• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.13-19
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• 2009

As the operating time in nuclear power plants (NPPs) increases, the integrity of nuclear components may be continually degraded due to aging effects of systems, structures and components. Recently, a number of NPPs are being operated beyond their design life to produce more electricity without shutting down. The critical issue in extending a lifetime is to maintain the level of safety during the extended operation period while satisfying the international regulatory standards. Therefore, it is beneficial to build a monitoring system to measure an aging status. In this paper, the Aging Monitor (AM) based on lots of aging database obtained from the operating plants and research results on the aging effects was developed to monitor, manage and evaluate the aging phenomena systematically and effectively in NPPs. The AM for the CANDU is divided into 6 modules: (1) Aging Alarm/Coloring Monitor, (2) Aging Database, (3) Aging Document, (4) Real-time Integrity Monitor, (5) Surveillance and Inspection Management System, and (6) Continued Operation and Periodic Safety Review (PSR) Safety Evaluation. The proposed system is expected to provide the integrity assessment for the major mechanical components of an NPP under concurrent working environments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2010

The chemistry and ignition delay of hydrogen/air/HFP premixed mixtures was investigated numerically with unsteady perfectly stirred reactor(PSR). The detailed chemistry of 93 species and 817 reaction mechanism was introduced for hydrogen/air/HFP mixtures. The results shows the temporal concentration variations of major or reactants such as hydrogen and oxygen during autoignition were similar to the spatial distribution of premixed flame while water vapor produced at the ignition temperature was decomposed later, which can be clarified with the relate species production rates that the the re-growth (or shoulder) of OH concentration is a result of F radicals attacking $H_20$ forming OH and HF. For the stoichiometric $H_2$/air mixture inhibited by 20% HFP, HFP thermal decomposition reaction prevails over the radical attack such as H at initial stage. Even though relatively large HFP addition contributes to delay the ignition, chemical effect on the ignition delay is not effective because of late thermal decomposition of HFP. The most small ignition delay was observed at a slightly fuel lean condition ($\phi$ = 0.9), and temperature dependency of ignition delay was clearly shown near 900 K.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.1557-1564
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• 2020

In this paper, 3D model-based interactive gamma ray shielding package (MIGSHIELD) is developed in virtual reality platform for windows operating system. In MIGSHIELD, the computational methodology is based on point kernel algorithm (PK), several key parameters of PK are obtained using new technique and new methods. MIGSHIELD has interactive capability with virtual world. The main features made in the MIGSHIELD are (i) handling of physical information from virtual world, (ii) handling of arbitrary shapes radioactive source, (iii) calculating the mean free path of gamma ray, (iv) providing interactive function between PK and virtual world, (v) making better use of PK for virtual simulation, (vi) plug and play. The developed package will be of immense use for calculations involving radiation dose assessment in nuclear safety and contributing to fast radiation simulation for virtual nuclear facilities.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.31-37
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• 2011

Pressurized Water Reactor Owners Group(PWROG) proposed and applied a risk-informed inservice inspection(RI-ISI) program to alternate existing ASME Section XI periodic inspections. The RI-ISI programs enhance overall safety by focusing inspections of piping at high safety significant(HSS) and locations where failure mechanisms are likely to be present, and by improving the effectiveness on inspection of components because the examination methods are based on the postulated failure mode and the configuration of the piping structural element. The RI-ISI programs can reduce NDE, man-rem exposure, costs of engineering analysis, outage duration and chance of complicating plant operations etc. RI-ISI methods of piping inservice inspection were applied on 3 units(KSNP : Korea Standard Nuclear Power Plant) and are scheduled to apply on the other units. In this paper, we compared and showed the results of the 2 units and we concluded that the RI-ISI application could enhance and maintain plant safety and give unquantifiable benefits.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.222-228
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• 2017

Background: On June 18, 2017, Korea's first commercial nuclear reactor, the Kori Nuclear Power Plant No. 1, was permanently suspended, and the capacity of nuclear power generation facilities will be adjusted according to the governments denuclearization policy. In these circumstances, it is necessary to assess the quality of radiation safety management in nuclear power plants in Korea by evaluating the radiation dose associated with them. Materials and Methods: The average annual radiation dose per unit, the annual radiation dose per person, and the annual dose distribution were analyzed using the radiation dose database of nuclear reactors for the last 5 years. The results of our analysis were compared to the specifications of the Nuclear Safety Act and Medical Law in Korea. Results and Discussion: The annual average per unit radiation dose of global major nuclear power generation was 720 man-mSv, while that of Korea's nuclear power plants was 374 manmSv. No workers exceeded 50 mSv per year or 100 mSv in 5 years. The individual radiation dose according to occupational exposure was 0.59 mSv for nuclear workers, 1.77 mSv for non-destructive workers, and 0.8 mSv for diagnostic radiologists. Conclusion: The radiation safety management of nuclear power plants in Korea has achieved the best outcomes worldwide, which is considered to be the result of the as-low-as-reasonably-achievable (ALARA) approach and strict radiation safety management. Moreover, the occupational exposures were also very low.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.1217-1233
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• 2018

Following a surge of interest in multi-unit risk in the last few years, many recent studies have suggested methods for multi-unit probabilistic safety assessment (MUPSA) and addressed several related aspects. Most of the existing studies though focused on two-unit nuclear power plant (NPP) sites or used rather simplified probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) models to demonstrate the proposed approaches. When considering an NPP site with three or more units, some approaches are inapplicable or yield very conservative results. Since the number of such sites is increasing, there is a strong need to develop and validate practical approaches to the related MUPSA. This article provides several detailed approaches that are applicable to multi-unit Level 1 PSA for sites with up to six or more reactor units. To validate the approaches, a multi-unit Level 1 PSA model is developed and the site core damage frequency is estimated for each of four representative multi-unit initiators, as well as for the case of a simultaneous occurrence of independent single-unit initiators in multiple units. For this purpose, an NPP site with six identical OPR-1000 units is considered, with full-scale Level 1 PSA models for a specific OPR-1000 plant used as the base single-unit models.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.2288-2297
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• 2023

Current designs of both large reactor units and small modular reactors utilize a nuclear fuel with increasing enrichment. This increasing demand for better nuclear fuel utilization is a challenge for nuclear fuel handling facilities. The operation with higher enriched fuels leads to reduced reserves to legislative and safety criticality limits of spent fuel transport, storage and final disposal facilities. Design changes in these facilities are restricted due to a boron content in steel and aluminum alloys that are limited by rolling, extrusion, welding and other manufacturing processes. One possible solution for spent fuel pools and casks is the burnup credit method that allows decreasing very high safety margins associated with the fresh fuel assumption in spent fuel facilities. This solution can be supplemented or replaced by an alternative solution based on placing the neutron absorber material directly into the fuel assembly, where its efficiency is higher than between fuel assemblies. A neutron absorber permanently fixed in guide tubes decreases system reactivity more efficiently than absorber sheets between the fuel assemblies. The paper summarizes possibilities of fixed neutron absorbers for various nuclear fuel and fuel handling facilities. Moreover, an absorber material was optimized to propose alternative options to boron. Multiple effective absorbers that do not require steel or aluminum alloy compatibility are discussed because fixed absorbers are placed inside zirconium or steel cladding.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.105-113
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• 2019

This study investigates the toxicity characteristics of two Non-Class 1E Cables (For security reasons, we refer to company A and company B) used in nuclear power plants according to the accelerated deterioration period. In accordance with NES 713 test equipment and standards, tests were carried out on non-aged cables and the cables subjected to 20- and 40-year-accelerated-deterioration; each of the cables was further classified into sheath and insulation. The test results showed that the toxicity indices of 20- and 40-year-accelerated-aged cables were higher than those for the non-aged cables, and 20-year-aged cables of both A and B companies showed the highest toxicity indices. This is attributed to the extensive emissions of carbon monoxide and halide gases such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen bromide. Furthermore, to analyze the toxicity indices of sheath and insulation in detail, the US Department of Defense standard (MIL-DTL) was applied to determine whether the Toxicity index (T.I.) allowance was exceeded, and the results showed that the insulating materials emitted considerably more than the allowable limit.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.599-608
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• 2012

A numerical analysis has been performed through implicit dynamic finite element analysis using the commercial package, ABAQUS in order to investigate effect of laser peening on welding residual stress mitigation of dissimilar metal welds in a safety injection nozzle of integral reactor. The implicit dynamic finite element analysis are compared with the previous experimental results. By comparison, it is identified that the implicit dynamic finite element analysis is valid for residual stress mitigation via laser peening. Implicit static finite element residual stress analysis has been performed for the dissimilar metal welds subject to inner repair welding. The analysis results represent that both axial and hoop residual stresses are tensile on inner surface of safety injection nozzle due to inner repair welding. Also Parametric study has performed to investigate effect of laser peening variables such as maximum impact pressure, duration time of pressure, spot diameter and peening direction on the welding residual stress mitigation. As a result, it is found that laser peening has the preventive maintenance effect to mitigate mainly residual stresses of region near inner surface.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2010

We used fluorescence detector to analyse total aflatoxins (G1, G2, B1, B2) with TFA (Trifluoroacetic acid) derivation method and PHRED (Photochemical reactor enhanced detection) method. PHRED method was superior in reproduction and convenience, but TFA derivation method was superior in selectivity and sensitivity. The recovery rate of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 were more than 80%, and G2 was more than 70%. The detection limit of B1, B2, G1 and G2 were respectively 0.05, 0.05, 0.2 and $0.1\;{\mu}g/kg$. Confirmed method was used to analyse total aflatoxins in total 316 items as 9 kinds 137 dried fruits and 10 kinds 179 spices. By the result, Aflatoxins were detected in 27 dried fruits (19.7%) and in 87 spices (48.6%).