• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제39권1호
• /
• pp.63-74
• /
• 2007

In this paper, a reconfigurable controller consisting of a normal controller and a standby controller is designed to control the thermoelectric (TE) power in the SP-100 space reactor. The normal controller uses a model predictive control (MPC) method where the future TE power is predicted by using support vector regression. A genetic algorithm that can effectively accomplish multiple objectives is used to optimize the normal controller. The performance of the normal controller depends on the capability of predicting the future TE power. Therefore, if the prediction performance is degraded, the proportional-integral (PI) controller of the standby controller begins to work instead of the normal controller. Performance deterioration is detected by a sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). A lumped parameter simulation model of the SP-100 nuclear space reactor is used to verify the proposed reconfigurable controller. The results of numerical simulations to assess the performance of the proposed controller show that the TE generator power level controlled by the proposed reconfigurable controller could track the target power level effectively, satisfying all control constraints. Furthermore, the normal controller is automatically switched to the standby controller when the performance of the normal controller degrades.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제55권10호
• /
• pp.3549-3558
• /
• 2023

The jet pump can be used in a test device of a nuclear reactor for high flow amplification as it reduces inlet flow requirement and thereby size of the process components. In the present work, a miniature jet pump was designed to meet high flow amplification greater than 3. Subsequently, experiments were carried out using a test setup for design validation and performance evaluation of the jet pump for different parameters. It was observed that a minimum pressure of 0.6 bar (g) was required for the secondary fluid inside the jet pump to ensure cavitation free performance at high amplification. Spacing between the nozzle tip and the mixing chamber entry point had significant effect on the performance of the jet pump. Variation in primary flow, temperature and area ratio also affected the performance. It was observed that at high flow amplification, the analytical solution differed significantly from experimental results due to very large velocities encountered in the miniature size jet pump.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
• /
• 제30권9호
• /
• pp.858-865
• /
• 2006

SMART Pilot is a multipurpose small capacity integral type reactor. Main coolant pump (MCP) of SMART Pilot is a canned-motor-type axial pump to circulate the primary coolant between nuclear fuel and steam generator in the primary system. The reactor is designed to operate under condition of $310^{\circ}C$ and 14.7MPa. Thus MCP has to be tested under same operating condition as reactor design condition to verify its performance and safety. In present wort a test apparatus to simulate real operating situations of the reactor has been designed and constructed to test MCP. And then functional tests, performance tests, and endurance tests have been carried out upon a prototype MCP. Canned motor characteristics, homologous head/torque curves, coast-down curves, NPSH curves and lift-time performance variations were obtained from the qualification test as well as hydraulic performance characteristics of MCP.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제33권4호
• /
• pp.365-374
• /
• 2001

In order to examine the in-reactor performance of very-high-density dispersion fuels for high flux performance research reactors, U-l0wt.%Mo microplates containing centrifugally atomized powder were irradiated at low temperature. The U-l0wt.%Mo dispersion fuels show stable in- reactor irradiation behaviors even at high burn-up, similar to U$_3$Si$_2$ dispersion fuels. The atomized U-l0wt.%Mo fuel particles have a fine and a relatively uniform fission gas bubble size distribution. Moreover, only one of third of the area of the atomized fuel cross-sections at 70a1.% burn-up shows fission gas bubble-free zones, This appears to be the result of segregation into high Mo and low Mo.

• 한국가스학회지
• /
• 제20권6호
• /
• pp.95-101
• /
• 2016

본 연구에서는 다양한 수소 생산 방법 중 하나인 천연가스 수증기 개질반응(natural gas steam reforming reaction)에 대해 일반적인 충전층반응기와 반응기와 수소분리기가 결합된 새로운 형태의 분리막 반응기에서의 성능에 대한 비교분석을 수행하였다. Xu 와 Froment에 의해 기존에 발표된 실험결과를 바탕으로 상업용 화학공정모사기인 Aspen $HYSYS^{(R)}$ 모델이 개발되었으며, 반응온도, $H_2$ 투과량, Ar 유량 등이 분리막 반응기에서의 반응물의 전환율 및 $H_2$ 수율 향상도에 미치는 영향에 대해 분석한 결과 분리막 반응기에서 보다 많은 양의 수소수율 및 메탄전환율이 확인되었다. 더 나아가, 전체 시스템에서 필요로 하는 열량을 공급하기 위해 요구되는 천연가스의 양에 초점을 맞춰 분리막 반응기에서의 원가절감 가능성을 평가한 결과, 분리막 반응기에서 10.94%의 원가절감이 관찰되었다.

• 환경위생공학
• /
• 제14권3호
• /
• pp.130-138
• /
• 1999

The feasibility of municipal sewage sludge digestion was investigated by using thermophilic anaerobic sequencing batch reactor(ASBR). One-day settle time was enough for the high performance of solid-liquid separation. The conversion of semi-continuous mode to sequencing batch mode is easily achieved without any adverse effects, although the large amount of sludge equal to the volume ratio of 0.3~06 to reactor volume was added in the feed step of the start-up. The ASBRs had higher conversion capability of organics to biogas than the control reactor. Gas yields of the ASBRs were increased by the average of 50% over the control reactor across a range of hydraulic retention time(HRT)s from 10days to 5days. The thermophilic reactors showed higher gas production than mesophilic reactor. Removal efficiencies of organic matter exceeded 80% on the basis of supernatants, except that at the reactor. Solid-liquid separation was essential in the performance of the ASBR, especially, at the lower HFT. The ASBRs were highly efficient in the retention of activated biomass within the reactor. thus compensating for increased equivalent organic loading rate through increased solids retention times followed by the increased solids, while maintaining shorter HRTs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제52권4호
• /
• pp.776-783
• /
• 2020

As the refueling of a sodium-cooled fast reactor is conducted by rotating part of the reactor head without opening it, the monitoring of existing obstacles that can disturb the rotation of the reactor head is one of the most important issues. This paper deals with the ultrasonic ranging technique that directly monitors the existence of possible obstacles located in a lateral gap between the upper internal structure and the reactor core in a prototype generation IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (PGSFR). A 10 m long plate-type ultrasonic waveguide sensor, whose feasibility has been successfully demonstrated through preliminary tests, was employed for the ultrasonic ranging technique. The design of the sensor's wave radiating section was modified to improve the radiation performance, and the radiated field was investigated through beam profile measurements. A test facility simulating the lower part of the upper internal structure and the upper part of the reactor core with the same shapes and sizes as those in the PGSFR was newly constructed. Several under-water performance tests were then carried out at room temperature to investigate the applicability of the developed ranging technique using the plate-type ultrasonic waveguide sensor with the actual geometry of the PGSFR's internal structures.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제40권1호
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2008

Tokamak reactor system analysis code was developed at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) and is used here for the conceptual development of a DEMO reactor. In the system analysis code, prospects of the development of plasma physics and the relevant technology are included in a simple mathematical model, i.e., the overall plant power balance equation and the plasma power balance equation. This system analysis code provides satisfactory results for developing the concept of a DEMO reactor and for identifying the necessary R&D areas, both in the physics and technology areas for the realization of the concept. With this system analysis code, the performance of a DEMO reactor with a limited extension of the plasma physics and technology adopted in the ITER design. The main requirements for the DEMO reactor were selected as: 1) demonstrate tritium self-sufficiency, 2) generate net electricity, and 3) achieve a steady-state operation. It was shown that to access an operational region for higher performance, the main restrictions are presented by the divertor heat load and the steady-state operation requirements.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
• /
• 제30권12호
• /
• pp.1196-1202
• /
• 2006

A MEMS methanol reformer was fabricated and its performance was evaluated in the present study. Catalytic steam reforming of methanol was selected because the process had been widely applied in macro scale reformers. Conventional Cu/ZnO catalyst that was prepared by co-precipitation method to give the highest coating quality was used. The reactor structure was made by bonding three layers of glass wafers. The internal structure of the wafer was fabricated by the wet-etching process that resulted in a high aspect ratio. The internal surface of the reactor was coated by catalyst and individual wafers were fusion-bonded to form the reactor structure. The internal volume of the microfabricated reactor was $0.3cm^3$ and the reactor produced exhaust gas with hydrogen concentration at 73%. The production rate of hydrogen was 4.16 ml/hr that could generate power of 350 mW in a typical PEM fuel cell.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국신재생에너지학회 2007년도 추계학술대회 논문집
• /
• pp.113-116
• /
• 2007

Performance of a steam reformer can be improved by using a coaxial cylindrical reactor, because the design can enhance the heat transfer for the steam reforming reaction, which is the one of main rate-determining steps of overall reactions. The objective of this study is to investigate the coaxial cylindrical reactor numerically. Pseudo-homogeneous model and one medium approach are incorporated for the chemical reactions, and models are validated with experimental results. The catalyst of the coaxial cylindrical reactor is 67% for one of the cylindrical reactor, but fuel conversion of the coaxial cylindrical reactor is increased by 10%. Heat flux profiles are investigated by modified Nusselt number and heat flux which is transported from the product gas to the catalyst bed affecting performance of the steam reformer.