• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.58-65
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• 2021

Background: The evaluation of skyshine distribution, release of airborne radioactive nuclides, and soil activation and groundwater migration were required for radiological assessment of the impact on the environment surrounding In-Flight (IF)-system facility of the RAON (Rare isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiment) accelerator complex. Materials and Methods: Monte Carlo simulation by MCNPX code was used for evaluation of skyshine and activation analysis for air and soil. The concentration model was applied in the estimation of the groundwater migration of radionuclides in soil. Results and Discussion: The skyshine dose rates at 1 km from the facility were evaluated as 1.62 × 10^-3 μSv·hr^-1. The annual releases of ³H and ¹⁴C were calculated as 9.62 × 10^-5 mg and 1.19 × 10^-1 mg, respectively. The concentrations of ³H and ²²Na in drinking water were estimated as 1.22 × 10^-1 Bq·cm^-3 and 8.25 × 10^-3 Bq·cm^-3, respectively. Conclusion: Radiological assessment of environmental impact on the IF-facility of RAON was performed through evaluation of skyshine dose distribution, evaluation of annual emission of long-lived radionuclides in the air and estimation of soil activation and groundwater migration of radionuclides. As a result, much lower exposure than the limit value for the public, 1 mSv·yr^-1, is expected during operation of the IF-facility.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2001

원자력발전소의 1차 계통에서 오염된 장비들을 취급이 용이하고 안전하게 운반하기 위한 운반용기는 내부의 방사성 물질에 대한 방사능 평가에 의하여 방사성물질 A형 운반용기로 분류된다. 방사성물질 A형 운반용기는 IAEA Safety Standard Series No. ST-1 및 국내 원자력법 등 관련규정의 기술기준을 만족하여야 하는데, 운반용기는 중량에 따라 0.3∼1.2m의 높이에서 소성이 일어나지 않는 단단한 바닥면으로 가장 심각한 손상을 주는 방향으로 낙하시키는 정상운반조건(normal transport conditions)에 대하여 구조적 건전성을 유지하여야 한다. 여기서는 ABAQUS/Explicit 코드를 이용하여 컨테이너형태의 A형 운반용기에 대하여 최대손상이 야기되는 0.9m 경사낙하조건에 대한 3차원 충격해석을 수행하고 구조적 건전성을 평가하였는데, 운반용기는 경사낙하시 코너피팅(corner fitting)의 분쇄(crush)에 의하여 대부분의 충격을 흡수하였으며 운반용기의 격납경계는 구조적 건전성을 유지하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11b
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• pp.245-252
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• 2005

An underground research facility (KURF) is under construction at KAERI for the in situ studies related to the validation of a HLW disposal system. For the safe construction and long-term researches at KURF, mechanical stability of the facility should be evaluated. In this study, 3D mechanical stability analysis using the rock mass properties determined from various in situ as well as laboratory tests was carried out. From the analysis, it was possible to predict the rock deformation, stress concentration, and plastic zone developed before and after the excavation. A test blasting was performed to characterize the site dependent dynamic response, which can be used for the prediction of the blasting impact on the facilities in KAERI.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2015

Technetium-99m (^99mTc) is an important, short-lived decay product of molybdenum-99 (⁹⁹Mo), and it is considered the backbone of the modern nuclear diagnostic procedures. Since fission of ²³⁵U is the main source of production of ⁹⁹Mo, either highly-enriched uranium (HEU) targets or low-enriched uranium (LEU) targets are irradiated in the research reactors. The use of LEU targets is being promoted by the international community to avoid the proliferation issues linked with the use of HEU. In order to define the waste management strategy at the planning stage of establishment of an LEU based ⁹⁹Mo production facility, the impact of the use of LEU targets on the radioactive waste stream of the ⁹⁹Mo production facility was analyzed. Because the volume of uranium waste is estimated to increase six times, the use of high uranium density targets and the utilization of hot isostatic pressing were recommended to reduce the increased waste volume from the use of LEU based targets.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.370-379
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• 2002

In the Korean electricity supply structure, the role of nuclear power generation is essential. But, the delaying of radioactive waste management program induces negative impact to the stable electricity supply. Despite the continuing endeavors of Korean Government and nuclear power industry, radioactive waste management program of Korea is experiencing a continuing setback. In this background, the study examined the past and current policy and recommends that; Long term safety assurance should be the prime objective of radioactive waste management; Siting process should be transparent and opened to the public with the involvement of safety regulatory authority; A new neutral organization which has no conflicts of interest with any other existing organizations should be established to coordinate and manage the R&D programs.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.195-200
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• 2009

effluents to the environment. The activity of carbon-14, one of the radioactive effluents, in the environment is already high level and its effect on radiation exposure to the public and the environment is insignificant; thus, NPPs did not perform the carbon-14 monitoring in effluents in the past. By the way, effluents of noble gas and particulate radioactive materials originated from nuclear fuels has been continuously reduced due to both the advancement of manufacturing and integrity technology for nuclear fuels and the improvement of operation methods of NPPs. Futhermore, the portion of dose assessment by tritium and carbon-14 to the public has been relatively increased because the lower limit of detection for low-energy beta sources, such as tritium and carbon-14, is low due to the advancement of radiation detection technology. In this paper, the technical background for carbon-14 monitoring in nuclear facilities was investigated using United States technical reports and papers. This paper also reviews whether carbon-14 monitoring is necessary or not based on the investigated documents.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2015

For the purpose of improving the efficiency of the radiation impact assessment of dry interim storage facilities for the spent nuclear fuel of pressurized water reactors (PWRs), radiation impact assessment was performed after the application of sensitivity assessment according to the radiation source term designation method, development of a 2-step calculation technique, and cooling time credit. The present study successively designated radiation source terms in accordance with the cask arrangement order in the shielding building, assessed sensitivity, which affects direct dose, and confirmed that the radiation dosage of the external walls of the shielding building was dominantly affected by the two columns closest to the internal walls. In addition, in the case in which shielding buildings were introduced into storage facilities, the present study established and assessed the 2-step calculation technique, which can reduce the immense computational analysis time. Consequently, results similar to those from existing calculations were derived in approximately half the analysis time. Finally, when radiation source terms were established by adding the storage period of the storage casks successively stored in the storage facilities and the cooling period of the spent nuclear fuel, the radiation dose of the external walls of the buildings was confirmed to be approximately 40% lower than the calculated values; the cooling period was established as being identical. The present study was conducted to improve the efficiency of the Monte Carlo shielding analysis method for radiation impact assessment of interim storage facilities. If reliability is improved through the assessment of more diverse cases, the results of the present study can be used for the design of storage facilities and the establishment of site boundary standards.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.339-347
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• 2005

A type IP-2 transport package should prevent a loss or dispersal of the radioactive contents and a more than $20\%$ increase in the maximum radiation level at any external surface of the package when it were subjected to the drop test under the normal conditions of transport. If a shielding thickness of IP-2 transport package is thick, a bolted lid type may prevent a loss or dispersal of the radioactive contents than the door type of ISO containers which are generally used as a type IP-2 transport package. In this paper, to evaluate the effect of drop directions on the bolt tension and the coherence of a bolt, the drop tests of preliminary small model are tested and evaluated for seven directions before the drop test of a type IP-2 transport package with a bolted lid type under the normal conditions of transport. Seven drop directions which are a bottom-vertical drop, a lid-vortical drop. a horizontal drop and four corner drops have been carried out. Using a force sensor, the bolt tension during the drop impact is measured. The coherence of bolt is evaluated by the difference between the fastening torque of bolt before a drop test and the unfastening torque of bolt after a drop impact.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.199-212
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• 2007

If a type IP-2 transport package were to be subjected to a free drop test and a penetration test under the normal conditions of transport, it should prevent a loss or dispersal of the radioactive contents and a more than 20% increase in the maximum radiation level at any external surface of the package. In this paper, we suggested the analytic method to evaluate the structural safety of a type IP-2 transport package using a thick steel plate for a structure part and a bolt for tying a bolt. Using an analysis a loss or dispersal of the radioactive contents and a loss of shielding integrity were confirmed for two kinds of type IP-2 transport packages to transport radioactive waste drums from a waste facility to a temporary storage site in a nuclear power plant. Under the free drop condition the maximum average stress at the bolts and the maximum opening displacement of a lid were compared with the tensile stress of a bolt and the steps in a lid, which were made to avoid a streaming radiation in the shielding path, to evaluate a loss or dispersal of radioactive waste contents. Also a loss of shielding integrity was evaluated using the maximum decrease in a shielding thickness. To verify the impact dynamic analysis for free drop test condition and evaluate experimentally the safety of two kinds of type IP-2 transport packages, free drop tests were conducted with various drop directions. For the tests we examined the failure of bolts and the deformation of flange to evaluate a loss or dispersal of radioactive material and measured the shielding thickness using a ultrasonic thickness gauge to assess a loss of shielding integrity. The strains and accelerations acquired from tests were compared with those by analyses to verify the impact dynamic analysis. The analytic results were larger than the those of test so that the analysis showed the conservative results. Finally, we evaluated the safety of the type IP-2 transport package under the stacking test condition using a finite element analysis. Under the stacking test condition, the maximum Tresca stress of the shielding material was 1/3 of the yielding stress. Two kinds of a type IP-2 transport package were safe for the free drop test condition and the stacking test condition.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 2022

The denuclearization of North Korea was unpredictable and resulted in radical changes. Despite the skepticism and disappointment surrounding denuclearization, it is important for certain verification technologies to establish what is technically possible or practically impossible, and how reliable these technical means are. This article presents the technical hurdles in nuclear verification by systematically categorizing them into issues of correctness and completeness. Moreover, it addresses the safety and security risks during the denuclearization process, including the radiological impact on humans, environmental effects, and the illegal transfer of material, information, and technologies.