• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.567-577
• /
• 2019

Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution, demand for alternative energy is gradually increasing. Among the various methods, a method to convert biomass into alternative fuel has been proposed. The bio-fuel obtained from biomass through pyrolysis process is called pyrolysis oil (PO) or bio-oil. Because PO is difficult to use directly in conventional engines due to its poor fuel properties, various methods have been proposed to upgrade pyrolysis-oil. The simplest approach is to mix it with conventional fossil fuels. However, due to their different polarity of PO and fossil fuel, direct mixing is impossible. To resolve this problem, emulsification of two fuels with a proper surfactant was proposed, but it costs additional time and cost. Alternatively, the use of alcohol fuels as an organic solvent significantly improve the fuel properties such as fuel stability, calorific value and viscosity. In this study, blends of diesel, n-butanol, and coffee ground pyrolysis oil (CGPO) which is one of the promising PO, was applied to diesel generator. Combustion and emissions characteristics of blended fuels were investigated under the entire load range. Experimental results show that ignition delay is similar to that of diesel at high load. Although, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions are comparable to diesel, significant reduction of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions were observed.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.37-44
• /
• 2022

In this study, two low-swirl nozzles with the same SN (Swirl Number) but different mass ratio (m) of the core part and the swirler part were designed to perform an atmospheric pressure combustion test. For each nozzle, a combustion test was conducted according to the adiabatic flame temperature, and the flame structure, emissions, and combustion instability mode were identified. Although the flame structure was significantly different, the CO emission was similar, and the NOx emission was also more related to combustion dynamics than the flame structure. Combustion dynamics and NOx emission were identified while adjusting the convection delay time by changing the position of the fuel injection nozzle. It was confirmed that when the convection delay time is in the region of (3+4n)/4T±1/4T (n=0,1,2,...), the combustion instability is strong, and in the opposite case, the combustion instability is very weak.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.169-182
• /
• 2014

High-performance research reactors require fuel that operates at high specific power to high fission density, but at relatively low temperatures. Research reactor fuels are designed for efficient heat rejection, and are composed of assemblies of thin-plates clad in aluminum alloy. The development of low-enriched fuels to replace high-enriched fuels for these reactors requires a substantially increased uranium density in the fuel to offset the decrease in enrichment. Very few fuel phases have been identified that have the required combination of very-high uranium density and stable fuel behavior at high burnup. U-Mo alloys represent the best known tradeoff in these properties. Testing of aluminum matrix U-Mo aluminum matrix dispersion fuel revealed a pattern of breakaway swelling behavior at intermediate burnup, related to the formation of a molybdenum stabilized high aluminum intermetallic phase that forms during irradiation. In the case of monolithic fuel, this issue was addressed by eliminating, as much as possible, the interfacial area between U-Mo and aluminum. Based on scoping irradiation test data, a fuel plate system composed of solid U-10Mo fuel meat, a zirconium diffusion barrier, and Al6061 cladding was selected for development. Developmental testing of this fuel system indicates that it meets core criteria for fuel qualification, including stable and predictable swelling behavior, mechanical integrity to high burnup, and geometric stability. In addition, the fuel exhibits robust behavior during power-cooling mismatch events under irradiation at high power.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.552-561
• /
• 2006

The single droplet combustion characteristics of diesel fuel and low quality oil with additive oxygenate and paraffin under high ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure were investigated in the study. The results of the study may are concluded as follows: In the combustion of diesel fuel and low quality oil droplet with additive of oxygenate and paraffin. the dimensionless droplet size of $(D/Do)^2$ was linearly decreased with time. A fuel droplet with low boiling temperature additives and in high boiling temperature base fuel evaporates and burns faster than usual base fuel. Especially. these trends were remarkably obtained by decreasing boiling point and increasing blending contents of additives in case of oxygenated agents rather than n-paraffin agents. This rapid burning may result from so-called 'micro-explosion' and its burning intensity varies with the types of additives. The results above may suggest that rapid evaporation of oxygenate additive in the middle stage of combustion can contribute much to combustion improvement of blended fuels.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.315-322
• /
• 2015

The research carried out on thorium-based fuels indicates that these fuels can be considered as economic alternatives with improved physical properties and proliferation resistance issues. In the current study, neutronic assessment of $UO_2$ in comparison with two $(Th-^{233}U)O_2$, and $(Th-^{235}U)O_2$ thorium-based fuel loads in a heavy water research reactor has been proposed. The obtained computational data showed both thorium-based fuels caused less negative temperature reactivity coefficients for the modeled research reactor in comparison with $UO_2$ fuel loading. By contrast, $^{235}U$-containing thorium-based fuel and $^{235}U$-containing thorium-based fuel loadings in the thermal core did not drastically reduce the effective delayed neutron fractions and delayed neutron fractions compared to $UO_2$ fuel. A provided higher conversion factor and lower transuranic production in the research core fed by the thorium-based fuels make the fuel favorable in achieving higher cycle length and less dangerous and costly nuclear disposals.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.29-35
• /
• 2013

The United States Department of Energy (US DOE) is conducting research and development (R&D) activities under the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) to support storage, transportation, and disposal of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and wastes generated by existing and future nuclear fuel cycles. R&D activities are ongoing at nine national laboratories, and are divided into storage, transportation and disposal. Storage R&D focuses on closing technical gaps related to extended storage of UNF. Transportation R&D focuses on ensuring transportability of UNF following extended storage, and addressing data gaps regarding nuclear fuel integrity, retrievability, and demonstration of subcriticality. Disposal R&D focuses on identifying geologic disposal options and addressing technical challenges for generic disposal concepts in mined repositories in salt, clay/shale, and granitic rocks, and deep borehole disposal. UFDC R&D goals include increasing confidence in the robustness of generic disposal concepts, reducing generic sources of uncertainty that may impact the viability of disposal concepts, and developing science and engineering tools to support the selection, characterization, and licensing of a repository. The US DOE has also initiated activities in the Nuclear Fuel Storage and Transportation (NFST) Planning Project to facilitate the development of an interim storage facility and to support transportation infrastructure in the near term.

• Journal of ILASS-Korea
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.80-86
• /
• 2017

The soot formation characteristics of various alkane-based single fuel droplets were studied in this work. Also, This study was performed to provide the database of the soot behavior and formation of alkane-based single fuel droplet. The experimental conditions were set to 1.0 atm of ambient pressure ($P_{amb}$), 21% of oxygen concentration ($O_2$) and 79% of nitrogen concentration ($N_2$). Combustion and soot formation of single fuel droplet was visualized by visualization system with high speed camera. At the same time, ambient pressure, oxygen concentration and nitrogen concentration were maintained by ambient condition control system. Soot formation characteristics was analyzed and compared on the basis of intensity ratio ($I/I_0$) of background image. The results of toluene fuel droplet showed the largest soot generation. Soot volume fraction ($f_v$) was almost the same under the identical fuel types regardless of various initial droplet diameter ($d_0$) since thermophoretic flux was not much changed under the same ambient conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.11
• /
• pp.4084-4094
• /
• 2022

The Advanced Fuels Campaign Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test (FAST) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) completed its first irradiation cycle within the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). The test focused on the irradiation of alloy fuel forms for use in sodium fast reactors. The first cycle of FAST testing was completed and four rodlets were removed for the initial post irradiation examination (PIE). The rodlet design and irradiation conditions were evaluated using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) for as-run power history and COMSOL for temperature analysis. These rodlets include a set of low burnups (~2.5 % fissions per initial metal atoms [%FIMA]), control rodlets, and a helium-bonded annular rodlet (4.7 %FIMA). Nondestructive PIE has been completed and includes visual inspection, neutron radiography and gamma scanning of the FAST capsules and rodlets. Radiography confirmed the integrity of the experiments, revealed that the annulus in the annular fuel was filled at a modest burnup (4.7 %FIMA), and indicated potential slumping of the cooler rodlets at lower burnup. Precision gamma scanning indicated mostly usual fission product behavior, except for cesium in the He-bonded annular fuel. Future destructive PIE will be necessary to fully interpret the effects of accelerated irradiation on U-Zr metallic fuel behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2012

Iso-octane, n-heptane and their blends were tested in a constant volume combustion chamber to measure laminar flame speeds. The experimental apparatus was automatically controlled to enhance the accuracy and data acquisition speed. A large database of laminar flame speeds at elevated temperatures and pressures was established. From this database, laminar flame speeds of iso-octane, n-heptane and their blends were investigated and analysed to derive new correlation to predict laminar flame speeds at any blending ratio. The new flame speed model was successfully applied to these fuels with limited range of errors.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.529-533
• /
• 2012

In this study, we compare various physicochemical properties of solvent extracted coals obtained at both mild and high temperature conditions. In order to characterize the extraction behavior, experiments were performed using a sub-bituminous coal (Kideco) and a polar solvent (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, NMP), where the extraction temperature and the effect of solvent recycling were evaluated. As the extraction temperature increased up to $350^{\circ}C$, an extraction yield and a calorific value of the extracted coal increased, while an ash content of the extracted coal decreased. FT-IR results revealed that the surface of the coal extracted at $350^{\circ}C$ was found to contain more amide, aromatic ester, and aliphatic ether groups than that at the lower temperatures. The result of MALDI-TOF/MS analysis confirmed that the smaller molecules with 300~500 m/z were extracted at a mild condition, while the bigger molecules in the range of 500~1500 m/z were extracted at the high temperature.