• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2016

The buffer in geological disposal system is one of the major elements to restrain the release of radionuclide and to protect the container from the inflow of groundwater. The buffer material requires long-term stability, low hydraulic conductivity, low organic content, high retardation of radionuclide, high swelling pressure, and high thermal conductivity. These requirements could be determined by the quantitative analysis results. In case of South Korea, the bentonites produced in Gyeongju area have been regarded as candidate buffer/backfill materials at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) since 1997. According to the study on several physical and chemical characteristics of domestic bentonite in the same district, this is the Ca-type bentonite with about 65% of montmorillonite content. Through this study, we present the criteria for the performance evaluation items and methods when collecting new buffer/backfill materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.05b
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• pp.458-463
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• 1998

고준위방사성페기물의 기준 처분시스템 (Reference Geological Disposal System)의 개념설정을 위하여 현재 국내 원전에서 발생되고 있거나 향후 2010까지 건설될 원전으로부터 발생될 모든 사용 후 핵연료연료의 특성(크기, 무게, 초기농축도, 연소도, 냉각기간 등)을 대표할 수 있는 기준 사용 후 핵연료를 선정하였다.

• Nuclear industry
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• v.23 no.1 s.239
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• pp.64-78
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• 2003

한국원자력연구소에서는 과학기술부에서 주관하는 국제 협력 기반 조성 사업 과제의 일환으로 한국-핀란드 양국간 원자력 협력 증진을 위한 프로젝트를 수행하고 있다. 특히 이 연구에서는 방사성 폐기물 관리와 관련된 양국간 이해 증진과 향후 협력을 모색하기 위한 방안을 수립하고자 하였다. 본 연구에서는 이와 같은 관점에서 세계 최초로 사용후 핵연료 영구 처분장 부지를 확보하고 우리나라와 지질 조건이 유사한 결정질 암반에 신규로 심지층 처분 연구 실증 시설인 온칼로(Onkalo) 프로젝트를 계획하고 있는 핀란드의 방사성 폐기물 관리기관인 POSIVA 등과 관련 협력 기관, 정부 기관 등과 함께 향후 구체적인 협력 방안을 모색하고, 핀란드의 사용후 핵연료 직접 처분 연구사업 계획을 벤치 마킹하여 2003년도에 시작하는 국내 고준위 방사성 폐기물 처분 연구 과제 계획 수립에 도움을 주고자 하였으며, 이와 병행하여 핀란드 신규 원전 사업과 관련된 국내 산업체의 참여 가능성을 타진해 보고자 하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.40-60
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• 2001

핵변환 후 영구 처분될 가압경수로 및 중수로용 사용후핵연료에 대한 인간 생태계에 대한 영향을, 직접 처분하는 경우와 비교해 보았다 심지층 처분된 용기에 저장된 사용 후 핵연료로부터 유출된 방사성 핵종들이 공학적 방벽을 거쳐 결정질 기반암 내 균열대를 통해 지하수의 흐름을 따라 이동하면서 , 다양한 지질 및 암종을 거쳐 생태 환경으로 도달한다는 핵종 유출 시나리오 중 가장 보수적인 시나리오인 우물 시나리오에 대한 위해도를 평가하여 상대적인 환경친화성을 정량적으로 제시하였다. 현재 국내에 가속기와 미임계형 원자로를 함께 사용하는 핵변환시스템과 임계형 원자로와 같은 핵변환 시스템이 개념적인 수준에서 개발되고 있어, 이 연구를 통해 향후 핵변환시스템 연구에서 요구되는 항목들도 기술적 개선, 경제성 제고, 환경 친화성, 그리고 수용성측면에서 제시하였다.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2006

Inventories, and characteristics such as dimension, fuel rod array, weight, $^{235}U$ enrichment, and discharge burnup of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) generated from existing and planed nuclear power plants based on National 2nd Basic Plan for Electric Power Demand and Supply were investigated and projected to support geological disposal system design. The historical and projected inventory by the end 2057 is expected to be 20,500 and 14,800MTU for PWR and CANDU spent nuclear fuel, respectively. The quantity of SNF with initial $^{235}U$ enrichment of 4.5 wt.% and below was shown to be 96.5% in total. Average burnup of SNF revealed $\sim36$ GWD/MTU and $\sim40$ GWD/MTU for the period of 1994-1999 and 2000-2003, respectively. It is expected that the average burnup of SNF will be $\sim45$ GWD/MTU at the end of 2000's. From the comprehensive study, it was concluded that the imaginary SNF with $16\times16$ Korean Standard Fuel Assembly, cross section of $21.4cm\times21.4cm$, length of 453cm, mass of 672 kg, initial $^{235}U$ enrichment of 4.5 wt.%, discharge burnup of 55 GWD/MTU could cover almost all SNFs to be produced by 2057.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2013.10a
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• pp.647-648
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• 2013

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.373-387
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• 2009

Considering the current construction technology and research status of deep repository tunnels for radioactive waste disposal, it is inevitable to use cementitious materials in spite of serious concern about their long-term environmental stability. Thus, it is an emerging task to develop low pH cementitious materials. This study reviews the state of the technology on low pH cements developed in Sweden, Switzerland, France, and Japan as well as in Finland which is constructing a real deep repository site for high-level radioactive waste disposal. Considering the physical and chemical stability of bentonite which acts as a buffer material, a low pH cement limits to $pH{\leq}11$ and pozzolan-type admixtures are used to lower the pH of cement. To attain this pH requirement, silica fume, which is one of the most promising admixtures, should occupy at least 40 wt% of total dry materials in cement and the Ca/Si ratio should be maintained below 0.8 in cement. Additionally, selective super-plasticizer needs to be used because a high amount of water is demanded from the use of a large amount of silica fume.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2012

As an alternative of the high-level radioactive waste disposal in the subsurface repository, a deep borehole disposal is reviewed by several nuclear advanced countries. In this study, the state of the art on the borehole disposal researches was reviewed, and the possibility of borehole disposal in Korean peninsula was discussed. In the deep borehole disposal concept radioactive waste is disposed at the section of 3 - 5km depth in a deep borehole, and it has known that it has advantages in performance and cost due to the layered structure of deep groundwater and small surface disposal facility. The results show that it is necessary to acquisite data on deep geologic conditions of Korean peninsula, and to research the engineering barrier system, numerical modeling tools and disposal techniques for deep borehole disposal.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.323-338
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• 2007

For the assessment of the performance and safety of a deep underground radioactive repository system, the thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical behaviors and their coupling should be studied. In order to analyze the THMC coupling behavior more effectively, which requires complex mathematical models and modelling techniques, DECOVALEX international cooperation project was launched in 1992. Since its beginning, four major stages of the project were successfully completed and THMC modelling techniques for various conditions could be developed. In this study, the current status and major achievements from the project were reviewed and possible benefits of the participation to the project were discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.470-473
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• 2005

Spent nuclear fuels are regarded as a high level radioactive waste and they will be disposed in a deep geological repository. To maintain the safety of the repository for hundreds of thousands of years, the spent fuels are encapsulated in a disposal canister and the canister containing spent fuels should have the structural integrity and the corrosion resistance below the several hundreds meters from the ground surface. In this study, the concept of the spent fuel encapsulation process and the process equipment fur deep geological disposal were established. To do this, the design requirements, such as the functions and the spent fuel accumulations, were reviewed. Also, the design principles and the bases were established. Based on the requirements and the bases, the encapsulation process and the equipment from spent fuel receiving process to transferring canister into the underground repository including hot cell processes was established. The established concept of the spent fuel encapsulation process and the process equipment will be improved continuously with the future studies. And this concept can be effectively used in implementing the reference repository system of our own case.