• Title/Summary/Keyword: Spent nuclear fuel management

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PBIS: A Pre-Batched Inspection Strategy for spent nuclear fuel inspection robot

  • Bongsub Song;Jongwon Park;Dongwon Yun
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.55 no.12
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    • pp.4695-4702
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    • 2023
  • Nuclear power plants play a pivotal role in the global energy infrastructure, fulfilling a substantial share of the world's energy requirements in a sustainable way. The management of these facilities, especially the handling of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), necessitates meticulous inspections to guarantee operational safety and efficiency. However, the prevailing inspection methodologies lean heavily on human operators, which presents challenges due to the potential hazards of the SNF environment. This study introduces the design of a novel Pre-Batched Inspection Strategy (PBIS) that integrates robotic automation and image processing techniques to bolster the inspection process. This methodology deploys robotics to undertake tasks that could be perilous or time-intensive for humans, while image processing techniques are used for precise identification of SNF targets and regulating the robotic system. The implementation of PBIS holds considerable promise in minimizing inspection time and enhancing worker safety. This paper elaborates on the structure, capabilities, and application of PBIS, underlining its potential implications for the future of nuclear energy inspections.

PYROPROCESSING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AT KAERI

  • Lee, Han-Soo;Park, Geun-Il;Kang, Kweon-Ho;Hur, Jin-Mok;Kim, Jeong-Guk;Ahn, Do-Hee;Cho, Yung-Zun;Kim, Eung-Ho
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.43 no.4
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    • pp.317-328
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    • 2011
  • Pyroprocessing technology was developed in the beginning for metal fuel treatment in the US in the 1960s. The conventional aqueous process, such as PUREX, is not appropriate for treating metal fuel. Pyroprocessing technology has advantages over the aqueous process: less proliferation risk, treatment of spent fuel with relatively high heat and radioactivity, compact equipment, etc. The addition of an oxide reduction process to the pyroprocessing metal fuel treatment enables handling of oxide spent fuel, which draws a potential option for the management of spent fuel from the PWR. In this context, KAERI has been developing pyroprocessing technology to handle the oxide spent fuel since the 1990s. This paper describes the current status of pyroprocessing technology development at KAERI from the head-end process to the waste treatment. A unit process with various scales has been tested to produce the design data associated with the scale up. A performance test of unit processes integration will be conducted at the PRIDE facility, which will be constructed by early 2012. The PRIDE facility incorporates the unit processes all together in a cell with an Ar environment. The purpose of PRIDE is to test the processes for unit process performance, operability by remote equipment, the integrity of the unit processes, process monitoring, Ar environment system operation, and safeguards related activities. The test of PRIDE will be promising for further pyroprocessing technology development.

An electrochemical hydrogen peroxide sensor for applications in nuclear industry

  • Park, Junghwan;Kim, Jong Woo;Kim, Hyunjin;Yoon, Wonhyuck
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.1
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    • pp.142-147
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    • 2021
  • Hydrogen peroxide is a radiolysis product of water formed under gamma-irradiation; therefore, its reliable detection is crucial in the nuclear industry for spent fuel management and coolant chemistry. This study proposes an electrochemical sensor for hydrogen peroxide detection. Cysteamine (CYST), gold nanoparticles (GNPs), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were used in the modification of a gold electrode for fabricating Au/CYST/GNP/HRP sensor. Each modification step of the electrode was investigated through electrochemical and physical methods. The sensor exhibited strong sensitivity and stability for the detection and measurement of hydrogen peroxide with a linear range of 1-9 mM. In addition, the Michaelis-Menten kinetic equation was applied to predict the reaction curve, and a quantitative method to define the dynamic range is suggested. The sensor is highly sensitive to H2O2 and can be applied as an electrochemical H2O2-sensor in the nuclear industry.