Patents by Inventor Youngmoon BAE
Youngmoon BAE has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11721446Abstract: Disclosed is a system for sensing a UF6 gas leak in a nuclear fuel manufacturing process. The system is configured to sense whether or not there is a UF6 gas leak by optically detecting UO2F2 in a solid state generated due to a reaction with outside air. This allows prevention of damage to a detection apparatus by means of sensing in a non-contact manner whether or not there is a UF6 gas leak. Further, the system extends the mechanical life of and reduces the maintenance and repair costs for the detection apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Seungchul Yang, Dongyong Kwak, Byungkuk Lee, Hyunkwang Cho, Junho Lee
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Patent number: 11289233Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device for recovering uranium (U) using a process for chemically treating washing wastewater of a uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder. The method and the device are provided to separate uranium (U) from the wastewater released during a process of washing the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder and to release a filtrate that satisfies atomic energy licensing standards and environmental regulation standards using evaporation and condensation. Accordingly, an independent technology and process for treating the wastewater released during the process of washing the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder are ensured, which provides easier maintenance and greatly reduces costs compared to the purchase and operation of apparatuses manufactured by foreign makers.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2018Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Hyundong Shin, Seungchul Yang, Bohyun Jo, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Hyunkwang Cho, Sunghoi Gu, Euijun Hwang
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Publication number: 20220068516Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device for recovering uranium (U) using a process for chemically treating washing wastewater of a uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder. The method and the device are provided to separate uranium (U) from the wastewater released during a process of washing the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder and to release a filtrate that satisfies atomic energy licensing standards and environmental regulation standards using evaporation and condensation. Accordingly, an independent technology and process for treating the wastewater released during the process of washing the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder are ensured, which provides easier maintenance and greatly reduces costs compared to the purchase and operation of apparatuses manufactured by foreign makers.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2021Publication date: March 3, 2022Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Hyundong Shin, Seungchul Yang, Bohyun Jo, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Hyunkwang Cho, Sunghoi Gu, Euijun Hwang
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Publication number: 20210280328Abstract: A system for sensing a UF6 gas leak in a nuclear fuel manufacturing process is proposed. The system is configured to sense whether or not there is a UF6 gas leak by optically detecting UO2F2 in a solid state generated due to a reaction with outside air, and thus to allow prevention of damage to a detection apparatus by means of sensing in a non-contact manner whether or not there is a UF6 gas leak, and to realize extension of mechanical life and reduction of the maintenance and repair cost for the detection apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2020Publication date: September 9, 2021Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Seungchul Yang, Dongyong Kwak, Byungkuk Lee, Hyunkwang Cho, Junho Lee
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Patent number: 10729989Abstract: Disclosed is a device for controlling an interface of a liquid-liquid extraction column using pressure equilibrium. The device includes a vertical pipe provided beside an extraction column parallel thereto. The device enables internal pressures of the extraction column and the vertical pipe to be balanced with each other by moving fluid from the extraction column into the vertical pipe. Therefore, the device can maintain the level of an interface between fluids having different specific gravities with a simple control system. The device includes the liquid-liquid extraction column having a column body; and upper and lower tanks having respective inlet pipes and respective outlet pipes, wherein a pipeline is connected to the outlet pipe of the lower tank, and the internal pressures are balanced by controlling a level of the fluid in the pipeline, thereby maintaining the level of the interface.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2019Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Seungchul Yang, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Hyunkwang Cho
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Publication number: 20200095133Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a treatment method and a treatment apparatus for a UF6 heel, using a gas phase reaction. A specific treatment method includes (1) vaporizing the UF6 heel, (2) manufacturing solid phase UO2F2 by using UF6 gas vaporized at step (1), (3) separating the solid phase UO2F2 and by-product gas from each other, and (4) separating hydrogen fluoride from the by-product gas. According to the disclosure, stabilization of a reconversion process and the quality of UO2 powder may be improved by manufacturing the solid phase UO2F2, which is an intermediate of the UO2 powder, through the UF6 heel treatment, and the high cost of radioactive waste disposal is reduced by minimizing the UF6 heel to be less than 0.5 kg.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2019Publication date: March 26, 2020Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Yudon Moon, In-Kyu Hwang, Hyundong Shin, Seungchul Yang, Dongyong Kwak, Byungkook Lee, Hyunkwang Cho, Junho Lee
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Publication number: 20190272927Abstract: A large-particle-size ammonium uranate hydrate crystal and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the reaction rate is controlled by injecting ammonia gas into a uranyl nitrate aqueous solution, thereby increasing the particle size of the ammonium uranate hydrate crystal, and the average particle size of a final ammonium uranate hydrate crystal is 9.32 to 14.68 ?m, which is 100 times or more that of a conventional crystal, and uranium content is less than 1 ppm. Since this ammonium uranate hydrate crystal has a very large particle size, handling thereof in subsequent filtration, drying and calcination/reduction processes is very easy, and moreover, the design of devices for subsequent processes is simple, and little uranium is contained in the filtrate of the filtration process, thus obviating an additional chemical treatment process for uranium recovery, which can greatly reduce facility investment costs.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Seungchul Yang, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Hyunkwang Cho, Sunghoi Gu, Euijun Hwang
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Publication number: 20190168133Abstract: Disclosed is a device for controlling an interface of a liquid-liquid extraction column using pressure equilibrium. The device includes a vertical pipe provided beside an extraction column parallel thereto. The device enables internal pressures of the extraction column and the vertical pipe to be balanced with each other by moving fluid from the extraction column into the vertical pipe. Therefore, the device can maintain the level of an interface between fluids having different specific gravities with a simple control system. The device includes the liquid-liquid extraction column having a column body; and upper and lower tanks having respective inlet pipes and respective outlet pipes, wherein a pipeline is connected to the outlet pipe of the lower tank, and the internal pressures are balanced by controlling a level of the fluid in the pipeline, thereby maintaining the level of the interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2019Publication date: June 6, 2019Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Seungchul Yang, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Hyunkwang Cho
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Publication number: 20190168132Abstract: A modular extraction column. End blocks respectively have a flange on one side. A body block includes a plurality of column modules stacked on each other and coupled to the flanges of the end blocks in a surface contact manner. Each column module includes first and second module flanges provided on opposite ends and an accommodating portion provided in an inner portion to have a predetermined area. The column modules are coupled to each other such that the first module flange of one column module faces the second module flange of an adjacent column module. An inner structure is received in the accommodating portions of the plurality of column modules to distribute a fluid. The end blocks and the body block communicate with each other. The accommodating portion of each of the column modules has a quadrangular cross-section in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2019Publication date: June 6, 2019Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Seungchul Yang, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Junsang Min
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Publication number: 20190156963Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for supplying a pulse to solvent extraction column (hereinafter, pulsed column). More particularly, the present invention relates to a low cost apparatus with a simple method for stably supplying a pulse to a pulsed column, which is employed as unit equipment in a solvent extraction process. The apparatus for supplying a pulse to the pulsed column having a first solvent inlet and a second solvent outlet at the low part of the pulsed column, and a second solvent inlet and a first solvent outlet at the top part of the pulsed column thereof, includes: a diaphragm pump actuated by using electric power or compressed air, and having a discharge part and a suction part, in which one of the discharge part and the suction part is blinded while the remaining one thereof is connected to the pulsed column via a pulse supply line.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2019Publication date: May 23, 2019Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon BAE, Seungchul YANG, Byungkuk LEE, Dongyong KWAK, Hyunkwang CHO
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Publication number: 20190139663Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device for recovering uranium (U) using a process for chemically treating washing wastewater of a uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder. The method and the device are provided to separate uranium (U) from the wastewater released during a process of washing the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder and to release a filtrate that satisfies atomic energy licensing standards and environmental regulation standards using evaporation and condensation. Accordingly, an independent technology and process for treating the wastewater released during the process of washing the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) cylinder are ensured, which provides easier maintenance and greatly reduces costs compared to the purchase and operation of apparatuses manufactured by foreign makers.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Hyundong Shin, Seungchul Yang, Bohyun Jo, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Hyunkwang Cho, Sunghoi Gu, Euijun Hwnag
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Patent number: 9927420Abstract: Disclosed is a method of predicting, calculating, or analyzing the sintered density of uranium oxide (UOx) before uranium oxide is added in the pelletizing process during a process of manufacturing nuclear fuel, the method including measuring the chromaticity of ammonium diuranate using a spectrophotometer. The present invention provides a simple and highly reliable method of predicting the sintered density of uranium oxide (UOx), which overcomes the problem with a conventional technology where the sintered density of uranium oxide (UOx) can be analyzed only in a pellet state and a subsequent treatment process needs to be performed according to the analysis result.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2016Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon Bae, Seungchul Yang, Byungkuk Lee, Dongyong Kwak, Hyunkwang Cho, Sunghoi Gu, Euijun Hwang
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Publication number: 20180045703Abstract: Disclosed is a method of predicting, calculating, or analyzing the sintered density of uranium oxide (UOx) before uranium oxide is added in the pelletizing process during a process of manufacturing nuclear fuel, the method including measuring the chromaticity of ammonium diuranate using a spectrophotometer. The present invention provides a simple and highly reliable method of predicting the sintered density of uranium oxide (UOx), which overcomes the problem with a conventional technology where the sintered density of uranium oxide (UOx) can be analyzed only in a pellet state and a subsequent treatment process needs to be performed according to the analysis result.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2016Publication date: February 15, 2018Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon BAE, Seungchul YANG, Byungkuk LEE, Dongyong KWAK, Hyunkwang CHO, Sunghoi GU, Euijun HWANG
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Publication number: 20180033507Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for supplying a pulse to solvent extraction column (hereinafter, pulsed column). More particularly, the present invention relates to a low cost apparatus with a simple method for stably supplying a pulse to a pulsed column, which is employed as unit equipment in a solvent extraction process. The apparatus for supplying a pulse to the pulsed column having a first solvent inlet and a second solvent outlet at the low part of the pulsed column, and a second solvent inlet and a first solvent outlet at the top part of the pulsed column thereof, includes: a diaphragm pump actuated by using electric power or compressed air, and having a discharge part and a suction part, in which one of the discharge part and the suction part is blinded while the remaining one thereof is connected to the pulsed column via a pulse supply line.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2016Publication date: February 1, 2018Applicant: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.Inventors: Youngmoon BAE, Seungchul YANG, Byungkuk LEE, Dongyong KWAK, Hyunkwang CHO