• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.576-581
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• 2010

KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) fabricated MOX (Mixed Oxide) fuel pellets as a cooperation project with PSI (Paul Scherrer Institut) for an irradiation test in the Halden reactor. The MOX pellets were fitted into fuel rods that included instrumentation for measurement in IFE (Institutt for Energiteknikk). The fuel rods were assembled into the test rig and irradiated in the Halden reactor up to 50 MWd/kgHM. The irradiated fuel rods were transported to the IFE, where ceramography was carried out. The fuel rods were cut transversely at the relatively higher burn-up locations and then the radial cross sections were observed. Micrographs were analyzed using an image analysis program and grain sizes along the radial direction were measured by the linear intercept method. Radial cracks in the irradiated MOX were observed that were generally circumferentially closed at the pellet periphery and open in the hot central region. A circumferential crack was formed along the boundary between the dark central and the outer regions. The inner surface of the cladding was covered with an oxide layer. Pu-rich spots were observed in the outer region of the fuel pellets. The spots were surrounded by many small pores and contained some big pores inside. Metallic fission product precipitates were observed mainly in the central region and in the inside of the Pu spots. The average areal fractions of the metallic precipitates at the radial cross section were 0.41% for rod 6 and 0.32% for rod 3. In the periphery, pore density smaller than 2 ${\mu}m$ was higher than that of the other regions. The grain growth occurred from 10 ${\mu}m$ to 12 ${\mu}m$ in the central region of rod 6 during irradiation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.249-258
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• 2010

Recently, many utilities have considered interim dry storage of spent nuclear fuel as an option for increasing spent fuel storage capacity. Foreign nuclear regulatory committees have provided some regulatory and licensing requirements for relatively low- and medium-burned spent fuel with respect to the prevention of spent fuel degradation during transportation and interim dry storage. In the present study, the effect of cladding creep and hydride distribution on spent fuel degradation is reviewed and performance tests with high-burned Zircaloy-4 and advanced Zr alloy spent fuel are proposed to investigate the effect of burnup and cladding materials on the current regulatory and licensing requirements. Creep tests were also performed to investigate the effect of temperature and tensile hoop stress on hydride reorientation and subsequently to examine the temperature and stress limits against cladding material failure. It is found that the spent fuel failure is mainly caused by cladding creep rupture combined with mechanical strength degradation and hydride reorientation. Hydride reorientation from the circumferential to radial direction may reduce the critical stress intensity that accelerates radial crack propagation. The results of cladding creep tests at $400^{\circ}C$ and 130MPa hoop stress performed in this study indicate that hydride reorientation may occur between 2.6% to 7.0% strain in tube diameter with a hydrogen content range of 40-120ppm. Therefore, it is concluded that hydride re-orientation behaviour is strongly correlated with the cladding creep-induced strain, which varies as functions of temperature and stress acting on the cladding.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.493-520
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• 2009

During the last four decades, 16 Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and 4 Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) have been constructed and operated in Korea, and nuclear fuel technology has been developed to a self-reliant state. At first, the PWR fuel design and manufacturing technology was acquired through international cooperation with a foreign partner. Then, the PWR fuel R&D by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has improved fuel technology to a self-reliant state in terms of fuel elements, which includes a new cladding material, a large-grained $UO_2$ pellet, a high performance spacer grid, a fuel rod performance code, and fuel assembly test facility. The MOX fuel performance analysis code was developed and validated using the in-reactor test data. MOX fuel test rods were fabricated and their irradiation test was completed by an international program. At the same time, the PWR fuel development by Korea Nuclear Fuel (KNF) has produced new fuel assemblies such as PLUS7 and ACE7. During this process, the design and test technology of fuel assemblies was developed to a self-reliant state. The PHWR fuel manufacturing technology was developed and manufacturing facility was set up by KAERI, independently from the foreign technology. Then, the advanced PHWR fuel, CANFLEX(CANDU Flexible Fuelling), was developed, and an irradiation test was completed in a PHWR. The development of the CANFLEX fuel included a new design of fuel rods and bundles.. The nuclear fuel technology in Korea has been steadily developed in many national R&D programs, and this advanced fuel technology is expected to contribute to a worldwide nuclear renaissance that can create solutions to global warming.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제46권6호
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• pp.837-846
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• 2014

A lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS) is under development for analysis of isotopic fissile material contents in pyro-processed material, or spent fuel. Many current commercial fissile assay technologies have a limitation in accurate and direct assay of fissile content. However, LSDS is very sensitive in distinguishing fissile fission signals from each isotope. A neutron spectrum analysis was conducted in the spectrometer and the energy resolution was investigated from 0.1eV to 100keV. The spectrum was well shaped in the slowing down energy. The resolution was enough to obtain each fissile from 0.2eV to 1keV. The detector existence in the lead will disturb the source neutron spectrum. It causes a change in resolution and peak amplitude. The intense source neutron production was designed for ~E12 n's/sec to overcome spent fuel background. The detection sensitivity of U238 and Th232 fission chamber was investigated. The first and second layer detectors increase detection efficiency. Thorium also has a threshold property to detect the fast fission neutrons from fissile fission. However, the detection of Th232 is about 76% of that of U238. A linear detection model was set up over the slowing down neutron energy to obtain each fissile material content. The isotopic fissile assay using LSDS is applicable for the optimum design of spent fuel storage to maximize burnup credit and quality assurance of the recycled nuclear material for safety and economics. LSDS technology will contribute to the transparency and credibility of pyro-process using spent fuel, as internationally demanded.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.17-26
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• 1996

프레팅마모 기인 연료봉 손상을 방지할 수 있는 노내 연료봉 지지조건은 잔여 지지격자스프링 변위량 또는 연료봉 /지지격자 갭에 의해 평가될 수 있다. 핵연료 설계 인자들이 프레팅마모 손상에 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위해 연소도의 함수로서 노내 연료봉 지지조건을 모사할 수 있는 방법론을 사용하여 GRID-FORCE프로그램을 개발하였다. 이 프로그램에서는 노내 연료봉 지지조건에 영향을 주는 주요 인자로서 피복관 크립, 초기 스프링 변위, 초기 스프링힘 그리고 스프링힘 조사이완이 고려된다. 이 주요 인자들에 대한 민감도 분석 결과, 초기 스프링 변위, 스프링힘 조사이완, 피복관 크립 순으로 노내 연료봉 지지조건에 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. 이 프로그램을 실제 노내에서 발생한 프레팅마모 기인 연료봉 손상에 적용한 결과를 토대로 판단해 볼 때 이 프로그램을 새로 개발된 피복관 재질 및 /또는 새로 개발된 지지격자 설계가 프레팅마모 기인 연료봉 손상을 방지할 수 있는 설계여유도를 효과적으로 평가할 수 있음을 알 수 있다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.165-173
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• 1991

가압경수로의 사용후핵연료를 CANDU 원자로에 재순환시키는, 이른바, 탄뎀 핵연료주기가 본 연구에서 다루어졌다. 이러한 방식으로 가압경수로의 사용후핵연료를 활용하는 것은 우라늄자원의 이용을 개선시킬뿐만 아니라 사용후핵연료 저장능력의 부족도 다소 해결할 수 있을 것이다. 핵연료를 재순환 시키는데 있어서는 CANDU 원자로의 수정을 최소화하는 방향으로 연구가 진행되었으며 본 연구에서는 9종의 핵연료가 고려되었다. 탄뎀 핵연료는 크게 핵연료재가공과 노심재구성의 두 분야로 나뉘어지는데, 핵연료 재가공의 경우, 가압경수로의 사용후핵연료는 처리되고 현재의 37 봉형 격자구조인 핵연료 다발에 맞도록 다시 성형가공되며 노심재구성의 경우, 가압경수로 사용후핵연료는 단지 격자 구조를 해체하고 CANDU의 격자길이에 맞춰 재구성만 된다. 각 탄뎀 핵연료 옵션에 대하여, 허용연소도와 출력분포를 계산하기 위해 노심연소계산이 수행되었다. 또한 경제성에 대한 접근으로 각 핵연료 옵션에 대한 핵주기비가 계산되었다. 그 결과 본 연구에서 다루어진 대부분의 탄뎀 핵연료 옵션이 경제성이 있었을 뿐만 아니라 기술적인 타당성이 있었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.181-194
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• 1984

변분법을 사용하여 원자로의 핵연료 관리문제를 연구하였다. 원자력 발전소에 영향을 미치는 두 함수 즉 이윤함수와 가격함수는 원자로의 연소도방정식과 최대허용출력 밀도에 대한 부등 제약조건이며, 이들은 임계성의 제약조건이 된다. 초기이윤의 변분해는 원자로에 뚜렷한 두 영역이 있음을 보여 주었다. 즉 일정 출력 영역과 최소 재고량 또는 평활 중성자속 영역이 그것이다. 이들 든 영역의 변이점은 전력에 대한 이윤과 연료에 대한 이자 지급에 상당히 중요하다. 그러므로 각 영역에서 동일 농축도의 핵연료를 가질 동일 부피의 세 영역으로 된 원자로를 최적화 하기 위하여 핵연료 주기 가격 함수가 사용 되었다. 최대 허용 출력 밀도에 대한 부등 제약조건들은 이들 부등 제약 조건이 원자로심의 어느 특정 점이나 로심주기를 통하여 항상 동일 제약조건이 되어야 한다. 원자로의 임계성과 출력밀도에 대한 동일 제약조건에 관계된 핵연료의 연소도에 대한 계차 방정식의 해를 구하였으며 최적 농축도의 위치를 구하기-위하여 구배법을 사용하였다. 이들 계산결과는 부동 제약 조건들을 적절히 적용하면 원자로를 최적화하기 위하여 비선형 최적 기술이 사용될 수 있음을 보여 주었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제45권7호
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• pp.847-858
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• 2013

Since 2001, a series of five irradiation test campaigns for atomized U-Mo dispersion fuel rods, KOMO-1, -2, -3, -4, and -5, has been conducted at HANARO (Korea) in order to develop high performance low enriched uranium dispersion fuel for research reactors. The KOMO irradiation tests provided valuable information on the irradiation behavior of U-Mo fuel that results from the distinct fuel design and irradiation conditions of the rod fuel for HANARO. Full size U-Mo dispersion fuel rods of 4-5 $g-U/cm^3$ were irradiated at a maximum linear power of approximately 105 kW/m up to 85% of the initial U-235 depletion burnup without breakaway swelling or fuel cladding failure. Electron probe microanalyses of the irradiated samples showed localized distribution of the silicon that was added in the matrix during fuel fabrication and confirmed its beneficial effect on interaction layer growth during irradiation. The modifications of U-Mo fuel particles by the addition of a ternary alloying element (Ti or Zr), additional protective coatings (silicide or nitride), and the use of larger fuel particles resulted in significantly reduced interaction layers between fuel particles and Al.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.363-374
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• 2005

A heterogeneous thorium-based Kyung Hee Thorium Fuel (KTF) assembly design was assessed for application in the APR-1400 to study the feasibility of using thorium fuel in a conventional pressurized water reactor (PWR). Thermal hydraulic safety was examined for the thorium-based APR-1400 core, focusing on the Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR) and Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident (LBLOCA) analysis. To satisfy the minimum DNBR (MDNBR) safety limit condition, MDNBR>1.3, a new grid design was adopted, that enabled grids in the seed and blanket assemblies to have different loss coefficients to the coolant flow. The fuel radius of the blanket was enlarged to increase the mass flow rate in the seed channel. Under transient conditions, the MDNBR values for the Beginning of Cycle (BOC), Middle of Cycle (MOC), and End of Cycle (EOC) were 1.367, 1.465, and 1.554, respectively, despite the high power tilt across the seed and blanket. Anticipated transient for the DNBR analysis were simulated at conditions of $112\%$ over-power, $95\%$ flow rate, and $2^{\circ}C$ higher inlet temperature. The maximum peak cladding temperature (PCT) was 1,173K for the severe accident condition of the LBLOCA, while the limit condition was 1,477K. The proliferation resistance potential of the thorium-based core was found to be much higher than that of the conventional $UO_2$ fuel core, $25\%$ larger in Bare Critical Mass (BCM), $60\%$ larger in Spontaneous Neutron Source (SNS), and $155\%$ larger in Thermal Generation (TG) rate; however, the radio-toxicity of the spent fuel was higher than that of $UO_2$ fuel, making it more environmentally unfriendly due to its high burnup rate.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권8호
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• pp.2616-2628
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• 2021

The results of effective irradiation swelling in a wide range of burnup levels are numerically obtained for an inert matrix fuel, which are verified with DART model. The fission gas swelling of fuel particles is calculated with a mechanistic model, which depends on the external hydrostatic pressure. Additionally, irradiation and thermal creep effects are included in the inert matrix. The effects of matrix creep strains, external hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the effective irradiation swelling are investigated. The research results indicate that (1) the above effects are coupled with each other; (2) the matrix creep effects at high temperatures should be involved; and (3) ranged from 0 to 300 MPa, a remarkable dependence of external hydrostatic pressure can be found. Furthermore, an explicit multi-variable mathematic model is established for the effective irradiation swelling, as a function of particle volume fraction, temperature, external hydrostatic pressure and fuel particle fission density, which can well reproduce the finite element results. The mathematic model for the current volume fraction of fuel particles can help establish other effective performance models.