• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.1109-1114
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• 2009

The evolution of a high burnup structure (HBS) in a light water reactor (LWR) $UO_2$ fuel was simulated using the Potts model. A simulation system for the Potts model was defined as a two-dimensional triangular lattice, for which the stored energy was calculated from both the irradiation damage of the $UO_2$ matrix and the formation of a grain boundary in the newly recrystallized small HBS grains. In the simulation, the evolution probability of the HBS is calculated by the system energy difference between before and after the Monte Carlo simulation step. The simulated local threshold burnup for the HBS formation was 62 MWd/kgU, consistent with the observed threshold burnup range of 60-80 MWd/kgU. The simulation revealed that the HBS was heterogeneously nucleated on the intergranular bubbles in the proximity of the threshold burnup and then additionally on the intragranular bubbles for a burnup above 86 MWd/kgU. In addition, the simulation carried out under a condition of no bubbles indicated that the bubbles played an important role in lowering the threshold burnup for the HBS formation, thereby enabling the HBS to be observed in the burnup range of conventional high burnup fuels.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.338-345
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• 2004

This study examines the sensitivity of several fabrication parameters for dry process fuel, using a random sampling technique. The in-pile performance of dry process fuel with irradiation was calculated by a modified ELESTRES code, which is the CANDU fuel performance code system. The performance of the fuel rod was then analyzed using a Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the uncertainty of the major outputs, such as the fuel centerline temperature, the fission gas pressure, and the plastic strain. It was proved by statistical analysis that for both the dry process fuel and the $UO_2$ fuel, pellet density is one of the most sensitive parameters, but as for the fission gas pressure, the density of the $UO_2$ fuel exhibits insensitive behavior compared to that of the dry process fuel. The grain size of the dry process fuel is insensitive to the fission gas pressure, while the grain size of the $UO_2$ fuel is correlative to the fission gas pressure. From the calculation with a typical CANDU reactor power envelop, the centerline temperature, fission gas pressure, and plastic strain of the dry process fuel are higher than those of the $UO_2$ fuel.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1955-1963
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• 2021

As the IAEA has applied integrated safeguards and a state level approach to member states, the importance of national inspection has increased. However, the requirements for national inspection for some member states are different from the IAEA safeguards. In particular, the national inspection for the ROK requires on-site U concentration analysis due to a domestic notification. This research proposes an on-site U concentration analysis (OUCA) method for UO₂ pellets using gamma spectroscopy to satisfy the domestic notification requirement. The OUCA method calculates the U concentration of UO₂ pellets using the measured net X-ray counts and declared ²³⁵U enrichment. This research demonstrates the feasibility of the OUCA method using both MCNP simulation and experiment. It simulated and measured the net X-ray counts of different UO₂ pellets with different U concentrations and ²³⁵U enrichments. The simulated and measured net X-ray counts were fitted to polynomials as a function of U concentration and ²³⁵U enrichment. The goodness-of-fit results of both simulation and experiment demonstrated the feasibility of the OUCA method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.151-152
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• 2007

ACP(Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process)의 금속전환로에 $U_{3}O_{8}$을 공급하기 위하여 20 kgHM/batch의 $UO_{2}$ 펠릿(pellets)을 처리할 수 있는 공기산화로가 개발되고 있다. 그림 1은 산소농도 조절이 가능한 공기산화로이다. 공기산화로 이전의 공정인 슬리팅 장치에서 탈피복된 $UO_{2}$ 펠릿은 공기산화로로 운반되고, $500^{\circ}C$온도에서 공기를 공급하여 일정한 입도범위의 균질한 $U_{3}O_{8}$을 만든다. 그리고 다음공정의 금속전환장치로 이동된다. 본 논문에서는 모의연료의 산화에 대한 정확한 산소농도를 측정하고자 한다. 이를 위해서 갈바닉 센서와 지르코니움 센서가 사용되었고, 그 특성이 비교되었다. 14종의 금속 산화물이 혼합된 모의연료를 제조하여 산화실험이 수행되었으며, 시간변화에 따라 산소농도가 측정되었다. 산소농도 컨트롤러와 산소 센서를 사용한 공기산화로는 산소조절기에 의해 산소농도 100%까지 측정될 수 있다. 그림 2는 공기산화로의 산소농도를 조절할 수 있는 산소농도 측정시스템이다. 유량조절기(Mass Flow Controller)를 사용하여 질소와 산소의 혼합비를 변화시킬 수 있다. 또한 산소농도 측정시스템은 측정된 산소농도 값을 이용하여 $UO_{2}$의 산화시간을 계산하기 위하여 제작하였다. 산화시간 계산방법은 다음과 같다. 산소와 질소의 가스는 각각 40 L의 압력 봄베에 의해서 산소농도를 조절할 수 있는 공기산화로의 산소농도 측정시스템 안으로 유입된다. 유입된 산소와 질소의 배합은 컨트롤시스템 안에 있는 산소 유량조절기와 질소 유량 조절기를 사용하여 조절하며, 일정하게 혼합된 산소농도는 장치의 입구와 출구에서 산소 센서에 의해서 측정된다. 투입된 $UO_{2}$ 펠릿이 $500^{\circ}C$에서 반응하면서 공기산화로의 내부에 있는 산소농도가 감소된다. 이때 초기에 같았던 입력과 출력 농도가 시간의 흐름에 따라 감소되며, 펠릿이 완전히 산화됨과 동시에 출력 산소농도가 입력농도와 다시 같아질 때까지 소요된 구간이 산화시간이 된다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.11b
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• pp.506-511
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• 1996

Research on the dry etching of UO$_2$ by using fluorine containing gas plasma is carried out for DUPIC (Direct Use of spent PWR fuel In CANDU) process which is taken into consideration for potential future fuel cycle in Korea. CF$_4$/O$_2$ gas mixture is chosen for the reactant gas and the etching rates of UO$_2$ by the gas plasma are investigated as functions of substrate temperature, plasma gas pressure, CF$_4$/O$_2$ ratio, and plasma power, It is tentatively found that the etching rate can reach 1000 monolayers/min. and the optimum CF$_4$/O$_2$ ratio is around 4:1.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.231-234
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• 1983

The stability constant for the complex of $UO_2^{2+}$ with a macrocyclic aminoether ligand, 1,7,10,16-tetraoxa-4,13-diazacyclooctadecane, has determined in aqueous solution. The conductivity and pH metric measurements suggest that the ligand forms a stable 1:1 complex with $UO_2^{2+}$ ion, and the complex is an ionic form, $UO_2L^{2+}$, in aqueous solution. The fact that the ligand does not form a complex with lanthanides, such as $Ce^{3+}$, $Sm^{3+}$, and $Nd^{3+}$ ions, in aqueous solution suggests a possibility of separation of the lanthanide elements from uranium matrix using the macrocyclic aminoether ligand.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.813-819
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• 1993

An ICP-AES system directly connected with a separation column was used in order to determine the trace elements in $UO_2$ powder promptly and reduce the volume of the waste solution. The outlet of a separation column, which was filled with Teflon powder ($330\;{\mu}m$) coated with tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) as extractant, was directly connected with sample injection tube of ICP-AES. Eleven elements including molybdenum in $UO_2$ powder were separated and determined simultaneously. Recoveries of these elements were $91{\sim}110%$ and these results were agreed with those of solvent extraction methods. This method was applicable to quality control in manufacturing nuclear fuel.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.203-211
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• 2001

In this paper it was described on the intereference effect of uranium to analyze Cs in $UO_2$ by Electron Probe Micro Analysis(EPMA) and the beam stability of Cs $L_{\alpha}$ X-ray intensity for some Cs compounds. According to the experimental results, the CsI showed the highest $L_{\alpha}$ X-ray intensity among the tested Cs compounds at the experimental condition; 15~30 kV of accelerating voltage and PET, LiF crystal. When 100 nA of beam current was applied to Cs compounds, Cs $L_{\alpha}$ X-ray intensity was continuously decreased with increasing time. The decreasing rate of Cs $L_{\alpha}$ X-ray intensity was directly proportional to the applied beam current and accelerating voltage but inversely proportional to the applied beam size. It was found that uranium interference can be prevented by using Cs $L_{\alpha}$ X-ray wavelength of Lif crytal for Cs analysis in $UO_2$ by EPMA.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.1036-1042
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• 2020

Fast-Neutron Multiplicity Counter based on Liquid Scintillator Detector can directly measure the fast neutron multiplicity emitted by UO₂ rod. HPGe gamma spectrometer; which has superior energy resolution; is routinely used for the gamma energy spectrum measurement. Combing Fast-Neutron Multiplicity Counter and HPGe γ-spectrometer, the n/γ joint measurement system is developed. The fast neutron multiplicity and gamma energy spectrum of UO₂ rod assemblies under different conditions are measured by the n/γ joint measurement system. The induced fission rate and the ²³⁵U abundance, thereby the ²³⁵U mass; can be obtained for UO₂ rod assemblies. The ²³⁵U mass deviation of the measured value from the reference value is less than 5%. The results show that the n/γ joint measurement system is effective and applicable in the measurement of the ²³⁵U mass in samples.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1996.05c
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• pp.553-558
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• 1996

가압 경수로형 핵연료에 대한 장기 저장거동을 연구하기 위하여 모의 사용후핵연료(SIMFUEL) 및 조사 핵연료에 대한 산화시험을 공기중에 수행하였다. 연소도가 15,33 및 50 GWD/MTU로 모의한 핵연료를 300-375$^{\circ}C$ 구간에서 산화 시험한 결과, 모의 사용후핵연료는 미조사 $UO_2$시편과 같이 S-형 곡선의 무게증가 특성을 보여 주었으며, 미조사 $UO_2$시편에 비해 산화가 느리게 일어났으며, 모의 사용후핵연료는 연소도가 높을수록 산화속도가 느리다. 고리 2호기에서 2주기 연소한 우라늄 및 가돌리니아 핵연료를 275$^{\circ}C$에서 산화 시험한 결과, 조사 $UO_2$는 연소도가 증가할수록 산화가 느리게 일어나며, 우라늄 핵연료는 가돌리니아 핵연료에 비해 산화가 빨리 일어난다.