Spent nuclear fuel is a very complex material because various elements such as fission products, transuranium elements and activation products are produced from initial fresh UO2 fuel after irradiation. These elements exist in UO2 with various forms and can change the structure and of physicochemical properties of UO2. These changes could provide the surface activation site that could enhance chemical reactions and corrosion processes, and would significantly affect the storage environment for long-term disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Therefore, it can be important to understand the characteristics of spent nuclear fuel to design reliable and safe geological repositories. However, it is too hard to study the characteristics of spent nuclear fuel, because it is a very complex material by itself and not easy to handle due to its radioactivity, and it is also difficult to independently understand the effects of each element. Therefore, a simulated spent nuclear fuel containing an element that forms a solid solution and epsilon particle was manufactured to understand the change in characteristics of each element. Most of the elements that form solid solutions are lanthanides or actinides and can change the structure of the UO2 lattice itself. The epsilon particles exist as metals at the grain boundaries of UO2. In this study, structural changes were measured using XRD, SEM, and Raman spectroscopy, and physical and chemical properties were also identified by measuring electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties. The results were summarized, and the effects of solid solution elements and epsilon particles on the structure and properties of UO2 matrix were compared and discussed.

Expansive clays (for examples, bentonites) are favored as buffer and backfill materials because of their low hydraulic conductivity, high swelling potential, and good mechanical properties, and are installed in highly compacted blocks in repositories. Compacted expansive clays have a dual-structure system: macrostructural system which is a complex of clay aggregates with the inter-aggregate pores (macropores) which can be filled by either liquids or gases; microstructural system with the intraaggregate pores between or within clay particles (micropores) which is usually considered to be saturated by liquid. Understanding the dual-strucure system of expansive clays is essential for characterizing and modeling multiphysics (stress-strain, swelling pressure, etc.) in buffers and backfills. Existing multiphysics studies of expansive clays, as in non-expansive soils, were mostly conducted with a single structure approach based on the behavior of macropores, and there have been limitations in the comprehensive interpretation and modeling of experimental results. However, with the recent development of measurement techniques, a lot of available information on the pore structure of compacted expansive clays has been reported, and with the results, a dual-structure approach considering both microstructural and macrostructural systems has been increasingly applied to improve the modeling of multiphysics of expansive clays. This study reviewed the dual-structure system of compacted expansive clays, analyzed previous studies on its evolution according to hydromechanical loading (loading-unloading and wetting-drying paths), and based on these, intended to provide technical knowledge and information needed for multiphysics research of expansive clays-based buffer and backfill for the KRS repository.

In order to monitor the long-term condition of structures in nuclear waste disposal system and evaluate the degree of damage, it is necessary to secure quantitative monitoring, diagnosis, and prediction technology. However, at present, only simple monitoring or deterioration evaluation of the structure is being performed. Recently, there is a trend to develop monitoring systems using artificial intelligence algorithms, such as to introduce artificial intelligence-based failure diagnosis technology in nuclear power plant facilities. An artificial intelligence algorithm was applied to distinguish the noise signal and the destructive signal collected in the field. This can minimize false alarms in the monitoring system. However, it is difficult to apply artificial intelligence to industrial sites only by learning through laboratory data. Therefore, a database of noise signals and destructive signals was constructed through laboratory data, and signals effective for quantitative soundness determination of structures were separated and learned. In addition, an adaptive artificial intelligence algorithm was developed to enable additional learning and adaptive learning using field data, and its performance was verified through experiments.

Seismic demand on nonstructural components (NSCs) is highly dependent on the coupled behavior of a combined supporting structure- NSC system. Because of the inherent complexities of the problem, many of the affecting factors are inevitably neglected or simplified based on engineering judgments in current seismic design codes. However, a systematic analysis of the key affecting factors should establish reasonable seismic design provisions for NSCs. In this study, an idealized 2-DOF model simulating the coupled structure-NSC system was constructed to analyze the parameters that affect the response of NSCs comprehensively. The analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of structure-NSC mass ratio, structure, and NSC nonlinearities on the peak component acceleration. Also, the appropriateness of component ductility factor (R p) given by current codes was discussed based on the required ductility capacity of NSCs. It was observed that the responses of NSCs on the coupled system were significantly affected by the mass ratio, resulting in lower accelerations than the floor spectrum-based response, which neglected the interaction effects. Also, the component amplification factor (a p) in current provisions tended to underestimate the dynamic amplification of NSCs with a mass ratio of less than 15%. The nonlinearity of NSCs decreased the component responses. In some cases, the code-specified R p caused nonlinear deformation far beyond the ductility capacity of NSCs, and a practically unacceptable level of ductility was required for short-period NSCs to achieve the assigned amount of response reduction.

A microfluidic pump is a key component to controllably actuate fluids in Lab on a chip devices. To overcome technical issues of a diaphragm-type pump, a valveless nozzle-diffuser type pump was developed by utilizing the different flow resistance to control a dominant flow direction by means of diaphragm actuation. In this work, based on the operating mechanism of the nozzle-diffuser type pump, we propose a new concept of a valveless pump which can generate asymmetric flow through a pump chamber. In the proposed valveless pump, asymmetric flow path structures play a role of a nozzle-diffuser installed to a pump chamber. To validate the concept of the proposed valveless pump, we conducted CFD simulations for different geometries of the flow path structures. Based on the CFD simulations, we found that the dominant flow direction can be selectively manipulated by the pump actuation and an optimal shape of the asymmetric flow path structure was proposed to maximize the net mass flow rate through the pump chamber.

The capacity of high nickel Li(NixCoyMn1-x-y)O2 (NCM, x ≥ 0.8) cathodes is known to rapidly decline, a serious problem that needs to be solved in a timely manner. It was reported that cathode materials with the {010} plane exposed toward the outside, i.e., a radial structure, can provide facile Li+ diffusion paths and stress buffer during repeated cycles. In addition, cathodes with a core-shell composition gradient are of great interest. For example, a stable surface structure can be achieved using relatively low nickel content on the surface. In this study, precursors of the high-nickel NCM were synthesized by coprecipitation in ambient atmosphere. Then, a transition metal solution for coprecipitation was replaced with a low nickel content and the coprecipitation reaction proceeded for the desired time. The electrochemical analysis of the core-shell cathode showed a capacity retention of 94 % after 100 cycles, compared to the initial discharge capacity of 184.74 mA h/g. The rate capability test also confirmed that the core-shell cathode had enhanced kinetics during charging and discharging at 1 A/g.

본 연구는 설악산국립공원 아고산대에서 출현하는 주요 식생의 지역별, 해발고별 식생구조를 파악하고, 식물상 목록을 작성하고자 수행되었다. 기존 아고산대 연구결과를 고찰하고, 사전조사를 통해 아고산대 식생이 처음 출현하는 지점을 남측을 기준으로 800m로 결정하고 그곳에서부터 해발고도 50m 간격으로 북측 백담사~마등령 탐방로(BD) 12개소, 서측 한계령~끝청 탐방로(HG) 13개소, 동측 신흥사~소청봉 탐방로(SA) 13개소, 남측 오색~끝청, 오색~대청봉 탐방로(OS) 39개소에 각각 조사구를 설치하여 총 77개소에서 현장조사를 수행하였다. 분석결과, 아고산대 주요 식물인 신갈나무, 사스래나무, 분비나무 등의 출현 여부에 따른 종조성과 지역 및 해발고도에 의해 신갈나무-전나무-당단풍나 무군락, 신갈나무-피나무군락, 신갈나무-잣나무군락, 신갈나무-당단풍나무군락, 사스래나무-분비나무군락, 잣나무-분 비나무군락, 낙엽활엽혼효군락의 총 7개 군락으로 분류되었다. 조사구(100㎡)당 10.68±2.98종이 출현하였고, 110.87± 63.89개체가 확인되었다. 종다양성지수 분석결과, 설악산국립공원 아고산대 식생군락은 다양한 수종이 중요종으로 출현하는 혼효림으로 판단되었다. 지역별로 아고산대 주요 식물이 출현하는 최초 해발고도는 차이가 있었지만, 1,100~ 1,300m 구간에서 집중적으로 분포하고 있었다. 관속식물은 총 83과 193속 289종 4아종 28변종 1품종 322분류군으로 파악되었다. 법정보호종은 기생꽃 1분류군이 확인되었다. 한반도 고유종은 19종이 확인되었으며, 아고산식물은 58분류 군이 확인되었다.

본 논문에서는 한국의 서남해상에 건설예정인 해상풍력발전타워의 지지구조물로 고려되고 있는 세발구조와 자켓구조의 선박충 돌 거동을 비선형동적해석을 통하여 비교‧분석하였다. 이 구조물은 3MW용량의 풍력타워를 지지하기 위하여 설계되었다. 두 지지구 조는 쉘요소를 이용하여 비선형 거동을 고려할 수 있도록 모델링하였고, 발전기를 포함하는 상부의 타워구조물은 탄성재료를 이용하 여 보요소와 집중질량으로 모델링하였다. 전체 질량은 세발구조가 자켓구조에 비하여 약 1.66배 정도였다. 바지선과 상선을 충돌선박 으로 선정하여 모델링하였다. 조수차의 조건을 고려하여 충돌선박의 충돌위치를 평균해수면의 상하로 3.5m변동하는 것으로 고려하 였다. 또한 각 선박의 최소충돌속도(=2.6m/s)에서의 충돌에너지를 각각 4배까지 증가시키면서 충돌거동을 산정하였다. 해석결과 지 지구조 충돌부위의 강성이 클수록 선박의 소성에너지 소산량이 상대적으로 증가하였다. 충돌조건에 따라 풍력타워의 변형은 진동에 서 붕괴까지 발생하였다. 세발구조가 자켓구조에 비하여 큰 충돌저항력을 보였다. 이는 중앙부에 강성이 집중된 구조적 특성과 상대 적으로 많은 강재의 사용량에 기인한 것으로 판단된다.

원자력발전소 기기 내진설계 및 지진해석은 비연계모델을 대상으로 수행된다. 그러나 이러한 비연계해석은 실제 구조물-기기 간 상호작용 등의 실제 현상을 모사할 수 없기 때문에 연계해석에 비하여 정확하지 못한 결과를 발생시키게 된다는 한계를 가진다. 이러 한 배경 아래 이 연구는 실제 원전 격납건물 구조물 및 관련 부계통을 대상으로 질량비와 고유진동수비를 고려하여 지진 연계해석과 비연계해석을 수행하고, 이를 바탕으로 부계통에서의 응답을 비교 분석하였다. 결과적으로 지진 연계해석 결과가 비연계해석 결과보 다 대다수 작은 값을 주는 것을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 기존 연구인 단순한 연계모델에 대한 해석 결과와 유사하지만, 부계통 응답 차이는 훨씬 더 두드러지게 나타나는 것을 확인하였다. 또한, 이는 지진파의 입력 주파수의 영향보다는 부계통의 설치위치에 영향을 받는 것으로 확인되었다. 마지막으로 비연계 및 연계 지진해석의 차이가 부계통의 질량비가 크고, 고유진동수가 거의 일치하는 영역 에서 발생하는 이유는 이 영역에서 주계통과 부계통 동적 상호작용이 크게 나타나기 때문인 것으로 보인다.