• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.1616-1622
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• 2022

Selenium has been identified as an element of interest for the safety assessment of a deep geological repository (DGR) for used nuclear fuel. In Canada, groundwaters at DGR depths in sedimentary rocks have been observed to have a high ionic strength. This paper examines the sorption behavior of Se(-II) onto illite, MX-80 bentonite, Queenston shale, and argillaceous limestone in Na-Ca-Cl solutions of varying ionic strength (0.1-6 mol/kgw (m)) and across a pH range of 4-9. Little ionic strength dependence for Se(-II) sorption onto all solids was observed except that sorption at high ionic strength (6 m) was generally slightly lower than sorption at low ionic strength (0.1 m). Illite and MX-80 exhibited the expected results for anion sorption, while shale and limestone exhibited more constant sorption across the pH range tested. A non-electrostatic surface complexation model successfully predicted sorption of Se(-II) onto illite and MX-80 using the formation of an inner-sphere surface complex and an outer-sphere surface complex. Optimized values for the formation reactions of these surface species were proposed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.455-468
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• 2022

Colloid Formation and Migration (CFM) project is being carried out within the Grimsel Test Site (GTS) Phase Ⅵ. Since 2008, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has joined CFM to investigate the behavior of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in a generic Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The CFM project includes a long-term in-situ test (LIT) and an in-rock bentonite erosion test (i-BET) to assess the in-situ colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport through the bentonite erosion in the natural flow field. In the LIT experiment, radionuclide-containing compacted bentonite was equipped with a triple-packer system and then positioned at the borehole in the shear zone. It was observed that colloid transport was limited owing to the low swelling pressure and low hydraulic conductivity. Therefore, a postmortem analysis is being conducted to estimate the partial migration and diffusion of radionuclides. The i-BET experiment, that focuses more on bentonite erosion, was newly designed to assess colloid formation in another flow field. The i-BET experiment started with the placement of compacted bentonite rings in the double-packer system, and the hydraulic parameters and bentonite erosion have been monitored since December 2018.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.429-453
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• 2022

Numerical modeling and scenario composition are needed to characterize the geological environment of the disposal site and analyze the long-term evolution of natural barriers. In this study, processes and features of the hydro-mechanical behavior of natural barriers were categorized and represented using the interrelation matrix proposed by SKB and Posiva. A hydro-mechanical coupled model was evaluated for analyzing stress field changes and fracture zone re-activation. The processes corresponding to long-term evolution and the hydro-mechanical mechanisms that may accompany critical processes were identified. Consequently, practical numerical methods could be considered for these geological engineering issues. A case study using a numerical method for the stability analysis of an underground disposal system was performed. Critical stress distribution regime problems were analyzed numerically by considering the strata's movement. Another case focused on the equivalent continuum domain composition under the upscaling process in fractured rocks. Numerical methods and case studies were reviewed, confirming that an appropriate and optimized modeling technique is essential for studying the stress state and geological history of the Korean Peninsula. Considering the environments of potential disposal sites in Korea, selecting the optimal application method that effectively simulates fractured rocks should be prioritized.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 2023

Spin-off pyroprocessing technology and inert anode materials to replace the conventional carbon-based smelting process for critical materials were introduced. Efforts to select inert anode materials through numerical analysis and selected experimental results were devised for the high-throughput reduction of oxide feedstocks. The electrochemical properties of the inert anode material were evaluated, and stable electrolysis behavior and CaCu generation were observed during molten salt recycling. Thereafter, CuTi was prepared by reacting rutile (TiO₂) with CaCu in a Ti crucible. The formation of CuTi was confirmed when the concentration of CaO in the molten salt was controlled at 7.5mol%. A laboratory-scale electrorefining study was conducted using CuTi(Zr, Hf) alloys as the anodes, with a Ti electrodeposit conforming to the ASTM B299 standard recovered using a pilot-scale electrorefining device.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.23-41
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• 2023

Coupled thermo-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes are essential for the long-term performance of deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this study, a numerical sensitivity analysis was performed to analyze the effect of rock properties on THM responses after the execution of the heater test at the Kamaishi mine in Japan. The TOUGH-FLAC simulator was applied for the numerical simulation assuming a continuum model for coupled THM analysis. The rock properties included in the sensitivity study were the Young's modulus, permeability, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficients of crystalline rock, rock salt, and clay. The responses, i.e., temperature, water content, displacement, and stress, were measured at monitoring points in the buffer and near-field rock mass during the simulations. The thermal conductivity had an overarching impact on THM responses. The influence of Young's modulus was evident in the mechanical behavior, whereas that of permeability was noticed through the change in the temperature and water content. The difference in the THM responses of the three rock type models implies the importance of the appropriate characterization of rock mass properties with regard to the performance assessment of the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.95-114
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• 2023

During the decades after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident, ambient dose rates have markedly decreased when compared to those at the early state of the accident. Government projects have been continuously conducted by surveying the ambient dose rate and radiocesium distributions. Airborne surveys using crewed helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are the best methods for obtaining an overall picture of the distribution. However, ground-based surveys are required for accurate measurements near the population. The differences between these methods include the knowledge of the post depositional behavior of radionuclides in land use. The survey results form the basis for policy decisions such as lifting evacuation zones, decontamination, and other countermeasures. These surveys contain crucial findings regarding post-accident responses. This paper reviews the survey methods of government projects and current situation around the FDNPS. The visualization methods and databases of ambient dose rates are also reviewed to provide information to the population.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.328-339
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• 2023

Methanol steam reforming (MSR) is a promising method for hydrogen supplying as a critical step in hydrogen fuel cell commercialization in mobile applications. Modelling and understanding of the reactor behavior is an attractive research field to develop an efficient reformer. Three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) and Box-Behnken design (BBD) were used to modelling of MSR process using the Cu-SiO₂ aerogel catalyst. Furthermore, impacts of the basic operational variables and their mutual interactions were studied. The results showed that the most affecting parameters were the reaction temperature (56%) and its quadratic term (20.5%). In addition, it was also found that the interaction between temperature and Steam/Methanol ratio is important on the MSR performance. These models precisely predict MSR performance and have great agreement with experimental results. However, on the basis of statistical criteria the ANN technique showed the greater modelling ability as compared with statistical BBD approach.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.36-44
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• 2022

Hydrogen energy as an alternative source of energy has been receiving tremendous support around the world, and research is being actively conducted accordingly. However, most of the studies focus on hydrogen storage tanks and only are few studies on interpreting the hydrogen filling system itself. In this study, with reference to SAE J2601, a hydrogen fueling protocol, a simulation model was developed that can confirm the behavior of the vehicle's internal tank during hydrogen fueling. With respect to factors such as fuel supply temperature, ambient temperature, and pressure increase rate, the developed model can check the change of temperature and pressure in the tank and the state of hydrogen charging during hydrogen fueling. The validity of the developed simulation model was confirmed by comparing the simulation results with the experimental results presented in SAE J2601.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.702-736
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• 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the technologies powered by AI fuel the fourth industrial revolution. Being the primary adopter of such innovations, banking has recently started using the most common AI-based technology, i.e., conversational agents. Although research extensively focuses on this niche area and provides bibliometric understanding for such agents in other industries, a similar review with scientometric insights of the banking literature concerning AI conversational agents is absent till date. Furthermore, in the era following the pandemic, banks are faced with the imperative to provide solutions that align with the changing landscape of remote consumer behavior. As a result, banks are proactively integrating technology-driven solutions, such as automated agents, to effectively address the growing demand for remote customer support. Hence more research is needed to perfect such agents. In order to bridge these existing gaps, the present study undertook a comprehensive examination of two decades' worth of banking literature. A meticulous review was conducted, analyzing approximately 116 papers published from 2003 to 2023. The aim was to provide a scientometric overview of the topic, catering to the research needs of both academic and industrial professionals. Holistically, the study seeks to present a macro-view about the existing trends in AI based banking conversational agents' literature while focusing on quantity, qualitative and structural indicators that are effectively necessary to offer new directions for the AI-based banking solutions. Our study, therefore, presents insights surrounding the literature, using selected techniques related to performance analysis and science mapping.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2023

This study presents a CRUD modelling to simulate the thermal resistance behavior of CRUD, deposited on the surface of a cladding tube of a fuel assembly. When heat produced from fuels transfers to a coolant through a cladding tube, the CRUD acting as an additional thermal resistance is expressed as two layers, i.e., a solid oxide layer and an imaginary fluid layer, which are added to the experimental tube's heat structure of the MARS-KS input data. The validation calculation for the experiments performed in UNIST-DISNY facility showed that the center and surface temperatures of the cladding tube increased as the porosity and the steam amount inside pores of the CRUD got higher. In addition, the temperature gradient in the imaginary fluid layer was calculated to be larger than that in the solid oxide part, indicating that the steam amount inside the layer acted more largely as thermal resistance. It was also evaluated through sensitivity calculations that the cladding tube temperature was more sensitive to the CRUD porosity and the steam amount in pores than to the inlet flow rate of the coolant.