• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05b
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• pp.637-642
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• 1996

This paper presents the analysis results for the core degradation processes and the fission product release of the PHEBUS FPT0 experiment using MELCOR1.8.3. The objective of this study is to assess models associated with the core damage and fission product behavior in MELCOR. The calculation results were much improved through sensitivity studies. Thermal/hydraulic behavior in the core and the circuit was well predicted under the intact core geometry. In non-eutectic model case. the UO$_2$ dissolution model in the MELCOR always showed such a tendency that the resulting dissolved UO$_2$ mass was small at the highly oxidized condition due to the model logic. Total H$_2$ generation mass was underpredicted because the stiffner was not modeled and the liner in the shroud was not allowed to be oxidized in MELCOR. Some difficulties were found in modeling the activation product were solved by manipulating the RN input associated with the initial fission product inventory. These problem were occurred because there are no control rod model in MELCOR. Generally the fission product release ratio showed a similar trend compared with the measured data except the activation product. which have no model to simulate in MELCOR.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2003

Threshold porosity above which fission gas release channels would be formed in the rim egion of high burnup UO$_2$ fuel was estimated by the Monte Carlo method and Hoshen-Kopelman algorithm. With the assumption that both rim pore and rim grain can be represented by cube, pore distribution in the rim was simulated 3-dimensionally by the Monte Carlo method according to porosity and pore size distribution. Then, using the Hoshen-Kopelman algorithm, the fraction of open rim pores interlinked to the outer surface of a fuel pellet was derived as a function of rim porosity. The simulation showed that porosity of 24-25% is the threshold above which the number of rim pores forming release channels increases very rapidly. On the other hand, channels would not be formed if the porosity is less than about 23.5%. This is consistent with the observation that, for porosity less than 23.5%, almost no fission gas is released in the rim. However, once the rim porosity reaches beyond 25%, extensive open paths would be developed and considerable fission gas release would start in the rim.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.581-588
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• 2013

This paper deals with the Safety Analysis for $CANDU^{(R)}$ 6 nuclear reactors as affected by main Heat Transport System (HTS) aging. Operational and aging related changes of the HTS throughout its lifetime may lead to restrictions in certain safety system settings and hence some restriction in performance under certain conditions. A step in confirming safe reactor operation is the tracking of relevant data and their corresponding interpretation by the use of appropriate thermal-hydraulic analytic models. Safety analyses ranging from the assessment of safety limits associated with the prevention of intermittent fuel sheath dryout for a slow Loss of Regulation (LOR) analysis and fission gas release after a fuel failure are summarized. Specifically for fission gas release, the thermal-hydraulic analysis for a fresh core and an 11 Effective Full Power Years (EFPY) aged core was summarized, leading to the most severe stagnation break sizes for the inlet feeder break and the channel failure time. Associated coolant conditions provide the input data for fuel analyses. Based on the thermal-hydraulic data, the fission product inventory under normal operating conditions may be calculated for both fresh and aged cores, and the fission gas release may be evaluated during the transient. This analysis plays a major role in determining possible radiation doses to the public after postulated accidents have occurred.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.144-147
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• 1985

The spontaneous fission rate of $^{238}U$ has been determined using a solid state track recorder that was a pre-etched mica. Counting the tracks revealed in mica made it possible to calculate the spontaneous fission rate. The mica remained in close contact with a $^{238}UO_2$ foil for about five years. The resulting fission rate was $5.21{\pm}0.33$ fissions/g-sec.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 2004

The ISAAC fission product release calculation is based on detailed FPRAT models developed by Jaycor. For volatile fission product release calculations, either the Cubicciotti steam oxidation correlation or the NUREG-0772 correlation is used. In this study, evaluation is carried out for these volatile fission product release models. As a result, in the case of early release, the IDCOR model with an in-vessel Te release option shows the most conservative results and for the late release case, the NUREG-0772 model shows the most conservative results. Considering both early and late release, the IDCOR model with an in-vessel Te bound option is evaluated to show mitigated conservative results. In addition, a sensitivity study on detailed core nodalization is performed. In the study, 380 horizontal fuel channels in the Wolsong plant are nodalized into 12 (6 channels per loop, $3{\times}3$ Core Pass) representative channels and detailed by 16/20/24 channels. For reference accidents, LOAH and large LOCA are selected as representing high and low pressure sequences, respectively. According to the results, the original 12 channel approach with $3{\times}3$ core passes is evaluated to be sufficient as an optimal scheme.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.502-507
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• 2003

The HANARO, multi-purpose research reactor, 30 MWth open-tank-in-pool type, is under normal operation since it reached the initial critical in February 1995. The HANARO is used for fuel performance tests, radio isotope productions, reactor material performance tests, silicone semiconductor productions and etc. Specially, the HANARO is planning to produce a fission moly-99 of radio isotopes, a mother nuclide of Tc-99m, a medical isotope and is under developing a target handling tool for loading and unloading those at a flow tube (OR-5). The target should be sufficiently cooled in the flow tube without an interference with the cooling of the others and an induction of extremely vibration. This topic is described an analectic analysis for the cooling characteristics of the fission moly-99 target to find the minimum cooling water. It was confirmed through the analysis results that the minimum cooling water, about 2.717 kg/s flew through the flow tube under the worst case that the guide tube got no perforating holes for cooling water to pass through the holes and that the target was safely cooled under about seventy percent (70%) of the maximum allowable temperature of the target.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 1982

A calculation of the effective multiplication factor has been made for GODIVA and JEZEBEL critical assemblies by using a computer code, ANISN, with having the Watt's, Cranberg's and Maxwellian formulae for the prompt fission neutron spectrum as a fission source. Then the calculated values have been compared with experimental data obtained by others. The Maxwellian formula seems to be the best one for representing the prompt fission neutron spectrum since the effective multiplication factor based on it shows a better agreement with the experimental value compared to the rest formulae.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.2878-2887
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• 2021

As the amount of fission product released from ISLOCA was overestimated because of conservative assumptions in the past, several studies have been recently conducted to evaluate the actual release amount. Among several pathways for the ISLOCA, most studies were focused on the pathway with the highest possibility. However, different ISLOCA pathways may have different fission product release characteristics. In this study, fission product behavior was analyzed for various pathways at the Westinghouse two-loop plant using MELCOR. Four pathways are considered: the pipes from a cold leg, from a downcomer, from a hot leg to the outlet of RHR heat exchanger, and the pipe from the hot leg to the inlet of RHR pump (Pathway 1-4). According to the analysis results, cladding fails at around 2.5 h in Pathways 1 and 2, and on the other hand, about 3.3 h in Pathways 3 and 4 because the ISLOCA pathways affect the safety injection flow path. While the release amount of cesium and iodine ranges between 20 and 26% in Pathways 1 to 3, Pathway 4 allows only 5% to the environment because the break location is submerged. Also, as more than 90% of cesium released to the environment passes through the personnel door, reinforcing the pressure capacity of the doors would be a significant factor in the accident management of the ISLOCA.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.1060-1067
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• 2018

A feasibility of reusing option of spent nuclear fuel in a fusion-fission hybrid system without partitioning was checked as an alternative option of pyro-processing with critical reactor system. Neutronic study was performed with MCNP 6.1 for this option, direct reuse of spent PWR fuel (DRUP). Various options with DRUP fuel were compared with the reference design concept; transmutation purpose blanket with (U-TRU)Zr fuel loading connected with pyro-processing. Performance parameters to be compared are transmutation performance of transuranic (TRU) nuclides, required fusion power and tritium breeding ratio (TBR). When blanket part is loaded only with DRUP, initial $k_{eff}$ level becomes too low to maintain a practical subcritical system, increasing the required fusion power. In this case, production rate of TRU nuclides exceeds the incineration rate. Design optimization is done for combining DRUP fuel with (U-TRU)Zr fuel. Reactivity swing is reduced to about 2447 pcm through fissile breeding compared to (U-TRU)Zr fuel option. Therefore, a required fusion power is reduced and tritium breeding performance is improved. However, transmutation performance with TRU nuclides especially $^{241}Am$ is degraded because of softening effect of spectrum. It is known that partitioning and transmutation should be accompanied with fusion-fission hybrid system for the effective transmutation of TRU.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.409-417
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• 2022

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, and accumulating evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with progressive deterioration in PD patients. Previous studies have shown that sinapic acid has a neuroprotective effect, but its mechanisms of action remain unclear. The neuroprotective effect of sinapic acid was assayed in a PD mouse model generated by the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) as well as in SH-SY5Y cells. Target protein expression was detected by western blotting. Sinapic acid treatment attenuated the behavioral defects and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the PD models. Sinapic acid also improved mitochondrial function in the PD models. MPTP treatment increased the abundance of mitochondrial fission proteins such as dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) and phospho-Drp1 Ser616. In addition, MPTP decreased the expression of the REV-ERB α protein. These changes were attenuated by sinapic acid treatment. We used the pharmacological REV-ERB α inhibitor SR8278 to confirmation of protective effect of sinapic acid. Treatment of SR8278 with sinapic acid reversed the protein expression of phospho-Drp1 Ser616 and REV-ERB α on MPTP-treated mice. Our findings demonstrated that sinapic acid protects against MPTP-induced PD and these effects might be related to the inhibiting abnormal mitochondrial fission through REV-ERB α.