The saturation of wet storage facilities constructed and operated within nuclear power plant sites has magnified the significance of research concerning the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel. Not only do wet storage facilities incur higher operational and maintenance costs compared to dry storage facilities, but long-term storage of metal-clad fuel assemblies submerged in aqueous tanks is deemed unsuitable. Consequently, dry storage is anticipated to gain prominence in the future. Nevertheless, it is widely acknowledged that quantitatively assessing the residual water content remains elusive even when employing the apparatus and procedures utilized in the existing dry storage processes. The presence of residual water can only be inferred from damage or structural alterations to the spent nuclear fuel during its dry storage, making precise prediction of this element crucial, as it can be a significant contributor to potential deformations and deterioration. The aforementioned challenges compound the issue of retrievability, as substantial complexities emerge when attempting to retrieve spent nuclear fuel for permanent disposal in the future. Consequently, our research team has established a laboratory-scale vacuum drying facility to investigate the sensitivity of various parameters, including canister volume, pump capacity, water surface area, and water temperature, which can exert thermohydraulic influences on residual water content. Moreover, we have conducted dimensional analysis to quantify the thermohydraulic effects of these parameters and express them as dimensionless numbers. These analytical approaches will subsequently be integrated into predictive models for residual water content, which will be further developed and validated at pilot or full-scale levels. Furthermore, our research team is actively engaged in experimental investigations aimed at fine-tuning the duration of the pressure-holding phase while optimizing the evaporation process under conditions designed to avert the formation of ice caused by abrupt temperature fluctuations. Given that the canister is constructed from acrylic material, we are able to identify, from a phenomenological perspective, the specific juncture at which the boiling phenomenon becomes manifest during the vacuum drying process.

Prevention of radiation hazards to workers and the environment in the event of decommissioning nuclear power plants is a top priority. To this end, it is essential to continuously perform radiation characterization before and during decommissioning. In operating nuclear power plants, various detectors are used depending on the purpose of measurement. Portable detectors used in power plants have excellent portability, but there is a limit to the use of a single measuring device alone to quantify radioactive contamination, nuclide analysis, and ensure representation of measurement results. In foreign countries, gamma-ray visualization detectors are being actively used for operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants. KHNP is also conducting research on the development of gamma-ray visualization detectors for multipurpose field measurement at decommissioning nuclear power plants. It aims to develop detectors capable of visualizing radioactive contamination, analyzing nuclides, estimating radioactivity, and estimating dose rates. To this end, we are developing related software according to the development process by purchasing sensors from H3D, which account for more than 75% of the US gamma-ray visualization detector market. In addition, field tests are planned in the order of Wolsong Unit 1 and Kori Unit 1 with Research reactor in Gongneung-dong in accordance with the progress of development. The detector will be optimized by analyzing the test results according to various gamma radiation field environments. The development detector will be used for various measurement purposes for Kori unit 1 and Wolsong

This study was designed to optimize ethanol extraction process of unfertilized corn silk (UCS) to maximize phytochemical contents and bioactivities. The response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD) was employed to obtain the optimal extraction conditions. The influence of ethanol concentration, extraction temperature and extraction time on total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents, maysin contents, 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical scavenging activities and tyrosinase inhibition were analyzed. For all dependable variables, the most significant factor was ethanol concentration followed by extraction temperature and extraction time. The following optimum conditions were determined by simultaneous optimization of several responses with the Derringer’s desirability function using the numerical optimization function of the Design-Expert program: ethanol concentration 80.45%, extraction temperature 53.49°C, and extraction time 4.95 h. Under these conditions, the predicted values of total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents, maysin contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibition were 2758.74 μg GAE/g dried sample, 1520.81 μg QUE/g dried sample, 810.26 mg/100g dried sample, 56.86% and 43.49%, respectively, and the overall desirability (D) was 0.74.