In-situ Demonstration of Engineered Barrier System (In-DEBS) for Characterization of Coupled THM Behavior in KURT

Engineering scale in-situ demonstration of engineered barrier system performance (In-DEBS) based on the advanced Korean reference repository system (A-KRS) was planned from 2012. The whole system was designed and manufactured by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and installed in the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) in May, 2016. Operation started in July, 2016 and quality thermal, hydro, and mechanical (THM) data have been produced. This is the first engineering scale in-situ test of a deep geological repository system performance for high level radioactive waste disposal in Korea. The main purpose of this test is the development of verification technology for engineered barrier system (EBS) performance of deep geological repository system by demonstration of manufacturing techniques for large scale disposal canisters and buffer, demonstration of installation of unit module of disposal system, acquisition of long-term THM behavior data around domestic bentonite EBS, validation of the modeling techniques for coupled THM behavior, and development and demonstration of monitoring techniques for major parameters in buffer. With the successful installation and operation of In-DEBS, we have secured demonstration and modeling techniques for coupled THM behavior of EBS using in-situ test data, which form the core of Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) for High-level Radioactive Waste (HLW) disposal technology, as well as securing manufacturing and installation technology of engineering scale EBS. It is expected that the results of the In-DEBS test will provide important information for technology development of a future real scale experiments of Korean repository system.