• 한국초전도ㆍ저온공학회논문지
• /
• 제25권3호
• /
• pp.13-17
• /
• 2023

Magnetic separation technology for small paramagnetic particles has been desired for the volume reduction of contaminated soil from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident and for the separation of scale and crud from nuclear power plants. However, the magnetic separation for paramagnetic particles requires a superconducting high gradient magnetic separation system applied, hence expanding the bore diameter of the magnets is necessary for mass processing and the initial and running costs would be enormous. The use of high magnetic fields makes safe onsite operation difficult, and there is an industrial need to increase the magnetic separation efficiency for paramagnetic particles in as low a magnetic field as possible. Therefore, we have been developing a magnetic separation system combined with a selection tube, which can separate small paramagnetic particles in a low magnetic field. In the previous technique we developed, a certain range of particle size was classified, and the classified particles were captured by magnetic separation. In this new approach, the fluid control method has been improved in order to the selectively classify particles of various diameters by using a multi-stage selection tube. The soil classification using a multi-stage selection tube was studied by calculation and experiment, and good results were obtained. In this paper, we report the effectiveness of the multi-stage selection tube was examined.

• International Journal of Safety
• /
• 제11권1호
• /
• pp.33-36
• /
• 2012

Examples and experiences of risk management on radiation under prolonged exposure situation are shown. The accident of the Fukushima dai-ichi nuclear power plant after the great east Japan earthquake (11 March, 2011) elevates background level of environmental radiation around the east Japan. For example, ambient dose equivalent rate around Tohkatsu area next to Tokyo located about 200 km-south from the plant, is about 0.1-0.6 micro-Sv $h^{-1}$ mainly due to $^{134}Cs$ and $^{137}Cs$ falling on the ground soil. This level is about double or up to ten times higher than the genuine natural level around the area. International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommends how to face the existing exposure situation; that is the prolonged exposure situation. Referring to ICRP's reports and/or related international/domestic documents, we have been discussing and acting to gain public's safety and relief, who have a possibility to be exposed to prolonged lower-dose radiation. Here, we introduce our several experiences on risk management, especially focusing on risk communication, radiation education to public, and stakeholder involvements into making decision in local governments on radiation protection, relating to the accident.

• International Journal of Safety
• /
• 제10권2호
• /
• pp.6-9
• /
• 2011

Examples and experiences of risk management on radiation under prolonged exposure situation are shown. The accident of the Fukushima dai-ichi nuclear power plant after the great east Japan earthquake (11 March, 2011) elevates background level of environmental radiation around the east Japan. For example, ambient dose equivalent rate around Tohkatsu area next to Tokyo located about 200 km-south from the plant, is about 0.1-0.6 micro-Sv $h^{-1}$ mainly due to $^{134}Cs$ and $^{137}Cs$ falling on the ground soil. This level is about double or up to ten times higher than the genuine natural level around the area. International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommends how to face the existing exposure situation; that is the prolonged exposure situation. Referring to ICRP's reports and/or related international/domestic documents, we have been discussing how to manage this situation and acting to gain safety and relief of public, who have a possibility to be exposed to prolonged lower-dose radiation. Here, we introduce our several experiences on risk management, especially focusing on risk communication, radiation education to public, and stakeholder involvements into decision making in local governments on radiation protection, relating to the accident.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제53권8호
• /
• pp.2534-2546
• /
• 2021

Nuclear emergency preparedness and response is an essential part to ensure the safety of nuclear power plant (NPP). Key support technologies of nuclear emergency decision-making usually consist of accident diagnosis, source term estimation, accident consequence assessment, and protective action recommendation. Source term estimation is almost the most difficult part among them. For example, bad communication, incomplete information, as well as complicated accident scenario make it hard to determine the reactor status and estimate the source term timely in the Fukushima accident. Subsequently, it leads to the hard decision on how to take appropriate emergency response actions. Hence, this paper aims to develop a method for rapid source term estimation to support nuclear emergency decision making in pressurized water reactor NPP. The method aims to make our knowledge on NPP provide better support nuclear emergency. Firstly, this paper studies how to build a Bayesian network model for the NPP based on professional knowledge and engineering knowledge. This paper presents a method transforming the PRA model (event trees and fault trees) into a corresponding Bayesian network model. To solve the problem that some physical phenomena which are modeled as pivotal events in level 2 PRA, cannot find sensors associated directly with their occurrence, a weighted assignment approach based on expert assessment is proposed in this paper. Secondly, the monitoring data of NPP are provided to the Bayesian network model, the real-time status of pivotal events and initiating events can be determined based on the junction tree algorithm. Thirdly, since PRA knowledge can link the accident sequences to the possible release categories, the proposed method is capable to find the most likely release category for the candidate accidents scenarios, namely the source term. The probabilities of possible accident sequences and the source term are calculated. Finally, the prototype software is checked against several sets of accident scenario data which are generated by the simulator of AP1000-NPP, including large loss of coolant accident, loss of main feedwater, main steam line break, and steam generator tube rupture. The results show that the proposed method for rapid source term estimation under nuclear emergency decision making is promising.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제51권1호
• /
• pp.104-115
• /
• 2019

Since the Fukushima Daiichi accident, there has been an emphasis on the risk resulting from multi-unit accidents. Human reliability analysis (HRA) is one of the important issues in multi-unit probabilistic safety assessment (MUPSA). Hence, there is a need to properly identify all the human and organizational factors relevant to a multi-unit incident scenario in a nuclear power plant (NPP). This study identifies and categorizes the human and organizational factors relevant to a multi-unit incident scenario of NPPs based on a review of relevant literature. These factors are then analyzed to ascertain all possible unit-to-unit interactions that need to be considered in the multi-unit HRA and the pattern of interactions. The human and organizational factors are classified into five categories: organization, work device, task, performance shaping factors, and environmental factors. The identification and classification of these factors will significantly contribute to the development of adequate strategies and guidelines for managing multi-unit accidents. This study is a necessary initial step in developing an effective HRA method for multiple NPP units in a site.

• 시스템엔지니어링학술지
• /
• 제18권2호
• /
• pp.94-107
• /
• 2022

Accidents prevention and mitigation is the highest priority of nuclear power plant (NPP) operation, particularly in the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, which has reignited public anxieties and skepticism regarding nuclear energy usage. To deal with accident scenarios more effectively, operators must have ample and precise information about key safety parameters as well as their future trajectories. This work investigates the potential of machine learning in forecasting NPP response in real-time to provide an additional validation method and help reduce human error, especially in accident situations where operators are under a lot of stress. First, a base-case SGTR simulation is carried out by the best-estimate code RELAP5/MOD3.4 to confirm the validity of the model against results reported in the APR1400 Design Control Document (DCD). Then, uncertainty quantification is performed by coupling RELAP5/MOD3.4 and the statistical tool DAKOTA to generate a large enough dataset for the construction and training of neural-based machine learning (ML) models, namely LSTM, GRU, and hybrid CNN-LSTM. Finally, the accuracy and reliability of these models in forecasting system response are tested by their performance on fresh data. To facilitate and oversee the process of developing the ML models, a Systems Engineering (SE) methodology is used to ensure that the work is consistently in line with the originating mission statement and that the findings obtained at each subsequent phase are valid.

• 한국유체기계학회 논문집
• /
• 제17권6호
• /
• pp.84-88
• /
• 2014

A long term passive cooling system is considered as the most important safety feature for the nuclear design after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011. The conventional active pump driven safety systems are not available during a station Black Out (SBO) accident. The current design requirement on cooling time of the Passive Auxiliarly Feedwater System (PAFS) is about 8 hours only. To meet the 72 hours cooling time, the pool capacity of cooling water tank should be increased as much as 3~4 times larger than that of current water cooling tank. In order to extend the cooling time for 72 hours, a new passive air-water combined cooling system is proposed. This paper provides the feasibility of the combined passive air-water cooling system. The current pool capacity of water cooling system is preserved, and the cooling capability is extended by an additional air cooler.

• 한국산업융합학회 논문집
• /
• 제21권6호
• /
• pp.395-408
• /
• 2018

Even after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the rate of production of electric energy using nuclear energy is increasing, but there is a great danger such as the radioactive waste produced when using nuclear power, the catastrophic accident of nuclear power plant, and connection with nuclear weapons. In particular, Cs present in the ionic form of alkaline elements has a long half-life (30.17 years) because it is readily absorbed by the organism and emits intense gamma rays, thus presenting a serious radiation hazard. Therefore, it must be completely removed before it can be released into the natural ecosystem, because it can adversely affect not only humans but also natural ecosystems. Many adsorbents and ion exchangers which have high Cs removal efficiency have been used in recent years to completely separate and remove by self separation in water. Many adsorbents and ion exchangers which have high Cs removal efficiency have been used in recent years to completely separate and remove by self separation in water. In addition, researches have been doing to synthesize magnetic materials with adsorbents such as HCF and PB, and it shows a great effect in the removal rate of Cs present in wastewater or the maximum Cs adsorption amount. In particular, when a magnetic material was applied, excellent results were obtained in which only Cs was selectively removed from other cations. However, new problems such as applicability in the sea where Cs is directly released, applicability in various pH ranges, and failure to preserve the magnetizing force possessed by the magnetic body have been found. However, researches using ferromagnetic field with stronger magnetic properties than those of magnetic bodies is considered to be insufficient. Therefore, it is considered that if the researches combining the ferromagnetic field with the magnetization ability and functional adsorbents more actively, the radioactive material Cs which adversely affects the natural ecosystem can be effectively removed.

• 한국화재소방학회논문지
• /
• 제32권1호
• /
• pp.89-98
• /
• 2018

2015년 베이징 화력발전소 화재사고나 2012년 보령화력과 2016년 태안화력 등 국내 발전소 화재사고, 2011년 후쿠시마 원전참사나 2001년 캘리포니아 대정전은 전력관련 소방안전사고로 국민의 안정적 생활과 국가적인 손실을 가져온 사례로 손꼽고 있다. 전기는 국민생활과 경제에 미치는 영향이 절대적이라 위험성이 높은 대용량의 석탄, 가스 및 원자력 등을 연료로 사용하여 전력을 생산하는 발전소가 안전관리의 소홀로 인한 화재폭발사고나 방사능누출, 지진 등 자연재해로 인한 문제가 생길 경우 국민의 생명보호와 재산손실에 직접적 피해뿐만 아니라 경제성장에 미치는 심각한 상황을 우리는 충분히 예상할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 한국남부발전 등 5개 발전사 및 한수원 소방안전담당자를 대상으로 발전소 소방안전경영시스템 구축의 필요성에 대한 실태조사를 통해 소방전담조직 보강과 전문역량강화 프로그램 운영, 체계적인 소방안전관리를 위한 발전소 맞춤형 소방안전경영시스템의 개발, 최근 이슈가 된 지진에 대비한 내진 대응체계 강화를 개선방안으로 도출하였다.

• 에너지공학
• /
• 제25권1호
• /
• pp.43-47
• /
• 2016

한수원 중앙연구원은 2007년부터 정부과제의 하나로 전기출력이 1500MWe급인 GEN III+ 원전 APR+를 개발해 왔다. APR1400 보다 안전성이 진전된 노형을 개발하기 위해 국내외에서 건설되거나 설계중인 ALWR의 개선된 설계특성을 조사하였다. 국내외의 원전건설 사업에 적합한 APR+ 표준설계를 개발하기 위해 신개념설계특성과 후쿠시마 원전사고 경험을 설계에 반영하였다. APR+의 안전성향상 표준설계 단계(2013.1 ~ 2015.12)에서 한 번의 경제성평가를 수행하였다. 설계 안전성향상 기술개발 단계에의 경제성 평가 결과 APR+ N-th호기는 국내석 탄화력 1000MWe급 대비 39.2% 경쟁력 우위인 것으로 평가되었다. 또한 APR+원전은 해외 원전 선진국 ALWR에 비해 동등 이상 수준의 경쟁력을 확보하는 것으로 평가되었다.