• Title/Summary/Keyword: Fast neutron irradiation

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PROLONGATION OF THE BOR-60 REACTOR OPERATION

  • IZHUTOV, ALEXEY L.;KRASHENINNIKOV, YURI M.;ZHEMKOV, IGOR Y.;VARIVTSEV, ARTEM V.;NABOISHCHIKOV, YURI V.;NEUSTROEV, VICTOR S.;SHAMARDIN, VALENTIN K.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.47 no.3
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    • pp.253-259
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    • 2015
  • The fast neutron reactor BOR-60 is one of the key experimental facilities worldwide to perform large-scale tests of fuel, absorbing, and structural materials for advanced reactors. The BOR-60 reactor was put into operation in December 1969, and by the end of 2014 it had been operating on power for ~265,000 hours. BOR-60 still demonstrates potential capabilities to extend the lifetime of sodium-cooled fast reactors. The BOR-60 lifetime should have expired at the end of 2014. Over the past few years, a great scope of work has been performed to justify the possibility of extending its lifetime. The work included inspection of the equipment conditions, calculations and experimental research on operating parameters and the conditions of nonremovable components, investigation of the structural material samples after their long-term operation under irradiation, etc. Based on the results of the work performed, the residual lifetime was evaluated and the reactor operator made a decision to extend the lifetime period of the BOR-60 reactor. After considering both a set of documents about the reactor conditions and the positive decision of independent experts, the Regulatory Authority of the Russian Federation extended the BOR-60 operating license up to 2020.

Nanomaterials Research Using Quantum Beam Technology

  • Kishimoto, Naoki;Kitazawa, Hideaki;Takeda, Yoshihiko
    • Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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    • 2011.10a
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    • pp.7-7
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    • 2011
  • Quantum beam technology has been expected to develop breakthroughs for nanotechnology during the third basic plan of science and technology (2006~2010). Recently, Green- or Life Innovations has taken over the national interests in the fourth basic science and technology plan (2011~2015). The NIMS (National Institute for Materials Science) has been conducting the corresponding mid-term research plans, as well as other national projects, such as nano-Green project (Global Research for Environment and Energy based on Nanomaterials science). In this lecture, the research trends in Japan and NIMS are firstly reviewed, and the typical achievements are highlighted over key nanotechnology fields. As one of the key nanotechnologies, the quantum beam research in NIMS focused on synchrotron radiation, neutron beams and ion/atom beams, having complementary attributes. The facilities used are SPring-8, nuclear reactor JRR-3, pulsed neutron source J-PARC and ion-laser-combined beams as well as excited atomic beams. Materials studied are typically fuel cell materials, superconducting/magnetic/multi-ferroic materials, quasicrystals, thermoelectric materials, precipitation-hardened steels, nanoparticle-dispersed materials. Here, we introduce a few topics of neutron scattering and ion beam nanofabrication. For neutron powder diffraction, the NIMS has developed multi-purpose pattern fitting software, post RIETAN2000. An ionic conductor, doped Pr2NiO4, which is a candidate for fuel-cell material, was analyzed by neutron powder diffraction with the software developed. The nuclear-density distribution derived revealed the two-dimensional network of the diffusion paths of oxygen ions at high temperatures. Using the high sensitivity of neutron beams for light elements, hydrogen states in a precipitation-strengthened steel were successfully evaluated. The small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) demonstrated the sensitive detection of hydrogen atoms trapped at the interfaces of nano-sized NbC. This result provides evidence for hydrogen embrittlement due to trapped hydrogen at precipitates. The ion beam technology can give novel functionality on a nano-scale and is targeting applications in plasmonics, ultra-fast optical communications, high-density recording and bio-patterning. The technologies developed are an ion-and-laser combined irradiation method for spatial control of nanoparticles, and a nano-masked ion irradiation method for patterning. Furthermore, we succeeded in implanting a wide-area nanopattern using nano-masks of anodic porous alumina. The patterning of ion implantation will be further applied for controlling protein adhesivity of biopolymers. It has thus been demonstrated that the quantum beam-based nanotechnology will lead the innovations both for nano-characterization and nano-fabrication.

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IRRADIATION DEVICE FOR IRRADIATION TESTING OF COATED PARTICLE FUEL AT HANARO

  • Kim, Bong Goo;Park, Sung Jae;Hong, Sung Taek;Lee, Byung Chul;Jeong, Kyung-Chai;Kim, Yeon-Ku;Kim, Woong Ki;Lee, Young Woo;Cho, Moon Sung;Kim, Yong Wan
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.45 no.7
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    • pp.941-950
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    • 2013
  • The Korean Nuclear-Hydrogen Technology Development (NHTD) Plan will be performing irradiation testing of coated particle fuel at HANARO to support the development of VHTR in Korea. This testing will be carried out to demonstrate and qualify TRISO-coated particle fuel for use in VHTR. The testing will be irradiated in an inert gas atmosphere without on-line temperature monitoring and control combined with on-line fission product monitoring of the sweep gas. The irradiation device contains two test rods, one has nine fuel compacts and the other five compacts and eight graphite specimens. Each compact contains about 260 TRISO-coated particles. The irradiation device is being loaded and irradiated into the OR5 hole of the in HANARO core from August 2013. The device will be operated for about 150 effective full-power days at a peak temperature of about $1030^{\circ}C$ in BOC (Beginning of Cycle) during irradiation testing. After a peak burn-up of about 4 atomic percentage and a peak fast neutron fluence of about $1.7{\times}10^{21}\;n/cm^2$, PIE (Post-Irradiation Examination) of the irradiated coated particle fuel will be performed at IMEF (Irradiated Material Examination Facility). This paper reviews the design of test rod and irradiation device for coated particle fuel, and discusses the technical results for irradiation testing at HANARO.

EFFECT OF NEUTRON AND GAMMA IRRADIATION ON THE GERMINATION OF DIPLOID AND TETRAPLOID RYE SEEDS (중성자 및 감마선의 조사가 이배체 및 사배체 호맥의 종자의 발아 및 성장에 미치는 영향)

  • YIM, Kyong Bin
    • Journal of Plant Biology
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    • v.6 no.3
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    • pp.6-14
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    • 1963
  • YIM, Kyong Bin (Coll. of Agriulture, Seoul National University) Effect of neutron and gamma irradiation on the germination of diploid and tetraploid rye seeds. Kor. Jour. Bot. VI(3):6-14, 1964. Tetraploid rye, Secale cereale 4x, was more tolerant to fast nuetron than diploid rye. Root growth was more suppressed than was seedling height in both diploid and tetraploid rye. A stimmulative effect on the dry weight of the shoot could be observed at very low doses of irradiation. It was the fact that the lower the moisture content of the seeds, the higher the radiosensitivity. Concerning seedling height growth, the effectiveness ratio of N/X equalled about 20.0 in diploid rye and about 18.2 in tettraploid rye, when the 50% dose ratios is used for this quotient calculaiton.

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Fast Neutron Flux Determination by Using Ex-vessel Dosimetry (노외 감시자를 이용한 압력용기 중성자 조사량 결정)

  • Yoo, Choon-Sung;Park, Jong-Ho
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.32 no.4
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    • pp.158-167
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    • 2007
  • It is required that the neutron dosimetry be present to monitor the reactor vessel throughout its plant life. The Ex-vessel Neutron Dosimetry Systems which consist of sensor sets, radiometric monitors, gradient chains, and support hardware have been installed for 3-Loop plants after a complete withdrawal of all six in-vessel surveillance capsules. The systems have been installed in the reactor cavity annulus in order to characterize the neutron energy spectrum over the beltline region of the reactor vessel. The installed dosimetry were withdrawn and evaluated after a irradiation during one cycle and then compared to the cycle specific neutron transport calculations. The reaction rates from the measurement and calculation were compared and the results show good agreements each other.

He Generation Evaluation on Electrodeposited Ni After Neutron Exposure (중성자 조사에 따른 Ni도금피복재에서의 He발생량평가)

  • Hwang, Seong Sik;Kwon, Junhyun;Kim, Dong Jin;Kim, Sung Woo
    • Corrosion Science and Technology
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    • v.20 no.5
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    • pp.308-314
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    • 2021
  • Neutron dose level at bottom head of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) was calculated using reactor vessel neutron transport for a Korean nuclear power plant A. At 34 EFPY with a 40-year (2042) design life after plating repair, irradiation fast neutron effect was 6.6x1015 n/cm2. As helium(He) gas can be generated by Ni only at 1/106 level of 5 × 1021 n/cm2, He generation possibility in the Ni plating layer is very little during 40 years of operation (2042, 34 EFPY). Thermal neutrons can significantly affect the generation of He from Ni metal. At 10 years after a repair, He can be generated at a level of about 0.06 appm, a level that can add general welding repair without any consideration. After 40 years of repair, 9.8 appm of He may be generated. Although this is a rather high value, it is within the range of 0.1 to 10 appm when welding repair can be applied. Clad repair by Ni electroplating technology is expected to greatly improve the operation efficiency by improving the safety and shortening the maintenance period of the nuclear power plant.

Neutron Shielding Performance of Mortar Containing Synthetic High Polymers and Boron Carbide (합성 고분자 화합물 및 탄화붕소 혼입에 따른 모르타르의 중성자 차폐성능 분석)

  • Min, Ji-Young;Lee, Bin-Na;Lee, Jong-Suk;Lee, Jang-Hwa
    • Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.197-204
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    • 2016
  • Concrete walls of neutron generating facilities such as fusion reactors and fission reactors become radioactive by neutron irradiation. Both low-activation and neutron shielding are a critical concern at the dismantling stage after the shutdown of facilities with a requirement of radioactive waste management. To tackle this, two types of additives were investigated in fabricating mortar specimens: synthetic high polymers and boron carbide. It is well known that a hydrogen atom is effective in neutron shielding by an elastic scattering because its mass is almost the same as that of the neutron. And boron is an effective neutron absorber with a big neutron absorption cross section. In this study, the effect of the type, shape, and size of polymers were investigated as well as that of boron carbide. Total 16 mix designs were prepared to reveal the effect of polymers on mechanical properties and neutron shielding performance. The neutron does equivalent of polymers-based mortar for fast neutrons decreased by 36 %, and the count rate of boron carbide-based mortar with regard to thermal neutrons decreased by 90 % compared to conventional mortar. These results showed that a combination of polymers and boron carbide compounds has potential to reduce the thickness of neutron shields as well as radioactive waste from reactors.

EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND DURATION OF POST-IRRADIATION STORAGE ON SEEDLING HEIGHT OF WHEAT (감마선과 속중성자를 조사한 밀종자의 저장기간과 저장온도가 발아후 유묘생장에 미치는 영향)

  • Chang-Yawl Harn;Chi-Moon Kim;Young-Sang Kim
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.10
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    • pp.73-77
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    • 1971
  • The experiment was carried out to investigate post-irradiation storage effect which was related to temperature(i.e. at 2$^{\circ}C$, 17$^{\circ}C$ and 4$0^{\circ}C$) on wheat seeds; Weibull's Svenno, treated with gamma-ray and fast neutron. Results obtained showed that the seedling height in both radiation sources was decreased with prolongation of storage period, especially when the seeds were treated with high dosage and stored at high temperature(4$0^{\circ}C$). The results of this trial, however, showed that storage effect was influenced by irradiation dose, temperature and storage time.

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Calculation of Nuclear Characteristics of the TRIGA Mark-III Reactor (TRIGA Mark-III 원자로의 노심특성계산)

  • Chong Chul Yook;Gee Yang Han;Byung Jin Jun;Ji Bok Lee;Chang Kun Lee
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.264-276
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    • 1981
  • A simulation procedure which can represent time-dependent nuclear characteristics of TRIGA Mark-III reactor is developed. CITATION, a multi-group diffusion-depletion program, has been utilized as calculational tool. The group structure employed in this study consists of 7 groups: -3-fast and 4-thermal-which is conventionally utilized in TRIGA type reactor analysis. Three-dimensional nuclear characteristics are synthesized by combining results from two-dimensional plane calculation and two-dimensional cylinder calculation, since direct three-dimensional approach is not yet possible. An effort ia made to develope a method which can extract effective zone and group dependent bucklings by neutron diffusion theory rather than conventional zone and/or group independent Ducklings by neutron transport theory, since neutron leakage is quite high for small core such as research reactors. It is turned out that the method developed in this study gives satisfactory results. The calculation is performed under assumptions that all control rods are fully withdrawn, that no samples are inserted in the irradiation holes and that the core is located in the center of the reactor pool. Burnup-dependent variation of core excess reactivity, time dependent change of Xe-135 poisoning and reactivity worth of rotary specimen rack are calculated and compared with operation records. Neutron flux and power distribution as well as neutron spectrum in each irradiation .facility are presented.

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The Determination of Iodine in Human Milk and Cow Milk by Iodide Specific Ion electrode and Neutron Activation Analysis (요오드 전극을 이용한 방법과 중성자방사화 분석에 의한 모유 및 우유내 요오드 함량 분석 방법 비교)

  • 문수재
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.213-219
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    • 1998
  • This study was conducted to compare and evaluate the iodide specific ion electrode method (ISE) and neutron activation analysis method (NAA) for determining iodine in human milk and cow milk. The neutron irradiation and counting operations were carried out at the TRIGA Mark-III reactor facility of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The mean concentrations of iodine in human milk samples by the ISE and the NAA were 1450$\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 1350$\mu\textrm{g}$/L, respectively. The levels were not significantly different. In cow milk samples , the mean concentrations of iodine by the ISE and the NAA were 250$\mu\textrm{g}$.L and 200$\mu\textrm{g}$/L, respectively. here, the ISE reading was significantly higher than the NAA. reading. The correlations of the two methods were 0.92(p<0.001) for human milk samples and 0.65 for cow milk samples . The coefficient of variation was 8.3% in the ISE and 4.9% in the NAA. Therefore, the iodide specific ion electrode method is sample and fast method, but probably not in processed milk since free sulfhydryl groups in milk are also detected by the iodide electrode. However, these also indicate that the ISE method may be applicable to human milk and pasteurized milk if the conventional pasteurization time-temperature relationship of standards is not exceeded. On the other hand, the NAA method , which is independent of chemical forms and matrix, can be used for determining iodine in all kinds of milk and foods.

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