• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.172-195
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• 2015

Multiple nationwide opinion surveys, carried out by the government (cabinet office), major media (national newspapers and NHK), the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, have revealed that the Fukushima nuclear accident has heightened people's perception of disaster risks, fear of nuclear accidents, and increased recognition of pollution issues, and has changed public opinion on nuclear energy policy. The opinion gap on nuclear energy policy between specialists and lay people has widened since the disaster. The results of the Japanese General Social Survey data show that objections to the promotion of nuclear energy are strong among females, and weaker among young males and the supporters of the LDP. These findings are similar to the data collected after the Chernobyl accident. People who live in a 70km radius of nuclear plants tend to evaluate nuclear disaster risks higher. Distance from nuclear plants and the perception of earthquake risk interactively correlate with opinions on nuclear issues. Among people whose evaluation of earthquake risk is low, those who live nearer to the plants are more likely to object to the abolishment of nuclear plants. It was also found that the nuclear disaster has changed people's behavior; they now try to save electricity. The level of commitment to energy saving is found to relate to opinions on nuclear issues.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.35-39
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• 2009

In this study, Event Type Analysis System (ETAS) is developed for the accident evaluation in nuclear power plant. The ETAS system can be used in supporting regulator and/or operator under event situation in nuclear power plants. The ETAS system can categorize the all transient events to 3 categories such as Down-2000, Down-2173, and Slow Fluctuation. We develop the program structure for ETAS system and web-based ETAS system. The ETAS system will be used as sub module of Knowledge-Based Event Evaluation Network (K-EvENT) which is developing for the against the accident in nuclear power plants.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.7
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• pp.1776-1783
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• 2019

To accurately analyze the accidents in nuclear reactors, a thermohydraulic-neutronic coupling calculation is required to solve fluid dynamics and nuclear reactor kinetics equations in fine cells simultaneously and evaluate the local effects of neutronic and thermohydraulic parameters on each other. In the present study, a 3D thermohydraulic-neutronic coupling model is developed, validated and then applied for Isfahan MNSR (Miniature Neutron Source reactor) safety analysis. The proposed model is developed using FLUENT software and user defined functions (UDF) are applied to simulate the neutronic behavior of MNSR. The validation of the proposed model is first evaluated using 1mk reactivity insertion experiment into Isfahan MNSR core. Then, the developed coupling code is applied for a design basis accident (DBA) scenario analysis with the insertion of maximum allowed cold core reactivity of 4 mk. The results show that the proposed model is able to predict the behavior of the reactor core under normal and accident conditions with a good accuracy.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.620-635
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• 2017

This study was intended to identify the main factors responsible for the decline in purchase of imported agricultural and fish products after Japan's nuclear power plant accident in 2011 and to compare the effects on imported agricultural produce and imported fish products. Logit model and multiple regression model analyses were performed using consumers' survey data. Psychological and qualitative factors reflecting consumers' food safety awareness and purchasing preferences, which were extracted by Factor analysis, were included as the models' explanatory variables, along with socio-demographic and economic factors. The Logit estimation showed aged, married, and low-income households had significantly higher probability of reducing their purchases of imported agricultural and fish products. However, the multiple regression results pointed out that the actual rate of decrease of imported agricultural and fish products purchases were more significantly affected by non-socio demographic factors such as past experience of purchasing imported agricultural and fish products, future intention to purchasing Japanese agricultural and fish products, and the ratio of imported to domestic agricultural and fish products before the nuclear accident, as well as consumers' feeling of food insecurity and their purchasing preferences. Moreover, the results showed that Korean consumers have reacted more sensitively to the decline in imported fish products than imported agricultural produce after the nuclear accident based on the marginal effects of various socio-demographic and economic factors.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.782-787
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• 2001

This paper is concerned with the global rupture of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel(RPV) in a severe accident. During the severe reactor accident of molten core, the temperature and the pressure in the nuclear reactor rise to a certain level depending on the initial and subsequent condition of a severe accident. While the rise of the temperature cause the thermal softening of RPV material, the rise of the internal pressure could cause failure of the RPV lower head. The global rupture of an RPV is simulated by finite element limit analysis for the collapse pressure and mode and this analysis results have been compared with a variation of the internal pressure of RPV. The finite element limit method is a systematic tool to secure the safety criteria of a nuclear reactor and to evaluate the in-vessel corium retention.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2016

For a long time, a top priority in the nuclear industry was the safe, reliable, and economic operation of light water reactors. However, the development of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) became a hot topic in the nuclear research field after the March 2011 events at Fukushima, Japan. In Korea, innovative concepts of ATF have been developing to increase fuel safety and reliability during normal operations, operational transients, and also accident events. The microcell $UO_2$ and high-density composite pellet concepts are being developed as ATF pellets. A microcell $UO_2$ pellet is envisaged to have the enhanced retention capabilities of highly radioactive and corrosive fission products. High-density pellets are expected to be used in combination with the particular ATF cladding concepts. Two concepts-surface-modified Zr-based alloy and SiC composite material-are being developed as ATF cladding, as these innovative concepts can effectively suppress hydrogen explosions and the release of radionuclides into the environment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.2606-2613
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• 2022

Spent resin often exceeds radiation limits for safe disposal, creating a need for commercial-scale treatment techniques to reduce resin radioactivity. In this study, the radiological safety of a commercialized spent resin treatment device with a treatment capacity of 1 ton/day was evaluated. The results confirm that the device is radiologically safe in the event of an accident. This device desorbs ¹⁴C from the spent resin, allowing disposal as low-level waste instead of intermediate-level waste. The device also reduces overall waste by recycling the extracted ¹⁴C. Potential accident scenarios were explored to enable dose assessments for both internal and external exposure while preventing further spillage of the device and processing the spilled resin. The scenarios involved the development of a surface fracture on the resin mixture separator and microwave systems, which were operated under pressure and temperature of 0-6 bar and 0-150 ℃, respectively. In the case of accidents with separator and microwave device, the maximum allowable working time of worker were derived, respectively, considering external and internal exposures. When wearing the respirator corresponding to APF 50, in the case of the microwave device accident scenario, the radiological safety was confirmed when the maximum worker worked within 132.1 h.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.95-114
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• 2023

During the decades after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident, ambient dose rates have markedly decreased when compared to those at the early state of the accident. Government projects have been continuously conducted by surveying the ambient dose rate and radiocesium distributions. Airborne surveys using crewed helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are the best methods for obtaining an overall picture of the distribution. However, ground-based surveys are required for accurate measurements near the population. The differences between these methods include the knowledge of the post depositional behavior of radionuclides in land use. The survey results form the basis for policy decisions such as lifting evacuation zones, decontamination, and other countermeasures. These surveys contain crucial findings regarding post-accident responses. This paper reviews the survey methods of government projects and current situation around the FDNPS. The visualization methods and databases of ambient dose rates are also reviewed to provide information to the population.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.814-826
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• 2023

Sensor faults in nuclear power plant instrumentation have the potential to spread negative effects from wrong signals that can cause an accident misdiagnosis by plant operators. To detect sensor faults and make accurate accident diagnoses, prior studies have developed a supervised learning-based sensor fault detection model and an accident diagnosis model with faulty sensor isolation. Even though the developed neural network models demonstrated satisfactory performance, their diagnosis performance should be reevaluated considering real-time connection. When operating in real-time, the diagnosis model is expected to indiscriminately accept fault data before receiving delayed fault information transferred from the previous fault detection model. The uncertainty of neural networks can also have a significant impact following the sensor fault features. In the present work, a pilot study was conducted to connect two models and observe actual outcomes from a real-time application with an integrated system. While the initial results showed an overall successful diagnosis, some issues were observed. To recover the diagnosis performance degradations, additive logics were applied to minimize the diagnosis failures that were not observed in the previous validations of the separate models. The results of a case study were then analyzed in terms of the real-time diagnosis outputs that plant operators would actually face in an emergency situation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.66-79
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• 2021

Background: The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is specified in the Disaster Counter-measures Basic Act as a designated public corporation for dealing with nuclear disasters. Materials and Methods: The Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center (NEAT) was established in 2002 as the activity base providing technical assistance to both national and local governments during nuclear emergencies. The NEAT has a robust structure and utilities and special installations, and it organizes training and exercises. Results and Discussion: Due to an offshore earthquake that caused a devastating tsunami in March 2011, a nuclear accident occurred at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The NEAT responded by conducting off-site environmental radiation monitoring and contamination screening, dispatching special vehicles, offering telephone consultations, and calculating the dispersion of radioactive materials. An examination of the emergency response activities revealed that the organization was prepared for these types of disasters and was able to plan long-term response. Conclusion: As a designated public corporation, the JAEA technically supports the national government, the Fukushima prefectural government, and the Ibaraki prefectural government, all of which responded to the off-site emergencies resulting from the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident