• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4551-4559
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• 2022

The aim of this research is to analyze the characteristics of a core melt discharged from the reactor vessel and the spreading behavior the core melt in the reactor cavity of the SMART. First, a severe accident sequence under conservative conditions is simulated by the MELCOR code to obtain the conditions for an analysis of the spreading behavior and coolability of the ex-vessel melt. Second, the spreading behavior and coolability of the ex-vessel melt are analyzed by the MELTSPREAD code. The level, temperature, and pressure of the water in the cavity as well as the temperature, mass, composition, and discharge velocity of the melt were utilized to construct the ex-vessel analysis. The melt spread only to part of the cavity, and that the height of the corium in a static state was less than 25 cm. The characteristics of a small modular reactor on the spreading behavior and coolability of melt were analyzed. In the SMART, the amount of melt discharged into the cavity is relatively small and the area of the cavity is sufficiently large when compared to a high-power pressurized water reactor. It was found that the coolability of an ex-vessel core melt can be sufficiently secured.

• 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.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.144-155
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• 2023

The core catcher is used as a passive safety system in new generation nuclear power plants to create a space in the containment for the placing and cooling of the molten corium under various severe accidents. This research investigates the role of the core catcher in the VVER-1000 reactor containment system in mitigating the effects of core meltdown under various severe accidents within the context of the Ex-vessel Melt Retention (EVMR) strategy. Hence, a comparison study of three severe accidents is conducted, including Station Black-Out (SBO), SBO combined with the Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident (LB-LOCA), and SBO combined with the Small Break Loss of Coolant Accident (SB-LOCA). Numerical comparative simulations are performed for the aforementioned scenario with and without the EX-vessel core-catcher. The results showed that considering the EX-Vessel core catcher reduces the amount of hydrogen by about 18.2 percent in the case of SBO + LB-LOCA, and hydrogen production decreases by 12.4 percent in the case of SBO + SB-LOCA. Furthermore, in the presence of an EX-Vessel core-catcher, the production of gases such as CO and CO2 for the SBO accident is negligible. It was revealed that the greatest decrease in pressure and temperature of the containment is related to the SBO accident.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

The interaction and mixing of high-temperature melt and water is the important technical issue in the safety assessment of water-cooled reactors to achieve ultimate core coolability. For specific advanced light water reactor (ALWR) designs, deliberate mixing of the core-melt and water is being considered as a mitigative measure, to assure ex-vessel core coolability. The paper provides the background of past experiments as well as key fundamentals that are needed for melt-water interfacial transport phenomena, thus enabling the development of innovative safety technologies for advanced LWRs that will assure ex-vessel core coolability.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.561-574
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• 2009

First ex-vessel core catcher has been applied to the practical design of NPPs with VVER-1000 reactors built in China (Tyanvan) and India (Kudankulam) for severe accident management (SAM) and mitigation of SA consequences. The paper presents the concept and basic design of this crucible-type core catcher as well as an evaluation of its efficiency. The important role of oxidic sacrificial material is discussed. Insight into the behaviour of the molten pool, which forms in the catcher after core relocation from the reactor vessel, is provided. It is shown that heat loads on the water-cooled vessel walls are kept within acceptable limits and that the necessary margins for departure from nucleate boiling (DNB) and of vessel failure caused by thermo-mechanical stress are satisfactorily provided for.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2015

The control element drive mechanism (CEDM) is an electro-mechanical device to control reactivity of the nuclear reactor. The conventional CEDM was installed on a nozzle of the reactor vessel closure head as an ex-vessel type. However, there have been demands for an in-vessel CEDM to fundamentally eliminate the rod ejection accident. Conceptual design of the in-vessel CEDM, which was developed based on the existing technology of the ex-vessel CEDM, is introduced in this paper.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3485-3490
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• 2007

The TEXAS-V code tuned for TROI-13 was used for analyzing the parametric findings in TROI experiments. The calculations on the melt composition are relatively similar to the TROI experimental results. The water depth effect in TEXAS-V code seems to be consistent with TROI experiments in some degree. The water area effect of TEXAS-V calculations seems not to be harmonious to that in TROI experiments. This seems to indicate that TEXAS-V as 1-dimensional code or as the numerical steam explosion has a limitation on estimating area effect. Thus, TEXAS-V tuned for TROI-13 seems to have an ability to estimate the parametric effect of TROI experiments. The evaluated TEXAS-V was used for estimating the ex-vessel steam explosion load. The calculated explosion pressure and load were about 40 MPa and 75 kPa.sec, which are not much threatening level for containment integrity, but are arguable value for the integrity.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2013

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of the ex-vessel core melt (corium) were investigated using a commercial CFD code along with the experimental data on the spreading of corium available in the literature (VULCANO VE-U7 test). In the numerical simulation of the unsteady two-phase flow, the volume-of-fluid model was applied for the spreading and interfacial surface formation of corium with the surrounding air. The effects of the key parameters were evaluated for the corium spreading, including the radiation, decay heat, temperature-dependent viscosity and initial temperature of corium. The results showed a reasonable trend of corium progression influenced by the changes in the radiation, decay heat, temperature-dependent viscosity and initial temperature of corium. The modeling of the viscosity appropriate for corium and the radiative heat transfer was critical, since the front progression and temperature profiles were strongly dependent on the models. Further development is required for the code to consider the formation of crust on the surfaces of corium and the interaction with the substrate.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.622-628
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• 2009

The TEXAS-V code tuned for TROI-13 was used for analyzing the parametric findings in TROI experiments. The calculations on the melt composition are relatively similar to the TROI experimental results. The water depth effect in TEXAS-V code seems to be consistent with TROI experiments in some degree. The water area effect of TEXAS-V calculations seems not to be harmonious to that in TROI experiments. This seems to indicate that TEXAS-V as 1-dimensional code or as the numerical steam explosion has a limitation on estimating area effect. Thus, TEXAS-V tuned for TROI-13 seems to have an ability to estimate the parametric effect of TROI experiments. The evaluated TEXAS-V was used for estimating the ex-vessel steam explosion load. The calculated explosion pressure and load were about 40 MPa and 75 kPa.sec, which are not much threatening level for containment integrity.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2005

To overcome various disadvantages of conventional cul-ture vessels for micropropagation, a novel disposable vessel, the 'Vitron', made of a multi-layered $OTP^{(R)}$ film and supported by a polypropylene frame, was developed. The film possesses superior properties such as: high light transmittance, low water vapor transmittance and thermal stability and in particular, high gas-permeability. Single nodal explants, which were excised from the multiple shoots derived from shoot-tip culture, were cultured in Vitron and polycarbonate vessels on $3\%$ sugar-containing agar on MS medium and placed at 3000 ppm $CO_2$-enrichment at a low photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) ($45{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$). The in vitro and ex vitro growth, and the net photosynthetic rate of in vitro and ex vitro plantlets were significantly enhanced in the Vitron compared to those cultured in a polycarbonate vessel. Explants that were cultured on the same MS medium under low PPFD at various $CO_2$ concentrations were also cultured at 3000 ppm $CO_2$- enrichment at various PPFD: 30, 45, 60, 75 and $90{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$. The best in vitro and ex vitro growth obtained for 3000 ppm $CO_2$-enrichment at $75{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}\;s^{-1}$ PPFD. The novel Vitron vessel, when placed under the two conditions, may replace conventional culture vessels for the successful micropropagation of sweetpotato.