Considering the domestic condition with small land area and high population density, it is necessary to develop technology that can reduce the disposal area than the deep geological disposal method. For this, KAERI is developing a nuclide management process that can reduce the environmental burden of spent fuel, and establishing an evaluation model that can evaluate the performance of various process options. It is expected that an optimal option of the nuclide management process can be derived from disposal perspective by applying the evaluation model. The mass flow between processing steps of the radionuclide management process is the basic quantity required to quantify the evaluation criteria. Therefore, we built a generalized block model on GoldSim, which can simulate mass flow of various radionuclide management process options. In addition to the mass flow, this model was established to derive the amount of wastes generated by each processing step, the composition of nuclides, and radiological properties (decay heat, radioactivity, etc.). The mass flow and waste property derived from the models are closely related to the factors that determine the area of disposal concepts. Based on this, a disposal area calculation model was established as a model to evaluate the effectiveness of the radionuclide management process on environmental burden reduction. For verification, three process options, which can manage radionuclides having high decay heat (Cs, Sr) or large volume (U), were selected and evaluated as reference processes. And two disposal options, deep geological disposal and deep borehole disposal concepts were considered to be linked with the processes. As a result, it was confirmed that the disposal area could be reduced in the process separating radionuclides having high decay heat. In the future, other evaluation models for economic viability and safety will be added in the GoldSim model.

The skeleton of fuel assembly is composed of top nozzle, bottom nozzle, grids, and guide tubes. In the reactor core, all the parts of the fuel assembly suffer degradations due to the condition of high temperature, pressure and water environment. Therefore, many material properties of high temperature mechanical strength, corrosion and irradiation resistance have been considered to choose the material for fuel assembly parts in the fuel development stage. The guide tubes have important roles to connect each parts and support the load of fuel assembly while the fuel is lifted. In Westinghouse 14×14 standard fuel assembly, Zircaloy-4 was used for the material of the guide tubes. Zircaloy-4 has a resistance to water corrosion and maintain good mechanical properties after the discharge from the core, so this alloy is also utilized for a fuel rod cladding material although the microstructure is slightly different due to the heat treatment difference. Thus, it is expected that there is no issue regarding the guide tube integrity after the discharge and during the storage in the pool, especially in case of low burn-up. However, the surface oxidation and resultant hydrogen pick-up can affect to the embrittlement to the Zr alloy. So, it is needed to know the actual status of spent fuel assembly by performing post-irradiation examination. In this study, the degradation level of the guide Tubes in low burn-up spent fuel assembly was investigated using the KAERI PIE facility in order to make some data which can be utilized to the baseline for evaluating the integrity of the spent fuel skeleton.

최근 국가연구개발의 집행예산은 증가 추세에 있고, 이에 따라 국가연구개발 사업의 양적 성과 또한 증가하고 있으나, 질적 성과의 증가세는 양적 성과 대비 취약한 것으로 나타나고 있다. 특허등급 및 기술이전효율성이 낮은 기술 등 질적 성과 부진의 원인으로 ‘건 수’ 위주의 성과평가에 대한 개선 필요성이 제기되고 있으며, 이에 대한 대응으로 다양한 ‘질적 성과지표’를 이용한 성과평가가 도입되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 여러 질적 성과지표 중 주요국 (미국, 유럽, 일본) 특허청에 모두 출원하여 특허의 해외경쟁력을 측정할 수 있는 ‘삼극특허’ 창출 과제를 대상으로 연구개발사업의 질적성과 평가를 위한 성과지표로서 삼극특허에 영향을 미치는 요인을 분석하였다. 분석결과, R&D규모 요인 및 과제특성 요인 중 일부는 삼극특허 창출에 통계적으로 유의한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 성과분석 측면에서 선행 연구가 상대적으로 미진한 삼극특허를 관심대상으로 확장하고, 삼극특허 창출의 영향요인을 선형회귀분석(OLS)을 통해 살펴본 초기연구라는 점에서 의의가 있다.

천수만과 태안해역의 제한영양염을 평가하기 위해 장기자료 분석과 생물검정실험을 진행하였다. 우선 잠재적인 제한영양염을 평가하기 위해 국가수질측정망에서 제공되는 2004~2016년 동안의 장기 영양염 자료를 이용하였다. 장기자료의 DIN/DIP를 분석한 결과 대 부분 16이하로 N 제한이 우세하였지만 N, P, Si의 농도비를 이용한 분석에서는 하계와 추계에는 N 제한이 우세하였고, 동계와 춘계에는 해역에 따라 일부 Si 제한을 보이거나 또는 제한이 나타나지 않았다. 생물검정실험 시 채집된 현장수의 영양염 분석결과, DIN/DIP는 3월 과 5월에 모든 정점에서 P 제한을 나타냈고, 7월과 10월에는 N 제한이 우세하였다. N, P, Si의 농도비를 이용한 분석에서 3월과 5월은 P와 Si 제한을 보이거나 제한영양염이 나타나지 않은 정점이 존재하였으나 7월과 10월에는 N 제한이 우세하였다. 실질적인 제한영양염을 평 가하기 위해 수행된 생물검정실험 결과 3월에는 특정 제한영양염이 나타나지 않았으나, 5월, 7월 10월에는 NH4 +와 NO3 -가 반응을 보임으 로서 이 시기에는 N이 식물플랑크톤 성장에 직접 관여하는 실질적인 제한영양염임을 확인하였다.

Safety for the radioactive waste disposed of in the disposal facility should be secured through safety assessment in consideration of the various situations. In this study, the influence and correlation of EDTA and ISA, which are the factors that can impede the safety of the disposal facility, were analyzed using the PHREEQC computational code. Thermodynamic database (TDB) of Andra, specific ion interaction theory (SIT) model as ionic strength correction model, radionuclides (Ni, Am, Pu) were adopted to perform the calculation on the distribution of chemical species by pH. According to the results, EDTA dominated the system and the effect of ISA is relatively small for the distribution of the chemical species of divalent and trivalent cations in neutral and weak base conditions. In the case of the tetravalent cations, the effect of ISA increased compared to the previous case especially in the strong base conditions. In conclusion, EDTA has a more significant effect on the system than ISA under the environment of the domestic disposal facility. Furthermore, when EDTA and ISA are present simultaneously in the system, the effects of two materials are inversely proportional and this characteristic should be considered during the safety assessment.

Garnet is one of the promising ceramic waste forms for immobilizing radioactive wastes. It has an A3 [VIII]B2 [VI]T3 [IV]O12 structure, so it can accommodate various cations of different sizes and coordination. Silicon usually occupies the centers of the tetrahedron structural site (T[IV]O4) in natural garnet. However, substitution of the T-site with iron, which has a relatively large ionic radius, causes the expansion of a unit cell volume of garnet and allows the incorporation of large cations such as actinides at other sites. Relatively few leaching data have been reported for ferrite garnet waste forms to date. In this study, we synthesized gadolinium-iron-garnet and evaluated the leaching property using cerium as a surrogate for actinide elements. The test specimens were made by cold pressing and sintering process. Three different standard leaching tests were performed as follows. The PCT-A (ASTM C1285) was performed for 7 days at 90°C to the crushed sample (0.149 to 0.074 mm). The ANSI/ANS-16.1 standard leach test was performed at ambient conditions for 5 days with constant replacement of leachate. Finally, the MCC-1 (ASTM C1220) test was performed for 28 days at 90°C with different types of leachants such as ultrapure water, brine, and silicate water. The last two leaching tests were conducted on monolithic specimens. After the end of the test, leachate was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (Agilent, ICP-MS 7700S).

서해병 폐기물 배출해역 오염심화구역의 퇴적물 정화·복원을 위해 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017년에 준설토를 피복하였다. 피복 효과 평 가를 위해 배출해역 내 피복구역(5개 정점)과 자연회복구역(2개 정점)을 설정하고 2014년부터 2020년까지 연 1회 구역별 표층 퇴적물을 채취 하여 퇴적물 물리·화학적 특성 및 저서동물상을 분석하였다. 퇴적물 평균 입도(Mz)는 자연회복구역에서 5.91~7.64 Φ로 세립질이었고 피복구 역에서는 준설토의 영향으로 1.47~3.01 Φ의 조립질 퇴적물로 구성되어 있었다. 유기물 및 중금속 함량은 피복구역에서 자연회복구역 대비 약 50 % 낮아(p<0.05) 준설토 피복 효과가 있는 것으로 판단되었다. 대형저서동물 분석 결과에서는 피복구역의 출현종수, 생태지수가 자연회 복구역보다 낮게 나타났다(p<0.05). 피복구역의 출현종수 및 생태지수의 시계열 분석 결과에서는 2013, 2014년 피복 이후 초기 4년간 증가하 다가 이후 감소하는 경향을 보였다. 이는 피복으로 인해 빠른 성장과 짧은 수명의 특징을 보이는 기회종 생물들이 피복 초기에 우세하다가 2016, 2017년에 추가로 피복이 진행됨에 따라 서식환경이 다시 교란되어 나타난 현상으로 추정된다. AMBI는 자연회복구역 및 피복구역에서 모두 2등급(Good), BPI는 1~2등급 수준을 유지하고 있어 건강한 저서상태로 평가되었다. 따라서 폐기물 배출해역의 오염퇴적물 정화 및 저 서생태계 복원을 위한 준설토 피복은 오염도 저감효과는 나타나지만 저서생태계의 측면에서는 장기적인 모니터링을 통해 회복추이를 관찰 해야 할 것으로 판단된다. 또한 향후 배출해역의 오염심화구역 정화 복원 사업 확대 시 적응적 관리가 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

진동은 농업용 트랙터 운전자의 쾌적한 작업 환경 조성을 방해하고, 건강을 위협하는 요소이다. 본 연구에서는 국제 표준안(ISO 2631-1)에 따라 트랙터 운전자의 전신 진동을 평가하였다. 진동 시험은 재현성과 반복성이 뛰어난 four-post road simulator 상에서 6가지 노면 조건을 적용하여 수행하였다. 취득한 진동 신호의 파고율, 최대 진동 진폭, 피폭 진동 누적량, 실효치 등을 이용하여 진동 특성을 분석하였다. 최종적으로 건강 지도 위험 수준과 안락도에 대한 반응도를 평가 방법에 따른 실효치와 피폭 진동 누적량에 적용하여 농업용 트랙터의 운전자 전신 진동을 정량적으로 평가하였다.

This study aimed to develop a questionnaire that is suitable for the resident-participatory ODA evaluation to minimize the bias and insufficient scientific rigor in the self-made questionnaire developed by evaluators. A modified Delphi survey was conducted twice with 16 ODA experts who had experience in international cooperative development in the fields of rural development, education, health, and poverty. Sixty-two questions were finally selected for resident-participatory ODA evaluation: 7 questions on relevance, 8 questions on efficiency, 9 questions on effectiveness, 11 questions on impact, questions on for sustainability, 4 questions on gender mainstreaming and environmental impact, and 17 questions on spillover effect on the community. A resident survey with the newly developed questionnaire will generate high-quality data that can empirically analyze the causal-effect relationship between ODA activities and performance, and community changes, and it can also contribute to the development of a quantitative ODA evaluation tool at a local level of recipient countries.

When researchers performed intestinal microbiota analysis using fecal samples, sample preparation processes are not standardized as of now. In particular, contrary to lab conditions, there are various factors hard to be controlled when sampling livestock feces on the farm. In this study, we wanted to know the influences of sample preparation conditions on fecal microbiota. We designed an experiment considering various sample preparation conditions (sample origin: rectum and ground; transporting condition: lysis buffer-treated, dry ice, ice, and room temperature; delayed times to extract DNA: 0, 1, 6, and 24 h) that can occur during microbiota analysis using cattle feces. First, we investigated the influences of sample origin, and microbial diversity (observed OTUs, p<0.001) was significantly higher when fecal samples were obtained from the ground than from the rectum and the principal coordinates analysis plot showed that samples were divided into two groups by origin. When we investigated the influences of transporting and storage conditions, observed OTUs (p<0.05) was significantly higher when samples were transported at room temperature than other conditions, and microbiota was affected by transporting and storage conditions. Finally, we investigated the effects of delayed time before DNA extraction from frozen fecal samples on microbial composition. Although this factor did not have a significant influence on microbial diversity, multidimensional scaling revealed its impact on microbial composition. Our findings will contribute to establishing an optimal procedure for microbiota analysis using farm-housing livestock feces.

The role of container shipping is proven to be crucial for in moving goods across oceans and seas to satisfy human demand around the world. Recently, the emergence of unexpected events such as the Covid-19 pandemic or the blockage of the Suez Canal has brought a variety of challenges to global economic activities, and container shipping is no exception. Therefore, this paper aims to discover the difficulties faced by shippers when sea transport is chosen as a method to deliver their containers in the new context. The study is conducted in the north of Vietnam and involves interviewing specialists and experienced export managers to identify the possible risks associated with container shipping. Then, a survey is conducted among those in the shipping industry, including manufacturers, freight forwarders, and trading companies, among others. Answers are ranked on a Likert scale and a probability and impact matrix is applied, facilitating the evaluation of container shipping risks. As a result, this study is expected to bring a deeper understanding of the risks faced by shippers when they export their containers, with possible solutions also presented. Meanwhile, shipping service providers are aware of their customers’ experiences and for this reason can improve their service quality or develop new services to enhance customer satisfaction.

본 연구의 목적은 본 연구에서는 탄소나노튜브 기반의 신축성 직물 센서의 모양과 의복 상 부착 위치가 아동의 사지 관절 동작 센싱 성능에 미치는 영향을 분석하고, 이를 통해 아동의 사지 동작 센싱에 적합한 직물 동작 센서의 요건을 규명하고자 하였다. 실험 대상 아동에게 2종의 센서 모양과 2개의 센서 부착 위치에 따라 조작된 실험복을 착의시킨 후 60 deg/sec의 속도로, 팔과 다리의 굽힘-폄 동작(60°, 90°의 동작 각도별로 10회씩 3회 반복 동작, 총 60회 동작)에 의한 직물 센서의 신장과 수축에 따른 전압의 변화량을 측정하였으며, 가속도 센서를 함께 부착하여, 센싱 결과의 일치 도를 분석함으로써 신뢰도를 검증하였다. 실험 결과 아동의 팔과 다리 동작을 가장 효율적으로 측정할 수 있는 직물 센서의 구성 요건은 장방형 모양 센서 및 관절로부터 4㎝ 아래 부위에 부착된 센서로 나타났다. 본 연구에서는 아동의 사지 동작 측정에 적합한 직물 센서를 개발하고 관절동작 센싱에 적합한 센서의 모양과 의복 상 부착 위치에 대한 조건 을 분석하였으며, 의복에 통합된 유연한 직물 센서를 활용하여 인체 부위별 동작 센싱이 가능하다는 것을 규명하였다.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to preliminarily examine the field applicability of modular pavement marking tape (PMT) to increase the lane awareness of motorists on existing roadways. METHODS : A pavement marking tape (PMT) comprises an adhesion layer and a paint coating layer. The adhesion layer is prepared using gussasphalt-based materials that have properties similar to those of existing asphalt materials. Thermal adhesion is performed to adhere the tape to the pavement. For the paint coating layer, polyurea materials are selected after reviewing the existing materials suitable for pavement lane marking. To conduct field evaluations on the adhesion layer, monitoring is performed after the pilot deployment of the PMT is completed. Twelve samples are prepared to investigate the optimal ratios for the mixture of paint coating layer materials. The durability of the PMT is examined using a turntable road-marking test system (RPA) with a wheel load on the samples. A total of 50,000 RPA, equivalent to P4, is performed. The performance is evaluated by capturing the retroreflectivity measure, which is used as an indicator of the pavement marking performance. The PMT is utilized on a roadway segment with significant heavy vehicle traffic, and continuous monitoring is performed to examine its performance in the field. RESULTS : Based on a visual inspection of the adhesion layer material, no significant issue is observed in terms of the adhesion performance of the PMT. Furthermore, the overall retroreflectivity obtained from the RPA exceeds 300 mcd/m2·lux. It is discovered that the optimal ratios for the mixture of polyurea and binder for the paint coating layer are 4:6 and 2:8, respectively, which results in a retroreflectivity that is 90% or above the initial retroreflectivity. Using a prototype of the PMT for field tests, a performance evaluation is conducted by analyzing the retroreflectivity measured after 2 and 7 weeks from the prototype deployment. The retroreflectivity measured for the first 2 weeks after the deployment appears acceptable for field use. However, the retroreflectivity is reduced significantly when it is measured 7 weeks after deployment, resulting in the necessity for a more reliable material that can retain long-term durability. CONCLUSIONS : The lane awareness of a motorist is crucial for accident mitigation under not only nighttime driving, but also severe weather conditions. In this regard, modular PMT is expected to increase the lane awareness of motorists, thereby improving the quality of lane marking materials. In this study, various exploratory field tests are conducted to analyze the field applicability of the PMT. It is noteworthy that the results presented herein are obtained from preliminary performance evaluations of the PMT. Hence, further investigations pertaining to the long-term durability of PMTs must be conducted using advanced test equipment such as an accelerated pavement tester.