• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.89-103
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• 2024

In the disposal environment, gases can be generated at the interface between canister and buffer due to various factors such as anaerobic corrosion, radiolysis, and microbial degradation. If the gas generation rate exceeds the diffusion rate, the gas within the buffer may compress, resulting in physical damage to the buffer due to the increased pore pressure. In particular, the rapid movement of gases, known as gas breakthroughs, through the dilatancy pathway formed during this process may lead to releasing radionuclide. Therefore, understanding these gas generation and movement mechanism is essential for the safety assessment of the disposal systems. In this study, an experimental apparatus for investigating gas migration within buffer was constructed based on a literature review. Subsequently, a gas injection experiment was conducted on a compacted bentonite block made of Bentonile WRK (Clariant Ltd.) powder. The results clearly demonstrated a sharp increase in stress and pressure typically observed at the onset of gas breakthrough within the buffer. Additionally, the range of stresses induced by the swelling phenomenon of the buffer, was 4.7 to 9.1 MPa. The apparent gas entry pressure was determined to be approximately 7.8 MPa. The equipment established in this study is expected to be utilized for various experiments aimed at building a database on the initial properties of buffer and the conditions during gas injection, contributing to understanding the gas migration phenomena.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.52.3-53
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• 2015

It has been known that there is "dark gas" invisible either in 21-cm HI or 2.6-mm CO emission which are general tracers of atomic and molecular gas, respectively. Many researchers consider that the dark gas is "Dark Molecular Gas (DMG)" composed of CO-free $H_2$ in the intermediate zone between atomic and full-fledged molecular gas and that HCO+ and OH molecules are good tracers of the DMG since they can form in much lower $H_2$ column densities where CO does not. We have carried out HCO+ J=1-0 absorption observations toward nine bright extragalactic radio continuum sources using the KVN 21-m telescopes as single dishes. We detected HCO+ absorption lines toward two sources. We derive HCO+ and $H_2$ column densities or their limits, and discuss the implications of our results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.365-374
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• 2001

In order to examine the in-reactor performance of very-high-density dispersion fuels for high flux performance research reactors, U-l0wt.%Mo microplates containing centrifugally atomized powder were irradiated at low temperature. The U-l0wt.%Mo dispersion fuels show stable in- reactor irradiation behaviors even at high burn-up, similar to U$_3$Si$_2$ dispersion fuels. The atomized U-l0wt.%Mo fuel particles have a fine and a relatively uniform fission gas bubble size distribution. Moreover, only one of third of the area of the atomized fuel cross-sections at 70a1.% burn-up shows fission gas bubble-free zones, This appears to be the result of segregation into high Mo and low Mo.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.907-908
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• 2005

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.241-246
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• 2018

$TaN_x$ film is grown by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using t-butylimido tris(dimethylamido) tantalum as a metalorganic source with various reactive gas species, such as $N_2+H_2$ mixed gas, $NH_3$, and $H_2$. Although the pulse sequence and duration are the same, aspects of the film growth rate, microstructure, crystallinity, and electrical resistivity are quite different according to the reactive gas. Crystallized and relatively conductive film with a higher growth rate is acquired using $NH_3$ as a reactive gas while amorphous and resistive film with a lower growth rate is achieved using $N_2+H_2$ mixed gas. To examine the relationship between the chemical properties and resistivity of the film, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is conducted on the ALD-grown $TaN_x$ film with $N_2+H_2$ mixed gas, $NH_3$, and $H_2$. For a comparison, reactive sputter-grown $TaN_x$ film with $N_2$ is also studied. The results reveal that ALD-grown $TaN_x$ films with $NH_3$ and $H_2$ include a metallic Ta-N bond, which results in the film's higher conductivity. Meanwhile, ALD-grown $TaN_x$ film with a $N_2+H_2$ mixed gas or sputtergrown $TaN_x$ film with $N_2$ gas mainly contains a semiconducting $Ta_3N_5$ bond. Such a different portion of Ta-N and $Ta_3N_5$ bond determins the resistivity of the film. Reaction mechanisms are considered by means of the chemistry of the Ta precursor and reactive gas species.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.394-394
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• 2012

We fabricated organic-inorganic superlattice films using molecular layer deposition (MLD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). The MLD is a gas phase process in the vacuum like to atomic layer deposition (ALD) and also relies on a self-terminating surface reaction of organic precursor which results in the formation of a monolayer in each sequence. In the MLD process, 'Alucone' is very famous organic thin film fabricated using MLD. Alucone layers were grown by repeated sequential surface reactions of trimethylaluminum and ethylene glycol at substrate temperature of $80^{\circ}C$. In addition, we developed UV-assisted $Al_2O_3$ with gas diffusion barrier property better than typical $Al_2O_3$. The UV light was very effective to obtain defect-free, high quality $Al_2O_3$ thin film which is determined by water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Ellipsometry analysis showed a self-limiting surface reaction process and linear growth of each organic, inorganic film. Composition of the organic films was confirmed by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Ultra-violet (UV) spectroscopy was employed to measure transparency of the organic-inorganic superlattice films. WVTR is calculated by Ca test. Organic-inorganic superlattice films using UV-assisted $Al_2O_3$ and alucone have possible use in gas diffusion barrier for OLED.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2020

Here, the stability of stainless steel 316 (SS-316) was investigated to identify its applicability in the oxide reduction process, as a component in related equipment, to produce a complicated gas mixture composed of O₂ and Cl₂ under an argon (Ar) atmosphere. The effects of the mixed gas composition were investigated at flow rates of 30 mL/min O₂, 20 mL/min O₂ + 10 mL/min Cl₂, 10 mL/min O₂ + 20 mL/min Cl₂, and 30 mL/min Cl₂, each at 600℃, during a constant argon flow rate of 170 mL/min. It was found that the corrosion of SS-316 by the chlorine gas was suppressed by the presence of oxygen, while the reaction proceeded linearly with the reaction time regardless of gas composition. Surface observation results revealed an uneven surface with circular pits in the samples that were fed mixed gases. Thermodynamic calculations proposed the combination of Fe and Ni chlorination reactions as an explanation for this pit formation phenomenon. An exponential increase in the corrosion rate was observed with an increase in the reaction temperature in a range of 300 ~ 600℃ under a flow of 30 mL/min Cl₂ + 170 mL/min Ar.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.338-345
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• 2004

This study examines the sensitivity of several fabrication parameters for dry process fuel, using a random sampling technique. The in-pile performance of dry process fuel with irradiation was calculated by a modified ELESTRES code, which is the CANDU fuel performance code system. The performance of the fuel rod was then analyzed using a Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the uncertainty of the major outputs, such as the fuel centerline temperature, the fission gas pressure, and the plastic strain. It was proved by statistical analysis that for both the dry process fuel and the $UO_2$ fuel, pellet density is one of the most sensitive parameters, but as for the fission gas pressure, the density of the $UO_2$ fuel exhibits insensitive behavior compared to that of the dry process fuel. The grain size of the dry process fuel is insensitive to the fission gas pressure, while the grain size of the $UO_2$ fuel is correlative to the fission gas pressure. From the calculation with a typical CANDU reactor power envelop, the centerline temperature, fission gas pressure, and plastic strain of the dry process fuel are higher than those of the $UO_2$ fuel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 1996

In a repository containing low-level waste, gas generation will occur principally by the coupled processes of metal corrosion and microbial degradation of cellulosic waste. This paper describes a mathematical model designed to address gas generation by these mechanisms and assesses the potential effects of gas generation on the performance of a radioactive waste repository. The metal corrosion model incorporates a three-stage process encompassing aerobic and anaerobic corrosion regimes ; the microbial degradation model simulates the activities of eight different microbial populations, which are maintained as functions both of pH and of the concentrations of particular chemical species. A prediction is made for gas concentrations and generation rates over an assessment period of ten thousand years in a radioactive waste repository. The results suggest that H$_2$will be the principal gas generated within the radioactive waste cavern.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.2760-2770
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• 2020

A model for calculation of fuel temperature profile using binary gas mixture of Helium and Xenon for gap gas conductance is proposed here. In this model, the temperature profile of a fuel pencil from fuel centreline to fuel surface has been calculated by taking into account the dilution of Helium gas filled during fuel manufacturing due to accumulation of fission gas Xenon. In this model an explicit calculation of gap gas conductance of binary gas mixture of Helium and Xenon has been carried out. A computer code Fuel Characteristics Calculator (FCCAL) is developed for the model. The phenomena modelled by FCCAL takes into account heat conduction through the fuel pellet, heat transfer from pellet surface to the cladding through the gap gas and heat transfer from cladding to coolant. The binary noble gas mixture model used in FCCAL is an improvement over the parametric model of Lassmann and Pazdera. The results obtained from the code FCCAL is used for fuel temperature calculation in 3-D neutron diffusion solver for the coolant outlet temperature of the core at steady operation at full power. It is found that there is an improvement in calculation time without compromising accuracy with FCCAL.