• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.3879-3891
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• 2021

A heat pipe residual heat removal system is proposed to be incorporated into the reactor driven subcritical (RDS) facility, which has been proposed by MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory for testing and demonstrating the Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR). It aims to reduce the risk of the system operation after the shutdown of the facility. One of the main components of the system is an air-cooled heat pipe heat exchanger. The alkali-metal high-temperature heat pipe was designed to meet the operation temperature and residual heat removal requirement of the facility. The heat pipe model developed in the previous work was adopted to simulate the designed heat pipe and assess the heat transport capability. 3D numerical simulation of the subcritical facility active zone was performed by the commercial CFD software STAR CCM + to investigate the operation characteristics of this proposed system. The thermal resistance network of the heat pipe was built and incorporated into the CFD model. The nominal condition, partial loss of air flow accident and partial heat pipe failure accident were simulated and analyzed. The results show that the residual heat removal system can provide sufficient cooling of the subcritical facility with a remarkable safety margin. The heat pipe can work under the recommended operation temperature range and the heat flux is below all thermal limits. The facility peak temperature is also lower than the safety limits.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.508-519
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• 2020

During transients or accidents, the reactor core is uncovered, and droplets entrained above the quench front collides with the uncovered fuel rod surface. Droplet impact cooling can reduce the peak cladding temperature. Besides zirconium-based cladding, versatile accidental tolerant fuel (ATF) claddings, including FeCrAl, have been proposed to increase the accident coping time. In order to investigate the effect of surface properties on droplet impact cooling of cladding surfaces, the droplet impact phenomena are photographed on the FeCrAl and zircaloy-4 (Zr-4) surfaces under different conditions. On the oxidized FeCrAl surface, the Leidenfrost phenomenon is not observed even when the surface temperature is as high as 550 ℃ with We > 30. Comparison of the impact behaviors observed on different materials shows that nucleate and transition boiling is more intensive on surfaces with larger thermal conductivity. The Leidenfrost point temperature (LPT) decreases with the solid thermal effusivity (${\sqrt{k{\rho}C_p}}$). However, the CHF temperature is relatively insensitive to the surface oxidation and Weber number. Droplet spreading diameter is analyzed quantitatively in the film boiling stage. Based on the energy balance a correlation is proposed for droplet maximum spreading factor. A mechanistic model is also developed for the LPT based on homogeneous nucleation theory.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.448-456
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• 2016

Severe accident scenarios in nuclear reactors, such as nuclear meltdown, reveal that an extremely hot molten core may fall into the nuclear reactor cavity and seriously affect the safety of the nuclear containment vessel due to the chain reaction caused by the reaction between the molten core and concrete. This paper reports on research focused on the type and amount of vapor produced during the reaction between a high-temperature molten core and concrete, as well as on the erosion rate of concrete and the heat transfer characteristics at its vicinity. This study identifies themass fraction and melting temperature as the most influential properties of concrete necessary for a safety analysis conducted in relation to the thermal interaction between the molten core and the basemat concrete. The types of concrete that are actually used in nuclear reactor cavities were investigated. The $H_2O$ content in concrete required for the computation of the relative amount of gases generated by the chemical reaction of the vapor, the quantity of $CO_2$ necessary for computing the cooling speed of the molten core, and the melting temperature of concrete are evaluated experimentally for the molten core-concrete interaction analysis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2016

In severe loss of coolant accidents (LOCA), similar to those experienced at Fukushima Daiichi and Three Mile Island Unit 1, the zirconiumalloy fuel claddingmaterials are rapidlyheateddue to nuclear decay heating and rapid exothermic oxidation of zirconium with steam. This heating causes the cladding to rapidly react with steam, lose strength, burst or collapse, and generate large quantities of hydrogen gas. Although maintaining core cooling remains the highest priority in accident management, an accident tolerant fuel (ATF) design may extend coping and recovery time for operators to restore emergency power, and cooling, and achieve safe shutdown. An ATF is required to possess high resistance to steam oxidation to reduce hydrogen generation and sufficient mechanical strength to maintain fuel rod integrity and core coolability. The initiative undertaken by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is to demonstrate the feasibility of developing an ATF cladding with capability to maintain its integrity in $1,200-1,500^{\circ}C$ steam for at least 24 hours. This ATF cladding utilizes thin-walled Mo-alloys coated with oxidation-resistant surface layers. The basic design consists of a thin-walled Mo alloy structural tube with a metallurgically bonded, oxidation-resistant outer layer. Two options are being investigated: a commercially available iron, chromium, and aluminum alloy with excellent high temperature oxidation resistance, and a Zr alloy with demonstratedcorrosionresistance.Asthese composite claddings will incorporate either no Zr, or thin Zr outer layers, hydrogen generation under severe LOCA conditions will be greatly reduced. Key technical challenges and uncertainties specific to Moalloy fuel cladding include: economic core design, industrial scale fabricability, radiation embrittlement, and corrosion and oxidation resistance during normal operation, transients, and severe accidents. Progress in each aspect has been made and key results are discussed in this document. In addition to assisting plants in meeting Light Water Reactor (LWR) challenges, accident-tolerant Mo-based cladding technologies are expected to be applicable for use in high-temperature helium and molten salt reactor designs, as well as nonnuclear high temperature applications.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.479-486
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• 2002

In this study, the progressive inelastic deformation, so called, thermal ratchet phenomenon which can occur in high temperature structures of liquid metal reactor was simulated with thermal ratchet structural test facility and 316L stainless steel test cylinder. The thermal ratchet deformation at the reactor baffle cylinder of the liquid metal reactor can occur due to the moving temperature distribution along the axial direction as the sodium free surface moves up and down under the cyclic heat-up and cool-down transients. The ratchet deformation was measured with the laser displacement sensor and LVDTs after cooling the structural specimen which is heated up to 55$0^{\circ}C$ with steep temperature gradients along the axial direction. The temperature distribution of the test cylinder along the axial direction was measured with 28 channels of thermocouples and was used for the ratchet analysis. The thermal ratchet deformation was analyzed with the constitutive equation of nonlinear combined hardening model which was implemented as ABAQUS user subroutine and the analysis results were compared with those of the test. Thermal ratchet load was applied 9 times and the residual displacement after 9 cycles of thermal load was measured to be 1.79mm. The ratcheting deformation shapes obtained by the analysis with the combined hardening model were in reasonable agreement with those of the structural tests.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.410-423
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• 2000

A two-dimensional numerical model is developed and applied to the LAVA-EXV tests performed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to investigate the external cooling effect on the thermal margin to failure of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during a severe accident. The computational program was written to predict the temperature profile of a two-dimensional spherical vessel segment accounting for the conjugate heat transfer mechanisms of conduction through the debris and the vessel, natural convection within the molten debris pool, and the possible ablation of the vessel wall in contact with the high temperature melt. Results of the sensitivity analysis and comparison with the LAVA-EXV test data indicated that the developed computational tool carries a high potential for simulating the thermal behavior of the RPV during a core melt relocation accident. It is concluded that the main factors affecting the RPV failure are the natural convection within the debris pool and the ablation of the metal vessel, The simplistic natural convection model adopted in the computational program partly made up for the absence of the mechanistic momentum consideration in this study. Uncertainties in the prediction will be reduced when the natural convection and ablation phenomena are more rigorously dealt with in the code, and if more accurate initial and time-dependent conditions are supplied from the test in terms of material composition and its associated thermophysical properties.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.467-475
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• 2018

The lifetime of the electrode is one of the most important factors on the stability of the electrode. Since the lifetime of the DSA (Dimensionally stable anode) electrode is long, an accelerated lifetime test is required to reduce the test time. Beacuse there is no basis or standard method for accelerated lifetime testing, many researchers use different methods. Therefore, there is a need for basis and methods for accelerated lifetime testing that other researchers can follow. We designed a reactor system for accelerated lifetime testing and planned specific methods. Reactor system was circulating batch reactor. Reactor volume and cooling water tank were 12.5 L and 100 L, respectively. Electrode size was $2cm{\times}3cm$ (real electrolysis area, $5cm^2$). In order to maintain the harsh conditions, accelerated lifetime test was carried out in a high current density ($0.6A/cm^2$) and low electrolyte concentration (NaCl, 0.068 mol/L). Maintaining a constant temperature was an important operation parameter for exact accelerated lifetime test. As the accelerated lifetime test progressed, the active component of electrode surface was consumed and desorption occurred. At the point of 5 V rise, corrosion of the surface of the base material(titanium) also started.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.418-424
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• 2002

Korean Fusion Reactor(KSTAR) system consists of a vacuum vessel, in-vessel components, cryostat, thermal shield, super-conducting magnets and magnet supporting structures. These systems are in the final stage of engineering design with the involvement of industrial manufacturers. The overall configuration and the detailed dimensions of the KSTAR structure have been determined and the first stage of manufacturing is progressing now. In this study, the fabrication and assembly sequence were evaluated in viewpoint of high strengthening joints and very high accuracy. Especially for this purpose, the special cleaning process and welding process were proposed for high strengthening austenitic stainless steel which shall be used at cryogenic temperature. The draft procedure qualification data for welding process are presented with precise welding data including special narrow groove design. For the cooling line attachment on the surface of inside wall of magnet structure case, Induction brazing technology is introduced with some special jigging system and some consumables.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.99-108
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• 2006

SNU-RCCS is a water pool type RCCS (Reactor Cavity Cooling System) developed for VHTR (Very High Temperature Reactor) application by SNU (Seoul National University). Since radiation heat transfer is the major process of passive heat removal in a RCCS, it is important to determine the precise emissivity of the reactor vessel. Review studies have used a constant emissivity in the passive heat removal analysis, even though the emissivity depends on many factors such as temperature, surface roughness, oxidation level, wavelength, direction, atmosphere conditions, etc. Therefore, information on the emissivity of a given material in a real RCCS is essential in order to properly analyze the radiation heat transfer in a VHTR. The objectives of this study are to develop a method for compensation of the factors affecting the emissivity measurement using an infrared thermometer and to estimate the true emissivity from the measured emissivity via the developed method, especially in the SNU-RCCS environment. From this viewpoint, we investigated factors such as the attenuation effect of the window, filling gas, and the effect of background radiation on the emissivity measurements. The emissivity of the vessel surface of the SNU-RCCS facility was then measured using a sight tube. The background radiation was subsequently removed from the measured emissivity by solving a simultaneous equation. Finally, the calculated emissivity was compared with the measured emissivity in a separate emissivity measurement device, yielding good agreement with the emissivity increase with vessel temperature in a range of 0.82 to 0.88.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.94-98
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• 2006

The next generation nuclear power reactor will use Pb-Bi as the cooling material. The steel structure materials such as HT-9 used in the reactor suffer from corrosion when they are exposed to high temperature Pb-Bi. Therefore corrosion should be prevented to use Pb-Bi as the coolant material without any safety problem. One method is to control the oxygen content in Pb-Bi. An appropriate amount of oxygen in Pb-Bi can produce a thin oxide layer on steel, and this layer protects the steel from corrosion attack. Since the required oxygen content in Pb-Bi is in the range of $10^{-5}$ to $10^{-7}$ wt%, this small oxygen content can be controlled by flowing a mixture of hydrogen gas and water vapor. The stagnant corrosion test of HT-9 samples was performed by controlling the oxygen content up to 2,000 hours. The corrosion behavior of HT-9 was analyzed at the temperatures of $500^{\circ}C$ and $650^{\circ}C$ with a reduced condition and a oxygen content of $10^{-6}$ wt%.