• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.280.1-280
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.340.1-340.1
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• 2003

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.314-321
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• 2004

The elastic moduli of simulated dry process fuels with varying composition and density were measured in order to analyze the mechanical properties of a dry process fuel pellet. Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy(RUS) which can determine all elastic moduli with one set of measurements for a rectangular parallelepiped sample was used to measure the elastic moduli of UO$_{2}$ and simulated dry process fuel. The simulated dry process fuel showed a higher value of Young's modulus than UO$_2$ due to the presence of metallic precipitates and solid solution elements in the UO$_{2}$ matrix. The correlation between Young's modulus and porosity(P) of simulated dry process fuel was found to be 231.4-651.8 P (GPa) at room temperature. Dry process fuel with a higher burnup showed higher Young's modulus because total content of fission product element was increased.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.923-928
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• 2018

We developed a compact gamma camera based on a modified uniformly redundant array coded aperture to investigate the position of a $UO_2$ pellet emitting characteristic X-rays (98.4 keV) and ${\gamma}-rays$ (185.7 keV). Experiments using an only-mask method and an antimask subtractive method were conducted, and the maximum-likelihood expectation maximization algorithm was used for image reconstruction. The images obtained via the antimask subtractive method were compared with those obtained using the only-mask method with regard to the signal-to-noise ratio. The reconstructed images of the antimask subtractive method were superior. The reconstructed images of the characteristic X-rays and the ${\gamma}-rays$ were combined with the obtained image using the optical camera. The combined images showed the precise position of the $UO_2$ pellet. According to the self-absorption ratios of the nuclear material and the minimum number of effective events for image reconstruction, we estimated the minimum detection time depending on the amount of nuclear material.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.90-99
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• 1994

One of the major phenomena occurring in defective fuel rods is the oxidation of UO$_2$ fuel pellets from UO$_2$ to UO$_{2+}$x/ by the oxygen Produced from the dissociation of the steam in the Pellet-to-clad gap, which leads to the enhancement of fission gas release. In this paper, the oxidation kinetics of defective fuel rods was analyzed on the basis of operating conditions of the reactor and defective fuel rod itself. Oxidation kinetics of the fuel pellet was determined under the assumption that the gap is filled with the saturated steam of 150 atm and an enhancement factor for fission gas release was introduced to take into account the effect of fuel oxidation on fission gas release. Comparison with experimental data shows that the enhancement factor predicts well the increased fission gas release due to the oxidation of UO$_2$fuel pellets.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.567-572
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• 2004

The variation of the sintered density and grain size of UO$_2$ as a function of the Li$_2$O amount and sintering atmosphere was observed. Li$_2$O enhanced the grain growth of the UO$_2$ pellet in H$_2$, but rather hindered it in $CO_2$ atmosphere. Grain size of the UO$_2$ and UO$_2$-0.1 wt%Li$_2$O pellets was, respectively, 8 $\mu$m and 100 $\mu$m at 168$0^{\circ}C$ in the H$_2$ atmosphere, and that of each pellet was, respectively, 24 $\mu$m and 17 $\mu$m at the same temperature in the $CO_2$ atmosphere. As-received Li$_2$O powder, which had been composed of Li$_2$O and LiOH, was converted to the Li$_2$CO$_3$ phase after heating to 80$0^{\circ}C$ in $CO_2$. On the other hand, the Li$_2$O and LiOH phases remained unchanged in H$_2$ atmosphere. In the H$_2$, the as-received Li$_2$O powder began to evaporate at about 105$0^{\circ}C$ and then about 20 wt% residue was left at 150$0^{\circ}C$. But, most of the Li elements evaporated at 150$0^{\circ}C$ in the $CO_2$ atmosphere.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.21-36
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• 2008

High bum-up fuel technology has been developed through a national R&D program, which covers key technology areas such as claddings, $UO_2$ pellets, spacer grids, performance code, and fuel assembly tests. New cladding alloys were developed through alloy designs, tube fabrication, out-of-pile test and in-reactor test. The new Zr-Nb tubes are found to be much better in their corrosion resistance and creep strength than the Zircaloy-4 tube, owing to an optimized composition and heat treatment of the new Zr-Nb alloys. A new fabrication technology for large grain $UO_2$ pellets was developed using various uranium oxide seeds and a micro-doping of Al. The uranium oxide seeds, which were added to $UO_2$ powder, were prepared by oxidizing and heat-treating scrap $UO_2$ pellets. A $UO_2$ pellet containing tungsten channels was fabricated for a thermal conductivity enhancement. For the fuel performance analysis, new high burnup models were developed and implemented in a code. This code was verified by an international database and our own database. The developed spacer grid has two features of contoured contact spring and hybrid mixing vanes. Mechanical and hydraulic tests showed that the spacer grid is superior in its rodsupporting, wear resistance and CHF performance. Finally, fuel assembly test technology was also developed. Facilities for mechanical and thermal hydraulic tests were constructed and are now in operation. Several achievements are to be utilized soon by the Korea Nuclear Fuel and thereby contribute to the economy and safety of PWR fuel in Korea

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 1997

Air-oxidation experiments on unirradiated and irradiated UO$_2$ were performed at temperature from 150 to 375$^{\circ}C$ for investigating the long-term storage behavior of spent PWR fuel. The rate of oxidation was monitored by a thermogravimetric analyzer(TGA) and an X-ray diffraction(XRD). The correlation between the onset-time for U$_3$O$_{8}$ formation and temperature was given as follows, logt(hr) = -12.89+7650/T(K), 423$_2$ pellet, the oxidation rate of irradiated UO$_2$ increase more rapidly at the initial stage and shows a lower saturation point at the later Stage. The Oxidation rate of high bumup UO$_2$ and gadolinia-doped UO$_2$(Gd$_2$O$_3$-UO$_2$) were observed to be much slower than that of unirradiated UO$_2$ pellets.s.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.5 s.276
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• pp.346-351
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• 2005

The linear thermal expansions of $UO_2$ and $(U_{1-y}Ce_y)O_2$ pellet were measured from room temperature to $1400^{\circ}C$ as a function of Ce contents (0, 7.63, 14.84, and $21.68 mol\%$) by using the TMA(Thermo-Mechanical Analysis) method. From the measured data, the linear thermal expansion rate, the coefficient of linear thermal expansion and density variation with temperature were calculated, and the best-fitted temperature-dependent equations were recommended. It was shown that the rate and coefficient of $(U_{1-y}Ce_y)O_2$ thermal expansion increased and the density decreased with increasing Ce contents.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.287-292
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• 2005

[ $\pi$ ]The effects of silica-based additives have been investigated to improve the creep property of a $UO_2$ pellet. The additive composition, $50wt\%SiO_2-47wt{\%}CaO-3wt\%Cr_2O_3$ (SCC), was selected according to the dihedral angle and the distribution of the second phase. It was observed that the creep rate of the $0.07 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$ was slower than that of the pure $UO_2$. However, the creep rate of the $0.22 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$ was about 3_48 times faster than that of the pure $UO_2$, depending on the applied stress in the lower stress range. In the case of the $0.35 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$, the creep rate decreased in comparison with that of the $0.22 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$. The observed enhancement in the creep rate might depend on a balance between the positive role of the viscous intergranular phase and the negative roles of the additives and the grain growth.