• Title/Summary/Keyword: Fuel elements

Search Result 357, Processing Time 0.023 seconds

Experimental measurement of stiffness coefficient of high-temperature graphite pebble fuel elements in helium at high temperatures

  • Minghao Si;Nan Gui;Yanfei Sun;Xingtuan Yang;Jiyuan Tu;Shengyao Jiang
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.56 no.5
    • /
    • pp.1679-1686
    • /
    • 2024
  • Graphite material plays an important role in nuclear reactors especially the high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) by its outstanding comprehensive nuclear properties. The structural integrity of graphite pebble fuel elements is the first barrier to core safety under any circumstances. The correct knowledge of the stiffness coefficient of the graphite pebble fuel element inside the reactor's core is significant to ensure the valid design and inherent safety. In this research, a vertical extrusion device was set up to measure the stiffness coefficient of the graphite pebble fuel element by the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET) of Tsinghua University in China. The stiffness coefficient equations of graphite pebble fuel elements at different temperatures are given (in a helium atmosphere). The result first provides the data on the high-temperature stiffness coefficient of pebbles in helium gas. The result will be helpful for the engineering safety analysis of pebble-bed nuclear reactors.

The Option Study of Oversea Shipment of DUPIC Fuel Elements to Canada (고방사성 산화물핵연료의 해외수송방안 분석)

  • 이호희;박장진;양명승;서기석
    • Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
    • /
    • 2003.11a
    • /
    • pp.614-620
    • /
    • 2003
  • KAERI has developed DUPIC nuclear fuel with the refabrication of spent PWR fuel discharged from domestic nuclear power plant by a dry process at M6 hot-cell in IMEF To verify the performance of DUPIC nuclear fuel, irradiation test at the operating conditions of commercial power plant is essential. Since the HANARO research reactor of KAERI does not have fuel test loop(FTL) for irradiating nuclear fuel under high temperature and high pressure conditions, DUPIC fuel cannot be irradiated in the FTL of HANARO. In the 13-th PRM among Korea, Canada, USA and IAEA, AECL proposed that KAERI fabricated DUPIC fuel can be irradiated in the FTL of the NRU research reactor without charge of neutrons. The transportation quantity of DUPIC fuel to Canada is 10 elements(about 6kg). This transportation package is classified as the 7-th class according to "recommendation on the transport of dangerous goods" made by the United Nations. In case of air shipment, until now, there is no proper air transportation cask for DUPIC fuel. In case of sea transportation is possible but requires very high cost.high cost.

  • PDF

DETERMINATION OF THE TRANSURANIC ELEMENTS INVENTORY IN HIGH BURNUP PWR SPENT FUEL SAMPLES BY ALPHA SPECTROMETRY

  • Joe, Kih-Soo;Song, Byung-Chul;Kim, Young-Bok;Han, Sun-Ho;Jeon, Young-Shin;Jung, Euo-Chang;Jee, Kwang-Yong
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.39 no.5
    • /
    • pp.673-682
    • /
    • 2007
  • The contents of transuranic elements in high-burnup spent fuel samples were determined. The activity amounts of $^{238}Pu,\;^{239}Pu,\;^{240}Pu,\;^{241}Am,\;^{244}Cm\;and\;^{242}Cm$ were measured by alpha spectrometry using $^{242}Pu\;and\;^{243}Am$ as tracers, respectively. A spike addition method for $^{237}Np$ was established by an alpha and gamma spectrometry using $^{239}Np$ as a spike after the optimum conditions for the measurements of $^{237}Np\;and\;^{239}Np$, respectively, were obtained. A separation system using anion exchange chromatography and diethylhexylphosphoric acid extraction chromatography was applied for the separation of these elements. This method was applied to high-burnup spent nuclear fuel samples $(40{\sim}60GWD/MTU)$. The contents of the transuranic elements were compared with those by ORIGEN-2 code. Measurements and the calculations of the contents of the plutonium isotopes $^{238}Pu,\;^{239}Pu\;and\;^{240}Pu$ agreed to within 10% on average. The contents of $^{237}Np$ agreed to within approximately 5% except for one instance of a calculation, while those of $^{241}Am,\;^{244}Cm\;and\;^{242}Cm$ showed higher values by approximately 19%, 35% and 14% on average, respectively, compared to the calculations according to the burnup.

R&D ACTIVITIES FOR PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION IN KOREA

  • Yoo, Jae-Hyung;Song, Tae-Young
    • Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
    • /
    • 2004.02a
    • /
    • pp.150-164
    • /
    • 2004
  • According to the Korean long-term plan for nuclear technology development, KAERI is conducting a few R&D projects related to the proliferation-resistant back-end fuel cycle. The R&D activities for the back-end fuel cycle are reviewed in this work, especially focusing on the study of the partitioning and transmutation(P&T) of long-lived radionuclides. The P&T study is currently being carried out in order to develop key technologies in the areas of partitioning and transmutation. The partitioning study is based on the development of pyroprocessing such as electrorefining and electrowinning because they can be adopted as proliferation-resistant technologies in the fuel cycle. In this study, various behaviors of the electrodeposition of uranium and rare earth elements in the LiCl-KCl electrorefining system have been examined through fundamental experimental work. As for the transmutation system, KAERI is studying the HYPER (HYbrid Power Extraction Reactor), a kind of subcritical reactor which will be connected with a proton accelerator. Up to now, a conceptual study has been carried out for the major elemental systems of the subcritical reactor such as core, transuranic fuel, long-lived fission product target, and the Pb-Bi cooling system, etc. In order to enhance the transmutation efficiency of the transuranic elements as well as to strengthen the reactor safety, the reactor core was optimized by determining its most suitable subcriticality, the ratio of height/diameter, and by introducing the concepts of optimum core configuration with a transuranic enrichment as well as a scattered reloading of the fuel assemblies.

  • PDF

Optimization of CANFLEX-RU Fuel Bundle for CANDU-6

  • Lee, Y. O.;C. J. Jeong;K. S. Sim;J. S. Jun;Park, G. S.;Kim, B. G.;Park, J. H.;H. C. Suk
    • Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
    • /
    • 1995.10a
    • /
    • pp.35-40
    • /
    • 1995
  • Considering the higher discharge burnup, lower channel refuelling rate, lower linear element rating(LER), lower coolant void reactivity and axial power shape, CANFLEX-RU fuel bundle is optimized for CANDU-6 by grading the fissile composition in the ring-wise of the bundle and by applying fuel management scheme appropriately. The fissile composition of the fuel bundle is graded as the recovered uranium (0.9 w/o U-235) in the outer and intermediate elements, depleted Uranium (0.2 w/o U-235) in the center element, natural uranium (0.71 w/o U-235) in the inner elements. Enrichment is not required for these fuel. The fissile composition is optimized by lattice calculation and by time-averaged reactor simulation. CANFLEX-RU optimized for CANDU-6 resulted to be the 15% lower channel refuelling rate, acceptable axial power profile and power envelope, 70% higher discharge burnup, 15% lower LER and not increase coolant void reactivity compared with the 37-element natural uranium bundle for CANDU-6.

  • PDF

Performance improvement of BOP Components for 1kW Stationary Fuel Cell Systems to Promote Green-Home Dissemination Project (그린홈 보급확대를 위한 건물용 연료전지 보조기기의 성능 향상)

  • Lee, Sunho;Kim, Dongha;Kim, Minseok;Jun, Heekwon
    • 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
    • /
    • 2011.05a
    • /
    • pp.89.1-89.1
    • /
    • 2011
  • According to green growth's policy, green-home dissemination's projects are promoting. Among them, stationary fuel cell systems are receiving attention due to high efficiency and clear energy. But it need absolutely to develop cost down technologies and improve system durability for commercialization of the fuel cell system. To achieve this objectives, in 2009, the Korean Government and "Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning(KETEP)" launched into the strategic development project of BOP technology for practical applications and commercializations of stationary fuel cell systems, named "Technology Development on Cost Reduction of BOP Components for 1kW Stationary Fuel Cell Systems to Promote Green-Home Dissemination Project". This paper introduces a summary of improved BOP performances that has been achieved through the 2nd year development precesses(2010.06~2011.05) base on 1st year development precesses(2009.06~2010.05). The major elements for fuel cell systems are cathode air blowers, burner air blowers, preferential oxidation air blowers, fuel blowers, cooling water pumps, reformer water pumps, heat recovery pumps, mass flow meters, electrical valves, safety valves and a low-voltage inverter. Key targets of those elements are the reduction of cost, power consumption and noise. Invert's key targets are development the low -voltage technologies in order to reduce the number of unit cell in fuel cell system's stack.

  • PDF

Effect of Alloying Elements on the Thermal Creep of Zirconium Alloys

  • Cheol Nam;Kim, Kyeong-Ho;Lee, Myung-Ho;Jeong, Yong-Hwan
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.32 no.4
    • /
    • pp.372-378
    • /
    • 2000
  • The effect of alloying elements on the creep resistance of Zr alloys was investigated using thermal creep tests that were performed as a part of advanced fuel cladding development. The creep tests were conducted at 40$0^{\circ}C$ and 150 MPa for 240 hr. A statistical model was derived from the relationship between the steady-state creep rate and the content of individual alloying elements. The creep strengthening effect decreased in the following sequence : Nb, Sn, Mn, Cr, Mo, Fe and Cu. The high creep resistance of Sn and the opposite effect of Fe on zirconium alloys seem to be associated with their lowering and enhancing, respectively, the self-diffusivity of the zirconium matrix.

  • PDF

Intake Valve Temperature Effect on the Mixture Preparation in a SI Engine During Warm-up

  • 신영기
    • Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
    • /
    • v.5 no.5
    • /
    • pp.51-66
    • /
    • 1997
  • A heat transfer model of the intake valve in a spark ignition engine is presented, which is calibrated with a number of the valve temperature profiles measured during engine warm-up for the gaseous fuel(propane). The valve is divided into four identical elements for which the assumption of lumped thermal mass is applied. The calibration is made so that the difference between the measued and simulated valve temperatures becomes minimal. Then the model is applied to the cases of the liquid fuel(indolene) to estimate the amount of the liquid fuel vaporized from the intake valve by assuming that fuel evaporation accounts for the deficit of the heat balance budget. The results of the model show quantitative contribution of each heat transfer source to the heat balance. The behavior of the calculated mass fraction of the fuel vaporized from the intake valve explains how the liquid fuel evaporate during engine warm-up. The mass fraction at warmed-up condition is closely related with the fraction directly targeted on the valve back by the fuel spray geometry.

  • PDF

Experimental Study of Diluted Engine Oil Characteristics by Diesel Fuel (경유가 혼입된 엔진오일의 특성에 관한 실험적 연구)

  • Kim Han Goo;Park Tae Sik;Kim Chung Kyun
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
    • /
    • 2004.11a
    • /
    • pp.233-236
    • /
    • 2004
  • An experimental study was conducted to evaluate characteristic variation of diluted engine oil by diesel fuel and its effects on engine components. Especially, engine oil was made to have $15\%$ fuel content. To predict existing diesel fuel content in engine oil after test was used the viscosity calibration curve. About $54\%$ percent of diesel fuel in diluted engine oil was distillated by various paths related to reciprocating motion of piston and the rest diesel fuel plays an important role for decreasing engine oil viscosity. Test results show that lowered engine ell viscosity by diesel fuel dilution become a reason of increasing engine elements wear, Therefore, this caused the quantity of blow-by gas to increase and main gallery pressure to decrease.

  • PDF

A Study on Pilots' Behavior on Decision of Maneuvering Aircraft for Fuel Efficient Flight Operation

  • Yoo, Kwang Eui;Jeon, Seung Joon
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
    • /
    • v.27 no.4
    • /
    • pp.96-104
    • /
    • 2019
  • The response to climate change of international air transport industry might be initiated by ICAO's CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) which will impact on international airlines' flight operation behavior in the future. Though the airlines' efforts to reduce fuel consumption has been a major issue in economics of aviation industry, the improvement of fuel efficiency in flight operation will have additional impact on their profitability by introducing carbon emission cost. The fuel consumption in flight operation will be somewhat influenced by pilots' technical action for maneuvering aircraft during flight operation. This study will investigate pilots' behavior on decision for tactical aircraft control for mission flight. The data will be collected by the survey through sample pilots asking about their intention and perception on fuel savings during flight operations. The data will be analyzed by AHP process and the study will find out the elements and factors influencing pilots' behavior on technical decision of flight and their weights on fuel saving effects.