• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권10호
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• pp.3724-3731
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• 2022

It is important for an ICRF full wave code to simulate the SOL (Scrape Off Layer) plasma as well as the core inside of the LCFS (Last Closed Flux Surface) for the precise prediction of the coupling between the antenna and the core plasma in tokamaks. To this end, a two dimensional full wave code based on a Fourier spectral algorithm has been developed. The spectral algorithm and procedures are described and the simulation results for the minority heating in KSTAR are reported including electric field, power absorption and power flux.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권4호
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• pp.1210-1217
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• 2023

The assessment of radiation fields in the lithium loop pipes and dump tank during the operation were performed for International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility - DEMO-Oriented NEutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) in order to obtain the radiation dose-rate maps in the component surroundings. Variance reduction techniques such as weight window mesh (produced with the ADVANTG code) were applied to bring the statistical uncertainty down to a reasonable level. The biological dose was given in the study, and potential shielding optimization is suggested and more thoroughly evaluated. The MCNP Monte Carlo was used to simulate a gamma particle transport for radiation shielding purposes for the current Li Systems' design. In addition, the shielding efficiency was identified for the Impurity Control System components and the dump tank. The analysis reported in this paper takes into account the radiation decay source from and activated corrosion products (ACPs), which is created by d-Li interaction. As a consequence, the radiation (resulting from ACPs and Be-7) shielding calculations have been carried out for safety considerations.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권6호
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• pp.2404-2411
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• 2024

The GEOUNED code is specifically designed to convert CAD models, defined using the B-rep approach, into MC radiation transport models, defined using the CSG approach, and vice versa from MC to CAD. This code incorporates standard features commonly found in conversion tools, including decomposition, conversion, and automatic void generation. Additionally, it introduces innovative features, mainly in the automatic void generation part, which are described in this article. GEOUNED has demonstrated successful application in highly detailed 3D models used in fusion neutronics, which are known for their complex geometries, particularly those utilized in ITER. The article includes examples showcasing GEOUNED's performance in these challenging models, as well as custom applications that highlight its flexibility in addressing non-standard problems. The code is open-source and utilizes Open CASCADE as the geometry engine, with FreeCAD serving as the Python API.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권11호
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• pp.4274-4281
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• 2023

Blanket is of vital importance for engineering application of the fusion reactor. Nuclear heat deposition in materials is the main heat source in blanket structure. In this paper, the three-dimensional method for thermal-hydraulics/neutronics coupling analysis is developed and applied for the full-scale module of the helium-cooled ceramic breeder tritium breeding blanket (HCCB TBB) designed for China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). The explicit coupling scheme is used to support data transfer for coupling analysis based on cell-to-cell mapping method. The coupling algorithm is realized by the user-defined function compiled in Fluent. The three-dimensional model is established, and then the coupling analysis is performed using the paralleled Coupling Analysis of Thermal-hydraulics and Neutronics Interface Code (CATNIC). The results reveal the relatively small influence of the coupling analysis compared to the traditional method using the radial fitting function of internal heat source. However, the coupling analysis method is quite important considering the nonuniform distribution of the neutron wall loading (NWL) along the poloidal direction. Finally, the structure optimization of the blanket is carried out using the coupling method to satisfy the thermal requirement of all materials. The nonlinear effect between thermal-hydraulics and neutronics is found during the blanket structure optimization, and the tritium production performance is slightly reduced after optimization. Such an adverse effect should be thoroughly evaluated in the future work.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권11호
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• pp.2460-2470
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• 2020

To study the thermophysical and neutronic properties of thorium-plutonium fuel, a conceptual design of a hybrid facility consisting of a subcritical Th-Pu reactor core and a source of additional D-D neutrons that places on the axis of the core is proposed. The source of such neutrons is a column of high-temperature plasma held in a long magnetic trap for D-D fusionreactions. This article presents computer simulation results of generation of thermonuclear neutrons in the plasma, facility neutronic properties and the evolution of a fuel nuclide composition in the reactor core. Simulations were performed for an axis-symmetric radially profiled reactor core consisting of zones with various nuclear fuel composition. Such reactor core containing a continuously operating stationary D-D neutron source with a yield intensity of Y = 2 × 10¹⁶ neutrons per second can operate as a nuclear hybrid system at its effective coefficient of neutron multiplication 0.95-0.99. Options are proposed for optimizing plasma parameters to increase the neutron yield in order to compensate the effective multiplication factor decreasing and plant power in a long operating cycle (3000-day duration). The obtained simulation results demonstrate the possibility of organizing the stable operation of the proposed hybrid 'fusion-fission' facility.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.1210-1217
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• 2021

The analysis of ⁴¹Ca in concrete generated from the nuclear facilities decommissioning is critical for ensuring the safe management of radioactive waste. An analytical method for the determination of ⁴¹Ca in concrete is described. ⁴¹Ca is a neutron-activated long radionuclide, and hence, for accurate analysis, it is necessary to completely extract Ca from the concrete sample where it exists as the predominant element. The decomposition methods employed were the acid leaching, microwave digestion, and alkali fusion. A comparison of the results indicated that the alkali fusion is the most suitable way for the separation of Ca from the concrete sample. Several processes of hydroxide and carbonate precipitation were employed to separate ⁴¹Ca from interferences. The method relies on the differences in the solubility of the generated products. The behavior of Ca and the interfering elements such as Fe, Ni, Co, Eu, Ba, and Sr is examined at each separation step. The purified ⁴¹Ca was measured by a liquid scintillation counter, and the quench curve and counting efficiency were determined by using a certified reference material of known ⁴¹Ca activity. The recoveries in this study ranged from 56 to 68%, and the minimum detectable activity was 50 mBq g^-1 with 0.5 g of concrete sample.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.1947-1953
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• 2022

As the plasma facing material in the nuclear fusion reactor, tungsten has to bear the irradiation impact of high energy particles. The surface quality of tungsten may affect its irradiation resistance, and even affect the service life of fusion reactor. In this paper, tungsten samples with different surface quality were polished by mechanical processing, subsequently conducted by D₂⁺ implantation and thermal desorption. D₂⁺ implantation was performed at room temperature (RT) with the irradiation dose of 1 × 10²¹ D₂⁺/m² by 5 keV D₂⁺ ions, and thermal desorption spectroscopy measurements were done from RT to 900 K. In addition, He irradiation was also performed by 50 eV He⁺ ions energy with the fluxes of 5.5 × 10²¹ m^-2s^-1 and 1.5 × 10²² m^-2s^-1, respectively. Results reveal that the hydrogen/helium irradiation behavior are both related to surface quality. Samples with high surface quality has superior D₂⁺ retention behavior with less D₂ retained after implantation. However, such samples are more likely to generate fuzzes on the surface after helium irradiation. Different morphologies (smooth, wavy, pyramids) after helium irradiation also demonstrates that the surface morphology is related to tungsten crystallographic orientation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권8호
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• pp.3006-3016
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• 2022

In this study, the images of specific prompt gamma (PG)-rays of 719 keV emitted from proton-boron reactions were analyzed using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Quantitative evaluation of the images verified the detection of anatomical changes in tumors, one of the important factors in daily adaptive proton therapy (DAPT) and verified the possibility of application of the PG-ray images to DAPT. Six scenarios were considered based on various sizes and locations compared to the reference virtual tumor to observe the anatomical alterations in the virtual tumor. Subsequently, PG-rays SPECT images were acquired using the modified ordered subset expectation-maximization algorithm, and these were evaluated using quantitative analysis methods. The results confirmed that the pixel range and location of the highest value of the normalized pixel in the PG-rays SPECT image profile changed according to the size and location of the virtual tumor. Moreover, the alterations in the virtual tumor size and location in the PG-rays SPECT images were similar to the true size and location alterations set in the phantom. Based on the above results, the tumor anatomical alterations in DAPT could be adequately detected and verified through SPECT imaging using the 719 keV PG-rays acquired during treatment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권7호
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• pp.2418-2425
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• 2021

Monazite is a phosphate mineral that contains thorium (Th) and rare earth elements. The Th concentration in monazite can be as high as 500 ppm, and it has the potential to be used as fuel in the nuclear power system. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct the techno-economic analysis (TEA) of Th extraction in the form of thorium oxide (ThO₂) from monazite. Th can be extracted from monazite through an alkaline fusion method. The TEA of ThO₂ production studied parameters, including raw materials, equipment costs, total plant direct and indirect costs, and direct fixed capital cost. These parameters were calculated for the production of 0.5, 1, and 10 ton ThO₂ per batch. The TEA study revealed that the highest production cost was ascribed to installed equipment. Furthermore, the highest return on investment (ROI) of 21.92% was achieved for extraction of 1 ton/batch of ThO₂, with a payback time of 4.56 years. With further increase in ThO₂ production to 10 ton/batch, the ROI was decreased to 5.37%. This is mainly due to a significant increase in the total capital investment with increasing ThO₂ production scale. The minimum unit production cost was achieved for 1 ton ThO₂/batch equal to 335.79 $/Kg ThO₂.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권12호
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• pp.4491-4498
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• 2022

The thermal stress between W plasma-facing material (PFM) and Cu heat sink in fusion reactors can be significantly reduced by using a W-Cu functionally graded material (W-Cu FGM) interlayer. However, there is still considerable stress at the joining interface between W and W-Cu FGM in the W/W-Cu FGM/Cu portions. In this work, we fabricate W skeletons with continuous gradients in porosity by a modified sedimentation method. Sintering densification behavior and pore characteristics of the sedimented W skeletons at different sintering temperatures were investigated. After Cu infiltration, the final W-Cu FGM was obtained. The results indicate that the pore size and porosity in the W skeleton decrease gradually with the increase of sintering temperature, but the increase of skeleton sintering temperature does not reduce the gradient range of composition distribution of the final prepared W-Cu FGM. And W-Cu FGM with composition distribution from pure W to W-20.5wt.% Cu layer across the section was successfully obtained. The thickness of the pure W layer is about one-fifth of the whole sample thickness. In addition, the prepared W-Cu FGM has a relative density of 94.5 % and thermal conductivity of 185 W/(m·K). The W-Cu FGM prepared in this work may provide a good solution to alleviate the thermal stress between W PFM and Cu heat sink in the fusion reactors.