• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.826-833
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• 2022

A two-phase natural circulation test using SMART integral test loop (SMART-ITL) was conducted to explore thermo-hydraulic phenomena of two-phase natural circulation in the SMART reactor. Specifically, the test examined the natural circulation in the primary loop under a stepwise coolant inventory loss while keeping the core power constant at 5% of the scaled full power. Based on the test results, three flow regimes were observed: single-phase natural circulation (SPNC), two-phase natural circulation (TPNC), and boiler-condenser natural circulation (BCNC). The flow rate remained steady in the SPNC, slightly increased in the TPNC, and dropped abruptly and maintained in the BCNC. Using a natural circulation flow map, the natural circulation characteristic in the SMART-ITL was compared with those in pressurized water reactor simulators. In the SMART-ITL, a BCNC regime appeared instead of siphon condensation and reflux condensation regimes because of the use of once-through steam generators.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.2626-2631
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• 2007

Air-water two phase natural circulation flow in the T-HERMES (Thermo-Hydraulic Evaluation of Reactor cooling Mechanism by External Self-induced flow)-1D experiment has been evaluated to verify and evaluate the experimental results by using the RELAP5/MOD3 computer code. The RELAP5 results have shown that an increase in the coolant inlet area leads to an increase in the water circulation mass flow rate. However, the water outlet area does not effective on the water circulation mass flow rate. As the coolant outlet moves to a lower position, the water circulation mass flow rate decreases. The water level is not effective on the water circulation mass flow rate. As the height increases in the air injection part, the void fraction increases. However, the void fraction in the upper part of the air injector maintains a constant value. An increase in the air injection mass flow rate leads to an increase in the local void fraction, but it is not effective on the local pressure.

• International Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.9-12
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• 2017

In this study, an investigation on mechanical properties of flax natural fiber composite is performed as a precedent study on the design of eco-friendly structure using flax natural fiber composite. The Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding-Light (VARTML) manufacturing method is adopted for manufacturing the flax fiber composite panel. The VARTML is a manufacturing process that the resin is injected into the dry layered-up fibers enclosed by a rigid mold tool under vacuum. In this work, the resin flow analysis of VARTM manufacturing method is performed. A series of flax composite panels are manufactured, and several kinds of specimens cut out from the panels are tested to obtain mechanical performance data. Based on this, structural design of chemical storage tank for agricultural vehicle was performed using flax/vinyl ester. After structural design and analysis, the resin flow analysis of VARTM manufacturing method was performed.

• International Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2014

In this study, an investigation on mechanical properties of flax natural fiber composite is performed as a precedent study on the design of eco-friendly structure using flax natural fiber composite. The Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding-Light (VARTML) manufacturing method is adopted for manufacturing the flax fiber composite panel. The VARTML is a manufacturing process that the resin is injected into the dry layered -up fibers enclosed by a rigid mold tool under vacuum. In this work, the resin flow analysis of VARTM manufacturing method is performed. A series of flax composite panels are manufactured, and several kinds of specimens cut out from the panels are tested to obtain mechanical performance data. Based on this, structural design of chemical storage tank for agricultural vehicle was performed using flax/vinyl ester. After structural design and analysis, the resin flow analysis of VARTM manufacturing method was performed.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1255-1265
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• 2001

A numerical study has been conducted to characterize the transient flow in a utility gas turbine burning natural gas. The solution domain encompasses the supply gas pressure regulator to the combustor of the gas turbine that employs multi-nozzle fuel injectors. Some results produced for verification in the present study agree suite well with the experimental ones. It is found that the total gas flow may decrease noticeably during its combustion mode change, which would be the reason of momentary combustion upset, when a reference case of opening ratios of control valves in the system is applied. Several parameters are then varied in order to make the total gas flow stable over that period of time. Results of this study may be useful to understand the unsteady behavior of combustion system burning natural gas.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.29 no.6 s.237
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• pp.711-721
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• 2005

In order to design of emergency ventilation systems, the smoke movements in tunnel fire with natural and forced ventilation were investigated. Reduced-scale experiments were carried out under the Froude scaling with novel fire source consisting many wicks. Temperature profiles were measured under the ceiling and vertical direction along the center of the tunnel and poisonous gases were measured at emergency exit point in the natural ventilation case. In forced ventilation, temperature profiles were measured with various flow rate to obtain critical velocity. The results showed that the interval of emergency exit having 225m was estimated reasonably through the measurements of temperature variation and poisonous gas in the natural ventilation. In the case of forced ventilation, the temperature distribution near fire source is remarkably different from that of natural ventilation. Also, the critical velocity to prevent upstream smoke flow has the range of 0.57m/s between 0.64m/s. Finally, it was also identified that although the increase of flow rate can suppress the backward flow of smoke to upstream direction, brings about the increase of flame intensity near stoichiometric fuel/air ratio.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.772-777
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• 1997

Previous MELCOR and SCDAP/RELAP5 nodalizations for simulating the counter-current, natural circulation behavior of vapor flow within the RCS hot legs and SG U-tubes when core damage progress can not be applied to the steady state and water-filled conditions during the initial period of accident progression because of the artificially high loss coefficients in the hot legs and SG U-tubes which were chosen from results of COMMIX calculation and the Westinghouse natural circulation experiments in a 1/7-scale facility for simulating steam natural circulation behavior in the vessel and in the hot leg and SG during the TMLB' scenrio. The objective of this study is to develop a natural circulation modeling which can be used both for the liquid flow condition at steady state and for the vapor flow condition at the later period of in-vessel core damage. For this, the drag forces resulting from the momentum exchange effects between the two vapor streams in the hot leg was modeled as a pressure drop by pump model. This hot leg natural circulation modeling of MELCOR was able to reproduce similar mass flow rates with those predicted by previous models.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.554-564
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• 2022

The natural circulation phenomena occurring in fully integrated nuclear reactors are associated with a unique formation mechanism. The phenomenon results from a structural feature of these reactors involving upward flow from the core, located in the central-bottom region of a single vessel, and downward flow to the steam generator in the annulus region. In this study, to understand the natural circulation in a single vessel involving a multi-layered flow path, single-phase and two-phase natural circulation tests were performed using the SMART-ITL facility, and validation analysis of the TASS/SMR-S code was performed by comparing the corresponding test results. Three single-phase natural circulation tests were sequentially conducted at 15%, 10%, and 5% of full-scaled core-power without RCP operation, following which a two-phase natural circulation test was successively conducted with an artificial discharge of coolant inventory. The simulation capability of the TASS/SMR-S code with respect to the natural circulation phenomena was validated against the test results, and somewhat conservative but reasonably comparative results in terms of overall thermalhydraulic behavior were shown.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1313-1320
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• 1993

Flow patterns inside the riser section and the effects of the heater inlet-and exit-restrictions, liquid charging level and the heater inlet subcooling on the flow characteristics inside an open two-phase natural circulation loop were studied experimentally. Three basic circulation modes were observed ; periodic circulation (A)(flow oscillations with incubation(no boiling) period), continuous circulations(stable operation mode with no flow oscillations), and periodic circulation (B) (flow oscillations with continuous boiling). The circulation rate increases and then decreases with the increase of the heating rate and the maximum circulation rate appears with the continuous circulation mode. The decrease of the inlet-restriction or the increase of the exitrestriction destabilizes the system. When the liquid charging level or the inlet subcooling decreases, the continuous circulation mode starts at the lower heating rate and the system is stabilized.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.2141-2145
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• 2004

As part of study on thermal hydraulic behavior in the reactor cavity under external vessel cooling in the APR (Advanced Power Reactor) 1400, one dimensional two phase flow of steady state in the reactor cavity have been analyzed to investigate a coolant circulation mass flow rate in the annulus region between the reactor vessel and the insulation material using the RELAP5/MOD3 computer code. The RELAP5/MOD3 results have shown that a two phase natural circulation flow of 300 - 600 kg/s is generated in the annulus region between the reactor vessel and the insulation material when the external vessel cooling has been applied in the APR 1400. An increase in the heat flux of the inner vessel leads to an increase of the coolant mass flow rate. An increase in the coolant outlet area leads to an increase in the coolant circulation mass flow rate, but the coolant inlet area does not effective on the coolant circulation mass flow rate. The change of the lower coolant outlet to a lower position affects the coolant circulation mass flow rate, but the variation trend is not consistent.