• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.2085-2091
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• 2020

The license for Kori-1, the first commercial reactor in Busan, Korea, was terminated in June 2017; therefore, preparations are being made for its decommissioning. Because the radioactivity of Bio-shield varies greatly throughout the structure, the doses received by the workers depend on the location, order, and duration of dismantling operations. Thus, a model for evaluating the worker external dose during the dismantling of the Kori-1 bio-shield was developed, and work scenarios for dose assessment were designed. The Dose evaluation code VISIPLAN was used for dose assessment. The dose rate around the bio-shield was evaluated and the level of exposure to the operator was evaluated according to the work scenario. The maximum annual external dose was calculated as 746.86 mSv for a diamond wire saw operator under dry cutting conditions, indicating that appropriate protective measures, such as changing dismantling sequence, remote monitoring, shield installation, and adjustment of work team are necessary for the safe dismantling of the bio-shield. Through these protective measures, it was found that the worker's dose could be below the dose limit.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.4181-4190
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• 2023

Nuclear power plants are subjected to various processes during decommissioning, including cutting, decontamination, disposal, and treatment. The cutting of massive bio-shields is a significant step in the decommissioning process. Cutting is performed near the target structure, and during this process, workers are exposed to potential radioactive elements. However, studies considering worker exposure management during such cutting operations are limited. Furthermore, dismantling a nuclear power plant under certain circumstances may result in the unnecessary radiation exposure of workers and an increase in secondary waste generation. In this study, a cutting scenario was formulated considering the bio-shield as a representative structure. The specifications of a standard South Korean radioactive waste disposal drum were used as the basic conditions. Additionally, we explored the hot-to-cold and cold-to-hot methods, with and without the application of polishing during decontamination. For evaluating various scenarios, different cutting time points up to 30 years after permanent shutdown were considered, and cutting speeds of 1-10nullm²/h were applied to account for the variability and uncertainty attributable to the design output and specifications. The obtained results provide fundamental guidelines for establishing cutting methods suitable for large structures.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.133-140
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• 2021

This study evaluates the radioactivity of concrete waste that occurs due to large amounts of decommissioned nuclear wastes and then determines the surface dose rate when the waste is packaged in a disposal container. The radiation assessment was conducted under the presumption that impurities included in the bio-shielded concrete contain the highest amount of radioactivity among all the concrete wastes. Neutron flux was applied using the simplified model approach in a sample containing the most Co and Eu impurities, and a maximum of 9.8×104 Bq·g-1 60Co and 2.63×105 Bq·g-1 152Eu was determined. Subsequently, the surface dose rate of the container was measured assuming that the bio-shield concrete waste would be packaged in a newly developed disposal container. Results showed that most of the concrete wastes with a depth of 20 cm or higher from the concrete surface was found to have less than 1.8 mSv·hr-1 in the surface dose of the new-type disposal container. Hence, when bio-shielded concrete wastes, having the highest radioactivity, is disposed in the new disposal container, it satisfies the limit of the surface dose rate (i.e., 2 mSv·hr-1) as per global standards.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.261-262
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• 2019

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.316-322
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• 2019

A probabilistic approach considering uncertainties was employed to investigate the effects on the material characteristics and strength of nuclear bio-logical shield concrete walls, when exposed to long-term radiation during the entire service life. Time-dependent compressive and tensile strengths were estimated by conducting the neutron fluence analysis. For the contaminated concrete, individual compressive and tensile failure probabilities can be possibly evaluated by not only establishing limit-state function withthe predefined critical values but also performing Monte Carlo Simulation. Nuclear power plant types similar to the Kori Unit 1, which was shut off permanently in 2017 after the 40-year operation, were herein selected for an illustrative purpose. Consequently, the probability-based performance assessment and prediction of contaminated concrete walls were well demonstrated.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-26
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the concentration of total airborne bacteria (TAB) in biosafety cabinets (BSCs) at universities and hospital microbial laboratories to assess the performance of BSCs. Methods: TAB was determined by using the single-stage Anderson sampler (BioStage Viable Cascade Impactor). The samples were obtained three times (with the BSC turned off and the shield open; with the BSC turned off and the shield closed; and with the BSC tuned on and operating) from the areas in front of 11 BSCs. Results: TAB concentrations of accredited and nonaccredited BSCs were determined. No significant differences were observed in the TAB concentrations of the accredited BSCs and the nonaccredited BSCs for the areas outside the BSCs in the laboratories (p > 0.05). TAB concentrations for the BSCs sampled with the shield open and the instrument turned off showed differences based on the sampling site outside the BSC in each laboratory. Conclusion: These results imply that TAB concentration is not altered by the performance of the BSCs or TAB itself and/or concentration of TAB outside the BSC is not a good index of BSC performance.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.823-826
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• 2013

A low-${\varepsilon}$ solid-state NMR(Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) probe was developed for the spectroscopic analysis of two-dimensional $^{15}N-^1H$ heteronuclear dipolar coupling in dilute membrane proteins oriented in hydrated and dielectrically lossy lipid environments. The system employed a 800 MHz narrow-bore magnet. A solenoid coil strip shield was used to reduce deleterious RF sample heating by minimizing the conservative electric fields generated by the double-tuned resonator at high magnetic fields. The probe's design, construction, and performance in solid-state NMR experiments at high magnetic fields are described here. Such high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopic analysis of static oriented samples in hydrated phospholipid bilayers or bicelles could aid the structural analysis of dilute biological membrane proteins.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.200-205
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• 2005

We have prepared the porous carrier that has high capacity for immobilization of microorganisms and adsorption capacity for cation using fly ash in the previous work. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of piggery wastewater treatment in comparison with commercial carrier and conventional activated sludge process by continuous-flow fixed biofilm process in laboratory scale at the same experimental conditions to develop the biofilm process using porous fly ash carrier for wastewater treatment. As a result, the prepared fly ash carrier showed that removal efficiency of COD, TN and $NH_4{^+}-N$ items were 80%, 77% and 65%, respectively, which were higher efficiency than the commercial carrier and conventional activated sludge process. And the result of measurement for immobilized microorganisms after treatment showed higher capacity than the commercial carrier, and it was confirmed by SEM observation on fly ash carrier that the colony of microorganisms was stably formed.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.304-311
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• 2021

This Experiment was conducted to determine the effects of light shield materials when melon grown inside a plastic greenhouse in summer season. The average temperatures were 36.6℃, 34.5℃ and 34.0℃ respectively for the control(non-shield), coating agent, and the white net. The light transmittances were 69% and 75%, respectively inside the greenhouse treated with the coating agent and white net immediately after applicants, compared with that inside the control greenhouse. At the 40 and 80 days after treatment, the light transmittances for the coating agent were 92% and 98%, respectively, indicating it was slowly decomposed and removed, but there was no change in the transmittance for the white net. While the leaf number did not differ among the treatments, the plant height was higher in the white net and shading agent than in control. The weight of the leaves, fresh-weight and dry-weight were no different from that of shading, but it became heavier in the later stages. The marketable fruit yield was increased by 6% for white nets and 5% for the coating agent compared to control, there was no statistical significance. Therefore, coating agent is considered as an effective method to lower temperature during high temperature period, but it is preferable to use it in consideration of cultivation period, because the coating agent is gradually removed.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2003

Purpose : B1 field of birdcage RF (radiofrequency) coil that is used most for brain imaging in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) decreases toward endring from the coil center. We investigated how much RE B1 homogeneity effect the endcap shield brings form the coil center as it towards to endcap region. Materials and Methods : We compared RF B1 field distribution by each finite difference time domain (EDTD) simulations for lowpass, highpass and hybrid birdcage RF coils. We selected the highpass birdcage RF coil that was the highest RF B1 field condition as simulation result, and studied how much RF B1 homogeneity effect was occurred when endcap shield was applied to endring area. Results : B1 field of the highpass birdcage RF coil was higher than other birdcage RF coil types as simulation result. However, the RF B1 homogeneity was lower than other coil types. RE B1 field of highpass birdcage RF coil with endcap shield is similar with RF B1 field of hybrid birdcage RF coil and the overall RE B1 homogeneity in sagittal direction was better. Conclusion In this paper, proposed method can apply improving RF B1 homogeneity of RF coil in clinical examination.