Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT) (방사성폐기물학회지)

Korean Radioactive Waste Society (한국방사성폐기물학회)
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Assessment of a U Product purity from Pyroprocessing Spent EBR-II Fuel

EBR-II 사용후핵연료의 건식처리공정에 의한 우라늄의 순도 평가

  • Lee, Jung-Won (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)) ;
  • Lee, Han-Soo (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)) ;
  • Kim, Eung-Ho (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)) ;
  • Lee, Jong-Hyeon (Chungnam National University) ;
  • Vaden, D. (Idaho National Laboratory (INL)) ;
  • Westphal, B. (Idaho National Laboratory (INL)) ;
  • Simpson, M.F. (Idaho National Laboratory (INL))
  • 이정원 (한국원자력연구원) ;
  • 이한수 (한국원자력연구원) ;
  • 김응호 (한국원자력연구원) ;
  • 이종현 (충남대학교) ;
  • ;
  • ;
  • Published : 2009.09.30
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Abstract

A comprehensive analysis has been conducted on the purity of the uranium product generated from a pyroprocessing of EBR-II spent fuel. The analysis results were compared to the low-level waste criteria for both ROK and USA under a collaborative program between INL and KAERI. It is found that the US LLW definition does not include the activity from any U isotopes, but the Korean one does. The analysis results show that Pu-239 is the only alpha emitting isotope other than U isotopes that exceed the limit in the EBR-II U product. Pu contamination of the product seems to be drastically reduced in a preliminary test of the modified cathode process, and the further development of the proposed technology may be possible to meet the US LLW criteria.

EBR-II사용후핵연료의 파이로건식처리공정에 의해 발생된 우라늄의 순도에 대한 포괄적인 분석을 수행하였다. 분석 결과를 미국 아이다호 국립연구소 및 한국원자력 연구원의 협력과제 하에서 한국과 미국의 저준위 폐기물 기준으로 비교하였다. 미국의 저준위 폐기물 기준은 우라늄 등위원소를 포함하지 않으나, 한국의 경우는 포함하는 것으로 조사되었다. 분석 결과 EBR-II 우라늄 생성물 내에서 저준위 기준을 초과하는 유일한 알파 핵종은 우라늄 동위원소가 아니라 Pu-239였다. 생성물 내의 Pu 오염은 개량된 염증류공정을 통한 예비실험 결과 획기적으로 줄일 수 있음을 알 수 있었으며, 보다 공정을 개선시킨다면 제안된 기술을 이용하여 미국의 저준위 기준을 만족시킬 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

Keywords

References

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