• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.19 no.4 s.50
• /
• pp.239-246
• /
• 2006

KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) was recently constructed through the site investigation from the yea. of 2003 at KAERI site, Dukjin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon city. The geo-logic setting of the site has been slightly metamorphosed. There are small fractures developed in the rock and several kinds of secondary filling minerals exist in the fractures. We examined mineralogical characteristics of fracture-filling calcite, which is not only largely distributed, but also can significantly affect the radionuclides migration. The calcite is found along fractures like other secondary minerals, forming thick veins in part. Most calcite-filled fractures contain quartz, iron oxides, and dolomite as minor minerals. The calcite crystals show an characteristic appearance with an uniformly oriented growth, coated with goethite on the edge and the etch-pit sites of their surface. Some calcite crystals have been newly formed by the precipitation of elements dissolved from the tunnel shotcrete wall, and their morphology changed according to the chemistry and flow of groundwater. The calcite can modify the groundwater chemistry and significantly affect the sorption behavior of radionuclides. The characteristic crystal structure and surface morphology of the calcite examined in the KURT site will be used as important basic data for the radionuclide migration experiment in the future.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.301-307
• /
• 2005

The morphology of the high burnup $UO_2$ spent fuel, which was oxidized and annealed in a PIA (Post Irradiation Annealing) apparatus, has been observed. The high burnup fuel irradiated in Ulchin Unit 2, average rod burnup 57,000 MWd/tU, was transported to the KAERI's PIEF. The test specimen was used with about 200 mg of the spent $UO_2$ fuel fragment of the local burnup 65,000 MWd/tU. This specimen was annealed at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 4hrs after the oxidation for 3hrs to grain boundary using the PIA apparatus in a hot-cell. In order to oxidize the grain boundary, the oxidation temperature increased up to $500^{\circ}C$ and held for 3hrs in the mixed gas (60 ml He and 100 ml STD-air) atmosphere. The amount of 85Kr during the whole test process was measured to know the fission gas release behavior using the online system of a beta counter and a gamma counter. The detailed micro-structure was observed by a SEM to confirm the change of the fuel morphology after this test. As the annealing temperature increased, the fission products were observed to move to the grain surface and grain boundary of the $UO_2$ matrix. This specimen was re-structured through the reduction process, and the grain sizes were distributed from 5 to $10\;{\mu}m$.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2004

The hot cell facility for research activities related to the lithium reduction of spent fuel, which is designed to permit safe handling of source materials with radioactivity levels up to 1,385 TBq, is planned to be built. To meet this goal, the facility is designed to keep gamma and neutron radiation lower than the recommended dose-rate in normally occupied areas. The calculations peformed with QAD-CGGP and MCNP-4C are used to evaluate the proposed engineering design concepts that would provide acceptable dose-rates during a normal operation in hot cell facility. The maximum effective gamma dose-rates on the surfaces of the facility at operation area and at service area calculated by QAD-CGGP are estimated to be $2.10{\times}10^{-3}, 2.97{\times}10^{-3} and 1.01{\times}10{-1}$ mSv/h, respectively. And those calculated by MCNP-4C are $1.60{\times}10^{-3}, 2.99{\times}10^{-3} and 7.88{\times}10^{-2}$ mSv/h, respectively, The dose-rates contributed by neutrons are one order of magnitude less than that of gamma sources. Therefore, it is confirmed that the radiological design for hot cell facility satisfies the Korean criterion of 0.01 mSv/h for the operation area and 0.15 mSv/h for the service (maintenance) area.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.1041-1051
• /
• 2003

Neutron induced prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) offers a nondestructive, sensitive and relatively rapid method for the determination of trace and major elements and is proven to be convenient for online analysis of minerals, metals, coal, cement, petrochemical, coating, paper as well as many other materials and products. The technique has found many uses in medicine, industry, research, security and the detection of contraband items. This report reviews the present status and future trends of the PGAA techniques. Requirements for the system are neutron source, high resolution HPGe detectors with a high-voltage power supply, an amplifier, analog-to-digital converter, and a multichannel analyzer for the detection and measurement of prompt ${\gamma}$-ray emit form the neutron capture elements. Introducing a ${\gamma}$-${\gamma}$ coincidence system also improves the quality of the ${\gamma}$-ray spectrum by suppressing the background created from the Compton scattering of high energy prompt ${\gamma}$-rays. A PGAA system using a $^{252}Cf$ neutron source is currently under construction for the on-line measurement of several elements in aqueous samples at KAERI. The system can be applied for the detection of chemical weapons and explosives as well as various narcotics.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.16 no.3 s.49
• /
• pp.235-244
• /
• 2006

Granite cores were sampled within Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and cyclic loadings up to 1550 cycles were applied. Microcrack development in samples due to cyclic loading was estimated using Acoustic Emission(AE) method. AE showed two different types depending on numbers of cycle. Type 1 appeared at low cycles and had low energy and diverse frequencies, while type 2 appeared at high cycles and had high energy and uniform frequency. AE property of type 1 indicates voids and pre-existing microcracks in samples may close or propagate up to certain length. Microcracks may be sheared or closed during loading and are recovered from shear or opened during unloading when AE of type 2 were measured. P wave velocities and Felicity ratios were measured at 50, 150, 350, 750, 1550 cycles. P wave velocities were almost the same regardless of number of cycles applied. However, Felicity ratios were much lower than 0.9, indicating that microcracks were developed within samples. This result indicates that Felicity ratio is a better tool than P wave velocity to estimate the damage of rock.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.263-268
• /
• 2004

Using the Monte Carlo simulation, a study on the lion-proportionality of the prototype phoswich detector with $2'{\times}2'$ CSI(Tl) and plastic scintillator, which was made by KAERI, has been carried. The defector response functions (DRFs) calculated by simulations were compared with the experimental measurement on the $^{137}Cs\;and\;^{60}Co$. To precisely simulate the DRF for the phoswich, the CSI(Tl) non-proportionality was calculated using the electron response and the simplified electron cascade sequence for treating the photoelectric absorption event. The resulting DRFs of $^{137}Cs\;and\;^{60}Co$ sources obtained by simulations were compared with experiments for verification. For $^{137}Cs$, gamma-ray responses simulated by MCNP5 are generally good agreement with the measured ones. But the DRF of $^{60}Co$ does not match well with the results of experiment in the energy region below second peak due to the coincidence effect of two gamma-rays (1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV). Through the analysis of the non-proportionality of CsI(Tl) in the prototype phoswich, the improved DRFs considering non-proportionality were produced and the simulation results were verified using the experimental measurements. However, to more precisely reproduce the DRF for the phoswich, further studies in relation to the electron channeling effect and the Doppler broadening effect of a scintillator are still needed as well as considering that effect of the transfer contribution.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.159-174
• /
• 1998

Personal dosimetry system is required to measure the personal dose equivalent accurately in a wide range of radiation fields, but the dose evaluation algorithms have been developed with the X-ray fields described in MOST Ordinance (equivalent to the ANSI N13.11) from which the actual fields to be monitored may be significantly different. To evaluate the dose more accurately when workers are exposed to the non-ANSI N13.11 radiation fields, two algorithms for monochromatic radiations (one algorithm was used for various ratios of TL dosimeter and the other for matrix approximation) were developed with the experimental data of the energy responses of the $CaSO_4:Dy$ TL materials irradiated by monochromatic X-ray fields recently established in KAERI, and compared with the another algorithm developed on the basis of the ANSI N13.11 continuous spectrum X-ray fields. Then it follows the discussions for some results of the algorithm testing including mixed fields irradiations and angular response conducted in IAEA/RCA intercomparison as well as ANSI and ISO continuous spectrum X-ray and monochromatic radiation fields. The developed algorithms were successfully performed the test not only in the continuous spectrum X-ray fields given by MOST Ordinance but also in the several non-MOST Ordinance radiation fields which could be encountered in the practical working environments.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.129-134
• /
• 2006

A TL pellet for a neutron dose measurement (KCT-306) by embedding a $^6Li$-compound into a $CaSO_4:Dy$ phohphor was developed based upon the technical information of KCT-300. The KCT-300 is an another kind of $CaSO_4:Dy$ TL detector shich was developed at KAERI, in which small amounts of $NH_4H_2PO_4$ have been emvedded as a binding material. This paper presented the optimized manufacturing condition of KCT-306 and compared its sensitivity with that of the commercialized neutron TL pellets. $CaSO_4:Dy$ Phosphor with grain size ranging less than $45{\mu}m$ are used for the KCT-306. The optimum $CaSO_4:Dy$ TL phosphor, $^6Li$-compounds and P-compound as the binding material are determined as 20-40wt%, 50-70wt% and 20wt%. The TL pellet combination of our KCT-306/KCT-300, TLD-600/TLD-700 and TLD-600H/TLD-700H(Harshaw) have been irradiated in the neutron/gamma mixed fields from a $D_2O$ moderated $^{252}Cf$ neutron source. The KCT-300, TLD-700 and TLD-700H were used at the same time as gamma ray discriminators in the neutron/gamma mixed fields. It was found that the neutron/gamma response ratios of KCT-306/KCT-300, which were developed in this study, were approximately 4 times higher than those of the commercial TLD-600H/TLD-700H.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.242-258
• /
• 2004

The duplex burnable poison absorbers concept was suggested by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. This BP rod is composed of inner region of natural U-Gd$_2$O$_3$ and outer shell of enriched UO$_2$-Er$_2$O$_3$. It is expected that this burnable absorber has same reactivity control capability with gadolinia burnable absorber used in extened fuel cycle. In order to evaluate the nuclear feasibility of duplex BPs, the nuclear design characteristics were compared with that of four types of burnable absorbers; gadolinia, erbia, IFBA, dysprosia duplex BP on 24 months fuel cycle for Korean Standard Nuclear Power plants. According to the evaluation results of nuclear characteristics, the duplex BPs were better than other BPs on k-infinitives, reactivity holddown worth (RHW), pin power peaking and moderator temperature coefficient (MTC). The possibility of nuclear core design was also confirmed based on the optimized fuel assemblies which were searched for a sensitivity analysis. Characteristics of core design with duplex BPs was compared with that of reference core with gadolinia BPs for cycle length, power peaking and MTC. The duplex BP core had a little longer cycle length by 4 to 7 days because of increased amount of fissile in enriched uranium at the outer shell of duplex BP In case of power peaking F$\_$Q/ of duplex BP core was reduced from 1.5773 to 1.5335. MTC was also less -0.48 pcm/C than that of reference core. Finally, evaluation of fuel cycle economy was performed for the manufacturing feasibility test and fuel cost evaluation with duplex BPs. Fuel cycle economy of duplex BP core almost was equivalent with that of gadolinia BP core.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.49-57
• /
• 1998

Domestic intercomparison study of the neutron personnel dosemeters was performed for the first time in Korea. Thirteen types of neutron dosemeters from twelve institutions took part in this intercomparison study and the $D_2O$ moderated Cf-252 source of KAERI was used for irradiation. Eight of the fifteen dosemeters submitted by each participant were divided into two groups and each group was irradiated with different doses of the simulated mixed fields of neutron and gamma. The participants assessed their dosemeter reading in terms of the personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), for both neutron and gamma dose. The ratio of the reported dose equivalent to the delivered dose equivalent for comparison between participants ranged from 0.55 to 1.34 for neutron, from 0.54 to 1.32 for gamma and from 0.75 to 1.20 for total dose. This intercomparison results show that all dosemeter processors, especially for neutron category, are able to pass the personnel dosemeter performance test which shall be enforced according to the ordinance of the MOST, No. 96-6.