• Membrane Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2004

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) is considered as a candidate technology for applications in stationary, transportation as well as electronic power generation purposes. To develop a high performance direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC), a competent electrolyte membrane is needed. The electrolyte membrane should be durable and methanol crossover must be low. One of the approaches to increase the stability of generally used polymer electrolyte membranes such as Nafion against swelling or thermal degradation is to bond it with an inorganic material physically or chemically. In Noritake Company, we have developed a novel method of reinforcing the polymer electrolyte matrix with inorganic fibers. Methanol crossover values measured were significantly lower than the original polymer electrolyte membranes. These fiber reinforced electrolyte membranes (FREM) were used for DMFC study and stable power output values as high 160 mW/$\textrm{cm}^2$ were measured. The details of the characteristics of the membranes as well as I-V data of fuel cell stacks are detailed in the paper.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2009

Since the 90's, EDF and AREVA-NP have irradiated, up to very high burnups, lead assemblies housing $M5^{(R)}$ cladded fuels. Post-irradiation examination of high burnup $UO_2$ pellets show an increase in the fission-gas release rate, an increase in fuel swelling, and formation of fission-gas bubbles throughout the pellets. Xenon abundances were quantified, and phenomena leading to this bubble formation were identified. All examinations provided valuable data on the complex state of the fuel during irradiation. They show the good behavior of these fuels, exhibiting various microstructures at very high burnups, none of which is likely to lead to problems during irradiation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.169-182
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• 2014

High-performance research reactors require fuel that operates at high specific power to high fission density, but at relatively low temperatures. Research reactor fuels are designed for efficient heat rejection, and are composed of assemblies of thin-plates clad in aluminum alloy. The development of low-enriched fuels to replace high-enriched fuels for these reactors requires a substantially increased uranium density in the fuel to offset the decrease in enrichment. Very few fuel phases have been identified that have the required combination of very-high uranium density and stable fuel behavior at high burnup. U-Mo alloys represent the best known tradeoff in these properties. Testing of aluminum matrix U-Mo aluminum matrix dispersion fuel revealed a pattern of breakaway swelling behavior at intermediate burnup, related to the formation of a molybdenum stabilized high aluminum intermetallic phase that forms during irradiation. In the case of monolithic fuel, this issue was addressed by eliminating, as much as possible, the interfacial area between U-Mo and aluminum. Based on scoping irradiation test data, a fuel plate system composed of solid U-10Mo fuel meat, a zirconium diffusion barrier, and Al6061 cladding was selected for development. Developmental testing of this fuel system indicates that it meets core criteria for fuel qualification, including stable and predictable swelling behavior, mechanical integrity to high burnup, and geometric stability. In addition, the fuel exhibits robust behavior during power-cooling mismatch events under irradiation at high power.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.150-161
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• 1996

A deformation model was developed to calculate the deformation of the uranium-silicide dispersion fuel (U$_3$Si-Al) elements for research reactors. The model was based on the elasto-plasticity theory and power-law creep theory. Also, isotopic swelling was assumed for the fuel meat and isotropic thermal expansion for the fuel meat and dadding. The new model calculated successfully the deformation of the fuels of HANARO and NRU (in Canada). As the most important result, it was shown that the primary deformation mechanism in the fuel meat was swelling and that in the cladding was creep. For all cases simulated, the maximum hoop stress at cladding outer surface was lass than 5MPa, probably well below the yield stress of the dadding, and finally, the volume change was predicted to be less than 10% in the whole burnup range.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.344-351
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• 2020

AgInCd alloy is widely used as neutron absorber in nuclear reactors. However, the AgInCd control rods may fail during service due to the irradiation swelling. In the present study, a calculational method is proposed to calculate the composition change of the AgInCd absorber. Calculated results show that neutron fluence has significant impact on the chemical compositions. Ag and In contents gradually decrease while Cd and Sn conversely increases from the center to the rim of AgInCd absorber due to the depression of neutron flux. The composition change at the surface is higher almost two times than that at the center. Based on the calculated compositions, six simulated AgInCdSn alloys were prepared and examined. With the increase of Cd and Sn, the simulated AgInCdSn alloys transform from a single fcc phase into the mixed fcc and hcp phases, and finally into the single hcp phase. The atomic volume of the hcp phase is obviously larger than the fcc phase. The fcc-hcp transformation results in considerable volume swelling of the AgInCd absorber. Moreover, the lattice parameters of the fcc and hcp phases gradually increase with Cd and Sn contents, which also can induce small volume swelling.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1775-1781
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• 2008

The effects of the type of curing agent on the swelling of the natural rubber(NR) sponge applicable to the self-sealing layer of a helicopter fuel tank were investigated. The curing systems employed were peroxide and mixed ones of sulfur and peroxide. The NR compounds were prepared in a kneader and a roll-mill. The compounds were partially cured in a press at high pressure and subsequently cured fully with expansion in another press at atmospheric pressure. The apparent density of the NR sponge was measured and the cell structure was observed with scanning electron microscopy. The swelling experiments were performed at room temperature using toluene, iso-octane, and an aircraft fuel as a solvent. More rapid volume swelling of the NR sponge cured by peroxide was achieved than cured by sulfur and peroxide with similar amount of curing agent added in rubber compounds. The apparent density and cell structure of the sponge were extremely sensitive to the amount of peroxide, which influences again the swelling behavior of the NR sponge. It is important to control properly two reactions of decomposition of foaming agent and crosslinking of NR in the mold to obtain rapid swelling of the NR sponge on contact of the fuel.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.251-251
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• 1998

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.88-96
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• 2006

The self-sealing rubber material for a fuel cell which has self-sealing ability, in case of fuel leakage, was studied. Cure characteristics, density, swelling, and surface morphology of foamed natural rubber were investigated with carbon black and with processing oil within the range of $10{\sim}30phr$. The rheological properties indicated that the value of $ts_2$ and the value of $Tc_{90}$ were increased with increasing a content of processing oil, while carbon black did not show a similar trend. A difference in density by foaming was decreased to one fifth scale compared to the initial value. According to the swelling test of foamed natural rubber in fuel C, isooctane and toluene, all the self-sealing action was finished in two minutes. From the SEM image for the surface of rubber compounding, a foaming by sodium bicarbonate was found to be unequal and consecutive foaming cell.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.278-281
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• 2009

Proton exchange membrane is the key material for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Currently widely-used perfluorosulfonic acid membranes have some disadvantages, such as low thermal stability, easy swelling, excessive crossover of methanol and high price etc. Other membranes, including sulfonated polymer, radiation grafted membranes, organic-inorganic hybrids and acid-base blends, do not satisfy the criteria for PEMFC, which set a barrier to the development and commercialization of PEMFC. Pore-filling type proton exchange membrane is a new proton exchange membrane, which is formed by filling porous substrate with electrolytes. Compared with traditional perfluorosulfonic acid membranes, pore-filling type proton exchange membranes have many advantages, such as non- swelling, low methanol permeation, high proton conductivity, low cost and a wide range of materials to choose. In this research, preparation methodology of pore-filling membranes by particularly using all hydrocarbon polymers and fuel cell performances with the membranes are evaluated.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2008

A swelling clay should remain physically and chemically stable for a long time to perform its functions as a buffer material of a high-level waste (HLW) repository. The longevity issues in the swelling clay were reviewed to evaluate their importance in the performance of a repository. The review results suggest that an elevated temperature due to decay heat, groundwater chemistry, high pH environment by concrete, organic matter and microbes, radiation, and mechanical disturbance might significantly affect the long-term performance of a swelling clay as a buffer material. This paper will be used as basic informations to design the swelling clay buffer for a HLW repository.