본 연구는 식물공장에서 아쿠아포닉스와 수경재배에서 재배된 딸기의 무기양분 흡수율, 생육, 수량을 비 교하고자 수행되었다. 양어는 비단잉어(Cyprinus carpio) 12마리를 수조(W 0.7m × L 1.5m × H 0.45m, 472.5L)에 367.5L 물을 채운 후 입식하였고 5.44kg·m-3 밀도로 사육하였다. 딸기 모종 30개체는 펄라이트를 채운 포트에 정식 하여 아쿠아포닉스 시스템 베드(W 0.7m × L 1.5m × H 0.22m)에 장착하였고, 모종 30개체는 네트포트에 정식한 후 담액수경(DFT)시스템 베드(W 0.7m × L 1.5m × H 0.22m)의 아크릴판(140 cm × 60 cm, Ø80 mm)에 장착하였다. 재 배기간 동안 아쿠아포닉스 수조액의 pH와 EC는 각각 4.3－6.9, 0.32－1.14dS·m-1 수준이었고, 수경재배는 각각 5.1 －7.5, 1.0－1.8dS·m-1이었다. 아쿠아포닉스 수조액의 NO3-N와 NH4-N 농도는 수경재배보다 각각 약 3.6, 2.2 me·L-1 높았다. P, Ca, Mg, S 농도는 수경재배보다 각각 약 0.76, 3.1, 0.8, 0.9me·L-1 높았으며, K와 Fe는 각각 약 0.8me·L-1, 0.5mg·L-1 낮았다. 딸기 잎의 무기이온 함량은 두 재배 처리 간 유의차가 없었으며 엽내 K 함량은 적정 범위를 보였 다. 정식 후 58과 98일 사이에 아쿠아포닉스에서 재배된 딸기의 T-N와 P 흡수율은 수경재배보다 각각 1.5, 1.9배 높 았고 K 흡수율은 유의차가 없었다. 개체당 과실수는 아쿠아포닉스에서 수경재배보다 유의하게 많았으며, 상품과 생체중, 건물중, 과실의 과장과 과폭은 수경재배에서 아쿠아포닉스보다 높았다. 결과를 종합하면, 아쿠아포닉스에 서는 수조액의 물고기 배설물과 먹이 잔여물에 의한 고체 입자의 비료성분을 지속적으로 가용하여 활용한다는 것 을 알 수 있다.

The potential use of cost-effective carbon anodes, as an alternative to expensive platinum, in the reduction of oxides within LiCl-Li2O molten salt at elevated cell potentials presents a promising avenue. However, this elevated potential gives rise to the generation of a complex mixture of anodic gases, including hazardous and corrosive species such as chlorine (Cl2), oxygen (O2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). In this study, we investigate the influence of applied potential and salt composition on the composition of the generated gas mixture. Real-time gas analysis was conducted during the TiO reduction reaction in the molten salt at 650°C using a MAX-300-LG gas analyzer. Simultaneously, electronic signals, including current, potential, and salt composition, were monitored throughout the oxide reduction process. Additionally, XRD investigations were performed to verify the crystal structure of the resulting products. This research provides valuable insights into optimizing carbon anode-based reduction processes for improved efficiency and safety.

Molten salt reactor (MSR) uses fluoride or chloride based molten salt as a coolant of the system, and fuel materials are dissolved in the molten salt, therefore it can be act as both coolant and nuclear fuel. A few issues have arisen from early-stage research and development program of MSR from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including corrosion of structural materials and fission product management. For investigating the effect of additives on corrosion of structural materials, Mg(OH)2 and MgCl2*6H2O are added into the NaCl-MgCl2 eutectic salt. Prepared chloride salt is injected into the autoclave in the glove box, as well as corrosion coupons for candidate structural materials for molten chloride salt reactor, SS316, Alloy 600, and C-276 are also prepared. The temperature is set as 700°C. After 500 h corrosion experiment, the samples are taken out from the autoclave, and they are analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). SS316 samples show weight loss with all salt conditions, while Alloy 600 and C-276 show weight gain after the corrosion experiment.

In pyroprocessing, the residual salts (LiCl containing Li and Li2O) in the metallic fuel produced by the oxide reduction (OR) process are removed by salt distillation and fed into electrorefining. This study undertook an investigation into the potential viability of employing a separate LiCl salt rinsing process as an innovative alternative to conventional salt distillation techniques. The primary objective of this novel approach was to mitigate the presence of Li and Li2O within the residual OR salt of metallic fuel, subsequently facilitating its suitability for electrorefining processes. The process of rinsing the metallic fuel involved immersing it in a LiCl salt environment at a temperature of 650°C. During this immersion process, the residual OR salt contained within the fuel underwent dissolution, thereby reducing the concentrations of Li2O and Li generated during the OR process. Furthermore, the Li and Li2O dissolved within the LiCl salt were effectively consumed through chemical reactions with ZrO2 particles present within the salt. Importantly, even after the metallic fuel had been subjected to rinsing in a conventional LiCl salt solution, the concentration of Li and Li2O within the salt remained consistent with its initial levels, due to the utilization of ZrO2. Moreover, it was observed that the Li- Li2O content within the metallic fuel was significantly diluted as a result of the rinsing process.

This study was aimed to determine the changes in CO2 concentration according to the temperatures of daytime and nighttime in the CO2 supplemental greenhouse, and to compare calculated supplementary CO2 concentration during winter and spring cultivation seasons. CO2 concentrations in experimental greenhouses were analyzed by selecting representative days with different average temperatures due to differences in integrated solar radiation at the growth stage of leaf area index (LAI) 2.0 during the winter season of 2022 and 2023 years. The CO2 concentration was 459, 299, 275, and 239 μmol·mol-1, respectively at 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m. after the CO2 supplementary time (10:00-13:00) under the higher temperature (HT, > 18°C daytime temp. avg. 31.7, 26.8, 23.8, and 22.4°C, respectively), while it was 500, 368, 366, 364 μmol·mol-1, respectively under the lower temperature (LT, < 18°C daytime temp. avg. 22.0, 18.9, 15.0, and 13.7°C, respectively), indicating the CO2 reduction was significantly higher in the HT than that of LT. During the nighttime, the concentration of CO2 gradually increased from 6 p.m. (346 μmol·mol-1) to 3 a.m. (454 μmol·mol-1) in the HT with a rate of 11 μmol·mol-1 per hour (240 tomatoes, leaf area 330m2), while the increase was very lesser under the LT. During the spring season, the CO2 concentration measured just before the start of CO2 fertilization (7:30 a.m.) in the CO2 enrichment greenhouse was 3-4 times higher in the HT (>15°C nighttime temperature avg.) than that of LT (< 15°C nighttime temperature avg.), and the calculated amount of CO2 fertilization on the day was also lower in HT. All the integrated results indicate that CO2 concentrations during the nighttime varies depending on the temperature, and the increased CO2 is a major source of CO2 for photosynthesis after sunrise, and it is necessary to develop a model formula for CO2 supplement considering the nighttime CO2 concentration.

Separating nuclides from spent nuclear fuel is crucial to reduce the final disposal area. The use of molten salt offers a potential method for nuclide separation without requiring electricity, similar to the oxide reduction process in pyroprocessing. In this study, a molten salt leaching technique was evaluated for its ability to separate nuclides from simulated oxide fuel in MgCl2 molten salts at 800°C. The simulated oxide fuel contained 2wt% Sr, 3wt% Ba, 2wt% Ce, 3wt% Nd, 3wt% Zr, 2wt% Mo, and 89wt% U. The separation of Sr from the simulated oxide fuel was achieved by loading it into a porous alumina basket and immersing it in the molten salt. The concentration of Sr in the salt was measured using ICP analysis after sampling the salt outside the basket with a dip-stick technique. The separated nuclides were analyzed with ICP-OES up to a duration of 156 hours. The results indicate that Ba and Sr can be successfully separated from the simulated fuel in MgCl2, while Ce, Nd, and U were not effectively separated.

Instead of using expensive platinum, carbon anodes could potentially be utilized in the process of reducing oxides in LiCl-Li2O molten salt at a high cell potential. However, this high potential leads to the generation of a mixture of anodic gases containing toxic and corrosive gases such as chlorine (Cl2), oxygen (O2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). To better understand this gas mixture, we conducted real-time analyses of the gases generated on the carbon anode during the TiO reduction reaction in the molten salt at 650°C, using a MAX-300-LG gas analyzer. Our results indicate that the ratio of CO/O2/CO2/Cl2 in the gas mixture is significantly influenced by the composition of the salt, and that removing the sources of oxygen ions in the salt increases the likelihood of generating toxic and corrosive Cl2 gas.

Pyroprocessing is a promising technique for the treatment of damaged fuel debris (corium) generated by severe nuclear accidents. The debris typically consists of (U, Zr)O2 originating from the UO2 fuel and Zr alloy-based cladding. By converting the corium to a metallic form, the principal components of the fuel can be recovered through subsequent electrorefining, allowing for long-term storage or final disposal. A study investigated the reduction of zirconium oxide compounds by Li metal as a reductant in molten LiCl salt. This research explored the feasibility of treating damaged nuclear fuel debris, which mainly consists of (U, Zr)O2. The results showed that ZrO2 was successfully reduced to Zr metal by Li metal in LiCl salt at 650C without the formation of Li2ZrO3. In particular, Zr metal was produced without the formation of Li2ZrO3 when LiCl salt containing a high concentration of Li metal was used. However, Zr metal was produced with Li2ZrO3 when LiCl salt containing both Li metal and Li2O was added. This suggests that the concentration of Li metal in the LiCl salt is an important factor in determining the formation of Li2ZrO3. The study also demonstrated that Li2ZrO3 was partially reduced to Zr metal by Li metal in LiCl salt. This finding suggests that Li metal may be effective in reducing other oxide compounds in molten LiCl salt, which could be useful in the treatment of corium. Overall, the research provides valuable insights into the feasibility of using pyroprocessing for the treatment of corium. The ability to recover and store the principal components of the fuel through electrorefining could have important implications for the long-term management of nuclear waste.

This study was aimed to determine the effects of grow media on the mineral contents of the leaves and growth characteristics of strawberry grown under aquaponics system in a plant factory. For aquaculture, 12 fish (Cyprinus carpio) (total weight, 2.0 kg) were raised in an aquaponics tank (W 0.7 m × L 1.5 m × H 0.45 m, 472.5 L) filled with 367.5 L of water at a density of 5.44 kg·m-3 and total 34 of strawberry seedlings were transplanted in the pots filed with 200 g of orchid stone, hydroball or polyurethane sponge in the growing bed (W 0.7 m × L 1.5 m × H 0.22 m) laid out with holly acrylic sheet (140×60 mm, Ø80) on the top of the system. The pH and EC of the aquaponic solution was ranged from 7.6 to 4.9 and 0.24－0.91 dS·m-1, respectively. The concentration of NO3-N was about 28% lower than that of the hydroponic standard solution, and K, Fe and B were 10, 27 and 3.8 times lower, respectively; however, the mineral contents of strawberry leaves were in the appropriate ranges with lower contents in the leaves grown with sponge media. The organic content (OM), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) of the sludge were 61.5, 5.72, 8.92, and 0.24%, respectively. The leaf area, leaf number, and dry and fresh weights of shoot at 81 DAT were significantly higher in the hydroball, and the average number of fruits per plant was significantly higher in both the orchid stone and hydroball. There was no significant difference in the fresh and dry weights of fruits. Integrated all the results suggest that the orchid stone and hydroball media are more effective to utilize nutrients in solid particles of aquaponic solution, compared to the polyurethane sponge.

Separation of high heat generating-radioactive isotopes from spent nuclear fuel is an important issue because it can reduce the final disposal area. As one of the technologies that can selectively separate only high heat generating-radioactive isotopes without dissolving spent fuel, the methods using molten salt have recently attracted attention. Although studies on chemical changes of Sr oxides in molten salts have been reported, they have limitation in that alternative oxide reagents rather than oxide fuel were used. In this study, the separation behaviors of Sr from simulated oxide fuel using various molten salts were investigated. A powder type containing 95.7wt% of U and 0.123wt% of Sr was used as the simulated oxide fuel. LiCl, LiCl-CaCl2, MgCl2, LiCl-KCl-MgCl2 and NaCl-MgCl2 were used as molten chloride salts. The separation of Sr from the simulated oxide fuel was conducted by loading it in porous alumina basket and immersing it in a salt. The concentration of Sr in the salt was measured by ICP analysis after sampling the salt outside the basket using dip-stick technique. The separation efficiencies of Sr from simulated oxide fuel using the salts were compared. Furthermore, the causes of their separation efficiency were systematically investigated.

Strontium-90 is a high heat-generating nuclide in spent nuclear fuel. The removal of the nuclide separation is indispensable to reduce the burden of storage and disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed the molten salt immersion technique to separate the strontium by the chlorination of the strontium oxide in molten salt. It is needed to separate the salt for the recovery of strontium from the salt solution after the chlorination reaction. In this study, it was investigated on the recovery of the strontium from the salt. Vacuum distillation was used for the separation of strontium from the molten salt. The vapor pressures of the candidate salts were calculated by HSC chemistry and the apparent evaporation rates (AER) were measured at 830°C to evaluate the salts for strontium recovery. The candidate salts were LiCl, KCl, MgCl2, NaCl and CaCl2. The AERs of MgCl2 and NaCl were 1.9 and 1.3 g/cm2-h, respectively. Those two salts can be separated from the strontium compound even though the AER values are much lower than those of LiCl-KCl (~ 8 g/cm2-h). CaCl2 salt was rarely evaporated (AER < 0.03 g/cm2-h) and it is not suitable to use as a strontium recovery salt. Therefore, MgCl2, NaCl, LiCl and KCl can be regarded as candidates for a strontium recovery salt.

This study aimed to determine the photosynthesis and growth characteristics of Peucedanum japonicum T. grown under aquaponics in a plant factory (AP) by comparing those grown under hydroponic cultivation system (HP). The AP system raised 30 fishes at a density of 10.6 kg·m-3 in a 367.5 L tank, and at HP, nutrient solution was controlled with EC 1.3 dS·m-1 and pH 6.5. The pH level ranged from 4.0 to 7.1 for the AP system and 4.0 to 7.4 for the HP system. The pH level in the AP began to decrease with an increase in nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) and lasted bellower than pH 5.5 for 15–67 DAT. It was found that ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) continued to increase even under low pH conditions. EC was maintained at 1.3 to 1.5 dS·m-1 in both systems. The concentration of major mineral elements in the fish tank was higher than that of the hydroponics, except for K and Mg. There was no significant difference in the photosynthesis characteristics, but the PIABS parameters were 30.4% lower in the AP compared to the HP at the 34DAT and 12.0% lower at the 74DAT. There was no significant difference in the growth characteristics, but the petiole length was 56% longer in the leaf grown under the AP system. While there was no significant difference in the fresh and dry weights of leaf and root, the leaf area ratio was 36.43% higher in the AP system. All the integrated results suggest that aquaponics is a highly-sustainable farming to safely produce food by recycling agricultural by-products, and to produce Peucedanum japonicum as much as hydroponics under a proper fish density and pH level.

은행나무 종자인 백과를 70% 에탄올로 추출하여 미백 효능을 규명하고 화장품 소재로서의 응용 가능성을 확인하고자 하였다. 백과 에탄올추출물 (GBE)을 B16F10 melanoma cells에 처치하여 멜라닌 생성과 tyrosinase 활성을 확인한 결과 유의한 수준의 멜라닌 생성 저해가 관찰되었고, 멜라닌 생성과정에 관여하는 주요 효소인 tyrosinase의 활성이 농도 의존적으로 억제됨이 관찰되었다. 멜라닌 생성 관련 주요 인자들의 단백질 발현과 mRNA 수준을 관찰한 결과, tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1, -2 (TRP-1, -2), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF)의 단백질 발현과 유전자 수준이 GBE의 처리에 의해 유의한 수준으로 저해되었다. 이 결과를 통해, 본 연구의 백과 에탄 올추출물은 멜라닌 세포의 멜라닌 생성 관련 핵심 전사인자인 MITF의 조절을 통해 멜라닌 생성 억제 효과를 나타내는 것으로 보인다. 이에 따라 백과 에탄올추출물을 화장품 미백 기능성 소재로 활용 가능성이 있을 것으로 기대된다.

본 연구는 반밀폐형 토마토 재배 온실에서 광합성율 극대화를 위한 적정 탄산가스 시비 농도를 구명하고자 광합성 모델을 이용하여 잎의 최대 카복실화율(Vcmax), 최대 전자전달속도(Jmax), 열파괴, 잎 호흡 등을 계산하고 실제 측정값과 비교하였다. 다양한 광도(PAR 200μmol·m -2 ·s -1 to 1500μmol·m -2 ·s -1 )와 온도(20°C to 35°C) 조건에서 CO2 농도에 대한 A-Ci curve는 광합성 측정 기기를 사용하여 측정하였고, 모델링 방정식으로 아레니우스 함수값 (Arrhenius function), 순광합성율(net CO2 assimilation, An), 열파괴(thermal breakdown), Rd(주간의 잎호흡)를 계산 하였다. 엽온이 30°C 이상으로 상승하였을 때 Jmax, An 및 thermal breakdown 예측치가 모두 감소하였고, 예측 Jmax의 가장 최고점은 엽온 30°C였으며 그 이상의 온도에서는 감소하였다. 생장점 아래 5번째 잎의 광합성율은 PAR 200－ 400μmol·m -2 ·s -1 수준에서는 CO2 600ppm, PAR 600－800μmol·m -2 ·s -1 수준에서는 CO2 800ppm, PAR 1000μmol·m -2 ·s -1 수 준에서는 CO2 1000ppm, PAR 1200－1500μmol·m -2 ·s -1 수준에서는 CO2 1500ppm을 공급했을 때 포화점에 도달하였다. 앞으로 광합성 모델식을 활용하여 과채류 온실 재배 시 광합성을 높일 수 있는 탄산시비 농도를 추정할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

In this study, a chlorination technique for recycling Li2ZrO3, a reaction product of ZrO2-assisted rinsing process, was investigated to minimize the generation of secondary radioactive pyroprocessing waste. It was found that the reaction temperature was a key parameter that determined the reaction rate and maximum conversion ratio. In the temperature range of 400−600℃, an increase in the reaction temperature resulted in a profound increase in the reaction rate. Hence, according to the experimental results, a reaction temperature of at least 450℃ was proposed to ensure a Li2ZrO3 conversion ratio that exceeded 80% within 8 h of the reaction time. The activation energy was found to be 102 ± 2 kJ·mol−1·K−1 between 450 and 500℃. The formation of LiCl and ZrO2 as reaction products was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The experimental results obtained at various total flow rates revealed that the overall reaction rate depends on the Cl2 mass transfer rate in the experimental condition. The results of this study prove that the chlorination technique provides a solution to minimize the amount of radioactive waste generated during the ZrO2-assisted rinsing process.

Solid-state mechanochemical reduction combined with subsequent melting consolidation was suggested as a technical option for the oxide reduction in pyroprocessing. Ni ingot was produced from NiO as a starting material through this technique while Li metal was used as a reducing agent. To determine the technical feasibility of this approach for pyroprocessing, which handles spent nuclear fuels, thermodynamic calculations of the phase stabilities of various metal oxides of U and other fission elements were made when several alkaline and alkali-earth metals were used as reducing agents. This technique is expected to be beneficial, not only for oxide reduction but also for other unit processes involved in pyroprocessing.

The reaction between Li2CO3 and Cl2 was investigated to verify its occurrence during a carbon-anode-based oxide reduction (OR) process. The reaction temperature was identified as a key factor that determines the reaction rate and maximum conversion ratio. It was found that the reaction should be conducted at or above 500℃ to convert more than 90% of the Li2CO3 to LiCl. Experiments conducted at various total flow rate (Q) / initial sample weight (W i) ratios revealed that the reaction rate was controlled by the Cl2 mass transfer under the experimental conditions adopted in this work. A linear increase in the progress of reaction with an increase in Cl2 partial pressure (pCl2) was observed in the pCl2 region of 2.03–10.1 kPa for a constant Q of 100 mL∙min−1 and W i of 1.00 g. The results of this study indicate that the reaction between Li2CO3 and Cl2 is fast at 650℃ and the reaction is feasible during the OR process.