• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권5호
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• pp.1549-1559
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• 2022

As an accident tolerant fuel (ATF) concept, oxide dispersion strengthened Zircaloy-4 (ODS Zry-4) cladding has been developed to enhance the mechanical properties of cladding using laser processing technology. In this study, a simulation technique was established to investigate the mechanical properties and effects of Y₂O₃ particles for the ODS Zry-4. A 3D representative volume element (RVE) model was developed considering the parameters of the size, shape, distribution and volume fraction (VF) of the Y₂O₃ particles. From the 3D RVE model, the Young's modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and creep strain rate of the ODS Zry-4 were effectively calculated. It was observed that the VF of Y₂O₃ particles had a significant effect on the aforementioned mechanical properties. In addition, the predicted properties of ODS Zry-4 were applied to a simulation model to investigate cladding deformation under a transient condition. The ODS Zry-4 cladding showed better performance, such as a delay in large deformation compared to Zry-4 cladding, which was also found experimentally. Accordingly, it is expected that the simulation approach developed here can be efficiently employed to predict more properties and to provide useful information with which to improve ODS Zry-4.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.1398-1405
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• 2019

We use a molecular dynamics simulation to explore thermal transport in oxide nuclear fuels with point defects. The effect of vacancy and substitutional defects on the thermal conductivity of plutonium dioxide and uranium dioxide is investigated. It is found that the thermal conductivities of these fuels are reduced significantly by the presence of small amount of vacancy defects; 0.1% oxygen vacancy reduces the thermal conductivity of plutonium dioxide by more than 10%. The missing of larger atoms has a more detrimental impact on the thermal conductivity of actinide oxides. In uranium dioxide, for example, 0.1% uranium vacancies decrease the thermal conductivity by 24.6% while the same concentration of oxygen vacancies decreases the thermal conductivity by 19.4%. However, uranium substitution has a minimal effect on the thermal conductivity; 1.0% uranium substitution decreases the thermal conductivity of plutonium dioxide only by 1.5%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권5호
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• pp.1541-1548
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• 2022

The thermal conductivity of uranium oxide (UO₂) containing pores and grain boundaries is investigated using continuum-level simulations based on the finite-difference method in two and three dimensions. Steady-state heat conduction is solved on microstructures generated from the phase-field model of the porous polycrystal to calculate the effective thermal conductivity of the domain. The effects of porosity, pore size, and grain size on the effective thermal conductivity of UO₂ are quantified. Using simulation results, a new empirical model is developed to predict the effective thermal conductivity of porous polycrystalline UO₂ fuel as a function of porosity and grain size.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제50권2호
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• pp.237-245
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• 2018

Potential air ingress scenarios during accidents in nuclear reactors or spent fuel pools have raised the question of the influence of air, especially of nitrogen, on the oxidation of zirconium alloys, which are used as fuel cladding tubes and other structure materials. In this context, the reaction of zirconium with nitrogen-containing atmospheres and the formation of zirconium nitride play an important role in understanding the oxidation mechanism. This article presents the results of analysis of the interaction of the oxygen-preloaded niobium-bearing alloy $M5^{(R)}$ with nitrogen over a wide range of temperatures ($800-1400^{\circ}C$) and oxygen contents in the metal alloy (1-7 wt.%). A strongly increasing nitriding rate with rising oxygen content in the metal was found. The highest reaction rates were measured for the saturated ${\alpha}-Zr(O)$, as it exists at the metal-oxide interface, at $1300^{\circ}C$. The temperature maximum of the reaction rate was approximately 100 K higher than for Zircaloy-4, already investigated in a previous study. The article presents results of thermogravimetric experiments as well as posttest examinations by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microprobe elemental analyses. Furthermore, a comparison with results obtained with Zircaloy-4 will be made.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권5호
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• pp.908-917
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• 2020

Corrosion of structural materials presents a critical challenge in the use of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) as a nuclear coolant in an accelerator-driven system. By forming a protective layer on the steel surfaces, corrosion of steels in LBE cooled reactors can be mitigated. The amount of oxygen concentration required to create a continuous and stable oxide layer on steel surfaces is related to the oxidation process. So far, there is no oxidation experiment in fuel assemblies (FA), let alone specific oxidation detail information. This information can be, however, obtained by numerical simulation. In the present study, a new coupling method is developed to implement a coupling between the oxygen mass transfer model and the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS-CFX. The coupling approach is verified. Using the coupling tool, we study the oxidation process of the FA and investigate the effects of different inlet parameters, such as temperature, flow rate on the mass transfer process.

• 비파괴검사학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.189-199
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• 1999

산화막이 피복된 원전 연료봉의 원통형 쉘에 대한 공명산란 해석을 수행하고 원주파 전파 특성을 연구하였다. 피복 쉘에 대한 산란 음압의 정규 모우드 해를 구하였고 최근에 새롭게 제안된 고유 배경음압 계수를 이용하여 피복 쉘의 순수 공명 신호를 분리하였다. 12%의 상대 두께를 갖는 원통형 피복 쉘에 대하여 산화막 두께 증가에 따른 공명 원주파의 전파 특성을 해석하였다. 산화막의 존재와 그 두께가 증가할 때 정규 모우드의 차수에 따라 원주파의 전파 특성이 크게 변화한다. 제 1차 반대칭 ($A_1$) 원주파에서 특정 부분파의 위상속도는 산화막이 존재하고 그 두께가 증가함에도 불구하고 위상속도가 일정 한 특성을 보인다. 공명신호를 분리하고 공명 모우드를 확인하는 실험을 수행하여 $A_1$ 원주파의 전파 특성을 확인하였다. $A_1$ 원주파의 위상속도 일정 특성을 이용함으로써 산화막의 두께를 상대적으로 측정 할 수 있는 새로운 비파괴 평가방법을 제안하였다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.47-53
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• 2003

한국원자력연구소에서는 산화물 형태의 사용후핵연료를 용융염 매질에서 금속으로 전환함으로써 사용후핵연료의 발열량, 부피 및 방사능을 1/4로 감소시킬 수 있는 전기화학적 금속전환공정을 개발하고 g 규모(3-40g $U_{3}O_{8}$ batch)로 기초실험을 수행하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 전기화학적 금속전환 장치를 5kg $U_{3}O_{8}$ batch 규모로 설계 제작하고, 목표로 하고 있는 20kg $U_{3}O_{8}$ batch 규모 핫셀 실증을 위한 장치설계자료를 산출하기 위해 mock-up test를 수행하였다. 운전변수에 따른 $U_{3}O_{8}$의 전기화학적 환원거동을 규명하였으며, $U_{3}O_{8}$ 분말을 99% 이상 금속전환하여 전기화학적 금속전환공정의 타당성을 kg 규모로 검증할 수 있었다.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.379-384
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• 2017

LiCl 용융염에서 희토류 산화물의환원율을 높이기 위해 NiO와 혼합하여 전해환원을실시하였다. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) 실험을 통해 LiCl 용융염 내에서 혼합산화물의 전기화학적 환원거동을 조사하였다. 혼합산화물로 제작된 환원전극과 그라파이트 산화전극 사이에 일정한 작동전압을 인가하여 이론전하량 대비 다양한 전하량을 공급한 후 중간생성물의 결정구조를 XRD를 이용하여 분석하였다. NiO 산화물을 첨가함으로써 전기전도성이 좋은 Ni 금속 주위로 희토류 산화물이 환원되어 RE-Ni 합금형태의 금속으로 완전히 전환되었으며, 합금을 형성하는 반응 메커니즘을 제시하였다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.415-420
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• 2020

Strontium is known as a salt-soluble element during the electrolytic oxide reduction (EOR) process. The chemical behavior of SrO during EOR was investigated via thermodynamic calculations to provide quantitative data on the chemical status of Sr. To achieve this, thermodynamic calculations were conducted using HSC chemistry software for various EOR conditions. It was revealed that SrO reacts with LiCl salt to produce SrCl₂, even in the presence of Li₂O, and that the ratio of SrCl₂ depends on the initial concentration of Li₂O dissolved in LiCl. It was found that SrO reacts with Li to produce Sr during EOR and that the reduced Sr reacts with LiCl salt to produce SrCl₂. As a result, the proportions of metallic forms were lower in Sr than in La and Nd under various EOR conditions. The thermodynamic calculations indicated that the three chemical forms of SrO, SrCl₂, and Sr co-exist in the EOR system under an equilibrium with Li, Li₂O, and LiCl.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.131-144
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• 2010

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has been developing pyroprocessing technology for recycling useful resources from spent fuel since 1997. The process includes pretreatment, electroreduction, electrorefining, electrowinning, and a waste salt treatment system. This paper briefly addresses unit processes and related innovative technologies. As for the electroreduction step, a stainless steel mesh basket was applied for adaption of granules of uranium oxide. This basket was designed for ready handling and transfer of feed material. A graphite cathode was used for the continuous collection of uranium dendrite in the electrorefining system. This enhances the throughput of the electrorefiner. A particular mesh type stirrer was designed to inhibit uranium spill-over at the liquid Cd crucible. A residual actinide recovery system was also tested to recover TRU tracer. In order to reduce the waste volume, a crystallization method is employed for Cs and Sr removal. Experiments on the unit processes were tested successfully, and based on the results, engineering-scale equipment has been designed for the PRIDE (PyRoprocess Integrated inactive DEmonstration facility).