• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1499-1506
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• 2011

The IHX (intermediate heat exchanger) is a key component of nuclear hydrogen systems for the production of massive amounts hydrogen. The IHX transfers the $950^{\circ}C$ heat generated by the VHTR (very high temperature reactor) to a hydrogen production plant. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute established a small-scale gas loop to test the performance of key VHTR components and manufactured a small-scale PCHE (printed circuit heat exchanger) prototype, which is being considered as a candidate for the IHX, for testing in the small-scale gas loop. In this study, as a part of the high-temperature structural integrity evaluation of the small-scale PCHE prototype, we carried out high-temperature structural analysis modeling and macroscopic thermal and structural analysis for the small-scale PCHE prototype under the small-scale gas loop test conditions. This analysis serves as a precedent study to scheduled PCHE performance test in the small-scale gas loop. The results obtained in this study will be compared with the test results for the small-scale PCHE and then used to design the medium-scale PCHE prototype.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05b
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• pp.135-140
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• 1996

액체금속로 계통의 중간열교환기 (IHX) 설계 및 해석을 위한 방법론을 개발하기 위한 일차적인 작업으로 일반적인 관-통형 열교환기의 통측 압력 손실에 대한 연구를 수행하여 통측의 유동 특성을 조사하고 이러한 특성을 바탕으로 압력 손실 분석모형 전산 코트 ASTEEPL 을 개발하여 측정자료와 비교한 결과 그 분석결과가 잘 일치하였으며 개발된 분석 모형을 이용하여 관-통형 열교환기 설계 인자와 압력 손실 및 교환기내의 유량간의 관계를 분석 하였다.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.102-112
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• 2013

A very high-temperature gas reactor (VHTR) is one of the next generation nuclear reactors owing to its safety, high energy efficiency, and proliferation-resistance. Heat is transferred from the primary helium loop to the secondary helium loop through an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX). Under VHTR environment Alloy 617 is being considered a candidate Ni-based superalloy for the IHX of a VHTR, owing to its good creep resistance, phase stability and corrosion resistance at high temperature. In this study, high-temperature corrosion tests were carried out at 850 - $950^{\circ}C$ in air and impure helium environments. Alloy 617 specimens showed a parabolic oxidation behavior for all temperatures and environments. The activation energy for oxidation was 154 kJ/mol in helium environment, and 261 kJ/mol in an air environment. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results revealed that there were a Cr-rich surface oxide layer, Al-rich internal oxides and depletion of grain boundary carbide after corrosion test. The thickness and depths of degraded layers also showed a parabolic relationship with the time. A corrosion rate of $950^{\circ}C$ in impure helium was higher than that in an air environment, caused by difference in the outer oxide morphology.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.178-185
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• 2014

Alloy 617 is considered as a candidate Ni-based superalloy for the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) of a very high-temperature gas reactor (VHTR) because of its good creep strength and corrosion resistance at high temperatures. Helium is used as a coolant in a VHTR owing to its high thermal conductivity, inertness, and low neutron absorption. However, helium inevitably includes impurities that create an imbalance in the surface reactivity at the interface of the coolant and the exposed materials. As the Alloy 617 has been exposed to high temperatures at $950^{\circ}C$ in the impure helium environment of a VHTR, the degradation of material is accelerated and mechanical properties decreased. The high-temperature strength, creep, and corrosion properties of the structural material for an IHX are highly important to maintain the integrity in a harsh environment for a 60 year period. Therefore, an alloy superior to alloy 617 should be developed. In this study, the mechanical and high-temperature corrosion properties for Ni-Cr alloys fabricated in the laboratory were evaluated as a function of the grain boundary strengthening and alloying elements. The ductility increased and decreased by increasing the amount of Mo and Cr, respectively. Surface oxide was detached during the corrosion test, when Al was not added to alloy. However the alloy with Al showed improved oxide adhesive property without significant degradation and mechanical property. Aluminum seems to act as an anti-corrosive role in the Ni-based alloy.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.665-671
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• 2013

In a Korean Generation IV prototype sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), various types of high-temperature heat exchangers such as IHX (intermediate heat exchanger), DHX (decay heat exchanger), AHX (air heat exchanger), FHX (finned-tube sodium-to-air heat exchanger), and SG (steam generator) are to be designed and installed. In this study, the high-temperature design and integrity evaluation of the sodium-to-air heat exchanger AHX in the STELLA-1 (sodium integral effect test loop for safety simulation and assessment) test loop already installed at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) and FHX in the SEFLA (sodium thermal-hydraulic experiment loop for finned-tube sodium-to-air heat exchanger) test loop to be installed at KAERI have been performed. Evaluations of creep-fatigue damage based on full 3D finite element analyses were conducted for the two heat exchangers according to the high-temperature design codes, and the integrity of the high-temperature design of the two heat exchangers was confirmed.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.85-92
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• 2016

Since the power density of the VHTR(Very High Temperature Reactor) is lower, there is less possibility of core melt. VHTR has no risk of explosion caused by hydrogen generation when the loss of coolant accident occurs, which is another advantage. Along with safety benefit, it can be used as a process heat supplier near demand facilities because coolant temperature is very high enough to be used for industrial purpose. In this paper, we designed the primary system using VHTR and the secondary system providing electricity and process heat. Based on that 350 MW thermal reactor proposed by NGNP(Next Generation Nuclear Part), we developed conceptual model that the IHX(Intermediate Heat Exchanger) loop transports 300 MW thermal energy to the secondary system. In addition, we analyzed thermodynamic behavior and performed the efficiency analysis and optimization study depending on major parameters.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.193-198
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• 2017

Alloy 617 is one of the primary candidate materials to be used in a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) system as an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX). To investigate the low cycle fatigue behavior of Alloy 617 weldments at a high temperature of $850^{\circ}C$, fully reversed strain-controlled fatigue tests were conducted with the total strain values ranging from 0.6~1.5％. The weldment specimens were machined using the weld pads fabricated with a single V-grove configuration by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. The fatigue life is reduced as the total strain range increases. For all testing conditions, the cyclic stress response behavior of the Alloy 617 weldments exhibited the initial cyclic strain hardening phenomenon during the initial small number of cycles. Furthermore, the overall fatigue cracking and the propagation or cracks showed a transgranular failure mode.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2012.11a
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• pp.35-50
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• 2012

$900^{\circ}C$이상 초고온 He-gas 분위기 또는 용융불화염 (molten salts, FLINAK) 환경에서 사용될 VHTR(Very High Temperature Reactor)의 IHX(Intermediate heat exchanger)용 열수송 구조재료로 가장 가능성이 높은 합금인 Inconel 617 및 Hastelloy X 상에 습식화학적, 물리적기상합성법(Vacuum arc-plasma과 RF magnetron sputtering) 및 pack cementation에 의한 표면개질 및 마이크로 초내열(refractory ceramics) 코팅층(TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, $Al_2O_3$, $TiO_2$)을 형성시켰다. 고온 장기사용 시 문제가 될 수 있는 고온에서의 조직변화, 미세구조와 상(phase)형성, 고온 부식 및 그에 따른 마모(wear resistance) 손상 등 이들 소재의 내열, 내식 및 내마모 물성을 개선하는 연구를 수행하였다. TiAlN 박막의 경우 공기분위기에서 N이 분해되나 치밀한 산화물($TiO_2/Al_2O_3$ layer)을 형성하여 내식성 있는 보호피막을 형성함으로 기판과의 열팽창 계수로 인한 박리가 발생하지 않아 보호피막으로 적합하였다. Pack cementation법에 의한 aluminiding(Al-Ni합금)도 He 및 공기분위기에서 고온물성의 저하를 가져오는 $Cr_2O_3$의 생성을 충분히 억제하고 있었으며 He 및 air 분위기에서 사용이 가능한 박막으로 여겨진다. 내열 및 내식성에 대한 실험을 종합한 결과, 공기분위기에서 사용할 수 없는 박막은 He-gas 및 FLINAK(LiF-NaF-KF) 용융염 분위기에서도 사용할 수 없었으며, He-gas, FLINAK 및 air 분위기에서 모두 사용이 가능한 박막으로는 Inconel 617에서는 $(TiO_2-)Al_2O_3$, TiAlN 및 Al-Ni이었고 Hastelloy에서는 Al-Ni 및 $Al_2O_3$가 가장 적당하였다.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1093-1099
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• 2010

For Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTR), the designs of the Intermediate Heat Transport Loop (IHTL) and the Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) are particularly difficult because of the high-temperature operation (up to $950^{\circ}C$). In this study, Flinak molten salt, a eutectic mixture of LiF, NaF, and KF (46.5:11.5:42.0 mole %) is considered as the heat transporting fluid in the IHTL. To evaluate the flow and heat transfer performance of the Flinak molten salt in small channels with hydraulic diameters in the millimeter range, a double-pipe heat exchanger was constructed using small-diameter tubes for the heat exchange between the Flinak and the gas flow. The experimental data showed that, for laminar Flinak flow, the measured friction factors were close to the 64/Re curve and the Nusselt numbers were generally between 3.66 and 4.36.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 2013

Internal heat exchanger (IHX) apparatus using the temperature difference between high and low pressure lines in vehicle air conditioning system is a good method to enhance the cooling performance. In this study, we designed various double-pipe internal heat exchangers which have inner fins between the internal pipe and external pipe. We also measured the performance characteristic (pressure drop, cooling capacity, compressor work and coefficient of performance (COP)) of the modified internal heat exchangers that had the change of the fin height and the inside shape of the internal pipe. This experimental results indicated that the liner and serration type internal heat exchanger was the best cooling performance. In addition, the air conditioning system with the liner and serration type internal heat exchanger showed the improved performances of about 6.4% and 9.2%, respectively, for the cooling capacity and COP.