• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.287-297
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• 2014

For several decades, many countries operating nuclear power plants have been studying the various disposal alternatives to dispose of the spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste safely. In this paper, as a direct disposal of spent nuclear fuels for deep geological disposal concept, the rod consolidation from spent fuel assembly for the disposal efficiency was considered and analyzed. To do this, a concept of spent fuel rod consolidation was described and the related concepts of disposal canister and disposal system were reviewed. With these concepts, several thermal analyses were carried out to determine whether the most important requirement of the temperature limit for a buffer material was satisfiedin designing an engineered barrier of a deep geological disposal system. Based on the results of thermal analyses, the deposition hole distance, disposal tunnel spacing and heat release area of a disposal canister were reviewed. And the unit disposal areas for each case were calculated and the disposal efficiencies were evaluated. This evaluation showed that the rod consolidation of spent nuclear fuel had no advantages in terms of disposal efficiency. In addition, the cooling time of spent nuclear fuels from nuclear power plant were reviewed. It showed that the disposal efficiency for the consolidated spent fuel rods could be improved in the case that cooling time was 70 years or more. But, the integrity of fuels and other conditions due to the longer term storage before disposal should be analyzed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.339-346
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• 2018

A geological repository system consists of a disposal canister with packed spent fuel, buffer material, backfill material, and intact rock. The buffer is indispensable to assure the disposal safety of high-level radioactive waste. Since the heat generated from spent nuclear fuel in a disposal canister is released to the surrounding buffer materials, the thermal properties of the buffer material are very important in determining the entire disposal safety. Especially, since thermal expansion can cause thermal stress to the intact rock mass in the near-field, it is very important to evaluate thermal expansion characteristics of bentonite buffer materials. Therefore, this paper presents a thermal expansion coefficient prediction model of the Gyeongju bentonite buffer materials which is a Ca-bentonite produced in South Korea. The linear thermal expansion coefficient was measured considering heating rate, dry density and temperature variation using dilatometer equipment. Thermal expansion coefficient values of the Gyeongju bentonite buffer materials were $4.0{\sim}6.0{\times}10^{-6}/^{\circ}C$. Based on the experimental results, a non-linear regression model to predict the thermal expansion coefficient was suggested and fitted according to the dry density.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.389-396
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• 2018

The Kori-1 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), WH 2-Loop Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) operated for approximately 40 years in Korea, was permanently ceased on June 18, 2017. To reduce worker exposure to radiation by reducing the dose rate in the system before starting main decommissioning activities, the permanently ceased Kori-1 NPP will be subjected to full system decontamination. Generally, the range of system decontamination includes Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPV), Pressurizer (PZR), Steam Generators (SG), Chemical & Volume Control System (CVCS), Residual Heat Removal System (RHRS), and Reactor Coolant System (RCS) piping. In order to decontaminate these systems and equipment in an effective manner, it is necessary to evaluate the influence of the flow characteristics in the RCS during the decontamination period. There are various methods of providing circulating flow rate to the system decontamination. In this paper, the flow characteristics in Kori-1 NPP reactor coolant according to RHR pump operation were evaluated. The evaluation results showed that system decontamination using an RHR pump was not effective at decontamination due first to impurities deposited in piping and equipment, and second to the extreme flow unbalance in the RCS caused deposition of impurities.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.183-192
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• 2005

Natural ventilation in radioactive waste repositories is considered to be less efficient than mechanically forced ventilation for the repository working environment and hygiene & safety of the public at large, for example, controlling the exposure of airborne radioactive particulate matter. It is, however, considered to play an important role and may be fairly efficient for maintaining environmental conditions of the repository over the duration of its lifetime, for example, moisture content and radon (Rn) gas elimination in repository. This paper describes the feasibility of using natural ventilation which can be generated in the repository itself, depending on the conditions of the natural environment during the periods of repository construction and operation. Evidences from natural cave analogues, actual measurements of natural ventilation pressures in mountain traffic tunnels with vertical shafts, and calculations of airflow rates with given natural ventilation pressures indicate possible benefits from passive ventilation for the prospective Korean radioactive waste repository. Natural ventilation may provide engineers with a cost-efficient method for heat and moisture transfer, and radon (Rn) gas elimination in a radioactive waste repository. The overall thermal performance of the repository may be improved. The dry-out period may be extended, and the seepage flux likely would be decreased.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.343-353
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• 2017

Processing and equipment were tailored for engineering scale fabrication of $UO_2$ porous pellets, a feed material for the electrolytic reduction process in the PRIDE (PyRoprocessing Integrated DEmonstration) facility at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute). The starting materials, $UO_2$ powder and pre-milled surrogate oxide powders, were proportioned to simulate the chemical composition of spent fuel (so-called Simfuel). The Simfuel powders were homogenized by mixing, compacted into a pellet shape, and finally heat treated using a tumbling mixer, rotary press, and sintering furnace. After sintering at $1450^{\circ}C$ for 24 h in $4%\;H_2-Ar$, the average bulk density of the $UO_2$ Simfuel pellets was $6.89g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$, which meets the standard of the following electrolytic reduction process. In addition, the results of a microstructural analysis demonstrated that the sintered Simfuel $UO_2$ porous pellets accurately simulate the properties of spent fuel in terms of the formation of second phases. These results provide essential information for the massive fabrication of $UO_2$ porous pellets for engineering scale pyroprocessing research.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.194-200
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• 2016

The impervious surface rate increased by urbanization causes various problems on the environment such as water cycle distortion, heat island effect, and non-point pollutant discharges. The Low Impact Development (LID) techniques are significantly considered as an important tool for stormwater management in urban areas and development projects. The main mechanisms of LID technologies are hydrological and environmental pollution reduction among soils, media, microorganisms, and plants. Especially, the media provides important functions on permeability and retention rate of stormwater runoff in LID facilities. Therefore, this research was performed to assess the pollutant removal efficiency for different types of media such as zeolite, wood chip, bottom ash, and bio-ceramic. All media show high pollutant removal efficiency of more than 60% for particulate materials and heavy metals. Double layered media is more effective in reducing heavy metals by providing diverse sizes of micro-pores and macro-pores compared to the single layered media. The results recommend the use of different sizes of media application is more cost-effective in LID than a single size of media. Furthermore, soluble proportion of total heavy metal in the stormwater is an important component in proper media selection and arrangement.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.49 no.11
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• pp.903-912
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• 2016

Accurate understanding and estimating Evapotranspiration (ET) is essential for understanding the mechanism of water cycle and water budget. ET has been analyzed by many researchers in worldwide while Ground-based ET has limiation in analyzing the spatio-temporal pattrens of ET. Thus, many researches have been conducted to represent the spatio-temporal variation of ET by using hydrometeorological variables estimated from remote sensing datasets. Previous remote sensing based ET algorithms, however, have disadvantage in that various hydrometeological input datasets were required. In this study, actual ET was estimated by MODIS-based Rn and MS-PT algorithm requiring relatively less input data than previous method. The result confirmed that the observed $R_N$ and latent heat flux from the eddy-covariance based fluxtowers located at CFK and SMK showed high correlation with the estimated $R_N$ and ET. The average determination coefficients ($R^2$) of ET estimated from satellite dataset over study periods were 0.77 (0.72-0.81) in Cheongmi (CFK) and 0.70 (0.67-0.78) in Sulma (SMK), respectively. Comparing with the actual ET of two flux tower sites, however, SMK showed more overestimated patterns than CFK due to the vegetation and radiation related errors.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.568-574
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• 1997

The effect of microencapsulation of maetal hydride (MH) with copper on the electrode performance of a Ni/MH battery has been investigated. The MH electrodes were prepared with a combination of cold press and paste methods. The discharge capacity of the electrode increased with an addition of small amounts if CMC into the electrode, but decreased when heat-treated in an oxygen-free nitrogen flow. The capacity of a Cu-coated $LaNi_5$ electrode was higher than that of LaNi5electrode. The discharge capacity of the electrode prepared with Cu-coated $LaNi_5$ increased with the increase of copper content in the electrode. It is considered that the increase of copper content enhanced the current density on the electrode surface, leading to the increase of the discharge capacity The MH electrode coated by an acidic electroless plating method showed much higher discharge capacity than that using an alkaline electroless plating method. The discharge capacity of the $LaNi_{4.5}Al_{0.5}$ electrode was higher than that of the $LaNi_5$ electrode. Also, the effect of microencapsulation on the deactivation of $LaNi_5$ was studied using an absorption-desorption cycle in CO-containing hydrogen.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.308-319
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• 2016

In order to set the outdoor weather conditions to be applied to the design standard of the greenhouse heating and cooling system, outdoor air temperature and heating degree-hour for heating design, dry bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature and solar irradiance for cooling design were analyzed and presented. For every region in Korea, we used thirty years from 1981 to 2010 hourly weather data for analysis, which is the current standard of climatological normal provided by KMA. Since the use of standard weather data is limited, design weather conditions were obtained using the entire weather data for 30 years, and the average value of the entire data period was presented as a design standard. The design weather data with exceedance probability of 1, 2.5, and 5% were analyzed by the TAC method, and we presented the distribution map with exceedance probability of 1% for heating and 2.5% for cooling which are recommended by design standards. The changes of maximum heating load, seasonal heating load and maximum cooling load were examined by regions, exceedance probabilities, and setpoint temperatures. The proposed outdoor design conditions can be used not only directly for the greenhouse heating and cooling design, but also for the reinforcement of heating and cooling facilities and the establishment of energy saving measures. Recently, due to the climate change, sweltering heat in summer and abnormal temperature in winter are occurring frequently, so we need to analyze weather data periodically and revise the design standard at least every 10 years cycle.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.369-377
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• 2006

Protopectinase (PPase) from Bacillus subtilis was used to investigate enzymatic maceration of vegetable tissues. Optimum concentration and pH of PPase were 0.75, 0.75, and 0.5%, and 5.0, 8.0, 7.0 for red pepper, garlic, and cucumber, respectively. Optimum shaking-rate, reaction time, and temperature of PPase were 250 rpm, 150 min, and $37^{\circ}C$, respectively. Yields of mechanically macerated red pepper, garlic, and cucumber were 45.8, 47.5, and 82.1%, whereas those treated with PPase were 81.8, 84, and 98%. Over 40% Vitamin C, the most unstable component during mechanical maceration, remained intact for 12 days after enzymatic treatment. Color differences $({\Delta}E)$ of mechanically macerated red pepper, garlic, and cucumber were 1.16, 2.86, and 3.27, whereas those of PPase-treated ones were 2.87, 7.68, and 5.22 after heat treatment at $100^{\circ}C$ for 20 min. Capsaicin content of mechanically macerated red pepper was 0.4 mg/100 g, whereas that treated with PPase was 1.32 mg/100 g. Viscosity of PPase-treated vegetable decreased slowly with increasing storage period, whereas that of mechanically macerated vegetable sharply decreased. These results indicate PPase treatment of vegetable could be better choice for preparation of high-values and functionally processed food and for extending preservation period.