• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권2호
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• pp.575-600
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• 2024

During an earthquake on December 29th 2020, the Krško NPP automatically shutdown due to the trigger of the negative neutron flux rate signal on the power range nuclear instrumentation. From the time course of the detector signal, it can be concluded that the fluctuation in the detector signal may have been caused by the mechanical movement of the ex-core neutron detectors or the pressure vessel components rather than the actual change in reactor power. The objective of the analysis was to evaluate the sensitivity of the neutron flux at the ex-core detector position, if the detector is moved in the radial or axial direction. In addition, the effect of the core barrel movement and core inside the baffle movement in the radial direction were analysed. The analysis is complemented by the calculation of the thermal and total neutron flux gradient in radial, axial and azimuthal directions. The Monte Carlo particle transport code MCNP was used to study the changes in the response of the ex-core detector for the above-mentioned scenarios. Power and intermediate-range detectors were analysed separately, because they are designed differently, positioned at different locations, and have different response characteristics. It was found that the movement of the power range ex-core detector has a negligible effect on the value of the thermal neutron flux in the active part of the detector. However, the radial movement of the intermediate-range detector by 5 cm results in 7%-8% change in the thermal neutron flux in the active part of the intermediate-range detector. The analysis continued with an evaluation of the effects of moving the entire core barrel on the ex-core detector response. It was estimated that the 2 mm core barrel radial oscillation results in ~4% deviation in the power and intermediate-range detector signal. The movement of the reactor core inside baffle can contribute ~6% deviation in the ex-core neutron detector signal. The analysis showed that the mechanical movement of ex-core neutron detectors cannot explain the fluctuations in the ex-core detector signal. However, combined core barrel and reactor core inside baffle oscillations could be a probable reason for the observed fluctuations in the ex-core detector signal during an earthquake.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 2001년도 하계학술대회 논문집 B
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• pp.675-677
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• 2001

The neutron controls a nuclear fission in the core of reactor. In-core neutron detector drive system is a equipment that drives detector and cable to survey neutron flux in the reactor. The program introduced by this paper governs proto-type drive system. The basic function of drive system is the insert and the withdraw of a cable, and the control of the movement speed. Also this program have a special function, test, auto operation, to increase the capacity of drive system.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.55-60
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• 2005

SMART 연구로의 노외계측기 설계를 위하여 고온 전출력 조건과 중성자 계수율이 최소가 되는 조건에 대해서 중성자속 분포 평가를 수행하였다. 고온 전출력 조건에서 IST 영역의 에너지 구간별 중성자속 분포 계산은 DORT와 MCNP코드를 이용하였으며, 계산 결과 IST 내의 첫 번째 물 영역에서 최대의 열중성자속을 보였고 두 코드 결과는 대략 10% 이내에서 일치하는 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 중성자 계수율이 최소가 되는 조건에서 노외계측기 설치 영역에서의 중성자속을 계산한 결과, 선원의 세기가 $1.0{\times}10^8(n/sec)$이라고 가정한 경우 최대 열중성자속의 크기는 $6.99{\times}10^{-2}(n/cm^2-sec)$로 전체 중성자속의 80% 이상을 차지하는 것으로 나타났는데 이는 IST 철 구조물을 통과한 속중성자가 감속능이 큰 물 영역에서 에너지를 잃고 열중성자로 변하였기 때문이다. 그러므로 노외계측기 설계시 계측기를 둘러싸는 계측기 안내관 충전물질, 설치위치 그리고 각 계측기 Segment들의 길이 등을 최적화하여 중성자 계수율을 증가시키는 방안을 모색할 필요가 있겠으며, 이러한 중성자속 평가 결과는 노외계측기가 IST 영역에 설치될 경우 노외계측기 선속 요건으로 이용될 수 있다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권2호
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• pp.617-626
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• 2022

To effectively monitor the variety of distributions of neutron flux, fuel power or temperatures in the reactor core, usually the ex-core and in-core neutron detectors are employed. The thermocouples for temperature measurement are installed in the coolant inlet or outlet of the respective fuel assemblies. It is necessary to reconstruct the measurement information of the whole reactor position. However, the reading of different types of detector in the core reflects different aspects of the 3D power distribution. The feasibility of reconstruction the core three-dimension power distribution by using different combinations of in-core, ex-core and thermocouples detectors is analyzed in this paper to synthesize the useful information of various detectors. A comparison of multilayer perceptron (MLP) network and radial basis function (RBF) network is performed. RBF results are more extreme precision but also more sensitivity to detector failure and uncertainty, compare to MLP networks. This is because that localized neural network could offer conservative regression in RBF. Adding random disturbance in training dataset is helpful to reduce the influence of detector failure and uncertainty. Some convolution neural networks seem to be helpful to get more accurate results by use more spatial layout information, though relative researches are still under way.

• 센서학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.229-234
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• 2016

Self-powered neutron detector (SPND) is being widely used to monitor the reactor core of the nuclear power plants. The SPND contains a neutron-sensitive metallic emitter surrounded by a ceramic insulator. Currently, the vanadium (V) SPND has been being developed to be used in OPR1000 nuclear power plants. Some Monte Carlo simulations were accomplished to calculate the initial sensitivity of vanadium emitter material and alumina insulator with a cylindrical geometry. An MCNP code was used to simulate some factors (neutron self-shielding factor and beta escape probability from the emitter) and space charge effect of an insulator necessary to calculate the sensitivity of vanadium detector. The simulation results were compared with some theoretical and experimental values. The method presented here can be used to analyze the optimum design of the vanadium SPND and contribute to the development of TMI (Top-mount In-core Instrumentation) which might be used in the SMART and SMR.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.1291-1302
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• 2016

This paper presents a new and efficient scheme to determine the optimal neutron source position in a model near-equilibrium pressurized water reactor, which is based on the OPR1000 Hanul Unit 3 Cycle 7 configuration. The proposed scheme particularly assigns importance of source positions according to the local adjoint flux distribution. In this research, detailed pin-by-pin reactor adjoint fluxes are determined by using the Monte Carlo KENO-VI code from solutions of the reactor homogeneous critical adjoint transport equations. The adjoint fluxes at each allowable source position are subsequently ranked to yield four candidate positions with the four highest adjoint fluxes. The study next simulates ex-core detector responses using the Monte Carlo MAVRIC code by assuming a neutron source is installed in one of the four candidate positions. The calculation is repeated for all positions. These detector responses are later converted into an inverse count rate ratio curve for each candidate source position. The study confirms that the optimal source position is the one with very high adjoint fluxes and detector responses, which is interestingly the original source position in the OPR1000 core, as it yields an inverse count rate ratio curve closest to the traditional 1/M line. The current work also clearly demonstrates that the proposed adjoint flux-based approach can be used to efficiently determine the optimal geometry for a neutron source and a detector in a modern pressurized water reactor core.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권11호
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• pp.3528-3542
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• 2021

A detailed geometrical model of a Krško reactor core was developed using a Monte Carlo neutron transport code MCNP. The main goal of developing an MCNP core model is for it to be used in future research focused on ex-core calculations. A script called McCord was developed to generate MCNP input for an arbitrary fuel cycle configuration from the diffusion based core design package CORD-2, taking advantage of already available material and temperature data obtained in the nuclear core design process. The core model was used to calculate 3D power density profile inside the core. The applicability of the calculated power density distributions was tested by comparison to the CORD-2 calculations, which is regularly used for the nuclear core design calculation verification of the Krško core. For the hot zero power and hot full power states differences between MCNP and CORD-2 in the radial power density profile were <3%. When studying axial power density profiles the differences in axial offset were less than 2.3% for hot full power condition. To further confirm the applicability of the developed model, the measurements with in-core neutron detectors were compared to the calculations, where differences of 5% were observed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.165-175
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• 2015

The application of neutron noise analysis (NNA) to the ex-core neutron detector signal for monitoring the vibration characteristics of a reactor core support barrel (CSB) was investigated. Ex-core flux data were generated by using a nonanalog Monte Carlo neutron transport method in a simulated CSB model where the implicit capture and Russian roulette technique were utilized. First and third order beam and shell modes of CSB vibration were modeled based on parallel processing simulation. A NNA module was developed to analyze the ex-core flux data based on its time variation, normalized power spectral density, normalized cross-power spectral density, coherence, and phase differences. The data were then analyzed with a fuzzy logic module to determine the vibration characteristics. The ex-core neutron signal fluctuation was directly proportional to the CSB's vibration observed at 8Hz and15Hzin the beam mode vibration, and at 8Hz in the shell mode vibration. The coherence result between flux pairs was unity at the vibration peak frequencies. A distinct pattern of phase differences was observed for each of the vibration models. The developed fuzzy logic module demonstrated successful recognition of the vibration frequencies, modes, orders, directions, and phase differences within 0.4 ms for the beam and shell mode vibrations.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2004년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.60-63
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• 2004

An innovative in-core neutron flux mapping system has been developed and applied successfully for service in a commercial pressurized water reactor. With the benefit of double indexing path selector (Dip $s^{ⓡ}$) mechanism, the reliability of the detector drive system has been improved five times higher than that of conventional systems, and the problems caused by the serious friction generated between the detector cable and guide tubing has been solved completely because the Dip $s^{ⓡ}$ architecture allows the detector guide tubings to have larger curvature and shorter length in nature. The simple and fast maintenance is particularly emphasized in the detector drive system to secure minimum radiation exposure to the maintenance personnel by optimizing the number of components and providing easy access to the components. The programmable logic controller based digital controller with Window $s^{ⓡ}$ based operator s console provides fully automated and user friendly operation and maintenance support means.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 2001년도 추계학술대회 논문집 전기기기 및 에너지변환시스템부문
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• pp.36-38
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• 2001

A neutron controls a nuclear fission in the core of a reactor. Drive system for in-core neutron detector is an equipment that drives the detector and cable to survey neutron flux in the reactor. The drive system introduced by this paper was designed for mock-up system and fabricated to drive two drivers that having a different function. The system consists of a driver assembly, a power transmission part, and cable storage part. And there is a control panel that contains PLC and inverter. This paper is going to introduce the design and certify the operation status of completed system by control panal. And we conducted the test for torque measurement.