• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.123-136
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• 2018

The complex dose distribution and dose transfer characteristics of intensity-modulated radiotherapy increase the importance of precise beam data measurement and review in the acceptance inspection and preparation stages. In this study, we propose a process map for the introduction and installation of high-precision radiotherapy devices and present items and guidelines for risk management at the acceptance test procedure (ATP) and commissioning stages. Based on the ATP of the Varian and Elekta linear accelerators, the ATP items were checked step by step and compared with the quality assurance (QA) test items of the AAPM TG-142 described for the medical accelerator QA. Based on the commissioning procedure, dose quality control protocol, and mechanical quality control protocol presented at international conferences, step-by-step check items and commissioning guidelines were derived. The risk management items at each stage were (1) 21 ionization chamber performance test items and 9 electrometer, cable, and connector inspection items related to the dosimetry system; (2) 34 mechanical and dose-checking items during ATP, 22 multileaf collimator (MLC) items, and 36 imaging system items; and (3) 28 items in the measurement preparation stage and 32 items in the measurement stage after commissioning. Because the items presented in these guidelines are limited in terms of special treatment, items and practitioners can be modified to reflect the clinical needs of the institution. During the system installation, it is recommended that at least two clinically qualified medical physicists (CQMP) perform a double check in compliance with the two-person rule. We expect that this result will be useful as a radiation safety management tool that can prevent radiation accidents at each stage during the introduction of radiotherapy and the system installation process.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2018

Structures, systems and components of nuclear power plants should be able to maintain safety even in the event of design-basis accidents such as high-energy line breaks. The high-pressure steam jet ejected from the broken pipe may cause damage to the adjacent structures. The ANSI/ANS 58.2 code has been adopted as a technical standard for evaluating the jet impingement load. Recently, the U.S. NRC pointed out the non-conservativeness of the ANSI/ANS 58.2, because it does not take into account the blast wave effect, dynamic behavior of the jet, and oversimplifies the shape and load characteristics of the supersonic steam jet. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the evaluation method for the high-energy line break accident. In order to evaluate the behavior of supersonic steam jet, an appropriate numerical analysis technique considering compressible flow effect is needed. In this study, numerical analysis methodology for evaluating supersonic jet impingement load was developed and verified. In addition, the conservativeness of the ANSI/ANS 58.2 model was investigated using the numerical analysis methodology. It is estimated that the ANSI jet model does not sufficiently reflect the physical behavior of under-expanded supersonic steam jet and evaluates the jet impingement load lower than CFD analysis result at certain positions.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.189-194
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• 2021

A straightforward, yet effective surface modification method of stainless steel mesh and its interesting anti-wetting characteristics are reported in this study. The stainless steel mesh is electrochemically etched, and the specimen has both micro and nano-scale structures on its surface. This process transforms the two types of mesh specimens known as the regular and dense specimens into hydrophobic specimens without applying any hydrophobic chemical coating process. The fundamental wettability of the modified mesh is analyzed through a dedicatedly designed experiment to investigate the waterproof characteristics, for instance, the penetration threshold. The waterproof characteristics are evaluated in a manner that the modified mesh resists as high as approximately 2.7 times the pressure compared with the bare mesh, i.e., the non-modified mesh. The results show that the penetration threshold depends primarily on the advancing contact angles, and the penetration stop behaviors are affected by the contact angle hysteresis on the surfaces. The findings further confirm that the inexpensive waterproof meshes created using the proposed straightforward electrochemical etching process are effective and can be adapted along with appropriate designs for various practical applications, such as underwater devices, passive valves, and transducers. In general, , additional chemical coatings are applied using hydrophobic materials on the surfaces for the applications that require water-repelling capabilities. Although these chemical coatings can often cause aging, the process proposed in this study is not only cost-effective, but also durable implying that it does not lose its waterproof properties over time.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.459-467
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• 2021

In the majority of countries, the upper limit of buffer temperature in a repository is set to below 100℃ due to the possible illitization. This smectite-to-illite transformation is expected to be detrimental to the swelling functions of the buffer. However, if the upper limit is increased while preventing illitization, the disposal density and cost-effectiveness for the repository will dramatically increase. Thus, understanding the characteristics and creating a database related to the buffer under the elevated temperature conditions is crucial. In this study, a strategy to investigate the bentonite found in Korea under the elevated temperatures from a mineral transformation and radionuclides retardation perspective was proposed. Certain long-term hydrothermal reactions generated the bentonite samples that were utilized for the investigation of their mineral transformation and radionuclide retardation characteristics. The bentonite samples are expected to be studied using in-situ synchrotron-based X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) technique to determine the smectite-to-illite transformation. Simultaneously, the 'high-temperature and high-pressure mineral alteration measurement system' based on the Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC) will control and provide the elevated temperature and pressure conditions during the measurements. The kinetic models, including the Huang and Cuadros model, are expected to predict the time and manner in which the illitization will become detrimental to the performance and safety of the repository. The sorption reactions planned for the bentonite samples to evaluate the effects on retardation will provide the information required to expand the current knowledge of repository optimization.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.73-83
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• 2022

This paper is concerned with an analysis of a surface edge crack emanated from a sharp contact edge. For a geometrical model, a square wedge is in contact with a half plane whose materials are identical, and a surface perpendicular crack initiated from the contact edge exists in the half plane. To analyze this crack problem, it is necessary to evaluate the stress field on the crack line which are induced by the contact tractions and pseudo-dislocations that simulate the crack, using the Bueckner principle. In this Part I, the stress filed in the half plane due to the contact is re-summarized using an asymptotic analysis method, which has been published before by the author. Further focus is given to the stress field in the half plane due to a pseudo-edge dislocation, which will provide a stress solution due to a crack (i.e. a continuous distribution of edge dislocations) later, using the Burgers vector. Essential result of the present work is the corrective functions which modify the stress field of an infinite domain to apply for the present one which has free surfaces, and thus the infiniteness is no longer preserved. Numerical methods and coordinate normalization are used, which was developed for an edge crack problem, using the Gauss-Jacobi integration formula. The convergence of the corrective functions are investigated here. Features of the corrective functions and their application to a crack problem will be given in Part II.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.84-92
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• 2022

In Part I, developed was a method to obtain the stress field due to an edge dislocation that locates in an elastic half plane beneath the contact edge of an elastically similar square wedge. Essential result was the corrective functions which incorporate a traction free condition of the free surfaces. In the sequel to Part I, features of the corrective functions, F_kij,(k = x, y;i,j = x,y) are investigated in this Part II at first. It is found that F_xxx(ŷ) = F_xyx(ŷ) where ŷ = y/η and η being the location of an edge dislocation on the y axis. When compared with the corrective functions derived for the case of an edge dislocation at x = ξ, analogy is found when the indices of y and x are exchanged with each other as can be readily expected. The corrective functions are curve fitted by using the scatter data generated using a numerical technique. The algebraic form for the curve fitting is designed as F_kij(ŷ) = $\frac{1}{\hat{y}^{1-{\lambda}}I+yp}$$\sum_{q=0}^{m}{\left}$$\left[A_q\left(\frac{\hat{y}}{1+\hat{y}} \right)^q \right]$ where λ_I=0.5445, the eigenvalue of the adhesive complete contact problem introduced in Part I. To investigate the exponent of F_kij, i.e.(1 - λ_I) and p, Log|F_kij|(ŷ)-Log|(ŷ)| is plotted and investigated. All the coefficients and powers in the algebraic form of the corrective functions are obtained using Mathematica. Method of analyzing a surface perpendicular crack emanated from the complete contact edge is explained as an application of the curve-fitted corrective functions.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2022

Conventionally, metal materials are produced by subtractive manufacturing followed by melting. However, there has been an increasing interest in additive manufacturing, especially metal 3D printing technology, which is relatively inexpensive because of the absence of complicated processing steps. In this study, we focus on the effect of varying powder size on the synthesis quality, and suggest optimum process conditions for the preparation of AlCrFeNi high-entropy alloy powder. The SEM image of the as-fabricated specimens show countless, fine, as-synthesized powders. Furthermore, we have examined the phase and microstructure before and after 3D printing, and found that there are no noticeable changes in the phase or microstructure. However, it was determined that the larger the powder size, the better the Vickers hardness of the material. This study sheds light on the optimization of process conditions in the metal 3D printing field.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2023

In Korea, most nuclear power plants were designed based on the design response spectrum of Regulatory Guide 1.60 of the NRC. However, in the case of earthquakes occurring in the country, the characteristics of seismic motions in Korea and the design response spectrum differed. The seismic motion in Korea had a higher spectral acceleration in the high-frequency range compared to the design response spectrum. The seismic capacity may be reduced when evaluating the seismic performance of the equipment with high-frequency earthquakes compared with what is evaluated by the design response spectrum for the equipment with a high natural frequency. Therefore, EPRI proposed the inelastic energy absorption factor for the equipment anchorage. In this study, the seismic performance of welding anchorage was evaluated by considering domestic seismic characteristics and EPRI's inelastic energy absorption factor. In order to reflect the characteristics of domestic earthquakes, the uniform hazard response spectrum (UHRS) of Uljin was used. Moreover, the seismic performance of the equipment was evaluated with a design response spectrum of R.G.1.60 and a uniform hazard response spectrum (UHRS) as seismic inputs. As a result, it was confirmed that the seismic performance of the weld anchorage could be increased when the inelastic energy absorption factor is used. Also, a comparative analysis was performed on the seismic capacity of the anchorage of equipment by the welding and the extended bolt.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.459-464
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• 2023

Due to the development of advanced technology, a lot of digital radiographic equipment has been developed, which is very helpful for accurate diagnosis and treatment, and it is very important to train personnel who have acquired professional knowledge in order to use it safely and effectively. Students are exposed to the risk of radiation exposure in radiography training using diagnostic X-ray equipment, and some educational institutions do not use X-ray equipment due to management difficulties in accordance with the Nuclear Safety Act. As a solution to this, this study developed a medical radiation simulator for education that does not generate radiation by using a vision sensor and self-developed software. Through this, educational institutions can reduce the burden of administrative implementation according to the law, and students can obtain a high level of educational effects in a healthy practice environment without radiation exposure.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2008

Dual scintillator for simultaneous alpha- and beta-ray counting used by detection materials of a surface contamination monitor was developed. In this study, preparation method was not a heat melting method but a solvent method, by which the counting material was manufactured by dissolving the polymer materials with solvent. It was simplified the preparation process. Plastic scintillator for beta-ray counting was prepared by solidifying the casting solution mixed with organic scintillator, polymer, and solvent. ZnS(Ag) scintillator layer was prepared by screen printing the paste solution mixed with ZnS(Ag), paste, and solvent onto the plastic layer. The good counting ability for alpha- and beta-ray using the ZnS(Ag)/plastic dual scintillator prepared and possibility for the counting material of surface contamination monitor was confirmed.