• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2010

The HANARO nuclear research reactor had been operated successfully and smoothly up to the year 2008 since its first year of instability in year 1995 just after the completion of construction. But the reliability of the reactor has been degraded from the year 2009 due to new experimental facilities such as Feul Test Loop(FTL) and Cold Neutron Source(CNS) which were installed in the HANARO plant. It turned out that these new facilities contributed unexpected stoppage of the plant. This paper describes causes of stoppage and suggestions to improve the reliability of the plant.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.25-31
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• 2005

The decommissioning cost estimation is the very essential procedure to establish the decommissioning plans for Nuclear Research Facilities. The cost estimation must be made in accordance with activity phase and facility installations. This paper shows how to configuring the cost items and identifying the effecting cost factors. In the end, these methods will be utilized as a tool and technique to develop the methodology of cost estimation and calculation program.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.3595-3603
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• 2022

Nuclear safety-class DCS is used for nuclear reactor protection function, which is one of the key facilities to ensure nuclear power plant safety, the maintenance for DCS to keep system in a high reliability is significant. In this paper, Nuclear safety-class DCS system developed by the Nuclear Power Institute of China is investigated, the model of reliability estimation considering nuclear power plant emergency trip control process is carried out using Markov transfer process. According to the System-Subgroup-Module hierarchical iteration calculation, the evolution curve of failure probability is established, and the preventive maintenance optimization strategy is constructed combining reliability numerical calculation and periodic overhaul interval of nuclear power plant, which could provide a quantitative basis for the maintenance decision of DCS system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.2025-2033
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• 2020

Signature-based safeguards (SBS) is being developed to assist tradition nuclear material accountancy methods in tracking material in pyroprocessing facilities. SBS involves identifying off-normal scenarios that would result in improper movement of material in a pyroprocessing facilities and determining associated sensor response signatures. SBS investigations are undertaken in the computational space utilizing an electrochemical transport code known as enhanced REFIN with anodic dissolution (ERAD) to calculate the affect of off-normal conditions in the electrorefiner (ER) on material movement. Work is undertaken to experimentally validate the predictions and assumptions made by ERAD for off-normal occurrences. These experiments were undertaken on a benchtop scale and involved operating an electrochemical cell at 10 separate current densities for constant current operations to deposit U and Gd at a W cathode. These experiments were then modeled using ERAD to compare calculated predictions versus analytical experimental results it was found. It was discovered both the experimental and calculated results reflect a trend of increased codeposition of U and Gd with increasing current density. ERAD was thus demonstrated to be useful for predicting trends from anomalous operation but will require further optimization to be utilized as a quantitative design tool.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.670-678
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• 2000

Loose parts monitoring system(LPMS) is one of the important monitoring systems for the safe and efficient operation of the nuclear reactor, since it is LPMS that can early detect loose parts which may cause a significant damage in facilities or components of the plant. Nuclear power plants in Korea have recently experienced several loose part alarms due to the metallic impact and it is expected that the frequency of the loose part will be increased along the aging of the plants. In this paper, the status of loose parts monitoring technologies and facilities in Korean nuclear power plants is presented for the establishment of LPMS installation plan in some nuclear reactors which are not yet equipped with LPMS. Sensor specification, location and mounting method for loose parts monitoring were reviewed. As a result, the location and the mounting method of the properly chosen sensor was recommended. Data acquisition algorithms and discriminating rules of loose part impact signals were also reviewed. Actual alarm cases occurred by true impact signal and false impact signal were stated here.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.746-754
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• 2019

Vitrification of radioactive liquid waste (RLW) provides a feasible solution for isolating radionuclides from the biosphere for an extended period. In vitrification, base glass and radioactive waste are added simultaneously into the melter. Determination of heat and mass transfer rates is necessary for rational design and sizing of melter. For obtaining an assured product quality, knowledge of reaction kinetics associated with the thermal decomposition of waste constituents is essential. In this study Thermogravimetry (TG) - Differential Thermogravimetry (DTG) of eight kinds of nitrates and two oxides, which are major components of RLW, is investigated in the temperature range of 298-1273 K in the presence of base glasses of five component (5C) and seven component (7C). Studies on thermal behavior of constituents in RLW were carried out at heating rates ranging from 10 to $40\;K\;min^{-1}$ using TG - DTG. Thermal behavior and related kinetic parameters of waste constituents, in the presence of 5C and 7C base glass compositions were also investigated. The activation energy, pre-exponential factor and order of the reaction for the thermal decomposition of 24% waste oxide loaded glasses were estimated using Kissinger method.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.674-680
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• 2022

In the present study, radiation shielding and protection ability of prepared Flyash-lime-Gypsum (FaLG) bricks has been studied in terms of energy exposure build up factors and dose parameters. The energy exposure build up factors of Flyash-lime-Gypsum (FaLG) bricks have been calculated for the energy range of 0.015 MeV-15 MeV and for penetration depth upto 40 mfp directly using a new and simplified Piecewise Linear Spline Interpolation Method (PLSIM). In this new method, the calculations of G.P fitting parameters are not required. The verification and accuracy of this new method has been checked by comparing the results of exposure build up factor for NBS concrete calculated using present method with the results obtained by using G.P fitting method. Further, the relative dose distribution and reduced exposure dose rate for various radioactive isotopes without any shielding material and with Flyash-lime-Gypsum (FaLG) bricks have been calculated in the energy range of 59.59-1332 keV. On the basis of the obtained results, it has been reported that the prepared Flyash-lime-Gypsum (FaLG) bricks possess satisfactory radiation shielding properties and can be used as environmentally safe storage facilities for low level nuclear waste.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.1378-1389
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• 2021

TRIUMF, Canada's particle accelerator centre, is constructing a new high-power ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) facility called ARIEL (Advanced Rare IsotopE Laboratory). Thick porous targets will be bombarded with up to 48 kW of 480 MeV protons from TRIUMF's cyclotron, or up to 100 kW of 30 MeV electrons from a new e-linac, to produce short-lived radioisotopes for a variety of applications, including nuclear astrophysics, fundamental nuclear structure and nuclear medicine. For efficient release of radioisotopes, the targets are heated to temperatures approaching 2000 ℃, and are exposed to GSv/h level radiation fields resulting from intended fissions and spallations. Due to these conditions, the operational life for each target is only about five weeks, calling for frequent remote target exchanges to limit downtime. A few days after irradiation, the targets have a residual radiation field producing a dose rate on the order of 10 Sv/h at 1 m, requiring several years of decay prior to shipment to a national disposal facility. TRIUMF is installing new remote handling infrastructure dedicated to ARIEL, including hot cells and a remote handling crane. The system design applies learnings from multiple existing facilities, including CERN-ISOLDE, GANIL-SPIRAL II as well as TRIUMF's ISAC (Isotope Separator and ACcelerator).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.12-24
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• 2023

With the improvement of laser technology, the strategic needs of efficient and precise decontamination of various components in nuclear application units can be fulfilled by laser decontamination. The surface contaminants of nuclear facilities mainly exist both as loose contaminated layer and fixed oxide layer. The types of radionuclides and contamination layer thickness are closely related to the operation status of nuclear facilities, which have an important influence on the laser decontamination process. This study reviewed the mechanism of laser surface treatment and the influence of laser process parameters on the decontamination thickness, decontamination factor, decontamination efficiency and the distribution of aerosol particle. Although multiple studies have been performed on the mechanism of laser processing and laser decontamination process, there are few studies on the microscopic process mechanism of laser decontamination and the influence of laser decontamination on surface properties. In particular, the interaction between laser and radioactive contaminants needs more research in the future.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.341-349
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• 2016

Currently, researches are being actively conducted in assessing seismic performance of nuclear facilities in USA and Europe. In particular, applying this technique of assessing seismic performance to design of isolation systems in nuclear power plants is being performed and then ASCE 4 Draft (2013) is being revised accordingly in the United States. In order to satisfy the probabilistic performance objectives described by seismic responses with certain confidence levels (ASCE 43, 2005), the probability distributions of these responses have to be defined. What is the minimum number of input ground-motions to obtain the probability distribution precise enough to represent the unknown actual distribution? Theoretical basis, for how to determine the minimum number of input ground-motions for given a logarithmic standard deviation to approximate the unknown actual median of the log-normal distribution within a range of error at a certain level of confidence, is introduced by Huang et al. (2008). However, the relationship between the level of confidence and the range of error is not stated in the previous study. In this paper, based on careful reviews on the previous work, the relationship between the level of confidence and the range of error is logically and explicitly stated. Furthermore, this relationship is also applied to derive the minimum number of input ground-motions in order to approximate the unknown actual logarithmic standard deviation. Several recommendations are made for determining the minimum number of input ground-motions in probabilistic assessment on seismic performance of facilities in nuclear power plants.