The concrete silo dry storage system, which has been in operation at the Wolsong NPP site since 1992, consists of a concrete structure, a steel liner plate in the inner space, and a fuel basket. The silo system’s concrete structure must maintain structural integrity as well as adequate radiation shielding performance against the high radioactivity of spent nuclear fuel stored inside the storage system. The concrete structure is directly exposed to the external climatic environment in the storage facility and can be expected to deteriorate over time owing to the heat of spent nuclear fuel, as well as particularly cracks in the concrete structure. These cracks may reduce the radiation shielding performance of the concrete structure, potentially exceeding the silo system’s allowable radiation dose rate limits. For specimens with the same composition and physical properties as silo’s concrete structures, cracks were forcibly generated and then irradiated to measure the change in radiation dose rate to examine the effect of cracks in concrete structures on radiation shielding performance, and in the current state, the silo system maintains radiation shielding performance.

In Korea, two types of spent nuclear fuels (SNFs) are generated, pressurized light water reactor type (PWR) and pressurized heavy water reactor type (PHWR; CANDU), that differ greatly in size, decay heat, and radioactive characteristics. Technology development for the disposal of SNFs has mainly focused on PWR SNFs that are large in size and have extremely high decay heat and radioactivity. However, CANDU SNFs should be considered differently from PWR SNFs in deep geological disposal systems because their characteristics significantly differ from those of PWR SNFs in terms of their dimensions, number of SNF bundles, and handling systems in nuclear power plant sites. In this paper, after reviewing the status of the CANDU SNF disposal concept by Canada and Korea, concepts related to the direct geological disposal of CANDU SNFs were described, and two concepts were proposed based on the results of the development. The engineered barrier systems developed using these two concepts were comparatively analyzed in terms of disposal safety, disposal efficiency, and technical maturity. Based on the results of the comparative analyses, a vertical-type emplacement disposal concept was determined as a reference concept for the deep geological disposal of CANDU SNFs.

Interim dry cask storage systems comprising AISI 304 or 316 stainless steel canisters have become critical for the storage of spent nuclear fuel from light water reactors in the Republic of Korea. However, the combination of microstructural sensitization, residual tensile stress, and corrosive environments can induce chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) for stainless steel canisters. Suppressing one or more of these three variables can effectively mitigate CISCC initiation or propagation. Surface-modification technologies, such as surface peening and burnishing, focus on relieving residual tensile stress by introducing compressive stress to near-surface regions of materials. Overlay coating methods such as cold spray can serve as a barrier between the environment and the canister, while also inducing compressive stress similar to surface peening. This approach can both mitigate CISCC initiation and facilitate CISCC repair. Surface-painting methods can also be used to isolate materials from external corrosive environments. However, environmental variables, such as relative humidity, composition of surface deposits, and pH can affect the CISCC behavior. Therefore, in addition to research on surface modification and coating technologies, site-specific environmental investigations of various nuclear power plants are required.

본 연구는 작약의 품종간 개화시기 차이와 저온에서 장기 저 장이 가능한 품종을 선발하여 절화 유통 기간을 연장하기 위하 여 수행하였다. 작약 24품종을 대상으로 2022년 국립원예특작 과학원 시험포장에서 개화시기와 절화 품질을 조사하였다. 봉오 리 상태에서 수확한 작약을 건조 저장법으로 -1℃에서 60일 저장한 후 절화 수명과 절화품질을 조사하였다. ‘의성작약’은 홑 꽃이었고 나머지 품종은 겹꽃이었다. 개화시기는 5월 10일부터 18일 사이였으며, ‘Etched Salmon’, ‘Monsieur Jules Elie’, ‘Gilbert’, ‘Henry Bockstoce’는 개화일이 5월 10일로 가장 빨랐고, ‘Elsa Sass’는 5월 18일로 가장 늦었다. 식물체 키는 74.6∼107.8cm 였고, 절화 무게는 ‘Henry Bockstoce’ 품종 이 89.8g으로 가장 무거웠고, ‘Angel Cheeks’ 품종이 26.7g으 로 가장 가벼웠다. 꽃의 주된 색은 흰색, 빨강색, 분홍색, 자주색 이었다. -1℃에서 60일간 저장 후에 꽃과 잎의 상태가 아주 양 호한 품종은 ‘Kansas’, ‘Ole Faithful’, ‘Sonw Mountain’이 었다. 절화수명은 ‘Nick Shaylor’ 품종이 8일로 가장 길었고, 다음으로 ‘Blush Queen’, ‘Elsa Sass’ 품종이 7일이었으며, ‘Gilbert’, ‘Highlight’ 품종이 1일로 가장 짧았다. 작약은 저온 장기 저장에서 일부 품종을 제외하고는 꽃과 잎에 저온장해 증 상이 발생하였다. 이와같은 결과는 작약재배시에 품종 선택과 수확후 저온 장기 저장을 통하여 유통기간을 연장하고 하고자 할 때 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Outdoor storage fires have a significant impact on the surrounding environment, including adjacent storage facilities and buildings. Therefore, it is essential to review and manage the fire impact to minimize damage to human life and property on the outdoor storage fires. In this study, the heat release rate and radiant heat flux were simulated according to the fire time, wind veolcity, and presence or absence of water spray equipment in an outdoor storage facility fire, and the fire impact was analyzed. The outdoor storage was designed to simulate two scenarios on the outdoor storage fires containing gasoline, and FDS was used for fire simulation. As a results, when the water spray facility was not operating and the wind velocity was 5 m/s, the maximum radiant heat flux was 24.80 kW/m2, which exceeded the limit radiant heat flux of 20 kW/m2. When the water spray facility was operating and the wind veolcity was 10 m/s, the maximum radiant heat flux was 18.77 kW/m2, which did not exceed the limit radiant heat flux, indicating that the fire impact on adjacent storage facilities was relatively small.

In this study, numerical analysis was performed on a type IV hydrogen storage tank to analyze the temperature change of hydrogen inside the tank and the filling performance by changing the inlet nozzle outlet angle and the number of outlets. Considering the residual state of charge (SOC) inside the initial tank, the initial pressure was 10 MPa, and the temperature of hydrogen inside the tank and the SOC results were analyzed when hydrogen with a temperature of 233 K was introduced under the conditions of liner, wrap, and outside temperature of 298 K. The results of the analysis showed that the charging completion rate reached the charging limit pressure. The analysis showed that time of filling completion, when the filling limit pressure is reached, the SOC result is about 94% for all geometry change conditions, and the filling completion time increases by 5s as the number of outlets decreases. The temperature change of the wrap area at the end of filling is up to 3.6K, which shows that the outside air temperature has a negligible effect on the hydrogen temperature change inside the tank.

The government declared ‘2050 carbon neutrality’ as a national vision in October 2020 and subsequently pursued the establishment of a ‘2050 carbon neutrality scenario’ as a follow-up response. Hydrogen is considered as one of the most promising future energy carriers due to its noteworthy advantages of renewable, environmentally friendly and high calorific value. Liquid hydrogen is thus more advantageous for large-scale storage and transportation. However, due to the large difference between the liquid hydrogen temperature and the environment temperature, an inevitable heat leak into the storage tanks of liquid hydrogen occurs, causing boil-off losses and vent of hydrogen gas. Researches on insulation materials for liquid hydrogen are actively being conducted, but research on support design for minimal heat transfer and enhanced rigidity remains insufficient. In this study, to design support structures for liquid hydrogen storage tanks, a thermal-structural coupled analysis technique was developed using Ansys Workbench. Analytical models were created based on the number and arrangement of supports to propose structurally safe support designs.

본 연구에서는 ALOHA와 Bow-tie를 활용하여 메탄올 추진 선박의 저장 탱크가 울산항에서의 누출 시나리오를 가정하여 위험도 평가하였다. ALOHA를 이용하여 대안 및 최악의 시나리오를 산정하여 피해 범위를 예측하였다. 독성 영향 범위의 결과(ERPG-2 기준)로는 대안(629m), 최악(817m)로 육상 탱크 터미널의 부두 시설 및 거주 지역까지 포함되는 것으로 확인되었다. 인화성 영향 범위(LEL 10% 기준) 는 대안(126m), 최악(218m) 선박에서만 발생하였으며, 열복사 영향 범위(5.0kW/m2 기준)는 대안(56m), 최악(56m)로 선박에서만 영향을 미쳤 다. 또한, 전문가 집단을 구성하여 Bow-tie 기법을 통하여 예방 대책과 완화 대책을 평가하였다. 대책 유형 분류에서는 Hardware와 Human 으로 구분되었으며, 안전 유효성과 위험 심각성의 결과에서는 “Gas Freeing System”, “Ventilation System”, “Fire-Fighting System이 가장 높은 평가를 받았다. 위의 평가를 토대로 위험도 평가를 도식화하였다.

Energy storage is one of the leading problems being faced globally, due to the population explosion in recent times. The conventional energy sources that are available are on the verge of extinction, hence researchers are keen on developing a storage system that will face the upcoming energy needs. Supercapacitors, also known as ultracapacitors or electrochemical capacitors, are advanced energy storage devices characterised by high power density and rapid charge–discharge cycles. Unlike traditional batteries, supercapacitors store energy through electrostatic separation, offering quick energy release and prolonged operational life. They hold exceptional performance in various applications, from portable electronics to electric vehicles, where their ability to deliver bursts of energy efficiently complements or replaces conventional energy storage solutions. Ongoing research focuses on enhancing energy density and overall efficiency, positioning supercapacitors as pivotal components in the evolving landscape of energy storage technologies. A novel electrode material of NiO/CuO/Co3O4/rGO was synthesized which when used as a supercapacitor, the highest value of CS is 873.14 F/g which is achieved for a current density of 1 A/g under with an energy density of 190 Wh/kg and the highest power density of 2.5 kW/kg along with 87.3% retention after 5000 GCD cycles under 1 M KOH.

Because most spent nuclear fuel storage casks have been designed for low burnup fuel, a safety-significant high burnup dry storage cask must be developed for nuclear facilities in Korea to store the increasing high burnup and damaged fuels. More than 20% of fuels generated by PWRs comprise high burnup fuels. This study conducted a structural safety evaluation of the preliminary designs for a high burnup storage cask with 21 spent nuclear fuels and evaluated feasible loading conditions under normal, off-normal, and accident conditions. Two types of metal and concrete storage casks were used in the evaluation. Structural integrity was assessed by comparing load combinations and stress intensity limits under each condition. Evaluation results showed that the storage cask had secured structural integrity as it satisfied the stress intensity limit under normal, off-normal, and accident conditions. These results can be used as baseline data for the detailed design of high burnup storage casks.

The 300 concrete silo systems installed and operated at the site of Wolsong nuclear power plant (NPP) have been storing CANDU spent nuclear fuel (SNF) under dry conditions since 1992. The dry storage system must be operated safely until SNF is delivered to an interim storage facility or final repository located outside the NPP in accordance with the SNF management policy of the country. The silo dry storage system consists of a concrete structure, liner steel plate in the inner cavity, and fuel basket. Because the components of the silo system are exposed to high energy radiation owing to the high radioactivity of SNF inside, the effects of irradiation during long-term storage must be analyzed. To this end, material specimens of each component were manufactured and subjected to irradiation and strength tests, and mechanical characteristics before and after irradiation were examined. Notably, the mechanical characteristics of the main components of the silo system were affected by irradiation during the storage of spent fuel. The test results will be used to evaluate the long-term behavior of silo systems in the future.

The functional roles of plant extracts have been investigated for the treatment of various diseases including subfertility. Recent studies have highlighted the benefits of ashwagandha extract (AE) in enhancing sperm production, boosting testosterone levels, and lowering reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in mammals. The current study is to examine the effects of the addition of AE to liquid boar semen on sperm quality during storage and its potential application in assisted reproductive technology. A hot water extract of ashwagandha was prepared from the dried powder of ashwagandha roots. Boar spermatozoa were stored in Beltsville thawing solution (BTS) at 17℃ for 5 days, with various concentrations of AE (1–50 mg/mL). During storage, motility, viability, acrosomal integrity and ROS of boar spermatozoa were examined. The results have shown that sperm stored in BTS with varying quantities of AE ranging from 1–20 mg/mL exhibited higher motility compared to those without AE (control) or with 50 mg/mL AE for 5 days. Similarly, sperm viability was better maintained in sperm treated with 1–20 mg/mL AE. Moreover, sperm stored in BTS with AE led to significantly higher acrosomal integrity and chromatin stability rates than sperm stored without AE. Notably, intracellular ROS levels significantly decreased in sperm stored in BTS with AE. Particularly, spermatozoa stored at 10 mg/mL AE exhibited an effective reduction in ROS during storage. These findings suggest the potential role of AE as an additive during sperm storage maintains sperm quality and can be used during subfertility treatment in both animals and humans.

Hydrogen is considered as one of the most promising future energy carriers due to its noteworthy advantages of renewable, environmentally friendly and high calorific value. However, the low density of hydrogen makes its storage an urgent technical problem for hydrogen energy development. Compared with the density of gas hydrogen, the density of liquid hydrogen is more than 1.5 times higher. Liquid hydrogen is thus more advantageous for large-scale storage and transportation. However, due to the large difference between the liquid hydrogen temperature and the environment temperature, an inevitable heat leak into the storage tanks of liquid hydrogen occurs, causing boil-off losses and vent of hydrogen gas. Researches on insulation materials for liquid hydrogen are actively being conducted, but research on support design for minimal heat transfer and enhanced rigidity remains insufficient. In this study, to design support for liquid hydrogen storage tank, technique of thermal-structural coupled analysis including geometry, mesh, and boundary condition were developed using Ansys workbench, and equivalent stress and deformation distributions were analyzed.

This study analyzed the changes in the nutritional components, properties, physicochemical properties, general bacteria, and lactic acid bacteria of pickled cabbage depending on the cultivation area. An analysis of the nutritional composition on the first day of storage showed no significant difference in the calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and dietary fiber contents regardless of the cultivation region, but regional differences were observed in the vitamin C content in the order of Andong > Pyeongchang > Haenam. The total free amino acid content appeared in the order Andong > Pyeongchang > Haenam, and the GABA (-amino-n-butyric acid) content appeared in the order Haenam > Andong > Pyeongchang. In addition, pickled cabbage was observed on the 1st, 5th, and 10th days of storage at 4oC. No significant change in appearance was observed on the 1st and 5th days, but changes were observed on the 10th day. Regardless of the cultivation area, the salinity (p<0.05) and pH (p<0.05) decreased significantly as the storage period increased, while the sugar content (p<0.05) and acidity (p<0.05) increased significantly. The general bacteria (p<0.05) and lactic acid bacteria (p<0.05) counts increased significantly as the storage period increased, irrespective of the cultivation region.

This study was conducted to find a way to improve quality by observing changes in quality and microbial communities according to whether corn silage was treated with additives and the storage period, and to utilize them as basic research results. The experimental design was performed by 2˟4 factor desigh, and the untreated (CON), and the additive inoculated (ADD) silage were stored and fermented for 30 (TH), 60 (ST), 90 (NT), and 120 (OHT) days, with each condition repeated 3 times. There was no change in the nutrient content of corn silage according to additive treatment and storage period (p>0.05). However, the change in DM and the increase in the relative proportions of lactic acid content and Lactobacillales according to the storage period (p<0.05) indicate that continuous fermentation progressed until OHT days of fermentation. Enterobacterales (33.0%), Flavobacteriales (14.4%), Sphingobacteriales (12.7%), Burkholderiales (9.28%) and Pseudomonadales (6.18%) dominated before fermentation of corn silage, but after fermentation, the diversity of microorganisms decreased sharply due to the dominance of Lactobacillales (69.4%) and Bacillales (11.5%), Eubacteriales (7.59%). Therefore, silage maintained good fermentation quality with or without microbial additives throughout all fermentation periods, but considering the persistence of fermentation even in long-term storage and the aerobic stability, it would be advantageous to use microbial additives.

최근 지구온난화로 인해 발생하는 폭우 및 강설과 같은 비정상적인 기상 패턴으로 인해 도로 표면 결빙(블랙 아이스)으로 인 한 사고와 인명 피해가 증가하고 있으며, 이는 주요 문제로 대두되고 있습니다. 이러한 문제를 완화하기 위해 본 연구에서는 열저장 능력을 갖춘 상변화 물질(PCM)을 시멘트 복합재료에 포함시켰습니다. PCM은 상변화 과정에서 열에너지를 흡수, 저장 및 방출할 수 있어 온도 변동으로 인한 결빙을 최소화할 수 있습니다. PCM은 먼저 미세 캡슐화된 후 시멘트 복합재료에 강화되어 기계적 및 열적 성능 검증 연구가 수행되었습니다. 또한, 열전달 효율과 기계적 특성을 향상시키기 위해 다중벽 탄소나노튜브(CNT)와 실리카 퓸이 추 가되었습니다. 미세 캡슐화된 PCM의 열 성능은 열 거동을 측정하기 위한 재료 실험을 통해 검증되었습니다. 이후, 제조된 시멘트 복 합재의 기계적 및 열적 성능 테스트가 그 효과를 평가하기 위해 수행되었습니다. 이러한 테스트 동안 일정 온도와 습도 챔버를 사용한 열 주기 테스트가 열 성능을 검증하기 위해 수행되었습니다. 기계적 성능 실험에서는 CNT와 실리카 퓸의 포함이 미세 캡슐화된 PCM 의 포함으로 인한 강도 저하를 완화하는 것을 확인하였습니다. 더욱이, 열 주기 테스트를 통해 고효율 열저장 시멘트 복합재가 결빙 조건에서도 영하의 온도를 유지할 수 있음을 보여주었으며, 이는 효율적인 열저장 성능을 입증하였습니다.