• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.427-438
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• 2013

In this paper we discuss spent fuel management options in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from two interrelated perspectives: Centralized dry cask storage and spent fuel pyroprocessing and burning in sodium fast reactors (SFRs). We argue that the ROK will run out of space for at-reactors spent fuel storage by about the year 2030 and will thus need to transition centralized dry cask storage. Pyroprocessing plant capacity, even if approved and successfully licensed and constructed by that time, will not suffice to handle all the spent fuel discharged annually. Hence centralized dry cask storage will be required even if the pyroprocessing option is successfully developed by 2030. Pyroprocessing is but an enabling technology on the path leading to fissile material recycling and burning in future SFRs. In this regard we discuss two SFR options under development in the U.S.: the Super Prism and the Travelling Wave Reactor (TWR). We note that the U.S. is further along in reactor development than the ROK. The ROK though has acquired more experience, recently in investigating fuel recycling options for SFRs. We thus call for two complementary joint R&D project to be conducted by U.S. and ROK scientists. One leading to the development of a demonstration centralized away-fromreactors spent fuel storage facility. The other involve further R&D on a combined SFR-fuel cycle complex based on the reactor and fuel cycle options discussed in the paper.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2013년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.299-300
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• 2013

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권10호
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• pp.3525-3534
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• 2023

Non-uniformity of Pu and Cm composition in used nuclear fuel was analyzed to determine its effect on Pu accountancy in pyroprocessing, while employing the Pu-to-²⁴⁴Cm ratio method. Burnup simulation of a typical pressurized water reactor fuel assembly, required for the analysis, was carried out using MCNP code. Used fuel nuclide composition, as a function of nine axial and two radial meshes, were evaluated. The axial variation of neutron flux and self-shielding effects were found to affect the uniformity of Pu and Cm compositions and in turn the Pu-to-²⁴⁴Cm ratio. However, the results of the study showed that these non-uniformities do not affect the use of Pu-to-²⁴⁴Cm ratio method for Pu accountancy, if the measurement samples are drawn from the voloxidized powder at the feed step of pyroprocessing. 'Material Unaccounted For' and its uncertainty estimates are also presented for a pyrprocessing facility to verify safeguards monitoring requirements of the IAEA.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.247-258
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• 2011

사용후핵연료의 파이로처리기술에 대한 국내외 특허동향을 분석하였다. 1975-2009년에 걸쳐 한국, 미국, 일본 및 유럽연합에서 출원된 특허에 대하여 출원국별, 출원인별, 연도별 및 세부기술분야별로 구분하여 그 내용을 비교함으로써 파이로처리기술 개발 현황을 분석하였다. 그리고 주요 출원인의 세부기술별 특허활동지수로부터 특정분야의 기술개발 편중도, 분석대상 특허의 피인용횟수와 패밀리수로부터 각국의 기술 경쟁력을 조사하였다. 또 장차 파이로처리기술의 실용화에 대비하여 필수 요소기술들을 도출하고 그에 대한 현기술 수준과 기술개발동향 등을 파악하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.47-58
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• 2015

Four recycling scenarios involving pyroprocessing of spent fuel (SF) have been investigated for a 600-MWe transmutation sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), KALIMER. Performance evaluation was done with code system REBUS connected with TRANSX and TWODANT. Scenario Number 1 is the pyroprocessing of Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) SF. Because the recycling of CANDU SF does not have any safety problems, the CANDU-Pyro-SFR system will be possible if the pyroprocessing capacity is large enough. Scenario Number 2 is a feasibility test of feed SF from a pressurized water reactor PWR. Thefsensitivity of cooling time before prior to pyro-processing was studied. As the cooling time sensitivity of cooling time before prior to pyro-processing was studied. As the cooling time increases, excess reactivity at the beginning of the equilibrium cycle (BOEC) decreases, thereby creating advantageous reactivity control and improving the transmutation performance of minor actinides. Scenario Number 3 is a case study for various levels of recovery factors of transuranic isotopes (TRUs). If long-lived fission products can be separated during pyroprocessing, the waste that is not recovered is classified as low- and intermediate-level waste, and it is sufficient to be disposed of in an underground site due to very low-heat-generation rate when the waste cooling time becomes >300 years at a TRU recovery factor of 99.9%. Scenario Number 4 is a case study for the recovery factor of rare earth (RE) isotopes. The RE isotope recovery factor should be lowered to ${\leq}20%$ in order to make sodium void reactivity less than <7$, which is the design limit of a metal fuel.

• 융복합기술연구소 논문집
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.7-10
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• 2013

Metal oxides are known as stable materials during a thermal treatment. However, some oxides are readily evaporated at high temperatures. A voloxidation process is a head-end process for a pyroprocessing dealing with spent nuclear fuels (SF). In SFs, fission productions are in the form of oxides and some of them would be evaporated during the voloxidation process. Therefore, it is of importance to analyse the vapor pressures of metal oxides so that the material flows throughout the pyroprocessing could be estimated. In this work, vapor pressures of relevant metal oxides were calculated and presented to draw a baseline on the material flow of the pyroprocessing.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권7호
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• pp.1866-1870
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• 2019

Residual salt separation is an essential step in pyroprocessing because its reaction products, as prepared by electrochemical unit processes, contain frozen residual electrolyte species, which are generally composed of alkali-metal chloride salts (e.g., LiCl, KCl). In this study, a simple technique that utilizes high-temperature gas flux as a driving force to melt and push out the residual salt in the reaction products was developed. This technique is simple as it only requires the use of a heating gun in combination with a gas injection system. Consequently, $LiNO_3-ZrO_2$ and $LiCl-ZrO_2$ mixtures were successfully separated by the high-temperature gas injection (separation efficiency > 93%), thereby demonstrating the viability of this simple technique for residual salt separation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권7호
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• pp.1184-1189
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• 2018

Pyroprocessing uses various molten salts during electrochemical unit processes. Reaction products after the electrochemical processes must contain a significant amount of residual salts to be separated. Vacuum distillation is a common method to separate the residual salts; however, its high operation temperature may cause side reactions. In this study, a simple rotation technique using centrifugal force was suggested to separate the residual salts from the reaction products at relatively low temperature compared to the distillation technique. When a reaction product container with porous wall rotates inside a vessel heated above the melting point of the residual salt, the residual salt in the liquid phase is separated through centrifugal force. It was shown that the $LiNO_3-Al_2O_3$ mixture can be separated by this technique to leave solid $Al_2O_3$ inside the container, with a separation efficiency of 99.4%.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.237-242
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• 2009

Pyroprocessing에 의한 사용후핵 연료 처 리 과정에서 핵 연료 물질은 전해정련장치, 전해환원장치, 전해제련장치의 전해조에서 전극표면에서의 전기화학반응과 전해질의 교반을 통해서 회수된다. 따라서 이 장치들은 장차 pyroprocessing의 실용화를 위하여 규모 확대가 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 교반을 수반하는 전해반응 장치를 대규모 장치로 확대코자 할 때 합리적으로 적용할 수 있는 장치규모 확대 기법을 고찰해 보았다. 장치 규모 확대에 있어 장치크기와 전극 표면적의 크기는 기하학적 유사성이 기본적으로 적용되어야 한다. 그밖에 전해질의 유동특성을 좌우하는 기준 가운데 전해질의 단위체적당 에너지 투입량이 동일하다는 기준을 채택할 경우 시행착오법 에 의한 계산절차를 도출해내었으며, 이 계산법은 전해조에서의 적절한 교반속도를 구할 수 있게 해 준다. 또 임의의 소규모 전해반응 시스템에 대하여 단위체적당 에너지 투입량이 동일하다는 기준과 교반기 날개끝 속도가 동일하다는 기준을 적용할 경우 전해조의 규모 확대에 관한 일례를 제시하였다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.191-197
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• 2017

한국원자력연구원은 IAEA에서 권고하고 있는 안전조치기반설계(SBD)에 입각하여 파이로 안전조치 기술을 개발하고 있다. 한국원자력연구원은 파이로 안전조치접근방안 개발을 위한 IAEA 회원국지원프로그램(MSSP)을 수행하였다. IAEA 회원국 지원프로그램을 통하여 기준파이로시설(REPF) 개념을 설계하고, 이 시설에 대한 안전조치시스템을 개발하였다. 최근에 기준파이로시설은 용량이 증대된 REPF+로 업데이트 되고 있다. 핵물질계량관리시스템 성능평가를 위하여 전산코드 PYMUS를 개발하였으며, PYMUS는 전용탐지획률 통계평가 방안을 포함하여 업그레이드하고 있다. 파이로 입력물질 계량을 위한 비파괴분석장비로 ASNC가 개발되고 있으며, 파이로 출력물질인 U/TRU 잉곳을 계량하기위한 비파괴분석장비로 HIPAI가 개발되고 있다. 또한 컴프톤 억제 감마선분광기술, LIBS 기술, 균질화 공정의 샘플링 오차에 대한 평가도 진행 중이다. 이러한 노력들은 국내에서 선진핵주기기술 실현에 크게 기여할 것이다.