• 한국윤활학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국윤활학회 2003년도 학술대회지
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• pp.41-49
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• 2003

Tube oscillation behaviour is experimentally investigated for the study on the fuel rod fretting that is caused by the flow-induced vibration in nuclear reactor. The experiment was conducted in all at room temperature. The specimen of tube assembly was supported by plate springs which simulated the spacer grids and fuel rods of a fuel assembly. To investigate the influence of contact condition between the grids and rods, normal load of 10 and 5 N, gaps of 0.1 and 0.3 mm were applied. The range of the oscillation at the center of the fuel rod specimen was varied as 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 mm to simulate the fuel rod vibration due to flow. Displacements near the contact were measured with four displacement sensors during the tube oscillation. As results, the shape of oscillation (phase) varied depending on the contact condition. The oscillation displacement increased considerably from the contact to gap condition. The displacement increased further as the gap size increased. It is regarded that the spring shape influences the tube oscillation behaviour. Simple calculation showed that the slip displacement was very small. Therefore, cumulative damage concept is necessary for the fuel rod wear. The mechanism of plowing is thought required to explain the severe wear in the case of gap existence.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.493-520
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• 2009

During the last four decades, 16 Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and 4 Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) have been constructed and operated in Korea, and nuclear fuel technology has been developed to a self-reliant state. At first, the PWR fuel design and manufacturing technology was acquired through international cooperation with a foreign partner. Then, the PWR fuel R&D by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has improved fuel technology to a self-reliant state in terms of fuel elements, which includes a new cladding material, a large-grained $UO_2$ pellet, a high performance spacer grid, a fuel rod performance code, and fuel assembly test facility. The MOX fuel performance analysis code was developed and validated using the in-reactor test data. MOX fuel test rods were fabricated and their irradiation test was completed by an international program. At the same time, the PWR fuel development by Korea Nuclear Fuel (KNF) has produced new fuel assemblies such as PLUS7 and ACE7. During this process, the design and test technology of fuel assemblies was developed to a self-reliant state. The PHWR fuel manufacturing technology was developed and manufacturing facility was set up by KAERI, independently from the foreign technology. Then, the advanced PHWR fuel, CANFLEX(CANDU Flexible Fuelling), was developed, and an irradiation test was completed in a PHWR. The development of the CANFLEX fuel included a new design of fuel rods and bundles.. The nuclear fuel technology in Korea has been steadily developed in many national R&D programs, and this advanced fuel technology is expected to contribute to a worldwide nuclear renaissance that can create solutions to global warming.

• 한국압력기기공학회 논문집
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.163-170
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• 2023

Since spent nuclear fuel assemblies (SFA) are transported to interim storage or final disposal facility after cooling the decay heat, finite element analysis (FEA) with simplification is widely used to show their integrity against cladding failure to cause dispersal of radioactive material. However, there is a lack of research addressing the comprehensive impact of shape and element simplification on analysis results. In this study, for the optimization of a typical pressurized water reactor SFA, different types of finite element models were generated by changing number of fuel rods, fuel rod element type and assembly length. A series of FEA in use of these different models were conducted under a shock load data obtained from surrogate fuel assembly transportation test. Effects of number of fuel rods, element type and length of assembly were also analyzed, which shows that the element type of fuel rod mainly affected on cladding strain. Finally, an optimal finite element model was determined for other practical application in the future.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.90-99
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• 1994

손상 핵연료에서 발생하는 주요한 현상중의 하나는 수중기의 분해로 갭에 존재하는 산소에 의해 $UO_2$ 가 $UO_{2+}$x/로 산화되고, 이로 인해 결정립내에서의 핵분열기체 확산계수가 증가하여 결과적으로 핵분열 기체의 방출이 증대하는 현상이다. 본 논문은 일반적인 원자로 운전 조건하에서 원자로 및 손상 핵연료의 운전조건을 고려하여 소결체의 산화거동을 모사하고 이를 바탕으로 소결체 산화가 핵분열기체의 방출 중대에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 소결체 산화거동은 갭에는 150기압의 포화된 순수한 수증기만이 존재한다는 가정하에 분석하였고, 산화에 의한 핵분열기체의 방출 증대 효과를 정량적으로 분석하기 위해 방출중대 인자를 도입하였다. 실험 치와 비교한 결과 방출증대 인자는 소결체 산화에 의한 핵분열기체의 방출증대 효과를 잘 예측하였다.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.249-257
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• 2015

원자력 발전소의 반응로에는 핵분열 에너지를 생성하고 방사성 물질의 유출을 막는 핵연료 집합체가 있으며, 이러한 집합체는 핵연료와 피복관으로 구성되어 있는 핵 연료봉으로 구성되어 있다. 원자로에서 핵연료봉 거동의 안전성을 평가하기 위해 해석적인 방법을 적용하며 이러한 평가 코드를 핵 연료 성능 코드라 한다. 경수로 핵연료 해석에서는 간극의 두께에 따라 열전도도가 크게 영향을 받는 간극 열전도도가 주요 거동해석에 영향을 미친다. 본 연구에서는 간극 두께에 따라 열전도도가 변화하는 3 차원 간극 요소(Gap element)를 제안하였으며, 이를 적용하기 위해 3 차원 열탄성 모듈을 FORTRAN90을 이용하여 개발하였다. 제안된 3 차원 간극 요소를 이용하여 핵 연료봉에서 발생할 수 있는 비대칭적인 형상인 핵 연료 표면에 결함이 생긴 경우 MPS(Missing Pellet Surface)와 핵연료봉의 편심(Eccentricity of the nuclear fuel rod) 형상에 대하여 3 차원 해석을 진행하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권8호
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• pp.1266-1276
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• 2018

In this paper, three-dimensional neutronic calculations were performed in order to calculate the dependency of CRW on the temperature of fuel and moderator and the moderator void. Calculations were performed using the known MTR_PC computer codes in the core configuration 61 of TRR. The dependency of CRW on the fuel temperature in the range of $20-340^{\circ}C$ and the moderator temperature of each control rods were studied. Based on the positions of the control rods, the calculations were performed in three different cases, named case A, B and C. By the results, the worth of each control rods increases by increasing of the coolant temperature in all methods, however, the total CRW is somewhat independent of the fuel temperature. In addition, the results showed that the variation of CRW versus density depends on the positions of the control rods and the most change in CRW in the coolant temperature, $20-100^{\circ}C$ (279 pcm), belongs to SR4. Finally the effect of void on CRW was studied for different void fraction in coolant. The most worth change is about $2 for 40% void fraction related to SR1 and SR3 in case B. For 40% void fraction, the total CRW increases about $7.5, $6 and $7 in cases, A, B and C, respectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.665-675
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• 2019

The wire-wrapped fuel bundle is an assembly design in a sodium-cooled fast reactor. A wire spacer is used to maintain a constant gap between rods and to enhance the mixing of coolants. The wire makes the flow complicated by creating a sweeping flow and vortex flow. The vortex affects the flow field and heat transfer inside the subchannels. However, studies on vortices in this geometry are limited. The purpose of this research is to investigate the vortex flow created in the wire-wrapped fuel bundle. For analysis, a RANS-based numerical analysis was conducted for a 37-pin geometry. The sensitivity study shows that simulation with the shear stress transport model is appropriate. For the case of Re of 37,100, the mechanisms of onset, periodicity, and rotational direction were analyzed. The vortex structures were reconstructed in a three-dimensional space. Vortices were periodically created in the interior subchannel three times for one wire rotation. In the edge subchannel, the largest vortex occurred. This large vortex structure blocked the swirl flow in the peripheral region. The small vortex formed in the corner subchannel was negligible. The results can help in understanding the flow field inside subchannels with sweeping flow and vortex structures.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.117-123
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• 2015

핵연료 연소시험 도중 핵연료봉에서 발생하는 열을 효과적으로 제거하기 위해서는 핵연료의 발열량을 정확하게 계산하고 충분한 유속을 갖는 냉각수를 순환시켜야 한다. 하나로는 개방형 수조 형태로서 핵연료 연소시험을 위한 별도의 냉각수 순환 루프를 갖추고 있는데, 여기에 핵연료 조사리그를 장착하고 냉각수를 순환시킴으로써 조사중인 핵연료봉의 온도를 일정온도 이하로 유지시킨다. 특히 순환되는 냉각수의 유속이 매우 높은 상태에서 조사리그 내에 부착된 부품이나 센서들이 유체유발 진동에 의해 파손되거나 기능을 상실하는 경우 매우 큰 기회비용을 야기한다. 본 연구에서는 조사리그 부품의 건전성 사전 검토 및 고속 유동에서의 센서 동작 특성에 대한 사전검토를 위해 냉각수 모의 순환장치를 개발하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권5호
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• pp.1602-1611
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• 2021

A varying degree of eccentricity always exists in the initial configuration of a nuclear fuel rod. Its impact on traditional LWR fuel is limited as the radial gap closes relatively early during irradiation. However, the effect of misalignment is expected to be more relevant in rods with highly conductive fuels, large initial gaps and low conductivity filling gases. In this paper, we study similar characteristics in the experimental setup of two fuel disc irradiation campaigns carried out in the OECD Halden Boiling Water Reactor. Using the multi-dimensional fuel performance code OFFBEAT, we combine 2-D axisymmetric and 3-D simulations to investigate the effect of eccentricity on the fuel temperature distribution. At the same time, we illustrate how the advent of modern tools with multi-dimensional capabilities might further improve the design and interpretation of in-pile separate-effect tests and we outline the potential of such an analysis for upcoming experiments.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1997년도 추계학술발표회논문집(1)
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• pp.501-506
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• 1997

This paper presents the hydraulic characteristics measured by using LDV(Laser Doppler Velocimetry) in subchannels of a HANARO, KAERI research reactor, fuel bundle. The fuel bundle consists of 18 axially finned rods with 3 spacer grids, which are arranged in cylindrical configuration. The effects of the spacer grids on the turbulent flow were investigated by the experimental results. Pressure drops fer each component of the fuel bundle were measured, and the friction factors of fuel bundle and loss coefficients for the spacer grids were estimated from the measured pressure drops. Implications regard ins the turbulent thermal mixing were discussed. Vibration test results measured by using laser vibrometer were presented.