• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.338-345
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• 2004

This study examines the sensitivity of several fabrication parameters for dry process fuel, using a random sampling technique. The in-pile performance of dry process fuel with irradiation was calculated by a modified ELESTRES code, which is the CANDU fuel performance code system. The performance of the fuel rod was then analyzed using a Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the uncertainty of the major outputs, such as the fuel centerline temperature, the fission gas pressure, and the plastic strain. It was proved by statistical analysis that for both the dry process fuel and the $UO_2$ fuel, pellet density is one of the most sensitive parameters, but as for the fission gas pressure, the density of the $UO_2$ fuel exhibits insensitive behavior compared to that of the dry process fuel. The grain size of the dry process fuel is insensitive to the fission gas pressure, while the grain size of the $UO_2$ fuel is correlative to the fission gas pressure. From the calculation with a typical CANDU reactor power envelop, the centerline temperature, fission gas pressure, and plastic strain of the dry process fuel are higher than those of the $UO_2$ fuel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 1979

For thermal-neutron-induced fission of $U^{235}$, nuclear charge distribution in the light part of the primary products has been calculated by using several postulates of charge distribution in the fission fragments. By comparing these values with the experimental results, it is revealed that those models are not appropriate for predicting the nuclear charge distribution in the fission fragments. The variation in the most probable charge, $Z_{P}$, of the isobaric distribution for the fission fragments and the charge for a mass given by unchanged charge density, $Z_{UCD}$, is turned out to be small as a function of mass. The parameter, $Z_{P}$ $-Z_{UCD}$, varies from 0.45 to 0.5 in charge units. The nuclear charge dispersion, $\sigma$, shows about 0.5 charge units for the fission fragments. Neutron odd-even effect in fission products could not be revealed clearly without considering the odd-even effect of prompt neutron emission.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.375-384
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• 1997

Relative power density distributions of the Kori Unit 1 pressurized water reactor are calculated by Monte Carlo modeling with the MCNP code. The Kori Unit 1 core is modeled on a three-dimensional representation of the one-eighth of the reactor in-vessel component with reflective boundaries at 0 and 45 degrees. The axial core model is based on half core symmetry and is divided into four axial segments. Fission reaction density in each rod is calculated by following 100 cycles with 5,000 test neutrons in each cycle after starling with a localized neutron source and ten noncontributing settle cycles. Relative assembly power distributions are calculated from fission reaction densities of rods in assembly. After 100 cycle calculations, the system converges to a k value of 1.00039 $\geq$ 0.00084. Relative assembly power distribution is nearly the same with that of the Kori Unit 1 FSAR. Applicability of the full-scope Monte Carlo simulation in the power distribution calculation is examined by the relative root moan square error of 2.159%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2008

The influence of fission products' contents on the DUPIC fuel powder and pellet properties was experimentally evaluated using SIMFUEL as a surrogate for actual spent PWR fuel due to the high radioactivity of spent fuel. Pure $UO_2$ and SIMFUEL pellets with fission products equivalent to a burn-up of 35,000 MWd/tU and 60,000 MWd/tU were used as impurities in this study. The specific surface area of the powder milled after the OREOX treatment increased and resulted in sintered pellets with a theoretical density (TD) higher than 95%, regardless of the impurity contents. However, the grain size of the sintered pellets decreased with the increasing impurity contents. As a result of the dissolved oxides in $UO_2$ from the impurity groups, the specific surface area of the OREOX powder increased with an increase of the impurities. The grain size of the sintered pellets was significantly decreased by the metallic and oxide precipitates.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.353-362
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• 2014

The effects of nuclear data uncertainties are studied on a typical PWR fuel assembly model in the framework of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency UAM (Uncertainty Analysis in Modeling) expert working group. The "Fast Total Monte Carlo" method is applied on a model for the Monte Carlo transport and burnup code SERPENT. Uncertainties on $k_{\infty}$, reaction rates, two-group cross sections, inventory and local pin power density during burnup are obtained, due to transport cross sections for the actinides and fission products, fission yields and thermal scattering data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.365-374
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• 2001

In order to examine the in-reactor performance of very-high-density dispersion fuels for high flux performance research reactors, U-l0wt.%Mo microplates containing centrifugally atomized powder were irradiated at low temperature. The U-l0wt.%Mo dispersion fuels show stable in- reactor irradiation behaviors even at high burn-up, similar to U$_3$Si$_2$ dispersion fuels. The atomized U-l0wt.%Mo fuel particles have a fine and a relatively uniform fission gas bubble size distribution. Moreover, only one of third of the area of the atomized fuel cross-sections at 70a1.% burn-up shows fission gas bubble-free zones, This appears to be the result of segregation into high Mo and low Mo.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.1002-1008
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• 2016

An understanding of the coarsening process of the large fission gas pores in the high burn-up structure (HBS) of irradiated $UO_2$ fuel is very necessary for analyzing the safety and reliability of fuel rods in a reactor. A numerical model for the description of pore coarsening in the HBS based on the Ostwald ripening mechanism, which has successfully explained the coarsening process of precipitates in solids is developed. In this model, the fission gas atoms are treated as the special precipitates in the irradiated $UO_2$ fuel matrix. The calculated results indicate that the significant pore coarsening and mean pore density decrease in the HBS occur upon surpassing a local burn-up of 100 GWd/tM. The capability of this model is successfully validated against irradiation experiments of $UO_2$ fuel, in which the average pore radius, pore density, and porosity are directly measured as functions of local burn-up. Comparisons with experimental data show that, when the local burn-up exceeds 100 GWd/tM, the calculated results agree well with the measured data.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.613-623
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• 2016

Molybdenum-99 ($^{99}Mo$) is the most important isotope because its daughter isotope, technetium-99m ($^{99m}Tc$), has been the most widely used medical radioisotope for more than 50 years, accounting for > 80% of total nuclear diagnostics worldwide. In this review, radiochemical routes for the production of $^{99}Mo$, and the aspects for selecting a suitable process strategy are discussed from the historical viewpoint of $^{99}Mo$ technology developments. Most of the industrial-scale $^{99}Mo$ processes have been based on the fission of $^{235}U$. Recently, important issues have been raised for the conversion of fission $^{99}Mo$ targets from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium (LEU). The development of new LEU targets with higher density was requested to compensate for the loss of $^{99}Mo$ yield, caused by a significant reduction of $^{235}U$ enrichment, from the conversion. As the dramatic increment of intermediate level liquid waste is also expected from the conversion, an effective strategy to reduce the waste generation from the fission $^{99}Mo$ production is required. The mitigation of radioxenon emission from medical radioisotope production facilities is discussed in relation with the monitoring of nuclear explosions and comprehensive nuclear test ban. Lastly, the $^{99}Mo$ production process paired with the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute's own LEU target is proposed as one of the most suitable processes for the LEU target.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.147-158
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• 2014

In order to investigate how the microstructure of fuel/matrix-interaction (FMI) layers change during irradiation, different U-7Mo dispersion fuel plates have been irradiated to high fission density and then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Specifially, samples from irradiated U-7Mo dispersion fuel elements with pure Al, Al-2Si and AA4043 (~4.5 wt.%Si) matrices were SEM characterized using polished samples and samples that were prepared with a focused ion beam (FIB). Features not observable for the polished samples could be captured in SEM images taken of the FIB samples. For the Al matrix sample, a relatively large FMI layer develops, with enrichment of Xe at the FMI layer/Al matrix interface and evidence of debonding. Overall, a significant penetration of Si from the FMI layer into the U-7Mo fuel was observed for samples with Si in the Al matrix, which resulted in a change of the size (larger) and shape (round) of the fission gas bubbles. Additionally, solid fission product phases were observed to nucleate and grow within these bubbles. These changes in the localized regions of the microstructure of the U-7Mo may contribute to changes observed in the macroscopic swelling of fuel plates with Al-Si matrices.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.169-179
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• 1984

An efficient procedure of evaluating the fuel cladding failures occurring in the normal operations of typical PWR's has been investigated through the analysis of fission product(FP) activities in the reactor coolant using an analytical model, FIPREL code. Performed by this code is an extensive study on the sensivities of FP activities to such physical parameters as enrichment, turnup, and operation temperature of failed fuel rod as well as the effective failure size quantified in terms of the magnitude of gap release coefficient. The results of study are generally in agreement with those by PROFIP method. In the presence of tramp uranium the portion of activities released from failed rod is separated by an iterative calculation based on the activity ratios of fission nuclides chemically more stable than iodines. Obtained are the linear power density and the number of failed rods, the effective failure size, and the mass of tramp uranium. The operation experiences of 4 cycles of Kori Unit 1 are analyzed and the results show that the model is highly reliable for the survey and evaluation of fuel rod conditions during reactor operations.