• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.3919-3927
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• 2022

This study presents an optimal design of the coolant system of a non-refueling full-life small reactor by analyzing the space-integrated geometrical and electromagnetic variables of an extra vessel electromagnetic pump (EVEMP) for the circulation of a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) coolant. The EVEMP is an ideal alternative to the thermal-hydraulic system of non-refueling full-life micro reactors as it possesses no internal structures, such as impellors or sealing structures, for the transportation of LBE. Typically, the LBE passes through the annular flow channel of a reactor, is cooled by the heat exchanger, and then circulates back to the EVEMP flow channel. This thermal-hydraulic flow method is similar to natural circulation, which enhances thermal efficiency, while providing a golden time for cooling cores in the event of an emergency. When the forced circulation technology of the EVEMP was applied, the non-refueling full-life micro reactor achieve an output power of 60 MWt, which is higher than that achievable via the natural circulation method (30 MWt). Accordingly, an optimized EVEMP for Micro URANUS with a flow rate of 4196 kg/s and developed pressure of 73 kPa under a working temperature of 250 ℃ was designed.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.256-263
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• 2002

The Boil-Off-Gases(BOG) in the LNG production terminal are continuously generated during the unloading, storage and supply processes by the heat penetration. In order to use these gases as useful fuel, the reliquefaction process should be installed to put the reliquefied BOG in the main LNG supply line before the secondary pump in terminal. The current reliquefaction method of BOG in LNG terminal is the direct contact one between LNG and BOG in the absorption column. But the system has severe disadvantage, which is the 10 times of LNG circulation needed for unit mass of BOG reliquefaction. It causes, therefore, high power consumption of LNG circulation pump and excessive city-gas supply, even if short demand of NG is needed in the summer time. In this paper, the new reliquefaction system of BOG by using LNG cold energy with indirect contact in precooler was suggested and analysed. The result showed new indirect contact method of BOG reliquefaction system between LNG cold energy and BOG is much more effective than the current direct contact one because of only about 1.3 times of LNG circulation needed and higher energy saving by pump power reduction.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.103-112
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• 2017

Application of the supercritical condition in reactor core cooling needs to be properly justified based on the extreme level of parameters involved. Therefore, a numerical study is presented to compare the thermalhydraulic performance of supercritical and single-phase natural circulation loops under low-to-intermediate power levels. Carbon dioxide and water are selected as respective working fluids, operating under an identical set of conditions. Accordingly, a three-dimensional computational model was developed, and solved with an appropriate turbulence model and equations of state. Large asymmetry in velocity and temperature profiles was observed in a single cross section due to local buoyancy effect, which is more prominent for supercritical fluids. Mass flow rate in a supercritical loop increases with power until a maximum is reached, which subsequently corresponds to a rapid deterioration in heat transfer coefficient. That can be identified as the limit of operation for such loops to avoid a high temperature, and therefore, the use of a supercritical loop is suggested only until the appearance of such maxima. Flow-induced heat transfer deterioration can be delayed by increasing system pressure or lowering sink temperature. Bulk temperature level throughout the loop with water as working fluid is higher than supercritical carbon dioxide. This is until the heat transfer deterioration, and hence the use of a single-phase loop is prescribed beyond that limit.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.654-664
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• 2018

Self-pressurization analysis of the natural circulation integral nuclear reactor through a new dynamic model is studied. Unlike conventional pressurized water reactors, this reactor type controls the system pressure using saturated coolant water in the steam dome at the top of the pressure vessel. Self-pressurization model is developed based on conservation of mass, volume, and energy by predicting the condensation that occurs in the steam dome and the flashing inside the chimney using the partial differential equation. A simple but functional model is adopted for the steam generator. The obtained results indicate that the variable measurement is consistent with design data and that this new model is able to predict the dynamics of the reactor in different situations. It is revealed that flashing and condensation power are in direct relation with the stability of the system pressure, without which pressure convergence cannot be established.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.14-20
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• 2015

Without electirc power to cool down the hot reactor core, passive systems utilizing natural circulation are becoming a big specialty of recent neculear systems after the severe accident in Fukusima. When we consider the natural circulation in a pool, thermal mixing phenomena may start from single phase circulation and can continue to two phase condition. Since the CUPID code, which has been developed for two-phase flow analysis, can deal with the phase transition phenomena, the CUPID would be pertinent to natural convection problems in single- and two-phase conditions. Thus, the CUPID should be validated against single- and two-phase natural circulation phenomena. For the first step of the validation process, this study is focused on the validation of single-phase natural circulation. Moreover, the CUPID code solves the fluid properties by the relationship to pressure and temperature from the steam table considering non-condensable gas effects, so that the effects from variable properties are included. Simple square thermal cavity problems are tested for laminar and turbulent conditions against numerical and experimental data. Throughout the investigation, it is found that the variable properties can affect the flow field in laminar condition, but the effect becomes weak in turbulence condition, and the CUPID code implementing steam table is capable of analyzing single phase natural circualtion phenomena.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.312-319
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• 2019

Effect of loop seal geometry on solid circulation characteristics was investigated with two different types of upper loop seals and lower loop seals in a gas-solid fluidized bed system. Upper loop seal which has a wide gap between solid intake and outlet parts requires more fluidization gas to maintain smooth solid circulation. Moreover, the lower loop seal which has a wide gap requires more fluidization gas to achieve the same solid circulation rate. These results can be explained by results of minimum fluidization velocity in the lower loop seals. Consequently, if a loop seal has a wide gap between solid intake and outlet parts, more fluidization gases should be fed to ensure enough solid circulation rate and smooth solid circulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

This study is to compare energy consumption of air-source, ground-source and dual-source heat pump systems during intermediate season using dynamic simulation. Ground-source heat pump has higher COP than that of air-source but requires additional power consumption of auxiliary equipment such as circulation pump. During intermediate season when the outdoor air temperature is favorable, total COP of air-source heat pump may be greater than that of ground-source when circulation pump power consumption is included. Dual-source heat pump which selects the more favorable heat source is compared with air-source only and ground-source only heat pumps for total power consumption. Results show that power consumption of dual-source heat pump is lower than that of ground-source only by 0.73%.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.157-160
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• 2008

Solar receiver in the solar power tower system has a similarity to a boiler of the thermal power plant in many aspects. However Boiler is operated long time without stopping while solar receiver repeats start and stop every day. The objective of this study is to investigate start-up characteristics of solar receiver. The experimental device was constructed in a bench scale. Basic experimental condition of water/steam was set by 25 bar and $223^{\circ}C$. Initially, the heat was added into risers only, then another experiment with input into drum additionally was done. When the heat flux was valid only risers, it took about 300 minutes until the water temperature in drum reached $223^{\circ}C$. Water temperature of drum was increased by $44^{\circ}C$/hr with 91.14 g/s of water circulation. With additional heat input into drum, 200 minutes was required to reach $223^{\circ}C$. In this case temperature was increased $66^{\circ}C$/hr with 96.5 g/s of water circulation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Applied Superconductivity and Cryogenics Conference
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• 2003.02a
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• pp.160-162
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• 2003

Termination cryostat for 22.9kV, 1.26kA-class HTS power cable has been designed. The cryostat consists of vacuum vessel, liquid nitrogen vessel, current lead and HTS power cable. The current lead and the HTS power cable are connected in liquid nitrogen vessel cooled by forced-circulation subcooled liquid nitrogen. The maximum total heat load of this cryostat is expected to be 150w. In this paper, the detailed design of the termination cryostat is mentioned.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1083-1090
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• 1998

A kind of three-way check valve, so called hydraulic calve was proposed for the substitute of the density lock of passive reactor such as SPWR (System-Integrated Pressurized Water Reactor). The function of the valve are the separation of the borated water from main coolant loop for normal operation and the insurge of the water into the loop for shutdown and the removal of the decay power when the main coolant flow rate is not enough. To verify the operability and the characteristics of the valve, experimental works were executed with 1/3 scale model calve. Also a diffuser model was proposed for the theoretical analysis of the valve.