• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.709-716
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• 2018

A criticality safety analysis was performed for the APR-1400 spent fuel pool region-II to ensure the safe storage of spent fuel, with credit taken for depletion and in-rack neutron absorbers (Metamic panels). PLUS7 fuel assembly was modeled using TRITON-NEWT of SCALE-6.1. The burnup-dependent cross-section library was generated under limiting core-operating conditions with 5%-w U-235 initial enrichment. MCNP5 was used to evaluate the neutron multiplication factor in an infinite array of rack cells with the axially nonuniformly burnt PLUS7 assemblies under normal, abnormal, and accident conditions; including all biases and uncertainties. The main purpose of this study is to investigate reactivity variations due to the critical depletion and reactor operation parameters. The approach, assumptions, and modeling methods were verified by analyzing the contents of the most important fissile and the associated reactivity effects. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) guidance on k-eff being less than 1.0 for spent fuel pools filled with unborated water was the main criterion used in this study. It was found that assemblies with 49.0 GWd/MTU and 5.0 w/o U-235 initial enrichment loaded in Region-II satisfy this criterion. Moreover, it was found that the end effect resulted in a positive bias, thus ensuring its consideration.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 1995

Tin mineralizations in South Korea have been found only in the Ulchin and the Sangdong areas. The Wangpiri and the Yuchang Sn pegmatites appear to be in close spatial and genetical relation to the Wangpiri granitoid in the Ulchin area, and the Soonkyeong Sn pegmatite be in close association with the Nonggeori granites in the Sangdong area from geochemical viewpoint. The electron-microprobe analysis of muscovite, biotite, tourmaline and cassiterite from the granitoids and pegmatites in the Ulchin and the Sangdong areas has revealed a distinct differences of geochemical compositions. The Wangpiri and the Yuchang Sn pegmatites show an enrichment of MnO and a depletion of $TiO_2$, FeO and MgO in comparison with the Soonkyeong Sn pegmatite. This result coincides with the geochemical compositions of granitoid rocks in these areas. Enrichment of MnO and depletion of $TiO_2$ FeO and MgO are characteristic in muscovite, biotite and tourmaline of pegmatites compared with those of granitoids. These geochemical differences of muscovite, biotite and tourmaline between granitoids and pegmatites in these areas implies that pegmatites are more fractionated than granitoids.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.351-359
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• 2016

The Korean Prototype Gen-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (PGSFR) is supposed to be loaded with a relatively-costly low-enriched U fuel, while its envisaged transuranic fuels are not available for transmutation. In this work, the U-enrichment reduction by improving the neutron economy is pursued to save the fuel cost. To improve the neutron economy of the core, a new reflector material, PbO, has been introduced to replace the conventional HT9 reflector in the current PGSFR core. Two types of PbO reflectors are considered: one is the conventional pin-type and the other one is an inverted configuration. The inverted PbO reflector design is intended to maximize the PbO volume fraction in the reflector assembly. In addition, the core radial configuration is also modified to maximize the performance of the PbO reflector. For the baseline PGSFR core with several reflector options, the U enrichment requirement has been analyzed and the fuel depletion analysis is performed to derive the equilibrium cycle parameters. The linear reactivity model is used to determine the equilibrium cycle performances of the core. Impacts of the new PbO reflectors are characterized in terms of the cycle length, neutron leakage, radial power distribution, and operational fuel cost.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4731-4742
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• 2022

RBMK fuel assemblies differ from other LWR FA due to a specific arrangement of the fuel rods, the low enrichment, and the used burnable absorber - erbium. Therefore, there is a challenge to adapt modeling tools, developed for other LWR types, to solve RBMK problems. A set of 10 different depletion simulation schemes were tested to estimate the impact on reactivity and spent fuel composition of possible SCALE code options for the neutron transport modelling and the use of different nuclear data libraries. The simulations were performed using cross-section libraries based on both, VII.0 and VII.1, versions of ENDF/B nuclear data, and assuming continuous energy and multigroup simulation modes, standard and user-defined Dancoff factor values, and employing deterministic and Monte Carlo methods. The criticality analysis with burn-up credit was performed for the SFP loaded with RBMK-1500 FA. Spent fuel compositions were taken from each of 10 performed depletion simulations. The criticality of SFP is found to be overestimated by up to 0.08% in simulation cases using user-defined Dancoff factors comparing the results obtained using the continuous energy library (VII.1 version of ENDF/B nuclear data). It was shown that such discrepancy is determined by the higher U-235 and Pu-239 isotopes concentrations calculated.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.1638-1649
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• 2019

Top soil samples across the state of Kuwait numering ninety were collected and analysed using gamma-ray spectrometry, to evaluate the elemental concentration of $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$ and $^{40}K$ and their depletion/enrichment. Results of elemental concentration ranges from 0.48 to 2.61 mg/kg, 0.87-5.23 mg/kg, and 0.24-2.23%, with a mean values of 1.39 mg/kg, 3.47 mg/kg, and 1.18%, for the $^{238}U$, $^{232}Th$ and $^{40}K$, respectively. Further analysis was conducted amongst the five identified soil types, i.e. Aquisalids (S1), Calcigypsids (S2), Petrocalcids (S3), Petrogypsids (S4), and torripsamment (S5). The highest radioactivity concentrations from both uranium and thorium were recorded in the S2 (Calcigypsids) soil, with a value of 1.71 (mg/kg) and 4.45 (mg/kg), respectively. Minimum and maximum values of $^{40}K$ are 1.1(%) and 1.27(%) and is prevalent in Aquisalids (S1) and Petrocalcids (S3) soil types, respectively. Ratios of elemental concentration for $^{232}Th/^{238}U$, $^{40}K/^{238}U$, $^{40}K/^{232}Th$ across the soil types are 2.53, 0.09 and 0.03, with a correlation coefficient of 0.92, 0.34, and 0.38, respectively. A progressively higher $^{232}Th/^{238}U$ ratio is observed moving south-wards, indicating lower $^{238}U$ content in soils from the south relative to the northern part. Overall results indicate Kuwait to be relatively an area with low level of natural radioactivity.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.256-262
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• 2014

Cycle length of domestic nuclear power plants is determined by the demand-supply plan of utility company. The target cycle length is achieved by adjusting the number of feed fuel assembly and fuel enrichment. Traditionally, utility company first select the number of feed fuel assembly and then find out the fuel enrichment to achieve the special cycle length. But it is difficult to find out if this method is most economical than any other combinations of the enrichment and batch size satisfying the same cycle length. In this paper, core depletion calculation is performed to find out the optimum combination of the enrichment and batch size for given target cycle length in terms of fuel cycle cost using commercial core design code; CASMO/MASTER code. To minimize the uncertainty resulting from transition core analysis, levelized fuel cycle cost analysis was applied to the equilibrium cycle core in order to determine the optimum combination. The sensitivity study of discount rate was also carried out to analyze the levelized fuel cycle cost applicable to countries with different discount rates. From the levelized fuel cycle cost analysis results, the combination with smaller batch size and higher fuel enrichment becomes more economical as the discount rate becomes lower. On the other hand, the combination with higher batch size and lower fuel enrichment becomes more economical as the discount rate becomes higher.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.337-344
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• 1994

Enthalpy rise hot channel factor($F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$) is one of the most limiting constraints in determining the fuel loading pattern(LP) for PWR's. In order to enhance the LP design flexibility without any changes of not only basic fuel specifications but also Technical Specifications and Operation Procedures, we apply the enrichment zoning concept to Westinghouse designed PWR's to flatten the rod power distributions within the fuel assembly and thus to reduce $F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$. Enrichment zoning is described that each assembly consists of two different enrichment fuels ; the lower enriched fuels are located in positions which are expected to have the higher rod power and vice versa for the higher enriched fuels. As a result of unit assembly calculations to flatten the rod power distribution within the assembly, the appropriate enrichment difference is found to be 0.3~0.4w/o. Through core depletion calculations for the 18-month cycle of Kori Unit 4, the $F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$ behavior in core with the enrichment zoning concept is investigated. A comparison with the reference case without the enrichment zoning results in a reduction in $F_{\Delta{H}}$$^{N}$ of approximately 1.5%.TEX>H/$^{N}$ of approximately 1.5%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.148-154
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• 2020

The radiation induced segregation of Cr at grain boundaries (GBs) in Ferritic/Martensitic steels was modeled assuming vacancy and interstitialcy diffusion mechanisms. In particular, the dependence of segregation on temperature and grain boundary misorientation angle was analyzed. It is found that Cr enriches at grain boundaries at low temperatures primarily through the interstitialcy mechanism while depletes at high temperatures predominantly through the vacancy mechanism. There is a crossover from Cr enrichment to depletion at an intermediate temperature where the Cr:Fe vacancy and interstitialcy diffusion coefficient ratios intersect. The bell-shape Cr enrichment response is attributed to the decreasing void sinks inside the grains as temperature rises. It is also shown that low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and special Σ coincidence-site lattice (CSL) grain boundaries exhibit suppressed radiation induced segregation (RIS) response while high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) have high RIS segregation. This different behavior is attributed to the variations in dislocation density at different grain boundaries.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.149-170
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• 1999

The volcanic lavas in the Janggi area are plotted on basalt, basaltic andesite and andesite field (SiO$_2$; 48-61 wt.%) in the TAS diagram and belong to subalkaline series. Nineteen chenmical analyses of lavas show two distinct differentiation trends; tholeiitic and calc-alkaline. Calc-alkaline basaltic andesites composed of plagioclase and two-pyroxenes (cpx, opx) in their phenocrysts. Tholeiitics basaltic lavas can be classified into two sub-types. The one is porphyritic basalts composed of plagioclase, clinopyroxene and olivine phenocryst, and the other is aphyric basalt and more evolved lavas (aphyric basaltic andesite) with the same mineral phases. Incompatible elements and REE patterns show the enrichment of LILE and depletion of HFSE. This characteristics indicate that these lavas are evolved from the magmas related to subduction. Howeverm calc-alkaline basaltic andesite lavas show that slightly higher enrichment of LILE and the depletion of HFSE than those of tholeiitic basaltic lavas. On the tectonic discriminant diagram such as Ba/Th and La/Th ratios, calc-alkaline basaltic andesite lavas belong to orogenic medium to high-K suites, whereas tholeiitic basaltic lavas belong to medium-K suites and MORB. On the other diagram, such as La/Yb vs. Th/Yb, the volcanic lavas in the study area plotted in the field of oceanic arc basalt. Tholeiitic basaltic lavas are located in more prinitive environment than calc-alkaline andesitic lavas.

• Geosciences Journal
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2019

We present data from the Mesozoic Keumkang, Palbong, and Baekhwa granites in Garorim Bay, in the southwestern part of the Gyeonggi massif, South Korea. Using major and trace element concentrations, Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions, and sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) zircon U-Pb ages, we aim to constrain the petrogenesis of the granites and explain their origin within a broader regional geological context. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages of $232.8{\pm}3.2$, $175.9{\pm}1.2$, and $176.8{\pm}9.8$ Ma were obtained from the Keumkang, Palbong and Baekhwa granites, respectively. The Late Triassic Keumkang granites belong to the shoshonite series and show an overall enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE), a depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE) relative to primitive mantle, compared with neighboring elements in the primitive mantle-normalized incompatible trace element diagram with notable high Ba and Sr contents, and negligible Eu anomalies. The Keumkang granites are typified by highly radiogenic Sr and unradiogenic Nd and Pb isotopic compositions: $(^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr)_i=0.70931-0.70959$, $(^{143}Nd/^{144}Nd)_i=0.511472-0.511484$ [$({\varepsilon}_{Nd})_i=-17.0$ to -16.7], and $(^{206}Pb/^{204}Pb)=17.26-17.27$. The Middle Jurassic Palbong and Baekhwa granites belong to the medium- to high-K calc-alkaline series, and show LILE enrichment and HFSE depletion similar to the Keumkang granites, but exhibit significant negative anomalies in Ba, Sr, and Eu. Furthermore, they have elevated Y and Yb contents at any given $SiO_2$ content compared with other Jurassic granitoids from the Gyeonggi massif. The Palbong and Baekhwa granites have slightly less radiogenic Sr and more radiogenic Nd and Pb isotopic compositions [$(^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr)_i=0.70396-0.70908$, $(^{143}Nd/^{144}Nd)_i=0.511622-0.511660$, $({\varepsilon}_{Nd})_i=-15.4$ to -14.7, $(^{206}Pb/^{204}Pb)=17.56-17.76$] relative to the Keumkang granites. The Keumkang granites are considered to have formed in a post-collisional environment following the Permo-Triassic Songrim orogeny that records continent-continent collision between the North and South China blocks, and may have formed by fractional crystallization of metasomatized lithospheric mantle-derived mafic melts. The Palbong and Baekhwa granites may have been produced from a gabbroic assemblage at pressures of less than ~15 kbar, associated with subduction of the paleo-Pacific (Izanagi) plate at the Eurasian continental margin. Elevated ${\varepsilon}_{Nd}(t)$ values in the granitoids from the southwestern part of the Gyeonggi massif relative to those of the central and northern parts, together with the comparatively shallow depth of origin, imply the presence of an exotic block in the Korean lithosphere.