• Title/Summary/Keyword: Nuclear Fuel

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Edge Detection Method for Inspection of Nuclear Fuel Rods (원전연료 검사를 위한 에지 검출 기법)

  • Weon, La-Kyoung;Rhyu, Keel-Soo;Kim, Nam-Kyun
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.13 no.10
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    • pp.46-53
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    • 2013
  • An inspection of nuclear fuel rods should be performed at remoteness from risks of high level radioactivity, and accuracy is required. Currently, inspection of the nuclear fuel rods is operated to monitor the video that recording an original nuclear fuel rods at remoteness because of the risks of radioactivity. In this paper, it is an implementation of the system was carried out in the process according to the image processing inspection of the nuclear fuel rods. The nuclear fuel rods are configured to use a bundle of plurality, in the image processing technology to verify this, the edge detection method is useful. We suggest to DoG technique to add threshold for the nuclear fuel rod edge detections. This is the new technique that optimized DoG. It is to deal with DoG and threshold to dual process. In this way, after detecting an edge of the nuclear fuel rods, by running a nuclear fuel rod inspection algorithm to determine the status of nuclear fuel rods. We applied the system using the new algorithm, and confirmed an excellent characteristic. In this study, it is considered to be able to be carried out more easily and securely inspect of nuclear fuel rods.

A comparative study on the impact of Gd2O3 burnable neutron absorber in UO2 and (U, Th)O2 fuels

  • Uguru, Edwin Humphrey;Sani, S.F.Abdul;Khandaker, Mayeen Uddin;Rabir, Mohamad Hairie;Karim, Julia Abdul
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.52 no.6
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    • pp.1099-1109
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    • 2020
  • The performance of gadolinium burnable absorber (GdBA) for reactivity control in UO2 and (U, Th)O2 fuels and its impact on spent fuel characteristics was performed. Five fuel assemblies: one without GdBA fuel rod and four each containing 16, 24, 34 and 44 GdBA fuel rods in both fuels were investigated. Reactivity swing in all the FAs with GdBA rods in UO2 fuel was higher than their counterparts with similar GdBA fuel rods in (U, Th)O2 fuel. The excess reactivity in all FAs with (U, Th)O2 fuel was higher than UO2 fuel. At the end of single discharge burn-up (~ 49.64 GWd/tHM), the excess reactivity of (U, Th) O2 fuel remained positive (16,000 pcm) while UO2 fuel shows a negative value (-6,000 pcm), which suggest a longer discharge burn-up in (U, Th)O2 fuel. The concentration of plutonium isotopes and minor actinides were significantly higher in UO2 fuel than in (U, Th)O2 fuel except for 236Np. However, the concentration of non-actinides (gadolinium and iodine isotopes) except for 135Xe were respectively smaller in (U, Th)O2 fuel than in UO2 fuel but may be two times higher in (U, Th)O2 fuel due to its potential longer discharge burn-up.

DYNAMIC MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL CYCLE SCENARIOS IN KOREA

  • Jeong, Chang-Joon;Choi, Hang-Bok
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.85-94
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    • 2007
  • The Korean nuclear fuel cycle was modeled by the dynamic analysis method, which was applied to the once-through and alternative fuel cycles. First, the once-through fuel cycle was analyzed based on the Korean nuclear power plant construction plan up to 2015 and a postulated nuclear demand growth rate of zero after 2015. Second, alternative fuel cycles including the direct use of spent pressurized water reactor fuel in Canada deuterium uranium reactors (DUPIC), a sodium-cooled fast reactor and an accelerator driven system were assessed and the results were compared with those of the once-through fuel cycle. The once-through fuel cycle calculation showed that the nuclear power demand would be 25 GWe and the amount of the spent fuel will be ${\sim}65000$ tons by 2100. The alternative fuel cycle analyses showed that the spent fuel inventory could be reduced by more than 30% and 90% through the DUPIC and fast reactor fuel cycles, respectively, when compared with the once-through fuel cycle. The results of this study indicate that both spent fuel and uranium resources can be effectively managed if alternative reactor systems are timely implemented along with the existing reactors.

Multilateral Approaches to the Back-end of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Challenges and Possibilities (후행 핵연료주기의 다자 방안 분석)

  • Ryu, Ho-Jin
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.8 no.4
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    • pp.269-277
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    • 2010
  • Various multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle have been proposed in order to suppress the expansion of sensitive fuel cycle technology. In order to prepare for the future multilaterallization of the nuclear fuel cycle, existing multilateral spent fuel management programs are analyzed. A trial multilateralization of a domestic R&D facility for the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle is proposed and its challenges, possibilities and implementation strategy are discussed.

Channel Gap Measurements of Irradiated Plate Fuel and Comparison with Post-Irradiation Plate Thickness

  • James A. Smith;Casey J. Jesse;William A. Hanson;Clark L. Scott;David L. Cottle
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.55 no.6
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    • pp.2195-2205
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    • 2023
  • One of the salient nuclear fuel performance parameters for new fuel types under development is changes in fuel thickness. To test the new commercially fabricated U-10Mo monolithic plate-type fuel, an irradiation experiment was designed that consisted of multiple mini-plate capsules distributed within the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) core, the mini-plate 1 (MP-1) experiment. Each capsule contains eight mini-plates that were either fueled or "dummy" plates. Fuel thickness changes within a fuel assembly can be characterized by measuring the gaps between the plates ultrasonically. The channel gap probe (CGP) system is designed to measure the gaps between the plates and will provide information that supports qualification of U-10Mo monolithic fuel. This study will discuss the design and the results from the use of a custom-designed CGP system for characterizing the gaps between mini-plates within the MP-1 capsules. To ensure accurate and repeatable data, acceptance and calibration procedures have been developed. Unfortunately, there is no "gold" standard measurement to compare to CGP measurements. An effort was made to use plate thickness obtained from post-irradiation measurements to derive channel gap estimates for comparison with the CGP characterization.

Neutron dose rate analysis of the new CONSTOR® storage cask for the RBMK-1500 spent nuclear fuel

  • Narkunas, Ernestas;Smaizys, Arturas;Poskas, Povilas;Naumov, Valerij;Ekaterinichev, Dmitrij
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.6
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    • pp.1869-1877
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    • 2021
  • This paper presents the neutron dose rate analysis of the new CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 storage cask intended for the spent nuclear fuel storage at Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania. These casks are designed to be stored in a new "closed" type interim storage facility, with the capacity to store up to 202 CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 casks. In 2016 y, the "hot trials" of this new facility were conducted and 10 CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 casks loaded with the spent nuclear fuel were transported to the dedicated storage places in this facility. During "hot trials", the dose rate measurements of the CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 casks were performed as the dose rate is one of the critical parameter to control and it must be below design (and safety) criteria. Therefore, having the actual data of the spent nuclear fuel characteristics, the neutron dose rate modeling of the CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 cask loaded with this particular fuel was also performed. Neutron dose rate modeling was performed using MCNP 5 computer code with very detailed geometrical representation of the cask and the fuel. The obtained modeling results were compared with the measurement results and it was revealed, that modeling results are generally in good agreement with the measurements.

PYROPROCESSING FLOWSHEETS FOR RECYCLING USED NUCLEAR FUEL

  • Williamson, M.A.;Willit, J.L.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.43 no.4
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    • pp.329-334
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    • 2011
  • Two conceptual flowsheets were developed for recycling used nuclear fuel. One flowsheet was developed for recycling used oxide nuclear fuel from light water reactors while the other was developed for recycling used metal fuel from fast spectrum reactors. Both flowsheets were developed from a set of design principles including efficient actinide recovery, nonproliferation, waste minimization and commercial viability. Process chemistry is discussed for each unit operation in the flowsheet.

MODAL TESTING AND MODEL UPDATING OF A REAL SCALE NUCLEAR FUEL ROD

  • Park, Nam-Gyu;Rhee, Hui-Nam;Moon, Hoy-Ik;Jang, Young-Ki;Jeon, Sang-Youn;Kim, Jae-Ik
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.41 no.6
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    • pp.821-830
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    • 2009
  • In this paper, modal testing and finite element modeling results to identify the modal parameters of a nuclear fuel rod as well as its cladding tube are discussed. A vertically standing full-size cladding tube and a fuel rod with lead pellets were used in the modal testing. As excessive flow-induced vibration causes a failure in fuel rods, such as fretting wear, the vibration level of fuel rods should be low enough to prevent failure of these components. Because vibration amplitude can be estimated based on the modal parameters, the dynamic characteristics must be determined during the design process. Therefore, finite element models are developed based on the test results. The effect of a lumped mass attached to a cladding tube model was identified during the finite element model optimization process. Unlike a cladding tube model, the density of a fuel rod with pellets cannot be determined in a straightforward manner because pellets do not move in the same phase with the cladding tube motion. The density of a fuel rod with lead pellets was determined by comparing natural frequency ratio between the cladding tube and the rod. Thus, an improved fuel rod finite element model was developed based on the updated cladding tube model and an estimated fuel rod density considering the lead pellets. It is shown that the entire pellet mass does not contribute to the fuel rod dynamics; rather, they are only partially responsible for the fuel rod dynamic behavior.