• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권5호
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• pp.1036-1042
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• 2020

Fast-Neutron Multiplicity Counter based on Liquid Scintillator Detector can directly measure the fast neutron multiplicity emitted by UO₂ rod. HPGe gamma spectrometer; which has superior energy resolution; is routinely used for the gamma energy spectrum measurement. Combing Fast-Neutron Multiplicity Counter and HPGe γ-spectrometer, the n/γ joint measurement system is developed. The fast neutron multiplicity and gamma energy spectrum of UO₂ rod assemblies under different conditions are measured by the n/γ joint measurement system. The induced fission rate and the ²³⁵U abundance, thereby the ²³⁵U mass; can be obtained for UO₂ rod assemblies. The ²³⁵U mass deviation of the measured value from the reference value is less than 5%. The results show that the n/γ joint measurement system is effective and applicable in the measurement of the ²³⁵U mass in samples.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권8호
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• pp.2454-2463
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• 2021

The objective of this research is to the use of americium (AmO₂) as a burnable absorber effectively instead of conventional gadolinium (Gd₂O₃) for VVER-1200 reactor by analyzing its impacts on reactivity, power peaking factor (PPF), safety factor, and quality of the spent fuel. The assembly is burned to 60 GWd/t by using SRAC-2006 code and JENDL-4.0 data library for finding the optimum amount and effective way of using AmO₂ as a burnable absorber. From these studies, it is found that AmO₂ can decrease the excess reactivity like Gd₂O₃ without changing the criticality life span and enrichment of ²³⁵U. A homogeneous mixture of the 0.20% AmO₂+ 4.95% enriched UO₂ fuel rod (model MF-4) decreases the PPF than the reference assembly. The use of AmO₂+UO₂ in the integral burnable absorber (IBA) rod or the outer layer could also decrease the PPF up to 10 GWd/t but increases rapidly after 30 GWd/t, which could be a safety threat. The fuel temperature coefficient and void coefficient of the model MF-4 are the same as the reference assembly. In addition, 22% of initially loaded Am are burning effectively and contributing to the power production.

• 한국에너지공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국에너지공학회 2002년도 추계 학술발표회 논문집
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• pp.71-79
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• 2002

이중구조 가연성독봉(Duplex BP)의 성능을 평가하기 위해 한국표준형발전소 24개월 주기를 기준으로 16개 Gadolinia 독봉이 장전된 핵연료집합체에 대해 핵적 평가를 수행하였다. 16개 Gd 독봉이 장전된 핵연료집합체와 동일한 반응도 억제가를 갖는 Duplex 독봉집합체를 설계하기 위해 내심에 Natural U-12wt%Gd$_2$O$_3$, 외심에는 4.95wt%$UO_2$-2w/oEr$_2$O$_3$을 넣어 이중 성형한 24개의 이중구조 가연성독봉이 장전된 핵연료집합체를 설계하였다. 또한 같은 방법으로 140개의 Erbia 독봉이 장전된 등가핵연료집합체를 설계하였다. 핵설계 특성평가를 위해 연소도에 따른 무한증배계수, 반응도억제가, 첨두봉출력 그리고 냉각재 온도재수에 대한 변화에 대해서 비교하였다. Duplex 독봉은 Gadolinia 독봉에 비해 k-inf의 2차 첨두현상을 완화시켜 반응도 제어면에서 유리한 것으로 나타났다. 그러나, 다량의 Erbia 독봉을 전체적으로 골고루 장전한 핵연료집합체보다는 Duplex BP를 장전한 핵연료집합체가 노심내 반응도 제어면에서 유리하지 못한 것으로 나타났다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.273-282
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• 2012

A new effective methodology for optimizing the enrichment of low-enriched zones as well as gadolinia fuel ($UO_2/Gd_2O_3$) rod designs in PLUS7 fuel assemblies was developed to minimize the maximum peak power in the core and to maximize the cycle lifetime. An automated link code was developed to integrate the genetic algorithm (GA) and the core design code package of ALPHA/PHOENIX-P/ANC and to generate and evaluate the candidates to be optimized efficiently through the integrated code package. This study introduces an optimization technique for the optimization of gadolinia fuel rod designs in order to effectively reduce the peak powers for a few hot assemblies simultaneously during the cycle. Coupled with the gadolinia optimization, the optimum enrichments were determined using the same automated code package. Applying this technique to the reference core of Ulchin Unit 4 Cycle 11, the gadolinia fuel rods in each hot assembly were optimized to different numbers and positions from their original designs, and the maximum peak power was decreased by 2.5%, while the independent optimization technique showed a decrease of 1.6% for the same fuel assembly. The lower enrichments at the fuel rods adjacent to the corner gap (CG), guide tube (GT), and instrumentation tube (IT) were optimized from the current 4.1, 4.1, 4.1 w/o to 4.65, 4.2, 4.2 w/o. The increase in the cycle lifetime achieved through this methodology was 5 effective full-power days (EFPD) on an ideal equilibrium cycle basis while keeping the peak power as low as 2.3% compared with the original design.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.493-520
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• 2009

During the last four decades, 16 Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and 4 Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) have been constructed and operated in Korea, and nuclear fuel technology has been developed to a self-reliant state. At first, the PWR fuel design and manufacturing technology was acquired through international cooperation with a foreign partner. Then, the PWR fuel R&D by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has improved fuel technology to a self-reliant state in terms of fuel elements, which includes a new cladding material, a large-grained $UO_2$ pellet, a high performance spacer grid, a fuel rod performance code, and fuel assembly test facility. The MOX fuel performance analysis code was developed and validated using the in-reactor test data. MOX fuel test rods were fabricated and their irradiation test was completed by an international program. At the same time, the PWR fuel development by Korea Nuclear Fuel (KNF) has produced new fuel assemblies such as PLUS7 and ACE7. During this process, the design and test technology of fuel assemblies was developed to a self-reliant state. The PHWR fuel manufacturing technology was developed and manufacturing facility was set up by KAERI, independently from the foreign technology. Then, the advanced PHWR fuel, CANFLEX(CANDU Flexible Fuelling), was developed, and an irradiation test was completed in a PHWR. The development of the CANFLEX fuel included a new design of fuel rods and bundles.. The nuclear fuel technology in Korea has been steadily developed in many national R&D programs, and this advanced fuel technology is expected to contribute to a worldwide nuclear renaissance that can create solutions to global warming.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.249-257
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• 2015

원자력 발전소의 반응로에는 핵분열 에너지를 생성하고 방사성 물질의 유출을 막는 핵연료 집합체가 있으며, 이러한 집합체는 핵연료와 피복관으로 구성되어 있는 핵 연료봉으로 구성되어 있다. 원자로에서 핵연료봉 거동의 안전성을 평가하기 위해 해석적인 방법을 적용하며 이러한 평가 코드를 핵 연료 성능 코드라 한다. 경수로 핵연료 해석에서는 간극의 두께에 따라 열전도도가 크게 영향을 받는 간극 열전도도가 주요 거동해석에 영향을 미친다. 본 연구에서는 간극 두께에 따라 열전도도가 변화하는 3 차원 간극 요소(Gap element)를 제안하였으며, 이를 적용하기 위해 3 차원 열탄성 모듈을 FORTRAN90을 이용하여 개발하였다. 제안된 3 차원 간극 요소를 이용하여 핵 연료봉에서 발생할 수 있는 비대칭적인 형상인 핵 연료 표면에 결함이 생긴 경우 MPS(Missing Pellet Surface)와 핵연료봉의 편심(Eccentricity of the nuclear fuel rod) 형상에 대하여 3 차원 해석을 진행하였다.