• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05a
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• pp.225-230
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• 1996

A three-dimensional reactor core simulation code, MASTER has been developed as a part of ADONIS which is the Korean core design package in KAERI. CASMO-3 is used as a precedent lattice code for two-group microscopic cross section and heterogeneous formfunctions. The pin power reconstruction capability of CASMO-3/MASTER was evaluated for a validation and verification Five B&W critical experiments were selected as benchmark problems. These problems included two experiments for CE-type and three for WH-type fuel assemblies. Two of them contained gadolinia rods as burnable absorber. Comparison of the calculated pin power distributions with the measured ones demonstrate that CASMO-3/MASTER can predict the pin power distribution as well as CASMO-3/SIMULATE-3.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05a
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• pp.538-544
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• 1996

This paper presents the results of the core follow analysis for Yonggwang Unit 3 Cycle 1. The values of peaking factors (Fxy, Fq, Fr anf Fz) and core power distribution measured and processed by CECOR code［1］ are compared with those predicted by ROCS code［2］, The measured boron rundown is also compared with the predicted values. As results, the comparison of peaking factors, radial and axial power distributions and boron rundown between the measured and the predicted show good agreement throughout the cycle. Additionally, assembly burnup differences between CECOR and ROCS at EOC1 (13650 MWD/MTD are within 5% of core average burnup.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.235-246
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• 1996

Placer gold in collected heavy minerals from several localities in Huongkhe area, is consistently very finegrained (${\leq}100$ to $400{\mu}m$). The size and size distribution show somewhat differences at Dongdo and Hoahai : at Dongdo, predominant relatively larger and wide distribution; at Hoahai, characteristic relatively finer and narrow distribution range. The morphology of gold grains is divided into the four groups assumed by the dimension ratio : spherical, subprismoidal, prismoidal, and irregular. The gold grains at Dongdo show wide morphological distribution, whereas, at Hoahai, spherical form is predominant (${\approx}75%$). Three main types of gold are classified based on their chemical composition and mode of occurrence: type I (electrum; fineness=568~931), type II (amalgam; fineness=671~927), and type III (native gold; fineness=923~999). Type I gold contains, relatively high and variable silver contents (${\approx}11$ to 58 atomic % Ag), and has been classified into two subtypes based on their silver contents (type IA, ${\approx}11{\sim}39$ atomic % Ag; type IB, ${\approx}40{\sim}58$ atomic % Ag). However, type I gold would have been generally original compositions of electrum which originated at the provenance deposits. Mercury reacts with gold and silver to form amalgam (type II gold) which has variable Hg contents (1.2~30.5 atomic % Hg). The mercury contents in gold grains at Hoahai (10.9~30.5 atomic % Hg) are higher than those at Dongdo (5.8~21.1 atomic % Hg). The gold grains from the area generally exhibit a high-purity gold (type III) rim. The individual rims on the various grains range from <1 to $80{\mu}m$ in thickness and have silver contents of <10 atomic percent Ag, even though the core compositions range from ${\approx}11$ to 58 atomic percent Ag. The rim of gold most likely is responsible for the commonly cited cases of gold from placer deposits assaying at higher values of fineness than the gold in the corresponding source lode. The gold-rich rim in the Huongkhe area apparently forms by a combination of self-electrorefining and preferential dissolution of silver under oxidizing nature during the weathering and transport process. All data of gold grains in the Huongkhe area suggest that the transport distances and/or time of placer gold at Hoahai are generally farther than those at Dongdo. The mercurian gold bearing provenance deposits at Dongdo and Hoahai would be suggest nearest epithermal gold-silver vein-type.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.482-493
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• 2002

The MOX fuel for LWR is fabricated either by direct mechanical blending of UO$_2$ and PuO$_2$ or by two stage mixing. Hence Pu-rich particles, whose Pu concentrations are higher than pellet average one and whose size distribution depends on a specific fabrication method, are inevitably dispersed in MOX pellet. Due to the inhomogeneous microstructure of MOX fuel, the thermal conductivity of LWR MOX fuel scatters from 80 to 100 % of UO$_2$ fuel. This paper describes a mechanistic thermal conductivity model for MOX fuel by considering this inhomogeneous microstructure and presents an explanation for the wide scattering of measured MOX fuel＇s thermal conductivity. The developed model has been incorporated into a KAERI＇s fuel performance code, COSMOS, and then evaluated using the measured in-pile data for MOX fuel. The database used for verification consists of homogeneous MOX fuel at beginning-of-life and inhomogeneous MOX fuel at high turnup. The COSMOS code predicts the thermal behavior of MOX fuel well except for the irradiation test accompanying substantial fission gas release. The over-prediction with substantial fission gas release seems to suggest the need for the introduction of a recovery factor to a term that considers the burnup effect on thermal conductivity.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.287-292
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• 2005

[ $\pi$ ]The effects of silica-based additives have been investigated to improve the creep property of a $UO_2$ pellet. The additive composition, $50wt\%SiO_2-47wt{\%}CaO-3wt\%Cr_2O_3$ (SCC), was selected according to the dihedral angle and the distribution of the second phase. It was observed that the creep rate of the $0.07 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$ was slower than that of the pure $UO_2$. However, the creep rate of the $0.22 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$ was about 3_48 times faster than that of the pure $UO_2$, depending on the applied stress in the lower stress range. In the case of the $0.35 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$, the creep rate decreased in comparison with that of the $0.22 wt\%$ SCC-added $UO_2$. The observed enhancement in the creep rate might depend on a balance between the positive role of the viscous intergranular phase and the negative roles of the additives and the grain growth.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.10
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• pp.2299-2305
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• 2020

Zr alloy specimens were coated with Cr-Al alloy to enhance their resistance to oxidation. The coated samples were oxidized at 1200 ℃ in a steam environment for 300 s and showed extremely low oxidation when compared to uncoated Zr alloy specimens. The microstructure and elemental distribution of the oxides formed on the surface of Cr-Al alloys have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A very thin protective layer of Cr₂O₃ formed on the outer surface of the Cr-Al alloy, and a thin Al₂O₃ layer was also observed in the Cr-Al alloy matrix, near the surface. Our results suggest that these two oxide layers near the surface confers excellent oxidation resistance to the Cr-Al alloy. Even after exposure to a high temperature of 1200 ℃, inter-diffusion between the Cr-Al alloy and the Zr alloy occurred in very few regions near the interface. Analysis of the inter-diffusion layer by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) measurement confirmed its identity as Cr₂Zr.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.299-308
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• 2003

Fabrication technique of $(Th,U)O_2$ pellets has been investigated. Powder mixtures of $ThO_2\;and\;UO_2$ were milled in two different ways-dry and wet milling. Milled powder was compacted and sintered to $(Th,U)O_2$ pellets. The wet-milled powder leads to a $(Th,U)O_2$ pellet having a high sintered density and uniform distribution of U and Th, compared to the dry-milled powder. The sintered density of a $(Th,U)O_2$ pellet tends to decrease by increasing the content of $ThO_2$. The thermal conductivity of $ThO_2\;and\;(Th,U)O_2$ pellets was measured by the laser flash method. The thermal conductivity of the $ThO_2$ pellet is higher than that of the $UO_2$ pellet, and the thermal conductivities of $(Th,U)O_2$ pellets containing $65wt\%\;and\;35wt\%\;ThO_2$ pellets are lower than that of the $UO_2$ pellet.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.376-385
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• 2016

A hexagonally arrayed 37-pin wire-wrapped rod bundle has been chosen to provide the experimental data of the pressure loss and flow rate in subchannels for validating subchannel analysis codes for the sodium-cooled fast reactor core thermal/hydraulic design. The iso-kinetic sampling method has been adopted to measure the flow rate at subchannels, and newly designed sampling probes which preserve the flow area of subchannels have been devised. Experimental tests have been performed at 20-115% of the nominal flow rate and $60^{\circ}C$ (equivalent to Re ~ 37,100) at the inlet of the test rig. The pressure loss data in three measured subchannels were almost identical regardless of the subchannel locations. The flow rate at each type of subchannel was identified and the flow split factors were evaluated from the measured data. The predicted correlations and the computational fluid dynamics results agreed reasonably with the experimental data.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.289-295
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• 2021

A laser scabbling experiment was performed using a high-power fiber laser to investigate the removal rate of the concrete block and the scabbled depth. Concrete specimens with a 28-day compressive strength of 30 MPa were used in this study. Initially, we conducted the scabbling experiment under a stationary laser beam condition to determine the optimum scan speed. The laser interaction time with the concrete surface varied between 3 s and 40 s. The degree of spalling and vitrification on the surface was primarily dependent on the laser interaction time and beam power. Furthermore, thermal images were captured to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature during the scabbling process. Based on the experimental results, the scan speed at which the optical head moved over the concrete was set to be 300 mm·min^-1 or 600 mm·min^-1 for the 4.8-kW or 6.8-kW laser beam, respectively. The spalling rates and average depth on the concrete blocks were measured to be 87 cm³·min^-1 or 227 cm³·min^-1 and 6.9 mm or 9.8 mm with the 4.8-kW or 6.8-kW laser beams, respectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.1988-1993
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• 2023

This experimental study investigated the effect of silica fume mixed in concrete blocks on laser-induced explosion behavior. We used a 5.3 kW fiber laser as a thermal source to induce explosive spalling on a concrete surface blended with and without silica fume. An analytical approach based on the difference in the removal rate and thermal behavior was used to determine the effect of silica fume on laser-induced explosive spalling. A scanner was employed to calculate the laser-scabbled volume of the concrete surface to derive the removal rate. The removal rate of the concrete mixed with silica fume was higher than that of without silica fume. Thermal images acquired during scabbling were used to qualitatively analyze the thermal response of laser-induced explosive spalling on the concrete surface. At the early stage of laser heating, an uneven spatial distribution of surface temperature appeared on the concrete blended with silica fume because of frequent explosive spalling within a small area. By contrast, the spalling frequency was relatively lower in laser-heated concrete without silica fume. Furthermore, we observed that a larger area was removed via a single explosive spalling event owing to its high porosity.