• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 1995

The radiation fields following the large loss of coolant accident (LOCA) have been assessed for the vital areas in the service building of Wolsong 2, 3, and 4 nuclear power plants. The ORIGEN2 code was used in calculating the fission product inventories in the fuel. The source terms were based upon the activity released following the dual failure accident scenario, i.e., a LOCA followed by impaired emergency core cooling (ECC). Configurations of the reactor building, the service building, and the ECC system were constructed for the QAD-CG calculations. The dose rates and the time-integrated doses were calculated for the time period of upto 90 days after the accident. The results showed that the radiation fields in the vital access areas were found to be sufficiently low. Some areas however showed relatively high radiation fields that may require limited access.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.54-61
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• 2011

The study is to analysis of fire protection regulations for the nuclear power plants (NPP) in the United States, Japan, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), and Korea with the intention of exporting NPP to the UAE. Fire protection regulations for NPP for these countries permit the fire protection design and facilities in accordance with the evaluation of the potential fire hazards. However, in Korea, the NPP is a part of power generation facilities in Korea fire protection law, and the atomic energy act classifies them as the reactor and related nuclear facilities. The fire protection law and atomic energy act are different to the criteria for the fire protection of NPP. To maintain the leading position as a nuclear exporting country, the performance-based fire hazard analysis should be reasonably incorporated in the design of the fire protection system. It was suggested that the integrated requirements of the fire protection for NPP should be incorporated to the construction article for the fire protection facilities specified in paragraph 2 of Act II, being classified into the special objects to be protected against fire, which requires a performance-based design in order to incorporate the specific requirements for NPP.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.285-292
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• 2012

The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) system is well known for its high efficiency compared with that of other coal fueled power generation system. IGCC offers substantial advantages over pulverized coal combustion when carbon capture and storage (CCS) is required. Commercial plants employ different types of quenching system to meet the purpose of the system. Depending on that, the downstream units of IGCC can be modeled using different operating conditions and units. In case with $CO_2$ separation and capture, the gasifier product must be converted to hydrogen-rich syngas using Water Gas Shift (WGS) reaction. In most WGS processes, the water gas shift reactor is the biggest and heaviest component because the reaction is relatively slow compared to the other reactions and is inhibited at higher temperatures by thermodynamics. In this study, tehchno-econimic assessments were found according to the quench types and operating conditions in the WGS system. These results can improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of coal gasification.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.227-240
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• 2010

Coal gasification is heading for a great future as one of the cleanest energy sources, which can produce not only electricity and heat, but also gaseous and liquid fuels from the synthesis. The work focuses on 300MW shell type one-stage entrained flow coal gasifier which is used in the Integrated coal Gasification Combined Cycle(IGCC) plant as a reactor. As constructing an IGCC plant is considerably complicated and expensive compared with a pulverized-coal power plant, it is important to determine optimum design factors and operating conditions using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. In this study, the results of numerical calculations show that $O_2$/Coal ratio, 0.83, Steam/Coal ratio, 0.05, coal particle diameter, $100{\mu}m$, injection angle, $4^{\circ}$ (clockwise) are the most optimum in this research.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.831-840
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• 2009

In order to evaluate the start-up behavior and to identify, through abnormal operation occurrences, the transient behaviors of the Sulfur Iodine(SI) process, which is a nuclear hydrogen process that is coupled to a Very High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (VHTR) through an Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX), a dynamic simulation of the process is necessary. Perturbation of the flow rate or temperature in the inlet streams may result in various transient states. An understanding of the dynamic behavior due to these factors is able to support the conceptual design of the secondary helium loop system associated with a hydrogen production plant. Based on the mass and energy balance sheets of an electrodialysis-embedded SI process equivalent to a 200 $MW_{th}$ VHTR and a considerable thermal pathway between the SI process and the VHTR system, a dynamic simulation of the SI process was carried out for a sulfuric acid decomposition process (Second Section) that is composed of a sulfuric acid vaporizer, a sulfuric acid decomposer, and a sulfur trioxide decomposer. The dynamic behaviors of these integrated reactors according to several anticipated scenarios are evaluated and the dominant and mild factors are observed. As for the results of the simulation, all the reactors in the sulfuric acid decomposition process approach a steady state at the same time. Temperature control of the inlet helium is strictly required rather than the flow rate control of the inlet helium to keep the steady state condition in the Second Section. On the other hand, it was revealed that the changes of the inlet helium operation conditions make a great impact on the performances of $SO_3$ and $H_2SO_4$ decomposers, but no effect on the performance of the $H_2SO_4$ vaporizer.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2427-2444
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• 2021

The lack of plant-side energy storage analysis to support nuclear power plants (NPP), has setup this research endeavor to understand the characteristics and role of specific storage technologies and the integration to an NPP. The paper provides a qualitative review of a wide range of configurations for integrating the energy storage system (ESS) to an operating NPP with pressurized water reactor (PWR). The role of ESS technologies most suitable for large-scale storage are evaluated, including thermal energy storage, compressed gas energy storage, and liquid air energy storage. The methods of integration to the NPP steam cycle are introduced and categorized as electrical, mechanical, and thermal, with a review on developments in the integration of ESS with an operating PWR. By adopting simplified off-design modeling for the steam turbines and heat exchangers, the results show the performance of the PWR steam cycle changes with respect to steam bypass rate for thermal and mechanical storage integration options. Analysis of the integrated system characteristics of proposed concepts for three different ESS suggests that certain storage technologies could support steady operation of an NPP. After having reviewed what have been accomplished through the years, the research team presents a list of possible future works.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.87-100
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• 2022

Unit capacity factor (utilization rate) of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is an important performance indicator. Since the first commercial operation of Kori Unit 1 began in April 1978, the utilization rate of domestic NPPs has gradually increased, reaching 90% from the end of the 1990s. However, due to various issues such as the Fukushima accident in 2011, corrosion of the CLP, the utilization rate dropped to 65~80%. In the early 1980s, the utilization rate of the U.S. NPPs was around 60%. However, since 2004, it has been consistently maintained above 90%. Therefore, in this study, we first examined the causes of declining the utilization rate in domestic NPPs. Next, the significances of the utilization rates are reviewed in five aspects: investment capability, electricity rate, safety and export, etc., with discussion on the current status of the utilization rates in the U.S. Based on this, three key factors are derived as the reasons of the increasing: equipment reliability program, on-line maintenance and the pursuit of institutional rationality. And finally, by synthesizing above results, the measures for increasing the utilization rate of domestic NPPs are proposed in terms of equipment management, institutional improvements, and personnel resources.

• Strategy21
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• s.42
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• pp.5-52
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• 2017

Debates about introducing nuclear submarines have been a main issue in Korea. The highest officials and the government has started to think seriously about the issue. Yet there were no certain decision to this issue or any agreements with US but it is still necessary to review about introducing nuclear submarines, the technologies and about the business. The reason for such issues are the highest officials of Korea to build nuclear submarine, nK's nuclear development and SLBM launching. ROKN's nuclear submarine's necessity will be to attack(capacity to revenge), defend(anti-SSBN Operation) and to respond against neighboring nation's threat(Russia, Japan, China). Among these nations, US, Russia (Soviet Union), Britain, France had built their submarines in a short term of time due to their industrial foundation regarding with nuclear propulsion submarines. However China and India have started their business without their industrial foundation prepared and took a long time to build their submarines. Current technology level of Korea have reached almost up to US, Russia, Britain and France when they first built their nuclear propulsion submarines since we have almost completed the business for the Changbogo-I,II and almost up to complete building the Changbogo-III which Korea have self designed/developed. Furthermore Korea have reached the level where we can self design large nuclear reactors and the integrated SMART reactor which we can call ourselves a nation with worldwide technologies. If introducing the nuclear submarine to the Korea gets decided, first of all we would have to review the technological problems and also introduce the foreign technologies when needed. The methods for the introduction will be developments after loans from the foreign, productions with technological cooperations, and individual production. The most significant thing will be that changes are continuous and new instances are keep showing up so that it is important to only have a simple reference to a current instances and have a review on every methods with many possibilities. Also developing all of the technologies for the nuclear propulsion submarines may be not possible and give financial damages so there may be a need to partially introduce foreign technologies. For the introduction of nuclear propulsion submarines, there must be a resolution of the international regulations together with the international/domestics resistances and the technological problems to work out for. Also there may be problem for the requirement fees to solve for and other tough problems to solve for. However nuclear submarines are powerful weapon system to risk everything above. This is an international/domestically a serious agenda. Therefore rather than having debates based on false facts, there must be a need to have an investigations and debates regarding the nation's benefits and national security.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.132-140
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• 1998

Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted using a three-stage rotating biological contactor unit followed by lime precipitation and sedimentation with effluent recycle to the first stage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hydraulic loadings of 0.031-0.076 $m^3/m^2/d and recycle ratio of 1 to 3 on the simultaneous removal of organics and nutrients from domestic wastewater. Lime was added to maintain pH of 10.4-11.0 in the coagulation-flocculation reactor. Results showed that the highest nitrogen removal rate of 70.5% occurred at the lower hydraulic loading of 0.031 $m^3/m^2/d at a recirculation rate of 300%, and similarly, highest nitrification occurred at the same hydraulic loading and recycle ratio. Concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the effluent was less than 1 mg/l at the same operating conditions for higher nitrogen removal. Whereas, high BOD and COD removal was observed at hydraulic loading rate of 0.054 $m^3/m^2/d, and high removal of organic matter was evident from the consistent low COD and BOD value. Results obtained from the operating condition of higher loading rate, 300% of recycle rate showed the highest removals. Increasing in recycle rate and hydraulic loading rate increased the volatile solids fraction of the sludges generated to the extent of 47% at 0.076 $m^3/m^2/d hydraulic loading and 300% recirculation rate. Since pH in the flocculator was maintained at the pH of 10.4-11.0, above 90% removal of phosphorus was obtained. Average concentration of suspended solids was always maintained over 40 mg/l in the effluent. Therefore an RBC unit operating at a hydraulic loading near 0.031 $m^3/m^2/d with a recycle rate of 300% is a viable and feasible alternate conditions to produce an effluent with relative low organic matter and phosphorus, provided that there is a neutralization unit to control the pH and SS of the effluent.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.128-148
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• 2019

Massive environmental monitoring has been conducted continuously since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power accident in March of 2011 by different monitoring methods that have different features together with migration studies of radiocesium in diverse environments. These results have clarified the characteristics of radiological environments and their temporal change around the Fukushima site. At three months after the accident, multiple radionuclides including radiostrontium and plutonium were detected in many locations; and it was confirmed that radiocesium was most important from the viewpoint of long-term exposure. Radiation levels around the Fukushima site have decreased greatly over time. The decreasing trend was found to change variously according to local conditions. The air dose rates in environments related to human living have decreased faster than expected from radioactive decay by a factor of 2-3 on average; those in pure forest have decreased more closely to physical decay. The main causes of air dose rate reduction were judged to be radioactive decay, movement of radiocesium in vertical and horizontal directions, and decontamination. Land-use categories and human activities have significantly affected the reduction tendency. Difference in the air dose rate reduction trends can be explained qualitatively according to the knowledge obtained in radiocesium migration studies; whereas, the quantitative explanation for individual sites is an important future challenge. The ecological half-lives of air dose rates have been evaluated by several researchers, and a short-term half-life within 1 year was commonly observed in the studies. An empirical model for predicting air dose rate distribution was developed based on statistical analysis of an extensive car-borne survey dataset, which enabled the prediction with confidence intervals. Different types of contamination maps were integrated to better quantify the spatial data. The obtained data were used for extended studies such as for identifying the main reactor that caused the contamination of arbitrary regions and developing standard procedures for environmental measurement and sampling. Annual external exposure doses for residents who intended to return to their homes were estimated as within a few millisieverts. Different forms of environmental data and knowledge have been provided for wide spectrum of people. Diverse aspects of lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, including practical ones, must be passed on to future generations.