• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2012.04a
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• pp.911-916
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• 2012

It is important to identify dynamic characteristics of nuclear fuel components. Since the fuel always exposed to turbulent flow, the dynamic contact between grids and rods is one of the fuel failure modes. The dynamic behavior of grids in nuclear fuels is quite complex, since two pairs of spring support are placed in the limited space. The strap in a cell has single spring and double dimples and this paper focuses on investigation of the grid strap(Test Fuel Strap, TFS) vibration in one cell. To identify the grid strap vibration, modal analysis of the strap is performed using Finite Element Method (FEM). Modal testing on a $5{\times}5$ grid structure without rods is performed. The modal testing results are compared to analytic results. In addition, random test considering rod effect is performed about a $5{\times}5$ grid with rods under real contact condition in the air. Finally, the strap vibration of a $5{\times}5$ fuel bundle in INvestigation of Flow INduced vIbraTion(INFINIT) facility is measured in real fluid velocity condition without heating. It is shown that modal frequencies from the test are almost equal to those peak frequencies in the INFINIT test.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.673-682
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• 2007

The contents of transuranic elements in high-burnup spent fuel samples were determined. The activity amounts of $^{238}Pu,\;^{239}Pu,\;^{240}Pu,\;^{241}Am,\;^{244}Cm\;and\;^{242}Cm$ were measured by alpha spectrometry using $^{242}Pu\;and\;^{243}Am$ as tracers, respectively. A spike addition method for $^{237}Np$ was established by an alpha and gamma spectrometry using $^{239}Np$ as a spike after the optimum conditions for the measurements of $^{237}Np\;and\;^{239}Np$, respectively, were obtained. A separation system using anion exchange chromatography and diethylhexylphosphoric acid extraction chromatography was applied for the separation of these elements. This method was applied to high-burnup spent nuclear fuel samples $(40{\sim}60GWD/MTU)$. The contents of the transuranic elements were compared with those by ORIGEN-2 code. Measurements and the calculations of the contents of the plutonium isotopes $^{238}Pu,\;^{239}Pu\;and\;^{240}Pu$ agreed to within 10% on average. The contents of $^{237}Np$ agreed to within approximately 5% except for one instance of a calculation, while those of $^{241}Am,\;^{244}Cm\;and\;^{242}Cm$ showed higher values by approximately 19%, 35% and 14% on average, respectively, compared to the calculations according to the burnup.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.138-147
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• 1982

A theoretical basis for analysis of plutonium-hearing fuel in a thermal nuclear power reactor has been established. The analysis of UO$_2$-PuO$_2$ fueled, light water moderated uniform lattice experiments has been performed. A unit cell program, KARATE, which is based on the theoretical models of GAM and THERMOS with some modifications, has been developed to generate a few-group cross-sections. These cross-sections are subsequently used in the diffusion theory code, KIDD, to compare the calculated values of the effective multiplication factor with the measured. The average value of the effective multiplication factor for 41 selected critical experiments is estimated to be 0.9997 with standard deviation of 0.43%. This illustrates the fact that KARATE/KIDD system can be effectively used for the analysis of uniform lattices of UO$_2$-PuO$_2$fuels.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

This study discusses the effect of using ²³²Th instead of ²³⁸U on the neutronic characteristics and the main operating parameters of the pressurized water reactor (PWR). MCNPX version 2.7 was used to compare the neutronic characteristics of UO₂ with (Th, ²³⁵U)O₂ and (Th, ²³³U) O₂. Firstly, the infinity multiplication factor (K_inf), thermal neutron flux, and power distribution have been studied for the investigated fuel types. Secondly, the effect of Gd₂O₃ and Er₂O₃ on the K_inf and on the radial thermal neutron flux and thermal power has been investigated to distinguish which of them is more suitable than the other in reactivity management. Thirdly, to illustrate the effectiveness of ²³²Th in decreasing the inventory of both the actinides and non-actinides, the concentration of plutonium (Pu) isotopes and minor actinides (MAs) has been simulated with the fuel burnup. Besides, due to their large thermal neutron absorption cross-section, the concentrations of ¹³⁵Xe, ¹⁴⁹Sm, and ¹⁵¹Sm with the fuel burnup have been investigated. Finally, the main safety parameters such as the reactivity worth of the control rods (ρ_CR), the effective delayed neutron fraction β_eff, and the Doppler reactivity coefficient (DRC) were calculated to determine to which extent these fuel types achieve the acceptable limits.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1651-1664
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• 2023

It is very difficult to capture the multi-dimensional phenomena such as asymmetric flow and temperature distributions with the one-dimensional (1D) model, obviously, due to its inherent limitation. In order to overcome such a limitation of the 1D representation, many state-of-the-art system codes have equipped a three-dimensional (3D) component for multi-dimensional analysis capability. In this study, a standard multi-dimensional analysis model of APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400) has been developed using TRACE (TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine). The entire reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of APR1400 has been modeled using a single 3D component. The fuels in the reactor core have been described with detailed and coarse representations, respectively, to figure out the impact of the fuel description. Using both 3D RPV models, a comparative analysis has been performed postulating a double-ended guillotine break at a cold leg. Based on the results of comparative analysis, it is revealed that both models show no significant difference in general plant behavior and the model with coarse fuel model could be used for faster transient analysis without reactor kinetics coupling. The analysis indicates that the asymmetric temperature and flow distributions are captured during the transient, and such nonuniform distributions contribute to asymmetric quenching behaviors during blowdown and reflood phases. Such asymmetries are directly connected to the figure of merits in the LBLOCA analysis. Therefore, it is recommended to employ a multi-dimensional RPV model with a detailed fuel description for a realistic safety analysis with the consideration of the spatial configuration of the reactor core.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.301-309
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• 2006

KDC-1 canister for PWR spent fuels which will be used for the Korean Reference Disposal System was developed. The structural analysis of the canister was carried out as a part of the safety analysis. Two conditions, disposal condition and handling condition, were considered for the structural analysis. Three kinds of load cases, normal, abnormal and rock movement, were considered for the disposal condition. The results of the calculation showed that the safety factors from the structural analysis were greater than the design requirements. Two accident scenarios, gripper failure accident and canister drop accident, were analyzed for the handling condition. According to the gripper failure scenario analysis, the handling machine with grippers could be used even in the cases that one or two grippers failed. The maximum von Mises stress from the canister drop accident scenario was 0.762 MPa, which was negligible compared with the yield stress of nodular cast iron. The proposed KDC-1 canister for PWR spent fuels proves to be safe under the repository condition that is based upon the Korean reference disposal system according to the structural analysis for disposal condition and handling condition.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 2014

If the spent fuels or the high-level radioactive wastes can be disposed of in the depth of 3~5 km and more stable rock formation, it has several advantages. For example, (1)significant fluid flow through basement rock is prevented, in part, by low permeability, poorly connected transport pathways, and (2)overburden self-sealing. (3)Deep fluids also resist vertical movement because they are density stratified and reducing conditions will sharply limit solubility of most dose-critical radionuclides at the depth. Finally, (4) high ionic strengths of deep fluids will prevent colloidal transport. Therefore, as an alternative disposal concept to the deep geological disposal concept(DGD), very deep borehole disposal(DBD) technology is under consideration in number of countries in terms of its outstanding safety and cost effectiveness. In this paper, for the preliminary applicability analyses of the DBD system for the spent fuels or high level wastes, the DBD concepts which have been developed by some countries according to the rapid advance in the development of drilling technology were reviewed. To do this, the general concept of DBD system was checked and the study cases of foreign countries were described and analyzed. These results will be used as an input for the analyses of applicability for DBD in Korea.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.261-267
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• 2010

The pyrometallurgical nuclear fuel recycle process, called pyroprocessing, has been known as a promising nuclear fuel recycling technology. Pyroprocessing technology is crucial to advanced nuclear systems due to increased nuclear proliferation resistance and economic efficiency. The basic concept of pyroprocessing is group actinide recovery, which enhances the nuclear proliferation resistance significantly. One of the key steps in pyroprocessing is "electrowinning" which recovers group actinides with lanthanide from the spent nuclear fuels. In this study, a vertical cadmium distiller was manufactured. The evaporation rate of pure cadmium in vertical cadmium distiller varied from 12.3 to $40.8g/cm^2/h$ within a temperature range of 773 923 K and pressure below 0.01 torr. Uranium - cadmium alloy was fabricated by electrolysis using liquid cadmium cathode in a high purity argon atmosphere glove box. The distillation behavior of pure cadmium and cadmium in uranium - cadmium alloy was investigated. The distillation behavior of cadmium from this study could be used to develop an actinide recovery process from a liquid cadmium cathode in a cadmium distiller.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.229-236
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• 2012

A molten salt technology using $Li_2O$-LiCl has been extensively investigated to recover uranium metal from spent fuels in the field of nuclear energy. In the reduction process, it is an important point to maintain the concentration of $Li_2O$. $ZrO_2$ is inevitably contained in the spent fuels because Zr is one of the main components of fuel rod hulls. Therefore, the fate of $ZrO_2$ in $Li_2O$-LiCl molten salt has been investigated. It was found that $Li_2ZrO_3$ and $Li_4ZrO_4$ were formed chemically and electrochemically and they were not reduced to Zr. The recycling of $Li_2O$ is the key mechanism ruling the total reaction in the electrolytic reduction process. However, $ZrO_2$ will have a role as a $Li_2O$ sink.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2008

Inventories to be disposed of, reference turnup, and source terms for CANDU spent fuel were evaluated for geological disposal system design. The historical and projected inventory by 2040 is expected to be 14,600 MtU under the condition of 30-year lifetime for unit 1 and 40-year lifetime for other units in Wolsong site. As a result of statistical analysis for discharge burnup of the spent fuels generated by 2007, average and stand deviation revealed 6,987 MWD/MtU and 1,167, respectively. From this result, the reference burnup was determined as 8,100 MWD/MtU which covers 84% of spent fuels in total. Source terms such as nuclide concentration for a long-term safety analysis, decay heat, thermo-mechanical analysis, and radiation intenity and spectrum was characterized by using ORIGEN-ARP containing conservativeness in the aspect of decay heat up to several thousand years. The results from this study will be useful for the design of storage and disposal facilities.