology R&D activities have been considered, and some research programs have been developed. They are: (1) R&D related to the CEFR, i.e. experiments to be conducted on the CEFR for its safe operation, (2) R&D related to the projects of a prototype and the demonstration of fast reactors, and(3) advanced SFR technology within the framework of the international cooperation of INPRO and GIF.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.922-929
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• 2019

This paper presents the drop performance test of the control rod assembly which is one of the main components strongly related to the safety of the prototype generation IV sodium-cooled fast reactor. To investigate the drop performance, a real-sized control rod assembly that was recently modified based on the drop analysis results was newly fabricated, and several free drop tests under different flow rate conditions were carried out. Then the results were compared with those obtained from the previous tests conducted on the conceptually designed control rod assembly to demonstrate the improvement in performance. Moreover, the drop performance tests under several types and magnitudes of seismic loadings were also conducted to investigate the effect of the seismic loading on the drop performance of the modified control rod assembly. The results showed that the effects of the type and magnitude of the seismic loading on the drop performance of the modified control rod assembly were not significant. Also, the drop time requirement was successfully satisfied, even under the seismic loading conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.191-202
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• 2013

A numerical analysis of thermal stratification in the upper plenum of the MONJU fast breeder reactor was performed. Calculations were performed for a 1/6 simplified model of the MONJU reactor using the commercial code, CFX-13. To better resolve the geometrically complex upper core structure of the MONJU reactor, the porous media approach was adopted for the simulation. First, a steady state solution was obtained and the transient solutions were then obtained for the turbine trip test conducted in December 1995. The time dependent inlet conditions for the mass flow rate and temperature were provided by JAEA. Good agreement with the experimental data was observed for steady state solution. The numerical solution of the transient analysis shows the formation of thermal stratification within the upper plenum of the reactor vessel during the turbine trip test. The temporal variations of temperature were predicted accurately by the present method in the initial rapid coastdown period (~300 seconds). However, transient numerical solutions show a faster thermal mixing than that observed in the experiment after the initial coastdown period. A nearly homogenization of the temperature field in the upper plenum is predicted after about 900 seconds, which is a much shorter-term thermal stratification than the experimental data indicates. This discrepancy may be due to the shortcoming of the turbulence models available in the CFX-13 code for a natural convection flow with thermal stratification.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.855-864
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• 2017

The control rod assembly controls reactor power by adjusting its position during normal operation and shuts down chain reactions by its free drop under scram conditions. Therefore, the drop performance of the control rod assembly is important for the safety of a nuclear reactor. In this study, the drop performance of the conceptually designed control rod assembly for the prototype generation IV sodium-cooled fast reactor that is being developed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute as a next-generation nuclear reactor was experimentally investigated. For the performance test, the test facility and test procedure were established first, and several free drop performance tests of the control rod assembly under different flow rate conditions were then carried out. Moreover, performance tests under several types and magnitudes of seismic loading conditions were also conducted to investigate the effects of seismic loading on the drop performance of the control rod assembly. The drop time of the conceptually designed control rod assembly for 0% of the tentatively designed flow rate was measured to be 1.527 seconds, and this agrees well with the analytically calculated drop time. It was also observed that the effect of seismic loading on the drop time was not significant.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.177-198
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• 2012

This paper reviews the fast reactor physics and computational methods. The basic reactor physics specific to fast spectrum reactors are briefly reviewed, focused on fissile material breeding and actinide burning. Design implications and reactivity feedback characteristics are compared between breeder and burner reactors. Some discussions are given to the distinct nuclear characteristics of fast reactors that make the assumptions employed in traditional LWR analysis methods not applicable. Reactor physics analysis codes used for the modeling of fast reactor designs in the U.S. are reviewed. This review covers cross-section generation capabilities, whole-core deterministic (diffusion and transport) and Monte Carlo calculation tools, depletion and fuel cycle analysis codes, perturbation theory codes for reactivity coefficient calculation and cross section sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analysis codes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.171-186
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• 2007

Critical issues in the development targets for the future fast reactor(FR) cycle system, including sodium-cooled FR were to ensure safety assurance, efficient utilization of resources, reduction of environmental burden, assurance of nuclear non-proliferation, and economic competitiveness. A promising design concept of sodium-cooled fast reactor JSFR is proposed aiming at fully satisfaction of the development targets for the next generation nuclear energy system. A roadmap toward JSFR commercialization is described, to be followed up in a new framework of the Fast reactor Cycle Technology development(FaCT) Project launched in 2006.

• Journal of Korea Society of Waste Management
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.685-696
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• 2017

This study focuses on computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) modeling for the fast pyrolysis of biomass in a conical spouted bed reactor. The CPFD simulation was conducted to understand the hydrodynamics, heat transfer, and biomass fast pyrolysis reaction of the conical spouted bed reactor and the multiphase-particle in cell (MP-PIC) model was used to investigate the fast pyrolysis of biomass in a conical spouted bed reactor. A two-stage semi-global kinetics model was applied to model the fast pyrolysis reaction of biomass and the commercial code (Barracuda) was used in simulations. The temperature of solid particles in a conical spouted bed reactor showed a uniform temperature distribution along the reactor height. The yield of fast pyrolysis products from the simulation was compared with the experimental data; the yield of fast pyrolysis products was 74.1wt.% tar, 17.4wt.% gas, and 8.5wt.% char. The comparison of experimental measurements and model predictions shows the model's accuracy. The CPFD simulation results had great potential to aid the future design and optimization of the fast pyrolysis process for biomass.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.520-525
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• 2003

Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) is a 40MW (thermal) / 13.2MW (electrical), Plutonium - Uranium mixed carbide fuelled, sodium cooled, loop type nuclear reactor operating at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. Its main aim is to generate experience in operation of fast reactors and sodium systems and to serve as an irradiation facility for development of fuels and structural materials fur fast reactors. Nuclear reactors pose difficulties to the NDT techniques used to monitor the conditions of the internal components. Sodium cooled fast breeder reactors have their own typical difficulties in using the NDT techniques. These are due to the need for operation in aggressive environment of nuclear radiation and sodium (molten/vapour), as well as the need to maintain leak tightness of a very high order during all states of reactor operation and shutdown for fuel handling, maintenance and remote inspection. This paper discusses the following NDT techniques, which have been successfully used for the past 15 years in FBTR: (i) Periscope and Projector, (ii) Core Co-ordinate Measuring Device and, (iii) Optical fiberscope. The inspection using these techniques have given confidence for further reactor operation at high power by giving useful data on the conditions of the components inside the reactor vessel.