Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Thermal-hydraulic safety analysis of radioisotope production in HANARO using MCNP6 and COMSOL multiphysics: A feasibility study

  • Taeyun Kim (Department of Applied Bioengineering, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Bo-Young Han (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Seongwoo Yang (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Jaegi Lee (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Gwang-Min Sun (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Byung-Gun Park (HANARO Utilization Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Sung-Joon Ye (Department of Applied Bioengineering, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University)
  • Received : 2023.02.27
  • Accepted : 2023.07.11
  • Published : 2023.11.25
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Abstract

The High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO) produces radioisotopes (RIs) (131I, 192Ir, etc.) through neutron irradiation on various RI production targets. Among them, 177Lu and 166Ho are particularly promising owing to their theranostic characteristics that facilitate simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. Prior to neutron irradiation, evaluating the nuclear heating of the RI production target is essential for ensuring the thermal-hydraulic safety of HANARO. In this study, the feasibility of producing 177Lu and 166Ho using irradiation holes of HANARO was investigated in terms of thermal-hydraulic safety. The nuclear heating rates of the RI production target by prompt and delayed radiation were calculated using MCNP6. The calculated nuclear heating rates were used as an input parameter in COMSOL Multiphysics to obtain the temperature distribution in an irradiation hole. The degree of temperature increase of the 177Lu and 166Ho production targets satisfied the safety criteria of HANARO. The nuclear heating rates and temperature distribution obtained through the in silico study are expected to provide valuable insight into the production of 177Lu and 166Ho using HANARO.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (NRF-2021M2E7A2079439) and the Korea government (MSIT) (1711078081). This study was presented at the International Conference on Nuclear Analytical Techniques in 2022 (NAT2022), which was held in Daejeon, Korea, from Dec. 7 to 9, 2022.

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