• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.57-61
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• 1992

For the neutron spectrum measurement, $^6Li$ neutron spectrometer system is installed. The characteristic of the $^6Li$ detector are investigated using a $^{137}Cs$ and $^{207}Bi$ point source, and the neutron capture peaks and the pulse height spectrum using an $^{214}Am-Be$ neutron source are measured. Furthermore, the pulse height spectrum for the irradiation time variation from the (214)^Am-Be neutron source, and for the distance variation between detector and source, and the threshold variation of discriminator are measured.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2984-2996
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• 2023

A 100 kW thermal power pool-type light water reactor and Pu(Be) as a fast neutron source were used to determine the appropriate carrier for irradiating boron-containing samples with neutron beams. The tested materials (carriers) were subjected to neutron beams in the reactor's tangential channel. The geometrical arrangement of experimental facilities relative to the neutron beam trajectory, as well as the effect of sample thickness on the count rate, were investigated. The majority of the detectable charged particles emitted by the neutron beam's interaction with tested materials and the detector's detecting layer are protons (recoiled hydrogen) and particles generated in nuclear reactions (protons and alpha particles), respectively. Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM) software was used to do theoretical calculations for the range of expected released particles in various materials, including human tissue. The results of measurement and calculation are in good agreement. According to experiments and theoretical calculations, the number of protons emitted by tissue-like materials may commit a dose comparable to that of boron capture reactions. Furthermore, the range of protons is significantly larger than that of alpha particles, which most probably changes dose distribution in healthy cells surrounding the tumor, which is undesirable in the BNCT approach.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.7
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• pp.939-944
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• 2015

The calibration methods of neutron-measuring devices such as the neutron survey meter have advantages and disadvantages. To compare the calibration factors obtained by the shadow cone method and semi-empirical method, 10 neutron survey meters of five different types were used in this study. This experiment was performed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI; Daejeon, South Korea), and the calibration neutron fields were constructed using a $^{252}Californium$ ($^{252}Cf$) neutron source, which was positioned in the center of the neutron irradiation room. The neutron spectra of the calibration neutron fields were measured by a europium-activated lithium iodide scintillator in combination with KAERI's Bonner sphere system. When the shadow cone method was used, 10 single moderator-based survey meters exhibited a smaller calibration factor by as much as 3.1-9.3% than that of the semi-empirical method. This finding indicates that neutron survey meters underestimated the scattered neutrons and attenuated neutrons (i.e., the total scatter corrections). This underestimation of the calibration factor was attributed to the fact that single moderator-based survey meters have an under-ambient dose equivalent response in the thermal or thermal-dominant neutron field. As a result, when the shadow cone method is used for a single moderator-based survey meter, an additional correction and the International Organization for Standardization standard 8529-2 for room-scattered neutrons should be considered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.161-163
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• 2002

The BNCT(Boron Neutron Capture Therapy) facility has been developed in Hanaro(High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor), a research reactor of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. A typical tangenial beam port is utilized with this BNCT facility. Thermal neutrons can be penetrated within the limits of the possible maximum instead of being filtered fast neutrons and gamma rays as much as possible using the silicon and bismuth single crystals. In addition to, the liquid nitrogen (LN$_2$) is used to cool down the silicon and bismuth single crystals for the increase of the penetrated thermal neutron flux. Neutron beams for BNCT are shielded using the water shutter. The water shutter was designed and manufactured not to interfere with any other subsystem of Hanaro when the BNCT facility is operated. Also, it is replaced with conventional beam port plug in order to cut off helium gas leakage in the beam port. A circular collimator, composed of $\^$6/Li$_2$CO$_3$ and polyethylene compounds, is installed at the irradiation position. The measured neutron flux with 24 MW reactor power using the Au-198 activation analysis method is 8.3${\times}$10$\^$8/ n/cm$^2$ s at the collimator, exit point of neutron beams. Flatness of neutron beams is proven to ${\pm}$ 6.8% at 97 mm collimator. According to the result of acceptance tests of the water shutter, the filling time of water is about 190 seconds and drainage time of it is about 270 seconds. The radiation leakages in the irradiation room are analyzed to near the background level for neutron and 12 mSv/hr in the maximum for gamma by using BF$_3$ proportional counter and GM counter respectively. Therefore, it is verified that the neutron beams from BNCT facility in Hanaro will be enough to utilize for the purpose of clinical and pre-clinical experiment.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.545-552
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• 2003

When a Si PIN diode is exposed to fast neutrons, it results in displacement damage to the Si lattice structure of the diode. Defects induced from structural dislocation become effective recombination centers for carriers which pass through the base of a PIN diode. Hence, increasing the resistivity of the diode decreases the current for the applied forward voltage. This paper involves the development of a neutron sensor based on the phenomena of the displacement effect damaged by neutron exposure. The neutron effect on the semiconductor was analyzed. Several PIN diode arrays with various thickness and cross-section area of the intrinsic layer(I layer) were fabricated. Under irradiation tests with a neutron beam, the manufactured diodes have a good linearity to neutron dose and show that the increase of thickness of I layer and the decrease of cross-section of PIN diodes improve the sensitivity. Newly developed PIN diodes with thicker I layer and various cross section, were retested and then showed the best neutron sensitivity at the condition that the I layer thickness was similar to a side length. On the basis of two test results, final discrete PIN diodes with a rectangular shape were manufactured and the characteristics as neutron detectors were analyzed through the neutron beam test using on-line electronic dosimetry system. Developed PIN diode shows a good linearity as dosimetry in the range of 0 to 1,000cGy(Tissue) and its neutron sensitivity is 13mV/cGy at constant current of 5mA, that is three times higher than that of commercially available neutron detectors. And the device shows little dependency on the orientation of the neutron beam and a considerable stability in annealing test for a long period.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.433-438
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• 1999

Magneto-acoustic emission (MAE) energy and hardness were measured in the reactor pressure vessel steel (SA508 Steel) for the various neutron fluence, irradiated dose up to $10^{18}n/cm^2$. The hardness was nearly a constant up to $10^{16}n/cm^2$, but it was rapidly increased with an increase of the neutron irradiation above $10^{17}n/cm^2$. It may be considered that the increase of hardness is due to the hindrance of dislocation motion induced defect clusters by irradiation. On the other hand. the MAE energy was slowly decreased as the neutron irradiation increased up to $10^{16}n/cm^2$ and it was rapidly decreased with an increase of the neutron irradiation above $10^{17}n/cm^2$. The decrease of the MAE energy may be considered as an increase of the defect clusters which is very sensitive to the $90^{\circ}$ domain wall motion. Furthermore, the change of MAE energy and hardness had nearly a linear relationship. but the change of MAE energy was more significant than the change of the hardness. Therefore, MAE may be considered as a very useful technique for the nondestructive evaluation of irradiation damage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.116-121
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• 1998

For the application of study on pollution and conservation of environment determination of 33 elemental concetrations in different sediment samples were carried out using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). For verification and evaluation of the analytical method, three standard reference materials (two NIST SRMs and one NRCC CRM) were chosen and the accuracy and precision of the analysis were estimated by comparison to the certified values. Under the optimum condition, the analytical procedure to apply a practical sample was estimated. Neutron irradiation of sample was done at the irradiation facilities (neutron flux, 1-3${\times}$10$\^$13/n/$\textrm{cm}^2$$.$s) of the TRIGA MARK-III and HANARO research reactor in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. In addition, analysis of two IAEA's sediment was performed according to the pre-established analytical method. The analytical results of elements such as Al, As, Co, Cr, Fe, Sb and Zn by INAA were intercompared with those of WD-XRF, ICP-MS and AAS, and are relatively agreed with each other.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.113-119
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• 2013

To develop a new nuclear fuel, it needs to make a test fuel rod and carry out burn-up test in the test loop of a research reactor to check the irradiation characteristics of the nuclear fuel. At that time, several sensors such as thermocouples, LVDTs and SPNDs are needed to be attached in and out of the fuel rod and connect them with instrumentation cables. Then, the instrumentation cables deliver the signals measured by the sensors to the measuring device located outside of the reactor pool. In particular, to install a thermocouple in a fuel rod, it needs to drill off holes on the alumina blocks and sintered $UO_2$ pellets. However, because the hardness of a sintered $UO_2$ pellet is 700 Hv (or HRC 61) and that of an alumina block is 1480 Hv, a special drilling machine which adapts a diamond coated drill bit had developed. In this study, several case experiments have been carried out to find an optimal drilling condition of the drilling machine. And, using the optimal drilling condition, minimum numbers of the holes that a drill bit can drill off are verified.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.111-117
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• 2015

In this paper, production of $^{166}Ho$ by double neutron capture from HANARO research reactor was evaluated. This production approach provides $^{166}Ho$ with high specific activity. $^{164}Dy$ is transmuted into $^{165g+m}Dy$ by (n,${\gamma}$) reaction, then $^{165g+m}Dy$ is transmuted into $^{166}Dy$ by (n,${\gamma}$) reaction. At the end of neutron irradiation, population of $^{166}Dy$ atoms reaches highest point. And $^{164}Dy$ exists as a mixture with $^{165m}Dy$, $^{165}Dy$, $^{166}Ho$ and $^{165}Ho$ at this point. To obtain $^{166}Ho$ with high specific activity, Ho isotopes from irradiated target is separated out. Then $^{166}Ho$ decayed from $^{166}Dy$ is eluted at radioactive equilibrium state. At each step, the number of relevant nuclide is calculated by the state equation. The neutron irradiation time for maximum $^{166}Dy$ is calculated for 283 hour. When 100 mg target of $Dy_2O_3$ (96.8% enriched $^{164}Dy$) is used, possible activity of $^{166}Ho$ is 3.54 Ci($1.31{\times}10^{11}Bq$). For separation efficiency of Dy/Ho is 99.99%, $^{166}Ho/Ho$ is 0.62.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.307-312
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• 2001

Ultrasonic signals from Charpy impact test specimen have been analyzed in order to evaluate the integrity of reactor pressure vessel. Base and weld metal that were extracted from reactor vessel doting plant outages according to the schedule of the surveillance test required by the related regulations have been used and the ultrasonic test parameters including velocity, attenuation, etc. showed a close correlations with the amount of neutron irradiation for base metal, relatively homogeneous materials. This result showed certain possibility where a nondestructive method could be used to predict the fluence of the Irradiation due to neutron in nuclear reactor vessel materials.