• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.145-150
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• 2005

To dispose of radwaste in a repository, the safety of disposal must be ensured. This study developed a program for estimating radionuclide accumulation of radwaste, based on the material balance method, one of the indirect methods, and performed application evaluation during the 9th preventive maintenance period of Gori Plant 4, one of the commercial power plants in Korea. First of all, to ensure the technique developed in this study is assessed accurately, this study utilized the data regarding the radionuclide removal in the purification system during the shutdown water chemistry control, and a related estimation technique called SCALP. The target nuclide was Co-60, and it turned out that the relative error was less than $1\%$. The estimation result was compared with the result of direct measurement of the radwaste during the corresponding period as presented by commercial power plants. The result showed that the quantity of Co-60 measured by the direct method was about $50\%$ less than that calculated by the technique developed in this study.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.528-539
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• 2004

It is essential in commercial reactors that the safety limits imposed on the fuel pellets and fuel clad barriers, such as the linear power density (LPD) and the departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR), are not violated during reactor operations. In order to accurately monitor the safety limits of current reactor states, a detailed three-dimensional (3D) core power distribution should be estimated from the in-core detector signals. In this paper, we propose a calculation methodology for detailed 3D core power distribution, using in-core detector signals and core monitoring constants such as the 3D Coupling Coefficients (3DCC), node power fraction, and pin-to-node factors. Also, the calculation method for several core safety parameters is introduced. The core monitoring constants for the real core state are promptly provided by the core design code and on-line MASTER (Multi-purpose Analyzer for Static and Transient Effects of Reactors), coupled with the core monitoring program. through the plant computer, core state variables, which include reactor thermal power, control rod bank position, boron concentration, inlet moderator temperature, and flow rate, are supplied as input data for MASTER. MASTER performs the core calculation based on the neutron balance equation and generates several core monitoring constants corresponding to the real core state in addition to the expected core power distribution. The accuracy of the developed method is verified through a comparison with the current CECOR method. Because in all the verification calculation cases the proposed method shows a more conservative value than the best estimated value and a less conservative one than the current CECOR and COLSS methods, it is also confirmed that this method secures a greater operating margin through the simulation of the YGN-3 Cycle-1 core from the viewpoint of the power peaking factor for the LPD and the pseudo hot pin axial power distribution for the DNBR calculation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.234-243
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• 2021

In the research or project planning for the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant, one of several preparations will be the establishment of a list of potential radionuclides to be considered at the time of characterization or final status surveys. Reliable data for selection of potential radionuclides during the transition period to prepare for decommissioning will depend heavily on historical data at the site or, where possible, sampling analysis. However, during the transition period, direct sampling can be challenging, depending on the circumstances of the site or national regulation. A methodology of selecting potential radionuclides for nuclear facility sites which largely consists of three major processes: production of initial list of radionuclides, selection of the insignificant radionuclide that will be eliminated, and consideration of site characterization or sampling. For developing a preliminary list of potential radionuclides for Kori Unit 1 decommissioning, the list of initial radionuclides was made referring to the technical documents applied at decommissioned NPPs in the U.S and additional reference materials applied until the operation of NPPs in Korea. For the screening of insignificant radionuclides, we applied criterion of less than 0.1% of the amount of radioactivity inventory and confirmed the dose fraction using the RESRAD code. The final suit of radionuclides was established, which should be supplemented by reflecting site characterization and sampling process in the future. Thus, the methodology and results for the selection of potential radionuclides suggested in this paper can give an insight as a future reference to deriving DCGLs in relation to site remediation of decommissioning nuclear plants.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2875-2880
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• 2024

The development of nuclear power plants is in three phases. The first phase is a consideration before the decision on the NPP construction program is approved, the second phase is the preparatory work for making contracts and preparing for the construction of NPP after the NPP construction policy is approved, and the third phase is contracting, licensing and building the first NPP. As a volcanically active country, Indonesia contains over 130 active volcanoes that are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The volcanic aspect is one of the safety factors considered while deciding the location of an NPP. Research on the potential of natural external risks to the determination of nuclear power plants in Indonesia, including the volcanic aspect, has been conducted based on the safety reference or safety guide of the IAEA and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Body (BAPETEN) Regulation. Due to technological advancements, safety needs have evolved so the existing Indonesia National Standard (SNI) must be updated to comply with BAPETEN regulations. The substance in SNI 18-2034-1990 relating to volcanic features seems less relevant in actual conditions, given that more complete and exact criteria for determining a site guarantee the safety and health of residents and surrounding the environment site. The study intends to conduct a gap analysis of volcanic issues in SNI and volcanic regulations. The method used is identification requirements for volcanic aspects in SNI 18-2034-1990 about Determining Site of Nuclear Reactor Guidance with BAPETEN Chairman Regulation (BCR) number 4 of 2018 about Nuclear Installation Site Evaluation Safety Provisions and BCR number 5 of 2015 about Evaluation of Nuclear Installation Sites for Volcanic Aspects, and analysis uses a qualitative method of inductive techniques. The outcome of this research applies to suggesting a revision of SNI number 18-2034-1990, especially the volcanic aspect.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.261-286
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• 2018

This paper evaluated the economic feasibility of the life extension of Kori unit 1 and Wolsong unit 1 according to the types of the nuclear power plants (NPPs) and the life extension period comparing to the levelized costs of energy (LCOE) of the new NPPs, coal-fired plants (CFPs), and combined cycle gas turbine (CCGTs) which proposed in the $7^{th}$ Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand. The economic feasibility of the life extension of NPPs using LCOE method is affected by the types of NPPs, lifetime extension periods, discount rate, and capacity factor. According to the analysis results, the pressurized light water reactor (PWR) is more economical than the pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR). Comparing the economical efficiency between the life extension of NPPs and other alternatives, the operation of the PWR for 20 years is more economical than the one of new NPPs and CFPs. However, 20 years of life extension of PHWR is more economical than the CCGTs, but less economical than new NPPs and CFPs. In summary, the 20 years of life extension of the NPPs seems to be more, especially for the PWR, which is more cost effective than other generation alternatives. Therefore, the government policy of the life extension of NPPs need to be a selective approach that simultaneously considers both safety and economics rather than closing all NPPs.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.175-183
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• 2005

Dose distribution of Korean radiation workers classified by occupational categories was analyzed. Statistics of the occupational radiation exposure(ORE) in 2002 of the radiation workers in diagnostic and dental radiology were obtained from the Korea Food and Drug Agency(KFDA) who maintains the database for individual radiation dose records. Corresponding statistics for the rest of radiation workers were obtained by processing the individual annual doses provided by the Korea Radioisotope Association(KRIA) after deletion of individual information. The ORE distribution was classified in term of 28 occupational categories, annual individual dose levels, age groups and gender of 52733 radiation workers as of the year of 2002. The total collective dose was 66.4 man-Sv and resulting average individual ORE was 1.26 mSv. Around 80% of the workers were exposed to minimal doses less than 1.2 mSv. However, it appeared that the recorded doses exceeded 20 mSv for 43 workers in the industrial radiography and for 147 workers in the field of radiology. Particularly, recorded doses of 23 workers in radiology exceeded the annual dose limits of 50 mSv, which is extraordinary when the working environment is considered. It is uncertain whether those doses are real or caused by careless placing of dosimeters in the imaging rooms while the X-ray units are in operation. No one in the workforce of 16 operating nuclear power plant units was exposed over 20 mSv in 2002. Number of workers was the largest in their 30's of age and the mean individual dose was the highest in their 20's. Women were around 20% of the radiation workers and their average dose was around one half of that of man workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.487-496
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• 2010

The structural damping ratios for seismic design of nuclear power plant structures are specified in Regulatory guide 1.61 of the United States NRC for RC structures of 4%(OBE) and 7%(SSE), and for steel structures of 3%(OBE) and 4%(SSE), but not for steel-plate concrete (SC) structures that have been developed recently. The objective of this study is to investigate the damping ratios of SC structures by identifying the relative differences in the damping ratios between RC and SC structures. An experimental study was performed on four specimens, RC-S, RC-M, SC-S and SC-M, where S stands for shear-governed and M for moment-governed. The conducted method was free vibration testing by rupturing a brittle steel plate that linked the actuator and the mass center. The test results were analyzed to determine fundamental frequencies and damping ratios at various load levels. By examining the relative differences in damping ratios of four specimens, it is proposed for SC structures to use the same damping ratio of 4% as RC one at OBE, but 1% less damping ratio than RC one resulting in 6% at SSE.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

This study has been focused on determining the chemical composition of $^{14}C$ - in terms of both organic and inorganic $^{14}C$ contents - in reactor coolant from 3 different PWR's reactor type. The purpose was to evaluate the characteristic of $^{14}C$ that can serve as a basis for reliable estimation of the environmental release at domestic PWR sites. $^{14}C$ is the most important nuclide in the inventory, since it contributes one of the main dose contributors in future release scenarios. The reason for this is its high mobility in the environment, biological availability and long half-life(5730yr). More recent studies - where a more detailed investigation of organic $^{14}C$ species believed to be formed in the coolant under reducing conditions have been made - show that the organic compounds not only are limited to hydrocarbons and CO. Possible organic compounds formed including formaldehyde, formic acid and acetic acid, etc. Under oxidizing conditions shows the oxidized carbon forms, possibly mainly carbon dioxide and bicarbonate forms. Measurements of organic and inorganic $^{14}C$ in various water systems were also performed. The $^{14}C$ inventory in the reactor water was found to be 3.1 GBq/kg in PWR of which less than 10% was in inorganic form. Generally, the $^{14}C$ activity in the water was divided equally between the gas- and water- phase. Even though organic $^{14}C$ compound shows that dominant species during the reactor operation, But during the releasing of $^{14}C$ from the plant stack, chemical forms of $^{14}C$ shows the different composition due to the operation conditions such as temperature, pH, volume control tank venting and shut down chemistry.