• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.119-126
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• 2022

This study provides technical information about the nuclear fuel handling process, which consists of various subprocesses starting from new fuel receipt to spent fuel shipment at a nuclear power plant and the design requirements of fuel handling equipment. The fuel handling system is an integrated system of equipment, tools, and procedures that allow refueling, handling and storage of fuel assemblies, which comprise the fuel handling process. The understanding and reaffirming of detailed code requirements are requested for application to the design of the fuel handling and storage facility. We reviewed the design requirements of the fuel handling equipment for its adequate cooling, prevention of criticality, its operability and maintainability, and for the prevention of fuel damage and radiological release. Furthermore, we discussed additional technical issues related to upgrading the current code requirements based on the modification of the fuel handling equipment. The suggested information provided in this paper would be beneficial to enhance the safety and the reliability of the fuel handling equipment during the handling of new and spent fuel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4125-4133
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• 2022

KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) developed the conceptual design of PGSFR (Prototype Gen-IV Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor) and Burner Reactor. Since the reactor characteristics of the PGSFR and Burner Reactor are different, the shape, size and the arrangement of the main components in the reactors must be different. Therefore, the conceptual design for the fuel handling and transfer systems needs to be performed coinciding with the structure of the reactor. Especially, because a redan structure dividing hot and cold pool is installed in the reactor vessel, the conceptual design of the fuel handling and transfer system largely changes depending on the location of the redan structure. Various elements of the conceptual design and an integral arrangement for the fuel handling and transfer system were arranged according to the characteristics, sizes and shapes of the reactors. In this paper, the conceptual designs of the fuel handling and transfer system for PGSFR and Burner Reactor are described. Especially, an A-frame method is selected as the fuel handling and transfer system for the Burner Reactor, considering the layout of the internal structure. The tilt angle, diameter and length of A-frame is determined and the strength evaluation of the A-frame is performed.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.249-254
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• 2004

The radiation dosage of nuclear fuel handling machine of PHWR type NPP during normal operation is measured using semiconductor detectors. In order to predict and mitigate the damage of main components in fuel handling machine, caused by high irradiation, the radiation dosage exerted to the components by neutron and gamma ray is measured independently during one time of the fuel exchange, which is used far estimating the radiation dosage for one year. This result can guarantee the safety and economical efficiency for determining the replacement time of the high cost main components in fuel handling machine.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.214-225
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• 2003

A teleoperated manipulator system has been developed for remote handling of the spent fuel bundles. A heavy-duty power manipulator with high reduction ratio joints is used for the slave manipulator in the developed system since the handling tasks of the spent fuel bundles need power. Also, the universal type master manipulator, which has force reflecting capability, is used for precise remote manipulation. The power manipulators so frequently occur the control input saturation that the precise control performances are not achieved due to the windup phenomenon. An advanced bilateral control scheme compensating for the saturation is applied to the teleoperated manipulator system. The validity of the developed system is verified by the grid cutting and fuel transportation tasks from the mockup spent fuel bundle.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.1210-1215
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• 2002

The spent fuel handling tool is used to handle the refuel bundle and treated by hoist rope on the bridge crane. The new developed handling tool of NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) should be conformed the structural stability under earthquake condition. In this study, the stress and seismic analysis of the handling tool are performed by finite element method. Using the Floor Response Spectrum(FRS) obtained through the time history analysis, the modal and seismic analysis under Operating Basis Earthquake(OBE) and Safe Shutdown Earthquake(SSE) load conditions are carried out. Total 4 cases of different locations of the trolly and the hook are investigated. With the spring-damper element, the tension analysis of hoist rope is conducted. The stability of handling tool under earthquake load condition is conformed with regulatory guide.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.363-366
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• 2004

KAERI is developing the Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process (ACP) as a pre-disposal treatment process for spent fuel. In this process, the management process must operate in intense radiation fields as well as in a high temperature. Therefore, remote maintenance has played a significant role in this process. Hence suitable remote handling and maintenance technology needs to be developed along with the design of the process concepts. To do this, we developed the digital mockup for the ACP. The digital mockup provides the capability of verifying the remote operability of the process without fabrication of the process equipment. In other words, by applying virtual reality to the remote maintenance operation, a remote operation task can be simulated in the digital mockup. Through utilizing this graphic simulation in this digital mockup, general guidelines can be established for designing equipment intended for remote handling and maintenance. Also, the designer of the equipment that must be remotely maintained should ensure that there is adequate access to the process equipment. The graphic simulator will substantially reduce the cost of the develo363pment of the remote handling and maintenance procedure as well as the process equipment.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.1220-1224
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• 2003

In this paper, we measured the radiation dose of a fuel handling machine of the CANDU type Wolsong nuclear reactor directly during operation, in spite of the high radiation level. In this paper we will describe the sensor development, measurement techniques, and results of our study. For this study, we used specially developed semiconductor sensors and matching dosimetry techniques for the mixed radiation field. MOSFET dosimeters with a thin oxide, that are tuned to a high dose, were used to measure the ionizing radiation dose. Silicon diode dosimeters with an optimum area to thickness ratio were used for the radiation damage measurements. The sensors are able to distinguish neutrons from gamma/X-rays. To measure the radiation dose, electronic sensor modules were installed on two locations of the fuel handling machine. The measurements were performed throughout one reactor maintenance cycle. The resultant annual cumulative dose of gamma/X-rays on the two spots of the fuel handling machine were 18.47 Mrad and 76.50 Mrad, and those of the neutrons were 17.51 krad and 60.67 krad. The measured radiation level is high enough to degrade certain cable insulation materials that may result in electrical insulation failure.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.2471-2474
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• 2003

This paper focuses on the stability and operability of a man-machine system considering a human operator. Some papers' main interest has been the stability only, but the operability such as fatigue is also the other main interest. In a man-machine system, feelings such as motional, visual, and kinesthetic are important since those enable operators to work easily or fatigue operators. A model of a man-machine system has been developed. Motional, visual, and kinesthetic feelings may be considered as feedbacked sensor signals. We also have quantified the degree of fatigue with respect to reference operation. This is a performance index to be optimized. Several methods are presented to optimize the degree of fatigue and the stability of the integrated system. Examples are presented to show that the usefulness of the proposed modeling method and fatigue mitigating algorithm.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.2467-2470
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• 2003

In this paper, fault tolerant mechanisms are presented for a servo manipulator system designed to operate in a hot cell. A hot cell is a sealed and shielded room to handle radioactive materials, and it is dangerous for people to work in the hot cell. So, remote operations are necessary to handle radioactive materials in the hot cell. KAERI has developed a servo manipulator system to perform such remote operations. However, since electric components such as servo motors are weak to radiations, fault tolerant mechanisms have to be considered. For fault tolerance of the servo manipulator system, hardware and software redundancy have been considered. In case of hardware, radioactive resistant electric components such as cables and connectors have been adopted and motors driving a transport have been duplicated. In case of software, a reconfiguration algorithm accommodating one motor's failure has been developed. The algorithm uses redundant axis to recover the end effector's motion in spite of one motor's failure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.205-219
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• 2004

The remote operation of the Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process (ACP) is analyzed by using the 3D graphic simulation tools. The ACP equipment operates in intense radiation fields as well as in a high temperature. Thus, the equipment should be designed in consideration of the remote handling and maintenance. As well as suitable remote handling and maintenance technology needs to be developed along with the design of the process concepts. To develop such remote operation technology, we developed the graphic simulator which provides the capability of verifying the remote operability of the ACP without fabrication of the process equipment. In other words, by applying virtual reality to the remote maintenance operation, a remote operation task can be simulated in the graphic simulator, not in the real environment. The graphic simulator will substantially reduce the cost of the development of the remote handling and maintenance procedure as well as the process equipment, while at the same time developing a remote maintenance concept that is more reliable, easier to implement, and easier to understand.