• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.269-274
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• 2011

A CFD analysis was performed to examine the inner channel blockage of dual-cooled fuel which has being developed for the power uprate of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). The dual-cooled fuel consists of an annular fuel pellet($UO_2$) and dual claddings as well as internal and external cooling channels. The dual-cooled annular fuel is different from a conventional solid 려el by employing an internal cooling channel for each fuel pellet as well as an external cooling channel. One of the key issues is the hypothetical event of inner channel blockage because the inner channel is an isolated flow channel without the coolant mixing between the neighboring flow channels. The inner channel blockage could cause the Departure from Nucleate Boiling (DNB) in the inner channel that eventually causes a fuel failure. This paper presents the CFD simulation of the flow through the side holes of the bottom end plug for the complete entrance blockage of the inner channel. Since the amount of coolant supply to the inner channel depends on largely the pressure loss at the side hole, the pressure loss coefficient of the side hole was estimated by the CFD analysis. The CFD prediction of the loss coefficient showed a reasonable agreement with an experimental data for the complete blockage of both the inner channel entrance and the outer channel. The CFD predictions also showed the decrease of the loss coefficient as the outer channel blockage increases.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.431-437
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• 2003

Metalization yield of uranium oxide to uranium metal from lithium reduction process of spent pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuels was measured using thermogravimetric analyzer. A reduced metal produced in the process was divided into a solid and a powder part, and each metalization yield was measured. Metalization yield of the solid part was 90.7~95.9 wt%, and the powder being 77.8~71.5 wt% individually. Oxidation behaviour of the quartemary alloy was investigated to take data on the thermal oxidation stability necessary for the study on dry storage of the reduced metal. At $600{\sim}700^{\circ}C$, weight increments of alloy of Mo, Ru, Rh and Pd was 0.40~0.55 wt%. Phase change on the surface of the alloy was started at $750^{\circ}C$. In particular, Mo was rapidly oxidized and then the alloy lost 0.76~25.22 wt% in weight.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.3516-3525
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• 2022

The high capture cross-section (𝜎_c) of Gadolinium (Gd-155 and Gd-157) causes reactivity penalty and swing at the initial stage of fuel burnup in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). The present study is concerned with the feasibility of the combination of mixed burnable poison with both low and high 𝜎_c as an approach to minimize these effects. Two considered reference designs are fuel assemblies with 24 IBA rods of Gd₂O₃ and Er₂O₃ respectively. Models comprise nuclear fuel with a homogeneous mixture of Er₂O₃, AmO₂, SmO₂, and HfO₂ with Gd₂O₃ as well as the coating of PaO₂ and ZrB₂ on the Gd₂O₃ pellet's outer surface. The infinite multiplication factor was determined and reactivity was calculated considering 3% neutron leakage rate. All models except Er₂O₃ and SmO₂ showed expected results namely higher values of these parameters than the reference design of Gd₂O₃ at the early burnup period. The highest value was found for the model of PaO₂ and Gd₂O₃ followed by ZrB₂ and HfO₂. The cycle burnup, discharge burnup, and cycle length for three batch refueling were calculated using Linear Reactivity Model (LRM). The pin power distribution, energy-dependent neutron flux and Fuel Temperature Coefficient (FTC) were also studied. An optimization of model 1 was carried out to investigate effects of different isotopic compositions of Gd₂O₃ and absorber coating thickness.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2756-2766
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• 2024

Small rod-controlled pressurized water reactors (PWR) are the ideal energy source for vessel propulsion, benefiting from their high reactivity control efficiency. Since the control rods (CRs) increase the complexity of reactivity control, this paper seeks to study the performance of CRs in small rod-controlled PWRs to extend the lifetime and reduce power offset due to CRs. This study investigates CR grouping, move-in/out strategies, and axially non-uniform design effects on core neutron physics metrics. These metrics include axial offset (AO), core lifetime (CL), fuel utilization (FU), and radial power peaking factor (R-PPF). To simulate the movement of the CRs, a "Critical-CR-burnup" function was developed in OpenMC. In CR designs, the CRs are grouped into three banks to study the simultaneous and prioritized move-in/out strategies. The results show CL extension from 590 effective full power days (EFPDs) to 638-698 EFPDs. A lower-worth prioritized strategy minimizes AO and the extremum values decrease from -0.69 and + 0.81 to -0.28 and + 0.51. Although an axially non-uniform CR design can improve AO at the beginning of cycle (BOC), considering the overall CR worth change is crucial, as a significant decrease can adversely impact axial power distribution during the middle of cycle (MOC).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.183-199
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• 1991

Transient response of temperature distributions in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) pressurizer vessel wall for the Inadvertent Auxiliary Spray transient has been analyzed with conservatism accounted for the resulting thermal stresses in the regions of the vessel wall which are wetted by the spray water droplets. In order to determine the forced convective heat transfer coefficient at the inner boundary surface of vessel wall where the droplets impinge on and flow down, the transient temperatures of spray droplets when they reach the inner surface of the vessel wall after travelling from the spray nozzle through the pressurizer interior space occupied with the saturated steam-noncondensable hydrogen gas mixture have been predicted. The transient temperature distributions in the vessel wall have been obtained by using the finite element method, and the typical results have been provided. It has been shown that the results of thermal analysis are consistent with representation of the input transient and have plausible physical meaning.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05a
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• pp.15-20
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• 1997

We present the results HELIOS verification against VENUS PWR critical experiments loaded with high plutonium content mixed oxides fuels. The effective multiplication factors are calculated to be slightly supercritical within an acceptable error bound. In the prediction of power shape, HELIOS results are in close agreement with the measured values. The RMS errors of re-normalized calculated fission rate distribution are less than 1.4 % with either explicit or implicit models or micro tubes/rods in each fuel assembly for both ALL-MOX and GD-MOX mock-up cores.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 2006

This paper presents a review of small-to-medium-sized, pressurized-water-cooled nuclear power reactors whose major primary coolant systems are integrated into a reactor pressure vessel, the concepts categorized as Integrated Primary System Nuclear Reactors (IPSRs). Typical examples of these proposals of interest in this review are CAREM, SMART, IRIS and IMR, all of which are being aimed at the near term deployment. Emphasis is placed on thermal hydraulic aspects. A brief characterization of the IPSR concepts is made and comparisons of plant key parameters are shown. Discussions will follow for the core cooling under rated power conditions and natural circulation heat removal on the basis of the design data available in the public domain.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.106-111
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• 2001

This paper presents the numerical methodology of ATHOS3 code for thermal hydraulic analysis of Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) steam generators. Topics include porous media approach, governing equations, physical models and correlations for solid-to-fluid interaction and heat transfer, and numerical solution scheme. The ATHOS3 code is applied to the thermal hydraulic analysis of steam generator in the Korea Kori Unit-1 nuclear power plant and the computed results are presented.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1995.11a
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• pp.172-174
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• 1995

About a half of Electric power is generated by nuclear power plants in korea. So, the stable operation of nuclear power plant is very important for suppling the essential national electric power. A S/G(Steam Generator) level control is the most difficult system in PWR(Pressurized Water Reactor) nuclear power plant. Because of the non-linear and the non-nominal response of S/G level control, it Is very difficult to control the level by automatic mode or manual mode. The goal of this study is to establish and verify a advanced control algorithm by analyzing, modelling, stability calculation, controller parameter calculation, simulation for S/G level control system.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 1991

Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) pressure vessels are made of forged low alloy steel plates internally clad with an austenitic stainless steel by welding to improve anti-corrosion properties. They display a characteristic behavior of dissimilar metal weld interface during post weld heat treatment (PWHT) and service at high temperature and pressure. In this Study, Metallugical structure of weld interface of SA 508 Class 3 forged steel clad with 309L, Austenitic stainless steel after PWHT was investigated. To estimate the width of the carburized/decarburized bands quantitatively, a model for carbon diffusion was proposed and a theoretical equation was derived.