• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권7호
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• pp.2277-2288
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• 2021

To regulate the safety protocols in nuclear facilities, radioactive aerosols have been extensively researched to understand their health impacts. However, most measured particle-size distributions remain at low resolutions, with the particle sizes ranging from nanometer to micrometer. This study combines the high-resolution detection of 500 size classes, ranging from 6 nm to 10 ㎛, for aerodynamic diameter distributions, with a regional lung deposition calculation. We applied the new approach to characterize particle-size distributions of aerosols generated during the plasma arc cutting of simulated non-radioactive steel alloy wastes. The high-resolution measured data were used to calculate the deposition ratios of the aerosols in different lung regions. The deposition ratios in the alveolar sacs contained the dominant particle sizes ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 ㎛. We determined the distribution of various metals using different vapor pressures of the alloying components and analyzed the uncertainties of lung deposition calculations using the low-resolution aerodynamic diameter data simultaneously. In high-resolution data, the changes in aerosols that can penetrate the blood system were better captured, correcting their potential risks by a maximum of 42%. The combined calculations can aid the enhancement of high-resolution measuring equipment to effectively manage radiation safety in nuclear facilities.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권7호
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• pp.2229-2236
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• 2021

In nuclear-related facilities, such as nuclear power plants, research reactors, accelerators, and nuclear waste storage sites, radiation detection, and mapping are required to prevent radiation overexposure. Sensor network systems consisting of radiation sensor interfaces and wxireless communication units have become promising tools that can be used for data collection of radiation detection that can in turn be used to draw a radiation map. During data collection, malfunctions in some of the sensors can occasionally occur due to radiation effects, physical damage, network defects, sensor loss, or other reasons. This paper proposes a reproduction strategy for radiation maps using a U-net model to compensate for the loss of radiation detection data. To perform machine learning and verification, 1,561 simulations and 417 measured data of a sensor network were performed. The reproduction results show an accuracy of over 90%. The proposed strategy can offer an effective method that can be used to resolve the data loss problem for conventional sensor network systems and will specifically contribute to making initial responses with preserved data and without the high cost of radiation leak accidents at nuclear facilities.

• 한국에너지공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국에너지공학회 1999년도 추계 학술발표회 논문집
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• pp.119-124
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• 1999

A selection methodology of liquid levelmeters, especially, level sensors in non-nuclear category, to be installed in nuclear energy facilities is developed using linguistic fuzzy approaches such as fully-linguistic and semi-linguistic methods. Depending on defuzzification techniques, the linguistic fuzzy methodology leads to either linguistic (exactly, fully-linguistic) or cardinal (i.e., semi-linguistic) evaluation. For the linguistic method, for each alternative, fuzzy preference index is converted to linguistic utility value by means of a similarity measure determining the degree of similarity between fuzzy index and linguistic ratings. For the cardinal method, the index is translated to cardinal overall utility value. According to these values, alternatives of interest are linguistically or numerically evaluated and a suitable alternative can be selected. Under given selection criteria, the suitable selections out of some liquid levelmeters for nuclear facilities are dealt with using the linguistic fuzzy methodology proposed. Then, linguistic fuzzy evaluation results are compared with qualitative result available in the literature. It is found that as to a suitable option the linguistic fuzzy selection is in agreement with the qualitative selection. Additionally, the comparative study shows that the fully-linguistic method using adequate scale system facilitates linguistic interpretation regarding evaluation results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권10호
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• pp.3788-3794
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• 2022

The possibility of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has been continuously debated, and the initiative participation of the Republic of Korea has necessitated preemptive measures against neighboring countries. In this study, we present a proposal for formulating a site survey plan when the amount of site information provided is insufficient and the accuracy of the information is not guaranteed. Considering a case wherein "a soil sample analysis is used to determine the presence or absence of nuclear activity" in a radiochemical laboratory, which is a typical key facility for denuclearization, the optimal soil sample collection plan is designed based on international guidelines and public information. In the event of denuclearization, a scenario that is not based on the expertise of the sample collector is set, and the data quality objective (DQO) process is applied to ensure reality. Consequently, the primary sample collection points can be derived in consideration of accessibility, and the sample collection scale can be adjusted according to the cost. By applying the DQO process to ensure sample representativeness and reality, reliable and resource-efficient soil sample collection can be achieved in radiochemical laboratories and other denuclearization facilities.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2018년도 추계학술논문요약집
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• pp.275-276
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• 2018

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.391-402
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• 2017

한국원자력환경공단에서는 국내 경수로 원전에서 발생된 사용후핵연료를 건식으로 저장할 수 있는 콘크리트 용기를 개발하였다. 본 저장용기는 사용후핵연료가 건식환경에서 장기간 저장되는 동안 용기 및 사용후핵연료의 건전성이 유지되며, 방사선량률이 저장시설의 설계기준을 초과하지 않도록 설계되어야 한다. 특히, 저장시설은 정상 및 사고조건에서 적절한 방사선 방호를 위한 차폐설계가 이루어져야 한다. 이를 위해 본 연구에서는 미국 10CFR72 및 10CFR20의 기술기준과 NRC의 표준 심사지침 NUREG-1536에서 제시한 평가방법에 따라 건식저장조건하에서 단일 콘크리트용기 및 $2{\times}10$ 용기배열조건의 선량율을 평가하였다. 평가결과, 일반인에 대한 연간선량 한도인 0.25 mSv를 만족하는 통제구역 경계까지의 거리는 약 230 m로 도출되었다. 콘크리트 저장용기의 설계사고는 $2{\times}10$ 배열의 저장시설에서 한 개의 저장용기가 이송 중 전도사고가 발생하여 용기의 바닥면이 통제구역 경계로 향하는 상황으로 가정하였다. 전도된 저장용기의 바닥면으로 부터 100 m 및 230 m 지점에서 각각 12.81 mSv 및 1.28 mSv로 평가되었다. 본 연구를 통해 건식저장조건에서 콘크리트 저장용기 및 저장시설은 적절하게 평가된 통제구역경계까지의 거리가 확보된다면 방사선적 안전성이 유지됨을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 평가결과만으로 건식환경의 저장용기(시설) 설계에 직접 적용하기는 어렵겠으나, 향후 '국가 고준위폐기물 관리 전략'에 근거한 원전내 저장시설 또는 중간저장 시설의 설계 및 운영에 유용한 자료가 될 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국압력기기공학회 논문집
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.12-18
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• 2011

The renewed global interest in nuclear power has arisen from the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to provide sufficient electricity for a growing global population. Many countries with nuclear power plants (NPPs) are still implementing license extensions of 10~20 years, and even consideration is being given to the concept of life-beyond-60, a further period of license extension from 60 to 80 years. To solve the materials aging problem is integral to its success. A foundation for effective aging management of nuclear power plants is that aging is properly taken into account at each stage of a plant's lifetime, i.e. in design, manufacture, construction and operation including long term operation and decommissioning. To evaluate the plant aging phenomena, a lot of background information such as materials and environment of the parts of the reactor and plant systems is needed by the experts. Information on degradation mechanisms is also used. In this paper, a regulation on the integrated materials aging management for nuclear facilities is proposed. The proposed regulation identifies key elements of effective aging management for nuclear power plants and provides the requirements on aging management for nuclear facilities throughout all stages of the lifetime of the plant.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.2135-2146
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• 2022

A nuclear energy facility is one of the most critical facilities to be safely protected during and after operation because the physical destruction of its barriers by an external attack could release radioactivity into the environment and can cause harmful effects. The barrier walls of nuclear energy facilities should be sufficiently robust to protect essential facilities from external attack or sabotage. Physical protection system (PPS) vulnerability assessment of a typical small nuclear research reactor was carried out by simulating an external attack with a tri-nitro toluene (TNT) shaped charge and results are presented. The reinforced concrete (RC) barrier wall of the research reactor located at a distance of 50 m from a TNT-shaped charge was the target of external attack. For the purpose of the impact assessment of the RC barrier wall, a finite element method (FEM) is utilized to simulate the destruction condition. The study results showed that a hole-size of diameter 342 mm at the front side and 364 mm at the back side was created on the RC barrier wall as a result of a 143.35 kg TNT-shaped charge. This aperture would be large enough to let at least one person can pass through at a time. For the purpose of the PPS vulnerability assessment, an Estimate of Adversary Sequence Interruption (EASI) model was used, which enabled the determination of most vulnerable path to the target with a probability of interruption equal to 0.43. The study showed that the RC barrier wall is vulnerable to a TNT-shaped charge impact, which could in turn reduce the effectiveness of the PPS.

• 한국압력기기공학회 논문집
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.84-92
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• 2023

As temporary storage facilities for spent nuclear fuels in domestic nuclear power plants are expected to be saturated, external intermediate storage facilities would be required in the future. Spent nuclear fuels are stored in metal canisters and then placed in a dry environment within concrete or metal casing for operation. In the United States, the dry storage method for spent nuclear fuels has been operated for an extended period. Based on the corrosion experiences of dry storage canisters in chloride environments, numerous studies have been conducted to reduce corrosion in welds. With the construction of intermediate storage facilities in Korea for spent nuclear fuels expected near coastal areas adjacent to nuclear power plants, there is a need for research on the corrosion occurrence of welds and mitigation methods for canisters in chloride environments. In this paper, we measured and compared the residual stresses in the Heat-Affected Zones (HAZ) after electron beam welding (EBW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) processes for candidate materials such as 304L, 316L, and duplex stainless steel(DSS). We investigated the possibility of microstructure control through the application of surface modification processes using friction stir processing (FSP). Corrosion tests on each welded specimen revealed a higher corrosion rate in EBW welds compared to GTAW. Furthermore, it was confirmed that corrosion resistance improved due to phase refinement and redistribution of precipitates when FSP was applied.

• 한국지능시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국퍼지및지능시스템학회 1993년도 Fifth International Fuzzy Systems Association World Congress 93
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• pp.1066-1069
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• 1993

The presence of older installations, in particular nuclear facilities, demands extra studies concerning the safety evaluation of those installations. One of the aspects to deal with is the safety of the several transmission lines in a nuclear installation, for instance the safety of control, safety against fire, etc.. . This paper investigates the use of fuzzy set theory in the inspection of transmission lines of nuclear installations at SCK/CEN, Belgium.