This study investigated quality characteristics and functionality of rose sparkling wine that were manufactured by secondary fermentation after inoculation of yeast strains. The pH of the samples ranged from 3.96 to 4.05 and total acidity ranged from 0.23 to 0.32%. The alcohol contents of wines ranged from 6.4 to 6.6% and the CO2 pressure ranged from 2.0 to 2.6 bar. The brightness of rose wines ranged from 84.72 to 87.36, the redness from 9.28 to 14.15, and the yellowness from 9.50 to 19.20. The hue value of wines ranged from 1.137 to 1.513 and color intensity ranged from 0.724 to 0.882. Aroma analysis identified 14 alcohols, 22 esters, 4 ketones, 4 acids, and 17 miscellaneous compounds. The total tannin contents and total polyphenol contents of wines were 11.28~12.43 mg% and 24.79~28.20 mg%, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of wines ranged 63.33 to 67.89% and the ABTS radical scavenging activity of wines 82.16~86.06%. The results of this study provide a basis for establishing the brewing process of rose sparkling wines yeast strains.

The HADES (High-level rAdiowaste Disposal Evaluation Simulator) was developed by the Nuclear Fuel Cycle & Nonproliferation (NFC) laboratory at Seoul National University (SNU), based on the MOOSE Framework developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). As an application of the MOOSE Framework, the HADES incorporates not only basic MOOSE functions, such as multi-physics analysis using Finite Element Method (FEM) and various solvers, but also additional functions for estimating the performance assessment of Deep Geological Repositories (DGR). However, since the MOOSE Framework does not have complex mesh generation and data analyzing capabilities, the HADES has been developed to incorporate these missing functions. In this study, although the Gmsh, finite element mesh generation software, and Paraview, finite element analysis software, were used, other applications can be utilized as well. The objectives of HADES are as follows: (i) assessment of the performance of a Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) disposal system concerning Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) aspects; (ii) Evaluation of the integrity of the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) of both general and high-efficiency design perspective; (iii) Collaboration with other researchers to evaluate the disposal system using an open-source approach. To achieve these objectives, performance assessments of the various disposal systems and BMTs (BenchMark Test), conducted as part of the DECOVALEX projects, were studied regarding TH behavior. Additionally, integrity assessments of various DGR systems based on thermal criteria were carried out. According to the results, HADES showed very reasonable results, such as evolutions and distributions of temperature and degree of saturation, when compared to validated code such as TOUGH-FLAC, ROCMAS, and OGS (OpenGeoSys). The calculated data are within the range of estimated results from existed code. Furthermore, the first version of the code, which can estimate the TH behavior, has been prepared to share the contents using Git software, a free and open-source distribution system.

Corrosion-related challenges remain a significant research topic in developing next-generation Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs). To gain a deeper understanding of preventing corrosion in MSRs, previous studies have attempted to improve the corrosion resistance of structural alloys by coating surfaces such as alumina coating. To conduct a corrosion test of coating alloys fully immersed in molten salt, it’s important to ensure that the coating application process is carefully carried out. Ideally, coating all sides of the alloy is necessary to avoid gaps like corners of the alloy, while only applying a one-sided coating alloy can lead to galvanic corrosion with the base metals. Using the droplet shape of eutectic salt applied to only one side of the coating alloy would avoid these problems in conventional corrosion immersion tests, as corrosion would occur solely on the coating surface. Although the droplet method for corrosion tests cannot fully replicate corrosion in the MSRs environment, it offers a valuable tool for comparing and evaluating the corrosion resistance of different coating surfaces of alloys. However, the surface area is important due to the effect of diffusion in the corrosion of alloy in molten salt environments, but it is difficult to unify in the case of droplet tests. Therefore, understanding the droplet-alloy properties and corrosion mechanism is needed to accurately predict and analyze these test systems’ behavior highlighting unity for corrosion tests of different coating surfaces of alloys. To analyze the molten salt droplet behavior on various samples, pelletized eutectic NaCl-MgCl2 was prepared as salt and W-, Mo-coating, and base SS316 as samples. At room temperature, the same mass of pelletized eutectic NaCl-MgCl2 was placed on different samples under an argon atmosphere and heated to a eutectic point of 500°C in a furnace. After every hour, the molten droplets were hardened by rapid cooling at room temperature outside the furnace. The mass loss of salts and the contact area of the samples were measured by mass balance and SEM. The shape, surface area to volume ratio, and evaporation of the droplets of NaCl-MgCl2 per each coating sample and hour were analyzed to identify the optimal mass to equalize the contact coating surface of alloys with salts. Furthermore, We also analyzed whether their results reached saturation of corrosion products through ICP-MS. This will be significant research for the uniformity of the liquid-drop shape corrosion test of the coating sample in molten eutectic salts.

LiCl-KCl eutectic possesses unique properties such as a low melting point, high thermal conductivity, and good electrical conductivity. These properties make it suitable for various applications, including nuclear power generation, pyroprocessing in nuclear waste management, and thermal energy storage systems. In most experiments using LiCl-KCl, the molten salt composition is an important factor; therefore, periodic analysis through sampling is necessary for monitoring compositional changes. Although manual sampling is typically used, it is time-consuming and can introduce errors due to low reproducibility. To address this issue, we have developed an automatic molten salt sampling device using the cold-finger method. This method involves immersing the tip of a tungsten rod in hightemperature LiCl-KCl, removing it after a few seconds, and allowing the adhered molten salt to solidify instantly. A collector then scratches and drops the solidified sample. These processes are carried out automatically using servo motors, enabling the sampling device to move around the molten salt system. We have optimized the sampling conditions, such as insertion and withdrawal rate, immersion time, and the interval between continuous sampling, based on the molten salt temperature. The temperature was set between 500°C and 850°C, considering the operating temperatures of the applications. In addition to sampling speed, the sampling depth is a key condition for determining the sampling mass. Therefore, we examined the amount of sample depending on the sampling depth and, particularly, considered the change in salt height when sampling is performed continuously. As a result, we determined the number of sampling iterations required to reach the target sample mass. Furthermore, to minimize the initial salt loss, we noted that sampling from the salt surface resulted in less representative samples. To determine the reliability, we compared the results of surface sampling with those obtained when sampling at the middle of the salt. This study will enable highly reproducible and reliable sampling by providing a prototype for an automatic sampling device for molten salt along with guidelines.

Measuring the concentration of corrosion products or nuclear fission products (FPs) in molten salts is crucial for pyroprocessing and molten salt reactors. Electrochemical analysis methods that can be performed in situ offer significant advantages for monitoring the concentration of corrosion products or FPs in molten salts. A microelectrode is an electrode with a length of several tens of micrometers on one side. The use of a microelectrode for electrochemical analysis has several advantages due to its small size, including rapidly reaching the limiting current regardless of the scan rate, immediate attainment of the limiting current upon applying an overpotential for instant monitoring within milliseconds, accurate measurement even in low convection systems, a small iR drop resulting from low flowing current and high signal accuracy, and high current density resulting in a high signal-tonoise ratio (SNR). Among various methods for making microelectrodes, techniques involving cutting a thin wire or using capillaries (such as the dual-bore capillary and pulled glass capillary methods) require precise manual skills and experience. Therefore, the results may vary depending on the maker’s skill level, and it can be difficult to control the electrode’s area, thickness, and surface uniformly. Recent research has focused on using semiconductor processes to fabricate microelectrodes, where CVD, metal sputtering, photolithography, and etching processes work together to deposit, refine, and shape the required material on a silicon wafer to create microelectrodes. However, the durability of microelectrodes produced this way is still low (usable for about 15-30 minutes), and there is no clear research on the degradation mechanism over time. To verify the proper operation of the fabricated microelectrodes, cyclic voltammetry (CV) is performed at various scan rates (from 10 mVs-1 to 2 Vs-1), and chronoamperometry (CA) is also examined to confirm whether the electrodes rapidly reach a steady-state current. After confirming their proper operation, CV is continuously measured until the microelectrodes are destroyed in a LiCl-KCl solution containing a small amount of FPs (Sm 340 mM) at 450°C. By observing changes in the electrical signal of the microelectrodes over time, the durability is evaluated, and the mechanism of performance degradation of the electrode is discovered. The experiment is then repeated by gradually increasing the temperature by 30°C from 450°C up to 600°C to observe the changes with temperature. This study provides basic information for future microelectrode experiments, and by diagnosing the cause of destruction, a more durable microelectrode structure can be manufactured.

Molten salt reactors have several advantages over conventional light water reactors. These include producing less nuclear waste, operating at higher power efficiency and inherent safety due to the low operating pressure. NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic salt is one of the candidates for the molten salt reactor coolant. However, because the salt is very hygroscopic, structural material corrosion occurs resulting in the high cost to maintain. To mitigate corrosion there have been many studies for the dehydration of the salt, especially focusing on the magnesium chloride. The reason is that the moisture adsorbed to the magnesium chloride undergoes hydrolysis over 200 degrees Celsius and decomposes to MgOHCl while the moisture associated with the NaCl is easily liberated during the heating procedure without chemical reaction. As the operating temperature of the molten salt is between 500 and 700 degrees Celsius, the MgOHCl is believed as the main cause for the structural corrosion. In this research, thermal dehydration of the salt with elemental Mg, for the NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic, was studied based on the previous dehydration methods and considering scalable and easy to handle. The MgOHCl was removed both through the thermal decomposition and the reduction by Mg metal. After the removal of MgOHCl, based on the difference between the freezing points and the density, the salt cooled down very slowly to ensure the separation between the purified salt and the disposals such as MgO and remaining Mg metals. The efficiency of the dehydration method was determined by the concentration of the MgOHCl. The concentration was determined by cyclic voltammetry and the result was compared with undehydrated salt and salt dehydrated thermally without the addition of Mg metal. To qualify and quantify the MgOHCl content through the cyclic voltammetry, it was necessary to observe the signal by adding MgOHCl to each sample. Based on the thermogravimetric analysis result of MgCl2· 6H2O, MgOHCl powder was formed through heating the MgCl2·6H2O.

Radioactive wastes, including used nuclear fuel and decommissioning wastes, have been treated using molten salts. Electrochemical sensors are one of the options for in-situ process monitoring using molten salts. However, in order to use electrochemical sensors in molten salt, the surface area must be known. This is because the surface area affects the current of the electrode. Previous studies have used a variety of methods to determine the electrode surface area in molten salts. One method of calculating the electrode surface area is to use the reduction current peak difference between electrodes with known length differences. The method is based on the reduction peak and has the benefit of providing long-term in-situ monitoring of surfaces immersed in molten salt. A number of assumptions have been made regarding this method, including that there is no mass transport by migration or convection; the reaction is reversible and limited by diffusion; the chemical activity of the deposit should be unity; and species should follow linear diffusion. For the purpose of overcoming these limitations, a variety of machine learning algorithms were applied to different voltammogram datasets in order to calculate the surface area. Voltammogram datasets were collected from multiarray electrodes, comprising a multiarray holder, two tungsten rods (1 mm diameter) working electrodes, a quasi-reference electrode, and a counter electrode. The multiarray electrode holder was connected to the auto vertical translator, which uses a servo motor, for changing the height of the rod in the molten salts. To make big and diverse data for training machine learning models, various concentrations of corrosion products (Cr, Fe) and fission products (Eu, Sm) in NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic salts were used as electrolyte; electrolyte temperatures were 500, 525, 550, 575, and 600°C. This study will demonstrate the potential of utilizing machine learning based electrochemical in situ monitoring in molten salt processing.

Aluminum’s exceptional properties, such as its high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and low neutron absorption cross-section, make it an ideal material for diverse nuclear industry applications, including aluminum plating for the building envelope of nuclear power plants. However, plating aluminum presents challenges due to its high reactivity with oxygen and moisture, thus, complicating the process in the absence of controlled environments. Plating under an inert atmosphere is often used as an alternative. However, maintaining an inert atmosphere can be expensive and presents an economic challenge. To address these challenges, an innovative approach is introduced by using deep eutectic solvents (DES) as a substitute for traditional aqueous electrolytes due to the high solubility of metal salts, and wide electrochemical window. In addition, DESs offer the benefits of low toxicity, low flammability, and environmentally friendly, which makes DESs candidates for industrial-scale applications. In this study, we employed an AlCl3-Urea DES as the electrolyte and investigated its potential for producing aluminum coatings on copper substrates under controlled conditions, for example, current density, deposition duration, and temperature. A decane protective layer, non-polar molecular, has been used to shield the AlCl3-Urea electrolyte from the air during the electrodeposition process. The electrodeposition was successful after being left in the air for two weeks. This study presents a promising and innovative approach to optimizing aluminum electrodeposition using deep eutectic solvents, with potential applications in various areas of the nuclear industry, including fuel cladding, waste encapsulation, and radiation shielding.

Metakaolin-based geopolymers have shown promise as suitable candidates for 14C immobilization and final disposal. It has been shown that the physicochemical properties of metakaolin wasteforms meet, and often far exceeding, the strict compression strength and leaching acceptance criteria of the South Korea radioactive waste disposal site. However, it is not possible to analyze and characterize the internal structure of the geopolymer wasteform by conventional characterization techniques such as microscopy without destruction of the wasteform; an impractical solution for inspecting wasteforms destined for final disposal. Internal inspection is important for ensuring wastes are homogenously mixed throughout the wasteform and that the wasteform itself does not pose any significant defects that may have formed either during formulation and curing or as a result of testing prior to final disposal. X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) enables Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of objects, such as final wasteforms, allowing for both their internal and external, characterization without destruction. However, for accurate quantification of an objects dimensions the spatial resolution (length and volume measures) must be know to a high degree of precision and accuracy. This often requires extensive knowledge of the equipment being used, its precise set-up, maintenance and calibration, as well as expert operation to yield the best results. A spatial resolution target consists of manufactured defects of uniformed dimensions and geometries which can be measured to a high degree of accuracy. Implementing the use of a spatial resolution target, the dimensions of which are known and certified independently, would allow for rapid dimensional calibration of XCT systems for the purpose of object metrology. However, for a spatial resolution target to be practical it should be made of the same material as the intended specimen, or at least exhibit comparable X-ray attenuation. In this study, attempts have been made to manufacture spatial resolution targets using geopolymer, silica glass, and alumina rods, as well as 3D printed materials with varying degrees of success. The metakaolin was activated by an alkaline activator KOH to from a geopolymer paste that was moulded into a cylinder (Diameter approx. 25 mm). The solidified geopolymer cylinder as well as both the silica glass rod and alumina rod (Diameter approx. 25 mm) we cut to approximately 4 mm ± 0.5 mm height with additional end caps cut measuring 17.5 mm ± 2.5 mm height. All parts were then polished to a high finish and visually inspected for their suitability as spatial resolution targets.

For the performance analysis of deep geological repository systems, numerical simulation with multi-physics is required, which specifically covers Thermal (T), Hydraulic (H), and Mechanical (M) behaviors in the disposal environment. Numerous simulation models have been developed so far, each of which varies in the approach and methodology for solving THM problems. Fully-coupled THM simulation codes such as ROCMAS, THAMES, and CODE_BRIGHT were mainly developed in the initial stage of DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against EXperiments (DECOVALEX), with the advantage of thorough calculations consisting of correlated several variables on different physics. Due to the difficulty of solving the complex Jacobian Matrix and the following burden for the computational calculation, weakly-coupled THM models have been suggested in recent researches: TOUGH2-MP with FLAC3D, TOUGH2 with UDEC and OpenGeoSys with FLAC3D. This methodology of loose coupling allows the practical use of computational code optimized for each physics, thereby increasing the efficiency in simulation. However, these suggested models require two different numerical codes to calculate THM behaviors, which leads to several inherent issues: compatibility during maintenance, updating and dependency between two codes. In this study, therefore, the authors build a unified code for simulating THM behaviors in the deep geological repository. The concept involves the iterative sequential coupling between TH and M for calculation efficiency. As having developed the simulation code, High-level rAdiowaste Disposal Evaluation System (HADES), to describe TH behavior based on Multi-physics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) software, the authors make a milestone to develop and couple the MOOSE-based new code for M behavior as Sub-app, with the previous HADES set to be Main-app. New model for M behavior will be verified with the benchmark case of DECOVALEX-THMC Task D, comparing the mechanical simulation results: stress evolution over time, profiles of stress and vertical displacement. The existing simulation results from HADES will also be updated with the coupled calculations, with regard to temperature and saturation. Additionally, the effective stress evolution can be assessed in terms of repository’s stability with Spalling Strength and Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. This concept for new simulation model has its meaning in that it aims to demonstrate the specific methodology of loosely coupling multi-physics in unified simulation code and analyze THM complex interactions with considering mutual influence on various physics. It is expected that HADES can be renewed as an integral simulation model for deep geological repository systems by possessing the capacity for analyzing and assessing mechanical behavior.

Chemical environments of near-field (Engineered barrier and surrounded host rock) can influence performance of a deep geological repository. The chemical environments of near-field change as time evolves eventually reaching a steady state. During the construction of a deep geological repository, O2 will be introduced to the deep geological repository. The O2 can cause corrosion of Cu canisters, and it is important predicting remaining O2 concentration in the near-field. The remaining O2 concentration in the near field can be governed by the following two reactions: oxidation of Cu(I) from oxidation of Cu and oxidation of pyrite in bentonite and backfill materials. These oxidation reactions (Cu(I) and pyrite oxidation) can influence the performance of the deep geological repository in two ways; the first way is consuming oxidizing agents (O2) and the second way is the changing pH in the near-field and ultimately influencing on the mass transport rate of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel (failure of canisters) to out of the engineered barrier. Hence, it is very important to know the evolution of chemical environments of near-field by the oxidation of pyrite and Cu. However, the oxidation kinetics of pyrite and Cu are different in the order of 1E7 which means the overall kinetics cannot be fully considered in the deep geological repository. Therefore, it is important to develop a simplified Cu and pyrite oxidation kinetics model based on deep geological repository conditions. Herein, eight oxidation reactions for the chemical species Cu(I) were considered to extract a simplified kinetic equation. Also, a simplified kinetics equation was used for pyrite oxidation. For future analysis, simplified chemical reactions should be combined with a Multiphysics Cu corrosion model to predict the overall lifetime of Cu canisters.

Since 1992, various numerical codes, such as TOUGH-FLAC and ROCMAS, have been developed and validated to dispose of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) safely through a series of DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against EXperiments (DECOVALEX) projects. These codes have been developed using different approaches, such as general two-phase flow and Richards’ flow which is an approximated approach neglecting gas pressure change, to implement the same multiphysics behaviors. However, the quantitative analysis for numerical results, which originated from different fundamental approaches, has not been conducted accurately. As a result, improper utilization of the approach to analyze certain conditions occurring such as dramatic gas pressure change may result in erroneous outcomes and systemic problem pertaining to TH analysis. In this study, the quantitative analysis of the two approaches, in terms of TH behavior, was conducted by comparing them with a 1D simulation of the CTF1 experiment carried out by laboratory experiment. The results calculated by different approaches show agreement in terms of TH behaviors and material properties change until 120°C. The results verify the applicability of Richards’ flow approach in a high temperature environment above the current thermal criteria, set as 100°C, and gas pressure change does not have a significant impact until 120°C. Therefore, although further studies for applicability of Richards’ flow are needed to suggest the appropriate temperature range, these quantitative analyses may contribute to the performance assessment of a compact repository using the high-temperature bentonite concept, which is currently gaining attention.

Sulfide concentrations critically affect worker safety and the integrities of underground facilities, such as deep geological repositories for spent nuclear fuel. Sulfide is highly sensitive to oxygen, which can oxidize sulfide to sulfate. This can hinder precise measurement of the sulfide concentration. Hence, a literature review was conducted, which revealed that two methods are commonly used: the methylene blue and sulfide ion-selective electrode (ISE) methods. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used for comparison with the two methods. The sulfide ISE method was found to be superior as it yielded results with a higher degree of accuracy and involved fewer procedures for quantification of the sulfide concentration in solution. ICP-OES results can be distorted significantly when sulfide is present in solution owing to the formation of H2S gas in the ICP-OES nebulizer. Therefore, the ICP-OES must be used with caution when quantifying underground water to prevent any distortion in the measured results. The results also suggest important measures to avoid problems when using ICP-OES for site selection. Furthermore, the sulfide ISE method is useful in determining sulfide concentrations in the field to predict the lifetime of disposal canisters of spent nuclear fuel in deep geological repositories and other industries.

Low alcohol (6%) wines were manufactured using Campbell Early. To develop the sterilization process of low alcohol wines, red wines were heat sterilized, and rose wines were nonthermal sterilized by concentration using potassium metasulfite and potassium sorbate. Samples were stored at 25℃ and quality characteristics were investigated by period. Results of this study revealed the pH of the samples after sterilization ranged from 3.15 to 3.19, and the total acidity of wines ranged from 0.011 to 0.024%. The free SO2 contents of wines ranged from 13.00 to 29.678 mg/L, and the total SO2 contents of wines ranged from 47.50 to 121.00 mg/L. L (lightness) of wines decreased whereas a (redness) and b(yellowness) increased. The hue value of wines ranged from 0.52 to 1.03, and decreased significantly(not including rose sweet wines). The color intensity of red and rose dry wines after sterilization increased, whereas red and rose sweet wines decreased. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of red wines and rose wines ranged between 75.50 to 89.23%, and 36.60 to 56.54%, respectively. The total polyphenol contents were 57.51~182.63 mg%. Results of this study provide scientific information to establish the sterilization process of low alcohol wines.

Molten salts based on magnesium chloride can be used in the nuclear power reactor because they have a high heat capacity and heat stability, and allow for a faster neutron spectrum. However, magnesium chloride is highly hygroscopic, leading to the formation of moisture-related impurities, which result in the corrosion of structural materials and negatively affect the operation of the reactor. The dehydration of magnesium chloride is studied using both thermal and electrochemical treatments. According to previous studies, water impurities in magnesium chloride molten salt transform into magnesium oxide over 650 degrees Celsius. The temperature profile of the molten salt is suggested to separate magnesium chloride and magnesium oxide, focusing on cooling rate near the freezing point of magnesium chloride. Two layers separated by a phase boundary on the salt surface appear due to the density difference between magnesium oxide and magnesium chloride. Further, the removal of oxide ions remaining in the molten salt is carried out by electrochemical treatment. Two different cells, each consisting of two electrodes, are used. One cell is composed of graphite anode and nickel cathode. The other is composed of tin oxide anode and nickel cathode. As the reaction proceeds, carbon dioxide and oxygen are generated in graphite and tin oxide, respectively, and magnesium electrodeposition occurs at the cathode. The amount of purified magnesium oxide is measured to the endpoint, which is notified by the reduced current. The efficiency of each method is compared by measuring the weight ratio of the purified part to the unpurified part. Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and UV-vis spectroscopy are used to check the quality of the purified part. Only magnesium oxide remains at a temperature above the boiling point of magnesium chloride. Therefore, the amount of magnesium oxide in the purified part can be measured by the mass change of the salt through the TGA method. For UV-vis spectroscopy, the transmittance is measured which depends on the weight percent of the impurities in the purified part. The suggested purification method using both thermal and electrochemical treatment is assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. It is expected that hygroscopic molten salts other than magnesium chloride will be able to be dehydrated through the above process.

Molten chloride salts are promising candidates as a coolant for Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) because of their low cost, high specific heat transfer, and thermal energy storage capacity. The NaCl- MgCl2 eutectic salts have enormous latent heat (430 kJ/kg) and financial advantage over other types of molten chloride salt. Despite the promise of the NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic salt, problems associated with structural material corrosion in the MSR system remain. The hygroscopicity of NaCl-MgCl2 and high MSRs operating temperature accelerate corrosion within structural alloys. Especially, MgCl2 reacts with H2O in the eutectic salt to produce HCl and Cl2, which are known to further exacerbate corrosion by the chlorination of structural materials. Therefore, several studies have worked to purify impurities associated with MgCl2, such as H2O. Thermal salt purification of NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic salt is one method that reduces HCl and Cl2 gas generation. However, MgO and MgOHCl are generated as the byproduct of thermal purification through a reaction between MgCl2 and H2O. The corrosion behavior of MgO within structural alloys after thermal treatment is not well known. This paper demonstrates corrosion behavior within structural alloy after thermal treatment at various temperature profiles of the NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic salt. According to the temperature range, MgCl2·H2O are separated at 100~200°C, and MgOHCl and HCl begin to occur at 240°C or higher. Finally, MgOHCl produces MgO and HCl at 500°C or higher temperatures. After thermal treatments, the H2O, MgOHCl, and MgO content were measured by Thermo Gravimetric Analyzer (TGA) to evaluate significant products causing corrosion. The structural materials were analyzed by the Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and using the mass change method to observe the type of localized corrosion, the corrosion rate, and the corrosion layer thickness. This study is possible in that it can reduce economic costs by reducing the essential use of expensive, high-purity molten salts because it is related to a substantial financial cost problem considering the amount of molten salt used in industrial sites.

Corrosion products generated from the oxidation of structure materials are deposited on the surface of coolant systems, forming CRUD (Corrosion Related Unidentified Deposits). The CRUD deposition on the fuel surface has influenced the heat transfer through the fuel rod. When CRUD was deposited on a fuel surface, heat resistance may increase, and this increase in heat resistance leads to the increase in temperature distribution from cladding to coolant. Also, the temperature distribution is related to the radiolytic and chemical reactions within the CRUD deposits. This influence may be enough to change the pH distribution within the CRUD deposits. To estimate the influence of thermal resistance, the composition, microstructure, and vapor fraction within the CRUD should be considered, by investigating the thermal conductivity model of CRUD deposits. Therefore, in this study, the CRUD thermal conductivity was studied through the literature study, by considering composition, capillary flow characteristics, and vapor fraction. For the uncertainty parameters, a sensitivity study was conducted to check the degree of influence on thermal conductivity. The effective thermal conductivity was applied to the radiochemistry model within the CRUD deposits and an analysis of the influence in radiolysis reaction within the CRUD deposits with a fixed thickness.

During electrorefining, fission products, such as Sr and Cs, accumulate in a eutectic LiCl-KCl molten salt and degrade the efficiency of the separation process by generating high heat and decreasing uranium capture. Thus, the removal of the fission products from the molten salt bath is essential for reusing the bath, thereby reducing the additional nuclear waste. While many studies focus on techniques for selective separation of fission products, there are few studies on processing monitoring of those techniques. In-situ monitoring can be used to evaluate separation techniques and determine the integrity of the bath. In this study, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was selected as the monitoring technique to measure concentrations of Sr and Cs in 550°C LiCl-KCl molten salt. A laser spectroscopic setup for analyzing high-temperature molten salts in an inert atmosphere was established by coupling an optical path with a glove box. An air blower was installed between the sample and lenses to avoid liquid splashes on surrounding optical products caused by laser-liquid interaction. Before LIBS measurements, experimental parameters such as laser pulse energy, delay time, and gate width were optimized for each element to get the highest signal-to-noise ratio of characteristic elemental peaks. LIBS spectra were recorded with the optimized conditions from LiCl-KCl samples, including individual elements in a wide concentration range. Then, the limit of detections (LODs) for Sr and Cs were calculated using calibration curves, which have high linearity with low errors. In addition to the univariate analysis, partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was employed on the data plots to obtain calibration models for better quantitative analysis. The developed models show high performances with the regression coefficient R2 close to one and root-mean-square error close to zero. After the individual element analysis, the same process was performed on samples where Sr and Cs were dissolved in molten salt simultaneously. The results also show low-ppm LODs and an excellent fitted regression model. This study illustrates the feasibility of applying LIBS to process monitoring in pyroprocessing to minimize nuclear waste. Furthermore, this high-sensitive spectroscopic system is expected to be used for coolant monitoring in advanced reactors such as molten salt reactors.

The crisis of climate change aroused international needs to reduce the greenhouse gas emission in energy sector. Government of South Korea formulated an agenda of carbon neutrality through announcing 2050 Net-Zero Carbon Scenario A and B in October 2021. As the power supply from renewable energy increases, it becomes a core element to take into account the daily intermittency of renewable energy in analyzing the upcoming energy plans. However, the existing yearly Load Duration Curve is insufficient for applying day and night power change in daily scale into energy mix analysis, since it derives the energy mix for whole year on the basis of classifying annual base load and peak load. Therefore, a new energy mix simulation model based on the daily power load and supply simulation is needed for the future energy analysis. In this study we developed a new model which simulates the average power supply and demand daily (over a 24 hour period) for each season. The model calculates the excess and shortage power during day and night by integrating each energy’s daily power pattern. The 2050 Net-Zero Carbon Scenario A was used for the model verification, during which the same amounts of power production from each energy source were applied: nuclear, renewable, carbon-free gas turbine, fuel cell and byproduct gas. Total power demand pattern and renewable energy production pattern were drawn from the data of 2017 power production, and Pumped-storage Hydroelectricity and Energy Storage System were used as day-to-night conversion. Detailed assumptions for each energy were based on the Basis of Calculation for Net-Zero Carbon Scenario from Government. The model was verified with three cases which were divided depending on the method of hydrogen production and whether the Curtailment and Conversion Loss (CCL) of renewable energy were considered or not. Case 1 assumed production of hydrogen occurred for 24 hours while not considering CCL, had 0% relative error in comparison of total annual power production, and case 2, considering CCL, had a 1.741% relative error. Case 3 assumed production of hydrogen occurred only during daytime with excess power and CCL consideration, yielded 0.493% relative error in total amount of hydrogen production, confirming that the model sufficiently describes the Government’s Scenario A with the input of total power production. This model is expected to be used for analyzing further energy mix with different ratios of each energy source, with special focus on nuclear and renewable energy sources.

Molten salt reactors and pyroprocessing are widely considered for various nuclear applications. The main challenges for monitoring these systems are high temperature and strong radiation. Two harsh environments make the monitoring system needs to measure nuclides at a long distance with sufficient resolution for discriminating many different elements simultaneously. Among available methodologies, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been the most studied. The LIBS method can provide the required stand-off and desired multi-elemental measurable ability. However, the change of the level for molten salts induces uncertainty in measuring the concentration of the nuclides for LIBS analysis. The spectra could change by focusing points due to the different laser fluence and plasma shape. In this study, to prepare for such uncertainties, we evaluated a LIBS monitoring system with machine learning technology. While the machine learning technology cannot use academic knowledge of the atomic spectrum, this technique finds the new variable as a vector from any data including the noise, target spectrum, standard deviation, etc. Herein, the partial least squares (PLS) and artificial neural network (ANN) were studied because these methods represent linear and nonlinear machine learning methods respectively. The Sr (580–7200 ppm) and Mo (480–4700 ppm) as fission products were investigated for constructing the prediction model. For acquiring the data, the experiments were conducted at 550°C in LiCl-KCl using a glassy carbon crucible. The LIBS technique was used for accumulating spectra data. In these works, we successfully obtained a reasonable prediction model and compared each other. The high linearities of the prediction model were recorded. The R2 values are over 0.98. In addition, the root means square of the calibration and cross-validation were used for evaluating the prediction model quantitatively.