• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.444-450
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• 2024

Based on multiple measurements of ionization loss, the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) combines strong tracking ability with particle identification ability in a large momentum range, which is an important advantage of TPC detection technology over traditional ionization measurement technology. According to these two characteristics of TPC, applying it to the measurement of fission cross-section can greatly improve the measurement accuracy. During the measurement of the fission cross-section, the number of target nuclei is required to be accurately measured. So this paper introduces a method for measuring the number of ²³⁵U target nuclei using a fission TPC system. The measurement result agrees with the reference value, and relative error is around 1 %.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.781-789
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• 2022

KHNP had licensed Dynamic Control rod Reactivity Measurement (DCRM) method using detector current signals of PWRs in 2006. The method has been applied to all PWRs in Korea for about 15 years successfully. However, the original method was inapplicable to PWRs using low-sensitivity integral fission chamber as ex-core detectors because of their pulse pile-up and the nonlinearity of the mean-square voltage at low power region. Therefore, to overcome this disadvantage, a modified method, DCRM-EK, was developed using kinetics behavior after equilibrium condition where the pulse counts maintain the maximum value before pulse pile-up. Overall measurement, analysis procedure, and related computer codes were changed slightly to reflect the site test condition. The new method was applied to a total of 15 control rods of 1000 MWe and 1400 MWe PWRs in Korea with worths in the range of 200 pcm -1200 pcm. The results show the average difference of -0.4% and the maximum difference of 7.1% compared to the design values. Therefore, the new DCRM-EK will be applied to PWRs using low sensitivity integral fission chambers, and also can replace the original DCRM when the evaluation fails by big noises present in current or voltage signals of uncompensated/compensated ion chambers.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.921-928
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• 2013

A future nuclear energy system is being developed at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the system involves a Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) linked with the pyro-process. The pyro-process produces a source material to fabricate a SFR fuel rod. Therefore, an isotopic fissile content assay is very important for fuel rod safety and SFR economics. A new technology for an analysis of isotopic fissile content has been proposed using a lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS). The new technology has several features for a fissile analysis from spent fuel: direct isotopic fissile assay, no background interference, and no requirement from burnup history information. Several calculations were done on the designed spectrometer geometry: detection sensitivity, neutron energy spectrum analysis, neutron fission characteristics, self shielding analysis, and neutron production mechanism. The spectrum was well organized even at low neutron energy and the threshold fission chamber was a proper choice to get prompt fast fission neutrons. The characteristic fission signature was obtained in slowing down neutron energy from each fissile isotope. Another application of LSDS is for an optimum design of the spent fuel storage, maximization of the burnup credit and provision of the burnup code correction factor. Additionally, an isotopic fissile content assay will contribute to an increase in transparency and credibility for the utilization of spent fuel nuclear material, as internationally demanded.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.504-516
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• 2017

The Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) is the first research reactor in Jordan, the commissioning of which is ongoing. The reactor is a 5-MWth, open-pool type, light-water-moderated, and cooled reactor with a heavy water reflector system. The neutron measurement system (NMS) applied to the JRTR employs a wide-range fission chamber that can cover from source range to power range. A high-sensitivity boron trifluoride counter was added to obtain more accurate measurements of the neutron signals and to calibrate the log power signals; the NMS has a major role in the entire commissioning stage. However, few case studies exist concerning the application of the NMS to a research reactor. This study introduces the features of the NMS and the boron trifluoride counter in the JRTR and shares valuable experiences from lessons learned from the system installation to its early commissioning. In particular, the background noise relative to the signal-to-noise ratio and the NMS signal interlock are elaborated. The results of the count rates with the neutron source and the effects of the discriminator threshold are summarized.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.837-846
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• 2014

A lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS) is under development for analysis of isotopic fissile material contents in pyro-processed material, or spent fuel. Many current commercial fissile assay technologies have a limitation in accurate and direct assay of fissile content. However, LSDS is very sensitive in distinguishing fissile fission signals from each isotope. A neutron spectrum analysis was conducted in the spectrometer and the energy resolution was investigated from 0.1eV to 100keV. The spectrum was well shaped in the slowing down energy. The resolution was enough to obtain each fissile from 0.2eV to 1keV. The detector existence in the lead will disturb the source neutron spectrum. It causes a change in resolution and peak amplitude. The intense source neutron production was designed for ~E12 n's/sec to overcome spent fuel background. The detection sensitivity of U238 and Th232 fission chamber was investigated. The first and second layer detectors increase detection efficiency. Thorium also has a threshold property to detect the fast fission neutrons from fissile fission. However, the detection of Th232 is about 76% of that of U238. A linear detection model was set up over the slowing down neutron energy to obtain each fissile material content. The isotopic fissile assay using LSDS is applicable for the optimum design of spent fuel storage to maximize burnup credit and quality assurance of the recycled nuclear material for safety and economics. LSDS technology will contribute to the transparency and credibility of pyro-process using spent fuel, as internationally demanded.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.94-98
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• 1999

An analysis method of components and isotopic compositions of low pressure gases from nuclear fuel rod using quadrupole mass spectrometer was studied. The calibration curves of each gas in pure and mixtures of He, $N_2$, $O_2$, Ar, Kr and Xe were obtained as a function of pressure and concentration, respectively. Effect of molecular leak, located between sample chamber and analyser chamber, on the sensitivites was also studied. The results suggested that samples could be analysed accurately at the same analytical condition as that of synthetic gas mixture. The difference of sensitivities among isotopes of Kr and Xe was not observed in the range of measured pressure.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.287-303
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• 1995

Tungsten ore deposits in China show clearly their relationship between granitoids and orebodies. All kinds of different tungsten ore deposits, having the largest ore reserves in the world, occur in China. Major tungsten deposits in 1950'years were locally confined in three provinces such as Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangdong. However, the major tungsten ore deposits are replaced by new tungsten deposits such as Sandahozhuang, Xingluokeng, Shizhuan and Daminghsan deposit which may be larger than the previous major deposits. Tungsten ore deposits of China exhibit obviously the granitoid was the ore-bringer to form tungsten ore deposits. The wolframite-bearing quarz veins in China indicate that tungsten mineralization took place by crystallization of wolframite preferentially unless $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ was introduced from outside into the magma-origin-fluid, since it is understood that the scheelite in the Sangdong ore deposit was preferentially precipitated, because of chemical affinity, from the tungsten fluid in which Fe and Ca ions were as sufficient as to form magnetite, wolframite and scheelite. Tungsten deposits in the world are divided into two systems; W-Mo-Sn system and W-Mo system. Most of tungsten deposits in China dated to about 196-116 Ma belong to the W-Mo-Sn system, while late Cretaceous tungsten deposits such as the Sangdong deposit in Korea belongs to the W-Mo system. The genetic order of tin-tungsten-molybdenum mineralization observed in the Moping tungsten mine in China and the Sangdong in Korea may be attributed to volatile pressures in the same magma chamber. It is assumed from ages of tungsten mineralizations that ore elements such as tin, tungsten and molybdenum might be generated periodically by nuclear fission and fusion in a part of the mantle and the element generated was introduced into the magma chamber. The periodical generation of elements had determined association, depletion and enrichment of tin and molybdenum in tungsten mineralization and it results in little association of cassiterite in tungsten deposit of late Cretaceous ages. Different mechanism of emplacement of the ore-bearing magma has brought various genetic types of tungsten deposits as shown in China and the world.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.203-210
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• 2018

As the modernization of the nuclear instrumentation system progresses, research reactors have adopted digital wide-range neutron power measurement (DWRNPM) systems. These systems typically monitor the neutron flux across a range of over 10 decades. Because neutron detectors only measure the local neutron flux at their position, the local neutron flux must be converted to total reactor power through calibration, which involves mapping the local neutron flux level to a reference reactor power. Conventionally, the neutron power range is divided into smaller subranges because the neutron detector signal characteristics and the reference reactor power estimation methods are different for each subrange. Therefore, many factors should be considered when preparing the calibration procedure for DWRNPM channels. The main purpose of this work is to serve as a reference for performing the calibration of DWRNPM systems in research reactors. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the calibration of DWRNPM channels by describing the configuration of the DWRNPM system and by summarizing the theories of operation and the reference power estimation methods with their associated calibration procedure. The calibration procedure was actually performed during the commissioning of an open-pool type research reactor, and the results and experience are documented herein.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.536-545
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• 2024

Radioactive iodine is a representative fission product to be quantified for the safety assessment of nuclear facilities. In integral severe accident analysis codes, the iodine behavior is usually described by a multi-physical model of iodine chemistry in aqueous phase under radiation field and mass transfer through gas-liquid interface. The focus of studies on iodine source term evaluations using the combination approach is usually put on the chemical aspect, but each contribution to the iodine amount released to the environment has not been decomposed so far. In this study, we attempted the decomposition by revising the two-film theory of molecular-iodine mass transfer. The model involves an effective overall mass transfer coefficient to consider the iodine chemistry. The decomposition was performed by regarding the coefficient as a product of two functions of pH and the overall mass transfer coefficient for molecular iodine. The procedure was applied to the EPICUR experiment and suppression chamber in BWR.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.2077-2083
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• 2022

In the unlikely event of core disruptive accident in sodium cooled fast reactors, the reactor containment building would be bottled up with sodium and fission product aerosols. The behavior of these aerosols is crucial to estimate the in-containment source term as a part of nuclear reactor safety analysis. In this work, the evolution of sodium aerosol characteristics (mass concentration and size) is simulated using HAARM-S code. The code is based on the method of moments to solve the integro-differential equation. The code is updated to FORTRAN-77 and run in Microsoft FORTRAN PowerStation 4.0 (on Desktop). The sodium aerosol characteristics simulated by HAARM-S code are compared with the measured values at Aerosol Test Facility. The maximum deviation between measured and simulated mass concentrations is 30% at initial period (up to 60 min) and around 50% in the later period. In addition, the influence of humidity on aerosol size growth for two different aerosol mass concentrations is studied. The measured and simulated growth factors of aerosol size (ratio of saturated size to initial size) are found to be matched at reasonable extent. Since sodium is highly reactive with atmospheric constituents, the aerosol growth factor depends on the hygroscopic growth, chemical transformation and density variations besides coagulation. Further, there is a scope for the improvement of the code to estimate the aerosol dynamics in confined environment.