• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2003

In the nuclear power plant, emergency core coolant system (ECCS) is furnished at reactor coolant system (RCS) in order to cool down high temperature water in case of emergency. However, in this coolant system, thermal stratification phenomenon can occur due to coolant leaking in the check valve. The thermal stratification produces excessive thermal stresses at the pipe wall so as to yield thermal fatigue crack (TFC) accident. In the present study, effects of turbulence penetration on the thermal stratification into T-branches with square cross-section in the modeled ECCS are analysed numerically. $textsc{k}$-$\varepsilon$ model is employed to calculate the Reynolds stresses in momentum equations. Results show that the length and strength of thermal stratification are primarily affected by the leak flow rate of coolant and the Reynolds number of the main flow in the duct. Turbulence penetration into the T-branch of ECCS shows two counteracting effects on the thermal stratification. Heat transport by turbulence penetration from the main duct to leaking flow region may enhance thermal stratification while the turbulent diffusion may weaken it.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.257-272
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• 2007

Supercritical water-cooled reactors (SCWRs) are recognized as a Generation IV reactor concept. The Super LWR is a pressure-vessel type thermal spectrum SCWR with downward-flow water rods and is currently under study at the University of Tokyo. This paper reviews Super LWR safety. The fundamental requirement for the Super LWR, which has a once-through coolant cycle, is the core coolant flow rate rather than the coolant inventory. Key safety characteristics of the Super LWR inhere in the design features and have been identified through a series of safety analyses. Although loss-of-flow is the most important abnormality, fuel rod heat-up is mitigated by the "heat sink" and "water source" effects of the water rods. Response of the reactor power against pressurization events is mild due to a small change in the average coolant density and flow stagnation of the once-through coolant cycle. These mild responses against transients and also reactivity feedbacks provide good inherent safety against anticipated-transient-without-scram (ATWS) events without alternative actions. Initiation of an automatic depressurization system provides effective heat removal from the fuel rods. An "in-vessel accumulator" effect of the reactor vessel top dome enhances the fuel rod cooling. This effect enlarges the safety margin for large LOCA.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.9
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• pp.3594-3601
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• 2024

It is difficult to detect a small-scale leakage in a nuclear power plant (NPP) quickly and take appropriate action. Delaying these procedures can have adverse effects on NPPs. In this paper, we propose leak flow rate prediction using the bidirectional gated recurrent unit (Bi-GRU) method to detect leakage quickly and accurately in small-scale leakage situations because large-scale leak rates are known to be predicted accurately. The data were acquired by simulating small loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) or small-scale leakage situations using the modular accident analysis program (MAAP) code. In addition, to improve prediction performance, data were collected by distinguishing the break sizes in more detail. In addition, the prediction accuracy was improved by performing both LOCA diagnosis and leak flow rate prediction in small LOCA situations. The prediction model developed using the Bi-GRU showed a superior prediction performance compared with other artificial intelligence methods. Accordingly, the accurate and effective prediction model for small-scale leakage situations proposed herein is expected to support operators in decision-making and taking actions.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.03a
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• pp.214-219
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• 2004

The HANARO, a multi-purpose research reactor of 30 MWth, open-tank-in-pool type, has been under normal operation since its initial criticality in February, 1995. The HANARO is composed of inlet plenum, grid plate, core channel with flow tubes and chimney. The reactor core channel is located at about twelve m (12 m) depth of the reactor pool and cold by the upward flow that the coolant enters the lower inlet of the plenum, rises up through the grid plate and the core channel and exit through the outlet of chimney. A guide tube is extended from the reactor core to the top of the reactor chimney for easily un/loading a target under the reactor normal operation. But active coolant through the core can be Quickly raised up to the top of the chimney through the guide tube by jet flow. This paper is described an analytical analysis to study the flow behavior through the guide tube under reactor normal operation and unloading the target. As results, it was conformed through the analysis results that the flow rate, about fourteen kilogram per second (14 kg/s) suppressed the guide tube jet and met the design cooling flow rate in a circular flow tube, and that the fission moly target cooling flow rate met the minimum flow rate to cool the target.

• 한국가시화정보학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.81-84
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• 2002

Dispersion of coolant jets in a film cooling flow field is the result of a highly complex interaction between the film cooling jets and the mainstream. In order to investigate the effect of blowing ratios on the film cooling of turbine blade, cylindrical body model was used. Mainstream Reynolds number based on the cylinder diameter was $7.1\;\times\;10^4$. The free-stream turbulence intensity kept at $5.0\%$ by using turbulence grid. The effect of coolant flow rates was studied for blowing ratios of 0.9, 1.3 and 1.6, respectively. The temperature distribution of the cylindrical model surface is visualized by infrared thermography (IRT). Results show that the film-cooling performance may be significantly improved by controlling the blowing ratio. As blowing ratio increases, the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness is more broadly distributed and the area protected by coolant increases. The mass flow rate of the coolant through the first-row holes is less than that through the second-row holes due to the pressure variation around the cylinder surface.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3086-3091
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• 2007

When a molten corium is relocated in a lower head of a reactor vessel, the ERVC (External Reactor Vessel Cooling) system is actuated as coolant is supplied into a reactor cavity to remove a decay heat from the molten corium during a severe accident. To achieve this severe accident mitigation strategy, the two-phase natural circulation flow in the annular gap between the external reactor vessel and the insulation should be formed sufficiently by designing the coolant inlet/outlet area and gap size adequately on the insulation device. For this reason, one-dimensional natural circulation flow tests were conducted to estimate the natural circulation flow under the ERVC condition of APR1400. The experimental facility is one-dimensional and scaled-down as the half height and 1/238 rectangular channel area of the APR1400 reactor vessel. As the water inlet area increased, the natural circulation mass flow rate asymptotically increased, that is, it converged at a specific value. And the circulation mass flow rate also increased as the outlet area, injected air flow rate, and outlet height increased. But the circulation mass flow rate was not changed along with the external water level variation if the water level was higher than the outlet height.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.3030-3034
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• 2015

It is important to consider powertrain cooling performance, when engine is applied to new vehicle. If the performance is poor, engine will be damaged by overheating. But, the development timing of engine is faster than timing of vehicle, it is difficult to test the cooling performance of new engine and vehicle. In this study the powertain cooling performance was estimated with some test and calculation data. First, the heat rejection test was conducted. From this test, the heat rejection data at required rpm and load was acquired. Second, coolant flow test was conducted. From this test coolant flow rate to radiator was measured. Then engine torque and rpm was calculated from vehicle load and speed. Vehicle load and speed was calculated from test mode. Then by comparing these data, the powertrain cooling performance was estimated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4571-4584
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• 2022

The analysis of rapid flow transients in Reactor Coolant Pumps (RCP) is essential for a reactor safety study. An accurate and precise analysis of the RCP coastdown is necessary for the reactor design. The coastdown of RCP affects the coolant temperature and the colloidal crud in the primary coolant. A realistic and kinetic model has been used to investigate the behavior of activated colloidal crud in the primary coolant and steam generator that solves the pump speed analytically. The analytic solution of the non-dimensional flow rate has been determined by the energy ratio β. The kinetic energy of the coolant fluid and the kinetic energy stored in the rotating parts of a pump are two essential parameters in the form of β. Under normal operation, the pump's speed and moment of inertia are constant. However, in a coastdown situation, kinetic damping in the interval has been implemented. A dynamic model ACCP-SMART has been developed for System Integrated Modular and Advanced Reactor (SMART) to investigate the corrosion due to activated colloidal crud. The Fickian diffusion model has been implemented as the reference corrosion model for the constituent component of the primary loop of the SMART reactor. The activated colloidal crud activity in the primary coolant and steam generator of the SMART reactor has been studied for different equilibrium corrosion rates, linear increase in corrosion rate, and dynamic RCP coastdown situation energy ratio b. The coolant specific activity of SMART reactor equilibrium corrosion (4.0 mg s^-1) has been found 9.63×10^-3 µCi cm^-3, 3.53×10^-3 µC cm^-3, 2.39×10^-2 µC cm^-3, 8.10×10^-3 µC cm^-3, 6.77× 10^-3 µC cm^-3, 4.95×10^-4 µC cm^-3, 1.19×10^-3 µC cm^-3, and 7.87×10^-4 µC cm^-3 for ²⁴Na, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁶Mn, ⁵⁹Fe, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁰Co, ⁹⁹Mo, and ⁵¹Cr which are 14.95%, 5.48%, 37.08%, 12.57%, 10.51%, 0.77%, 18.50%, and 0.12% respectively. For linear and exponential coastdown with a constant corrosion rate, the total coolant and steam generator activity approaches a higher saturation value than the normal values. The coolant and steam generator activity changes considerably with kinetic corrosion rate, equilibrium corrosion, growth of corrosion rate (ΔC/Δt), and RCP coastdown situations. The effect of the RCP coastdown on the specific activity of the steam generators is smeared by linearly rising corrosion rates, equilibrium corrosion, and rapid coasting down of the RCP. However, the time taken to reach the saturation activity is also influenced by the slope of corrosion rate, coastdown situation, equilibrium corrosion rate, and energy ratio β.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.2 no.3 s.4
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• pp.24-29
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• 1999

The ASME strainers have been newly installed at the suction side of each reactor coolant pump to get rid of the foreign materials which may damage the pump impeller or interfere with the coolant path of fuel flow tube or primary plate type heat exchanger. The strainer was designed in accordance with ASME SEC. III, DIV. 1, Class 3 and the structural integrity was verified by seismic analysis. The screen was designed in accordance with the effective void area from the result of flow analysis for T-type strainer. After installation of the strainer, it was confirmed through the field test that the flow characteristics of primary cooling system were not adversely affected. The pressure loss coefficient was calculated by Darcy equation using the pressure difference through each strainer and the flow rate measured during the strainer performance test. And these are useful data to predict flow variations by the pressure difference.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.2847-2858
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• 2021

When a nuclear reactor with rectangular fuel assemblies runs for a long time, impurities and debris may be taken into coolant channels, which may cause flow blockage, and the blocked fuel assemblies might be destroyed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to perform a thermal-hydraulic analysis of a rectangular fuel assembly by STAR-CCM+, under the condition of one subchannel with 80% blockage ratio. A rectangular fuel assembly of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 10 MW material test reactor (MTR) is chosen. In view of the gasket material taken into the coolant channel is close to the single side of the coolant channel, in the flow blockage accident of the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORRR), a new blockage category called single side blockage is attempted. The blockage positions include inlet, middle and outlet, and the blockage is set as a cuboid. It is found by simulations that the blockage redistributes the mass flow rate, and large vortices appear locally. The peak temperature of the cladding is maximum, when the blockage is located at the single side of the coolant channel inlet, and no boiling occurs in all blockage cases. Moreover, as the height of the blockage increases, the damage caused by the blockage increases slightly.