The intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) of a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) transfers 950°C heat generated from the VHTR to a hydrogen production plant. The korea atomic energy research institute (KAERI) has manufactured a lab-scale printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) prototype made of SUS316L, under consideration, as a candidate. In this study, as a part of a high temperature structural integrity evaluation of the lab-scale PCHE prototype, a macroscopic structural behavior analysis including structural analysis modeling and a thermal/elastic structural analysis was carried out under the test conditions of a helium experimental loop (HELP) as a precedent study for a performance test. The results obtained in this study will be compared with the test results of the lab-scale PCHE prototype. 1. Introduction Hydrogen is considered as a promising future energy solution, as it is clean, abundant, and storable, and has a high energy density. One of the major challenges in establishing a hydrogen economy is how to produce massive quantities of hydrogen in a clean, safe, and economical way. Among various hydrogen production methods, nuclear hydrogen production is gathering attention worldwide since it can produce hydrogen, a promising energy carrier, without any environmental burden. Researches to demonstrate the massive production of hydrogen using a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) designed for operation at up to 950°C have been actively carried out worldwide including USA, Japan, China, France, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) [1]. The nuclear hydrogen program in the ROK has been strongly considered for the production of hydrogen using sulfur-iodine water-split hydrogen production processes [2, 3]. An intermediate loop that transports the nuclear heat to the hydrogen production process is necessary for a nuclear hydrogen program, as shown in Figure 1. In the intermediate loop, the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) of the VHTR transfers 950°C heat generated from the VHTR to a hydrogen production plant through a hot gas duct. Process heat exchanger (PHE) is a component that utilizes the nuclear heat from the nuclear reactor to produce hydrogen. A printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is a compact-type heat exchanger available as an alternative to shell and tube heat exchangers. Its name is derived from the procedure used to manufacture the flat metal plates that form the core of the heat exchanger which is done through chemical milling. These plates are then stacked and diffusion bonded, converting the plates into a solid metal block containing
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