• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1201-1208
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• 2002

A numerical flow-field analysis is performed to investigate flow configurations in the anode, cathode and cooling channels on the bipolar plates of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Continuous open-faced flow channels are formed on the bipolar plate surface to supply hydrogen, air and water. In this analysis, two types of channel pattern are considered: serpentine and spiral. The averaged pressure distribution and velocity profiles of the hydrogen, air and water channels are calculated by two-dimensional flow-field analysis. The equations for the conservation of mass and momentum in the two-dimensional fluid flow analysis are slightly modified to include the characteristics of the PEMFC. The analysis results indicate that the serpentine flow-fields are locally unstable (because two channels are cross at right angles). The spiral flow-fields has more stable than the serpentine, due to rotational fluid-flow inertia forces. From this study, the spiral channel pattern is suggested for a channel pattern of the bipolar plate of the PEMFC to obtain better performance.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.468-481
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• 2002

There are 4 CANDU6 type reactors operating at Wolsong site. For fuelling operation of certain fuel channels (with flow less than 21.5 kg/s) a FARE flow Assist Ram Extension) device is used. During the refuelling operation, two remote controlled F/Ms (Fuelling Machines) are attached to a designated fuel channel and carry out refuelling job. The upstream F/M inserts new fuel bundles into the fuel channel while the downstream F/M discharges spent fuel bundles. In order to assist fuelling operation of channels that has lower coolant How rate, the FARE device is used instead of F/M C-ram to push the fuel bundle string. The FARE device is essentially a How restricting element that produces enough drag force to push the fuel bundle string toward downstream F/M. Channels that require the use of FARE device for refuelling are located along the outside perimeter of reactor. This paper presents the FARE device design feature, steady state hydraulic and operational characteristics and behavior of the device when coupled with fuel bundle string during fuelling operation. The study showed that the steady state performance of FARE device meets the design objective that was confirmed by downstream F/M C-ram force to be positive.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.9-14
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• 2008

The effects of baffles in PEM fuel cell with parallel flow channel has been simulated by using conmmercial program. The simulation has been conducted through the channel and there are four different heights of baffles, No Baffle($H_b$=0), Partially Blocked Baffle(0.25, 0.5, 0.75), Fully Blocked Baffle(1) conditions. The result shows that current density changes while placing a baffle at the various positions along the channel. Current density with a single baffle is higher than that without baffle and current density using Fully Blocked Baffle(FBB) is much higher than current density using Partially Blocked Baffle(PBB). When the baffle is closer to outlet of the channel, current density increases. It is found that pressure is related to current density. If the pressure is higher, the better performance will be expected.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.386-392
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• 2014

The effective water management in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the key strategies for improving cell performance and durability. In this work, an ex situ measurement was carried out to understand the water droplet behavior on the surface of gas diffusion layer (GDL) as a fundamental study for establishing novel water management. For that purpose, simplified cell including one rib and two flow channels was designed and fabricated. Using this ex situ device, the water droplet emergence through the GDL of the PEMFC was emulated to understand liquid water transport through the porous diffusion medium. Through the visualization experiment, the emergence and growth of water droplets at the channel/GDL interface are mainly observed with the surface characteristics of GDL (SGL 10BA, 24BA) and rib when the liquid water passes through the GDL and is expelled to the flow channel. It is expected that the results obtained from this study can contribute to the better understanding on the water droplet behavior (emergence and removal) in the flow channels of PEMFC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.374-379
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• 1997

The thermal margin of CANDU-6 reactor is estimated by the CCP, which is dependent on fuel channel hydraulics and the CHF of fuel bundle. This paper intents to describe the characteristics of CCP behavior for the CANDU-6 channel in which CANFLEX-NU fuel bundles are assumed to be loaded. Also, it includes the thermal margin evaluation of the CANDU-6 channel loaded with a mixed CANFLEX-NU and 37-element fuel bundles as a simulation of the partial loading of CANFLEX-NU fuel bundle in the CANDU-6 reactor. For the mixed fuel channels, the effects of axial flux distribution(AFD) on CCP were investigated by using the AFD tilted in the downstream. The CCP of CANFLEX-NU fuel bundle was found to be improved by the CHF enhancement, despite of the slight flow decrease, in case of both full and partial loading, compared with those of a standard 37-element fuel bundle.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.527-534
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• 2009

Flame stabilization characteristics were experimentally investigated in a fuel-air cross flowing mixing layer. A combustor consists of a narrow channel of air steam and a cross flowing fuel. Depending on the flow rates of methane and air, flame can be stabilized in two modes. First is an attached flame which is formulated at the backward step where the methane and air streams meet. Second is a lifted-flame which is formulated within the mixing layer far down steam from backward step. The heights and flame widths of the lifted flames were measured. Flame shapes of the lifted flames were similar to an ordinary edge flame or a tribrachial flame, and their behavior could be explained with the theories of an edge flame. With the increase of the mixing time between fuel and air, the fuel concentration gradient decreases and the flame propagation velocity increases. Thus the flame is stabilized where the flow velocity is matched to the flame propagation velocity in spite of a significant disturbance in the fuel mixing and heat loss within the channel. This study provides many experimental results for a higher fuel concentration gradient, and it can also be helpful for the development and application of a smaller combustor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.233-237
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• 2007

Recent experimental data shows that an irregular fuel surface pops up during the combustion test. This may contribute to the agitated boundary layer due to blowing effect of fuel vaporization. Blowing effect can be of significance in determining the combustion characteristics of solid fuel within the oxidizer flow. LES was implemented to investigate the flow behavior on the fuel surface and turbulence evolution due to blowing effect. Simple channel geometry was used for the investigation instead of circular grain configuration without chemical reactions. This may elucidate the main mechanism responsible for the formation of irregular isolated spots during the combustion in terms of turbulence generation. The interaction of turbulent flow with blowing mass flus causes to breakup turbulent coherent structures and to form the small scale isolated eddies near the fuel surface. This mechanism attributes to the formation of irregular isolated sopt on the fuel surface.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.6 no.2 s.19
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• pp.29-33
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• 2003

The periphery pump (or regenerative pump) has been generally applied in the automotive fuel pump due to their low specific speed (high heads and small flow rate) with stable performance curves. In this study, the performance prediction of side channel type periphery pumps has been developed. The prediction of the circulatory flow rate is based on the consideration of the centrifugal force field in the side-channel and in the impeller vane grooves. For the determination of performance curve (head-flow rate), momentum exchange theory is used. The effects of various geometric parameters and loss coefficients used in the performance prediction method on the head and efficiency are discussed, and the results were compared with experimental data.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.581-584
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• 2002

The periphery pump(or regenerative pump) has been generally applied in the automotive fuel pump due to their low specific speed(high heads and small flow rate) with stable performance curves. In this study, the performance prediction of side channel type periphery pumps has been developed. The prediction of the circulatory flow rate is based on the consideration of the centrifugal force field in the side-channel and in the impeller vane grooves. For the determination of performance curve(head-flow rate), momentum exchange theory is used. The effects of various geometric parameters and loss coefficients used in the performance prediction method on the head and efficiency are discussed and the results were compared with experimental data.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.834-839
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• 2009

A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is performed to investigate flow characteristics in the anode channels and manifold of the internal reforming type molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC). Considering the computational difficulties associated with the size and geometric complexity of the MCFC system, the polyhedral meshes that can reduce mesh connectivity problems at the intersection of the channel and the manifold are adopted and chemical reactions inside the MCFC system are not included. Through this study, the gas flow rate uniformity of the anode channels is mainly analyzed to provide basic insights into improved design parameters for anode flow channel design. Results indicate that the uniformity in flow-rate is in the range of ${\pm}$1% between the anode channels. Also, the mal-distributed inlet flow-rate conditions and the change in the size of the manifold depth have no significant effect on the flow-rate uniformity of the anode channels.