• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.4042-4051
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• 2021

In this work, we applied a multilevel modeling technique to estimate the diametral creep in the pressure tubes of Korean Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) units. Data accumulated from in-service inspections were used to develop the model. To confirm the strength of the multilevel models, a 2-level multilevel model considering the relationship between channels for a CANDU unit was compared with existing linear models. The multilevel model exhibited a very robust prediction accuracy compared to the linear models with different data pooling methods. A 3-level multilevel model, which considered individual bundles, channels, and units, was also implemented. The influence of the channel installation direction was incorporated into the three-stage multilevel model. For channels that were previously measured, the developed 3-level multilevel model exhibited a very good predictive power, and the prediction interval was very narrow. However, for channels that had never been measured before, the prediction interval widened considerably. This model can be sufficiently improved by the accumulation of more data and can be applied to other CANDU units.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.429-436
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• 1995

This paper describes a methodology for determination of representative CANDU feeder geometry and the pressure drops between inlet/outlet header and fuel channel in the primary loop. A code, MEDOC, was developed based on this methodology and helps perform a calculation of equivalent feeder geometry for a selected channel group on the basis of feeder geometry data (fluid volume, mass flow rate, loss factor) and given property data pressure, quality, density) at inlet/outlet header. The equivalent feeder geometry calculated based on this methodology will be useful fur the transient thermohydraulic analysis of the primary heat transport system for the CANDU heavy water-cooled pressure tube reactor.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.226-233
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• 1995

The wall thickness of a pressure tube is increased in order to reduce the probability of failure in a pressure tube of CANDU type reactor. It is presented here that the variation of wall thickness changes stress, hydrogen concentration and delayed hydride cracking in Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube. When the wall thickness is increased from 4.2 mm to 5.2 mm, the stress exerted on the tube and the deuterium taken up during operation are reduced by 19％. Further, the calculated allowable depth of the surface flaw over which delayed hydride cracking(DHC) is susceptible increases by 50％. DHC initiation is controlled by the stress and by the hydrogen concentration in the pressure tube. The results are therefore very significant in such a respect that increased wall thickness may reduce DHC initiation. Ac the wall thickness increases the hydrostatic tension will increase. Its impact on the acceleration of the crack growth rate of DHC deserves further studies.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.901-910
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• 2021

KHNP recently has obtained the approval for the commercialization of the modified 37-element (or 37 M) fuel bundle and now is loading the 37 M fuel bundles in CANDU-6 reactors in KOREA. One of the main issues for approval was the burnup limit. Due to CANDU design and neutronic characteristics, there was no specific burnup restriction of a fuel bundle. The absence of a burnup limit does not mean that a fuel bundle can stay in the CANDU reactor without a time limit. However, the regulator requested traditional design values as well as the burnup limit reflecting the computer code uncertainty. The method for the PWR burnup limit was not applied to the CANDU fuel bundle. Since there was no approved methodology to build the burnup limit with uncertainties, KHNP introduced a Monte-Carlo method coupled with a 95/95 approach to determine the conservative burnup limit from the viewpoint of the centerline temperature, internal pressure, strain measurement deviation. Moreover, to consider the uncertainties of various computing models, a converted power uncertainty was introduced. This paper presents the methodology and puts forward the limits on burnup, evaluated for each of the existing and modified fuel bundles, in consideration of the pressure tube aging condition.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.252.2-252.2
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• 2003

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.315.2-315
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.319-319
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.395.2-395
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.207-207
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• 1999