• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2024

Crud is a corrosion deposit that forms in equipments and piping of nuclear reactor's primary systems. When crud circulates through the reactor's primary system coolant and adheres to the surface of the nuclear fuel cladding tube, it can lead to the Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) phenomenon. This occurrence is known to potentially reduce the output of a nuclear power plant or to necessitate an early shutdown. Consequently, worldwide nuclear power plants have employed ultrasonic cleaning methods since 2000 to mitigate crud deposition, ensuring stable operation and economic efficiency. This paper details the system configuration of ultrasonic nuclear fuel cleaning equipment, outlining the function of each component. The objective is to contribute to the local domestic production of ultrasonic nuclear fuel cleaning equipment. Additionally, the paper introduces a method for accurately measuring the weight of removed crud, a crucial factor in assessing cleaning effectiveness and providing input data for the BOA code used in core safety evaluations. Accurate measurement of highly radioactive filters containing crud is essential, and weighing them underwater is a common practice. However, the buoyancy effect during underwater weighing may lead to an overestimation of the collected crud's weight. To address this issue, the paper proposes a formula correcting for buoyancy errors, enhancing measurement accuracy. This improved weight measurement method, accounting for buoyancy effects in water, is expected to facilitate the quantitative assessment of filter weights generated during chemical decontamination and system operations in nuclear power plants.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.264-271
• /
• 2013

In this study, we optimized the removal condition of contaminants attached on the scrap surface to recycle the scrap generated from the Zr alloy tube manufacturing process back to the nuclear grade. The main contaminant is remnant of watersoluble cooling lubricant that is used in the pilgering manufacture during the tube production, and it is assumed to be compressed and carbonized on the surface of tube. Zirlo alloy tube of ${\phi}9.50mm$, which has high occurrence frequency of scrap, was selected as the object to be cleaned, and cleaning abilities of reagents were evaluated by measuring the characteristics of contaminants remained and by analyzing the surface of the tube after cleaning process. For evaluation of each cleaning agent, we selected two types of sodium hydroxide series and three types of potassium hydroxide series. Furthermore, to confirm dependence on tempe-rature and ultrasonic intensities, cleaning at the room temperature, $40^{\circ}C$, and $60^{\circ}C$ was conducted, and results showed that higher the cleaning temperature and higher the ultrasonic intensity, better the cleaning effect. As a result of the bare-eye inspection, while the use of sodium hydroxide provided satisfactory condition on the tube surface, the use of potassium hydroxide series provided satisfactory condition on the tube surface only when the ultrasonic intensity was over 120 W. In the cleaning effect analysis using the gravimetric method, cleaning efficiency of sodium hydroxide series was as high as 97.6% ($60^{\circ}C$, 120 W), but since the tube surface condition was poor after the use of potassium hydroxide, the gravimetric method was not appropriate. In the analytical result of surface contaminants on the tube surface, C, O, Ca, and Zr were detected, and mainly C and O dominated the proportion of contaminants. It was also found that the degree of cleaning on the tube affected the componential ratio of C and O; if the degree of cleaning is high, or if cleaning is well-conducted, the proportion of C is decreased, and the proportion of O is increased. Based on these results, optimal cleaning for application in the industry can be expected by categorizing cleaning process into three steps of Alkali cleaning, Rinsing, and Drying and by adjusting cleaning parameters in each step.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
• /
• v.7 no.9
• /
• pp.36-47
• /
• 1999

Three-way catalyst converter, cleaning up the exhaust gas contamination of SI engine, has the best efficiency when A/F ratio is near the stoichiometry . The feedback control using oxygen sensors in the exhaust manifold has limits caused by the system delays. So the accurate measurement of air flow rate to an engine is essential to control the fuel injection rate especially on transient condition like the rapid throttle opening and closing. To measure the rapid change of flow rates. the air flow meter for the engine requires quick response, flow reversal detection, and linearity . Tjhe proposed integration type air flow meter (IFM), composed of an ultrasonic flow meter with an integration circuit, has significantly improved the measurement accuracy of air mass inducted through the throttle body. The proposed control method estimated the air mass at the cylinder port using the measured air mass at the throttle . For the fuel dynamic model, the two constant fuel model is introduced . The control parameters from air and fuel dynamics are tuned to minimize the excursion of the air fuel ratio. As a result A/F ratio excursion can be reduced within 5% when throttle rapidly opens and closes at the various engine conditions.