• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.1051-1065
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• 2020

Safety analysis of nuclear power plant (NPP) especially in accident conditions is a basic and necessary issue for applications and commercialization of reactors. Many previous researches and development works have been conducted. However, most achievements focused on the safety reliability of primary pressure system vessels. Few literatures studied the structural safety of huge concrete structures surrounding primary pressure system, especially for the fourth generation NPP which allows existing of through cracks. In this paper, structural safety reliability of concrete structures of HTR-PM in accidental double-ended break of hot gas ducts was studied by Exceedance Probability Method. It was calculated by Monte Carlo approaches applying numerical simulations by Abaqus. Damage parameters were proposed and used to define the property of concrete, which can perfectly describe the crack state of concrete structures. Calculation results indicated that functional failure determined by deterministic safety analysis was decided by the crack resistance capability of containment buildings, whereas the bearing capacity of concrete structures possess a high safety margin. The failure probability of concrete structures during an accident of double-ended break of hot gas ducts will be 31.18%. Adding the consideration the contingency occurrence probability of the accident, probability of functional failure is sufficiently low.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.357-373
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• 2022

The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble-bed module project is the first commercial Generation-IV NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) in China. A new joint is used for the vertical support of RPV(Reactor Pressure Vessel). The steel corbel is integrally embedded into the reactor-cabin wall through eight asymmetrically arranged pre-stressed high-strength bolts, achieving the different path transmission of shear force and moment. The vertical monotonic loading test of two specimens is conducted. The results show that the failure mode of the joint is bolt fracture. There is no prominent yield stage in the whole loading process. The stress of bolts is linearly distributed along the height of corbel at initial loading. As the load increases, the height of neutral axis of bolts gradually decreases. The upper and lower edges of the wall opening contact the corbel plate to restrict the rotation of the corbel. During the loading, the pre-stress of some bolts decreases. The increase of the pre-stress strength ratio of bolts has no noticeable effect on the structure stiffness, but it reduces the ultimate bearing capacity of the joint. A simplified calculation model for the elastic stage of the joint is established, and the estimation results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.411-419
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• 1994

The containment failure probability due to hydrogen burning during severe accidents proceeding in a low pressure sequence is calculated using Monte Carlo method. The probability distribution functions for this Monte Carlo calculation is obtained from the statistical method. The calculations are performed for Kori unit 2, and the sensitivity studies on the input variables-the amount of hydrogen generated at SFD, cerium diameter, cerium length, oxidation rate at FCI, and the amount of hydrogen generated during MCCI-are also performed. It is revealed that SFD is the main factor in hydrogen generation, but the other sources also cannot be neglected. The containment failure probability due to the hydrogen burning lies within 6% in case of Kori unit 2.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to analyze the social behavior, especially, the evacuation-related social behavior, of the transients in the radiological emergency planning zone(EPZ) of nuclear power plants. So, the meaning and kinds of the evacuation and the significance of the trip generation time(TGT) have been reviewed. The characteristics of the social behavior of the transient around Ulchin, Wolsong and Kori sites was analyzed through field surveys by using the questionnaire. The major findings of this research implications are as follows. First, for securing the safe evacuation, the alternatives to effectively provide the information on the evacuation warning may be prepared. Second, it is necessary to establish the education and training of transient's evacuation. Third, it is needed that the cause and background of the evacuation refusal are identified and the new response plan to secure transient's safety is prepared.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.104-104
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• 2015

Due to the demand of the cold neutron flux in the neutron science and beam utilization technology, the cold neutron source (CNS) has been constructed and operating in the nuclear research reactor all over the world. The majority of the heat load removal scheme in the CNS is two-phase thermosiphon using the liquid hydrogen as a moderator. The CNS moderates thermal neutrons through a cryogenic moderator, liquid hydrogen, into cold neutrons with the generation of the nuclear heat load. The liquid hydrogen in a moderator cell is evaporated for the removal of the generated heat load from the neutron moderation and flows upward into a heat exchanger, where the hydrogen gas is liquefied by the cryogenic helium gas supplied from a helium refrigeration system. The liquefied hydrogen flows down to the moderator cell. To keep the required liquid hydrogen stable in the moderator cell, the CNS consists of an in-pool assembly (IPA) connected with the hydrogen system to handle the required hydrogen gas, the vacuum system to create the thermal insulation, and the helium refrigeration system to provide the cooling capacity. If one of systems is running out of order, the operating research reactor shall be tripped because the integrity of the CNS-IPA is not secured under the full power operation of the reactor. To prevent unscheduled reactor shutdown during a long time because the research reactor has been operating with the multi-purposes, the introduction of the standby cooling system (STS) can be a solution. In this presentation, the design considerations are considered how to design the STS satisfied with the following objectives: (a) to keep the moderator cell less than 350 K during the full power operation of the reactor under loss of the vacuum, loss of the cooling power, loss of common electrical power, or loss of instrument air cases; (b) to circulate smoothly helium gas in the STS circulation loop; (c) to re-start-up the reactor within 1 hour after its trip to avoid the Xenon build-up because more than certain concentration of Xenon makes that the reactor cannot start-up again; (d) to minimize the possibility of the hydrogen-oxygen reaction in the hydrogen boundary.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.947-955
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the awareness of spent nuclear fuel among residents in nuclear power plant areas and use it as basic data for establishing a disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. 204 questionnaires collected online were analyzed using SPSS Window Ver 28.0. To verify differences between groups, t-test and one-way ANOVA were performed. And correlation analysis was conducted to confirm the relationship between variables. As a result, first, risk perception regarding nuclear-related accidents showed statistically significant differences depending on gender and educational level. The position on the construction of a permanent disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel showed a statistically significant difference depending on gender, education, and age, and the perception of the importance of each evaluation standard for establishing a spent nuclear fuel management plan showed a statistically significant difference depending on education and age. In terms of trust in information-providing institutions, trust in the National Assembly was found to be the lowest. Second, the results of the correlation analysis between variables showed that local residents are aware that an alternative to the current disposal of spent nuclear fuel is needed, and that financial support for the construction of a permanent disposal facility is needed. Therefore, in order to build a high-level radioactive waste disposal site, it is believed that it is necessary to increase trust in the government, collect opinions from local residents, and provide economic support.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2018

Fire accidents in foreign countries, like the accident in a thermal power plant in Beijing, the accidents in domestic power plants, including Boryeong Power Plant in 2012 and Taean Power Plant in 2016, a disaster in a nuclear power plant in Fukushima in 2011 or the large-scale power failure in California in 2001 are safety accidents related to electric power, which caused losses in the people's stable lives and the countries. Electricity has an absolute impact on the people's life and the economy, so we can easily expect the serious situation affecting economic growth as well as direct damage to the protection of the people's lives and the losses of properties, if there are fire or explosion accidents or radioactive leak because of negligence in safety management, or problems because of natural disasters like an earthquake in power plants that generate electricity. In this study, it was drawn the improvement of the organizations exclusively in charge of firefighting, the operation of a program for the improvement of professional competency, the development of a customized firefighting management system for plants for systematic firefighting safety management and the improvement of the earthquake-proof correspondence system, which has recently become an issue, as measures for improvements through a survey of the actual conditions concerning the necessity of the construction of a firefighting safety management system for power plants with five power generation companies, including Korea Southern Power Co., Ltd., and the persons in charge of firefighting safety Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.568-575
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• 2010

Flow Accelerated Corrosion is an active degradation mechanism of CANDU feeder. The tight bend downstream to Gray loc weld connection, close to reactor face, suffers significant wall thinning by FAC. Extensive in-service inspection of feeder wall thinning is very difficult because of the intense radiation field, complex geometry, and space restrictions. Development of a knowledge-based inspection program is important in order to guarantee that adequate wall thickness is maintained throughout the whole life of feeder. Research results and plant experiences are reviewed, and the plant inspection databases from Wolsong Units One to Four are analyzed in order to support developing such a knowledge-based inspection program. The initial thickness before wall thinning is highly non-uniform because of bending during manufacturing stage, and the thinning rate is non-uniform because of the mass transfer coefficient distributed non-uniformly depending on local hydraulics. It is obvious that the knowledge-based feeder inspection program should focus on both fastest thinning locations and thinnest locations. The feeder wall thinning rate is found to be correlated proportionately with QV of each channel. A statistical model is proposed to assess the remaining life of each feeder using the QV correlation and the measured thicknesses. W-1 feeder suffered significant thinning so that the shortest remaining life barely exceeded one year at the end of operation before replacement. W-2 feeder showed far slower thinning than W-1 feeder despite the faster coolant flow. It is believed that slower thinning in W-2 is because of higher chromium content in the carbon steel feeder material. The average Cr content of W-2 feeder is 0.051%, while that value is 0.02% for W-1 feeder. It is to be noted that FAC is reduced substantially even though the Cr content of W-2 feeder is still very low.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2021

Seismic designs for Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs) under earthquakes' design basis are noticed due to the recent earthquake events in Korea and Japan. Japan has developed the technologies and experiences of the NPPs through theoretical research and experimental verification with extensively accumulated measurement data. This paper describes the main features of the design-time history complying with the Japanese seismic design standard. Proper seed motions in the earthquake catalog are used to generate one set of design time histories. A magnitude and epicentral distance specify the amplitude envelope function configuring the shape of the earthquake. Cumulative velocity response spectral values of the design time histories are compared and checked to the target response spectra. Spectral accelerations of the time histories and the multiple-damping target response spectra are also checked to exceed. The generated design time histories are input to the reactor building seismic analyses with fixed-base boundary conditions to calculate the seismic responses. Another set of design time histories is generated to comply with Korean seismic design procedures for NPPs and used for seismic input motions to the same reactor containment building seismic analyses. The responses at the dome apex of the building are compared and analyzed. The generated design time histories will be also applied to subsequent seismic analyses of other Korean standard NPP structures.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.61
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• pp.9-38
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• 2019

As the scales & density of the Korean national infrastructures have been increased, they will be identified as rich and attractive potential targets for intensified North Korea's attack in the rear region and terrorism attack. In addition, due to changes in security environment such as drone threats and lack of security forces under the 52-hour workweek law, I think that it is the proper time point to reevaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the current physical protection system and its shift to a new system. In this study, the direction and improvement of the perimeter physical protection systems of the national infrastructures are to be studied from the viewpoints of its concepts of operations and design methodology, focusing on the nuclear power plant. The reason why we focus on nuclear power plants is because they cause wide-range and long-term damages caused by radioactive materials disperal and pollution, along with short-term damage caused by the interruption of electricity generation in the event of damage to nuclear power plants. With the aim of extracting improvement directions, as we will comprehensively review domestic research trends and domestic·overseas related laws, and consider Korea's specificity, we try to reframe the concept of operation - systematization, mobilization and flexibility -, and establish criteria on system change. In order to improve the technical performance of the new perimeter physical protection system, we study on high-fidelity·multi-methodology based integrated design methodology, breaking from individual silo-type design methods, and I suggest improvement of government procurement, its expansion to export business and other national infrastructure.