• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권9호
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• pp.1907-1916
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• 2020

In this work, the depletion capability implemented in Monte Carlo code MCS is investigated to predict the isotopic compositions of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). By comparison of MCS calculation results to post irradiation examination (PIE) data obtained from one pressurized water reactor (PWR), the validation of this capability is conducted. The depletion analysis is performed with the ENDF/B-VII.1 library and a fuel assembly model. The transmutation equation is solved by the Chebyshev Rational Approximation Method (CRAM) with a depletion chain of 3820 isotopes. 18 actinides and 19 fission products are analyzed in 14 SNF samples. The effect of statistical uncertainties on the calculated number densities is discussed. On average, most of the actinides and fission products analyzed are predicted within ±6% of the experiment. MCS depletion results are also compared to other depletion codes based on publicly reported information in literature. The code-to-code analysis shows comparable accuracy. Overall, it is demonstrated that the depletion capability in MCS can be reliably applied in the prediction of SNF isotopic inventory.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.434-441
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• 2017

Containment venting is one of several essential measures to protect the integrity of the final barrier of a nuclear reactor during severe accidents, by which the uncontrollable release of fission products can be avoided. The authors seek to develop an optimization approach to venting operations, from a simulation-based perspective, using an integrated severe accident code, THALES2/KICHE. The effectiveness of the containment-venting strategies needs to be verified via numerical simulations based on various settings of the venting conditions. The number of iterations, however, needs to be controlled to avoid cumbersome computational burden of integrated codes. Bayesian optimization is an efficient global optimization approach. By using a Gaussian process regression, a surrogate model of the "black-box" code is constructed. It can be updated simultaneously whenever new simulation results are acquired. With predictions via the surrogate model, upcoming locations of the most probable optimum can be revealed. The sampling procedure is adaptive. Compared with the case of pure random searches, the number of code queries is largely reduced for the optimum finding. One typical severe accident scenario of a boiling water reactor is chosen as an example. The research demonstrates the applicability of the Bayesian optimization approach to the design and establishment of containment-venting strategies during severe accidents.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.106-113
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• 2017

Background: Interfacing-system loss-of-coolant-accident (ISLOCA) has been identified as the most hazardous accident scenario in the typical PWR plants. The present study as an effort to improve the knowledge of the source term to the environment during ISLOCA focuses on an improvement of the estimation method. Materials and Methods: The improvement was performed to take into account an effect of broken pipeline and auxiliary building structures relevant to ISLOCA. An estimation of the source term to the environment was for the OPR-1000 plants by MELOCR code version 1.8.6. Results and Discussion: The key features of the source term showed that the massive amount of fission products departed from the beginning of core degradation to the vessel breach. Conclusion: The release amount of fission products may be affected by the broken pipeline and the auxiliary building structure associated with release pathway.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.965-974
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• 2016

The article describes the results of experiments conducted on pigs to determine the effect of plutonium, which is the most radiotoxic and highly active element in the range of mixed fuel $(U_{0.8}Pu_{0.2})O_2$ fission products, on living organisms. The results will allow empirical prediction of the emergency plutonium radiation dose for various organs and tissues of humans in case of an accident in a reactor running on mixed fuel $(U_{0.8}Pu_{0.2})O_2$.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.228-235
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• 1992

처분된 폐기물에서 용해도가 큰 핵종이 침출될 때, 그 핵종의 용해도에 의해 조절되거나 조화 용해하지 않는 경우가 있다. 예를 들면 원자로 운영시 핵분열 생성물의 일부는 그레인 경계나 핵연료와 피복재 사이의 틈새에 축적될 수가 있다. 사용후 핵연료 처분장에서 이와 같이 축적된 핵분열 생성물중 세슘이나 요오드와 같이 용해도가 큰 핵종은 용기가 부식되면 지하수내에 급격하게 녹게된다. 이와 같이 틈새에 녹아있는 용해도가 큰 핵종의 이동현상을 시간 및 공간의 함수로 모사하고 그 수치 결과를 제시하였다. 전구간에서 유효한 근사해를 제시하고 이를 초기 및 후기 접근해와 Laplace 변환을 수치 재변환으로 얻은 해들과 비교함으로 검증하였다.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.84-93
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• 2023

The spent nuclear fuel is burned during the planned cycle in the plant and then generates elements such as actinide series, fission products, and plutonium with a long half-life. An 'interim storage' step is needed to manage the high radioactivity and heat emitted by nuclides until permanent-disposal. In the case of Korea, there is no space to dispose of high-level radioactive waste after use, so there is a need for a period of time using interim storage. Therefore, the intensity of neutrons and gamma-ray must be determined to ensure the integrity of spent nuclear fuel during interim storage. In particular, the most important thing in spent nuclear fuel is burnup evaluation, estimation of the source term of neutrons and gamma-ray is regarded as a reference measurement of the burnup evaluation. In this study, an analysis of spent nuclear fuel was conducted by setting up a virtual fuel burnup case based on CE16×16 fuel to check the total amount and spectrum of neutron, gamma radiation produced. The correlation between BU (burnup), IE (enrichment), and CT (cooling time) will be identified through spent nuclear fuel burnup calculation. In addition, the composition of nuclide inventory, actinide and fission products can be identified.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.435-441
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• 2014

Silicon carbide-based ceramics and their composites have been studied for application to fusion and advanced fission energy systems. For fission reactors, $SiC_f$/SiC composites can be applied to core structural materials. Multilayered SiC composite fuel cladding, owing to its superior high temperature strength and low hydrogen generation under severe accident conditions, is a candidate for the replacement of zirconium alloy cladding. The SiC composite cladding has to retain its mechanical properties and original structure under the inner pressure caused by fission products; as such it can be applied as a cladding in fission reactor. A hoop strength test using an expandable polyurethane plug was designed in order to evaluate the mechanical properties of the fuel cladding. In this paper, a hoop strength test of the multilayered SiC composite tube for nuclear fuel cladding was simulated using FEA. The stress caused by the plug was distributed nonuniformly because of the friction coefficient difference between the inner surface of the tube and the plug. Hoop stress and shear stress at the tube was evaluated and the relationship between the concentrated stress at the inner layer of the tube and the fracture behavior of the tube was investigated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.40-51
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• 1992

연구용 원자로의 분산형 핵연료에 대한 노내 조사 거동의 주요 특성중의 하나는 핵연료심 팽윤에 기인된 핵연료봉 직경 증가이다. 본 논문에서는 분산형 우라늄실리사이드 핵연료에 대한 노내 조사거 동과 실험 증거들을 분석함으로써 그 핵연료의 팽윤에 대한 물리적 해석 모형인, DFSWELL 전산 모형을 개발하였다. 문헌에 보고된 실험 증거들로부터 노내에서 U$_3$Si-Al 핵연료심의 부피변화는 온도와 핵분열율에 따라 크게 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났다. 분산형 우라늄 실리사이드 핵연료에 대한 정량적 팽윤량은 주어진 온도, 핵분열율, 핵분열고체생성물 측적 및 핵분열기체 기포거동을 고려함으로써 평가될 수 있다. 연구로의 분산형 우라늄실리사이드 핵연료의 팽윤 현상은 다음과 같은 세 가지 현상으로 귀결된다. i ) 핵분열기체생성물 기포 생성/축적에 치한 부피변화 ii ) 고체 핵분열생성물의 축적 및 상 변화에 의한 부피변화 iii ) 핵연료 입자와 기지 사이의 공유층에 대한 부피변화 상기 세 가지의 물리 적 현상을 고려하는 본 DFSWELL 전산 모형의 출력이력 조건에 따른 절대 예측치들은 실행 결과와 비교할 때 분산형 우라윰실리 사이드 핵연료의 조사추 팽윤 실측치와 잘 일치한다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.975-981
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• 2016

The containment response during the first 24 hours of a low-pressure severe accident scenario in a nuclear power plant with a two-loop Westinghouse-type pressurized water reactor was simulated with the CONTAIN 2.0 computer code. The accident considered in this study is a large-break loss-of-coolant accident, which is not successfully mitigated by the action of safety systems. The analysis includes pressure and temperature responses, as well as investigation into the influence of spray on the retention of fission products and the prevention of hydrogen combustion in the containment.

• 분석과학
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.474-483
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• 2000

사용후핵연료에 함유되어 있는 핵분열생성물을 분석하기 위하여 여러 원소를 동시에 분석할 수 있고, 분석감도가 커서 시료의 방사능과 폐기물의 양을 감소시킬 수 있는 유도 결합 플라스마 원자방출분광기/차폐 시스템을 구성하였다. 방사성 물질이 직접 접촉되는 플라스마 들뜸원과 시료용액 도입부를 스테인리스 스틸 재질의 글로브박스 내부에 설치하였으며, 고주파 들뜸전원, 분광기, 검출기 그리고 전기, 전자 및 아르곤 가스 공급 제어장치는 외부에 설치하였다. 분석능과 방사선 안전의 관점에서 시스템의 특성을 검증하였으며, 사용후핵연료 용해용액과 원자력발전소의 일차냉각수를 대상으로 핵분열생성물과 방사성 부식생성물 분석에 대한 적용성을 평가한 결과 $0.01-0.1mgL^{-1}$ 농도범위에서 상대표준편차는 5% 이하였다.