• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.807-816
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• 2012

The Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident has been studied extensively, as part of both post-accident technical assessment and follow-up computer code calculations. The models used in computer codes for severe accidents have improved significantly over the years due to better understanding. It was decided to reanalyze the severe accident scenario using current state of the art codes and methodologies. This reanalysis was adopted as a part of the joint standard problem exercise for the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) - United States Regulatory Commission (USNRC) bilateral safety meet. The accident scenario was divided into four phases for analysis viz., Phase 1 covers from the accident initiation to the shutdown of the last Reactor Coolant Pumps (RCPs) (0 to 100 min), Phase 2 covers initial fuel heat up and core degradation (100 to 174 min), Phase 3 is the period of recovery of the core water level by operating the reactor coolant pump, and the core reheat that followed (174 to 200 min) and Phase 4 covers refilling of the core by high pressure injection (200 to 300 min). The base case analysis was carried out for all four phases. The majority of the predicted parameters are in good agreement with the observed data. However, some parameters have significant deviations compared to the observed data. These discrepancies have arisen from uncertainties in boundary conditions, such as makeup flow, flow during the RCP 2B transient (Phase 3), models used in the code, the adopted nodalisation schemes, etc. In view of this, uncertainty and sensitivity analyses are carried out using simulation based techniques. The paper deals with uncertainty and sensitivity analyses carried out for the first three phases of the accident scenario.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.255-268
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• 2008

The greater demand for electricity and the available capacity within safety margins in some operating NPPs are prompting nuclear utilities to request license modification to enable operation at a higher power level, beyond their original license provisions. Such plant modifications require an in-depth safety analysis to evaluate the possible safety impact. The analysis must consider the thermo hydraulic, radiological and structural aspects, and the plant behavior, while taking into account the capability of the structures, systems and components, and the reactor protection and safeguard systems set points. The purpose of this paper is to introduce international experiences and approaches for implementation of power uprates related to the reactor thermal power of nuclear power plants. The paper is intended to give the reader a general overview of the major processes, work products, issues, challenges, events, and experiences in the power uprates program. The process of increasing the licensed power level of a nuclear power plants is called a power uprate. One way of increasing the thermal output from a reactor is to increase the amount of fissile material in use. It is also possible to increase the core power by increasing the performance of the high power bundles. Safety margins can be maintained by either using fuels with a higher performance, or through the use of improved methods of analysis to demonstrate that the required margins are retained even at the higher power levels. The paper will review all types of power uprates, from small to large, and across various reactor types, including light and heavy water, pressurized, and boiling water reactors. Generally, however, the content of the report focuses on power uprates of the stretch and extended type. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is developing a technical guideline on power uprates and side effects of power uprates in nuclear power plants.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 1979

The relative reaction rates were measured in the TRIGA Mark II reactor core and analyzed to obtain the neutron spectrum parameters; relative neutron temperature T$^{n}$ and epithermal index (equation omitted) Measurements were made with the central thimble and the F2 position containing the light water. The relative neutron temperature was represented by the activation ratio of Lu-Mn, and the epithermal index was measured by Au-Mn foil activation. The multichannel analyzer was used to measure the relative ${\gamma}$-rays of the detector foils. The results were compared with the calculated values.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.590-592
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• 2008

A spacer grid is one of the most important structural components in a LWR nuclear fuel assembly. The primary considerations are to provide a Zircaloy spacer grid with crush strength sufficient to resist design basis loads, without significantly increasing pressure drop across the reactor core. In this study, the dynamic crush strength analysis and test are carried out for the specimens of a spacer grid assembly.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 2004

Radiation hardening is a multiscale phenomenon involving various processes over a wide range of time and length. We present a multiscale model for estimating the amount of radiation hardening in pressure vessel steel in the environment of a light water reactor. The model comprises two main parts: molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and a point defect cluster (PDC) model. The MD simulation was used to investigate the primary damage caused by displacement cascades. The PDC model mathematically formulates interactions between point defects and their clusters, which explains the evolution of microstructures. We then used a dislocation barrier model to calculate the hardening due to the PDCs. The key input for this multiscale model is a neutron spectrum at the inner surface of reactor pressure vessel steel of the Younggwang Nuclear Power Plant No.5. A combined calculation from the MD simulation and the PDC model provides a convenient tool for estimating the amount of radiation hardening.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.383-390
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• 2011

Nuclear power has become an essential part of electricity generation to meet the continuous growth of electricity demand. A Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) was developed to extend uranium resource utilization under a growing nuclear energy scenario while concomitantly providing a nuclear waste management solution. Key questions in this scenario are when to introduce SFRs and how many reactors should be introduced. In this study, a methodology using Linear Programming is employed in order to quantify an optimized growth pattern of a nuclear energy system comprising light water reactors and SFRs. The optimization involves tradeoffs between SFR capital cost premiums and the total system U3O8 price premiums. Optimum nuclear growth patterns for several scenarios are presented, as well as sensitivity analyses of important input parameters.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.259-270
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• 2010

New generation nuclear reactors are designed using advanced safety analysis methods. A thorough understanding of different interacting physical phenomena is necessary to avoid underestimation and overestimation of consequences of off-normal transients in the reactor safety analysis results. This feature requires a multiphysics reactor simulation model. In this context, a coupled dynamics model based on a multiphysics formulation is developed indigenously for the transient analysis of large pressurized VVER reactors. Major simplifications are employed in the model by making several assumptions based on the physics of individual phenomenon. Space and time grids are optimized to minimize the computational bulk. The capability of the model is demonstrated by solving a series of international (AER) benchmark problems for VVER reactors. The developed model was used to analyze a number of reactivity transients that are likely to occur in VVER reactors.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.824-829
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• 1998

미국의 개량형 원자력 발전소 개념설계단계에서 중대사고시 사고완화를 위한 전략으로 원자로 압력용기 외부냉각 개념이 제안되었다. 중대사고 진행과정에서 노심용융물이 원자로 압력용기 하부헤드로 재배치 되었을 때 압력용기 외벽을 냉각함으로서 노심용융물을 압력용기 내부에 가두어 두어 격납건물 내로의 유출을 방지하는 방식이다. 이 연구에서는 원자로 압력용기 하부헤드 내의 노심용융물 거동중 자연 순환에 의한 거동을 수치적으로 모의하여 보았다. 연구결과, 정상상태의 온도 및 속도분포는 현상학적으로 적절하게 모의되나 고화와 액화의 경우에는 고유모델의 필요성이 요구되었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.862-868
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• 1998

Korean Next Generation Reactor(KNGR) is a standardized evolutionary Advanced Light Water Reactor design under development Korea Power Company(KEPCO). It incorporates design enhncements such as active and passive advanced design features(ADFs) to increase the plant safety. A Preliminary level 1 Probabilistic Safety Assessment(PSA) has been performed for KNGR to examine the effect of these safety features. The preliminary PSA result shows that it meets the KNGR safety goal on core damage frequency(CDF). The result of this safety assessment shows that the four-train safety systems, and the ADFs such as Passive Secondary Cooling System (PSCS) contributes greatly to the reduction the CDF. Furthermore, several design changes are made or proposed for detailed review based on the PSA insights.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.327-362
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• 2005

The design, construction, and operation of a light water reactor (LWR) are subject to compliance with safety criteria specified for accident situations, such as loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) and reactivity-initiated accident (RIA). Because reactor fuel is the primary source of radioactivity and heat generation, such a criterion is established on the basis of the characteristics and performance of fuel under the specific accident condition. As such, fuel behavior under accident situations impact many aspects of fuel design and power generation, and in an indirect manner, even spent fuel storage and management. This paper provides a comprehensive review of: the history of the current LOCA criteria, results of LOCA-related investigations on conventional and new classes of fuel, and status of on-going studies on high-burnup fuel under LOCA situations. The objective of the paper is to provide a better understanding of important issues and an insight helpful to establish new LOCA criteria for modem LWR fuels.