• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.1275-1284
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• 2009

A directly heated $SO_3$ decomposer for the sulfur-iodine and hybrid-sulfur processes has been introduced and analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code CFX 11. The use of a directly heated decomposition reactor in conjunction with a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) allows for higher decomposition reactor operating temperatures. However, the high temperatures and strongly corrosive operating conditions associated with $SO_3$ decomposition present challenges for the structural materials of decomposition reactors. In order to resolve these problems, we have designed a directly heated $SO_3$ decomposer using RA330 alloy as a structural material and have performed a CFD analysis of the design based on the finite rate chemistry model. The CFD results show the maximum temperature of the structural material could be maintained sufficiently below 1073 K, which is considered the target temperature for RA 330. The CFD simulations also indicated good performance in terms of $SO_3$ decomposition for the design parameters of the present study.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.10
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• pp.721-728
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• 2012

This paper evaluates the reliability of creep rupture life under service conditions of Alloy 617, which is considered as one of the candidate materials for use in a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) system. A Z-parameter, which represents the deviation of creep rupture data from the master curve, was used for the reliability analysis of the creep rupture data of Alloy 617. A Service-condition Creep Rupture Interference (SCRI) model, which can consider both the scattering of the creep rupture data and the fluctuations of temperature and stress under any service conditions, was also used for evaluating the reliability of creep rupture life. The statistical analysis showed that the scattering of creep rupture data based on Z-parameter was supported by normal distribution. The values of reliability decreased rapidly with increasing amplitudes of temperature and stress fluctuations. The results established that the reliability decreased with an increasing service time.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.45-51
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• 2015

Grade 91 steel is used for the major structural components of Generation-IV reactor systems such as a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) and sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). Since these structures are designed for up to 60 years at elevated temperatures, the prediction of long-term creep life is very important to determine an allowable design stress of elevated temperature structural component. In this study, a large body of creep rupture data was collected through world-wide literature surveys, and using these data, the long-term creep life was predicted in terms of three methods: Larson-Miller (L-M), Manson-Haferd (M-H) and Wilshire methods. The results for each method was compared using the standard deviation of error. The L-M method was overestimated in the longer time of a low stress. The Wilshire method was superior agreement in the long-term life prediction to the L-M and M-H methods.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.429-436
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• 2011

The corrosion of materials exposed to high temperature helium in a very high temperature reactor is caused by interaction with the impurities in the helium. This interaction then induces high temperature mechanical deterioration. By considering the effect of the impurity concentration on material corrosion, a long-term coolant chemistry guideline can be determined for the range of impurity concentration at which the material is stable for a long time. In this work, surface reactions were investigated by analyzing the thermodynamics and the experimental results for Alloy 617 exposed to controlled impure helium at $950^{\circ}C$. Moreover, the surfaces were examined for the Alloy 617 crept in air and in uncontrolled helium, which was explained by possible surface reactions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.831-840
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• 2009

In order to evaluate the start-up behavior and to identify, through abnormal operation occurrences, the transient behaviors of the Sulfur Iodine(SI) process, which is a nuclear hydrogen process that is coupled to a Very High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (VHTR) through an Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX), a dynamic simulation of the process is necessary. Perturbation of the flow rate or temperature in the inlet streams may result in various transient states. An understanding of the dynamic behavior due to these factors is able to support the conceptual design of the secondary helium loop system associated with a hydrogen production plant. Based on the mass and energy balance sheets of an electrodialysis-embedded SI process equivalent to a 200 $MW_{th}$ VHTR and a considerable thermal pathway between the SI process and the VHTR system, a dynamic simulation of the SI process was carried out for a sulfuric acid decomposition process (Second Section) that is composed of a sulfuric acid vaporizer, a sulfuric acid decomposer, and a sulfur trioxide decomposer. The dynamic behaviors of these integrated reactors according to several anticipated scenarios are evaluated and the dominant and mild factors are observed. As for the results of the simulation, all the reactors in the sulfuric acid decomposition process approach a steady state at the same time. Temperature control of the inlet helium is strictly required rather than the flow rate control of the inlet helium to keep the steady state condition in the Second Section. On the other hand, it was revealed that the changes of the inlet helium operation conditions make a great impact on the performances of $SO_3$ and $H_2SO_4$ decomposers, but no effect on the performance of the $H_2SO_4$ vaporizer.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.195-197
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• 2005

An intermediate heat exchanger(IHX) is a key component in a next-generation VHTR with process heat applications such as hydrogen production and also for an indirect gas turbine system. Therefore, high temperature brazing with nickel-based filler metal(MBF-15) was carried out to study the joining characteristic(microstucture, joining strength) of nickel-based superalloy(Haynes 230) by vacuum brazing. The experimental brazing was carried out at the brazing process, an applied pressure of about 0.74Mpa and the three kinds of brazing temperatures were 1100, 1150, and $1190^{\circ}C$ with holding time 5 minute. It's joining phenomena were analyzed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with EPMA. The results of microstructure in the centre-line region of a joint brazed with MBF-15 show a typical ternary eutectic of v-nickel, nickel boride and chromium boride.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2009

An accurate prediction of the bypass flow is of great importance in the VHTR core design concerning the fuel thermal margin. Nevertheless, there has not been much effort in evaluating the amount and the distribution of the core bypass flow. In order to evaluate the behavior and the distribution of the coolant flow, a unit-cell experiment was carried out. Unit-cell is the regular triangular section which is formed by connecting the centers of three hexagonal blocks. Various conditions such as the inlet mass flow rate, block combinations and the size of bypass gap were examined in the experiment. CFD analysis was carried out to analyze detailed characteristics of the flow distribution. Commercial CFD code FLUENT 6.3 was validated by comparing with the experimental results. In addition, SST model and standard k-$\varepsilon$ model were validated. The results of CFD simulation show good agreements with the experimental results. SST model shows better agreement than standard k-$\varepsilon$ model. Results showed that block combinations and the size of the bypass gap have an influence on the bypass flow ratio but the inlet mass flow rate does not.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.25-78
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• 2005

As a key and core knowledge for the design of various types of nuclear reactors, the discipline of reactor physics has been advanced continually in the past six decades and has led to a very sophisticated fabric of analysis methods and computer codes in use today. Notwithstanding, the discipline faces interesting challenges from next-generation nuclear reactors and innovative new fuel designs in the coming. After presenting a brief overview of important tasks and steps involved in the nuclear design and analysis of a reactor, this article focuses on the currently-used design and analysis methods, issues and limitations, and current activities to resolve them as follows: (1) Derivation of the multi group transport equations and the multi group diffusion equations, with representative solution methods thereof. (2) Elements of modem (now almost three decades old) diffusion nodal methods. (3) Limitations of nodal methods such as transverse integration, flux reconstruction, and analysis of UO2-MOX mixed cores. Homogenization and related issues. (4) Description of the analytic function expansion nodal (AFEN) method. (5) Ongoing efforts for three-dimensional whole-core heterogeneous transport calculations and acceleration methods. (6) Elements of spatial kinetics calculation methods and coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics transient analysis. (7) Identification of future research and development areas in advanced reactors and Generation-IV reactors, in particular, in very high temperature gas reactor (VHTR) cores.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.436-442
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• 2008

Graphite material has been recognized as a very competitive candidate for reflector, moderator, and structural material for very high temperature reactor (VHTR). Since VHTR is operated up to $900-950^{\circ}C$, small amount of impurity may accelerate the oxidation and degradation of carbon graphite, which results in increased porosity and lowered fracture toughness. In this study, ultrasonic wave propagation properties were investigated for both as-received and degradated material, and the feasibility of ultrasonic testing (UT) was estimated based on the result of ultrasonic property measurements. The ultrasonic properties of carbon graphite were half, more than 5 times, and 1/3 for velocity, attenuation, and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio respectively. Degradation reduces the ultrasonic velocity slightly by 100 m/s, however the attenuation is about 2 times of as-receive state. The results of probability of detection (POD) estimation based on S/N ratio for side-drilled-hole (SDHs) of which depths were less than 100 mm were merely affected by oxidation and degradation. This result suggests that UT would be reliable method for nondestructive testing of carbon graphite material of which thickness is not over 100 mm. In accordance with the result produced by commercial automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) system, human error of ultrasonic testing is barely expected for the material of which thickness is not over 80 mm.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.426-432
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• 2011

The oxidation behavior of CVD ${\beta}$-SiC was investigated for Very High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (VHTR) applications. This study focused on the surface analysis of the oxidized CVD ${\beta}$-SiC to observe the effect of impurity gases on active/passive oxidation. Oxidation test was carried out at $950^{\circ}C$ in the impurity-controlled helium environment that contained $H_2$, $H_2O$, CO, and $CH_4$ in order to simulate VHTR coolant chemistry. For 250 h of exposure to the helium, weight changes were barely measurable when $H_2O$ in the bulk gas was carefully controlled between 0.02 and 0.1 Pa. Surface morphology also did not change based on AFM observation. However, XPS analysis results indicated that a very small amount of $SiO_2$ was formed by the reaction of SiC with $H_2O$ at the initial stage of oxidation when $H_2O$ partial pressure in the CVD ${\beta}$-SiC surface placed on the passive oxidation region. As the oxidation progressed, $H_2O$ consumed and its partial pressure in the surface decreased to the active/passive oxidation transition region. At the steady state, more oxidation did not observable up to 250 h of exposure.