Dr. Kim Se-Yeon of Keimyung University Wins Best Poster Award at International Symposium...Spent Nuclear Fuel Transport Safety Technology Recognized Globally

Kim Se-Yeon, a postdoctoral researcher in the research team of Professor Lee Sanghoon from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Keimyung University (President: Shin Ilhee), received the 'Clive Young Poster Award' at the 'PATRAM 2025 International Symposium' held in San Antonio, Texas, USA, on July 31.

This award is the highest honor in the poster category for young scientists at 'PATRAM,' the world's most prestigious academic conference in the field of radioactive material transportation.

Dr Kim Seyon

'PATRAM' is a venue for discussing technologies and policies related to the packaging and transportation of radioactive materials worldwide. It is held every three years, alternating between the United States and non-U.S. regions.

The 2025 symposium took place in San Antonio, USA, over six days from July 27 to August 1, and was co-hosted by the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) and the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI).

This year’s conference was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Department of Transportation (DoT), in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and was attended by more than 600 experts from around the world, making it a great success.

The 'Clive Young Poster Award' is presented to the young researcher who gives the most outstanding presentation in the poster session.

This award was established to honor the achievements of Clive Young, who dedicated himself to the regulation and policy of radioactive material transportation at the IAEA and the UK Department for Transport. It also aims to encourage creative and challenging research activities by young scientists.

Dr. Kim gave a poster presentation titled 'A Computational Framework for Evaluating the Damage Ratio of Spent Nuclear Fuel under Horizontal Drop Impact' at this symposium.

The presentation proposed a computational analysis method to assess the probability of damage to spent nuclear fuel inside a transport cask in the event of a horizontal drop impact during transportation. The work was highly regarded for establishing a quantitative analysis framework based on actual accident scenarios.

Dr. Kim Se-Yeon stated, "As nuclear power generation increases worldwide, the transportation of spent nuclear fuel is expected to become more frequent, making the development of related safety technologies essential. I hope this research will contribute to the establishment of practical policies and the improvement of safety standards."

Professor Lee Sanghoon, the supervising professor, said, "It is a very meaningful achievement that our research team has been recognized for its technological capability and creativity in competition with researchers from leading nuclear power countries. This award is an example of our research level and contributions being internationally acknowledged in this field."

Dr. Kim Se-Yeon received her Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Keimyung University in February this year and is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the same department.

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