• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.1303-1314
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• 2016

This work examines the most viable nuclear technology options for future underwater designs that would meet high safety standards as well as good economic potential, for construction in the 2030-2040 timeframe. The top five concepts selected from a survey of 13 nuclear technologies were compared to a small modular pressurized water reactor (PWR) designed with a conventional layout. In order of smallest to largest primary system size where the reactor and all safety systems are contained, the top five designs were: (1) a lead-bismuth fast reactor based on the Russian SVBR-100; (2) a novel organic cooled reactor; (3) an innovative superheated water reactor; (4) a boiling water reactor based on Toshiba's LSBWR; and (5) an integral PWR featuring compact steam generators. A similar study on potential attractive power cycles was also performed. A condensing and recompression supercritical $CO_2$ cycle and a compact steam Rankine cycle were designed. It was found that the hull size required by the reactor, safety systems and power cycle can be significantly reduced (50-80%) with the top five designs compared to the conventional PWR. Based on the qualitative economic consideration, the organic cooled reactor and boiling water reactor designs are expected to be the most cost effective options.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2013

A reactor vessel internals comprehensive vibration assessment program(RVI CVAP) of an advanced power reactor 1400(APR1400) is being performed as a non-prototype category-2 type of reactor based on the US nuclear regulatory commission regulatory guide(NRC RG) 1.20. The aim of this paper is to present the results of structural response analysis and measuring locations of a upper guide structure(UGS) assembly of the APR1400 reactor. The analysis results of the UGS assembly show that the specified integrity levels meet the design acceptance criteria. Also, the measuring locations are determined by the analysis results of the UGS assembly and selection criteria of previous study. These analysis results and measuring locations will be used as a guide to design a measurement system for the APR1400 RVI CVAP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.24-32
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• 2018

System Complexity one of the most common cause failure of the projects, it leads to a lack of understanding about the functions of the system. Hence, the model is developed for communication and furthermore modeling help analysis, design, and understanding of the system. On the other hand, the text-based specification is useful and easy to develop but is difficult to visualize the physical composition, structure, and behaviour or data exchange of the system. Therefore, it is necessary to transform system description into a diagram which clearly depicts the behaviour of the system as well as the interaction between components. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety Glossary, The safety system is a system important to safety, provided to ensure the safe shutdown of the reactor or the residual heat removal from the reactor core, or to limit the consequences of anticipated operational occurrences and design basis accidents. Core Protection Calculator System (CPCS) in Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR 1400) Nuclear Power Plant is a safety critical system. CPCS was developed using systems engineering method focusing on Departure from Nuclear Boiling Ratio (DNBR) calculation. Due to the complexity of the system, many diagrams are needed to minimize the risk of ambiguities and lack of understanding. Using Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) software for modeling the DNBR algorithm were used. These diagrams then serve as the baseline of the reverse engineering process and speeding up the development process. In addition, the use of MBSE ensures that any additional information obtained from auxiliary sources can then be input into the system model, ensuring data consistency.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.434-442
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• 2015

The advanced passive pressurized water reactor (PWR) is being constructed in China and the passive residual heat removal (PRHR) system was designed to remove the decay heat. During accident scenarios with increase of heat removal from the primary coolant system, the actuation of the PRHR will enhance the cooldown of the primary coolant system. There is a risk of power excursion during the cooldown of the primary coolant system. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the thermal hydraulic behavior of the reactor coolant system (RCS) at this condition. The advanced passive PWR model, including major components in the RCS, is built by SCDAP/RELAP5 code. The thermal hydraulic behavior of the core is studied for two typical accident sequences with PRHR actuation to investigate the core cooling capability with conservative assumptions, a main steam line break (MSLB) event and inadvertent opening of a steam generator (SG) safety valve event. The results show that the core is ultimately shut down by the boric acid solution delivered by Core Makeup Tank (CMT) injections. The effects of CMT boric acid concentration and the activation delay time on accident consequences are analyzed for MSLB, which shows that there is no consequential damage to the fuel or reactor coolant system in the selected conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.713-718
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• 1997

In the TMI-2 accident, approximately twenty(20) tons of molten core material drained into the lower plenum. Early advanced light water reactor (LWR) designs assumed a lower head failure and incorporated various measures for ex-vessel accident mitigation. However, one of the major findings from the TMI-2 Vessel Investigation Project was that one part of the reactor lower head wall estimated to have attained a temperature of 1100$^{\circ}C$ for about 30 minutes has seemingly experienced a comparatively rapid cooldown with no major threat to the vessel integrity. In this regard, recent empirical and analytical studies have shifted interests to such in-vessel retention designs or strategies as reactor cavity flooding, in-vessel flooding and engineered gap cooling of the vessel Accurate thermohydrodynamic and creep deformation modeling and rupture prediction are the key to the success in developing practically useful in-vessel accident/risk management strategies. As an advanced in-vessel design concept, this work presents the COrium Attack Syndrome Immunization Structures (COASIS) that are being developed as prospective in-vessel retention devices for a next-generation LWR in concert with existing ex-vessel management measures. Both the engineered gap structures in-vessel (COASISI) and ex-vessel (COASISO) are demonstrated to maintain effective heat transfer geometry during molten core debris attack when applied to the Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant(KSNPP) reactor. The likelihood of lower head creep rupture during a severe accident is found to be significantly suppressed by the COASIS options.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.221-226
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• 2011

The structural integrity of APR1400 reactor vessel internals has been being assessed referring the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulatory guide 1.20 comprehensive vibration assessment program. The program is composed of a vibration and stress analysis, a limited vibration measurement, and an inspection. This paper covers the vibration and stress analysis on the reactor vessel internals due to the pulsation of reactor coolant pump. 3-dimensional models to calculate the hydraulic loads and structural responses were built and the pressure distributions and the structural responses were predicted using ANSYS. The peak stress of the reactor vessel internals is much lower than the acceptance limit.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.1015-1021
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• 2016

Structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important to safety of nuclear facilities shall be designed, fabricated, erected, and tested to quality standards commensurate with the importance of the safety functions. Although SSC classification guidelines for nuclear power plants have been well established and applied, those for research reactors have been only recently established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Korea has operated a pool-type research reactor (the High Flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor) and has recently exported another pool-type reactor (Jordan Research and Training Reactor), which is being built in Jordan. Korea also has a plan to build one more pool-type reactor, the Kijang Research Reactor, in Kijang, Busan. The safety classification of SSCs for pool-type research reactors is proposed in this paper based on the IAEA methodology. The proposal recommends that the SSCs of pool-type research reactors be categorized and classified on basis of their safety functions and safety significance. Because the SSCs in pool-type research reactors are not the pressure-retaining components, codes and standards for design of the SSCs following the safety classification can be selected in a graded approach.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

The structural integrity assessment of APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400) reactor vessel internals has been being performed referring the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulatory guide 1.20 comprehensive vibration assessment program prior to commercial operation. The program is composed of a hydraulic and structural analysis, a vibration measurement, and an inspection. This paper describes the hydraulic and structural analysis on the reactor vessel internals due to hydraulic loads caused by the turbulence of reactor coolant. Three-dimensional models were built for the hydraulic and structural analysis and then hydraulic loads and structural responses were predicted for five analysis cases with CFX and ANSYS respectively. The structural responses show that the APR1400 reactor vessel internals have sufficient structural integrity in comparison with the acceptance criteria.

• 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.53 no.4
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• pp.1236-1249
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• 2021

Although there are still controversial opinions and uncertainty on application of SiC_f/SiC composite cladding as next-generation cladding material for its great oxidation resistance in high temperature steam environment and other outstanding advantages, it cannot deny that SiC_f/SiC cladding is a potential accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding with high research priority and still in the engineering design stage for now. However, considering its disadvantages, such as low irradiated thermal conductivity, ductility that barely not exist, further evaluations of its in-pile behaviors are still necessary. Based on the self-developed code we recently updated, relevant thermohydraulic and mechanical models in FROBA-ATF were applied to simulate the cladding behaviors under normal and accident conditions in this paper. Even through steady-state performance analysis revealed that this kind of cladding material could greatly reduce the oxidation thickness, the thermal performance of UO₂-SiC was poor due to its low inpile thermal conductivity and creep rate. Besides, the risk of failure exists when reactor power decreased. With geometry optimization and dopant addition in pellets, the steady-state performance of UO₂-SiC was enhanced and the failure risk was reduced. The thermal and mechanical performance of the improved UO₂-SiC was further evaluated under Loss of coolant accident (LOCA) and Reactivity Initiated Accident (RIA) conditions. Transient results showed that the optimized ATF had better thermal performance, lower cladding hoop stress, and could provide more coping time under accident conditions.