• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.559-566
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• 2015

The thermalehydraulic characteristics for the CANadian Deuterium Uranium Flexible (CANFLEX)-burnable poison (BP) fuel channel, which is loaded with a BP at the center ring based on the CANFLEX-RU (recycled uranium) fuel channel, are evaluated and compared with that of standard 37-element and CANFLEX-NU (natural uranium) fuel channels. The distributions of fuel temperature and critical channel power for the CANFLEX-BP fuel channel are calculated using the NUclear Heat Transport CIRcuit Thermohydraulics Analysis Code (NUCIRC) code for various creep rate and burnup. CANFLEX-BP fuel channel has been revealed to have a lower fuel temperature compared with that of a standard 37-element fuel channel, especially for high power channels. The critical channel power of CANFLEX-BP fuel channel has increased by about 10%, relative to that of a standard 37-element fuel channel for 380 channels in a core, and has higher value relative to that of the CANFLEX-NU fuel channel except the channels in the outer core. This study has shown that the use of a BP is feasible to enhance the thermal performance by the axial heat flux distribution, as well as the improvement of the reactor physical safety characteristics, and thus the reactor safety can be improved by the use of BP in a CANDU reactor.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.979-988
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• 2017

The feasibility of cooling in a pressurized heavy water reactor after a large break loss-of-coolant accident has been analyzed using Multidimensional Analysis of Reactor Safety-KINS Standard code during the recirculation phase. Through evaluation of sensitivity of the fuel channel temperature to various effective recirculation flow areas, it is determined that proper cooling of the fuel channels in the broken loop is feasible if the effective flow area remains above approximately 70% of the nominal flow area. When the flow area is reduced by more than approximately 25% of the nominal value, however, incipience of boiling is expected, after which the thermal integrity of the fuel channel can be threatened. In addition, if a dramatic reduction of the recirculation flow occurs, excursions and frequent fluctuations of temperature in the fuel channels are likely to be unavoidable, and thus damage to the fuel channels would be anticipated. To resolve this, emergency coolant supply through the newly installed external injection path can be used as one alternative means of cooling, enabling fuel channel integrity to be maintained and permanently preventing severe accident conditions. Thus, the external injection flow required to guarantee fuel channel coolability has been estimated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.677-690
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• 2009

A previous study demonstrated that the two-row fuel assembly has much more favorable neutron-physical and thermal-hydraulic behavior than the conventional one-row fuel assemblies. Based on the newly developed two-row fuel assembly, an SCWR core is proposed and analyzed. The performance of the proposed core is investigated with 3-D coupled neutron-physical and thermal-hydraulic calculations. During the coupling procedure, the thermal-hydraulic behavior is analyzed using a sub-channel analysis code and the neutron-physical performance is computed with a 3-D diffusion code. This paper presents the main results achieved thus far related to the distribution of some neutronic and thermal-hydraulic parameters. It shows that with adjustment of the coolant and moderator mass flow in different assemblies, promising neutron-physical and thermal-hydraulic behavior of the SCWR core is achieved. A sensitivity study of the heat transfer correlation is also performed. Since the pin power in fuel assemblies can be non-uniform, a sub-channel analysis is necessary in order to investigate the detailed distribution of thermal-hydraulic parameters in the hottest fuel assembly. The sub-channel analysis is performed based on the bundle averaged parameters obtained with the core analysis. With the sub-channel analysis approach, more precise evaluation of the hot channel factor and maximum cladding surface temperature can be achieved. The difference in the results obtained with both the sub-channel analysis and the fuel assembly homogenized method confirms the importance of the sub-channel analysis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.2195-2205
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• 2023

One of the salient nuclear fuel performance parameters for new fuel types under development is changes in fuel thickness. To test the new commercially fabricated U-10Mo monolithic plate-type fuel, an irradiation experiment was designed that consisted of multiple mini-plate capsules distributed within the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) core, the mini-plate 1 (MP-1) experiment. Each capsule contains eight mini-plates that were either fueled or "dummy" plates. Fuel thickness changes within a fuel assembly can be characterized by measuring the gaps between the plates ultrasonically. The channel gap probe (CGP) system is designed to measure the gaps between the plates and will provide information that supports qualification of U-10Mo monolithic fuel. This study will discuss the design and the results from the use of a custom-designed CGP system for characterizing the gaps between mini-plates within the MP-1 capsules. To ensure accurate and repeatable data, acceptance and calibration procedures have been developed. Unfortunately, there is no "gold" standard measurement to compare to CGP measurements. An effort was made to use plate thickness obtained from post-irradiation measurements to derive channel gap estimates for comparison with the CGP characterization.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1769-1785
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• 2021

The Integral Pressurized Water Reactors (IPWRs) as the innovative advanced and generation-III + reactors are under study and developments in a lot of countries. This paper is aimed at the thermal hydraulic study of the hot and average fuel sub-channel in a Generation III + IPWR by loose external coupling to the neutronic simulation. The power produced in fuel pins is calculated by the neutronic simulation via MCNPX2.6 then fuel and coolant temperature changes along fuel sub-channels evaluated by computational fluid dynamic thermal hydraulic calculation through an iterative coupling. The relative power densities along the fuel pin in hot and average fuel sub-channel are calculated in sixteen equal divisions. The highest centerline temperature of the hottest and the average fuel pin are calculated as 633 K (359.85 ℃) and 596 K (322.85 ℃), respectively. The coolant enters the sub-channel with a temperature of 557.15 K (284 ℃) and leaves the hot sub-channel and the average sub-channel with a temperature of 596 K (322.85 ℃) and 579 K (305.85 ℃), respectively. It is shown that the spacer grids result in the enhancement of turbulence kinetic energy, convection heat transfer coefficient along the fuel sub-channels so that there is an increase in heat transfer coefficient about 40%. The local fuel pin temperature reduction in the place and downstream the space grids due to heat transfer coefficient enhancement is depicted via a graph through six iterations of neutronic and thermal hydraulic coupling calculations. Working in a low fuel temperature and keeping a significant gap below the melting point of fuel, make the IPWR as a safe type of generation -III + nuclear reactor.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.2415-2421
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• 2020

The axial heterogeneous void distribution in a fuel channel is a relevant and important issue during nuclear reactor analysis for LWR, especially for boiling water channel-type reactors. Variation of the coolant density in fuel channel has an effect on the neutron spectrum that will in turn have an impact on the values of absolute reactivity, the void reactivity coefficient, and the fuel isotopic compositions during irradiation. This effect is referring to as the history effect in light water reactor calculations. As the void reactivity effect is positive in RBMK type reactors, the underestimation of water density heterogeneity in 3D reactor core numerical calculations could cause an uncertainty during assessment of safe operation of nuclear reactor. Thus, this issue is analysed with different cross-section libraries which were generated with WIMS8 code at different reference water densities. The libraries were applied in single fuel model of the nodal code of QUABOX-CUBBOX/HYCA. The thermohydraulic part of HYCA allowed to simulate axial water distribution along fuel assembly model and to estimate water density history effect for RBMK type fuel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.374-379
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• 1997

The thermal margin of CANDU-6 reactor is estimated by the CCP, which is dependent on fuel channel hydraulics and the CHF of fuel bundle. This paper intents to describe the characteristics of CCP behavior for the CANDU-6 channel in which CANFLEX-NU fuel bundles are assumed to be loaded. Also, it includes the thermal margin evaluation of the CANDU-6 channel loaded with a mixed CANFLEX-NU and 37-element fuel bundles as a simulation of the partial loading of CANFLEX-NU fuel bundle in the CANDU-6 reactor. For the mixed fuel channels, the effects of axial flux distribution(AFD) on CCP were investigated by using the AFD tilted in the downstream. The CCP of CANFLEX-NU fuel bundle was found to be improved by the CHF enhancement, despite of the slight flow decrease, in case of both full and partial loading, compared with those of a standard 37-element fuel bundle.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 2013

In Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU)-type nuclear power plants, the reactor is composed of 380 fuel channels and refueling is performed on one or two channels per day. At the time of refueling, the fluid force of the cooling water inside the channel is exploited. New fuel added upstream of the fuel channel is moved downstream by the fluid force of the cooling water, and the used fuel is pushed out. Through this process, refueling is completed. Among the 380 fuel channels, outer rows 1 and 2 (called the FARE channel) make the process of using only the internal fluid force impossible because of the low flow rate of the channel cooling water. Therefore, a Flow Assist Ram Extension (FARE) tool, a refueling aid, is used to refuel these channels in order to compensate for the insufficient fluid force. The FARE tool causes flow resistance, thus allowing the fuel to be moved down with the flow of cooling water. Although the existing FARE tool can perform refueling in Korean plants, the coolant flow rate is reduced to below 80% of the normal flow for some time during refueling. A Flow rate below 80% of the normal flow cause low flow rate alarm signal in the plant operation. A flow rate below 80% of the normal flow may cause difficulties in the plant operation because of the increase in the coolant temperature of the channel. A new and improved FARE tool is needed to address the limitations of the existing FARE tool. In this study, we identified the cause of the low flow phenomena of the existing FARE tool. A new and improved FARE tool has been designed and manufactured. The improved FARE tool has been tested many times using laboratory test apparatus and was redesigned until satisfactory results were obtained. In order to confirm the performance of the improved FARE tool in a real plant, the final design FARE tool was tested at Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2. The test was carried out successfully and the low flow rate alarm signal was eliminated during refueling. Several additional improved FARE tools have been manufactured. These improved FARE tools are currently being used for Korean CANDU plant refueling.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.262-272
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• 1998

The experiences and causes of pressure tube cracking accidents in the CANDU reactors and the development of the fuel channel at AECL(Atomic Energy Canada Limited) have been described. Most of the accidents were caused by Delayed Hydride Cracking(DHC). In the cases of the Pickering units 3&4 and the Bruce unit 2, excessive residual stresses induced by an improper rolled joint process played a role in DHC. In the Pickering unit 2, cracks formed by contact between the pressure and calandria tubes due to the movement of the garter spring were the direct cause of the failure. To extend the life of a fuel channel, several R&D programs examining each component of the fuel channel have been carried out in Canada. For a pressure tube, the main concern is focused on changing the fabrication processes, e.g., increasing cold working rate, conducting intermediate annealing and adding a third element like Fe, V, and Cr to the tube material. In addition to them, chromium plating on the end fitting and increasing wall thickness at both ends of the calandria tube are considered. There has also been much interest in the improvement of fuel channel performance in our country and several development programs are currently under way.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.345-349
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• 2003

The dynamic behavior of CANDU nuclear fuel channel was analyzed by the use of 3-dimensional finite element method, under the various fault conditions such as a fault in the end fitting support and the removal/migration of the garter spring in the fuel channel, in order to predict the dynamic behavior for a degraded symptoms of CANDU nuclear fuel channel. Moreover, the frequency response analysis for possible fault conditions was also peformed considering the effects of the pressure tube vibration and flow-induced vibration by the coolant flow. From the analysis of the frequency responses, defects in the garter spring have influenced the changes of 2nd and 3rd modes and all the important modes are varied for the failure in the journal bearing in the end fitting body.