• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.989-995
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• 2018

Argonne National Laboratory of the United States and Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) of Ukraine have cooperated on the development, design, and construction of a neutron source facility. The facility was constructed at Kharkov, Ukraine, and its commissioning process is underway. The facility will be used for researches, producing medical isotopes, and training young nuclear specialists. The neutron source facility is designed with a provision to include a cryogenically cooled moderator system-a cold neutron source (CNS). This CNS provides low-energy neutrons, which will be used in the scattering experiment and material structures analysis. Cold neutron guides, coated with reflective material for the low-energy neutrons, will be used to transport the cold neutrons to the experimental site. The cold neutron guides would keep the cold neutrons within certain energy and angular space concentrated inside, while most of the gamma rays and high-energy neutrons are not affected by the cold neutron guides. For the KIPT design, the cold neutron guides need to extend several meters outside the main shield of the facility, and curved guides will also be used to remove the gamma and high-energy neutron. The neutron guides should be installed inside a shield structure to ensure an acceptable biological dose in the facility hall. Heavy concrete is the selected shielding material because of its acceptable performance and cost. Shield design analysis was carried out for the CNS guide hall. MCNPX was used as the major computation tool for the design analysis, with neutron and gamma dose calculated separately. Weight windows variance reduction technique was also used in the shield design. The goal of the shield design is to keep the total radiation dose below the $5.0{\mu}Sv/hr$ guideline outside the shield boundary. After a series of iterative MCNPX calculations, the shield configuration and parameters of CNS guide hall were determined and presented in this article.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.785-794
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• 2016

The Argonne National Laboratory of the United States and the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology of the Ukraine have been collaborating on the design, development and construction of a neutron source facility at Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology utilizing an electron-accelerator-driven subcritical assembly. The electron beam power is 100 kW using 100-MeV electrons. The facility was designed to perform basic and applied nuclear research, produce medical isotopes, and train nuclear specialists. The biological shield of the accelerator building was designed to reduce the biological dose to less than 5.0e-03 mSv/h during operation. The main source of the biological dose for the accelerator building is the photons and neutrons generated from different interactions of leaked electrons from the electron gun and the accelerator sections with the surrounding components and materials. The Monte Carlo N-particle extended code (MCNPX) was used for the shielding calculations because of its capability to perform electron-, photon-, and neutron-coupled transport simulations. The photon dose was tallied using the MCNPX calculation, starting with the leaked electrons. However, it is difficult to accurately tally the neutron dose directly from the leaked electrons. The neutron yield per electron from the interactions with the surrounding components is very small, ~0.01 neutron for 100-MeV electron and even smaller for lower-energy electrons. This causes difficulties for the Monte Carlo analyses and consumes tremendous computation resources for tallying the neutron dose outside the shield boundary with an acceptable accuracy. To avoid these difficulties, the SOURCE and TALLYX user subroutines of MCNPX were utilized for this study. The generated neutrons were banked, together with all related parameters, for a subsequent MCNPX calculation to obtain the neutron dose. The weight windows variance reduction technique was also utilized for both neutron and photon dose calculations. Two shielding materials, heavy concrete and ordinary concrete, were considered for the shield design. The main goal is to maintain the total dose outside the shield boundary less than 5.0e-03 mSv/h during operation. The shield configuration and parameters of the accelerator building were determined and are presented in this paper.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권8호
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• pp.1784-1791
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• 2020

The 14 MeV neutron generator facility is being developed by the Institute for Plasma Research India to conduct the lab scale experiments related to Indian breeding blanket system for ITER and DEMO. It will also be utilized for material testing, shielding experiments and development of fusion diagnostics. Occupational radiation exposure control is necessary for the all kind of nuclear facilities to get the operational licensing from governing authorities and nuclear regulatory bodies. In the same way, the radiation exposure for the 14 MeV neutron generator facility at the occupational worker area and accessible zones for general workers should be under the permissible limit of AERB India. The generator is designed for the yield of 10¹² n/s. The shielding assessment has been made to estimate the radiation dose during the operational time of the neutron generator. The facility has many utilities and constraints like ventilation ducts, accessible doors, accessibility of neutron generator components and to conduct the experiments which make the shielding assessment challenging to provide proper safety for occupational workers and the general public. The neutron and gamma dose rates have been estimated using the MCNP radiation transport code and ENDF -VII nuclear data libraries. The ICRP-74 fluence to dose conversion coefficients has been used for the assessment. The annual radiation exposure has been assessed by considering 500 h per year operational time. The provision of local shield near to neutron generator has been also evaluated to reduce the annual radiation doses. The comprehensive results of radiation shielding capability of neutron generator building and local shield design have been presented in the paper along with detailed maps of radiation field.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.21-29
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• 2014

삼축분광장치는 물질을 이루고 있는 자성 원소들의 거동, 즉 스핀 동역학을 측정하는데 적합한 장치로, 연구용 원자로 '하나로'에는 국내 유일의 냉중성자 삼축분광장치가 최근 설치되었다. 삼축분광장치는 중성자 빔을 제어하는 중성자광학 부품과 중성자 빔으로 인해 발생하는 방사선에 대한 차폐체로 이루어지며 이러한 부품은 수십 톤 중량의 기계구조물을 이룬다. 방사선 차폐는 중성자 빔 경로 이외의 방향으로 진행하는 중성자와 감마선을 효과적으로 막아 신호대 잡음비를 향상시키는 역할을 하며 구조물 내부의 방사화된 부품으로부터 발생하는 감마선을 차폐하여 장치 이용자의 피폭선량을 최소화한다. 그런데 설치된 냉중성자 삼축분광장치의 차폐체 중 전면부의 고하중으로 인해 장치 운영상 여러 가지 문제점이 발생, 전면 세그먼트 차폐체의 하중을 줄이는 구조개선이 불가피하였다. 이에 MCNPX 모의계산을 통해 냉중성자 삼축분광장치의 차폐체 최적화에 필요한 개선방향을 검토하였다. 상부 차폐체의 폴리에틸렌과 납의 추가 설치를 통해 전면 블록 차폐체 하중을 줄일 수 있는 최적 길이를 확인하였다. 그 결과, 전면 블록 차폐체의 높이 20%가 제거된 경우, 구조변경 전 대비 차폐체 상부에서 70% 수준의 감마선속이 나타남을 확인하였다. 하지만 높이를 줄일수록 전면 블록 차폐체의 하중을 줄일 수 있기 때문에, 차폐블록을 추가 제거하고 이에 대한 차폐능을 보상해 줄 방안으로 상부 납 차폐체의 위치 변화에 따른 중성자속과 감마선속을 예측해 보았다. 전면 블록 차폐체 높이의 35% 제거하고 상부 납 차폐체를 최하단부에서 10 cm에 설치한 경우, 전면 블록 차폐체 상부에서 감마선속이 각각 25%, 18% 증가하였다. 증가한 감마선속의 영향을 파악하기 위해 MCNPX 모의계산을 통해 공간의 감마선속 분포를 가시화하였다. 증가한 감마선속은 상부로 향하는 방향성을 띄며 이동하면서 소멸하여 검출기에 이르기 전에 낮아져 검출기와 실험자의 위치에 영향을 끼칠 수 없다고 판단하였다. 그래서 중성자속 및 감마선속과 고하중 문제를 동시에 해결할 수 있는 최적화 조건으로 차폐체 높이가 35% 제거되고 상부 납 차폐체가 10 cm 위치에 있는 경우를 선정하였다. 이 결과를 바탕으로 구조개선 작업을 실시하였으며 열형광선량계를 이용하여 콘크리트 차폐블록 외부에서 중성자와 감마선량을 측정하였다. 측정된 중성자 선량은 0.21 ${\mu}Svhr^{-1}$, 감마선량은 3.69 ${\mu}Svhr^{-1}$로 설계기준을 만족하였으며 피폭으로부터 실험자의 안전성을 확인하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.408-422
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• 1999

To reduce the fast neutron fluence which deteriorates the RPV integrity, additional shields were assumed to be installed at the outer core structures of the Kori Unit 1 reactor, and its reduction effects were examined. Full scope Monte Carlo simulation with MCNP4A code was made to estimate the fast neutron fluence at the RPV. An optimized design option was found from various choices in geometry and material for shield structure. It was expected that magnitude of fast neutron fluence would be reduced by 39% at the circumferential weld of the RPV, resulting in extension of plant lifetime by 4.6 EFPYs based on the criterion of PTS requirement It was investigated that the nuclear characteristics and thermal hydraulic factors at the internal core were only negligibly influenced by the installation of additional shield structure.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2010년도 제39회 하계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.314-314
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• 2010

For the optimal design of a tokamak-type reactor, self-consistent determination of a radial build of reactor systems is important and the radial build has to be determined by considering the plasma physics and engineering constraints which inter-relate various reactor systems. In a low aspect ratio (LAR) tokamak reactor with a superconducting toroidal field (TF) coil, the shield should provide sufficient protection for the superconducting TF coil and the shield plays a key role in determining the size of a reactor. To determine the radial build of a reactor, neutronic effects such as tritium breeding in the blanket, nuclear heating, and radiation damage to toroidal field (TF) coil has to be included in the systems analysis. In this work, the outboard blanket only is considered where tritium self-sufficiency is possible by using an inboard neutron reflector instead of breeding blanket. The reflecting shield should provide not only protection for the superconducting TF coil but also improved neutron economy for the tritium breeding in outboard blanket. Tungsten carbide, metal hydride such as titanium hydride and zirconium hydride can be used for improved shielding performance and thus smaller shield thickness. With the use of advanced technology in the shield, conceptual design of a compact superconducting LAR reactor with aspect ratio of less than 2 will be presented as a viable power plant.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.77-83
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• 1997

사용 후 핵연료 수송용기 등에 사용되는 에폭시수지계 중성자 차폐재, KNS(Kaeri Neutron Shield)-101, KNS-102 및 KNS-103를 제조하였다. 기본물질은 에폭시수지이며, 첨가제로는 폴리프로필렌, 수산화알루미늄 및 탄화붕소이다. 이들 중성자 차폐재들은 유동성이 좋아 수송용기와 같은 복잡한 구조에 사용할 수 있다. 제조된 중성자 차폐재들을 가압경수로 사용 후 핵연료 28다발을 수송할 수 있는 수송용기에 적용하여 차폐능 평가를 수행하였다. 세가지 중성자 차폐재를 수송용기에 적용하여 ANISN 코드로 차폐능 평가를 수행한 결과 정상수송시 중성자 차폐재의 두께가 10 cm 이상 일때 수송용기 반경방향표면에서 최대 방사선량율은 $300{\mu}Sv/h$로 나타났으며, 수송용기 표면에서 100 cm 지점에서의 최대 방사선량율은 $97{\mu}Sv/h$로 나타났다. 이들은 모두 관련된 법규들에서 규정된 최대허용 방사선량율을 만족하는 것으로 나타났다.

• 한국방사선학회논문지
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.23-25
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• 2009

Gd-157 material has very large neutron capture cross section in the thermal region. So it is very useful to shield material for thermal neutrons. Futhermore, in the neutron capture experiment and calculation, the neutron absorption and scattering are very important. Especially these effects are conspicuous in the resonance energy region and below the thermal energy region. In the case of very narrow resonance, the effect of scattering is to be more considerable factor. In the present study, we obtained energy dependent neutron absorption ratios of natural indium in energy region from 0.003 to 100 keV by MCNP-4B Code. The coefficients for neutron absorption was calculated for circular type and 1 mm thickness. In the lower energy region, neutron absorption is larger than higher region, because of large capture cross section (1/v). Furthermore it seems very different neutron absorption in the large resonance energy region. These results are very useful to decide the thickness of sample and shielding materials.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권7호
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• pp.1563-1570
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• 2017

In order to perform dry interim storage and transportation of the spent-fuel assemblies of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, dual-purpose casks can be utilized. The effectiveness of different neutron-shield materials for the dual-purpose cask was analyzed through a set of calculations carried out using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code. The dose rate for the dual-purpose cask utilizing the recently developed materials of $epoxy/clay/B_4C$ and $epoxy/clay/B_4C/carbon$ fiber was less than the allowable radiation level of 2 mSv/h at any point and 0.1 mSv/h at 2 m from the external surface of the cask. By utilization of $epoxy/clay/B_4C$ instead of an ethylene glycol/water mixture, the dose rates on the side surface of the cask due to neutron sources and consequent secondary gamma rays will be reduced by 17.5% and 10%, respectively. The overall dose rate in this case will be reduced by 11%.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.46-55
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• 1989

사용후 핵연료 용기에 대한 중성자 차폐 해석을 위하여 각분할법 코드인 ONEDANT 및 XSDRN과 몬테칼로 코드인 MCNP를 사용하였다. ORIGEN-S로 부터 결정된 선원항이 ONEDANT및 XSDRN에 각각 이용되었고, MCNP에 입력되는 선원항으로는 ONEDANT와 XSDRN으로 부터 계산된 중성자 스펙트럼을 사용하였으며, 중성자 에너지군은 27군과 10군으로 하였다. 감손 우라늄을 중성자 차폐 물질로 사용하였을 경우, MCNP의 계산 결과에 대하여 ONEDANT의 계산결과는 10%, XSDRN은 20% 이내에서 접근하였다. 또한, MCNP의 계산 결과에 의하면, 고려한 중성자 차폐물질의 성능은 감손 우라늄, 철, 그리고 납의 순으로 좋은 것으로 나타났다.