• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2014

After the expiration of operating license of a plant, all infrastructures within the plant must be safely dismantled to the point that it no longer requires measures for radiation protection. Despite the fact that Kori 1 and Wolsong 1 are close to the expiration of their operating license, sufficient technologies for radiological characterization, decontamination and dismantling is still under development. The purpose of this study is to develop one of methods for radiological inventory assessment on measuring object by using direct measure of large component with In-Situ measurement technique. Radiological inventory was assessed by analyzing nuclide using portable gamma spectroscopy without dismantling reactor head, and the result of direct measurement was supplemented by performing indirect measurement. Radiochemical analysis were performed on surface contamination samples as well. During the study, radiological inventory of reactor vessel calculated expanding the result. Based on the result and the radioactivity variation of each radionuclides time frame for decommissioning can be decided. Thus, it is expected that during the decommissioning of plants, the result of this study will contribute to the reduction of radiation exposure to workers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.233-234
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• 2004

최근 들어 국제 방사선 방호위원회(ICRP: International Commission on Radiological Protection)의 ICRP-60에서는 원전 작업종사자의 연간 허용 피폭량을 현행값인 5 rem보다 연 평가 2 rem으로 제한 운영토록 권고하고 있다. 이렇게 엄격해지는 방사선 관리규정에 능동적으로 대처할 수 있도록 새로운 방호차원에서 관련 계통 및 기기들의 방사선량을 낮출 수 있는 기술 개발이 절실한 실정이다. 각국의 원전에서는 방사능을 강구하고 있는 실정이다.(중략)

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.83-89
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• 2003

A temperature- and pressure-reducing process is utilized to handle the spent fuel assembly in the post-irradiation examination facility. This process includes three separated unit processes. First one is the decontamination process to clean the spent fuel assembly casks. The second process is the temperature-reducing process to reduce the temperature elevated by decay process in the spent fuel assembly. The third process is the filtration process to remove insoluble particles existed in the casks using filters. Up-to-date technologies as well as practical theories related to the temperature- and pressure-reducing process is reviewed in this report. The test-operation process for various tests and the test results of the temperature- and pressure-reducing process for J-44 and K-23 spent fuel assemblies are also described in detail. This report must be effectively used for the normal operation of the facility with the awareness of unprecedented problems which could occur by continuing operation of the PIE facility.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.481-487
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• 2021

This study was conducted for the purpose of efficient radioactive waste disposal and management. Experiment was evaluated the decontamination efficiencies of the four types decontamination materials(Water, Alcohol, Decontamination Water, Decontamination Gel) with radioactive wastes generated during radio-pharmaceutical production process at Korea Institute Radiological and Medical Sciences(KIRAMS). The radioactive waste sample used in experiment is a lead plate of the fume hood that was disposed in April, 2019. In the experimental method, radioactive waste was measured before and after decontamination using a HPGe semiconductor detector and Gamma survey meter. The measured values before and after decontamination were evaluated for decontamination efficiency as a percentage. As a result, it was confirmed that a lot of specific activity and surface dose rate was removed from the radioactive wastes. In particular, when decontamination water was used, most of the radioactivity of radioactive wastes was removed. Considering these results, if decontamination water is used in decontamination of radioactive waste, decontamination efficiency equivalent to the disposition criteria can be expected with just one decontamination treatment. In addition, in the case of water and alcohol, only on decontamination was effective in approximately 75% and 95%. Otherwise, when decontamination gel was used, it was confirmed that the largest deviation occurred among all experimental results.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.419-427
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• 2019

The application of ion crystallization technology was considered as a way to increase the operating efficiency and improve the operating performance of a liquid waste management system (LWMS) in the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR 1400). Although ion crystallization technology has not been practically applied to Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) until now, a previous experimental study demonstrated that it is possible to selectively remove at least 95% of various nuclide ions present in the liquid radioactive waste of NPPs. We reviewed the possibility of applying ion crystallization technology to the existing LWMS by applying the nuclide removal rate of ion crystallization technology and prepared a way to improve the existing LWMS in the APR 1400. Furthermore, we determined the optimized application location of ion crystallization technology in the existing LWMS by considering decontamination characteristics of the ion crystallization technology and the existing LWMS design features and operating experiences. The application of ion crystallization technology to the liquid waste collection tank, where liquid radioactive materials are collected, will have the least impact on the existing design while providing the greatest improvement. It is expected that the application of ion crystallization technology to the current APR 1400 or new NPPs would increase the operating efficiency of the LWMS and result in an improvement of system performance.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.603-618
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• 1995

원자력 발전소 및 동위원소 사용기관에서 발생되는 가연성 고체 폐기물 및 유기폐액의 소각기술의 활용에 있어서 이의 안전성 확보를 위한 기술적 기준의 설정을 위한 고려인자들을 조사하였다. 국내외의 소각기술 활용현황을 알아보았고 본 기술의 국내 도입시 필요한 기술적 안전지침에 관한 외국의 사례를 조사하고 국내 관련 규정도 검토, 비교, 분석하여 주요 고려항목을 도출하였다. 안전성 확보를 위한 고려 항목을 크게 일반산업시설 적용항목, 원자력시설 상 안전조건, 소각시설의 기술적 요구사항, 기타 제반사항으로 나누어 제시할 수 있었다. 이들 내용은 기존 원자력 및 환경시설에 적용되는 안전성분석보고서 및 환경영향평가서로 작성될 수 있다고 보았으며 시설의 개요, 시설의 기술적 사항과 이에 따르는 안전을 위한 조건, 폐기물의 인수조건 등이 포함되며 기존 관련 법규의 적용 및 확인이 필요하였다. 기술적 사항에는 공정의 제염계수, 연소효율, 소각재의 형상, 배기가스의 방출농도, 작업자 및 인근주민의 피폭등이 확인되어야 하며 소각재의 처리방법 및 조건이 제시되어야 하고 소각재의 침출특성 등이 주요한 인자라고 보았다. 아울러 소각대상폐기물의 인수조건이 명시되어 소각성능에 따른 이의 안전성이 입증되어야 한다. 따라서 인허가 후 건설된 시설에서의 사용전 시험소각절차의 제시 및 이에 대한 관련 규제기관의 검사제도가 있어야 하며 품질보증절차 역시 관련지침에 따라 실시되어야 한다. 이와 같은 내용을 포함하는 안전기술지침의 설정이 절대적으로 필요하며 본 연구조사 결과의 활용이 기대된다.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2019

A decontamination technology for radioactive liquid wastes was newly developed and hypothetically applied to the liquid waste management system (LWMS) of the nuclear power plant (NPP) to evaluate its decontamination efficacy for the purpose of the fundamental reduction of spent resins. The basic principle of the developed technology is to convert major radionuclide ions in the liquid wastes into inorganic crystal minerals via chemical or biological techniques. In a laboratory batch experiment, the biological method selectively removed more than 80% of cesium within 24 hours, and the chemical method removed more than 95% of cesium. Other major nuclides (Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Mn, Eu), which are commonly present in nuclear radioactive liquid wastes, were effectively scavenged by more than 99%. We have designed a module including the new technology that could be hypothetically installed between the reverse osmosis (R/O) package and the organic ion-exchange resin in the LWMS of the APR1400 reactor. From a technical evaluation for the virtual installation, we found that more than 90% of major radionuclides in the radioactive liquid wastes were selectively removed, resulting in a large volume reduction of spent resins. This means that if the new technology is commercialized in the future, it could possibly provide drastic cost reduction and significant extension of the life of resins in the management of spent resins, consequently leading to delay the saturation time of the Wolsong repository.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2005

Effects of the aluminum melting temperature, melting time and a kind of flux agents on the distribution of surrogate nuclide were investigated in the electric furnace at the aluminum melting including surrogate radionuclides(Co, Cs, Sr) in order to establish the fundamental research of the melting technology for the metallic wastes from the decommissioning of the TRIGA research reactor. It was verified that the fluidity of aluminum melt was increased by adding flux agent but it was slightly varied according to the sort of flux agents. The results of the XRD analysis showed that the surrogate nuclides move into the slag phase and then they were combined with aluminum oxide to form more stable compound. The weight of the slag generated from aluminum melting test increased with increasing melting temperature and melting time and the increase rate of the slag depended on the kind of flux agents added in the aluminum waste. The concentration of the cobalt in the ingot phase decreased with increasing reaction temperature but it increased in the slag phase up to 90$\%$according to the experimental conditions. The volatile nuclides such as Cs and Sr considerably transferred from the ingot phase to the slag and dust phase.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.177-177
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• 2009

사용후 핵연료의 건식처리 시 핵연료 다발을 절단하여 voloxidation 즉 휘발산화처리를 하면 고온에 의해 분리가 가능한 핵분열생성물의 분리와 우라늄의 산화에 의한 부피팽창으로 핵연료가 쪼개져서 입도가 작아지고 또한 핵연료가 피복재에서 쉽게 박리되게 된다. 그 결과 폐기물 처리 시에 발열핵종으로 폐기물의 저준위화시에 분리가 요망되는 Cs-137이 분리되는 장점이 있어 습식 재처리에 있어서도 바람직하다. 건식처리에 있어서는 voloxidation 으로 처리된 피복재에는 금속 지르코늄에 불순물로 함유된 우라늄의 의한 방사화 생성물과 피복재 표변에 부착/침투한 방사화 생성물이 방사능을 갖게 된다. 이러한 부착된 TRU 잔류물은 통상 1% 미만으로 알파핵종의 방사능이 원자로에서 배출시에는 고준위 기준치의 약 100배 수준이었다가 30년 냉각후에는 약 1/10 수준으로 저준위화 된다. 지르코늄 금속중에 불순물로 함유된 우라늄의 방사화로 생기는 방사능은 고준위 기준치의 10% 를 넘지 않아서 피복재의 저준위화시에 고려할 필요가 없다. 발생열은 방출시에 고준위 기준치의 약 30 배 수준에서 5년 냉각후에는 기준치 미만이 되며 30년후에는 1/8000 정도로 저준위화 된다. 사용후 핵연료를 습시처리시에 발생하는 고준위 폐기물 중 약 1/4 가 피복재 (hull) 임을 고려하면 피복재의 저준위화는 사용후 연료의 건식처리에 있어서도 필수적인 과정이다. 특히 미국의 고준위 폐기물 처분장 Yucca Mt.의 포기와 우리의 고준위 폐기불 처분장이 공론화되는 싯점에서 저준위화는 매우 필요한 기술이다. 피복재는 방사성 물질의 침투두께가 0.01mm 미만이 대부분으로 저준위화에는 표면제염에 의한 저준위화가 주로 연구되어왔다. 표면제염에 의한 저준화는 이온 빔, laser에 의한 방법, dry ice 분사에 의한 방법이 시도되었다. 염소기체를 이용하여 지르코늄의 산화막을 제거하고자 하였으나 이 산화막이 안정적이어서 표변의 연마, 아크릴 칼의 사용, 표면을 눌러서 처리하는 등 전처리하여서 염소기체 반응에 의한 표면제거 실험이 가장 효과적임이 실험적 결과이었다. 이러한 전처리로 방사능을 1/100 수준으로 낮춘다고 하더라도 지르코늄 금속중에 불순물로 함유된 우라늄의 방사화에 의해 중저준위 폐기물의 범주에서 벗어나지 않으므로 재활용에는 제한이 있다. 또한 전처리(표면제염)하여 분리되는 고준위는 다른 고준위 염폐기물과 함께 처리하여 발열 핵종을 제거하면 중저준위화가 가능하다. 저준위화 된 hull폐기물에는 지르코늄 금속에 불순물로서 함유되어있는 우라늄에 의한 방사능을 갖는데 이들의 제거나 분리는 지르코늄 합금 피복재 원료물질에 불순물로 함유하는 우라늄의 함량을 낮추는 것과 유사한 문제이다. 현재까지 지르코늄합금 피복재에 우라늄이 불순물로 함유된 것을 사용함으로 원자로내에서 방사화되어서 방사능을 갖게 되는 것은 피할 수가 없다. 따라서 저준위화 처리된 피복재는 장기 보관으로 방사능을 감쇠시켜서 재활용하도록 한다. 처리 방법으로는 초고압 압축저장, 시멘트 고화, 합성암석에 의한 고화법 등으로 장기간 보관 후에 금속으로서 재활용한다.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2006

In the decommissioning and decontamination(D&D) planning stage, it is important that the scenarios are evaluated from an engineering point of views because the decommissioning work has to be executed economically and safely by following the best scenarios. Therefore, we need to develope several modules to evaluate the decommissioning scenarios. In this paper, the digital mock-up system is constructed in the virtual space to simulate the whole decommissioning process. The schedule evaluating equation and cost evaluation equation are derived to calculate the working time and the expected cost. And in order to easily identify the radiation level about the activated objects, the radiation visualization module is developed. Finally, on the basis of the obtained results from the Digital Mock-up and other important factors, the evaluating method of the scenarios that can indicate the best scenario is described.