• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.899-906
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• 2018

The irradiation performance of $U_3Si$ dispersion fuel in an Al matrix, $U_3Si-Al$, under the Hi-Flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO) design full-power condition of 30 MW was tested for full-power qualification of the fuel. A test assembly was fabricated containing 18 fuel rods made with atomized $U_3Si$ powder manufactured at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The test assembly was irradiated for 188 full-power operation days in the HANARO subject to the normal fuel-loading scheme and achieved about 60 at% U-235 average burnup and 75 at% U-235 peak burnup. The maximum linear power of the test assembly was 98 kW/m. Nondestructive and destructive postirradiation examinations were conducted. The measured postirradiation examination data were compared with data from previous irradiations and the design criteria required for HANARO fuel. Consequently, it was concluded that in-pile performance was acceptable and fuel integrity was maintained, and the behavior satisfied the fuel design requirements.

• 한국분말재료학회지
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.72-78
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• 1994

Two kinds of $U_3Si$ powders and $U_3Si$ dispersed nuclear fuel meats have been prepared by conventional comminution process and a newly developed rotating disk atomization process. In contrast to angular shape and broad size distribution of the conventionally processed powder, the atomized powder was spherical and showed narrow size distribution. For the atomized powder, the heat treatment time for the formation of $U_3Si$ by a peritectoid reaction was reduced to about one tenth, thanks to microstructure refinement by rapid cooling of about 5$\times$104 K/s. The extruding pressure of atomized $U_3Si$ powder and Al powder mixture was lower than that of comminuted $U_3Si$ and Al powder mixture. The elongation of the atomization processed fuel meats was much higher than that of the comminution processed fuel meats and remained over 10% up to 80wt.% of $U_3Si$ powder fraction in the fuel meats. It appears therefore that the loading density of $U_3Si$ in fuel meat can be increased by using atomized $U_3Si$ powder. The atomized spherical particles were randomly distributed, while the comminuted particles with angular and longish shape were considerably aligned along the extrusion direction. Along the transverse direction of the extraction the electrical conductivity of the atomization processed fuel meats was appreciably higher than that of comminution processed fuel meats. This tendency became pronounced as $U_3Si$ content increased. Because the thermal conduction which is believed to be proportioned to the electrical conduction in the nuclear fuel meats occurs in radial direction, the atomization processed fuel can be better used in research reactors where high thermal conductivity is required.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제39권5호
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• pp.617-626
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• 2007

A centrifugal atomization process for uranium fuel was developed in order to fabricate high uranium density dispersion fuel for advanced research reactors. Spherical powders of $U_3Si$ and U-Mo were successfully fabricated and dispersed in aluminum matrices. Thermal and mechanical properties of dispersion fuel meat were characterized. Irradiation tests at the research reactor HANARO confirm the excellent performance of high uranium density dispersion fuel.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1995년도 추계학술발표회논문집(2)
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• pp.623-629
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• 1995

To investigate the effects of powder shape on U loading density of fuel meat, two kinds of fuel meats were prepared with atomized and comminuted U$_3$Si$_2$ powders by extrusion or rolling process. Extruded fuel meats with atomized spherical U$_3$Si$_2$ powder appeared to have much less porosity than those with comminuted irregular U$_3$Si$_2$ powder at higher U$_3$Si$_2$ fraction- The U$_3$Si$_2$ particles with spherical shape are less fractured in extrusion than in rolling. Most of atomized particles on the whole maintained to have spherical shapes in the extrusion. It has been shown that atomized spherical particles are expected to approach similar upper loading limits comparing with comminuted particles in rolled plates, but exceed comminuted powder loading limits in extruded rods.

• 한국분말야금학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국분말야금학회 2000년도 춘계학술강연 및 발표대회 강연 및 발표논문 초록집
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• pp.20-20
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• 2000

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1999년도 춘계학술발표회요약집
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• pp.259-259
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• 1999

• 분석과학
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.355-362
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• 2004

하나로 원자로에서 조사된 최대 선출력이 121 kW/m이고, 63 at%의 평균 연소도를 갖는 $U_3Si-Al$ 원심 분무 고출력 핵연료를 EPMA를 이용하여 파단면 관찰 및 반응층에 대한 핵분열 생성물을 분석 하였다. 조사된 고출력 $U_3Si-Al$ 핵연료를 EPMA로 화학 조성을 분석하기 위해 선행조건은 방사능 허용 한도가 $3{\times}10^{10}Bq$ 이하로 제한되는 EPMA 기기에 부합 될 수 있게 시험 시편을 최소화 하기 위한 작업이다. 시험 조건에 부합될 수 있는 시편의 제조를 위해 핵연료 천공 장치를 제작하였으며, 천공 장치를 사용하여 ${\Phi}1.57{\times}2mm$의 크기를 갖는 시료를 만들었다. 천공 된 시료를 파단 시편과 연마 시편으로 제조하여 파단면의 관찰 및 반응층(Inter-reaction layer)과 산화층에 대한 EPMA 분석을 수행하였다. 두께가 $16{\mu}m$인 반응층에 대한 평균값은 $UO_2$를 표준 시편으로 calibration한 경우의 조성은 $U_{2.84}$ Si $Al_{14}$ 이였으며, 시험 시편으로 calibration한 경우의 조성은 $U_{3.24}$ Si $Al_{14.1}$ 였다. 또한 반응층에서 핵분열 생성물의 조성을 분석하였으며, 반응층에서의 금속 석출물(metallic precipitates)의 생성은 확인할 수 없었다. 시험 시편의 산화층 조성은 $Ai_2O_3$ 임을 확인했다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권11호
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• pp.3723-3740
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• 2021

The harsh conditions in the reactor affect the thermal and mechanical performance of the fuel plate heavily. Some in-pile behaviors, like fission-induced swelling, can cause a large deformation of fuel plate at very high burnup, which may even disturb the flow of coolant. In this research, the emphasis is put on the thermal expansion, fission-induced swelling, interaction layer (IL) growth, creep of the fuel meat, and plasticity of the cladding for the U₃Si₂/Al dispersion fuel plate. A detailed model of the fuel meat swelling is developed. Taking these in-pile behaviors into consideration, the three-dimensional large deformation incremental constitutive relations and stress update algorithms have been developed to study its thermal-mechanical performance under normal conditions using Abaqus. Results have shown that IL can effectively decrease the thermal conductivity of fuel meat. The high Mises stress region mainly locates at the interface between fuel meat and cladding, especially around the side edge of the interface. With irradiation time increasing, the stress in the fuel plate gets larger resulting from the growth of fuel meat swelling but then decreases under the effect of creep deformation. For the cladding, plasticity deformation does not occur within the irradiation time.

• 분석과학
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.584-591
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• 2000

2단계 음이온교환분리를 이용하여 모의 사용후분산핵연료($U_3Si/Al$)용해용액으로부터 Nd을 분리하기 위한 연구를 수행하였다. 사용후분산핵연료를 모사하기 위하여 사용전핵연료($U_3Si/Al$)를 4 M HCl과 10 M $HNO_3$의 혼산으로 녹인 다음, 8 또는 15종의 핵분열생성원소를 첨가하였다. 용액 중 미량의 실리카는 플루오르화수소산을 넣고 가열하여 제거하였으며, U은 1차 음이온교환수지에 흡착시켜 제거하였다. Nd은 2차 음이온교환수지상에서 여러 핵분열생성원소들로부터 질산-메틸알콜 매질의 용리액으로 분리하였다. 과량의 Al은 Nd의 용리속도에 크게 영향을 미치지 않았으나, Nd을 포함한 Al, Eu, Gd, Sm 및 Sr의 절대 용리양을 감소시켰다. Nd을 용리액[0.04 M $HNO_3$-99.8% MeOH(1:9)]으로 용리하기 전에 과량의 Al은 부하(loading) 용액(0.8 M $HNO_3$/99.8% MeOH) 3 mL로 사전 용출시켜 제거하였다. 용리된 Nd의 회수을은 Al의 양에 관계없이 94% 이상이었다. 순수한 Nd을 분리하기 위해서는 9-13 mL 부분의 용리액을 취하는 것이 효과적이었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.1044-1062
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• 2017

The construction project of the Kijang research reactor (KJRR), which is the second research reactor in Korea, has been launched. The KJRR was designed to use, for the first time, U-Mo fuel. Plate-type U-7 wt.% Mo/Al-5 wt.% Si, referred to as U-7Mo/Ale5Si, dispersion fuel with a uranium loading of $8.0gU/cm^3$, was selected to achieve higher fuel efficiency and performance than are possible when using $U_3Si_2/Al$ dispersion fuel. To qualify the U-Mo fuel in terms of plate geometry, the first miniplates [HANARO Miniplate (HAMP-1)], containing U-7Mo/Al-5Si dispersion fuel ($8gU/cm^3$), were fabricated at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and recently irradiated at HANARO. The PIE (Post-irradiation Examination) results of the HAMP-1 irradiation test were analyzed in depth in order to verify the safe in-pile performance of the U-7Mo/Al-5Si dispersion fuel under the KJRR irradiation conditions. Nondestructive analyses included visual inspection, gamma spectrometric mapping, and two-dimensional measurements of the plate thickness and oxide thickness. Destructive PIE work was also carried out, focusing on characterization of the microstructural behavior using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Electron probe microanalysis was also used to measure the elemental concentrations in the interaction layer formed between the U-Mo kernels and the matrix. A blistering threshold test and a bending test were performed on the irradiated HAMP-1 miniplates that were saved from the destructive tests. Swelling evaluation of the U-Mo fuel was also conducted using two methods: plate thickness measurement and meat thickness measurement.