• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2003

An electrochemical reduction technology which can reduce the decay heat, volume, and radioactivity of spent fuel by a factor of quarter through converting oxide type spent fuel to a metallic form in a molten salt was developed and tests in a scale of g (3- 40g $U_{3}O_{8}$ batch) have been carried out by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. In this research, the reaction apparatus in a scale of 5kg $U_{3}O_{8}$ batch was designed and manufactured for the mock-up test to obtain design data of the apparatus which will be used for the hot test in a scale of 20kg $U_{3}O_{8}$ batch. The electrochemical reduction behavior of $U_{3}O_{8}$ was analyzed regarding the operational factors and fresh $U_{3}O_{8}$ powder was metallized with a more than 99% yield verifying the process validity of electrochemical reduction process in a kg scale.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2003

In this study, the maintenance process by the servo manipulator has been developed for the parts of the equipment, which we unable to reach out by the Master-Slave Manipulator(MSM) in a hot cell. To do this, a virtual mock-up is implemented using the iか prototyping technology. Using this mock-up, the workspace of the manipulators in the hot cell and the operator's view through the wall-mounted lead glass have been analyzed. In addition, the path planning of the servo manipulator using the collision detection function of the virtual mock-up has been established. From these, the maintenance process for the parts of the equipment, which are located at the outside of the MSM's workspace using the servo manipulator has been proposed and verified through the graphic simulation. It is revealed that the proposed remote maintenance process of the equipment can effectively be used in the real hot cell operation. It is also believed that the implemented virtual mock-up of the hot cell can effectively be applied in analyzing the various hot cell operation and enhancing the reliability and safety in a hot cell remote handling for the spent fuel management.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.295-300
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• 2015

The precise determination of the activity for each radionuclide in environmental samples requires the self-absorption correction factor. In this research, we derived the self-absorption correction factor for three p-type high purity germanium detectors using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX. These detectors have different characteristics such as crystal diameter, height and size of the core. We compared the calculated full-energy peak efficiency with the experimental value using a standard sample with $1g/m^3$ density and verified the modeling. We simulated the dependency of the full-energy peak efficiency on the 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.0, 1.2 and $1.5g/m^3$ samples and obtained the corresponding self-absorption correction factor. The self-absorption correction factors calculated for the three detectors differ by less than 1% over most of the energy range and sample densities considered. This indicates that the self-absorption correction factors are independent of the crystal characteristics of HPGe detector.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2012

The dehydration schemes of rare earth (La, Ce, Nd, Pr, Sm. Eu, Gd, Y) chloride hydrates was investigated by using a dehydration apparatus. To prevent the formation of the rare earth oxychlorides, the operation temperature was changed step by step ($80{\rightarrow}150{\rightarrow}230^{\circ}C$) based on the TGA (thermo-gravimetric analysis) results of the rare earth chloride hydrates. A vacuum pump and preheated Ar gas were used to effectively remove the evaporated moisture and maintain an inert condition in the dehydration apparatus. The dehydration temperature of the rare earth chloride hydrate was increased when the atomic number of the rare earth nuclide was increased. The content of the moisture in the rare earth chloride hydrate was decreased below 10% in the dehydration apparatus.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2012

A porous $TiO_2$ pellet was electrochemically converted to the metallic titanium by using a $CaCl_2$ molten salt system at $850^{\circ}C$. Ni-$TiO_2$ and graphite electrodes were used as cathode and anode, respectively. The electrochemical behaviour of $TiO_2$ pellet was determined by a constant voltage control electrolysis. Various reaction intermediates such as $CaTiO_3$, $Ti_2O$ and $Ti_6O$ were observed by XRD analysis during electrolysis of the pellet. Once $TiO_2$ pellet was converted to a porous metallic structure, the porous structure disappeared by sintering and shrinking with increasing the reaction time at high temperature.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.199-206
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• 2011

The influence of water salinity on the hydraulic conductivities of compacted bentonites with several dry densities were studied. The hydraulic conductivity increases with increasing salinity only when the dry density of bentonite is relatively low. The degree of increase becomes more remarkable at a lower dry density of bentonite. For bentonite with the density of 1.0 $Mg/m^3$ and 1.2 $Mg/m^3$, the hydraulic conductivity of the 0.4 M NaCl solution increases up to about 7 times and 3 times, respectively higher than that of freshwater. However, for the bentonite with a dry density higher than 1.4 $Mg/m^3$, the salinity has an insignificant effect on the hydraulic conductivity, and the hydraulic conductivity is nearly constant within the salinity range of 0.04 to 0.4 M NaCl. The pre-saturation of the bentonite specimen with freshwater has no significant influence on the hydraulic conductivity.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.321-329
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• 2016

Based on the results of groundwater flow system modeling for a hypothetical deep geological repository site, quantitative and spatial distributions of groundwater flow rates at the positions of deposition holes, groundwater travel length and time from the positions to the surface environment were analyzed and used to suggest a method for determining locations of deposition holes. The hydraulic head values at the depth of the deposition holes and a particle tracking method were used to calculate the ground-water flow rates and groundwater travel length and time, respectively. From the results, an approach to designing a layout of deposition holes was suggested by selecting relatively favorable positions for maintaining performance of the disposal facility and screening some positions of deposition holes that did not comply with specific constraints for the groundwater flow rates, travel length and time. In addition, a method for determining a geometrical direction for extension of the disposal facility was discussed. Designing the layout of deposition holes with the information of groundwater flow at the disposal depth can contribute to secure performance and safety of the disposal facility.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.388-394
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• 2003

To handle the high level radioactive materials such a spent fuel, the master-slave manipulators (MSM) are widely used as a remote handling device in nuclear facilities such as the hot cell with sealed and shielded space. In this paper, the Digital Mockup which simulates the remote operation of the Advanced Conditioning Process(ACP) is developed. Also, the workspace and the motion of the slave manipulator, as well as, the remote operation task should be analyzed. The process equipment of ACP and Maintenance/Handling Device are drawn in 3D CAD models using IGRIP. Modeling device of manipulator is assigned with various mobile attributes such as a relative position, kinematics constraints, and a range of mobility, The 3D graphic simulator using the external input device of space ball displays the movement of manipulator. To connect the external input device to the graphic simulator, the interface program of external input device with 6 DOF is deigned using the Low Level Tele-operation Interface(LLTI). The experimental result shows that the developed simulation system gives much-improved human interface characteristics and shows satisfactory response characteristics in terms of synchronization speed. This should be useful for the development of work's education system in the virtual environment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.539-543
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• 2003

The objective of this to improve the reliability of the safety evaluation code for Wolsong Tritium Removal Facility(WTRF) which is on the development for environmental assessment. To achieve this, tritium concentrations calculated in the Wolsong Units of this study are compared with that of the existing reference. As the result, the tritium concentration in each Wolsong nuclear power plant unit just before operating WTRF is 60.9Ci/kg, 36.3Ci/kg, 30.0Ci/kg, 26.5Ci/kg under the assumption that the WTRF begins operation in 2005, respectively. This result is almost same with that of the existing reference. But the reducing rate of tritium concentration in the moderator is faster than that of the reference result Finally it is expected to drop below 10Ci/kg after WTRF operation. And this result is also similar with that of the existing reference.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.207-214
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• 2003

Removal efficiency of methyl iodide at high temperature process by TEDA-impregnated activated carbon used for radioiodine retention in nuclear facility was experimentally compared with that of silver ion-exchanged synthetic zeolite(AgX), In temperature ranges of$30^{\circ}C$ to $400^{\circ}C$, adsorption capacity of un-impregnated carbon was sharply decreased, but TEDA-impregnated carbon showed similar values of adsorption capacity of AgX even around $100^{\circ}C$. Especially, loading amount of methyl iodide on TEDA carbon up to$250^{\circ}C$ represented higher values compared to un-impregnated carbon. Breakthrough curves of methyl iodide in fixed bed packed with AgX and TEDA-impregnated carbon at high temperature was compared. Removal mechanism of methyl iodide on AgX was proposed, based on analysis of by-product gas generated from adsorption reaction.