• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권12호
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• pp.4636-4643
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• 2022

A time-of-flight and energy (TOF-E) detection system for the measurement of ²³⁶U accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has been developed to improve the ²³⁶U/²³⁸U sensitivity at Micro Analysis Laboratory, Tandem accelerator (MALT), The University of Tokyo. With observing TOF distribution of ²³⁵U, ²³⁶U and ²³⁸U, this TOF-E detection system has clearly separated ²³⁶U from the interference of ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U when measuring three kinds of uranium standards. In addition, we have developed a novel method combining kernel-based density estimation method and multi-Gaussian fitting method to estimate the ²³⁶U/²³⁸U sensitivity of the TOF-E detection system. Using this new estimation method, 3.4 × 10^-12 of ²³⁶U/²³⁸U sensitivity and 1.9 ns of time resolution are obtained. ²³⁶U/²³⁸U sensitivity of TOF-E detection system has improved two orders of magnitude better than that of previous gas ionization chamber. Moreover, unknown species other than uranium isotopes were also observed in the measurement of a surface soil sample, which has demonstrated that TOF-E detection system has a higher sensitivity in particle identification. With its high sensibility in mass determination, this TOF-E detection system could also be used in other heavy isotope AMS.

• 자원환경지질
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.265-271
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• 1998

In the hydrologic and hydrochemical studies of natural waters, oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of waters are very important to elucidate the origin and circulation pattern of water in the hydrologic system. The hydrogen isotope analysis of waters usually has been undertaken through the reduction of water to form hydrogen gas using pure metals (in general, zinc and uranium). In 1996, a new apparatus (H/Device) was developed to prepare the water samples (by the reduction with Cr metal) without some intrinsic problems that may yield incorrect and/or inaccurate data, and was installed at 1997 in the Center for Mineral Resources Research (CMR) in Korea University. However, the optimistic conditions of preparation and analysis of samples has not been established. In this paper, we introduce the efficiency of H/Device to obtain accurate hydrogen isotope values of water, and discuss both the optimum conditions including the effective reduction time and the probable mixing (memory) effect between successive samples. We obtained large amounts of a laboratory working standard (KUW; Korea University Water) with the average ${\delta}D_{SMOW}$ value of $-42.1{\pm}1.0$‰ $(1{\sigma})$.

• 자원환경지질
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.289-298
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• 1984

Uraniferous black slates of the Okchon sequence occur in Koesan (northeast) through Miwon-Boun (middle) to the southwest off Taejon (southwest) within the Okchon fold belt. The Uraniferous balck slates in the southwest off Taejon are particularly well developed in Chubu (northeast) and Moksso-ri (middle) areas whereas they are less developed in Jinsan (southwest) area. The uraniferous beds range from less than a meter to 40 meters in thickness and range from less than 0.02% $U_3O_8$ (cut-off-grade) to 0.05% $U_3O_8$ in the southwestern district off Taejon. Electron microprobe analysis of uranium-minerals found in graphitic slate samples enables to estimate their major compositions semi-quantitatively so that uraninite, ferro-uranophane and chlopinite are tentatively identified. Uranium-minerals are closely associated with carbon and metal sulfides. Correlation analysis of trace element concentrations revealed that U and F.C., and U and Mo are lineary correlative respectively and their correlation coefficients are positively high whereas those of U and V, U and Mn, and U and Zr are negatively low, implying that uranium mineralization has been closely related with concentrations of carbon and molybdenum. Stable isotope analyses of pyrite sulfur range widely from +11.5% to -23.3% in ${\delta}^{34}S$ values whereas those of graphite carbon fall within a narrow range between -23.3% and -28.9% in ${\delta}^{13}C$ values. The wide range of ${\delta}^{34}S$ values suggests that the sulfur could be of meteoric origin rather than of igneous source. The narrow range of ${\delta}^{13}C$ values, which are close to those of coal, indicates that the graphite is organic carbon in origin. Therefore, it is concluded that the uranium mineralization in the Okchon sequence took place primarily in sedimentary environment rich in organic matter and sulfide ion, both of which served as the reducing agents to convert soluble uranyl complex to insoluble uranium dioxide.

• 분석과학
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.487-494
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• 2008

극미량 우라늄시료에 대한 열이온화 질량분석기를 이용하여 우라늄 동위원소 비 측정 및 정량과 관련하여 고순도(zone refined) 레늄필라멘트와 일반 레늄필라멘트로부터 오는 바탕값(background) 특성을 비교하였다. 두 종류 필라멘트에서 가벼운 알칼리금속원소들의 클러스터(cluster)인 $(^{39}K_6)^+$, $(^{39}K_5+^{41}K)^+$ 및 금속산화물($PbO_2$)로 추측되는 우라늄 동중원소영향(isobaric effect)을 확인하였다. 고순도 레늄필라멘트를 < $10^{-7}$ torr에서 약 $2000^{\circ}C$로 1.5 시간 이상 degassing 함으로 불순물들을 완전히 제거할 수 있었으나 일반 레늄필라멘트의 경우 5시간 이상 degassing을 하여도 약 3 pg-U이 남아있었다. 일반 레늄필라멘트에 대한 불순물 제거(degassing) 실험결과 5 A, 30 분이 불순물제거의 최소조건이었다. U-233을 spike로 사용, 동위원소희석 질량분석법으로 일반 레늄필라멘트 중 불순물로 포함된 우라늄 양을 측정한 결과 degassing을 하지 않은 필라멘트에서는 0.31 ng-U이 측정되었고, degassing (5.5 A, 1 hr.)을 한 것은 약 3 pg-U 이 측정되었다. 즉, 일반필라멘트의 경우, degassing을 하더라도 1 ng-U 시료에 대하여 0.3% 오차를 근본적으로 갖는 것을 알 수 있었다. 따라서 환경급 극미량 우라늄시료 측정에는 고순도 필라멘트를 degassing하여 사용해야 함을 알 수 있었다. 우라늄 측정 시 필라멘트 전류를 5.5 A로 하였을 때보다 6.0 A로 했을 때 불순물 우라늄 량이 1.5 배 더 크게 나타났다. 따라서 필라멘트 전류를 5.5 A 이상 올리지 않는 것이 바탕값 영향이 작음을 알 수 있었다. 우라늄 표준물질(KRISS 표준물질/NIST U-005, 030)을 사용하여 우라늄 동위원소 함량을 측정한 후 인증 값과 비교한 결과 U-235 는 0.04%, U-234, U-236는 2% 이내에서 각각 일치하였다.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.541-546
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• 2015

Global energy shortage problem is expected to increase driven by strong energy demand growth from developing countries. Nuclear fusion power offers the prospect of an almost infinite source of energy for future generations. Hydrogen isotope storage and delivery system is a important subsystem of a nuclear fusion fuel cycle. Metal hydride is a method of the high-density storage of hydrogen isotope. For the safety storage of hydrogen isotope, depleted uranium (DU) has been widely proposed. But DU needs a safe test because It is a radioactive substance. The authors studied a small-scale DU bed and a medium-scale DU bed for the safety test. And then we made a large-scale DU bed and stored hydrogen isotopes in the bed. Before the hydriding/dehydriding, we tested it's heating and cooling properties and carried out an activation procedure. As a result, Reaction rate of DU-$H_2$ is more rapid than the other metal hydride ZrCo. Through the successful storage result of our large bed, the development possibility of the hydrogen isotope storage technology seems promising.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.719-726
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• 2016

The problem of separation of isotopes in a concurrent gas centrifuge is solved analytically for an arbitrary binary mixture of isotopes. The separative power of the optimised concurrent gas centrifuges for the uranium isotopes equals to ${\delta}U=12.7(V/700m/s)^2(300K/T)(L/1m)kg{\cdot}SWU/yr$, where L and V are the length and linear velocity of the rotor of the gas centrifuge and T is the temperature. This equation agrees well with the empirically determined separative power of optimised counter-current gas centrifuges.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.259-264
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• 1993

조사후핵연료의 연소도측정에 1-octanesulfonate 를 양이온 교환체로 사용하고 $\alpha$-hydroxyisobutyric acid를 용리액으로 사용하는 동적계의 이온크로마토그래피를 적용하였다 Pu, U 및 Nd의 최적 분리조건을 찾기위해 분리조건들을 변화하였다. 이들 원소들을 $\alpha$-hydroxyisobutyric acid 용리액을 0.05 M과 0.40 M을 혼합시키는 기울기용리법으로 개별 분리한후 분취하여 동위원소희석 질량분석법으로 각각 정량하였다. 본 방법에 의래 구한 연소도 값을 기존의 음이온교환수지법에 의한 값과 비교한 결과 3.5 %차이 이내에서 두 값이 서로 일치하였다.

• 한국주조공학회지
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.224-227
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• 2007

원자로에 장전되는 $^{99}Mo$ 조사표적을 제조하기 위한 우라늄박판은, 박판 품질, 생산성, 경제성 문제로 인해, 기존의 열간압연방법에 의해 실험실 규모로는 제조가 가능하나, 상용 규모로는 제조되기 어려운 실정이므로, 새로운 제조방법의 개발이 요구되고 있다. 이와 같은 상황에서, $^{99m}Tc$의 모핵종인 방사선 동위원소$^{99}Mo$ 생산하기 위하여 planar flow casting (PFC) 법에 의해 다결정질 우라늄박판에 대한 새로운 제조방법이 연구되었다. $100{\sim}150\;{\mu}m$의 두께 및 너비 약 50mm의 연속적인 다결정질 우라늄박판이 하나의 batch에서 5m 이상의 길이로 제조되었다. 우라늄박판은 불순물이 거의 없었으며 양호한 표면조도를 가지고 있었다. 우라늄박판의 냉각를 접촉표면은 자유표면 보다 매끈한 자유표면을 가지고 있었다. 우라늄박판은 제조공정변수와는 상관없이 ${\alpha}-U$ 상을 가진 약 10 ${\mu}m$ 이하의 미세한 다결정립을 가지고 있었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.9-20
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• 2008

Since plutonium accounts for 40-50% of the power produced by uranium fuels, spent fuel contains only residual plutonium. Management of this plutonium is one of the aspects influencing the choice of a fuel cycle back-end option: reprocessing, direct disposal or wait-and-see. Different grades and qualities of plutonium exist depending from their specific generation conditions; all are valuable fissile material. Safeguard authorities watch the inventories of civil plutonium, but access to those data is restricted. Independent evaluations have led to an estimated current inventory of 220t plutonium in total (spent fuel, separated civil plutonium and military plutonium). If used as MOX fuel, it would be sufficient to feed all the PWRs and BWRs worldwide during 7 years or to deploy a FBR park corresponding to 150% of today' s installed nuclear capacity worldwide, which could then be exploited for centuries with the current stockpile of depleted and spent uranium. The energy potential of plutonium deteriorates with storage time of spent fuel and of separated plutonium, due to the decay of $^{241}Pu$, the best fissile isotope, into americium, a neutron absorber. The loss of fissile value of plutonium is more pronounced for usage in LWRs than in FBR. However, keeping the current plutonium inventory for an expected future deployment of FBRs is counterproductive. Recycling plutonium reduce the required volume for final disposal in an underground repository and the cost of final disposal. However, the benefits of utilizing an energy resource and of reducing final disposal liabilities are not the only aspects that determine the choice of a back-end policy.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권4호
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• pp.1372-1384
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• 2024

The discrimination of the source for xenon gases' release can provide an important clue for detecting the nuclear activities in the neighboring countries. In this paper, three machine learning techniques, which are logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest neighbors (KNN), were applied to develop the predictive models for discriminating the source for xenon gases' release based on the xenon isotopic activity ratio data which were generated using the depletion codes, i.e., ORIGEN in SCALE 6.2 and Serpent, for the probable sources. The considered sources for the neighboring countries of South Korea include PWRs, CANDUs, IRT-2000, Yongbyun 5 MWe reactor, and nuclear tests with plutonium and uranium. The results of the analysis showed that the overall prediction accuracies of models with SVM and KNN using six inputs, all exceeded 90%. Particularly, the models based on SVM and KNN that used six or three xenon isotope activity ratios with three classification categories, namely reactor, plutonium bomb, and uranium bomb, had accuracy levels greater than 88%. The prediction performances demonstrate the applicability of machine learning algorithms to predict nuclear threat using ratios of xenon isotopic activity.