• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.771-779
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• 2008

An effective way of increasing the strength and fracture toughness of reactor pressure vessel steels is to change the material specification from that of Mn-Mo-Ni low alloy steel(SA508 Gr.3) to Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steel(SA508 Gr.4N). In this study, we evaluate the effects of alloying elements on the microstructural characteristics of Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steel. The changes in the stable phase of the SA508 Gr.4N low alloy steel with alloying elements were evaluated by means of a thermodynamic calculation conducted with the software ThermoCalc. The changes were then compared with the observed microstructural results. The calculation of Ni-Mo-Cr low alloy steels confirms that the ferrite formation temperature decreases as the Ni content increases because of the austenite stabilization effect. Consequently, in the microscopic observation, the lath martensitic structure becomes finer as the Ni content increases. However, Ni does not affect the carbide phases such as $M_{23}C_6 $ and $M_7C_3$. When the Cr content decreases, the carbide phases become unstable and carbide coarsening can be observed. With an increase in the Mo content, the $M_2C$ phase becomes stable instead of the $M_7C_3$ phase. This behavior is also observed in TEM. From the calculation results and the observation results of the microstructure, the thermodynamic calculation can be used to predict the precipitation behavior.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2017

This study investigated deformation behavior of major nuclear structural materials under cyclic loading conditions via cyclic stress-strain test. The cyclic stress-strain tests were conducted on SA312 TP316 stainless steel and SA508 Gr.3 Cl.1 low-alloy steel, which are used as materials for primary piping and reactor pressure vessel nozzle respectively, under cyclic load with constant strain amplitude and constant load amplitude at room temperature (RT) and $316^{\circ}C$. From the results of tests, the cyclic hardening and softening behavior, stabilized cyclic stress-strain behavior, and ratcheting behavior of both materials were investigated at both RT and $316^{\circ}C$. In addition, appropriate considerations for cyclic deformation behavior in the structural integrity evaluation of major nuclear components under excessive seismic condition were discussed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.257-264
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• 1994

Experimental studies hate been peformed to investigate vapor explosion phenomena which may threaten the containment integrity during severe accidents in nuclear power plants. In this study, experimental equipment is constructed for vapor explosion experiments, and the vapor explosion experiments were conducted using water/R22. During the experiments, water/R22 interaction phenomena were observed using the high speed camera, and the explosion pressure and released mechanical energy were measured with pressure transducer and pressure relief tube. And the effects of some important parameters-hot liquid temperature, hot liquid injection velocity, hot liquid injection velocity, hot liquid injection time, and cold liquid depth-were investigated on the vapor explosion. Also, the experiment with grid was conducted to study reactor -vessel-lower-structure effect on fuel/coolant interaction. Water/R22 explosion conversion ratios were measured between 0.5∼1.6%.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.178-186
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• 2020

Background: Reactor pressure vessel (RV) with internals (RVI) are activated structures by neutron irradiation and volume contaminated wastes. Thus, to develop safe and optimized disposal plan for them at a disposal site, it is important to perform exact activation calculation and evaluate the dose rate on the surface of casks which contain cut-off pieces. Materials and Methods: RV and RVI are subjected to neutron activation calculation via Monte Carlo methodology with MCNP6 and ORIGEN-S program-neutron flux, isotopic specific activity, and gamma spectrum calculation on each component of RV and RVI, and dose rate evaluation with MCNP6. Results and Discussion: Through neutron activation analysis, dose rate is evaluated for the casks containing cut-off pieces produced from decommissioned RV and RVI. For RV cut-off ones, the highest value of dose rate on the surface of cask is 6.97 × 10-1 mSv/hr and 2 m from it is 3.03 × 10-2 mSv/hr. For RVI cut-off ones, on the surface of it is 0.166 × 10-1 mSv/hr and 2 m from it is 1.04 × 10-1 mSv/hr. Dose rates for various RV and RVI cut-off pieces distributed lower than the limit except the one of 2 m from the cask surface of RVI. It needs to adjust contents in cask which carries highly radioactive components in order to decrease thickness of cask. Conclusion: Two types of casks are considered in this paper: box type for very-low-level waste (VLLW) as well as low-level waste (LLW) and cylinder type for intermediate-level waste (ILW). The results will contribute to the development of optimal loading plans for RV and RVI cut-off pieces during the decommissioning of nuclear power plant that can be used to prepare radioactive waste disposal plans for the different types of wastes-ILW, LLW, and VLLW.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2017

The standard master curve (MC) approach has the major limitation because it is only applicable to homogeneous datasets. In nature, materials are macroscopically inhomogeneous and involve scatter of fracture toughness data due to various deterministic material inhomogeneity and random inhomogeneity. RPV(reactor pressure vessel) steel has different fracture toughness with varying distance from the inner surface of the wall due to cooling rate in manufacturing process; deterministic inhomogeneity. On the other hand, reference temperature, $T_0$, used in the evaluation of fracture toughness is acting as a random parameter in the evaluation of welding region; random inhomogeneity. In the present paper, four regions, the surface, 1/8T, 1/4T and 1/2T, were considered for fracture toughness specimens of KSNP (Korean Standard Nuclear Plant) SA508 Gr. 3 steel to investigate deterministic material inhomogeneity and random inhomogeneity. Fracture toughness tests were carried out for four regions and three test temperatures in the transition region. Fracture toughness evaluation was performed using the bimodal master curve (BMC) approach which is applicable to the inhomogeneous material. The results of the bimodal master curve analyses were compared with that of conventional master curve analyses. As a result, the bimodal master approach considering inhomogeneous materials provides better description of scatter in fracture toughness data than conventional master curve analysis. However, the difference in the $T_0$ determined by two master curve approaches was insignificant.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1651-1664
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• 2023

It is very difficult to capture the multi-dimensional phenomena such as asymmetric flow and temperature distributions with the one-dimensional (1D) model, obviously, due to its inherent limitation. In order to overcome such a limitation of the 1D representation, many state-of-the-art system codes have equipped a three-dimensional (3D) component for multi-dimensional analysis capability. In this study, a standard multi-dimensional analysis model of APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400) has been developed using TRACE (TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine). The entire reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of APR1400 has been modeled using a single 3D component. The fuels in the reactor core have been described with detailed and coarse representations, respectively, to figure out the impact of the fuel description. Using both 3D RPV models, a comparative analysis has been performed postulating a double-ended guillotine break at a cold leg. Based on the results of comparative analysis, it is revealed that both models show no significant difference in general plant behavior and the model with coarse fuel model could be used for faster transient analysis without reactor kinetics coupling. The analysis indicates that the asymmetric temperature and flow distributions are captured during the transient, and such nonuniform distributions contribute to asymmetric quenching behaviors during blowdown and reflood phases. Such asymmetries are directly connected to the figure of merits in the LBLOCA analysis. Therefore, it is recommended to employ a multi-dimensional RPV model with a detailed fuel description for a realistic safety analysis with the consideration of the spatial configuration of the reactor core.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.765-774
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• 2009

For over 30 years, investigations of the thermohydraulic behavior of pressurized-water reactors under accident conditions have been carried out in the PKL test facility at AREVA NP in Erlangen, Germany. The PKL facility models the entire primary side and significant parts of the secondary side of a of pressurized water reactor at a height scale of 1:1. Volumes, power ratings and mass flows are scaled with a ratio of 1:145. The experimental facility consists of four primary loops with circulation pumps and steam generators (SGs) arranged symmetrically around the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The investigations carried out encompass a very broad spectrum from accident scenario simulations with large, medium, and small breaks, over the investigation of shutdown procedures after a wide variety of accidents, to the systematic investigation of complex thermohydraulic phenomena. The PKL tests began in the mid 1970s with the support of the German Research Ministry. Since the mid 1980s, the project has also been significantly supported by the German PWR operators. Since 2001, 25 partner organizations from 15 countries have taken part in the PKL investigations with the support and mediation of the OECD/ NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency). After an overview of PKL history and a short description of the facility, this paper focuses on the investigations carried out since the beginning of the international cooperation, and shows, by means of some examples, what insights can be derived from the tests.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.2803-2811
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• 2020

With the aging of nuclear reactors, embrittlement of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel, as a consequence of routine operations, is highly probable. To ensure operational integrity and safety, prediction and mitigation of compromising damage, brought on by pressurized thermal shock (PTS) following an emergency procedure, is of utmost importance. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes can be employed to predict these events and have therefore been an acceptable method for such assessments. In this paper, CFD simulations of a density driven ECC state in the ROCOM facility are analyzed. Obtained numerical results are validated with the experimental measurements. Considerable attention is attributed to the boundary conditions and their influence, specifically outlet definitions, in order to determine and adequately replicate the non-active pumps in the facility. Consequent analyses focused on initial conditions as well as on the temporal discretization and inner iterations. Disparities due to different turbulent modelling approaches are investigated for standard RANS models. Based on observed trends for different cases, a definitive simulation setup has been established, results of which have been ultimately compared to the measurements.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.21-26
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• 2014

EU-APR1400, the Korean nuclear reactor design for European market adopts a so-called core catcher for ex-vessel molten corium retention and cooling as a severe-accident mitigation system. Sacrificial material, which controls melt properties and modifies melt conditions favorable for corium cooling and retention, is usually employed to protect core catcher body from molten corium. Since molten corium can be ejected through a breach of a reactor pressure vessel and impinged on the sacrificial material with enhanced heat transfer at a severe accident, it is very important to predict ablation rate of sacrificial material due to corium jet impingement accurately for core catcher design. In this paper, sacrificial-material ablation model based on boundary layer theory is suggested and compared with the experimental results by KAERI.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.308-314
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• 2021

Neutron dose level at bottom head of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) was calculated using reactor vessel neutron transport for a Korean nuclear power plant A. At 34 EFPY with a 40-year (2042) design life after plating repair, irradiation fast neutron effect was 6.6x10¹⁵ n/cm². As helium(He) gas can be generated by Ni only at 1/10⁶ level of 5 × 10²¹ n/cm², He generation possibility in the Ni plating layer is very little during 40 years of operation (2042, 34 EFPY). Thermal neutrons can significantly affect the generation of He from Ni metal. At 10 years after a repair, He can be generated at a level of about 0.06 appm, a level that can add general welding repair without any consideration. After 40 years of repair, 9.8 appm of He may be generated. Although this is a rather high value, it is within the range of 0.1 to 10 appm when welding repair can be applied. Clad repair by Ni electroplating technology is expected to greatly improve the operation efficiency by improving the safety and shortening the maintenance period of the nuclear power plant.