• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 1996

The change in spent fuel characteristics by DUPIC fuel cycle(burnup of spent PWR fuel again in CANDU) is examined with time elapse since discharge. Major characteristics examined include isotopic concentration, radioactivity, decay heat radiotoxicity and radiation source-term of spent fuel material, which is existing in a type of spent PWR and DUPIC fuel. Behaviors of major nuclides contributing to such changes are also analyzed in terms of radionuclide concentration. From the analysis, the change in radionuclide concentration by DUPIC shows approximately 2% decrease in actinides concentration and 20% increase in fission products concentration. Radioactivity and decay heat of spent DUPIC fuel does not depend upon radionuclides concentrations, which is a unique in sence of general characteristics of spent fuel. In terms of gamma spectrum, spent DUPIC fuel shows lower values than that of spent PWR fuel by 40 to 50% in the range of $0.01{\sim}0.575$ MeV but much higher over 3.5MeV. Neutron Intensities of both spent fuels are mainly determined by $({\alpha},\;n)$ reaction and spontaneous fission reaction of actinides. Of them, especially, the spontaneous fission reaction Is a major neutron source-term, which causes that neutron intensities of spent DUPIC fuel $having{\sim}3.3$ times higher Cm-244 concentration are ${\sim}4$ times higher than that of spent PWR fuel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.201-206
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• 1996

건식가공(Dry Process)이 사용전,후 DUPIC 핵연료의 붕괴열(Decay Heat), Hazard Index, 조사선량률(Dose Rate) 등에 미치는 영향을 계산하고, 그 원인을 분석하였다. DUPIC 사용방안으로 표준 연소도(35,000 MWD/MTU)의 경우와 장주기 연소도(50,000 MWD/MTU)의 경우를 고려하여 계산하였으며, DUPIC핵연료는 20년 냉각후 가공하는 것을 기준으로 하였다. 또한 DUPIC핵연료 장전시 고려할 수 있도록 사용전 DUPIC 핵연료에 대한 계산을 핵연료 집합체(Bundle) 단위로 하였다. 조사선량과 붕괴열은 건식가공에 상당히 민감한 반응을 보였고 이는 주로 Cs의 제기에 의한 것이다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.05b
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• pp.799-804
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• 1995

DUPIC 핵연료의 사용전 그리고 사용후 조건에서 방사선량을 분석하였다. 사용후 핵연료로 35,000 MWD/MTU의 표준 연소도와 50,000 MWD/MTU의 고 연소도을 사용하였고 선량률을 계산하기 위해 CANDU의 핵연료 집합체을 균등 혼합체로 가정 하였다. 조사선량율은 건식가공을 거치지 않았을 때 매우 높은 수치를 나타내었지만 건식가공을 한 후에는 많이 감소하개 됨 을 볼 수 있었다. 특히 Cs에 민감한 반응을 보였고 Cs을 100% 제거하였을 경우 전체 선량율이 약 90%가 줄어드는 결과를 얻었다. 아울러 사용후 DUPIC핵연료의 선량율도 건식가공 방법에 많은 영향을 받고 있다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1995.05a
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• pp.806-811
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• 1995

DUPIC 핵연료주기에서 기준 핵연료로 설정된 사용후 경수로핵연료, 신 DUPIC 및 사용후 DUPIC핵연료의 핵종별 농도, 방사능, 붕괴열, 위해지수 및 방사선원항을 시간의 함수로 그 변화 특성을 분석하고, 각 인자별로 :-B게 영향을 미치는 주요 핵종의 거동을 물질농도 측면에서 추적하여 분석.평가 하였다. 방사성물질의 농도와 방사능 및 붕괴열 측면에서 모두 사용후 DUPIC핵 연료는 사용후 경수로핵연료에 111해 양적인 감소현상이 뚜렷하게 나타났다. 이는 DUPIC핵 연료주기의 경제적인 이득은 물론 환경 안전성 측면에서 크게 기여할 것임을 시사하고 있다. 한편 섭취 위해지수는 냉각기간에 따라 약간의 차이를 보이나 두 경우 비슷한 것으로 나타났으며, 방사선원 항의 세기에 있어서는 에너지 스펙트럼에 의존하는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 향후 전체, DUPIC핵연료주기 평가에 있어서 기본 자료로 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 1996

Source intensities in terms of the exposure rates at 1m from the fresh and spent DUPIC fuels, made from standard and extended turnup PWR fuels, were analyzed. Two cases were studied based on the degree of elimination of removable elements. Homogeneous mixture model was applied to get the exposure rate. The exposure rate turned out to be very high and sensitive to Cs elimination during the dry process. About 90% of exposure can be reduced in the case of fresh DUPIC fuel made from 10-year cooled spent PWR fuels if Cs is fully removed during the dry process. The main radiation source in spent fuels is Cs-137. The dry storage of spent DUPIC fuel may need a longer wet storage period and require a further review.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.11b
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• pp.769-774
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• 1996

DUPIC 공정은 재처리공정과는 달리 공정의 전ㆍ후를 통하여 사용후핵연료의 양이 변하지 않기 때문에 시설이 원활히 운전되기 위해서는 사용후핵연료가 결손 또는 전용되지 않았음을 증명할 수 있어야 한다. 따라서, 핵투명성(nuclear transparency)을 보장할 수 있는 DUPIC 핵연료 보장조치용 비파괴측정 장치의 개발이 요구되었으며 $^3$He tube, 폴리에칠렌(CH$_2$)감속재, 텅스텐 차폐체 그리고 PSR(portable shift register) 등으로 구성된 측정 시스템을 제작하였다. 본 장치를 사용하여 사용후핵연료에서 검출되는 중성자중에서, $^{244}$ Cm의 자발핵분열중성자 수를 분석할 수 있으며 이를 이용하여 사용후핵연료를 계량관리 할 수 있다. 현재 측정시스템에 대한 성능시험등을 수행하고 있는 중이며 향후 DUPIC 연구용 고준위방사성물질취급시설(hot-cell)에 설치할 예정이다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.621-626
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• 2003

A DUPIC nuclear fuel is a newly developed fuel for CANDU reactors based on the concept of refabrication of spent PWR fuel by a dry process. Because a spent PWR fuel, a highly radioactive material, is used as a starting material, the experimental verification of DUPIC nuclear fuel fabrication requires an appropriate facility which should satisfy engineering requirements and guarantees safe operation. DUPIC nuclear fuel development team modified M6 hot-cell in IMEF to construct the dedicated facility(DFDF) for tile experiment. The experiment with spent PWR fuel have been conducted since January of 2000. Environmental effects of DFDF normal operation have been investigated when DUPIC nuclear fuel is fabricated with the maximum capacity of 50kg U/yr. The analysis results of the radiological safety of DFDF facility have shown that both national regulation limit and IMEF design criteria are satisfied.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2004

Fission products of DUPIC (Direct Use of Spent PWR Fuel in CANDU Reactors) fuel, irradiated in HANARO research reactor with 61 ㎾/m of maximum linear power and 1,770 ㎿d/tU of average burn-up, was characterized by EPMA(Electron Probe Micro Analyzer). In order to find accurate characterization, the analysis results by EPMA of fresh simulated DUPIC fuel containing fission products as chemicals were compared with that of wet chemical analysis. The metallic precipitates observed at the center of the fresh simulated DUPIC fuel were about 1 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in size and their major components by EPMA were Mo-53.89 at.%, Ru-37.40 at.%, and Pd+Rh-8.71 at.%. Established procedure through the fresh simulated DUPIC fuel was applied to the irradiated DUPIC fuel. Observed size of metallic precipitates were 2∼2.5 $\mu\textrm{m}$ and their compositions were Mo-47.34 at.%, Ru-46 at.%, and Pd+Rh-6.65 at.%. What are uncommon things for this experiment, special treatment for improving the conductivity was attempted to the specimen and the conditions of exact irradiation of electron beam to small metallic precipitate were suggested.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.406-410
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• 2003

DUPIC Fuel Development Facility(DFDF) is the facility to fabricate CANDU-type fuel from spent PWR fuel material without any separation of fissile elements and fission products. Unattended continuous surveillance systems for safeguards of nuclear facility result in large amounts of image and radiation data, which require much time and effort to inspect. Therefore, it is necessary to develop system that automatically pinpoints and diagnoses the anomalies from data. In this regards, this paper presents a novel concept of the continuous surveillance system that integrates visual image and radiation data by the use of neural networks. This surveillance system is operating for safeguards of the DFDF in KAERI.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.614-620
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• 2003

KAERI has developed DUPIC nuclear fuel with the refabrication of spent PWR fuel discharged from domestic nuclear power plant by a dry process at M6 hot-cell in IMEF To verify the performance of DUPIC nuclear fuel, irradiation test at the operating conditions of commercial power plant is essential. Since the HANARO research reactor of KAERI does not have fuel test loop(FTL) for irradiating nuclear fuel under high temperature and high pressure conditions, DUPIC fuel cannot be irradiated in the FTL of HANARO. In the 13-th PRM among Korea, Canada, USA and IAEA, AECL proposed that KAERI fabricated DUPIC fuel can be irradiated in the FTL of the NRU research reactor without charge of neutrons. The transportation quantity of DUPIC fuel to Canada is 10 elements(about 6kg). This transportation package is classified as the 7-th class according to "recommendation on the transport of dangerous goods" made by the United Nations. In case of air shipment, until now, there is no proper air transportation cask for DUPIC fuel. In case of sea transportation is possible but requires very high cost.high cost.