• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.1357-1371
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• 2024

To investigate the influence of different burial conditions on the seepage characteristics of loose sandstone in the leaching mining of sandstone uranium ore, this study applied different ground pressures and water pressures to rock samples at different burial depths to alter the rock's seepage characteristics. The permeability, pore distribution, and particle distribution characteristic parameters were determined, and the results showed that at the same burial depth, ground pressure had a greater effect on the reduction in permeability than water pressure. The patterns and mechanisms are as follows: under the influence of ground pressure, increasing the burial depth compresses the pores in the rock samples, decreases the proportion of effective permeable pores, and causes particle fragmentation, which blocks pore channels, resulting in a decrease in permeability. Under the influence of water pressure, increasing the burial depth expands the pores but also causes hard clay particles to decompose and block pore channels. As the burial depth increases, the particles eventually decompose completely, and the permeability initially decreases and then increases. In this experiment, the relationships between permeability and the proportion of pores larger than 0.15 ㎛ and the proportion of particles smaller than 59 ㎛ were found to be the most significant.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.99-107
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• 1997

This study Provides the treatment methods of liquid wastes from the dissolution/purification process of nuclear fuel raw material and the fabrication process of nuclear fuel powder. One of the treatment methods is to process liquid waste from uranium raw material dissolution/purification process. This waste, of the strong acid, can be reused to dissolve the fine ADU particles in filtrate which is ADU waste of pH 8.0 converted from AUC waste after recovery of uranium. To dissolve the fine ADU particles, ADU filtrate was pretreated to pH 4.0 with the dissolution/purification waste, and then mixed with the lime to pH 9.2 and aged for 30 minutes. From this processing, uranium content of the filtrate was decreased to below 3ppm. The waste from fuel powder fabrication is emulsified solution dispersed with fine oil droplets. This emulsion was destroyed effectively by adding and mixing the nitric acid with rapid heating at the same time. After this processing, $Na_2U_2O_7$ compound is produced by addition of NaOH. Optimum condition of this processing was shown at pH 11.5, and uranium content of the filtrate was analyzed to 5ppm. To remove the trace of uranium in the filtrate, lime should be added. Otherwise, 4N nitric acid was used to destroy the emulsion directly, and then lime was added to this waste. Uranium content of the treated filtrate was below 1 ppm. In addition to these wastes, the trace of uranium in filtrate after recovery of uranium from the AUC waste which is produced during PWR power preparation, is treated with NaOH to takeup fluorine(F) in the waste because fluorine is valuable and toxic material. In the finally treated waste, uranium was not detected.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.773-795
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• 2008

The major import minerals of South Korea are copper ore, lead-zinc ore, iron ore, manganese ore and molybdenum ore. Oversea resources development of South Korea have 92 projects in 14 nations of Asia, 29 projects in 10 nations of America and Europe, and 14 projects in 9 nations of Middle Asia and Africa. But, most projects of them are found in Australia, China, Mongolia and Indonesia. The most projects of the Australia, China and Indonesia are interested in coal and a little projects of them have manganese, iron, lead-zinc, nickel, copper, gold, molybdenum, rare earth elements and uranium. The most projects of the Mongolia are interested in gold and rare earth elements. Representative ore deposits models of metal resources are Orogenic lode deposits, Volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, Porphyry deposits, Sedimentary exhalative deposits, Mississippi valley type deposits, Iron oxide copper-gold deposits and Magmatic nickel-copper-platinum group element deposits based on global distribution, reverses and grades of their deposits models. If oversea mineral resources will be examined the mineral reserves, mineral mine production and ore deposits models of nations and then survey and investigate of mineral resources, we may be maintained ore body of high grade at survey area and decrease the investment risk.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.13-20
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• 2008

Magnetic method is rapid, cheap and simple geophysical exploration technique, and has wide range of applications such as resources prospecting, geological structure investigation and even geotechnical and environmental problems. Documents during Japanese occupation says that magnetic method was used for exploring metallic ore deposits and hot spring, and that a geomagnetic observatory was operated. From mid 1950's, magnetic explorations for natural resources such as metallic ore, uranium, coal, and groundwater were intensively executed for industrialization. Magnetic survey techniques were rapidly advanced during 1970's and 1980's with improvements of instruments, growth of geophysical manpower, and availability of computers. Decline of mining industry since mid 1980's moved the exploration objects from traditional resources to new ones such as groundwater and geothermal resources. Recently appeared applications such as natural hazard assessment, and engineering and environmental studies increased the magnetic method's utility in the realm of exploration.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2001

Natural alpha radiation produced a stable defect center to certain minerals. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance(EPR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool f3r quantifying this defect center. EPR method has been applied to trace alpha-radiation effect around the uranium ore deposit. The results show that EPR technique can be used to measure rapidly and nondestructively the defect center produced by natural alpha radiation. In general, a good correlation was achieved between defect center concentration and actinide elements(U, Th). These results imply that the concentration of defect center is dependent on the alpha radiation dose over long time scale.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.15-31
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• 1977

New conception of batch and period is defined appropriate for the on-power refuelling scheme of a heavy water-moderated reactor, A computer code (“HWRCOST”) is developed using nuclear fuel cycle economic equations based on the continuous energy calculation method. The fuel cycle cost of the CANDU-PHW reactor is calculated and sensitivity analyses are performed with variation of uranium ore price, fabrication cost, spent fuel permanent disposal expenses, and capacity fctor.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.151-166
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• 1989

A study of rare-earth mineralization in Kyemyungsan metasedimentary formation of Precambrian Ogcheon Group was carried out in the Mt. Eore Area near Choongju City based on the thorium (Th) and uranium (U) count data of geophysical airborne survey. This rare-earth mineralization was found in the magnetite-bearing banded quartizite which contains diagnostically some amounts of the metamict allanite. The brown colored allanites are distributed as aggregates of fine grains and sometimes banded structures with magnetite (inter growth) along the banding. The ore bed is displaced by the small faults and granite intrusions, and separated 5 ore blocks. The dimensions of the outcrop are 50-80 m in width, 1,500 m in length with the strike of $N70-80^{\circ}E$ and dip of $50-80^{\circ}NW$. In the field, the values of total gamma ray count of GR-101A scintillometer were able to measure more than 400 cps and maximum 1,500 cps, which data are coincided with the values of GR-310 gamma ray spectrometer and the gamma ray count of well logging data. The chemical compositions of the allanites from EPMA data are ranged from$\sum^{TR_2O_3}$ 18.57% to 26.00%, and the cerium oxides ($Ce_2O_3$) of allanite are positive relation with $La_2O_3$, MgO, FeO, MnO and negative relation with $SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$, $Nd_2O_3$. The result of Neutron Activation Analysis (N.A.A.), Multi-Channel Analysis (M.C.A.) and wet chemistry of 25 outcrop samples for the elements of REE, Zr, U, Th shows strong anomalies. The good correlation elements with the thorium (Th) are the elements of La, Ce, LREE, $TR_2O_3$, Pr, Sm, Yb, Lu by the increasing order.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.4 s.179
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• pp.403-416
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• 2006

Magnetic method is rapid, cheap and simple geophysical exploration technique, and has wide range of applications such as resources prospecting, geological structure investigation and even geotechnical and environmental problems. Especially, aeromagnetics gives fundamental and useful geoscientific data fnr not only assessment of potential resources, but also national land planning. Magnetic method, perhaps the oldest geophysical technique, was relatively early introduced into Korea. Documents during Japanese occupation says that magnetic method was used for exploring metallic ore deposits and hot spring, and that a geomagnetic observatory was operated. From mid 1950's, after Korean War, magnetic explorations for natural resources such as metallic ore, uranium, coal, and groundwater were intensively executed for industrialization. Apache aeromagnetic survey project during $1958{\sim}1959$ and its ground follow-up surveys are typical and important cases in those days. Magnetic survey techniques were rapidly advanced during 1970's and 1980's with improvements of instruments, growth of geophysical manpower, and availability of computers. The national aeromagnetic mapping project by KIGAM in 1981 showed the improved technical capability of those days. Decline of mining industry since mid 1980's moved the exploration objects from traditional resources to new ones such as groundwater and geothermal resources, and applications to investigation of geological structure were revived. Recently appeared applications such as natural hazard assessment, and engineering and environmental studies increased the magnetic method's utility in the realm of exploration.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.385-396
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• 2012

The geochemical high-grade uranium anormal zone has been reported in the Shinbo mine and its eastern areas, Jinan-gun, Jeollabuk-do located in the southwestern part of Ogcheon metamorphic zone, Korea. In this paper is reported the time-relationship between deformation and growth of metamorphic minerals in the eastern area of Shinbo mine, which consists of the Precambrian metasedimentary rocks (quartzite, metapelite, metapsammite) and the age-unknown pegmatite and Cretaceous porphyry which intrude them, and is considered the relative mineralization time on the basis of the previous research's result. The D1 deformation formed the straight-type Si internal foliation which is defined mainly as the arrangement of elongate quartz, biotite, opaque mineral in andalusite porphyroblast. The D2 deformation, which is defined by the microfolding of Si foliation, formed S2 crenulation cleavage. It can be divided into two sub-phases, early crenulation and late crenulation. The former occurs as the curvetype Si foliation in the mantle part of andalusite. The latter occurs as S1-2 composite foliation which warps around the andalusite. The andalusite porphyroblast began to grow under non-deformation condition after the formation of S1 foliation which corresponds to the straight-type Si foliation. It continued to grow before the late crenulation phase. The age-unknown pegmatite intruded after the D2 deformation and grew the fibrous sillimanite which random masks the S1-2 composite foliation. The D3 deformation formed F3 fold which folded the S1-2 composite foliation, D2 crenulation, fibrous sillimanite. It means that the intrusion of pegmatite related to the growth of the fibrous sillimanite took place during the inter-tectonic phase of D2 and D3 deformations. The retrograde metamorphism is recognized by the chloritization of biotite and two-way cleavage lamellae which is parallel to the S1-2 composite foliation and the F3 fold axial surface in the andalusite porphyroblast. It occurred during the D2 late crenulation phase and D3 deformation. In considering of the previous research's result inferring the most likely candidate for the uranium source rock as pegamatite, it indicates that the age-unknown pegmatite intruded during the inter-tectonic phase of D2 and D3 deformations, i.e. during the retrograde metamorphism related to the uplifting of crust, and formed the uranium ore zone around the Shinbo mine.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.731-744
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• 2013

Energy security is a topic of high importance to many countries throughout the world. Countries with access to vast energy supplies enjoy all of the economic and political benefits that come with controlling a highly sought after commodity. Given the desire to diversify away from fossil fuels due to rising environmental and economic concerns, there are limited technology options available for baseload electricity generation. Further complicating this issue is the desire for energy sources to be sustainable and globally scalable in addition to being economic and environmentally benign. Nuclear energy in its current form meets many but not all of these attributes. In order to address these limitations, TerraPower, LLC has developed the Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR) which is a near-term deployable and truly sustainable energy solution that is globally scalable for the indefinite future. The fast neutron spectrum allows up to a ~30-fold gain in fuel utilization efficiency when compared to conventional light water reactors utilizing enriched fuel. When compared to other fast reactors, TWRs represent the lowest cost alternative to enjoy the energy security benefits of an advanced nuclear fuel cycle without the associated proliferation concerns of chemical reprocessing. On a country level, this represents a significant savings in the energy generation infrastructure for several reasons 1) no reprocessing plants need to be built, 2) a reduced number of enrichment plants need to be built, 3) reduced waste production results in a lower repository capacity requirement and reduced waste transportation costs and 4) less uranium ore needs to be mined or purchased since natural or depleted uranium can be used directly as fuel. With advanced technological development and added cost, TWRs are also capable of reusing both their own used fuel and used fuel from LWRs, thereby eliminating the need for enrichment in the longer term and reducing the overall societal waste burden. This paper describes the origins and current status of the TWR development program at TerraPower, LLC. Some of the areas covered include the key TWR design challenges and brief descriptions of TWR-Prototype (TWR-P) reactor. Selected information on the TWR-P core designs are also provided in the areas of neutronic, thermal hydraulic and fuel performance. The TWR-P plant design is also described in such areas as; system design descriptions, mechanical design, and safety performance.