• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2005년도 추계학술대회논문집
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• pp.503-506
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• 2005

The PWR Nuclear Fuel assembly consists of more than 250 fuel rods that are supported by leaf springs in the cells of more than 10 Spacer Grids (SG) along the rod length. Since it is not easy to conduct mechanical tests on a full-scale model basis, the small-scaled rod bundle (5$\times$5) is generally used for various performance tests during the development stage. As one of the small-scaled tests, a flow test should be carried out in order to verify the performance of the spacer grid like the coolant mixing performance and to obtain the Flow-Induced Vibration (FIV) characteristics of the rod bundle over the specified flow range. A vibration test should be also performed to obtain the modal parameters of the bundle prior to the flow test. In this study, we want to develop the estimation procedure of the damping ratio for the small scaled test bundle. For the damping factor of the rod bundle and the grid case at the first vibration mode, as one of the vibration tests, a so-called pluck testing has been performed in air as a preliminary test prior to in-flow damping measurement test. Logarithmic decrement method is used for calculation of the damping ratio. Estimated damping ratio of the rod bundle is about 0.7% with reasonable error of 2% for the previous results. Nonlinear behavior of the rod bundle might be stem mainly Iron the rod-grid support configuration.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.163-170
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• 2009

In order to evaluate high-temperature oxidation behavior of the advanced alloy cladding under LOCA conditions, isothermal oxidation tests in steam were performed with cladding specimens prepared from high burnup PWR fuel rods that were irradiated up to 79 MWd/kg. Cladding materials were $M5^{(R)}$ and $ZIRLO^{TM}$, which are Nb-containing alloys. Ring-shaped specimens were isothermally oxidized in flowing steam at temperatures from 1173 to 1473 K for the duration between 120 and 4000s. Oxidation rates were evaluated from measured oxide layer thickness and weight gain. A protective effect of the preformed corrosion layer is seen for the shorter time range at the lower temperatures. The influence of pre-hydriding is not significant for the examined range. Alloy composition change generally has small influence on oxidation in the examined temperature range, though $M5^{(R)}$ shows an obviously smaller oxidation constant at 1273 K. Consequently, the oxidation rates of the high burnup $M5^{(R)}$ and $ZIRLO^{TM}$ cladding are comparable or lower than that of unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2003년도 가을 학술논문집
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• pp.509-513
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• 2003

중수로 원전에서 환경으로 방출되는 방사성탄소는 비록 소량이지만 반감기(5730년)가 길고 에너지(0.156MeV)가 높은 방사선을 내기 때문에 각별한 관리가 요구되는 핵종으로 다른 방사성 화합물보다 각별한 관리와 감시가 요구된다. C-14은 원자로 구조의 특성상 경수로에 비해 6배정도 많이 발생하며 방출되는 C-14의 약 90%는 감속재 계통이 차지하고 있고 주로 감속재 상층기체의 퍼지 및 배기 방출을 통해 환경으로 빠져나가게 된다. 본 연구는 발전소 계통 운전 및 중수 누설 등으로 인해 방출되는 C-14을 흡착, 제거할 수 있는 장치 개발에 초점을 맞추었으며 시험 운전결과, C-14 제거 성능이 매우 우수한 것으로 평가되었다.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• 제3권6호
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• pp.233-239
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• 2004

Primary water stress corrosion cracking of steam generator tubings occur on many tubes in pressurized water reactors(PWRs), and they are repaired using sleeves or plugs. In order to develop proper repair criteria, it is necessary to know the leak behavior of the tubes, which have stress corrosion cracks. Crack development tests were carried out on the tubes at room temperature, and leak rate and burst pressure were measured on the degraded tubes at room temperature and a high temperature. No leakage was detected on the tubes where 100 % through wall crack developed, at 1560 psi, which is an operating pressure difference of pressurized water reactors(PWRs). In some tests, leak rates of the tubes increased with time at a constant internal water pressure. A test tube showed a very small amount of leakage at 2700 psi in a high temperature pressure test at $282^{\circ}C$, but it disappeared after the pressure increased slightly. Even cracks are 100 % through wall, they need to open in order to reach a certain amount of leak rate at the operating pressure difference.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.243-256
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• 2011

This paper considers the concept of analog computing based on a cellular neural network (CNN) paradigm to simulate nuclear reactor dynamics using a time-dependent second order form of the neutron transport equation. Instead of solving nuclear reactor dynamic equations numerically, which is time-consuming and suffers from such weaknesses as vulnerability to transient phenomena, accumulation of round-off errors and floating-point overflows, use is made of a new method based on a cellular neural network. The state-of-the-art shows the CNN as being an alternative solution to the conventional numerical computation method. Indeed CNN is an analog computing paradigm that performs ultra-fast calculations and provides accurate results. In this study use is made of the CNN model to simulate the space-time response of scalar flux distribution in steady state and transient conditions. The CNN model also is used to simulate step perturbation in the core. The accuracy and capability of the CNN model are examined in 2D Cartesian geometry for two fixed source problems, a mini-BWR assembly, and a TWIGL Seed/Blanket problem. We also use the CNN model concurrently for a typical small PWR assembly to simulate the effect of temperature feedback, poisons, and control rods on the scalar flux distribution.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제45권3호
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• pp.295-310
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• 2013

Industry- or regulatory-sponsored research activities on the resolution of Generic Safety Issue (GSI)-191 were reviewed, especially on the chemical effects. Potential chemical effects on the head loss across the debris-loaded sump strainer under a post-accident condition were experimentally evidenced by small-scale bench tests, integrated chemical effects test (ICET), and vertical loop head loss tests. Three main chemical precipitates were identified by WCAP-16530-NP: calcium phosphate, aluminum oxyhydroxide, and sodium aluminum silicate. The former two precipitates were also identified as major chemical precipitates by the ICETs. The assumption that all released calcium would form precipitates is reasonable. CalSil insulation needs to be minimized especially in a plant using trisodium phosphate buffer. The assumption that all released aluminum would form precipitates appears highly conservative because ICETs and other studies suggest substantial solubility of aluminum at high temperature and inhibition of aluminum corrosion by silicate or phosphate. The industry-proposed chemical surrogates are quite effective in increasing the head loss across the debris-loaded bed and more effective than the prototypical aluminum hydroxide precipitates generated by in-situ aluminum corrosion. There appears to be some unresolved potential issues related to GSI-191 chemical effects as identified in NUREG/CR-6988. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, however, concluded that the implications of these issues are either not generically significant or are appropriately addressed, although several issues associated with downstream in-vessel effects remain.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.928-940
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• 2017

An experiment using the $Prim{\ddot{a}}rkreisl{\ddot{a}}ufe$ Versuchsanlage (PKL) was performed for the OECD/NEA PKL-3 Project as a counterpart to a previous test with the large-scale test facility (LSTF) on a cold leg smallbreak loss-of-coolant accident with an accident management (AM) measure in a pressurized water reactor. Concerning the AM measure, the rate of steam generator (SG) secondary-side depressurization was controlled to achieve a primary depressurization rate of 200 K/h as a common test condition; however, the onset timings of the SG depressurization were different from each other. In both tests, rapid recovery started in the core collapsed liquid level after loop seal clearing, which caused whole core quench. Some discrepancies appeared between the LSTF and PKL test results for the core collapsed liquid level, the cladding surface temperature, and the primary pressure. The RELAP5/MOD3.3 code predicted the overall trends of the major thermal-hydraulic responses observed in the LSTF test well, and indicated a remaining problem in the prediction of primary coolant distribution. Results of uncertainty analysis for the LSTF test clarified the influences of the combination of multiple uncertain parameters on peak cladding temperature within the defined uncertain ranges.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권9호
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• pp.2803-2815
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• 2021

This paper addresses the uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis of a depleted light-water fuel assembly of the Turkey Point-3 benchmark. The uncertainty of the fuel assembly decay heat and isotopic densities is quantified with respect to three different groups of diverse parameters: nuclear data, assembly design, and reactor core operation. The uncertainty propagation is conducted using a two-step analysis code system comprising the lattice code STREAM, nodal code RAST-K, and spent nuclear fuel module SNF through the random sampling of microscopic cross-sections, fuel rod sizes, number densities, reactor core total power, and temperature distributions. Overall, the statistical analysis of the calculated samples demonstrates that the decay heat uncertainty decreases with the cooling time. The nuclear data and assembly design parameters are proven to be the largest contributors to the decay heat uncertainty, whereas the reactor core power and inlet coolant temperature have a minor effect. The majority of the decay heat uncertainties are delivered by a small number of isotopes such as ²⁴¹Am, ¹³⁷Ba, ²⁴⁴Cm, ²³⁸Pu, and ⁹⁰Y.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.307-322
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• 2021

This study developed an analytical methodology for the mechanical integrity of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) cladding tubes under external pinch loads during transportation, with reference to the failure mode specified in the relevant guidelines. Special consideration was given to the degraded characteristics of SNF during dry storage, including oxide and hydride contents and orientations. The developed framework reflected a composite cladding model of elastic and plastic analysis approaches and correlation equations related to the mechanical parameters. The established models were employed for modeling the finite elements by coding their physical behaviors. A mechanical integrity evaluation of 14 × 14 PWR SNF was performed using this system. To ensure that the damage criteria met the applicable legal requirements, stress-strain analysis results were separated into elastic and plastic regions with the concept of strain energy, considering both normal and hypothetical accident conditions. Probabilistic procedures using Monte Carlo simulations and reliability evaluations were included. The evaluation results showed no probability of damage under the normal conditions, whereas there were small but considerably low probabilities under accident conditions. These results indicate that the proposed approach is a reliable predictor of SNF mechanical integrity.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.1209-1217
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• 2019

Due to the limitation of the computers, the conventional homogenization method is based on many assumptions and approximations, and some tough problems such as energy spectrum and boundary condition are faced. To deal with those problems, the Monte Carlo global homogenization is adopted. The Reactor Monte Carlo code RMC is used to study the global homogenization method, and the one-step global homogenization method is proposed. The superimposed mesh geometry is also used to divide the physical models, leading to better geometric flexibility. A set of multigroup homogenization cross sections is online generated for each mesh under the real neutron energy spectrum and boundary condition, the cross sections are adjusted by the superhomogenization method, and no leakage correction is required. During the process of superhomogenization, the author-developed reactor core program NLSP3 is used for global calculation, so the global flux distribution and equivalent homogenization cross sections could be solved simultaneously. Meanwhile, the calculated homogenization cross section could accurately reconstruct the non-homogenization flux distribution and could also be used for fine calculation. This one-step global homogenization method was tested by a PWR assembly and a small reactor model, and the results show the validity.