• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.732-739
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• 2014

This research was performed to investigate the effect of recent climate changes on wood decay hazard index (Scheffer index) in Korea. The index was determined using a climate data of 58 different locations obtained from the website of Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), and the wood decay hazard index was determined at the intervals of 10 years. Most of regions in Korea except Juju island showed wood decay hazard index values between 35 and 65, considered to be moderate decay hazard zones. But in recent 10 years (2003~2012), the wood decay hazard index was rapidly increased, resulting in showing many high decay hazard regions. The trend may be explained by the in crease of temperature and precipitation. The recent climate change of Korea turning into the weather of subtropical region may explain the increase of wood decay hazard index.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.531-537
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• 2011

This research was performed to evaluate the decay hazard for exterior above-ground wood in Korea. The Scheffer index (decay hazard index) was determined using the climate data of 72 different locations obtained from the website of Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), and the wood decay hazard map was created. Jeju, Seogwipo, Gwangju, and Jeonju showing above 65 of Scheffer index values were considered to be high decay hazard zones. The rest showed the values in the range between 35 and 65, meaning the moderate decay hazard zones. However, the annual Scheffer indexes largely varied, which suggests that many moderate decay zones could turn into high decay regions with the climate change. Especially, considering that Korean weather tends to turn into the weather of subtropical region, the decay hazard of Korea seems to have high possibility to be gradually increased.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.1752-1757
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• 2017

The aim of this study is to evaluate the radioactivity levels and radiological impacts of representative black sand samples collected from different locations in the Rashid area, Egypt. These samples were prepared and then analyzed using the high-resolution gamma ray spectroscopy technique with a high-purity germanium detector. The activity concentration ($A_c$), minimum detectable activity, absorbed gamma dose rate, external hazard index ($H_{ex}$), annual effective dose rate equivalent, radium equivalent, as well as external and internal hazard index ($H_{ex}$ and $H_{in}$, respectively) were estimated based on the measured radionuclide concentration of the $^{238}U$($^{226}Ra$) and $^{232}Th$ decay chains and $^{40}K$. The activity concentrations of the $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$ decay series and $^{40}K$ of these samples varied from $45.11{\pm}3.1Bq/kg$ to $252.38{\pm}34.3Bq/kg$, from $64.65{\pm}6.1Bq/kg$ to $579.84{\pm}53.1Bq/kg$, and from $403.36{\pm}20.8Bq/kg$ to $527.47{\pm}23.1Bq/kg$, respectively. The activity concentration of $^{232}Th$ in Sample 1 has the highest value compared to the other samples; this value is also higher than the worldwide mean range as reported by UNSCEAR 2000. The total absorbed gamma dose rate and the annual effective dose for these samples were found to vary from 81.19 nGy/h to 497.81 nGy/h and from $99.86{\mu}Sv/y$ to $612.31{\mu}Sv/y$, which are higher than the world average values of 59 nGy/h and $70{\mu}Sv/y$, respectively. The $H_{ex}$ values were also calculated to be 3.02, 0.47, 0.63, 0.87, 0.87, 0.51 and 0.91. It was found that the calculated value of $H_{ex}$ for Sample 1 is significantly higher than the international acceptable limit of <1. The results are tabulated, depicted, and discussed within national and international frameworks, levels, and approaches.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.201-206
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• 1996

건식가공(Dry Process)이 사용전,후 DUPIC 핵연료의 붕괴열(Decay Heat), Hazard Index, 조사선량률(Dose Rate) 등에 미치는 영향을 계산하고, 그 원인을 분석하였다. DUPIC 사용방안으로 표준 연소도(35,000 MWD/MTU)의 경우와 장주기 연소도(50,000 MWD/MTU)의 경우를 고려하여 계산하였으며, DUPIC핵연료는 20년 냉각후 가공하는 것을 기준으로 하였다. 또한 DUPIC핵연료 장전시 고려할 수 있도록 사용전 DUPIC 핵연료에 대한 계산을 핵연료 집합체(Bundle) 단위로 하였다. 조사선량과 붕괴열은 건식가공에 상당히 민감한 반응을 보였고 이는 주로 Cs의 제기에 의한 것이다.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2010

Source terms of metal waste comprising a spent fuel assembly are relatively important when the spent fuel is pyroprocessed, because cesium, strontium, and transuranics are not a concern any more in the aspect of source term of permanent disposal. In this study, characteristics of radiation source terms for each structural component in spent fuel assembly was analyzed by using ORIGEN-S with a assumption that 10 metric tons of uranium is pyroprocessed. At first, mass and volume for each structural component of the fuel assembly were calculated in detail. Activation cross section library was generated by using KENO-VI/ORIGEN-S module for top-end piece and bottom-end piece, because those are located at outer core with different neutron spectrum compared to that of inner core. As a result, values of radioactivity, decay heat, and hazard index were reveled to be $1.40{\times}10^{15}$ Bequerels, 236 Watts, $4.34{\times}10^9m^3$-water, respectively, at 10 years after discharge. Those values correspond to 0.7 %, 1.1 %, 0.1 %, respectively, compared to that of spent fuel. Inconel 718 grid plate was shown to be the most important component in the all aspects of radioactivity, decay heat, and hazard index although the mass occupies only 1 % of the total. It was also shown that if the Inconel 718 grid plate is managed separately, the radioactivity and hazard index of metal waste could be decreased to 20~45 % and 30~45 %, respectively. As a whole, decay heat of metal waste was shown to be negligible in the aspect of disposal system design, while the radioactivity and hazard index are important.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.583-592
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• 2011

The radiological characteristics for waste classification were assessed for neutron-activated decommissioning wastes from a CANDU reactor. The MCNP/ORIGEN2 code system was used for the source term analysis. The neutron flux and activation cross-section library for each structural component generated by MCNP simulation were used in the radionuclide buildup calculation in ORIGEN2. The specific activities of the relevant radionuclides in the activated metal waste were compared with the specified limits of the specific activities listed in the Korean standard and 10 CFR 61. The time-average full-core model of Wolsong Unit 1 was used as the neutron source for activation of in-core and ex-core structural components. The approximated levels of the neutron flux and cross-section, irradiated fuel composition, and a geometry simplification revealing good reliability in a previous study were used in the source term calculation as well. The results revealed the radioactivity, decay heat, hazard index, mass, and solid volume for the activated decommissioning waste to be $1.04{\times}10^{16}$ Bq, $2.09{\times}10^3$ W, $5.31{\times}10^{14}\;m^3$-water, $4.69{\times}10^5$ kg, and $7.38{\times}10^1\;m^3$, respectively. According to both Korean and US standards, the activated waste of the pressure tubes, calandria tubes, reactivity devices, and reactivity device supporters was greater than Class C, which should be disposed of in a deep geological disposal repository, whereas the side structural components were classified as low- and intermediate-level waste, which can be disposed of in a land disposal repository. Finally, this study confirmed that, regardless of the cooling time of the waste, 15% of the decommissioning waste cannot be disposed of in a land disposal repository. It is expected that the source terms and waste classification evaluated through this study can be widely used to establish a decommissioning/disposal strategy and fuel cycle analysis for CANDU reactors.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2010

There are 11,811 LWR spent fuels stored at reactor sites, as of 2009. Source terms based on reference spent fuel which represents entire spent fuels with bounding values in the aspect of source term has been applied to a design of nuclear installations, instead of those which are generated by weighting respective source term for each spent fuel. Simplified regression models to estimate total decay heat, radioactivity, and ingestion hazard index for spent fuel from Westinghouse-type reactors were developed in this study, because it can be used as a fundamental model for weighting source term for respective spent fuel to exclude conservativeness in source terms. It was found that the estimated source terms agreed with calculated value from ORIGEN-ARP within 5%. It was also found that the conservativeness could be excluded if the weight source terms were used as reference source term in the design. Therefore, it is expected that the developed regression model could be widely used in the conceptual design process of nuclear facilities related with storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel.