• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.55-60
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• 2005

The evaluation of neutron flux distribution was performed for the ex-core detector design of SMART-P. DORT and MCNP code were used for the calculation of energy-dependent neutron flux distribution at 100% full power condition. Two code results show that maximum thermal flux appears at the $1^{st}$ water region in IST region and agree within 10% difference. In addition, another evaluation was performed code with assumptions that cote was composed of fission source and control rod without fuel assemblies. These assumptions make neutron count rate to be minimized. As a results, maximum thermal flux showed $6.99{\times}10^{-2}(n/cm^2-sec)$, when the strength of initial fission source was assumed as $1.0{\times}10^8(n/sec)$. The main reason of these results is due to the thermalization of fast neutrons in the water region and thermal flux is proportional to 80% of total neutron flux. Therefore, optimization of filler material of detector guide tube, position of installation and axial length of detector segments is necessary for the design of ex-core detector to enhance the neutron count rate and above results could be used in ex-core detector design as a fluence requirement.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.141-145
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• 2017

Background: The concrete walls inside the vaults of cyclotron facilities are activated by neutrons emitted by the targets during radioisotope production. Reducing the amount of radioactive waste created in such facilities is very important in case they are decommissioned. Thus, we proposed a strategy of reducing the neutron activation of the concrete walls in cyclotrons during operation. Materials and Methods: A polyethylene plate and B-doped Al sheet (30 wt% of B and 2.5 mm in thickness) were placed in front of the wall in the cyclotron room of a radioisotope production facility for pharmaceutical use. The target was Xe gas, and a Cu block was utilized for proton dumping. The irradiation time, proton energy, and beam current were 8 hours, 30 MeV, and $125{\mu}A$, respectively. To determine a suitable thickness for the polyethylene plate set in front of the B-doped Al sheet, the neutron-reducing effects achieved by inserting such sheets at several depths within polyethylene plate stacks were evaluated. The neutron fluence was monitored using an activation detector and 20-g on de Au foil samples with and without 0.5-mm-thick Cd foil. Each Au foil sample was pasted onto the center of a polyethylene plate and B-doped Al sheet, and the absolute activity of one Au foil sample was measured as a standard using a Ge detector. The resulting relative activities were obtained by calculating the ratio of the photostimulated luminescence of each foil sample to that of the standard Au foil. Results and Discussion: When the combination of a 4-cm-thick polyethylene plate and B-doped Al sheet was employed, the thermal neutron rate was reduced by 78%. Conclusion: The combination of a 4-cm-thick polyethylene plate and B-doped Al sheet effectively reduced the neutron activation of the investigated concrete wall.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.88-91
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• 1964

A rapid and simple method is described here for the determination of scandium in monazite by neutron activation analysis. The sample is irradiated for 20 hours at the neutron flux of $10^{12}$ thermal neutrons/$cm^2$/sec in the TRIGA MARK Ⅱ reactor, after which the sample is decomposed by fusion with concentrated sulfuric acid. The scandium-46 together with scandium carrier are separated from the irradiated sample by precipitating with ammonia, and are extracted by solvent extraction of the thiocyanate complex into ether. The induced radioactivity is measured by gamma scintillation spectrometry using the Multichannel Pulse Height Analyzer connected with 2"${\times}$2" NaI(Tl). The chemical yield is determined gravimetrically by precipitating scandium with mandelic acid. In order to check the efficiency of scandium separation and the errors from interfering activities of the other elements, scandium was separated by the cation exchange resin column, and the results from both samples were compared each other, which showed that the chemical procedure used in this work was as selective as the ion-exchange method with respect to scandium separation. The scandium contents in Korean monazite were found to be about 12 p. p. m.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.42-59
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• 2002

In order to transmute long-lived radioactive nuclides such as transuranics(TRU), Tc-99, and I- l29 in LWR spent fuel, a preliminary conceptual design study has been performed for the accelerator driven subcritical reactor system, called HYPER(Hybrid Power Extraction Reactor) The core has a hybrid neutron energy spectrum: fast and thermal neutrons for the transmutation of TRU and fission products, respectively. TRU is loaded into the HYPER core as a TRU-Zr metal form because a metal type fuel has very good compatibility with the pyre- chemical process which retains the self-protection of transuranics at all times. On the other hand, Tc-99 and I-129 are loaded as pure technetium metal and sodium iodide, respectively. Pb-Bi is chosen as a primary coolant because Pb-Bi can be a good spallation target and produce a very hard neutron energy spectrum. As a result, the HYPER system does not have any independent spallation target system. 9Cr-2WVTa is used as a window material because an advanced ferritic/martensitic steel is known to have a good performance under a highly corrosive and radiation environment. The support ratios of the HYPER system are about 4∼5 for TRU, Tc-99, and I-129. Therefore, a radiologically clean nuclear power, i.e. zero net production of TRU, Tc-99 and I-129 can be achieved by combining 4 ∼5 LWRs with one HYPER system. In addition, the HYPER system, having good proliferation resistance and high nuclear waste transmutation capability, is believed to provide a breakthrough to the spent fuel problems the nuclear industry is faced with.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.308-314
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• 2021

Neutron dose level at bottom head of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) was calculated using reactor vessel neutron transport for a Korean nuclear power plant A. At 34 EFPY with a 40-year (2042) design life after plating repair, irradiation fast neutron effect was 6.6x10¹⁵ n/cm². As helium(He) gas can be generated by Ni only at 1/10⁶ level of 5 × 10²¹ n/cm², He generation possibility in the Ni plating layer is very little during 40 years of operation (2042, 34 EFPY). Thermal neutrons can significantly affect the generation of He from Ni metal. At 10 years after a repair, He can be generated at a level of about 0.06 appm, a level that can add general welding repair without any consideration. After 40 years of repair, 9.8 appm of He may be generated. Although this is a rather high value, it is within the range of 0.1 to 10 appm when welding repair can be applied. Clad repair by Ni electroplating technology is expected to greatly improve the operation efficiency by improving the safety and shortening the maintenance period of the nuclear power plant.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.2364-2370
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• 2021

The ⁿMCP (Neutron sensitive microchannel plate) combined with advanced readout electronics is widely used in energy selective neutron imaging because of its good spatial and timing resolution. Neutron detection efficiency is a crucial parameter for the ⁿMCP. In this paper, a mathematical model based on the oblique cylindrical channel and elliptical pore was established to calculate the neutron absorption probability, the escape probability of charged particles and overall detection efficiency of ⁿMCP and analyze the effects of neutron incident position, pore diameter, wall thickness and bias angle. It was shown that when the doping concentration of the ⁿMCP was 10 mol%, the thickness of ⁿMCP was 0.6 mm, the detection efficiency could reach maximum value, about 24% for thermal neutrons if the pore diameter was 6 ㎛, the wall thickness was 2 ㎛ and the bias angle was 3 or 6°. The calculated results are of great significance for evaluating the detection efficiency of the ⁿMCP. In a subsequent companion paper, the mathematical model would be extended to the case of the spatial resolution and detection efficiency optimization of the coating ⁿMCP.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.3080-3087
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• 2023

Thermoelectric (TE) materials working in radioisotope thermoelectric generators are irradiated by neutrons throughout its service; thus, investigating the neutron irradiation stability of TE devices is necessary. Herein, the influence of neutron irradiation with fluences of 4.56 × 10¹⁰ and 1 × 10¹³ n/cm² by pulsed neutron reactor on the electrical and thermal transport properties of n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 and p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ thermoelectric alloys prepared by cold-pressing and molding is investigated. After neutron irradiation, the properties of thermoelectric materials fluctuate, which is related to the material type and irradiation fluence. Different from p-type thermoelectric materials, neutron irradiation has a positive effect on n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 materials. This result might be due to the increase of carrier mobility and the optimization of electrical conductivity. Afterward, the effects of p-type and n-type TE devices with different treatments on the output performance of TE devices are further discussed. The positive and negative effects caused by irradiation can cancel each other to a certain extent. For TE devices paired with p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ and n-type Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3 thermoelectric legs, the generated power and conversion efficiency are stable after neutron irradiation.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.114-123
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• 2024

Hydrogen isotopes can be categorized into light hydrogen, heavy hydrogen, and tritium based on the number of neutrons, each of which is used in specific fields. Specifically, deuterium is of interest in the electronics industry, nuclear energy industry, analytical technology industry, pharmaceutical industry, and telecommunications industry. Conventional methods such as cold distillation, thermal cycling absorption processes, Girdler sulfide processes, and water electrolysis have their own advantages and disadvantages, leading to the need for alternative technologies with high separation and energy efficiency. In this context, membrane-based hydrogen isotope separation is one of the promising solutions to reduce energy consumption. In this review, we will present the state-of-the-art in hydrogen isotope separation using membranes and their operating principles. The technology for separating hydrogen isotopes using membranes is just beginning to be conceptualized, and many challenges remain to be overcome. However, if achieved, the economic benefits are expected to be significant. We will discuss future research directions for this purpose.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2_spc
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• pp.327-336
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• 2020

The high-flux advanced neutron application reactor (HANARO) is a research reactor with thermal power of 30 MW applied in various research and development using neutrons generated from uranium fission chain reaction. A degasifier tank is installed in the ancillary facility of HANARO. This facility generates gas pollutants produced owing to internal environmental factors. The degasifier tank is designed to maintain the gas contaminants below acceptable levels and is monitored using an analyzer in the gas sampling panel. If condensate water is generated and flows into the analyzer of the gas sampling panel, corrosion occurs inside the analyzer's measurement chamber, which causes failure. Condensate water is generated because of the temperature difference between the degasifier tank and analyzer when the gas flows into the analyzer. A heating system is installed between the degasifier tank and gas sampling panel to suppress condensate water generation and effectively remove the condensate water inside the system. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of the heating system. In addition, the variations in the pipe temperature and the amount of average condensate water were modeled using a wall condensation model based on the changes in the fluid inlet temperature, outside air temperature, and heating cable-setting temperature.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.66-73
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• 2001

Purpose : For the research of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), fast neutrons generated from the MC-50 cyclotron with maximum energy of 34.4 MeV in Korea Cancer Center Hospital were moderated by 70 cm paraffin and then the dose characteristics were investigated. Using these results, we hope to establish the protocol about dose measurement of epi-thermal neutron, to make a basis of dose characteristic of epi-thermal neutron emitted from nuclear reactor, and to find feasibility about accelerator-based BNCT. Method and Materials : For measuring the absorbed dose and dose distribution of fast neutron beams, we used Unidos 10005 (PTW, Germany) electrometer and IC-17 (Far West, USA), IC-18, ElC-1 ion chambers manufactured by A-150 plastic and used IC-l7M ion chamber manufactured by magnesium for gamma dose. There chambers were flushed with tissue equivalent gas and argon gas and then the flow rate was S co per minute. Using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code, transport program in mixed field with neutron, photon, electron, two dimensional dose and energy fluence distribution was calculated and there results were compared with measured results. Results : The absorbed dose of fast neutron beams was $6.47\times10^{-3}$ cGy per 1 MU at the 4 cm depth of the water phantom, which is assumed to be effective depth for BNCT. The magnitude of gamma contamination intermingled with fast neutron beams was $65.2{\pm}0.9\%$ at the same depth. In the dose distribution according to the depth of water, the neutron dose decreased linearly and the gamma dose decreased exponentially as the depth was deepened. The factor expressed energy level, $D_{20}/D_{10}$, of the total dose was 0.718. Conclusion : Through the direct measurement using the two ion chambers, which is made different wall materials, and computer calculation of isodose distribution using MCNP simulation method, we have found the dose characteristics of low fluence fast neutron beams. If the power supply and the target material, which generate high voltage and current, will be developed and gamma contamination was reduced by lead or bismuth, we think, it may be possible to accelerator-based BNCT.