• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제36권4호
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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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• 제11권4호
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• pp.295-301
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• 1979

열중성자에 의한 $U^{235}$의 핵분열 시에 가벼운 쪽 핵분열 생성물의 핵전하 분포를 질량수에 따라 계산했다. 1차 핵분열 생성물의 핵전하 분포를 계산해서 실험치와의 비교를 통해, 지금까지 게시된 핵분열 조각의 핵전하 분포를 결정하는 이론의 타당성을 검토한 결과 어느 이론도 핵분열 조각의 핵전하 분포를 정확하게 기술할 수 없는 것이 판명됐다. 핵분열 조각의 최빈전하 ($Z_{P}$)와 불변전하밀도($Z_{UCD}$, UCD : Unchanged Charge Density)와의 차이는 0.45~0.5 사이로 질량수에 따라 크게 변동하지 않음을 보여준다. 핵분열 조각의 핵전하 분포에서 분산도를 나타내는 표준편차 ($\sigma$)는 ~0.5의 값을 갖는 것으로 나타났다. 핵분열 생성물에서 중성자의 Odd-Even 효과가 나타나려면, 즉발중성자 방출확률에도 Odd-Even 효과가 나타나야 한다는 결론을 얻었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제29권5호
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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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• 제40권3호
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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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• 제46권3호
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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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• 제33권4호
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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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• 제56권9호
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• pp.3775-3784
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• 2024

In this study, a skewness estimation method (SEM) and kurtosis estimation method (KEM) are introduced to determine the number of inactive cycles in Monte Carlo eigenvalue calculations. The SEM and KEM can determine the number of inactive cycles on the basis that fully converged fission source distributions may follow normal distributions without asymmetry or outliers. Two convergence criteria values and a minimum cycle length for the SEM and KEM were determined from skewness and kurtosis analyses of the AGN-201K benchmark and 1D slab problems. The SEM and KEM were then applied to two OECD/NEA slow convergence benchmark problems to evaluate the performance and reliability of the developed methods. Results confirmed that the SEM and KEM provide appropriate and effective convergence cycles when compared to other methods and fission source density fraction trends. Also, the determined criterion value of 0.5 for both ε₁ and ε₂ was concluded to be reasonable. The SEM and KEM can be utilized as a new approach for determining the number of inactive cycles and judging whether Monte Carlo tally values are fully converged. In the near future, the methods will be applied to various practical problems to further examine their performance and reliability, and optimization will be performed for the convergence criteria and other parameters as well as for improvement of the methodology for practical usage.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권4호
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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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• 제48권3호
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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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• 제46권2호
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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.