• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.374-382
• /
• 2009

Steam generator(SG) tube, as a barrier isolating primary to the secondary coolant system of nuclear power plants(NPP), must maintain the structural integrity far the public safety and its efficient power generation capacity. And SG tubes bearing defects must be timely detected and taken repair measures if needed. For the accomplishment of these objectives, SG tubes have been periodically examined by eddy current testing(ECT) on the basis of administrative notices and intensified SG management program(SGMP). Stress corrosion cracking(SCC) on the SG tubes is not easily detected and even missed since it has lower signal amplitude and other disturbing factors against its detection. However once SCC is developed, that can cause detrimental affects to the SG tubes due to its rapid propagation rate. Accordingly SCC is categorized as prime damage mechanism challenging the soundness of the SG tubes. In this study, reproduced EDM notch specimens are examined for the detectability and quantitative characterization of the axial ODSCC by +PT MRPC probe, containing pancake, +PT and shielded pancake coils apart in a single plane around the circumference. The results of this study are assumed to be applicable fur providing key information of engineering evaluation of SCC and improvement of confidence level of ECT on SG tubes.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.267-274
• /
• 2014

The first Low- and Intermediate-Level Waste (LILW) disposal facility with 6 silos has been constructed in granite host rock saturated with groundwater in Korea. A two-dimensional numerical modeling on gas migration was carried out using TOUGH2 with EOS5 module in the disposal facility. Laboratory-scale experiments were also performed to measure the important properties of silo concrete related with gas migration. The gas entry pressure and relative gas permeability of the concrete was determined to be $0.97{\pm}0.15bar$ and $2.44{\times}10^{-17}m^2$, respectively. The results of the numerical modeling showed that hydrogen gas generated from radioactive wastes was dissolved in groundwater and migrated to biosphere as an aqueous phase. Only a small portion of hydrogen appeared as a gas phase after 1,000 years of gas generation. The results strongly suggested that hydrogen gas does not accumulate inside the disposal facility as a gas phase. Therefore, it is expected that there would be no harmful effects on the integrity of the silo concrete due to gas generation.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.133-141
• /
• 2020

A geological repository comprises a natural barrier and an engineered barrier system. Its design components consist of canisters, buffers, backfill, and near-field rock. Among the engineered barrier system components, bentonite buffers minimize the groundwater flow from near-field rock and prevent the release of nuclide. Investigation of the hydraulic conductivity of the buffer to groundwater flow is an important factor in the performance evaluation of the stability and integrity of the engineered barrier of the repository. In this study, saturated hydraulic conductivity tests were performed using Gyeongju bentonite at various dry densities and temperatures, and a hydraulic conductivity prediction model was developed through multiple regression analysis using the 120 result sets of hydraulic conductivity. The test results showed that the hydraulic conductivity tends to decrease as the dry density increases. In addition, the hydraulic conductivity increased with increasing temperature. The multiple regression analysis results showed that the coefficient of determination (R²) of the hydraulic conductivity prediction equation was as high as 0.93. The hydraulic conductivity prediction equation presented in this study could be used for the design of engineered barrier systems.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.34 no.8
• /
• pp.1105-1111
• /
• 2010

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institutes has been developing the SMART (System integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor), an environment-friendly nuclear reactor for the generation of electricity and to perform desalination. SMART reactors can be exposed to various external and internal loads caused by seismic and coolant flows. The CRDM(control rod drive mechanism), one of structures of the SMART, is a component which is adjusting inserting amount of a control rod, controlling output of reactor power and in an emergency situation, inserting a control rod to stop the reactor. The purpose of this research is performing the analysis of dynamic characteristic to ensure safety and integrity of structure of CRDM. This paper presents two FE-models, 3-D solid model and simplified Beam model of the CRDM in the coolant, and then compared the results of the dynamic characteristic about the two FE-models using a commercial Finite Element tool, ABAQUS CAE V6.8 and ANSYS V12. Beam 4 and beam 188 of simplified-model were also compared each other. And simplified model is updated for accuracy compare to 3-D solid.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.35 no.11
• /
• pp.1499-1506
• /
• 2011

The IHX (intermediate heat exchanger) is a key component of nuclear hydrogen systems for the production of massive amounts hydrogen. The IHX transfers the $950^{\circ}C$ heat generated by the VHTR (very high temperature reactor) to a hydrogen production plant. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute established a small-scale gas loop to test the performance of key VHTR components and manufactured a small-scale PCHE (printed circuit heat exchanger) prototype, which is being considered as a candidate for the IHX, for testing in the small-scale gas loop. In this study, as a part of the high-temperature structural integrity evaluation of the small-scale PCHE prototype, we carried out high-temperature structural analysis modeling and macroscopic thermal and structural analysis for the small-scale PCHE prototype under the small-scale gas loop test conditions. This analysis serves as a precedent study to scheduled PCHE performance test in the small-scale gas loop. The results obtained in this study will be compared with the test results for the small-scale PCHE and then used to design the medium-scale PCHE prototype.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.393-400
• /
• 2006

In design of a deep geological repository for the high level wastes, it is very important that the temperature of the bentonite block should not be over $100^{\circ}C$ to maintain the integrity of the bentonite buffer block from the decay heat. In this study, for the layout of the repository to meet the requirement, the analysis of the disposal tunnel and disposal pit spacing was carried out. To do this, based on the reference repository concept, several cases of cooling times and disposal tunnel and disposal pit spacing were compared. The thermal stabilities of the disposal systems were analyzed in terms of the cooling time and spacing. The results showed that it was more desirable to determine the layout of the repository in terms of disposal pit spacing than the disposal tunnel spacing. The results of these analyses can be used in the deep geological repository design. The detailed analyses with the exact site characteristics data will reduce the uncertainty of the results.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2021

Radiopharmaceuticals are drugs that contain radioisotopes and are used in the diagnosis, treatment, or investigation of diseases. Radiopharmaceuticals must be manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practice regulations and subjected to quality control before they are administered to patients to ensure the safety of the drug. Radiopharmaceuticals for administration to humans need to be sterile and pyrogen-free. Hence, sterility tests and membrane filter integrity tests are carried out to confirm the asepticity of the finished drug product, and a bacterial endotoxin test conducted to assess contamination, if any, by pyrogens. The physical appearance and the absence of foreign insoluble substances should be confirmed by a visual inspection. The chemical purity, residual solvents, and pH should be evaluated because residual by-products and impurities in the finished product can be harmful to patients. The half-life, radiochemical purity, radionuclidic purity, and strength need to be assessed by analyzing the radiation emitted from radiopharmaceuticals to verify that the radioisotope contents are properly labeled on pharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals always carry the risk of radiation exposure. Therefore, the time taken for quality control tests should be minimized and care should be taken to prevent radiation exposure during handling. This review discusses the quality control procedures and acceptance criteria for a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.254-259
• /
• 2014

A pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) core has 380 fuel channels contained and supported by a horizontal cylindrical vessel known as the calandria, whereas a pressurized water reactor (PWR) has only a single reactor vessel. The pressure tube, which is a pressure-retaining component, has a 103.4 mm inside diameter ${\times}$ 4.19 mm wall thickness, and is 6.36 m long, made of a zirconium alloy (Zr-2.5 wt% Nb). This provides support for the fuel while transporting the $D_2O$ heat-transfer fluid. The simple tubular geometry invites highly automated inspection, and good approach for all inspection. Similar to all nuclear heat-transfer pressure boundaries, the PHWR pressure tube requires a rigorous, periodic inspection to assess the reactor integrity in accordance with the Korea Nuclear Safety Committee law. Volumetric-based nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques utilizing ultrasonic and eddy current testing have been adopted for use in the periodic inspection of the fuel channel. The eddy current testing, as a supplemental NDE method to ultrasonic testing, is used to confirm the flaws primarily detected through ultrasonic testing, however, eddy current testing offers a significant advantage in that its ability to detect surface flaws is superior to that of ultrasonic testing. In this paper, effectiveness of flaw detection and the depth sizing capability by eddy current testing for the inside surface of a pressure tube, will be introduced. As a result of this examination, the ET technique is found to be useful only as a detection technique for defects because it can detect fine defects on the surface with high resolution. However, the ET technique is not recommended for use as a depth sizing method because it has a large degree of error for depth sizing.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.65-72
• /
• 2008

The purpose of the HLW deep geological disposal is to isolate and to delay the radioactive material release to human beings and the environment for a long time so that the toxicity does not affect to the environment. The main requirements for the HLW repository design is to keep the buffer temperature below $100\;^{\circ}C$ in order to maintain its integrity. So the cooling time of spent fuels discharged from the nuclear power plant is the key consideration factors for efficiency and economic feasibility of the repository. The disposal tunnel/disposal hole spacing, the disposal area and thermal capacity required for the deep geological repository layout which satisfies the temperature requirement of the disposal system is analyzed to set the optimized spent fuels cooling time. To do this, based on the reference disposal concept, thermal stability analyses of the disposal system have been performed and the derived results have been compared by setting the spent fuels cooling time and the disposal tunnel/disposal hole spacing in various ways. From these results, desirable spent fuels cooling time in view of disposal area is derived. The results shows that the time reaching the maximum temperature within the design limit of the temperature in the disposal site is likely shortened as the cooling time of spent fuels becomes short. Also it seems that the temperature-rising and-dropping patterns in the disposal site are of smoothly varying form as the cooling time of spent fuels becomes long. In addition, it is revealed that a desirable cooling time of spent fuels is approximately 40-50 years when spent fuels are supposedly disposed in the deep geological disposal site with its structural scale under consideration in this study.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.35-44
• /
• 2017

A gamma-ray peak of $^{226}Ra$ (186.2 keV) overlaps with one of $^{235}U$ (185.7 keV) in a gamma-ray spectrometry system. Though reference peaks of $^{235}U$ can be used to correct the peak interference of $^{235}U$ in the analysis of $^{226}Ra$, this requires a complicated calculation process and a high limit of quantitation. On the other hand, evaluating $^{226}Ra$ using the correction constant in the overlapped peak can make a rapid measurement of $^{226}Ra$ without the complicated calculation process as well as overcome the disadvantage in the indirect measurement of $^{214}Bi$, which means the confinement of $^{222}Rn$ gas in a sample container and a time period to recover the secular equilibrium. About 93 samples with 6 species for raw-materials and by-products were prepared to evaluate the activity of $^{226}Ra$ using the correction constant. The results were compared with the activity of $^{214}Bi$, which means the indirect measurement of $^{226}Ra$, to validate the method of the direct measurement of $^{226}Ra$ using the correction constant. The difference between the direct and indirect measurement of $^{226}Ra$ was generally below about ${\pm}20%$. However, in the case of the phospho gypsum, a large error of about 50% was found in the comparison results, which indicates the disequilibrium between $^{238}U$ and $^{226}Ra$ in the materials. Application results of the contribution ratio of $^{226}Ra$ were below about ${\pm}10%$. The direct measurement of $^{226}Ra$ using the correction constant can be an effective method for its rapid measurement of raw materials and by-products because the activity of $^{226}Ra$ can be produced with a simple calculation without the consideration of the integrity of a sample container and the time period to recover the secular equilibrium.