• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.149-157
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• 2005

PFC(Perfluorocarbon) decontamination process is one of best methods to remove hot particulate adhered at inside surface of hot cell and surface of equipment in hot cell. It was necessary to develop a particulate filtration equipment to reuse PFC solution used on PFC decontamination due to its high cost and to minimize the volume of second wastewater. Contamination characteristics of hot particulate were investigated and then a filtration process was presented to remove hot particulate in PFC solution generated through PFC decontamination process. The removal efficiency of PVDF(Poly vinylidene fluoride), PP(Polypropylene), Ceramic(Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ filter showed more than 95$\%$. The removal efficiency of PVDF filter was a little lower than those of other kiters at same pressure(3psi). A ceramic filter showed a higher removal efficiency with other filters, while a little lower flux rate than other filters. Due to inorganic composition, a ceramic filter was highly stable against radio nuclides in comparison with PVDF and PP membrane, which generate H$_{2}$ gas in e-radioactivity atmosphere. Therefore, the adoption of ceramic filter is estimated to be suitable for the real nitration process.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2005

Methodologies of NEWTRIT model, NRC model and AIRDOS-EPA model, which are off-site dose assessment models for regulatory compliance from routine releases of tritium into the environment, were investigated. Using the domestic data, if available, the predictive results of the models were compared. Among them, recently developed NEWTRIT model considers only doses from organically bounded tritium (OBT) due to environmental releases of tritiated water (HTO) . A total dose from all exposure pathways predicted from AIRDOS-EPA model was 1.03 and 2.46 times higher than that from NEWTRIT model and NRC model, respectively. From above result, readers should not have an understanding that a predictive dose from NRC model may be underestimated compared with a realistic dose. It is because of that both mathematical models and corresponding parameter values for regulatory compliance are based on the conservative assumptions. For a dose by food consumption predicted from NEWTRIT model, the contribution of OBT was nearly equivalent to that of HTO due to relatively high consumption of grains in Korean. Although a total dose predicted from NEWTRIT model is similar to that from AIRDOS-EPA model, NEIIfTRIT model may be have a meaning in the understanding of phenomena for the behavior of HTO released into the environment.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2005

The removal of radioactive corrosion products from the reactor coolant through a magnetic filter system is one of the many approaches being investigated as a means to reduce radiation sources and exposures to the operational and maintenance personnel in a nuclear power plant. Many research activities in water chemistry, therefore, have been performed to provide a filtration system with high reliability and feasibility and are still in process. In this study, it was devised the magnetic filter system with permanent and electric magnets to remove the corrosion products in the coolant stream taking an advantage of the magnetic properties of corrosion particles. Permanent magnets were used for separation of corrosion products and electric magnets were utilized for flocculation of colloidal particles to increase in their size. Experiments using only permanent magnets, in the previous study, displayed the satisfactory outcome of filtering corrosion products and indicated that the removal efficiency was more than 90 $\%$ for above 5 $\mu$m particles. Experiments using electric magnets also showed the good performance of flocculation without chemical agents and exhibited that most corrosion particles were flocculated into larger aggregates about 5 $\mu$m and over in diameter. It is, thus, expected that the magnetic filter system with the arrangement of permanent and electric magnets will be an effective way for the removal of radioactive corrosion products with considerably high removal efficiency.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2005

The electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide in a LiCl-Li$_{2}$O molten salt system has been studied in a 10 g U$_{3}$O$_{8}$ /batch-scale experimental apparatus with an integrated cathode assembly at 650$^{\circ}C$. The integrated cathode assembly consists of an electric conductor, the uranium oxide to be reduced and the membrane for loading the uranium oxide. From the cyclic voltammograms for the LiCl-3 wt$\%$ Li$_{2}$O system and the U$_{3}$O$_{8}$-LiCl-3 wt$\%$ Li$_{2}$O system according to the materials of the membrane in the cathode assembly, the mechanisms of the predominant reduction reactions in the electrolytic reactor cell were to be understood; direct and indirect electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide. Direct and indirect electrolytic reductions have been performed with the integrated cathode assembly. Using the 325-mesh stainless steel screen the uranium oxide failed to be reduced to uranium metal by a direct and indirect electrolytic reduction because of a low current efficiency and with the porous magnesia membrane the uranium oxide was reduced successfully to uranium metal by an indirect electrolytic reduction because of a high current efficiency.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2006

Ion exchange resin particles should not be found in steam generator(S/G) sludge. The suspicious spherical resin particles observed in S/G sludge sample were characterized for particle size distribution under optical microscope using the micro-technique, for element analysis by the electron probe micro analysis (EPMA), and for molecular identification by the IR spectroscopy. The particle sizes are distributed from 1 to $200{\mu}m$ for the sludge, while 40 to $500{\mu}m$ for the spherical resin particles. The results of the elemental analysis showed different major impurities: Si, Al, Mn, Cr, Ni, Zn and Ti for the sludge particles, while Si, Cu, Zn for the spherical resin particles. However, both particles contain Fe as a matrix of magnetite $(Fe_3O_4)$. IR spectrum of the spherical particles was not quite similar to the IR spectrum of ion exchange resins used in S/G system. These results indicate that the spherical particles are not related to ion exchange resin particles and may be formed by the process of the sludge formation.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 2006

Transparency on the Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) is the key issue to enhance the public acceptance for a radioactive repository. To approve it, all performances on TSPA through Quality Assurance is necessary. The integrated Cyber R&D Platform is developed by KAERI using the T2R3 principles applicable for five major steps : planning, research work, documentation, and internal & external audits in R&D's. The proposed system is implemented in the web-based system so that all participants in TSPA are able to access the system. It is composed of three sub-systems; FEAS (FEp to Assessment through Scenario development) showing systematic approach from the FEPs to Assessment methods flow chart, PAID (Performance Assessment Input Databases) being designed to easily search and review field data for TSPA and QA system containing the administrative system for QA on five key steps in R&D's in addition to approval and disapproval processes, corrective actions, and permanent record keeping. All information being recorded in QA system through T2R3 principles is integrated into Cyber R&D Platform so that every data in the system can be checked whenever necessary. Throughout the next phase R&D, Cyber R&D Platform will be connected with the assessment tool for TSPA so that it will be expected to search the whole information in one unified system.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2006

The spectroscopic characteristics of Pu (III, IV, V, VI) in the HCl media were investigated by measuring Pu oxidation states using a UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer (400-1200 nm) after adjusting Pu oxidation states with oxidation/reduction reagents. Pu in stock solution was reduced to Pu(III) with $NH_2OH$ HCl, and oxidized to Pu(IV) and Pu(VI) with $NaNO_2$ and $HClO_4$, respectively. Also, Pu(V) was adjusted in the Pu(VI) solution with $NH_2OH$ HCl. The major absorption peaks of Pu (IV) and Pu(III) were measured in the 470 m and 600 nm, respectively. The major absorption peaks of Pu (VI) and Pu(V) were measured in the 830 nm and 1135 nm, respectively. There was not found to be significant changes of UV-Vis absorption spectra for Pu(III), Pu(IV) and Pu(VI) with aging time, except that an unstable Pu(V) immediately reduced to Pu(III).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2006

For the accurate safety assessment of potential radioactive waste disposal site which is located in the crystalline rock it is important to simulate the mass transportation through engineered and natural barrier system precisely, characterized by porous and fractured media respectively. In this work the methods to construct discrete fracture network for the analysis of flow and mass transport through fractured-porous medium are described. The probability density function is adopted in generating fracture properties for the realistic representation of real fractured rock. In order to investigate the intersection between a porous and a fractured medium described by a 2 dimensional rectangular and a cuboid grid respectively, an additional imaginary fracture is adopted at the face of a porous medium intersected by a fracture. In order to construct large scale flow paths an effective method to find interconnected fractures and algorithms of swift detecting connectivities between fractures or porous medium and fractures are proposed. These methods are expected to contribute to the development of numerical program for the simulation of radioactive nuclide transport through fractured-porous medium from radioactive waste disposal site.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2006

This study examined the possibility of using dark-striped field mice as a biological indicator for the environmental radio-surveillance. For this study, dark-striped field mice were caught from five areas of Kyonggi, Kyongsang, Chungchong and Cholla provinces. The external morphological characteristics and isoenzymic types of dark-striped field mice were studied after they were captured. Among the external morphological characteristics, the dark-brown coat, dark back stripe, head-to-tail length, tail length, and ear length matched the taxonomical characteristics of dark-striped field mice. The analyses on L-lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and malate dehydrogenese revealed that one species of dark-striped field mice, called Apodemus agrarius, was inhabitated throughout a wide range of Korea. On the other hand, the frequency of micronuclei in peripheral polychromatic erythrocytes to survived mice after irradiation also analyzed. The LD50/30 of A. cgrarius and ICR mice were approximately 5 Gy and 7.9Gy, respectively. The results of the study reveal that wild A. asrarius have a high potential as a biological monitoring system to determine the impact of radiation in areas such as those within the vicinity of nuclear power plants.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.49-62
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• 2011

Recently, International Atomic Energy Agency and major leading countries in radioactive waste management tend to subdivide the categories of radioactive waste based upon risk-graded approach. In this context, the category of very low level waste has been newly introduced, or optimized management options for this kind of waste have been pursued in many countries. The application of engineered surface landfill type facilities dedicated to dispose of very low level waste has been gradually expanded, and it was analyzed that their design concept of isolation has been much advanced than those of the old fashioned surface trench-type disposal facilities for low and intermediate level waste, which were usually constructed in 1960's. In addition, the management options for very low level waste in major leading countries are varied depending upon and interfaced with the affecting factors such as: national framework for clearance, legal and practical availability of low and intermediate level waste repository and/or non-nuclear waste landfill, public acceptance toward alternative waste management options, and so forth. In this regard, it was concluded that optimized long-term management options for very low level waste in Korea should be also established in a timely manner through comprehensive review and discussions, in preparation of decommissioning of large nuclear facilities in the future, and be implemented in a systematic manner under the framework of national policy and management plan for radioactive waste management.