• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.79-90
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• 2005

In this paper are reviewed the current status of nuclear fuel management and reactor operational aid tools. In addition, we indicate deficiencies in current capabilities and what future research is judged warranted. For the nuclear fuel management review the focus is on light water reactors and the utilization of stochastic optimization methods applied to the lattice, fuel bundle, core loading pattern, and for BWRs the control rod pattern/core flow design decision making problems. Significant progress in addressing separately each of these design problems on a single cycle basis is noted; however, the outstanding challenge of addressing the integrated design problem over multiple cycles under conditions of uncertainty remains to be addressed. For the reactor operational aid tools review the focus is on core simulators, used to both process core instrumentation signals and as an operator aid to predict future core behaviors under various operational strategies. After briefly reviewing the current status of capabilities, a more in depth review of adaptive core simulation capabilities, where core simulator input data are adjusted within their known uncertainties to improved agreement between prediction and measurement, is presented. This is done in support of the belief that further development of adaptive core simulation capabilities is required to further significantly advance the utility of core simulators in support of reactor operational aid tools.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.1218-1230
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• 2019

A sub-channel solver, named ${\underline{S}}teady$ and ${\underline{T}}ransient$ ${\underline{A}}nalyzer$ for ${\underline{R}}eactor$ ${\underline{T}}hermal$ hydraulics (START), has been developed using the homogenous model for two-phase conditions of light water reactors. The code is developed as a fast and accurate TH-solver for coupled and multi-physics calculations. START has been validated against the NUPEC PWR Sub-channel and Bundle Test (PSBT) database. Tests like single-channel quality and void-fraction for steady state, outlet fluid temperature for steady state, rod-bundle quality and void-fraction for both steady state and transient conditions have been analyzed and compared with experimental values. Results reveal a good accuracy of solution for both steady state and transient scenarios. Axially different values for turbulent mixing coefficient are used based on different grid-spacer types. This provides better results as compared to using a single value of turbulent mixing coefficient. Code-to-code evaluation of PSBT results by the START code compares well with other industrial codes. The START code has been parallelized with the OpenMP algorithm and its numerical performance is evaluated with a large whole PWR core. Scaling study of START shows a good parallel performance.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권8호
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• pp.2924-2932
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• 2022

Motivated by learning from experience and exploiting existing knowledge in civil nuclear operations, we have developed in-house generic Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) models for pressurized and boiling water reactors. The models are computationally light, handy, transparent, user-friendly, and easily adaptable to account for major plant-specific differences. They cover the common internal initiating events, frontline and support systems reliability and dependencies, human-factors, common-cause failures, and account for new factors typically overlooked in many PSAs. For quantification, the models use generic US reliability data, precursor analysis reports, the ETHZ Curated Nuclear Events Database, and experts' opinions. Moreover, uncertainties in the most influential basic events are addressed. The generated results show good agreement with assessments available in the literature with detailed PSAs. We envision the models as an unbiased framework to measure nuclear operational risk with the same "ruler", and hence support inter-plant risk comparisons that are usually not possible due to differences in plant-specific PSA assumptions and scopes. The models can be used for initial risk screening, order-of-magnitude precursor analysis, and other research/pedagogic applications especially when no plant-specific PSAs are available. Finally, we are using the generic models for large-scale precursor analysis that will generate big picture trends, lessons, and insights.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권1호
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• pp.1-18
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• 2021

The criticality analysis of VVER-1000 mock-up benchmark experiments from the LR-0 research reactor operated by the Research Center Rez in the Czech Republic has been conducted with the MCS Monte Carlo code developed at the Computational Reactor Physics and Experiment laboratory of the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology. The main purpose of this work is to evaluate the newest ENDF/B-VIII.0 nuclear data library against the VVER-1000 mock-up integral experiments and to validate the criticality analysis capability of MCS for light water reactors with hexagonal fuel lattices. A preliminary code/code comparison between MCS and MCNP6 is first conducted to verify the suitability of MCS for the benchmark interpretation, then the validation against experimental data is performed with both ENDF/B-VII.1 and ENDF/B-VIII.0 libraries. The investigated experimental data comprises six experimental critical configurations and four experimental pin-by-pin power maps. The MCS and MCNP6 inputs used for the criticality analysis of the VVER-1000 mock-up are available as supplementary material of this article.

• 에너지공학
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.259-266
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• 2011

원자로 정지냉각계통은 원자로 정지 시 핵연료 잔열 제거를 위하여 냉각수가 충분히 공급하고 원자로기기들을 보호할 수 있는 냉각율을 유지할 수 있도록 설계되어야 한다. 경수로 정지냉각계통을 분석하기 위한 KDESCENT코드를 중수로 정지냉각계통에 적용하여 보았으며 기존의 중수로형 해석코드인 SOPHT, SDCS 코드 결과와 비교분석하였다. 정지냉각펌프 모드와 열수송펌프 모드에서 정상냉각 운전상태는 계통의 설계 요건을 만족시켰으며 정지냉각 열교환기를 열제거원으로 사용하였을 때 냉각률은 설계요건에서 규정하고 있는 제한치인 $2.8^{\circ}C/min$ 이하의 값을 얻었다. 전반적인 냉각능력 분석 결과 월성 2, 3, 4호기 정지냉각계통은 핵연료로부터 핵분열 생성물의 방출을 충분히 제한하고 핵연료채널의 건전성을 유지시키기 위한 충분한 냉각을 핵연료에 제공하였다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.195-202
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• 2018

원칙적으로, 지층 처분은 고준위 방사성 폐기물의 최종 처분을 위한 안전한 방법으로 간주된다. 그러나 사용후핵연료에 함유된 $^{99}Tc$ 및 $^{129}I$와 같은 일부 장수명 핵분열 생성물은 지하 환경에서 흡수성이 적은 음이온 핵종으로 이동성이 매우 크며 수백 keV 범위의 베타선 방출로 생태계에 피폭선량을 야기시킬 수 있다. 따라서 이 두 핵종을 효율적으로 분리하여 방사능으로 유해하지 않은 핵종으로 전환할 수 있다면 처분 안정성에 긍정적인 영향을 줄 수 있다. 이를 위한 하나의 방법은 이 두 가지 핵종을 원자로에서 수명이 짧은 핵종 또는 안정적인 핵종으로 변환하는 것이다. 이를 위해 두 핵종을 태우는 데 어느 원자로 유형이 더 효율적인지 평가하는 것이 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 경수로(PWR), 중수로(CANDU) 및 고속로(SFR, MET-1000)의 $^{99}Tc$ 및 $^{129}I$의 핵 변환 시뮬레이션 결과를 비교하고 고찰하였다.

• 한국방사선학회논문지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.37-43
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• 2021

국내에는 다수의 원자력시설이 존재하며, 지리적으로 비핵화 대상국인 북한을 주변국으로 두고 있다. 변화하는 국제 정세에 따른 선제적 대응으로 대상시설에 대한 핵감식 데이터를 구축할 필요가 있다. 이를 위해 국내 원자력시설 및 핵연료 주기를 고려하여 핵물질 및 기타 방사성물질의 기원 또는 출처를 파악하는데 사용되는 표지물질을 제시하였다. 국내에서는 경수로 및 중수로를 운용하고 있으며 각각 핵연료로 농축 우라늄과 천연우라늄을 사용한다. 국내 선행핵연료주기에서 표지물질은 중수로형 원자력발전소의 연료인 천연우라늄과 우라늄 농축과정의 UF6으로 생각할 수 있다. 국내 후행핵연료주기는 재처리 과정을 제외된 비순환 주기를 채택하고 있어 주요 표지물질은 사용후핵연료가 된다. 해당 물질들에 대해 IAEA 문헌에서 권고하는 표지물질의 시그니처 중요도를 판단하고 조사 항목을 제시하였다. 향후 핵감식에서 핵물질 관리에 대한 무결성 입증과 국가 핵감식 역량을 높이기 위한 핵감식 라이브러리 구축을 위해 국내 원자력시설과 핵연료주기를 고려한 표지물질을 파악하고 해당물질 별 시그니처 데이터를 확보해야 할 것으로 생각된다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.255-268
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• 2008

The greater demand for electricity and the available capacity within safety margins in some operating NPPs are prompting nuclear utilities to request license modification to enable operation at a higher power level, beyond their original license provisions. Such plant modifications require an in-depth safety analysis to evaluate the possible safety impact. The analysis must consider the thermo hydraulic, radiological and structural aspects, and the plant behavior, while taking into account the capability of the structures, systems and components, and the reactor protection and safeguard systems set points. The purpose of this paper is to introduce international experiences and approaches for implementation of power uprates related to the reactor thermal power of nuclear power plants. The paper is intended to give the reader a general overview of the major processes, work products, issues, challenges, events, and experiences in the power uprates program. The process of increasing the licensed power level of a nuclear power plants is called a power uprate. One way of increasing the thermal output from a reactor is to increase the amount of fissile material in use. It is also possible to increase the core power by increasing the performance of the high power bundles. Safety margins can be maintained by either using fuels with a higher performance, or through the use of improved methods of analysis to demonstrate that the required margins are retained even at the higher power levels. The paper will review all types of power uprates, from small to large, and across various reactor types, including light and heavy water, pressurized, and boiling water reactors. Generally, however, the content of the report focuses on power uprates of the stretch and extended type. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is developing a technical guideline on power uprates and side effects of power uprates in nuclear power plants.

• 한국압력기기공학회 논문집
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.75-83
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• 2017

In severe accident conditions of light water reactors, the loss of coolant may cause problems in integrity of zirconium fuel cladding. Under the condition of the loss of coolant, the zirconium fuel cladding can be exposed to high temperature steam and reacted with them by producing of hydrogen, which is caused by the failure in oxidation resistance of zirconium cladding materials during the loss of coolant accident scenarios. In order to avoid these problems, we develop a multi-metallic layered composite (MMLC) fuel cladding which compromises between the neutronic advantages of zirconium-based alloys and the accident-tolerance of non-zirconium-based metallic materials. Cold pilgering process is a common tube manufacturing process, which is complex material forming operation in highly non-steady state, where the materials undergo a long series of deformation resulting in both diameter and thickness reduction. During the cold pilgering process, MMLC claddings need to reduce the outside diameter and wall thickness. However, multi-layers of the tube are expected to occur different deformation processes because each layer has different mechanical properties. To improve the utilization of the pilgering process, 3-dimensional computational analyses have been made using a finite element modeling technique. We also analyze the dimensional change, strain and stress distribution at MMLC tube by considering the behavior of rolls such as stroke rate and feed rate.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.359-370
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• 1990

이 논문은 원자력발전소의 안전사고해석에 흔히 이용되는 중성자 다군확산 동특성방정식의 저차원(0차원 및 1차원) 수치해를 3차원 수치해와 비교함으로써 저차원 수치해법에 요구되는 동특성해석 입력자료를 체계적으로 유도하기 위한 것이다. 이 목적으로 이 논문에서는 수정형 Borresen 소격모형에 의한 3차원 동특성 해석코드인 CMSNACK 전산코드로 LRA-BWR 경수로 동특성 시범문제의 3차원해를 구하고 이 해를 기준으로 삼아 중성자 다군확산 동특성방정식의 1차원 유한차분해와 3차 Hermit 다항식 전개해법에 의한 점운동방정식의 0차원 수치해를 비교하고자 했다. 중성자 다군확산방정식의 1차원 유한차분해와 점운동방정식의 0차원 수치해를 구하기 위해 ODTRAN 전산코드와 POTRAN 전산코드를 개발하였고 이들 코드의 입력자료는 ODTRAN 코드의 경우 중성자속 체적가중법을 POTRAN의 경우 단열근사법을 수정하여 마련하였다. 이같이 마련한 입력자료를 써서 LRA-BWR 동특성문제에 대한 1차원 및 0차원 해를 구했으며 그 결과를 CMSHACK코드에 의한 3차원 해와의 비교를 통해서 저차원 수치해의 계산효율성과 안전해석코드에 요구되는 계산결과의 보수성 등을 조사했다. 이같은 비교결과를 토대로 저차원 수치해법의 입력자료 마련에 이 논문에서 제시한 방법이 유용하게 이용될 수 있음을 보였다.