• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.8-15
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• 2007

Liquid water in flow channel is an important factor that limits the steady and transient performance of PEM fuel cells. A computational fluid dynamics study based on the volume-of-fluid [VOF] multi-phase model was conducted to understand the two-phase flow behavior of liquid water in cathode gas channels. The liquid water transport in $180^{\circ}{\Delta}$ bends was investigated, where the effects of surface characteristics (hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces], channel geometries (rectangular and chamfered corners], and air velocity in channel were discussed. The two-phase flow behavior of liquid water with hydrophilic channel surface and that with hydrophobic surface was found very different; liquid water preferentially flows along the corners of flow channel in hydrophilic channels while it flows in rather spherical shape in hydrophobic channels. The results showed that liquid water transport was generally enhanced when hydrophobic channel with rounded corners was used. However, the surface characteristics and channel geometries became less important when air velocity was increased over 10m/s. This study is believed to provide a useful guideline for design optimization of flow patterns or channel configurations of PEM fuel cells.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.129-149
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• 2010

The objective of this study is to formulate a general 3D material-structural analysis framework for the thermomechanical behavior of steel-concrete structures in a fire environment. The proposed analysis framework consists of three sequential modeling parts: fire dynamics simulation, heat transfer analysis, and a thermomechanical stress analysis of the structure. The first modeling part consists of applying the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) where coupled CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) with thermodynamics are combined to realistically model the fire progression within the steel-concrete structure. The goal is to generate the spatial-temporal (ST) solution variables (temperature, heat flux) on the surfaces of the structure. The FDS-ST solutions are generated in a discrete form. Continuous FDS-ST approximations are then developed to represent the temperature or heat-flux at any given time or point within the structure. An extensive numerical study is carried out to examine the best ST approximation functions that strike a balance between accuracy and simplicity. The second modeling part consists of a finite-element (FE) transient heat analysis of the structure using the continuous FDS-ST surface variables as prescribed thermal boundary conditions. The third modeling part is a thermomechanical FE structural analysis using both nonlinear material and geometry. The temperature history from the second modeling part is used at all nodal points. The ABAQUS (2003) FE code is used with external user subroutines for the second and third simulation parts in order to describe the specific heat temperature nonlinear dependency that drastically affects the transient thermal solution especially for concrete materials. User subroutines are also developed to apply the continuous FDS-ST surface nodal boundary conditions in the transient heat FE analysis. The proposed modeling framework is applied to predict the temperature and deflection of the well-documented third Cardington fire test.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.2990-2998
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• 2024

In ITER, the evaluation of the activated water radiation source and its impact on the radiological levels is necessary to demonstrate compliance with the safety requirements. The use of simplified or conservative approaches often results in the application of expensive constraints on the installation that impact its economics, operations, and construction schedule. In this work, we propose a novel methodology to calculate the activated water source term with a higher degree of realism. The methodology is based on the coupling of a system-level code with a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code in an explicit, one-way approach. We apply this methodology to the evaluation of the16N radioisotope within the ITER Vacuum Vessel Primary Heat Transfer System (VV-PHTS) cooling circuit in a steady-state and transient scenarios. We chose this system since previous analyses of the VV-PHTS were done with simple, ad-hoc calculations that yielded results that differed by up to a factor of five, underscoring a higher level of uncertainty. As a result, we generate a computational model of the source term that can be used to evaluate the radiological condition surrounding the cooling systems during the operations.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.523-542
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• 2016

Snowdrift formation on roofs should be considered in snowy and windy areas to ensure the safety of buildings. Presently, the prediction of snowdrifts on roofs relies heavily on field measurements, wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations. In this paper, a new snowdrift modeling method by using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) coupled with DEM (Discrete Element Method) is presented, including material parameters and particle size, collision parameters, particle numbers and input modes, boundary conditions of CFD, simulation time and inlet velocity, and coupling calculation process. Not only is the two-way coupling between wind and snow particles which includes the transient changes in snow surface topography, but also the cohesion and collision between snow particles are taken into account. The numerical method is applied to simulate the snowdrift on a typical stepped flat roof. The feasibility of using coupled CFD with DEM to study snowdrift is verified by comparing the simulation results with field measurement results on the snow depth distribution of the lower roof.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.521-533
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• 2012

Interest in application of ultraviolet light technology for primary disinfection that used for the treatment of water for consumption and wastewater has increased significantly in recent years. Analysis of these systems has been carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) procedure. It offers advantages over other techniques in specific circumstances. CFD has emerged as a powerful tool to aid design of a UV reactor by providing the UV dose delivered by the proposed reactor design and allowing engineers to evaluate alternative designs in much less time and at a reasonable cost. In this study, five different configurations of the apparatus depending on the location of the exit are evaluated in terms of maximum dose, minimum dose, flow patterns, particle tracks and transient dose. The configuration 3 results have higher minimum UV dose value and uniform particle distribution of the UV dose on the outlet than other's.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.196-201
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• 2012

This study represents numerical study on the thermal and fluid flow characteristics of exhaust gas in a motorcycle muffler. The engine generates 125cc of displacement. Numerical analysis with computational fluid dynamics(CFD) was carried out to investigate the exhaust gas that flow into a motorcycle muffler. The STAR-CD S/W used to analyze three dimensional steady state and transient in a muffler. The Navier-Stokes Equation is solved with SAMPLE and PISO method in cartesian coordinates system. As the numerical result, it could be confirmed pulsating pressure generated from inlet of muffler become closer to the atmospheric pressure through baffle. Also the numerical result was almost identical to experimental result and, through the comparison, the reliability of numerical result was confirmed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.131-138
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• 2010

Because real flow of engine exhaust is very hot and highly transient, it may cause thermal and inertial loads on catalyzed filters in DPF. Transient and detailed flow and thermal simulations are necessary in this field. To assess the importance of time dependent phenomena, typical cone-type configuration such as an underbody DPF is selected for steady and transient analysis. User defined functions of FLUENT by sinusoidal inlet velocities are written and integrated with main solver for realistic simulation. Also, 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines for 3,000 L class are considered for the dynamic exhaust effect of engine type. Key parameters to understanding of catalyst performance and durability issues such as flow uniformity index and peak velocity are investigated. Also, pressure drop for engine power are considered. From the simulation results for three different cases, proper approach is recommended.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.941-951
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• 2016

The aim of this work is to simulate the thermohydraulic consequences of a main steam line break and to compare the obtained results with Rossendorf Coolant Mixing Model (ROCOM) 1.1 experimental results. The objective is to utilize data from steady-state mixing experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations to determine the flow distribution and the effect of thermal mixing phenomena in the primary loops for the improvement of normal operation conditions and structural integrity assessment of pressurized water reactors. The numerical model of ROCOM was developed using the FLUENT code. The positions of the inlet and outlet boundary conditions and the distribution of detailed velocity/turbulence parameters were determined by preliminary calculations. The temperature fields of transient calculation were averaged in time and compared with time-averaged experimental data. The perforated barrel under the core inlet homogenizes the flow, and therefore, a uniform temperature distribution is formed in the pressure vessel bottom. The calculated and measured values of lowest temperature were equal. The inlet temperature is an essential parameter for safety assessment. The calculation predicts precisely the experimental results at the core inlet central region. CFD results showed a good agreement (both qualitatively and quantitatively) with experimental results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1911-1923
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• 2023

The nuclear safety assessment involving large transient simulations is forcing the community to develop methods for coupling thermal-hydraulics and neutronic codes and three-dimensional (3D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes. In this paper a set of dynamic boundary conditions are implemented in OpenFOAM^Ⓡ in order to apply zero-dimensional (0D) approaches coupling with 3D thermal-hydraulic simulation in a single framework. This boundary conditions are applied to model pipelines, tanks, pumps, and heat exchangers. On a first stage, four tests are perform in order to assess the implementations. The results are compared with experimental data, full 3D CFD, and system code simulations, finding a general good agreement. The semi-implicit implementation nature of these boundary conditions has shown robustness and accuracy for large time steps. Finally, an application case, consisting of a simplified open pool with a cooling external circuit is solved to remark the capability of the tool to simulate thermal hydraulic systems commonly found in nuclear installations.