• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 1994

Experimental studies hate been peformed to investigate vapor explosion phenomena which may threaten the containment integrity during severe accidents in nuclear power plants. In this study, experimental equipment is constructed for vapor explosion experiments, and the vapor explosion experiments were conducted using water/R22. During the experiments, water/R22 interaction phenomena were observed using the high speed camera, and the explosion pressure and released mechanical energy were measured with pressure transducer and pressure relief tube. And the effects of some important parameters-hot liquid temperature, hot liquid injection velocity, hot liquid injection velocity, hot liquid injection time, and cold liquid depth-were investigated on the vapor explosion. Also, the experiment with grid was conducted to study reactor -vessel-lower-structure effect on fuel/coolant interaction. Water/R22 explosion conversion ratios were measured between 0.5∼1.6%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.218-227
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• 2016

Background: Steam explosions may occur in nuclear power plants by molten fuel-coolant interactions when the external reactor vessel cooling strategy fails. Since this phenomenon can threaten structural barriers as well as major components, extensive integrity assessment research is necessary to ensure their safety. Method: In this study, the influence of yield criteria was investigated to predict the failure of a reactor cavity under a typical postulated condition through detailed parametric finite element analyses. Further analyses using a geometrically simplified equivalent model with homogeneous concrete properties were also performed to examine its effectiveness as an alternative to the detailed reinforcement concrete model. Results: By comparing finite element analysis results such as cracking, crushing, stresses, and displacements, the Willam-Warnke model was derived for practical use, and failure criteria applicable to the reactor cavity under the severe accident condition were discussed. Conclusion: It was proved that the reactor cavity sustained its intended function as a barrier to avoid release of radioactive materials, irrespective of the different yield criteria that were adopted. In addition, from a conservative viewpoint, it seems possible to employ the simplified equivalent model to determine the damage extent and weakest points during the preliminary evaluation stage.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.72-86
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• 2016

A steam explosion may occur during a severe accident, when the molten core comes into contact with water. The pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor ex-vessel steam explosion study, which was carried out with the multicomponent three-dimensional Eulerian fuel-coolant interaction code under the conditions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Steam Explosion Resolution for Nuclear Applications project reactor exercise, is presented and discussed. In reactor calculations, the largest uncertainties in the prediction of the steam explosion strength are expected to be caused by the large uncertainties related to the jet breakup. To obtain some insight into these uncertainties, premixing simulations were performed with both available jet breakup models, i.e., the global and the local models. The simulations revealed that weaker explosions are predicted by the local model, compared to the global model, due to the predicted smaller melt droplet size, resulting in increased melt solidification and increased void buildup, both reducing the explosion strength. Despite the lower active melt mass predicted for the pressurized water reactor case, pressure loads at the cavity walls are typically higher than that for the boiling water reactor case. This is because of the significantly larger boiling water reactor cavity, where the explosion pressure wave originating from the premixture in the center of the cavity has already been significantly weakened on reaching the distant cavity wall.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2016

For a long time, a top priority in the nuclear industry was the safe, reliable, and economic operation of light water reactors. However, the development of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) became a hot topic in the nuclear research field after the March 2011 events at Fukushima, Japan. In Korea, innovative concepts of ATF have been developing to increase fuel safety and reliability during normal operations, operational transients, and also accident events. The microcell $UO_2$ and high-density composite pellet concepts are being developed as ATF pellets. A microcell $UO_2$ pellet is envisaged to have the enhanced retention capabilities of highly radioactive and corrosive fission products. High-density pellets are expected to be used in combination with the particular ATF cladding concepts. Two concepts-surface-modified Zr-based alloy and SiC composite material-are being developed as ATF cladding, as these innovative concepts can effectively suppress hydrogen explosions and the release of radionuclides into the environment.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.14-22
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• 2014

Hydrocarbon fires and explosions in petrochemical plants have occurred repeatedly every year. But domestic law of fire protection system is insufficient for the worst case scenario. In this study, we analyzed domestic and foreign standards of fire protection system in petrochemical plants and surveyed firefighting equipment of 32 petrochemical plants in ulsan petrochemical complex. Finally, it is necessary to design fire water supply based on the worst case scenario in petrochemical plants and firefighting equipment such as fixed water spray system, elevated monitor nozzle, water curtain, large amount foam monitor system should be installed for the worst case scenario in petrochemical plants.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.54.1-54.1
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• 2011

Formation of self-gravitating gas clouds and hence stars in galaxies is a consequence of both thermal and dynamical evolution of a gaseous medium. Using hydrodynamics simulations including cooling and heating explicitly, we follow simultaneously thermal and dynamical evolution of galactic gas disks to study dynamics and structures of galactic spiral shocks with thermal instability and regulation of the star formation rates (SFRs). We first perform one-dimensional simulations in direction perpendicular to spiral arms. The multiphase gas flows across the arm soon achieve a quasi-steady state characterized by transitions from warm to cold phases at the shock and from cold to warm phases in the postshock expansion zone, producing a substantial fraction of intermediate-temperature gas. Next, we allow a vertical degree of freedom to model vertically stratified disks. The shock front experiences unsteady flapping motions, driving a significant amount of random gas motions, and self-gravity promotes formation of bound clouds inside spiral arms. Finally, we include the star formation feedback in both mechanical (due to supernova explosion) and radiative (due to FUV heating by young stars) forms in the absence of spiral arms. At saturation, gravitationally bound clouds form via thermal and gravitational instabilities, which are compensated by disruption via supernova explosions. We find that the FUV heating regulates the SFRs when gas surface density is low, confirming the prediction of the thermal and dynamical equilibrium model of Ostriker et al. (2010) for star formation regulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 1989

Molten salt-water explosion caused by the contact between molten salt and water is one of vapour explosions. An experimental study of the vapour explosion, which occurs when the molten mixture of Na$_2$CO$_3$-NaOH and water come in contact was performed. The pressure wave generated in each composition Of molten mixtures was measured. The results obtained are as follows： 1) The vapour explosion didn't occur for a molten salt of 100%-Na$_2$CO$_3$- 2) For a molten salt of Na$_2$CO$_3$ 80％-NaOH 20% mixture, a small vapour explosion occured initially, and a large vapour explosion, which showed the largest pressure wave among the present experiments, occurred after an induced period. 3) For molten salt of Na$_2$CO$_3$60％ - NaOH 40％ mixture and Na$_2$CO$_3$ 40％ - NaOH 60％ mixture, the vapour explosion occurred near the water surface shortly after they come in contact with water. This explosion would be caused by fragmentation of the molten salts due to impulse generated when thee molten salts and water come in contact.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.156-161
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• 2016

An accident of an ammonia tank pipeline at a storage plant resulted in one death and three injuries in 2014. Many accidents including toxic gas releases and explosions occur in the freezing and refrigerating systems using ammonia. Especially, the consequence can be substantial due to that the large amount of ammonia is usually being used in the refrigeration systems. In this study, offsite consequence analysis has been investigated when ammonia leaks outdoors from large storages. Both flammable and toxic effects are under consideration to calculate the affected area using simulation programs for consequence analysis. ERPG-2 concentration (150 ppm) has been selected to calculate the evacuation distance out of various release scenarios for their dispersions in day or night. For offsite residential, the impact area by flammability is much smaller than that by toxicity. The methodology consists of two steps as followings; 1. Calculation for discharge rates of accidental release scenarios. 2. Dispersion simulation using the discharge rate for different conditions. This proactive prediction for accidental releases of ammonia would help emergency teams act as quick as they can.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.184-190
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• 2014

Decommissioning process of nuclear facilities consist of a sequence of problem solving activities, because there may exist not only working environments contaminated by radiological exposure but also industrial hazards such as fire, explosions, toxic materials, and electrical and physical hazards. Therefore, not a few countries in the world have been trying to develop appropriate counter techniques in order to guarantee safety and efficiency of the process. In spite of that, there still exists neither domestic nor international standard. Unfortunately, however, there are few workers who experienced decommissioning operations a lot in the past. As a solution, it is quite necessary to utilize experts' opinions for risk assessment in decommissioning process. As for an individual hazard factor, risk assessment techniques are getting known to industrial workers with advance of safety technology, but the way how to integrate those results is not yet. This paper aimed to find out an appropriate technique to integrate individual risk assessment results from the viewpoint of experts. Thus, on one hand the whole risk assessment activity for decommissioning operations was modeled as a sequence of individual risk assessment steps which can be classified into two activities, decontamination and dismantling, and on the other, a risk assessment structure was introduced. The whole model was inferred with Fuzzy theory and techniques, and a numerical example was appended for comprehension.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.824-829
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• 2012

Zn wires have been electrically exploded in methanol or distilled water using the pulsed power technologies. The nanopowders produced by the explosions have been observed by using SEM and TEM, and analyzed its phase by using EDS and XRD. The nanopowders produced in distilled water showed ZnO phase only. On the other hands, the nanopowder produced in methanol showed mixed phases with Zn and ZnO. The HR-TEM images of the nanopowders produced in methanol showed that the some particles have been coated with carbon like materials. It is considered that the carbon coatings could be depended on the positions of the particles during the plasma state formed by explosion.