• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.379-385
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• 2020

This paper presents a design for preventing coolant leaks in the core part of a heater mounted in a combat vehicle. The heater is a device that makes heated coolant flow through the heater core in the crew room. A problem with coolant leaks in the heater core area during the operation of a combat vehicle was identified. This problem is caused mainly by high pressure at the junction of the tank and tube due to the vulnerability of this area. To solve this problem, an improved core was made by improving the welding method and changing the end region of the heater core to a structure that can withstand high pressure. When pressure was applied sequentially to the existing core and improved core, a leak occurred at 7.0 kgf/㎠ in the existing core while the improved core maintained its structure up to 17.0 kgf/㎠, highlighting the improvement. Finally, performance tests and environment tests were conducted to demonstrate the suitability of the improved structure. The improved heater will be applied to combat vehicles. This paper is expected to serve as a reference for improving defense capabilities by securing reliability as well as the design and analysis of failures of similar equipment.nse capabilities through securing reliability as well as the design and analysis of failures of similar equipment.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.154-159
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• 2018

Background: To prevent small leakage accidents, a real-time and direct detection system for small leaks with a detection limit below that of existing systems, e.g. $0.5gpm{\cdot}hr^{-1}$, is required. In this study, a small-size beta detector, which can be installed inside the reactor containment (CT) building and detect small leaks directly, was suggested and its feasibility was evaluated using MCNPX simulation. Materials and Methods: A target nuclide was selected through analysis of radiation from radionuclides in the reactor coolant system (RCS) and the spectrum was obtained via a silicon detector simulated in MCNPX. A window was designed to reduce the background signal caused by other nuclides. The sensitivity of the detector was also estimated, and its shielding designed for installation inside the reactor CT. Results and Discussion: The beta and gamma spectrum of the silicon detector showed a negligible gamma signal but it also contained an undesired peak at 0.22 MeV due to other nuclides, not the $^{16}N$ target nuclide. Window to remove the peak was derived as 0.4 mm for beryllium. The sensitivity of silicon beta detector with a beryllium window of 1.7 mm thickness was derived as $5.172{\times}10^{-6}{\mu}Ci{\cdot}cc^{-1}$. In addition, the specification of the shielding was evaluated through simulations, and the results showed that the integrity of the silicon detector can be maintained with lead shielding of 3 cm (<15 kg). This is a very small amount compared to the specifications of the lead shielding (600 kg) required for installation of $^{16}N$ gamma detector in inside reactor CT, it was determined that beta detector would have a distinct advantage in terms of miniaturization. Conclusion: The feasibility of the beta detector was evaluated for installation inside the reactor CT to detect small leaks below $0.5gpm{\cdot}hr^{-1}$. In future, the design will be optimized on specific data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.2748-2754
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• 2022

Because existing reactant coolant system (RCS) leakage detection mechanisms are insensitive to small leaks, a real-time, direct detection system with a detection threshold below 0.5 gpm·hr^-1 was studied. A beta-ray detection system using a silicon detector with good energy resolution for beta rays and a low gamma-ray response was proposed. The detection performance in the leakage condition was evaluated through experiments and simulations. The concentration of ¹⁶N in the coolant corresponding to a coolant leakage of 0.5 gpm was calculated using the analytic method and ORIGEN-ARP. Based on the concentration of ¹⁶N and the measurement of the silicon detector with ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y, the beta-ray count rate was estimated using MCNPX. To evaluate the effect of gamma rays inside the containment building, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was calculated. To evaluate the count rate ratio, the radiation field inside the containment building was simulated using MCNPX, and response evaluation experiments were performed using beta and gamma rays on the silicon detector. The expected beta-ray count rate at 0.5 gpm leakage was 7.26 × 10⁵ counts/sec, and the signal-to-background count rate ratio exceeded 88 for a transport time of 10 s, demonstrating its suitability for operation inside a reactor containment building.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.426-431
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• 2004

Leaking water coolant into stator electrical insulation is a growing concern for the aging water-cooled generator since leaks in the generator water-cooled stator winding can affect machine availability and insulation life. But a domestic techniques of such field are insufficient and depend wholly on GE or TOSHIBA technique. Therefore this paper introduces measuring principle and developed measuring system, which has been used to detecting wet absorption. We accomplished the experiment with a stator promotion of virtue which is used in actual power plant. Also, Experimental method of generator stator winding, which is investigated into wet absorption test.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.07a
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• pp.453-456
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• 2004

This paper surveys the latest findings on vegetable-oil-based dielectric coolants in power systems. In recent years, environmental concerns have been increased on the use of poorly biodegradable mineral oils in distribution and power transformers in regions where spills from leaks and equipment failure could contaminate the surroundings. In addition, there are demands to improve equipment efficiencies in power systems. In this reason, researches were started in the mid 1990s to develop a fully biodegradable dielectric coolants. Vegetable oil was considered the most likely candidate for a fully biodegradable dielectric coolants. Vegetable-oil-based dielectric coolants provide the advantages of high level of biodegradability, renewable natural resource, non-toxic properties, enhanced fire safety, more effective cooling and good dielectric strength for many electrical equipment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05a
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• pp.291-295
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• 1996

In CANDU reactor, each pressure tubes contain twelve fuel bundles and provide the inlet and outlet for the primary coolant. If a leak develops in the pressure tube, it is detected by Annulus Gas System which contains circulating dry $CO_2$ gas. Since the leaks caused by the flaws are resulted in pressure tube break, establishment of flaw assessment method is very significant in view of the fracture mechanics. In this paper, various criteria for assessing the flaws are presented to prevent the tube rupture and ensure the integrity of reactor operating.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.867-873
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• 2010

The failure of water-cooled generator stator windings as a result of insulation breakdown due to coolant water leaks and water absorption often occurs worldwide. Such failure can cause severe grid-related accidents as well as huge economic losses. More than 50% of domestic generators have been operated for over 15 years, and therefore, they exhibit signs of aging. Leaking and water-absorbing windings are often found during an overhaul. In an existing method for evaluating the integrity of generator stator windings, the drying process of the interior of the windings is ignored and only final leak tests are performed. In this study, it is shown that water leaks and water absorption in stator windings can be detected indirectly through vacuum pattern analysis in the vacuum drying mode, which is the used in the preparation stage of the leak test.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.126-133
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• 2016

Recently, the research and development of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs) have made progresses. However, liquid sodium, the coolant of an SFR, is chemically unstable and sodium fire can be occurred when liquid sodium leaks from sodium pipe. To reduce the damage by the sodium fire, many fire walls and fire extinguishers are needed for SFRs. LBB concept in SFR might reduce the scale of sodium fire and decrease or eliminate fire walls and fire extinguishers. Therefore, LBB concept can contribute to improve economic efficiency and to strengthen defense-in depth safety. The LBB assessment procedure has been well established, and has been used significantly in light water reactors (LWRs). However, an LBB assessment of an SFR is more complicated because SFRs are operated in elevated temperature regions. In such a region, because creep damage may occur in a material, thereby growing defects, an LBB assessment of an SFR should consider elevated temperature effects. The procedure and method for this purpose are provided in RCC-MRx A16, which is a French code. In this study, LBB assessment was performed for PGSFR IHTS hot-leg pipe according to RCC-MRx A16 and the applicability of the code was discussed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.387-395
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• 2013

Recently, several circumferential cracks were found in the control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) nozzles of U.S. nuclear power plants. According to the accident analyses, coolant leaks were caused by primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). The tensile residual stresses caused by welding, corrosion sensitive materials, and boric acid solution cause PWSCC. Therefore, an exact estimation of the residual stress is important for reliable operation. In this study, finite element simulations were conducted to investigate the effects of the tube geometry (thickness and radius) on the residual stresses in a J-groove weld for different CRDM tube locations. Two different tube locations were considered (center-hole and steepest side hill tube), and the tube radius and thickness variables ($r_o/t$=2, 3, 4) included two different reference values ($r_o$=51.6, t=16.9mm).

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.217-221
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• 2015

When reactor coolant leaks occur due to cracks of a steam generator's tube, radioactive materials contained in the primary cooling water in nuclear power plant are forced out toward the secondary systems. At this time the secondary water purification resin in the ion exchange resin tower of the steam generator blowdown system is contaminated by the radioactivity of the leaked radioactive materials, so we pack this in special containers and store temporarily because we could not dispose it by ourselves. If steam generator tube leakage occurs, it produces contaminated spent resins annually about 5,000~7,000 liters. This may increase the amount of nuclear waste productions, a disposal working cost and a unit price of generating electricity in the plant. For this reasons, it is required to develop a decontamination process technique for reducing the radioactive level of these resins enough to handle by the self-disposal method. In this research, First, Investigated the structure and properties of the ion exchange resin used in a steam generator blowdown system. Second, Checked for a occurrence status of contaminated spent resin and a disposal technology. Third, identified the chemical characteristics of the waste radionuclides of the spent resin, and examined ionic bonding and separation mechanism of radioactive nuclear species and a spent resin. Finally, we carried out the decontamination experiment using chemicals, ultrasound, microbubbles, supercritical carbon dioxide to process these spent resin. In the case of the spent resin decontamination method using chemicals, the higher the concentration of the drug decontamination efficiency was higher. In the ultrasound method, foreign matter of the spent resin was removed and was found that the level of radioactivity is below of the MDA. In the microbubbles method, we found that the concentration of the radioactivity decreased after the experiment, so it can be used to the decontamination process of the spent resin. In supercritical carbon dioxide method, we found that it also had a high decontamination efficiency. According to the results of these experiments, almost all decontamination method had a high efficiency, but considering the amounts of the secondary waste productions and work environment of the nuclear power plant, we judged the ultrasound and supercritical carbon dioxide method are suitable for application to the plant and we established the plant applicable decontamination process system on the basis of these two methods.