• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.521-528
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• 2014

The surface modification of engineering materials by laser beam scanning (LBS) allows the improvement of properties in terms of reduced wear, increased corrosion resistance, and better strength. In this study, the laser beam scan method was applied to produce an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) structure on a zirconium metal surface. A recrystallized Zircaloy-4 alloy sheet with a thickness of 2 mm, and $Y_2O_3$ particles of $10{\mu}m$ were selected for ODS treatment using LBS. Through the LBS method, the $Y_2O_3$ particles were dispersed in the Zircaloy-4 sheet surface at a thickness of 0.4 mm, which was about 20% when compared to the initial sheet thickness. The mean size of the dispersive particles was 20 nm, and the yield strength of the ODS treated plate at $500^{\circ}C$ was increased more than 65 % when compared to the initial state. This strength increase was caused by dispersive $Y_2O_3$ particles in the matrix and the martensite transformation of Zircaloy-4 matrix by the LBS.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제14권7호
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• pp.462-469
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• 2004

The effect of Cu addition on the corrosion characteristics of Zr alloys that developed for nuclear fuel cladding in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) was evaluated. The alloys having different element of Nb, Sn, Fe, Cr and Cu were manufactured and the corrosion tests of the alloys were performed in static autoclave at $360^{\circ}C$, distilled water condition. The alloys were also examined for their microstructures using the optical microscope and the TEM equipped with EDS and the oxide property was characterized by using X-ray diffraction. From the result of corrosion test more than 450 days, the corrosion rate of the Zr-based alloys was changed with alloying element such as Nb, Sn, Fe, Cr and especially affected by Cu addition. The corrosion resistance was increased with increasing the Cu content and the tetragonal $ZrO_2$ layer was more stabilized on the Cu-containing alloys.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.1330-1337
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• 2016

A visualization test of the fuel-coolant interaction in the Test for Real cOrium Interaction with water (TROI) test facility was carried out. To experimentally simulate the In-Vessel corium Retention (IVR)- External Reactor Vessel Cooling (ERVC) conditions, prototypic corium was released directly into the coolant water without a free fall in a gas phase before making contact with the coolant. Corium (34.39 kg) consisting of uranium oxide and zirconium oxide with a weight ratio of 8:2 was superheated, and 22.54 kg of the 34.39 kg corium was passed through water contained in a transparent interaction vessel. An image of the corium jet behavior in the coolant was taken by a high-speed camera every millisecond. Thermocouple junctions installed in the vertical direction of the coolant were cut sequentially by the falling corium jet. It was clearly observed that the visualization image of the corium jet taken during the fuel-coolant interaction corresponded with the temperature variations in the direction of the falling melt. The corium penetrated through the coolant, and the jet leading edge velocity was 2.0 m/s. Debris smaller than 1 mm was 15% of the total weight of the debris collected after a fuel-coolant interaction test, and the mass median diameter was 2.9 mm.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 제어로봇시스템학회 2003년도 ICCAS
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• pp.1220-1224
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• 2003

In this paper, we measured the radiation dose of a fuel handling machine of the CANDU type Wolsong nuclear reactor directly during operation, in spite of the high radiation level. In this paper we will describe the sensor development, measurement techniques, and results of our study. For this study, we used specially developed semiconductor sensors and matching dosimetry techniques for the mixed radiation field. MOSFET dosimeters with a thin oxide, that are tuned to a high dose, were used to measure the ionizing radiation dose. Silicon diode dosimeters with an optimum area to thickness ratio were used for the radiation damage measurements. The sensors are able to distinguish neutrons from gamma/X-rays. To measure the radiation dose, electronic sensor modules were installed on two locations of the fuel handling machine. The measurements were performed throughout one reactor maintenance cycle. The resultant annual cumulative dose of gamma/X-rays on the two spots of the fuel handling machine were 18.47 Mrad and 76.50 Mrad, and those of the neutrons were 17.51 krad and 60.67 krad. The measured radiation level is high enough to degrade certain cable insulation materials that may result in electrical insulation failure.

• 원자력산업
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.75-76
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• 2016

일본은 사용후연료의 재처리 정책을 진행하고 있으나 고속증식로 계획이 지연됨에 따라 그 처리의 목표가 확실하지 못하다. MOX(Mixed-Oxide Fuel : 혼합 산화물 연료)에 의한 처리가 계획되어 있으나 상당히 어려운 상황이다. 또 2018년에 미 일 원자력협력협정의 갱신이 예정되어 있는데 이 플루토늄의 취급이 문제가 될 예정이다. 미국은 핵무기의 원료나 테러에 사용할지도 모르는 플루토늄의 확산을 경계하고 있기 때문이다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.149-154
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• 2009

The microstructure, the corrosion behavior and the oxide properties were examined for Zr-1.5Nb-0.4Sn-0.2Fe-0.1Cr (HANA-4) alloys which were subjected to two different final annealing temperatures: $470^{\circ}C$ and $570^{\circ}C$. HANA-4 was shown to have $\ss$-enriched phase with a bcc crystal structure and Zr(Nb,Fe,Cr)$_2$ with a hcp crystal structure with $\ss$-enriched phase being more frequently observed compared with Zr(Nb,Fe,Cr)$_2$. The corrosion rate of HANA-4 was increased with an increase of the final annealing temperature in the PWR-simulating loop, $360^{\circ}C$ pure water and $400^{\circ}C$ steam conditions, which was correlated well with a reduction in the size of the columnar grains in the oxide/metal interface region. The oxide growth rate of HANA-4 was considerably affected by the alloy microstructure determined by the final annealing temperature.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제33권10호
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• pp.385-392
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• 2023

A solution combustion process for the synthesis of hollandite (BaAl₂Ti₆O₁₆) powders is described. SYNROC (synthetic rock) consists of four main titanate phases: perovskite, zirconolite, hollandite and rutile. Hollandite is one of the crystalline host matrices used for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes because it immobilizes Sr and Lns elements by forming solid solutions. The solution combustion synthesis, which is a self-sustaining oxi-reduction reaction between a nitrate and organic fuel, generates an exothermic reaction and that heat converts the precursors into their corresponding oxide products in air. The process has high energy efficiency, fast heating rates, short reaction times, and high compositional homogeneity. To confirm the combustion synthesis reaction, FT-IR analysis was conducted using glycine with a carboxyl group and an amine as fuel to observe its bonding with metal element in the nitrate. TG-DTA, X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM and EDS were performed to confirm the formed phases and morphology. Powders with an uncontrolled shape were obtained through a general oxide-route process, confirming hollandite powders with micro-sized soft agglomerates consisting of nano-sized primary particles can be prepared using these methods.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권2호
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• pp.657-665
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• 2021

Nondestructive evaluation methods play an important role in ensuring component integrity and safety in many industries. Operator fatigue can play a critical role in the reliability of such methods. This is important for inspecting high value assets or assets with a high consequence of failure, such as aerospace and nuclear components. Recent advances in convolution neural networks can support and automate these inspection efforts. This paper proposes using residual neural networks (ResNets) for real-time detection of corrosion, including iron oxide discoloration, pitting and stress corrosion cracking, in dry storage stainless steel canisters housing used nuclear fuel. The proposed approach crops nuclear canister images into smaller tiles, trains a ResNet on these tiles, and classifies images as corroded or intact using the per-image count of tiles predicted as corroded by the ResNet. The results demonstrate that such a deep learning approach allows to detect the locus of corrosion via smaller tiles, and at the same time to infer with high accuracy whether an image comes from a corroded canister. Thereby, the proposed approach holds promise to automate and speed up nuclear fuel canister inspections, to minimize inspection costs, and to partially replace human-conducted onsite inspections, thus reducing radiation doses to personnel.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.19-32
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• 2010

고온 용융염 전해환원 공정은 후행핵연료 주기의 대안 공정인 파이로공정의 산화물 사용후핵연료의 확대를 위해 필수적인 공정이다. 사용후핵연료는 다성분 산화물로 이루어져 있으며 각 산화물은 전해환원 공정에서 화학적 특성에 따라 산소를 잃게 된다. 본 연구에서는 건식분말화 공정 이후 전해환원 반응기에 도입되는 사용후핵연료 조성을 기준으로 각 금속-산소 시스템을 독립적인 이상고용체로 가정하여 전해환원 반응거동을 계산하였다. 전해환원을 Li의 환원과 이어지는 Li과의 화학반응의 결합으로 산정하여 U을 비롯한 금속 환원 거동을 계산하였다. 계산결과 대부분의 산화물들은 전해환원 공정에 의해 금속으로 전환되는 것으로 예상되었다. 란타나이드 원소들의 경우 $Li_2O$의 농도가 낮아지면 금속 전환율이 높아지나 대부분 산화물로 존재하는 것으로 나타났다. 추가적으로 $U_3O_8$의 전해환원 거동에 대해 Li의 확산과 Li과의 화학반응을 고려하여 반실험적 모델이 제시되었다. 실험데이터를 활용하여 매개변수를 결정하였으며 시간에 대한 환원율 및 전류에 대한 99.9% 환원 시간을 계산하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.535-550
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• 2006

The objectives of this paper are twofold to summarize the new findings and confirmed results from the Phebus FPT-1 experimental data and to report useful information to MELCOR users regarding the better use of MELCOR. For the core damage behavior, the early stage of a melt progression was predicted well; however, the late phase models, concerned with fuel dissolution, oxide cladding failure, fuel slumping, rubble debris heat up, effects of burn-up fuel, and so on, still showed limitations in MELCOR. For the fission product behavior, the comparison showed unexpected phenomena, various limitations, unresolved issues, and even absence of models. The issues summarized in this study have revealed the main areas where our endeavors need to be intensified in order to improve our understanding of severe accident phenomena. From the analysis of the Phebus FPT-1 test results, not only new core damage features, such as foaming or core expansion, but also possible new fission product release patterns due to effects from a high burn-up fuel have raised alternative challenging phenomena that should be solved in the next severe accident research phase.