• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.330-338
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• 2023

In this study, impacts of an enhanced-moderation Fuel Assembly (FA) named Truly Optimized PWR (TOP) lattice, which is modified based on the standard 17 × 17 PWR FA, are investigated in a natural circulation Soluble-Boron-Free (SBF) Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Two different TOP lattice designs are considered for the analysis; one is with 1.26 cm pin pitch and 0.38 cm fuel pellet radius, and the other is with 1.40 cm pin pitch and 0.41 cm fuel pellet radius. The NuScale core design is utilized as the base model and assumed to be successfully converted to an SBF core. The analysis is performed following the primary coolant circulation loop, and the reactor is modelled as a single channel for thermal-hydraulic analyses. It is assumed that the ratio of the core pressure drop to the total system pressure drop is around 0.3. The results showed that the reactor power could be increased by 2.5% and 9.8% utilizing 1.26/0.38 cm and 1.40/0.41 cm TOP designs, respectively, under the identical coolant inlet and outlet temperatures as the constraints.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.293-298
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• 2009

We prepared densified wood pellet by agricultural waste. The hemp woody core was used as replacing wood resource. Hemp was separated into the bast fiber and the woody core by hot steaming treatment. The hemp woody core had a similar lignin content(19.4%) and carbohydrate composition with hardwood(20-25% lignin in hardwood), respectively. Also, the hemp had a low ash content(0.5%), which resulted in a low ash formation in pellet burning. Heating value of the hemp pellet(18.40 MJ/kg) had a very similar to the pellet made by hardwoods. The hemp woody core could be replaced the hardwood for densified wood pellet.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1509-1516
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• 2004

During fuel irradiation tests, all parts of cylindrical structure with multiple holes act as heat sources due to fussion heat and ${\gamma}$-flux. The high temperature is especially generated in the center of pellet. Because of the high temperature, many problems occur, such as melting of pellet and declining of heat transfer between cladding and coolant. In this paper, it is attempted to minimize the temperature of pellet using optimization method. For thermal and optimization analysis of structure, the finite element method code, ANSYS 5.7 is used. Through the optimum design process, the temperature of SBT diminished 10％ and the temperature of OBT diminished 18％.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.06e
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• pp.247-250
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• 1998

The scattering of plane ultrasonic waves by the nuclear fuel pin of liquid metal reactor in sodium is studied. According to the internal composition in the cladding tube, the fuel pin has three cross sections, i.e. helium gas plenum, sodium-filled section, and fuel insertion section. The scattering spectra for each section of the fuel pin are different. The circumnavigating ultrasonic waves of each section are analyzed by the resonance scattering method. The whispering gallery wave modes are generated in the sodium-filled plenum section and the fuel rod insertion section with a sodium-gap. The circumferential wave modes are propagated in the cladding tube of the helium gas plenum section. The annular gap between the cladding tube and metal uranium pellet rod affects the scattering spectra. The different propagation characteristics can be utilized for the nondestructive method of detecting the unbonded area and measuring the level of the sodium-filled section of the fuel pin.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.1190-1197
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• 2018

Analysis of the GRSW-A model coupled into the FALCON code is extended by simulation of central void formation in fuel pellets due to high-temperature fuel restructuring. The extended calculation is verified against published, well-known experimental data. Good agreement with the data for a central void diameter in pellets of the rod irradiated in an Experimental Breeder Reactor is shown. The new calculation methodology is employed in comparative analysis of modern BWR fuel behavior under assumed high-power operation. The initial fuel porosity is shown to have a major effect on the predicted central void diameter during the operation in question. Discernible effects of a central void on peak fuel temperature and Pellet-Cladding Mechanical Interaction (PCMI) during a simulated power ramp are shown. A mitigating effect on PCMI is largely attributed to the additional free volume in the pellets into which the fuel can creep due to internal compressive stresses during a power ramp.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.318-326
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of non-used forest biomass residues as raw materials for making wood pellets with additives such as wood tar and starch and to evaluate fuel characteristics of the pellets. Wood tar, a by-product provided from the carbonization process of wood, could be a suitable additive for wood pellet production due to its higher calorific value and lower hazardous heavy metals, such as cadmium and mercury, compared to woody biomass. When the wood tar (10 wt%) was added, the calorific value was increased from 4,630 kcal/kg (wood pellet without additive) to 4,800 kcal/kg (wood pellet with additive). With the increase of additive amount into wood pellet, the length and individual density of wood pellet increased. In addition, bulk density of the pellets was increased, whereas the fine content was decreased. Consequently the overall productivity of wood pellets was improved by adding 2 w% additives into wood pellets; the percentage of productivity increase was 5.9% and 4.9% for adding starch and wood tar, respectively.

• Journal of Korea Foresty Energy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.54-59
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• 2003

Recently, densified pellet fuel from wood biomass is widely used at North America and Europe as a regenerable and clean carbon neutral bioenergy. High-pressure compaction of sawdust of Hyunsasi-poplar (Populus alba ${\times}$ P. glandulosa) to form a densified fuel was studied. Calorific and elemental analysis were carried out to assess Hyunsasi-poplar clones as fuels. Hot-press process was adopted for compaction of sawdust and compaction was performed under temperature from 100 to 180$^{\circ}C$, at pressure of 250 to 1000 kgf/$\textrm{cm}^2$, and for 2.5 to 10 minutes. Densified fuels were evaluated by its oven-dry density and fines after 5-minute shaking test. The target density and fines of densified fuels were over 1.2 g/$\textrm{cm}^2$ and below 0.5%, respectively. When the press-temperature is over 160$^{\circ}C$, densified fuels with density eve. 1.2 g/$\textrm{cm}^2$ and with fines below 0.5% can be produced. And the pressure over 750 kgf/$\textrm{cm}^2$ was effective for this production. It was found that the optimum press condition for preparation of densified fuel was 180$^{\circ}C$ -1000 kgf/$\textrm{cm}^2$ minutes.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.23-31
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• 2022

This study evaluated the potential of coffee waste (CW) and used frying oil (UFO) as an additive in the production of pitch pine (PIP) and Mongolian oak (MOK) pellets. Ash contents obtained from CW and UFO were 0.5% and <0.1%, respectively. The calorific values of UFO (31.4 MJ/kg) and CW (26.3 MJ/kg) are higher than PIP (20.6 MJ/kg) and MOK (19.1 MJ/kg). For pellets fabricated using a pilot-scale flat-die pellet mill, regardless of fabricating conditions, moisture content (MC) and bulk density of PIP and MOK pellets satisfied the A1 wood pellet standard for residential and small-scale commercial uses, as designated by the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFOS) of the Republic of Korea. When CW was used as an additive, durability of PIP pellets made with 12%-MC sawdust and MOK pellets increased. The optimal conditions for producing PIP and MOK pellets could be by adding 20 mesh CW as an additive and the using of 12%-MC sawdust. However, durability of PIP pellets and ash content MOK pellets did not satisfy the A1 wood pellet standard of NIFOS. Thus, further research is needed to improve the properties of wood pellets with additives.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.338-345
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• 2004

This study examines the sensitivity of several fabrication parameters for dry process fuel, using a random sampling technique. The in-pile performance of dry process fuel with irradiation was calculated by a modified ELESTRES code, which is the CANDU fuel performance code system. The performance of the fuel rod was then analyzed using a Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the uncertainty of the major outputs, such as the fuel centerline temperature, the fission gas pressure, and the plastic strain. It was proved by statistical analysis that for both the dry process fuel and the $UO_2$ fuel, pellet density is one of the most sensitive parameters, but as for the fission gas pressure, the density of the $UO_2$ fuel exhibits insensitive behavior compared to that of the dry process fuel. The grain size of the dry process fuel is insensitive to the fission gas pressure, while the grain size of the $UO_2$ fuel is correlative to the fission gas pressure. From the calculation with a typical CANDU reactor power envelop, the centerline temperature, fission gas pressure, and plastic strain of the dry process fuel are higher than those of the $UO_2$ fuel.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11b
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• pp.2236-2241
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• 2008

The surface heat flux of nuclear fuel rod is the most important factor which can affect safety of reactor and fuel. If fuel rod surface heat flux exceeds the CHF(${\underline{C}}ritical$ ${\underline{H}}eat$ ${\underline{F}}lux$), fuel can be damaged. In case of double cooled annular fuel, which is under developing, contains two coolant channels. Therefore, a generated heat in the fuel pellet can move to inner or outer channel and heat flow direction is decided by both sides heat resistance which varied by dimension and material property change which caused by temperature and irradiation. The new program(called DUO) was developed. For the calculation of surface heat flux, a both sides convection by inner/outer coolant, s gap temperature jump and conduction in the fuel are modeled. Especially, temperature and time dependent fuel dimension and material property change are considered during the iteration. A sample calculation result shows that the DUO program has sufficient performance for annular fuel thermal hydraulics design.