• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.347-357
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• 2018

The applicability of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([$C_nmim$] [$Tf_2N$]), was investigated for the extraction of Am(III) and Eu(III) from nitric acid using n-octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutyl carbamoylmethyl phosphine oxide (CMPO) and tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) as extractants. The distribution ratios of Am(III) and Eu(III) in CMPO-TBP/[$C_nmim$][$Tf_2N$] were measured as a function of various parameters such as the concentrations of nitric acid, CMPO, and TBP. The results were compared with those obtained in CMPO-TBP/n-dodecane (n-DD). With comparable concentrations of the extractants, the distribution ratios obtained with RTILs were much higher than those obtained with n-DD. It was observed that the extraction efficiency was less for Eu(III) than for Am(III). The extraction of Am(III) and Eu(III) decreased with increases in the feed acidity for all three RTILs. The results suggest that the extraction of Am(III) and Eu(III) by CMPO in RTILs from nitric acid proceeds through the cation-exchange mechanism. The distribution ratios of Am(III) and Eu(III) increased with increases in the concentration of CMPO for all three RTILs. A linear regression analysis of the extraction data resulted in a straight line with a slope of about 3, suggesting the involvement of 3 molecules of CMPO during the extraction process.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.179-194
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• 2020

A Bayesian approach was introduced to improve the belief of prior distributions of input parameters for the probabilistic safety assessment of radioactive waste repository. A GoldSim-based module was developed using the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm and implemented through GSTSPA (GoldSim Total System Performance Assessment), a GoldSim template for generic/site-specific safety assessment of the radioactive repository system. In this study, sequential Bayesian updating of prior distributions was comprehensively explained and used as a basis to conduct a reliable safety assessment of the repository. The prior distribution to three sequential posterior distributions for several selected parameters associated with nuclide transport in the fractured rock medium was updated with assumed likelihood functions. The process was demonstrated through a probabilistic safety assessment of the conceptual repository for illustrative purposes. Through this study, it was shown that insufficient observed data could enhance the belief of prior distributions for input parameter values commonly available, which are usually uncertain. This is particularly applicable for nuclide behavior in and around the repository system, which typically exhibited a long time span and wide modeling domain.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.542-550
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• 2020

The use of high-strength aluminum alloys for ships and of shore structures has many benefits compared to carbon steels. Recently, high-strength aluminum alloys have been widely used in onshore and of shore industries, and they are widely used for the side shell structures of special-purpose ships. Their use in box girders of bridge structures and in the topside of fixed platforms is also becoming more widespread. Use of aluminum material can reduce fuel consumption by reducing the weight of the composite material through a weight composition ratio of 1/3 compared to carbon steel. The characteristics of the stress strain relationship of an aluminum structure are quite different from those of a steel structure, because of the influence of the welding[process heat affected zone (HAZ). The HAZ of aluminum is much wider than that of steel owing to its higher heat conductivity. In this study, by considering the HAZ generated by metal insert gas (MIG) welding, the buckling and final strength characteristics of an aluminum reinforcing plate against longitudinal compression loads were analyzed. MIG welding reduces both the buckling and ultimate strength, and the energy dissipation rate after initial yielding is high in the range of the HAZ being 15 mm, and then the difference is small when HAZ being 25 mm or more. Therefore, it is important to review and analyze the influence of the HAZ to estimate the structural behavior of the stiffened plate to which the aluminum alloy material is applied.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.75-83
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• 2012

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of change in heat release rate on unsteady fire characteristics of under-ventilated fire in a semi-closed compartment. A standard doorway width of the full-scale ISO 9705 room was modified to 0.1 m and the flow rate of heptane fuel was increased linearly with time using a spray nozzle located at the center of enclosure. Temperature, heat flux, species concentrations and heat release rate were continuously measured and then global equivalence ratio (GER) concept was adopted to represent the unsteady thermal and chemical characteristics inside the compartment. It was observed that there was a significant difference in unsteady behavior between global and local combustion efficiency, and the GERs predicted by ideal and measured heat release rate were also shown different results in time. The unsteady behaviors of temperature, heat flux and species concentrations were represented well using the GER concept. It was important to note that CO concentration was gradually decreased with the increase in GER after reaching its maximum value in the range of 2.0~3.0 of global equivalence ratio. In addition, the experimental data on unsteady thermal and chemical behaviors obtained in a semi-closed compartment will be usefully used to validate a realistic fire simulation.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.653-657
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• 2009

Nitrous oxide is a typical greenhouse gas which is produced from various organic or fossil fuel combustion processes as well as chemicals producing plants. $N_2O$ has a global worming potential of 310 times that of $CO_2$ on per molecule basis, and also acts as an ozone depleting material in the stratosphere. However, its removal is not easy for its chemical stability characteristics. Most SCR processes with several effective reducing agents generally require the operation temperature higher than $450^{\circ}C$, and the catalytic conversion becomes decreased significantly when NOx is present in the stream. Present experiments have been performed to obtain basic design data of actual application concerning the effects of $SO_2$ and $NH_3$ on the interim and long term activities of $N_2O$ reduction with CO over the mixed metal oxide (MMO) catalyst derived from a hydrotalcite-like compound precursor. The MMO catalysts used in the experiments, have shown prominent activities displaying full conversions of $N_2O$ near $200^{\circ}C$ when CO is introduced. The presence of $SO_2$ is considered to show no critical behavior as can be met in the $NH_3$ SCR DeNOx systems and the effect of $NH_3$ is considered to play as mere an impurity to share the active sites of the catalysts.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2015

The buffer is a key component of the engineered barrier system in a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository. The present study reviewed the requirements and functional criteria of the buffer reported in literature, and also based on the results, proposed an approach to establish a buffer concept which is applicable to an HLW repository in Korea. The hydraulic conductivity, radionuclide-retarding capacity (equilibrium distribution coefficient and diffusion coefficient), swelling pressure, thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, organic carbon content, and illitization rate were considered as major technical parameters for the functional criteria of the buffer. Domestic bentonite (Ca-bentonite) and, as an alternative, MX-80 (Na-bentonite) were proposed for the buffer of an HLW repository in Korea. The technical specifications for those proposed bentonites were set to parameter values that conservatively satisfy Korea's functional criteria for the Ca-bentonite and Swedish criteria for the Na-bentonite. The thickness of the buffer was determined by evaluating the means of shear behavior, radionuclide release, and heat conduction, which resulted in the proper buffer thickness of 0.25 to 0.5 m. However, the final thickness of the buffer should be determined by considering coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical evaluation and economics and engineering aspects as well.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.234-240
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• 2008

This work demonstrates the preparation of proton conducting crosslinked polymer electrolyte membranes by blending polystrene-b-poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PS-b-PHEA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) at 1 : 1 wt ratio. The PHEA block of the diblock copolymer was crosslinked with PVA using sulfosuccinic acid (SA) via the esterification reaction between -OH of membrane and -COOH of SA, as confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. Ion exchange capacity (IEC) continuously increased from 0.14 to 0.91 meq/g with increasing concentrations of SA, due to the increasing portion of charged groups in the membrane. In contrast, the water uptake increased up to 20.0 wt% of SA concentration above which it decreased monotonically. The membrane also exhibited a maximum proton conductivity of 0.024 S/cm at 20.0 wt% of SA concentration. The maximum behavior of water uptake and proton conductivity is considered to be due to competitive effect between the increase of ionic sites and the crosslinking reaction according to the SA concentration.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.373-384
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• 2006

Spent ion-exchanged resin generated from various purification systems in CANDU reactor was contaminated with high activity of $^{14}C$ radionuclide. This paper describes the results of fundamental study to develop the applicable technology for the treatment of this spent resin. Based on the adsorption capacity of inactive $HCO_3$ ion and other anions on IRN-150 mixed resin, the removal characteristics of $HCO_3$ ion adsorbed on to IRN-150 by various stripping solutions were evaluated. Maximum adsorption amount of the $HCO_3$ ion onto IRN-150 raw resin was about 11 mg-C/g-resin which agrees with the theoretical adsorption amount of this resin. Adsorption affinity of various anions such as $CS,\;CO,\;Na\;NH_4$ was analyzed in single and multi-component systems. From the results of removal characteristics of the $HCO_3$ ion adsorbed on IRN-150 by various stripping solutions, $NH_4H_2PO_4$ stripping solution is more effective than $NaNO_3,\;Na_3PO_3$ solutions for the complete removal of $^{14}C$ radionuclide from the IRN-150 spent resin.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2016

The properties of wastes for melting need to be considered to minimize the maintenance of refractory and to discharge the molten slags smoothly from a plasma torch melter. When the nonflammable wastes from nuclear facilities such as concrete debris, glass, sand, etc., are melted, they become acid slags with low basicity since the chemical composition has much more acid oxides than basic oxides. A molten slag does not have good characteristics of discharge and is mainly responsible for the refractory erosion due to its low liquidity. In case of a stationary plasma torch melter with a slant tapping port on the wall, a fixed amount of molten slags remains inside of tapping hole as well as the melter inside after tapping out. Nonmetallic slags keep the temperature higher than melting point of metal because metallic slags located on the bottom of melter by specific gravity difference are simultaneously melted when dual mode plasma torch operates in transferred mode. In order to minimize the refractory erosion, the compatible refractories are selected considering the temperature inside the melter and the melting behavior of slags whether to contact or noncontact with molten slags. An acidic refractory shall not be installed in adjacent to a basic refractory for the resistibility against corrosion.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.46-52
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• 2006

The effects of surface treatment on the hydrogen storage properties of a $Mg_2Ni$ alloy particle were investigated by the microvoltammetric technique, in which a carbon-filament microelectrode was manipulated to make electrical contact with the particle in a KOH aqueous solution. It was found that the hydrogen storage properties of $Mg_2Ni$ at room temperature were improved by the surface treatment with a nickel plating solution. The sodium salts(sodium phosphate and sodium dihydrogen citrate) contained in the nickel plating solution made the alloy form an amorphous-like state, resulting in an improved hydrogen charge/discharge capacity at room temperature as high as about 150[mAh/g] from the original value of 17[mAh/g]. Potential-step experiment was carried out to determine the apparent chemical diffusion coefficient of hydrogen atom($D_{app}$) in the alloy. Since the alloy particle we used here was a dense, conductive sphere, the spherical diffusion model was employed for data analysis. $D_{app}$ was found to vary the order between $10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-9}[cm^2/s]$ over the course of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation process.