• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 1997

Air-oxidation experiments on unirradiated and irradiated UO$_2$ were performed at temperature from 150 to 375$^{\circ}C$ for investigating the long-term storage behavior of spent PWR fuel. The rate of oxidation was monitored by a thermogravimetric analyzer(TGA) and an X-ray diffraction(XRD). The correlation between the onset-time for U$_3$O$_{8}$ formation and temperature was given as follows, logt(hr) = -12.89+7650/T(K), 423$_2$ pellet, the oxidation rate of irradiated UO$_2$ increase more rapidly at the initial stage and shows a lower saturation point at the later Stage. The Oxidation rate of high bumup UO$_2$ and gadolinia-doped UO$_2$(Gd$_2$O$_3$-UO$_2$) were observed to be much slower than that of unirradiated UO$_2$ pellets.s.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.287-292
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• 2005

[ $\pi$ ]The effects of silica-based additives have been investigated to improve the creep property of a $UO_2$ pellet. The additive composition, $50wt\%SiO_2-47wt{\%}CaO-3wt\%Cr_2O_3$ (SCC), was selected according to the dihedral angle and the distribution of the second phase. It was observed that the creep rate of the $0.07 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$ was slower than that of the pure $UO_2$. However, the creep rate of the $0.22 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$ was about 3_48 times faster than that of the pure $UO_2$, depending on the applied stress in the lower stress range. In the case of the $0.35 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$, the creep rate decreased in comparison with that of the $0.22 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$. The observed enhancement in the creep rate might depend on a balance between the positive role of the viscous intergranular phase and the negative roles of the additives and the grain growth.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.294-299
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• 1994

Margin benefits are quantatively assessed when a Digital Monitoring System(DMS) is assumed to be installed to an operating Westinghouse analog type plant. Applied plant and cycle is YongGwang Unit 1 Cycle 6. The referenced digital monitoring system is the COLSS (Core Operating Limit Supervisory System) of ABB-CE. Considered fuel design limits are DNBR and LDCA Fq. 2003-D Power distributions within the present CAOC (Constant Axial Offset Control) limits are calculated for the analysis. The most limiting DNB prevention event of CEA Withdrawal is analyzed with the ROPM (Required OverPower Margin) concept of ABB-CE. The result show that the DMS can bring around 7% more margins for both DNB and LOCA Fq standpoints of view. The DMS can also monitor the PCI (Pellet-Cladding Interaction) limits.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.335-343
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• 1999

The effects of N $b_2$ $O_{5}$ and oxygen potential on the densification and grain growth of U $O_2$ fuel have been investigated.0.3 wt% N $b_2$ $O_{5}$ -doped U $O_2$fuel pellets were sintered at 1$700^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours in sintering atmospheres which have various ratios of $H_2O$ to $H_2$ gas. Compared with those of undoped U $O_2$ pellets, the sintered density and grain size of the 0.3 wt% N $b_2$ $O_{5}$ -doped U $O_2$ pellet increase under the $H_2O$/ $H_2$ gas ratio of 5.0$\times$10$^{-3}$ to 1.0$\times$10$^{-2}$ and under the $H_2O$/ $H_2$gas ratio of 5.0$\times$10$^{-3}$ to $1.5\times$10$^{-2}$ , respectively. The sintering of U $O_2$fuel pellets containing 0.1 wt% to 0.5 wt% N $b_2$ $O_{5}$ was carried out at 168$0^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours. The enhancing effect of N $b_2$ $O_{5}$ on the sintered density and grain size becomes larger as the N $b_2$ $O_{5}$ content increases. The solubility limit of N $b_2$ $O_{5}$ in U $O_{2}$ seems to be between 0.3 wt% and 0.5 wt%, and beyond the solubility limit the second phase whose composition corresponds near to N $b_2$U $O_{6}$ is precipitated on grain boundary. The enhancement of densification and grain growth in U $O_2$ is attributed to the increased concentration of a uranium vacancy which is formed by the interstitial N $b^{4+}$ ion in the U $O_2$ lattice.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.14-24
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• 2003

This work investigates the effects of Cr$_2$O$_3$ and oxygen potential on grain growth and densification of UO$_2$ pellets. Powder mixtures of UO$_2$ and 0.03-0.4wt% Cr$_2$O$_3$ were pressed and sintered in 3 different gas atmospheres: the $H_2O$-to-H$_2$ ratios were 5$\times$10$^{-4}$ , 1$\times$10$^{-2}$ and 3$\times$10$^{-2}$ In the first gas atmosphere the Cr$_2$O$_3$ contents below 0.2 wt% have an insignificant effect on grain size, but the Cr$_2$O$_3$ contents more than 0.3 wt% promote grain growth in the inner zone of a pellet but not in the outer zone. In both the second and third atmospheres, the grain size increases with the Cr$_2$O$_3$ content. With the same level of Cr$_2$O$_3$ content the grain size is larger in the second atmosphere than in the third. Sintering behavior and developed microstructure are discussed in terms of the reduction of C$r^2$O$^3$ to Cr, the dissolution of C$r^2$O$^3$ in UO$_2$, and liquid phase sintering.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.77-84
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• 2005

A voloxidizer for a hot cell demonstration, that handles spent fuels of a high radiation level in a limited space should be small and spent fuel powders should not be dispersed out of the equipment involved. In this study a density rate equation as well as the Stokes'equation has been proposed in order to obtain the theoretical terminal velocity of powders. The terminal velocity of U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ has been predicted by using the terminal velocity of SiO$_{2}$, and then determination has been the optimum air flow rate which is able to prevent powders from scattering. An equation which has shown a relationship between theoretical terminal velocities of U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ and SiO$_{2}$ has been derived with the help of the Stokes'equation, and then an experimental verification made for the theoretical Stokes' equation of SiO$_{2}$ by means of an experimental device made of acryl. The theoretical terminal velocity based on the proposed density rate equation has been verified by detecting U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ powders in a filter installed in the mock-up voloxidizer. As the results, the optimum air flow rates seem to be 20 LPM by the Stokes'equation while they are 14.5 L/min by the density rate equation. At the experiments with the mock-up voloxidizer, a trace amount of U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ seems to be detectable at the air flow rate of 14.5 L/min by the density rate equation, but U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ powders of 7$\mu$m diameter seem detectable at the air flow rate of 20 L/min by the Stokes'equation. It is revealed that 14.5 L/min is the optimum air flowe rate which is capable of preventing U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ powders from scattering in the UO$_{2}$ voloxidizer and the proposed density rate equation is proper to calculate the terminal velocity of U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ powders.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 1983

The slightly hyperstoichiometric uranium dioxide, i.e. U $O_{2.005}$ and U $O_{2.01}$ within a range of the requirement for the use of a nuclear fuel, were sintered directly in an atmosphere of $CO_2$/CO mixture without any succeeding reduction process. The kinetics of sintering in the late stage were investigated for various O/U ratios. A sintering diagram, which show the relation of Temperature-Time-Density-Grain size, was established for each O/U ratio. Only by controlling the oxygen partial pressure in the sintering atmosphere, U $O_2$ pellet could be sintered very easily at low temperature 1050$^{\circ}$～120$0^{\circ}C$ with a density above 95% T.D. and average grain size above 7${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. It was found that the rate of grain growth follows D=(Kt)$^{1}$4/ in the late stage of sintering. And the activation energies for grain growth in the final sintering stage were found to be 75, 64 and 62kca1/mo1 for U $O_{2.005}$, U $O_{2.01}$ and U $O_{2.10}$, respectively. Although no significant differences are obtained between the activation energies for different O/U ratios, the sinterability is enhanced considerably with increasing the oxygen partial pressure in the sintering atmosphere.tmosphere.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2006

Vol-oxidizer is a device to convert $UO_2$ pellets into $U_3O_8$ powder and to feed a homogeneous powder into a Metal Conversion Reactor in the ACP(Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process). In this paper, we propose a design model of the vol-oxidizer, develop the new vol-oxidizer with a capacity of 20 kg HM/batch in $UO_2$ pellets, and conduct a verification for the device. Design considerations include the internal structure, the capacity, the heating position of the device, and the size. The dimensions of the new vol-oxidizer are decided by the design model. We determine a permeability test of the $U_3O_8$ measuring the temperature distribution, and the volume of $UO_2$ and $U_3O_8$. We manufactured the new vol-oxidizer for a 20 kg HM/batch in $UO_2$ pellets, and then analyzed the characteristics of the $U_3O_8$ powder for the verification. The experimental results show that the permeability of the $U_3O_8$ throughout mesh enhance more than old vol-oxidizer, the oxidation time takes only 8 hours when compared with the 13 hours of the old device, and the average distribution of particle size is $40{\mu}m$. The capacities of new vol-oxidizer for a 20 kg HM/batch in $UO_2$ pellets were agree well with the predictions of design model.