Economic and Environmental Geology (자원환경지질)

The Korean Society of Economic and Environmental Geology (대한자원환경지질학회)
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Review for Mechanisms of Gas Generation and Properties of Gas Migration in SNF (Spent Nuclear Fuel) Repository Site

사용 후 핵연료 처분장 내 가스의 발생 기작 및 거동 특성 고찰

  • Danu Kim (Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Soyoung Jeon (Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Seon-ok Kim (Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Sookyun Wang (Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Minhee Lee (Major of Environmental Geosciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University)
  • 김단우 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공) ;
  • 전소영 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공) ;
  • 김선옥 (부경대학교 에너지 자원공학과) ;
  • 왕수균 (부경대학교 에너지 자원공학과) ;
  • 이민희 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 환경지질과학전공)
  • Received : 2023.02.17
  • Accepted : 2023.04.01
  • Published : 2023.04.28
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Abstract

Gases originated from the final SNF (spent nuclear fuel) disposal site are very mobile in the barrier and they may also affect the migration of radioactive nuclides generated from the SNF. Mechanisms of gas-nuclide migration in the multi-barrier and their influences on the safety of the disposal site should be understood before the construction of the final SNF disposal site. However, researches related to gas-nuclide coupled movement in the multi-barrier medium have been very little both at home and abroad. In this study, properties of gas generation and migration in the SNF disposal environment were reviewed through previous researches and their main mechanisms were summarized on the hydrogeological evolution stage of the SNF disposal site. Gas generation in the SNF disposal site was categorized into five origins such as the continuous nuclear fission of the SNS, the Cu-canister corrosion, the oxidation-reduction reaction, the microbial activity, and the inflow from the natural barriers. Migration scenarios of gas in porous medium of the multi-barrier in the SNF repository site were investigated through reviews for previous studies and several gas migration types including ① the free gas phase flow including visco-capillary two-phase flow, ② the advection and diffusion of dissolved gas in pore water, ③ dilatant two-phase flow, and ④ tensile fracture flow, were presented. Reviewed results in this study can support information to design the further research for the gas-nuclide migration in the repository site and to evaluate the safety of the Korean SNF disposal site in view points of gas migration in the multi-barrier.

사용 후 핵연료(SNF: spent nuclear fuel) 지하 처분장에서 발생된 가스는 처분장 내에서 자체로 이동성이 클 뿐 아니라, 처분장 내 방사성핵종 거동에도 영향을 줄 수 있다. 지하 처분장 방벽 내에서 가스-핵종 발생 및 거동 기작에 대한 연구와 가스 거동이 처분장의 안전성에 미치는 영향에 대한 연구가 처분장 건설 이전에 충분히 수행되어져야 함에도 불구하고, 처분장 다중 방벽내 가스-핵종 거동에 대한 연구는 국내는 물론 국외에서 조차 매우 초보적인 단계이다. 본 연구에서는 지하 SNF 처분장 내 가스 발생과 거동 특성과 관련된 국내외 선행연구 결과들을 고찰하여, 가스 발생/거동 기작을 처분장의 수리지질학적 진화과정에 따라 분류하여 설명하였다. 처분장 내 가스 발생을 크게 SNF의 핵분열에 의한 방사성 가스 생성, SNF 저장 용기의 부식에 의한 가스 발생, 지하수의 산화-환원 반응에 의한 가스 생성, 미생물 활동과 천연 방벽 내 지화학적 반응에 의한 가스 생성 등 총 5가지 유형으로 구분하여 정리하였다. 처분장 다중 방벽 내 가스 거동과 관련된 선행연구 자료들을 정리하여, 방벽 내 가스 거동 시나리오를 다공성 매체에서 일어나는 거동 형태에 따라, 총 4가지 형태(① visco-capillary 흐름을 포함하는 공극 내 자유상 가스 이동, ② 공극 수 내 용존상 기체로서 이류 및 확산 이동, ③ 체적팽창에 의한 거동(dilatant pathway), ④ 가압파쇄에 의한 인장 절리 흐름 등)로 구분하여 제시하였다. 본 연구를 통해 고찰한 SNF 처분장의 다중 방벽 시스템 내 가스 발생 기작과 거동 특성자료들은, 향 후 지하 SNF 처분장 내 가스-핵종 거동관련 다양한 실험 및 모델링 연구를 계획하고, 국내 건설할 처분장의 안전성을 가스 거동관점에서 평가하는데 유용하게 사용될 것으로 기대한다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 2021년도 정부(과학기술정보통신부)의 재원으로 사용후핵연료관리핵심기술개발사업단 및 한국연구재단의 지원(No.2021M2E1A1085202)을 받아 수행되었습니다.

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