• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.256-262
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• 2014

Cycle length of domestic nuclear power plants is determined by the demand-supply plan of utility company. The target cycle length is achieved by adjusting the number of feed fuel assembly and fuel enrichment. Traditionally, utility company first select the number of feed fuel assembly and then find out the fuel enrichment to achieve the special cycle length. But it is difficult to find out if this method is most economical than any other combinations of the enrichment and batch size satisfying the same cycle length. In this paper, core depletion calculation is performed to find out the optimum combination of the enrichment and batch size for given target cycle length in terms of fuel cycle cost using commercial core design code; CASMO/MASTER code. To minimize the uncertainty resulting from transition core analysis, levelized fuel cycle cost analysis was applied to the equilibrium cycle core in order to determine the optimum combination. The sensitivity study of discount rate was also carried out to analyze the levelized fuel cycle cost applicable to countries with different discount rates. From the levelized fuel cycle cost analysis results, the combination with smaller batch size and higher fuel enrichment becomes more economical as the discount rate becomes lower. On the other hand, the combination with higher batch size and lower fuel enrichment becomes more economical as the discount rate becomes higher.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.96-108
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• 2015

A passive containment cooling system has been designed to remove the heat inside a containment during accidents without external power supply. In this work, the PCCS was introduced in the APR1400 plant to replace the containment spray system and, then, the thermal-hydraulic performance of the PCCS was analyzed using the system thermal-hydraulic computer code, MARS. A double-ended cold-leg break accident, which is known to induce the maximum pressure in the containment, is simulated, where the thermal hydraulics of the PCCS, the reactor coolant system, and the containment are simultaneously simulated. The results of the calculations showed that the PCCS can replace the existing spray system and that the containment building and its internal structure also play a very important role for the heat removal during the accident. Some sensitivity calculations were carried out to evaluate the model uncertainty and the effects of design parameters. The limitations of the PCCS are also discussed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2009

Absorption spectra for a quantitative analysis of actinide elements such as U(VI) and Pu(V) were measured by using a liquid waveguide capillary cell (LWCC) which has an optical path length of 1.0 meter. In order to investigate radioactive elements, a LWCC is installed in a glove box and is coupled to a spectrophotometer with optical fibers. Limits of detection (LOD) for the system were determined as 0.74 and 0.35 M with molar absorption coefficients of 8.14${\pm}$0.07 (414 nm) and 17.00${\pm}$0.16 (569 nm) $M^{-1}cm^{-1}$ for U(VI) and Pu(V) ions, respectively. The measured LOD values are about 30 times more sensitive when compared to those achievable by using a conventional quartz cell with an optical path length of 1.0 cm. As an application with an enhanced sensitivity, a quantitative analysis for micromolar concentrations of Pu(V) has been performed to decrease the uncertainty in the formation constant of the Pu(VI)-OH complex.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.457-468
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• 2020

Problems arising during pile design works for plant construction, civil and architecture work are mostly come from uncertainty of geotechnical characteristics. In particular, obtaining the N-value measured through the Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is the most important data. However, it is difficult to obtain N-value by drilling investigation throughout the all target area. There are many constraints such as licensing, time, cost, equipment access and residential complaints etc. it is impossible to obtain geotechnical characteristics through drilling investigation within a short bidding period in overseas. The geotechnical characteristics at non-drilling investigation points are usually determined by the engineer's empirical judgment, which can leads to errors in pile design and quantity calculation causing construction delay and cost increase. It would be possible to overcome this problem if N-value could be predicted at the non-drilling investigation points using limited minimum drilling investigation data. This study was conducted to predicted the N-value using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) which one of the Artificial intelligence (AI) method. An Artificial Neural Network treats a limited amount of geotechnical characteristics as a biological logic process, providing more reliable results for input variables. The purpose of this study is to predict N-value at the non-drilling investigation points through patterns which is studied by multi-layer perceptron and error back-propagation algorithms using the minimum geotechnical data. It has been reviewed the reliability of the values that predicted by AI method compared to the measured values, and we were able to confirm the high reliability as a result. To solving geotechnical uncertainty, we will perform sensitivity analysis of input variables to increase learning effect in next steps and it may need some technical update of program. We hope that our study will be helpful to design works in the future.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.73-86
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• 2016

In this study, an algorithm to estimate Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) over small cities during nighttime has been developed by using the radiance from artificial light sources in small cities measured from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor's Day/Night Band (DNB) aboard the Suomi-National Polar Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite. The algorithm is based on Beer's extinction law with the light sources from the artificial lights over small cities. AOT is retrieved for cloud-free pixels over individual cities, and cloud-screening was conducted by using the measurements from M-bands of VIIRS at infrared wavelengths. The retrieved nighttime AOT is compared with the aerosol products from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard Terra and Aqua satellites. As a result, the correlation coefficients over individual cities range from around 0.6 and 0.7 between the retrieved nighttime AOT and MODIS AOT with Root-Mean-Squared Difference (RMSD) ranged from 0.14 to 0.18. In addition, sensitivity tests were conducted for the factors affecting the nighttime AOT to estimate the range of uncertainty in the nighttime AOT retrievals. The results of this study indicate that it is promising to infer AOT using the DNB measaurements over small cities in Korea at night. After further development and refinement in the future, the developed retrieval algorithm is expected to produce nighttime aerosol information which is not operationally available over Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.51-62
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• 2015

It is not possible to provide resonable evidence for embankment (or dam) overtopping in geotechnical engineering, and conventional analysis by hydrologic design has not provided the evidence for the overflow. However, hydrologic design analysis using Copula function demonstrates the possibility that dam overflow occurs when estimating rainfall probability with rainfall data for 40 years based on fluctuating water level of a dam. Hydrologic dam risk analysis depends on complex hydrologic analyses in that probabilistic relationship needs to be established to quantify various uncertainties associated with modeling process and inputs. The systematic approaches to uncertainty analysis for hydrologic risk analysis have not been addressed yet. In this paper, the initial level of a dam for stability of a dam is generally determined by normal pool level or limiting the level of the flood, but overflow of probability and instability of a dam depend on the sensitivity analysis of the initial level of a dam. In order to estimate the initial level, Copula function and HEC-5 rainfall-runoff model are used to estimate posterior distributions of the model parameters. For geotechnical engineering, slope stability analysis was performed to investigate the difference between rapid drawdown and overtopping of a dam. As a result, the slope instability in overtopping of a dam was more dangerous than that of rapid drawdown condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.608-616
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• 2015

In this study, we have estimated the storm surge heights using numerical modeling on coastal area, and then evaluated the vulnerability index by applying the vulnerability assessment techniques. Surge modelling for 27 typhoons affected from 2000 to 2014 were simulated by applying the ADCIRC model. The results of validation and verification was in significant agreement as compared with observations for the top 6 ranking typhoons affected. As results, the storm surge heights in Jinhae Bay, Sacheon Bay, Gwangyang Bay, Cheonsu Bay and Gyeonggi Bay were higher than other inner coastal areas, then storm surge vulnerability assessment was performed using a standardization, normalization and gradation of storm surge heights. According to results of storm surge vulnerability assessment, index of Jinhae Bay, Sacheon Bay, Gwangyang Bay etc. are estimated to be vulnerable(4~5) because of the characteristics of storm surge such as inner bay are vulnerable compared with exposed to the open sea areas. However, index in the inner bay of western Jeonnam are not vulnerable(1~3) relatively. It may not appear the typhoons affected significantly for the past 15 years. So, the long-term vulnerability assessment with the sensitivity of geomorphology are necessary to reduce the uncertainty.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.316-325
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• 2008

An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument equipped with flow injection-hydride generation system was used for the determination of trace arsenic in seawater sample. The accuracy in this method was verified by the analysis of certified reference materials (CRM) of seawater (CASS-4, NASS-5). The analytical results agreed with certified value within the range of uncertainty. The expanded uncertainties for CASS-4 and NASS-5 in this experiment were ranged from 6.2% to 6.8% obtained from repeated analyses of the CRMs (n=5). The detection limit of $As^+$ (m/z=74.9216) in this method was confirmed about 0.01 ug/kg. Linearity obtained from calibration curve of arsenic was excellent ($R^2=1$). The detection at $As^+$ (m/z=74.9216) and $AsO^+$ (m/z=90.9165) by using oxygen reaction gas in DRC mode was compared. Sensitivity at $AsO^+$ (m/z=90.9165) was decreased about 25-fold, but the analytical results are the same that at $As^+$ (m/z=74.9216).

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.21-32
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• 1991

The purpose of this paper is to develop a reliability model for slope stability of Earth-rockfill dams which accounts for all uncertainties encountered. The uncertain factors of the design variables include the cohesion, the angle of internal friction, and the porewater Pressure in each zone. More specifically, the model errors in estimating those variables are studied in depth. To reduce the uncertainties due to model errors, updated design variables are obtained using Bayesian Theory. For stability analysis, both the two-dimesional stability analysis and the three-dimensional stability analysis where the end effects and the system reliability concept are considered are used for the reliability calculations. The deterministic safety factor by the three-dimensional analysis is lager than that by the two-dimensional anlysis. However, the probability of failure by the three-dimensional analysis is about 3.5 times larger that by the two-dimensional analysis. It is because the system reliability concept is used in the three-dimensional analysis. The sensitivity analysis shows that the probability of failure is more sensitive to the uncertainty of the cohesion than that of the angle of internal friction.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 1999

Recently, it is continuously rising to concern about the health risk being induced by microorganisms in food such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. Various organizations and regulatory agencies including U.S.FPA, U.S.DA and FAO/WHO are preparing the methodology building to apply microbial quantitative risk assessment to risk-based food safety program. Microbial risks are primarily the result of single exposure and its health impacts are immediate and serious. Therefore, the methodology of risk assessment differs from that of chemical risk assessment. Microbial quantitative risk assessment consists of tow steps; hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment and risk characterization. Hazard identification is accomplished by observing and defining the types of adverse health effects in humans associated with exposure to foodborne agents. Epidemiological evidence which links the various disease with the particular exposure route is an important component of this identification. Exposure assessment includes the quantification of microbial exposure regarding the dynamics of microbial growth in food processing, transport, packaging and specific time-temperature conditions at various points from animal production to consumption. Dose-response assessment is the process characterizing dose-response correlation between microbial exposure and disease incidence. Unlike chemical carcinogens, the dose-response assessment for microbial pathogens has not focused on animal models for extrapolation to humans. Risk characterization links the exposure assessment and dose-response assessment and involve uncertainty analysis. The methodology of microbial dose-response assessment is classified as nonthreshold and thresh-old approach. The nonthreshold model have assumption that one organism is capable of producing an infection if it arrives at an appropriate site and organism have independence. Recently, the Exponential, Beta-poission, Gompertz, and Gamma-weibull models are using as nonthreshold model. The Log-normal and Log-logistic models are using as threshold model. The threshold has the assumption that a toxicant is produce by interaction of organisms. In this study, it was reviewed detailed process including risk value using model parameter and microbial exposure dose. Also this study suggested model application methodology in field of exposure assessment using assumed food microbial data(NaCl, water activity, temperature, pH, etc.) and the commercially used Food MicroModel. We recognized that human volunteer data to the healthy man are preferred rather than epidemiological data fur obtaining exact dose-response data. But, the foreign agencies are studying the characterization of correlation between human and animal. For the comparison of differences to the population sensitivity: it must be executed domestic study such as the establishment of dose-response data to the Korean volunteer by each microbial and microbial exposure assessment in food.