• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.576-582
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• 1996

The integrity of reactor vessel support system of the Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant (KSNPP) is investigated for a postulated reactor vessel closure head drop event. The closure head is disassembled from the reactor vessel during refueling process or general inspection of reactor vessel and internal structures, and carried to proposed location by the head lift rig. A postulated closure head drop event could be anticipated during closure head handling process. The drop event may cause an impact load on the reactor vessel and supporting system. The integrity of the supporting system is directly relevant to that of reactor vessel and reactor internals including fuels. Results derived by elastic impact analysis, linear and non-linear buckling analysis and elasto-plastic stress analysis of the supporting system implied that the integrity of the reactor vessel supporting system is intact for a postulated reactor vessel closure head drop event.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2015

Background: $^{241}Am$, $^{243}Am$, and $^{237}Np$ isotopes are among the most radiotoxic components of spent nuclear fuel. Recently, researchers have planned different incineration scenarios for the highly radiotoxic elements of nuclear waste in critical reactors. Computational methods are widely used to predict burnup rates of such nuclear wastes that are used under fuel matrixes in critical reactors. Methods: In this work, the Monte Carlo N-particle transport code was used to calculate the neutronic behavior of a transuranic (TRU)-bearing CANada Deuterium Uranium 6 reactor. Results: The computational data showed that the 1.0% TRU-containing thorium-based fuel matrix presents higher proliferation resistance and TRU depletion rate than the other investigated fuel Matrixes. The fuel matrix includes higher negative temperature reactivity coefficients as well. Conclusion: The investigated thorium-based fuel matrix can be successfully used to decrease the production of highly radiotoxic isotopes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.304-317
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• 2016

An accelerator-driven system consists of a subcritical reactor and a controllable external neutron source. The reactor in an accelerator-driven system can sustain fission reactions in a subcritical state using an external neutron source, which is an intrinsic safety feature of the system. The system can provide efficient transmutations of nuclear wastes such as minor actinides and long-lived fission products and generate electricity. Recently at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI; Kyoto, Japan), a series of reactor physics experiments was conducted with the Kyoto University Critical Assembly and a Cockcrofte-Walton type accelerator, which generates the external neutron source by deuteriu-metritium reactions. In this paper, neutronic analyses of a series of experiments have been re-estimated by using the latest Monte Carlo code and nuclear data libraries. This feasibility study is presented through the comparison of Monte Carlo simulation results with measurements.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.654-664
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• 2018

Self-pressurization analysis of the natural circulation integral nuclear reactor through a new dynamic model is studied. Unlike conventional pressurized water reactors, this reactor type controls the system pressure using saturated coolant water in the steam dome at the top of the pressure vessel. Self-pressurization model is developed based on conservation of mass, volume, and energy by predicting the condensation that occurs in the steam dome and the flashing inside the chimney using the partial differential equation. A simple but functional model is adopted for the steam generator. The obtained results indicate that the variable measurement is consistent with design data and that this new model is able to predict the dynamics of the reactor in different situations. It is revealed that flashing and condensation power are in direct relation with the stability of the system pressure, without which pressure convergence cannot be established.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.776-792
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• 2021

Conventional integral effect test facilities were constructed to enable the precise observation of thermal-hydraulic phenomena and reactor behaviors under postulated accident conditions to prove reactor safety. Although these facilities improved the understanding of thermal-hydraulic phenomena and reactor safety, applications of new technologies and their performance tests have been limited owing to the cost and large scale of the facilities. Various nuclear technologies converging 4th industrial revolution technologies such as artificial intelligence, drone, and 3D printing, are being developed to improve plant management strategies. Additionally, new conceptual passive safety systems are being developed to enhance reactor safety. A new integral effect test facility having a noticeable scaling ratio, i.e., the (UNIST reactor innovation loop (URI-LO), is designed and constructed to improve the technical quality of these technologies by performance and feasibility tests. In particular, the URI-LO, which is constructed using a transparent material, enables better visualization and provides physical insights on multidimensional phenomena inside the reactor system. The facility design based on three-level approach is qualitatively validated with preliminary analyses, and its functionality as a test facility is confirmed through a series of experiments. The design feature, design validation, functionality test, and future utilization of the URI-LO are introduced.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.949-953
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• 2019

The burnup equation of nuclides is one of the most equations in nuclear reactor physics, which is generally coupled with transport calculations. The burnup equation describes the variation of the nuclides with time. Because of its very stiffness and the need for large time step, this equation is solved by special methods, for example transmutation trajectory analysis (TTA) or the matrix exponential methods where the matrix exponential is approximated by CRAM. However, TTA or CRAM functions well when the flux is constant. In this work, a new method is proposed when the flux changes. It's an improved method compared to TTA or CRAM. Furtherly, this new method is based on TTA or CRAM, and it is more accurate than them. The accuracy and efficiency of this method are investigated. Several cases are used and the results show the accuracy and efficiency of this method are great.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.1017-1023
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• 2018

The measurement and calculation of neutronic parameters in nuclear research reactors has an important influence on control and safety of the nuclear reactor. The power peaking factors, reactivity coefficients and kinetic parameters are the most important neutronic parameter for determining the state of the reactor. The position of the control shim safety rods in the core configuration affects these parameters. The main purpose of this work is to use the MTR_PC package to evaluate the effect of the partially insertion of the control rod on the neutronic parameters at the operating core of the Tehran Research Reactor. The simulation results show that by increasing the insertion of control rods (bank) in the core, the absolute values of power peaking factor, reactivity coefficients and effective delayed neutron fraction increased and only prompt neutron life time decreased. In addition, the results show that the changes of moderator temperature coefficients value versus the control rods positions are very significant. The average value of moderator temperature coefficients increase about 98% in the range of 0-70% insertion of control rods.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2022

The 2D/1D method has become the mainstream of the direct transport calculation considering the balance of accuracy and efficiency. However, the 2D/1D method still suffers from stability issues. Recently, a quasi-3D method has been proposed with axial Legendre expansion. Analysis and comparison of the 2D/1D and quasi-3D method is conducted in theory from the equation derivation. Besides, the C5G7 benchmark, the KUCA benchmark and the macro BEAVRS benchmark are calculated to verify the theory comparisons of these two methods with the direct transport code SHARK. All results show that the quasi-3D method has better stability and accuracy than the 2D/1D method with worse efficiency and memory cost. It provides a new option for direct transport calculation with the quasi-3D method.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.949-958
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• 2024

In contrast to all-time flooded small modular reactor (SMR) systems, an in-kind flooding safety system (FSS) has been proposed as a passive safety system applicable to small modular reactors (SMRs) that adopt a metal containment vessel (MCV). Under transient conditions, the FSS can provide emergency cooling to dry reactor cavities and sustain long-term coolability using re-acquired evaporated steam in the reactor building on demand. When designing an FSS, the effect of the flooding flow area is vital as it affects the overall accident sequence and safety. Therefore, in this study, a MELCOR model of a reference SMR is developed and numerical analysis is performed under postulated accident scenarios. Without flooding, the MCV pressure of the reactor module exceeds the design pressure before core damage. To prevent core damage, an emergency flooding strategy is devised using various flow path parameters and requirements to ensure an adequate emergency coolant supply before the core damage is investigated. The results indicate that a flow area exceeding 0.02 m2 is required in the FSS to prevent MCV overpressure and core damage. This study is the first to report a strategic analysis for appropriately sizing an FSS flooding valve applicable to innovative SMRs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.377-381
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• 2010

In 2007 the Nuclear Energy Agency's Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations published Best Practice Guidelines for the use of CFD in Nuclear Reactor Safety. This paper provides an overview of the document' contents and highlights a few of its recommendations. The document covers the full extent of a CFD analysis from initial problem definition and selection of an appropriate tool for the analysis, through final documentation of results. It provides advice on selection of appropriate simulation software, mesh construction, and selection of physical models. In addition it contains extensive discussion of the verification and validation process that should accompany any high-quality CFD analysis.