• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.235-246
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• 2023

Neutron resonance transmission technique was applied for assaying isotopic fissile materials produced in the pyro-process. In each process of the pyro-process, a different composition of the fissile material is produced. Simulation was basically performed on ²³⁵U and ²³⁹Pu assay for TRU-RE product, hull waste, and uranium addition. The resonance energies were evaluated for uranium and plutonium in the simulation, and the linearity in the detection response was examined on the fissile content variation. The linear resonance energies were determined for the analysis of ²³⁵U and ²³⁹Pu on the different fissile materials. For enriched TRU-RE assay, the sample condition was suggested; The sample density, content, and thickness are the key factors to obtain accurate fissile content. The detection signal is discriminated for uranium and plutonium in neutron resonance technique. The transmitted signal for fissile resonance has a direct relation with the content of fissile. The simulation results indicated that the neutron resonance technique is promising to analyze ²³⁵U and ²³⁹Pu for various types of the pyro-process material. An accurate fissile assay will contribute toward safeguarding the pyro-processing system.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.383-395
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• 2023

Since 1997, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has been developing pyro-processing (Pyro) technology to reduce the disposal burden of high-level radioactive waste by recycling spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Compared to plutonium and uranium extraction process, Korean Pyro technology has relatively excellent proliferation resistance that cannot separate pure plutonium owing to its intrinsic characteristics. Regarding Pyro technology development of ROK, the Bush administration considered that Pyro is not reprocessing under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, whereas the Obama administration considered that Pyro is subject to reprocessing. However, the Bush and Obama administrations did not allow ROK to conduct full Pyro activities using SNF, even though ROK had faithfully complied with international nonproliferation obligations. This is because the US nuclear nonproliferation policy to prevent the spread of sensitive technologies, such as enrichment and reprocessing, has a strong effect on ROK, unlike Japan, on a bilateral level beyond the NPT regime for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.581-586
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• 2000

Explosively activated pyro-technic device is used to release exhausted rocket booster or payloads at prescribed times in the rocket's flight. It creates pyro-shock environment that rocket or payload components must survive. With the shock spectra acquired from flight data, laboratory test should be performed before flight to check whether all of component can sustain the shock environment. The pyro-shock environment simulation was created by the resonance fixture response to a projectile impact. Desired shock spectra is realized by adjusting the natural frequency of resonance plate and the velocity of impact hammer. This paper describes the development process of Pyro-shock testing machine, which is designed and tested by Korean engineers, to verify components of Korean Sounding Rocket(KSR-3) and the other Korean space vehicle. Both analytical and experimental techniques are introduced in this paper.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.34-41
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• 2017

The Pyro project, one of the large national R&D project to construct Korea Advanced Pyroprocessing Facility (KAPF), which has many goals such as development of pyro technology and process equipment, design of equipment and facility, construction, and test operation, is now under research and development. To reduce uncertainty and risk of such complex project, the technical management processes in systems engineering standards and NASA handbook were reviewed, and then the ten common technical management processes were selected for the large national R&D project to meet its goal successfully. And the essential technical management processes were finally suggested for Pyro project in consideration of current situation of the project.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.637-643
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• 2022

Uranium and plutonium are required to be accounted in spent fuel head-end and major recovery area in pyro-process for safeguards purpose. The possibility of neutron resonance technique, as a nondestructive analysis, was simulated on isotopic fissile analysis for large scale process. Neutron resonance technique has advantage to distinguish uranium from plutonium directly in mixture. Simulation was performed on U235 and Pu239 assay in spent fuel and for scoping examination of assembly type. The resonance energies were determined for U235 and Pu239. The linearity in the neutron transmission was examined for the selected resonance energies. In addition, the limit for detection was examined by changing sample density, thickness and content for actual application. Several factors were proposed for neutron production and the moderated neutron source was simulated for effective and efficient transmission measurement. From the simulation results, neutron resonance technique is promising to analyze U235 and Pu239 for spent fuel assembly. An accurate fissile assay will contribute to an increased safeguards for the pyro-processing system and international credibility on the reuse of fissile materials in the fuel cycle.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.87-95
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• 2019

This study investigated the effect of process variables for smelting of recovery of valuable metal in the sludge generated from PCB. The moisture and organics in the sludge was removed by preteatment process. The phase equilibria and slag system was selected by thermodynamic phase calculation program and the process variable of pyro-metallurgical process such as reductant. Smelting temperature and holding time for a recovery of valuable metal was studied.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.18-30
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• 2016

Pyro-process of solids is the way to heat solid materials under high temperature. In this processing, energy efficient use is one of the main concerns due to its high energy consumption of bulk materials. To calculate the energy use of processes, heat & mass balance in simplified 0-dimensional model was performed. Energy calculation by this simplified model can lead to confusion due to simplification. Thus, it is necessary to understand considerations of energy analysis. In this study, cement manufacturing as a very common example of pyro-processing of solids, was introduced for explaining considerations of energy analysis for energy efficient use.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.85-96
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• 2017

In this study, we tried to select a slag system capable of pyro-metallurgical process through analysis of sludge generated from PCB plating and etching process solution. Based on this, the possibility of extracting valuable metals in the sludge was studied by experimental and thermodynamic approaches. The sludge was dried at $100{\sim}500^{\circ}C$ and the morphology, chemical composition and phase of the sludge were analyzed. The possibility of pyro-metallurgical process of sludge was investigated through thermodynamic approach using FactSage software.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 2013

The electrolytic reduction of a spent oxide fuel involves liberation of the oxygen in a molten LiCl electrolyte, which is a chemically aggressive environment that is too crosive for typical structural materials. Therefore, it is essential to choose the optimum material for the process equipment for handling a molten salt. In this study, the corrosion behavior of pyro-carbon made by CVD was investigated in a molten LiCl-$Li_2O$ salt under an oxidation atmosphere at $650^{\circ}C$ and $750^{\circ}C$ for 72 hours. Pyro-carbon showed no chemical reactions with the molten salt because of its low wettability between pyro-carbon and the molten salt. As a result of XRD analysis, pyro-carbon exposed to the molten salt showed pure graphite after corrosion tests. As a result of TGA, whereas the coated layer by CVD showed high anti-oxidation, the non-coated layer showed relatively low anti-oxidation. The stable phases in the reactions were $C_{(S)}$, $Li_2CO_{3(S)}$, $LiCl_{(l)}$, $Li_2O$ at $650^{\circ}C$ and $C_{(S)}$, $LiCl_{(l)}$, $Li_2O_{(S)}$ at $750^{\circ}C$. $Li_2CO_{(S)}$ was decomposed at $750^{\circ}C$ into $Li_2O_{(S)}$ and $CO_{2(g)}$.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.271-281
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• 2023

A study was conducted on the vitrification of the rare earth oxide waste generated from the PyroGreen process. The target rare earth waste consisted of eight elements: Nd, Ce, La, Pr, Sm, Y, Gd, and Eu. The waste loading of the rare earth waste in the developed borosilicate glass system was 20wt%. The fabricated glass, processed at 1,200℃, exhibited uniform and homogeneous surface without any crystallization and precipitation. The viscosity and electrical conductivity of the melted glass at 1,200℃ were 7.2 poise and 1.1 S·cm^-1, respectively, that were suitable for the operation of the vitrification facility. The calculated leaching index of Cs, Co, and Sr were 10.4, 10.6, and 9.8, respectively. The evaluated Product Consistency Test (PCT) normalized release of the glass indicated that the glass satisfied the requirements for the disposal acceptance criteria. Furthermore, the pristine, 90 days water immersed, 30 thermal cycled, and 10 MGy gamma ray irradiated glasses exhibited good compressive strength. The results indicated that the fabricated glass containing rare earth waste from the PyroGreen process was acceptable for the disposal in the repository, in terms of chemical durability and mechanical strength.