• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2008

A distillation tower is one of the important facilities which separates and refines a crude oil stream according to certain boiling points. Its operation efficiency can affect the productivity of a refinery substantially. The objective of this study is to elucidate some operational information on the internal conditions of a distillation tower from a measurement of density profile by using a sealed gamma-ray source and a radiation detector. Gamma radiation counts were measured by a BGO detector positioned diametrically outside the tower-wall, opposite to the gamma source(Co-60) as the detector and the source were lowered concurrently. From the results, structural abnormality of the trays was not found inside the tower. Considering the flow distribution patterns, however, a vapor phase was dominantly formed at the upper part of the tower and a liquid phase at the lower part. From the gamma scanning of the distillation tower, it is anticipated that the gamma absorption technique can be used as an important tool for confirming the structural soundness of trays and investigating flow distribution in refinery facilities.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.119-123
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• 2013

A simple laboratory-made radioactive source to check the integrity of a gamma spectrometry system with HPGe detector was developed. The check source consists of radium-riched soil which was ground in size of less than 0.154mm and contained in air tight cylinderical vial, and provides photons with 12 distinct energies. The spectra of the check source were measured once a month during one year, analyzed the charactreictics of their peaks. When the gamma spectrometry system was in normal state, the areas and FWHMs of the gamma rays with more than 3% gamma emission rate in radium and its decay products was constant within standard deviation 2% and 3%, respectively, except 77 keV peak. And it was found that this check source can play a sufficient role to check the integrity of a gamma spectrometry system using 10 peaks in the range of 77 to 2202 keV.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.78-85
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• 2010

The compatibility with GammaMed-12i brachytherapy machine for an Ir-192 encapsulated source (IRRS20, KAERI, Korea) manufactured by Korea atomic energy research institute (KAERI) has been investigated. As a mechanical testing of compatibility, precise measurement of step movement with channels, measurement of curvature of radius for wire, and emergency return testing were performed. Periodic measurements of air kerma strength for 45 days were carried out to evaluate decay characteristics of Ir-192 radioisotope and comparison of dose distributions in phantom between KAERI and old sources previously used were performed by film dosimetry. KAERI source has a good compatibility with GammaMed12i machine as a result of mechanical testing. There are in good agreement with calculated values in activity characteristics and there were small differences in dose distributions around the source in comparison between KAERI and old source.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2008

The flow rate measurements in a multi-phase flow pipeline were evaluated quantitatively by means of a clamp-on sealed radioisotope based on a cross correlation signal processing technique. The flow rates were calculated by a determination of the transit time between two sealed gamma sources by using a cross correlation function following FFT filtering, then corrected with vapor fraction in the pipeline which was measured by the ${\gamma}$-ray attenuation method. The pipeline model was manufactured by acrylic resin(ID. 8 cm, L=3.5 m, t=10 mm), and the multi-phase flow patterns were realized by an injection of compressed $N_2$ gas. Two sealed gamma sources of $^{137}Cs$ (E=0.662 MeV, ${\Gamma}$ $factor=0.326\;R{\cdot}h^{-1}{\cdot}m^2{\cdot}Ci^{-1}$) of 20 mCi and 17 mCi, and radiation detectors of $2"{\times}2"$ NaI(Tl) scintillation counter (Eberline, SP-3) were used for this study. Under the given conditions(the distance between two sources: 4D(D; inner diameter), N/S ratio: $0.12{\sim}0.15$, sampling time ${\Delta}t$: 4msec), the measured flow rates showed the maximum. relative error of 1.7 % when compared to the real ones through the vapor content corrections($6.1\;%{\sim}9.2\;%$). From a subsequent experiment, it was proven that the closer the distance between the two sealed sources is, the more precise the measured flow rates are. Provided additional studies related to the selection of radioisotopes their activity, and an optimization of the experimental geometry are carried out, it is anticipated that a radioisotope application for flow rate measurements can be used as an important tool for monitoring multi-phase facilities belonging to petrochemical and refinery industries and contributes economically in the light of maintenance and control of them.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.794-799
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• 2005

With the quantitative growth of the petroleum industry, the pipe facilities that connect each process increased significantly and the corresponding maintenance and repair costs of the pipe facilities increased as well. The diagnosis techniques to check a pipe efficiency while in operation are few in Korea, but in the advanced countries the pipe diagnosis using gramma-ray source was on-going research since 1960's. In this study, field experiments were performed to analyze the reasons for abnormal operation of the pipe connected to a distillation tower, and the degree of abnormality was estimated using a sealed gamma-ray source ($^{137}Cs$). Gamma radiation counts were measured by a detector (NaI) positioned outside the pipe-wall diametrically opposite to the gamma source. The results showed that a gas zone section's distribution pattern was different from the pattern of nearby fluid in a pipe. Th diagnosis technique using a gamma radiation source was proved to be an effective and reliable method, offering the information on the fluid distribution in pipe.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2004.07d
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• pp.2619-2621
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• 2004

감마선 또는 x-선 등 방사선을 이용한 구조물 진단은 산업전반에 걸쳐 널리 이용되고 있다. 기존의 x-선이나 Ir-192의 감마선 등을 이용한 비파괴검사는 용접부의 확인이나 구조물의 내부 결점 확인과 같이 국부적인 진단에는 유용하나 석유화학산업에서 반응물의 분리 또는 정제 등에 많이 사용되고 있는 증류탑의 내부진단 실험에는 적합하지 않다. 증류탑은 목적에 따라 직경이 $3{\sim}10m$, 높이 $10{\sim}100m$에 달하는 대형 장치로서 내부의 이상현상에 대한 정확한 진단은 공정 전체의 가동효율 최적화에 결정적인 영향을 끼친다. 밀봉 감마선원으로부터 방출된 방사선의 투과율 변화를 증류탑의 반대편에 설치한 방사선 검출기로 측정하여 수직밀도분포(vertical density profile)를 구하여 증류탑의 내부현상에 대한 정확한 정보를 얻을 수 있는데 이러한 작업을 자동으로 수행할 수 있도록 한 것이 자동 증류탑 검사장치이다. 증류탑 진단장치는 크게 방사선 계측 및 데이터 전송회로, 방사선원부와 방사선검출부의 구동장치 및 구동회로, 데이터 수집 및 제어장치 둥으로 구성되어 있으며, 증류탑 검사를 자동화하여 진단결과의 신뢰도와 재현성을 향상시켰다. 본 논문은 방사선원과 방사선 검출장치의 위치를 자동으로 제어하면서 방사선 계측결과를 전송시키는 장치의 개발에 관한 내용으로서 개발된 장치의 소개와 산업현장 적용의 예를 소개함으로써 기존의 비파괴검사기술로는 진단할 수 없는 대형 증류탑의 진단에 효과적인 방사선 응용 계측장치임을 보이고자 한다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05b
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• pp.365-372
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• 1997

이 연구의 목적은 밀도측정 및 수분함량측정용 RI 계기의 개발에 있다. 방사성동위원소를 이용하여 성토시공의 현장다짐 밀도 및 수분함량 측정에 이용되곤 있는 RI 계기는 중성자 검출부분, 감마선 검출부분, 고전압 공급부분, 마이크로 컴퓨터 부분으로 크게 나눌 수 있다. 감마선을 검출하는 G-M 검출기는 그 특징으로 인해 방사선검출 전기회로가 간단하다. 그러나 열중성자를 검출하는 He-3 검출기는 검출기에서 발생하는 신호원이 매우 작아서 검출회로의 상호 간섭으로 인한 전기적 잡음이 발생한다 이 잡음을 제거하는 것이 He-3 중성자 검출기로 열중성자를 검출하는데 중요한 문제이다. 본 연구에서 제작하는 RI 계기는 원자력법에서 제한하는 방사능 이하를 (100$\mu$Ci 의 밀봉선원) 사용하므로 종래의 RI 계기에 비해 방사선의 검출수가 줄어든다. 이에 따라 검출기의 개수를 늘려서 방사선을 검출해야 한다. 또한 본 연구에서는 He-3검출기의 검출 스펙트럼을 분석하여 적정한 방사선 검출 측정영역을 결정하였다.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.32-38
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• 1999

In this study, an objection is to develop a electronic circuit of a gauage using radioisotope for compaction control to be needed at public works The developed gauage makes use of radioisotope with the activity exempted from domestic atomic law and consists of measuring circuits for gamma-rays and thermal neutrons, a high voltage supply unit and a microprocessor. To obtain meaningful numbers of pulse counts, parallel five and tow circuits are provided for gamma-rays and thermal neutrons, respectively. Also, to minimize effects of natural environmental radiation and electrical noise, circuits are electrostatically shielded and pulses made by ripples are eliminated by taking frequency of high voltage supplied to the circuit and pulse height of ripples into consideration One-chip microprocessor is applied to process various counts, results are stored, Enough and meaningful numbers of pulses are counted with the prototype gauage for compaction control.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.385-391
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• 1997

An objection of this study is to develop a measuring circuit of a gauge using radioisotope for compaction control. The gauge developed in this study makes use of radioisotope with the activity exempted from domestic atomic law and consists of measuring circuits for gamma-rays and thermal neutrons, a high voltage supply unit, and a microprocessor. To obtain meaningful numbers of pulse counts, parallel five and two circuits are provided for gamma-rays and thermal neutrons, respectively. Being simple in electrical characteristics of G-M detector for gamma-rays, pulses are counted through only a shaping circuit. Very small pulses generated from He- 3 proportional detector for thermal neutrons are amplified to the maximum of 50 [dB] and a window comparator accepts only pulses with meaning. To minimize effects of natural environmental radiation and electrical noise, circuits are electrostatically shielded and pulses made by ripples are eliminated by taking frequency of high voltage supplied to the circuit and pulse height of ripples into consideration. One-chip microprocessor is applied to process various counts, results are stored and the gauage is made capable to communicate with PC. Enough and meaningful numbers of pulses are counted with the prototype gauage for compaction control.