• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.295-310
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• 1975

고리원자로의 핵연로비 추정을 위한 가격 모델을 수립하고 이를 기초로 MITCOST-II 전자계산 code를 써서 고리 발전소의 전수명에 걸친 핵연료주기비를 계산하였다. 사용후 연료를 재처리 하지 않는다는 간단한 핵주기를 가정하였는데 평균 단위 핵연료비는 7.332 mills/Kwhe으로 추정되었으며 이중 우라늄 원광비와 농축비가 85% 이상을 차지하고 있음을 알아내었다. 또한 원광가격과 농축가격의 변동 및 발전소 가동율의 변화에 따른 영향을 계산했으며 그 결과 핵연료비가 원광가격 변동에 매우 민감하게 변화한다는 사실도 알아내었다. 따라서 경제적으로 전력을 생산하기 위해서는 적기에 염가로 우라늄을 확보할 수 있도록 노력을 기울여 야 한다고 제안하였다.

• 대한용접접합학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한용접접합학회 2005년도 춘계학술발표대회 개요집
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• pp.106-108
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• 2005

The instrumented fuel irradiation test at a research reactor is needed to evaluate the performance of the developed nuclear fuel. The fuel elements can be designed to measure the center line temperature of fuel pellets during the irradiation test by using temperature sensor. The thermal sensor was composed of thermocouple and sensor sheath. Micro-laser welding technology was adopted to seal between seal tube and sensor sheath with thickness of 0.15 mm. The soundness of welding area has to be confirmed to prevent fission gas of the fuel from leaking out of the element during the fuel irradiation test. In this study, fundamental data for micro-laser welding technology was proposed to seal temperature sensor sheath of the instrumented fuel element. And, micro-laser welding for dissimilar metals between sensor sheath and seal tube was characterized by investigating welding conditions. Moreover, the micro-laser welding technology is closely related to advanced industry. It is expected that the laser material processing technology will be adopted to various a pplications in the industry.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제45권7호
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• pp.859-870
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• 2013

The paper summarizes the irradiation test and post-irradiation examination (PIE) data for the U-Mo low-enriched fuel that was irradiated in the MIR reactor under the RERTR Program. The PIE data were analyzed for both full-size fuel rods and mini-rods with atomized powder dispersed in Al matrix as well as with additions of 2%, 5% and 13% of silicon in the matrix and ZrN protective coating on the fuel particles. The full-size fuel rods were irradiated up to an average burnup of ${\sim}60%^{235}U$; the mini-rods were irradiated to an average burnup of ${\sim}85%^{235}U$. The presented data show a significant increase of the void fraction in the U-Mo alloy as the U-235 burnup rises from ~ 40% up to ~ 85%. The effect of irradiation test conditions and U-235 burnup were analyzed with regard to the formation of an interaction layer between the matrix and fuel particles as well as generation of porosity in the U-Mo alloy. Shown here are changes in distribution of U fission products as the U-235 burnup increases from ~ 40% up to ~ 85%.

• 열처리공학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.235-241
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• 2005

Thermal creep properties of the advanced zirconium fuel claddings named by HANA alloys which were developed for high burn-up application were evaluated. The creep test of HANA cladding tubes was carried out by the internal pressurization method in temperature range from 350 to $400^{\circ}C$ and in the hoop stress range from 100 to 150 MPa. Creep tests were lasted up to 800 days, which showed the steady-state secondary creep rate. The creep resistance of HANA fuel claddings was affected by final annealing temperature and various factors, such as alloying element, applied stress and testing temperature. From the results the microstructure observation of the samples before and after creep test by using TEM, the dislocation density was increased in the sample of after creep test. The Sn as an alloying element was more effective in the creep resistance than other elements such as Nb, Fe, Cr and Cu due to solute hardening effect of Sn. In case of HANA fuel claddings, the improved creep resistance was obtained by the control of final heat treatment temperature as well as alloying element.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권7호
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• pp.2095-2103
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• 2021

A small power ADS design using thorium oxide and diluent matrix reprocessed fuel is proposed for a high transmutation rate, small reactivity swing, and strong safety features. Two fuel matrices (CERCER and CERMET) and different recycled fuel compositions recovered from UO₂ spent fuels with 45 GWd/tU and 60 GWd/tU burnup were investigated to determine the suitable fuel for the ADS. It was found that the transmutation of each isotope depends on TRU initial loading amount. After examining the cores, the results show that CERCER fueled ADS has a negative coolant void reactivity (CVR) and a smaller radiotoxicity at discharge compared to that of CERMET core. It implies that CERCER fuel has enhanced safety features and more flavor in terms of radiotoxicity management. To increase fuel utilization and core operation efficiency, a simple assembly shuffling pattern for the CERCER fueled ADS is also proposed. Eigenvalue and burnup calculations were conducted using Serpent 2 with ENDF/B-VII.0 library in both kcode and external source modes, and it indicates that the results of transmutation analyses obtained by kcode only is reliable to discuss the transmutation potential of ADS. Burnup calculation with the fixed-source mode is essential to be used for more practical results of the transmutation by ADS.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제56권1호
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• pp.84-93
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• 2023

The spent nuclear fuel is burned during the planned cycle in the plant and then generates elements such as actinide series, fission products, and plutonium with a long half-life. An 'interim storage' step is needed to manage the high radioactivity and heat emitted by nuclides until permanent-disposal. In the case of Korea, there is no space to dispose of high-level radioactive waste after use, so there is a need for a period of time using interim storage. Therefore, the intensity of neutrons and gamma-ray must be determined to ensure the integrity of spent nuclear fuel during interim storage. In particular, the most important thing in spent nuclear fuel is burnup evaluation, estimation of the source term of neutrons and gamma-ray is regarded as a reference measurement of the burnup evaluation. In this study, an analysis of spent nuclear fuel was conducted by setting up a virtual fuel burnup case based on CE16×16 fuel to check the total amount and spectrum of neutron, gamma radiation produced. The correlation between BU (burnup), IE (enrichment), and CT (cooling time) will be identified through spent nuclear fuel burnup calculation. In addition, the composition of nuclide inventory, actinide and fission products can be identified.

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2002년도 학술대회지
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• pp.43-46
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• 2002

The HANARO, multi-purpose research reactor, 30 MWth open-tank-in-pool type, is under 24 MWth of power operation since it reached to the initial critical in February, 1995. Many useful experiments should be safely performed to activate the utilization of the HANARO, but there is a radioactive risk of using the HANARO. To reduce the risk, a test facility, which is not reacted by nuclear fuel, is being developed to simulate similar flow characteristics with the HANARO. This paper describes the computational flow analysis to determine each shape of simulating fuels for simulating the flow similarities of 36 elements hexagonal fuels assembly and 18 elements circulating fuels assembly loaded in HANARO. The shares of orifices were determined by the trial and error method and the structural integrities of them were verified by the finite element method assuming that the flow rate and pressure differences of reactor core are constant. The analysis results will be verified with the results of the flow test to be performed after the installation of this test facility.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.513-520
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• 2014

In this paper, three types of operational and industrial absorbers used at research reactors, including Ag-In-Cd alloy, $B_4C$, and Hf are selected for sensitivity analyses. Their integral effects on the main neutronic core parameters important to safety issues are investigated. These parameters are core excess reactivity, shutdown margin, total reactivity worth of control rods, thermal neutron flux, power density distribution, and Power Peaking Factor (PPF). The IAEA 10 MW benchmark core is selected as the case study to verify calculations. A two-dimensional, three-group diffusion model is selected for core calculations. The well-known WIMS-D4 and CITATION reactor codes are used to carry out these calculations. It is found that the largest shutdown margin is gained using the $B_4C$; also the lowest PPF is gained using the Ag-In-Cd alloy. The maximum point power densities belong to the inside fuel regions surrounding the central flux trap (irradiation position), surrounded by control fuel elements, and the peripheral fuel elements beside the graphite reflectors. The greatest and least fluctuation of the point power densities are gained by using $B_4C$ and Ag-In-Cd alloy, respectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.200-210
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• 2016

The neutron radiography reactor (NRAD) is a 250 kW Mark-II Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) reactor at Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, USA. The East Radiography Station (ERS) is one of two neutron beams at the NRAD used for neutron radiography, which sits beneath a large hot cell and is primarily used for neutron radiography of highly radioactive objects. Additional fuel elements were added to the NRAD core in 2013 to increase the excess reactivity of the reactor, and may have changed some characteristics of the neutron beamline. This report discusses characterization of the neutron beamline following the addition of fuel to the NRAD. This work includes determination of the facility category according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, and also uses an array of gold foils to determine the neutron beam flux and evaluate the neutron beam profile. The NRAD ERS neutron beam is a Category I neutron radiography facility, the highest possible quality level according to the ASTM. Gold foil activation experiments show that the average neutron flux with length-to-diameter ratio (L/D) = 125 is $5.96{\times}10^6n/cm^2/s$ with a $2{\sigma}$ standard error of $2.90{\times}10^5n/cm^2/s$. The neutron beam profile can be considered flat for qualitative neutron radiographic evaluation purposes. However, the neutron beam profile should be taken into account for quantitative evaluation.

• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.149-155
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• 2009

In this work a numerical study to find the characteristics of the internal flow and mixing process has been conducted in a static mixer used in the system of catalytic combustor of the fuel cell power plant. After introducing the model description and final governing equations the present numerical approach is applied to the analysis of static mixer, which may have one or more helical elements inside the circular tube by changing such various parameters as incoming mass flow rates and the number of helical elements. The results show that although the static mixer is efficient in mixing fuel and air, more optimization processes are required to achieve the appropriate mixing characteristics in front of the honeycomb type catalytic combustor used in the MCFC power plant