• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.1927-1932
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• 2004

A 1/21.6 scaled non-heating experimental facility was prepared utilizing the results of a scaling analysis to simulate the APR1400 reactor and insulation system. The behaviors of the air bubble-induced two-phase natural circulation flow in the insulation gap were observed, and the liquid mass flow rates driven by natural circulation loop were measured by varying the injected air flow rate and distribution. As the injected air flow rates increased, the natural circulation flow rates also increased. Both the longitudinal and the latitudinal distributions of the injected air affected the natural circulation flow rates, especially, the longitudinal effect is more larger.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.1851-1859
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• 2022

Experimental research on flow characteristics of open natural circulation system was performed, to figure out the mechanism of the open natural circulation behaviors. The influence factors, such as the heating power, the inlet subcooled and the level of cooling tank on the flow characteristics of the system were examined. It was shown that within the scope of the experimental conditions, there are five flow types: single-phase stable flow, flash and geyser coexisting unstable flow, flash stable flow, flash unstable flow, and flash and boiling coexisting unstable flow. The geyser flow in flash and geyser coexisting unstable flow is different from classic geysers flow. The flow oscillation period and amplitude of the former are more regular, is a newly discovered flow pattern. By drawing the flow instability boundary diagram and sorting out the flow types, it is found that the two-phase unstable flow is mainly characterized by boiling and flash, which determine the behavior of open natural circulation respectively or jointly. Moreover, compared with full liquid level system, non-full liquid level system is more prone to boiling phenomenon, and the range of heat flux density and undercooling degree corresponding to unstable flow is larger.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3086-3091
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• 2007

When a molten corium is relocated in a lower head of a reactor vessel, the ERVC (External Reactor Vessel Cooling) system is actuated as coolant is supplied into a reactor cavity to remove a decay heat from the molten corium during a severe accident. To achieve this severe accident mitigation strategy, the two-phase natural circulation flow in the annular gap between the external reactor vessel and the insulation should be formed sufficiently by designing the coolant inlet/outlet area and gap size adequately on the insulation device. For this reason, one-dimensional natural circulation flow tests were conducted to estimate the natural circulation flow under the ERVC condition of APR1400. The experimental facility is one-dimensional and scaled-down as the half height and 1/238 rectangular channel area of the APR1400 reactor vessel. As the water inlet area increased, the natural circulation mass flow rate asymptotically increased, that is, it converged at a specific value. And the circulation mass flow rate also increased as the outlet area, injected air flow rate, and outlet height increased. But the circulation mass flow rate was not changed along with the external water level variation if the water level was higher than the outlet height.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2022

This numerical study investigates the effects of the size of the natural smoke vent area (10% and 1% of the floor area) and the location of the fire source (i.e., at the side and center of the stage) on the temperature distribution in the compartment and velocity distribution and mass flow rate of flow through a natural smoke vent for a reduced-scale model of a theater stage. Then, the mass flow rate of outflow through the natural smoke vent in the event of a fire for a real-scale theater stage was examined. The case with the larger natural smoke vent area and central fire source location showed lower temperature distributions and higher mass flow rates of outflow and inflow than the case with the smaller natural smoke vent area and side fire source location. The trends of the temperature distributions were closely related to those of the mass flow rates for the outflow and inflow. Additionally, the case with the larger natural smoke vent area and central fire source location exhibited the most non-uniform flow velocity distribution in all cases tested. A bidirectional flow, in which the outflow and inflow occur simultaneously, was observed through the natural smoke vent. In the event of a fire situation in a real-scale theater stage, it was predicted that the case with the larger natural smoke vent area and central fire source location would have a mass flow rate of outflow that is 43.53 times higher than that of the case with the smaller natural smoke vent area and side fire source location. The present results indicate that the natural smoke vent location should be determined by considering the location in a theater stage where a fire can occur.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.72-79
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• 2015

Electricity can be generated when the natural gas passes through a turbo-expander pressure reduction system at natural gas pressure reduction stations. Efficiency of the turbo-expander depends on the ratio of the natural gas flow rates to the design flow rate of the turbo-expander. Therefore, the optimal conditions for the operation of the pressure reduction system can be determined by controlling the natural gas flow rates. In this study, we have calculated the electric energy generation depending on the natural gas flow rates at the two low-pressure reduction stations when the pressure of the natural gas is reduced from 17.5 bar to 8.5 bar and have found the optimal conditions for the turbo-expander pressure reduction system through the comparison with the calculation results. The turbo-expander generates the electric power efficiently for the high natural gas flow rates which variations are slight. The determined design flow rate of the turbo-expander has the highest coverage of the natural gas flow rates. The electricity generation is calculated as much as 9 MW(B station) and 12 MW(D station) at each pressure reduction station.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.03b
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• pp.308-311
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• 2008

As a severe accident mitigation strategy in a nuclear power plant, ERVC(External Reactor Vessel Cooling) has been proposed. Under ERVC conditions, where a molten corium is relocated in a reactor vessel lower head, a natural circulation two-phase flow is driven in the annular gap between the reactor vessel wall and its insulation. This flow should be sufficient to remove the decay heat of the molten corium and maintain the integrity of the reactor vessel. Preliminary experimental study was performed to estimate the natural circulation two-phase flow. The experimental facility which is one dimensional, the half height, and the 1/238 channel area of APR1400, was prepared and the experiments were carried out to estimate the natural circulation two-phase flow with varying the parameters of the coolant inlet area, the heat rate, and the coolant inlet subcooling. In results, the periodic circulation flow was observed and the characteristics were varied from the experimental parameters. The frequency of the natural circulation flow rate increased as the wall heat flux increased.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.63-65
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• 2001

To investigate the natural frequencies of curved piping systems with various elbow angles conveying flow fluid, a simulation is performed considering Initial tension due to the inside fluid. The system is analyzed by finite element method utilizing straight beam element. Elbow part is meshed using 4 elements, and the initial tension is considered by inserting equivalent terms into the stiffness matrix. Without considering the initial tension, the system becomes unstable, that is, the fundamental natural frequency approaches to zero value fast, as the flow velocity reaches critical value. With the initial tension terms, the system becomes stable where there is no abrupt decrease of the fundamental natural frequency. The change rate of the natural frequency with respect to the flow velocity reduces. As elbow angle increases, the system becomes stiffer, then around 150 degrees of the elbow angle the natural frequency has the largest value, the value decreases after the angle of the largest natural frequency. When angle is between 170 degrees and 179 degrees, the natural frequency is very sensitive. This means that small change of angle results in great change of natural frequency, which is expected to be utilized in the control of the natural frequency of the piping system conveying flow fluid.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2009

An air-fuel ratio control is essential in reducing hazardous exhaust emissions from a compressed natural gas(CNG) engine, and can be accomplished by accurate control of gas injection flow. In this study, theoretical research was conducted on injection characteristics of a solenoid gas injector, and injection experiments for calibration and analysis were performed. Various factors for gas injection flow such as injection pressure, gas temperature, and supply voltage are studied. A dynamic flow equation of the natural gas was proposed on the basis of flow dynamics theories and results of the injection experiment. The verification of the dynamic flow equation of the solenoid injector was carried out with a large CNG-engine applied to an urban bus. Air-fuel ratio control experiments were conducted in both steady and transient state. Results of injection experiments for the solenoid injector and the CNG-engine was proved the control method proposed herein to be effective.

• 연구논문집
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• s.23
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• pp.121-126
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• 1993

In general, natural gas engine converted from gasoline engine has disadvantage of power decrease. In order to increase power output in natural gas engine, the improvement of in-cylinder flow motion has been believed as the most effective method. In this study, the geometry of combustion chamber in 4 valve DOHC natural gas engine is modified, and in-cylinder flow patterns are analyized. Also engine performance is evaluated according to the modification of in-cylinder flow motion.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.72-83
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• 2022

This paper presents a numerical investigation of two-phase natural circulation flows established when external reactor vessel cooling is applied to a severe accident of the APR1400 reactor for the in-vessel retention of the core melt. The coolability limit due to external reactor vessel cooling is associated with the natural circulation flow rate around the lower head of the reactor vessel. For an elaborate prediction of the natural circulation flow rate using a thermal-hydraulic system code, MARS-KS1.5, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is conducted to estimate the flow rate and pressure distribution of a liquid-state coolant at the brink of significant void generation. The CFD calculation results are used to determine the loss coefficient at major flow junctions, where substantial pressure losses are expected, in the nodalization scheme of the MARS-KS code such that the single-phase flow rate is the same as that predicted via CFD simulations. Subsequently, the MARS-KS analysis is performed for the two-phase natural circulation regime, and the transient behavior of the main thermal-hydraulic variables is investigated.