• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.167-168
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.151-152
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• 2019

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2018.11a
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• pp.205-206
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• 2018

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.4 s.63
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• pp.307-312
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• 2006

Radionuclide released from corroded container migrates through groundwater flow pathway in the underground rock. Therefore it is important to study the groundwater flow analysis for total system performance assessment of a HLW repository. In this study assuming a geological change of underground rock in future, the two dimensional groundwater flow analysis is done by the NAMMU, the assessment code for groundwater flow in porous media. Assuming the hypothetical repository with the reactivation of fault in the vicinity of it, the effect of change in aperture and permeability by reactivation of fault around a repository on groundwater pathway is studied.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.138-152
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• 2003

Three-dimensional computer modeling using FLAC3D had been carried out fur evaluating the thermal-mechanical stability of a high-level radioactive waste repository excavated in several hundred deep location. For effective modeling, a FISH program was made and the geological conditions and rock properties achieved from the drilling sites in Kosung and Yusung areas were used. Sensitivity analysis fer the stresses and temperatures from the modeling designed utilizing fractional factorial design was carried out. From the sensitivity analysis, the important design parameters and their interactions could be determined. From this study, it was found that deposition hole spacing is the most important parameter on the thermal and mechanical stability. The second and third most important parameters were disposal tunnel and buffer thickness.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11b
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• pp.236-244
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• 2005

Radioactive wastes arising from a wide range of human activities are in many different physical and chemical forms, contaminated with varying radioactivity. Their common feature is the potential hazard associated with their radioactivity and the need to manage them in such a way as to protect the human environment. The geological disposal is regarded as the most reasonable and effective way to safely disposal high-level radioactive wastes in the world. The conceptual model of geological disposal in China is based on a multi-barrier system that combines an isolating geological environment with an engineered barrier system. The buffer is one of the main engineered barriers for HLW repository. The buffer material is expected to maintain its low water permeability, self-sealing property, radio nuclides adsorption and retardation property, thermal conductivity, chemical buffering property, overpack supporting property, stress buffering property over a long period of time. Benotite is selected as the main content of buffer material that can satisfy above. GMZ deposit is selected as the candidate supplier for Chinese buffer material of High Level Radioactive waste repository. This paper presents geological features of GMZ deposit and basic property of GMZ Na bentonite. GMZ bentonite deposit is a super large scale deposits with high content of Montmorillonite (about $75\%$) and GMZ-l, which is Na-bentonite produced from GMZ deposit is selected as reference material for Chinese buffer material study.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.218-231
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• 2002

Using a three-dimensional numerical code, B3R developed for nuclide transport of an arbitrary length of decay chain in the buffer between the canister and adjacent rock in a high- level radioactive waste repository by adopting a finite difference method utilizing the control- volume scheme, some illustrative calculations have been done. A linear sorption isotherm, nuclide transport due to diffusion in the buffer and the rock matrix, and advection and dispersion along thin rigid parallel fractures existing in a saturated porous rock matrix as well as diffusion through the fracture wall into the matrix is assumed. In such kind of repository, buffer and rock matrix are known to be important physico-chemical harriers in nuclide retardation. To show effects of buffer and rock matrix on nuclide transport in HLW repository and also to demonstrate usefulness of B3R, several cases of breakthrough curves as well as three- dimensional plots of concentration isopleths associated with these two barriers are introduced for a typical case of decay chain of $^{234}$ Ulongrightarrow$^{230}$ Thlongrightarrow$^{226}$ Ra, which is the most important chain as far as the human environment is concerned.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 2010

In a HLW repository, the buffer is exposed to an elevated temperature due to a radioactive decay and geochemical conditions for a long time and such a hydrothermal condition may cause a significant loss of its barrier function. This study carried out hydrothermal tests with a domestic smectite clay to investigate the changes in the expandibility, layer charge, and cation exchange capacity of the smectite. When the temperature and potassium concentration in solution was increased for the hydrothermal treatments, the expandibility decreased, the layer charge negatively increased, and the CEC also decreased.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4005-4012
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• 2022

As high-level radioactive waste (HLW) generated from nuclear power plants is harmful to the human body, it must be safely disposed of by an engineered barrier system consisting of disposal canisters and buffer and backfill materials. A gap exists between the canister and buffer material in a HLW repository and between the buffer material and natural rock-this gap may reduce the water-blocking ability and heat transfer efficiency of the engineered barrier materials. Herein, the basic characteristics and thermal properties of granular bentonite, a candidate gap-filling material, were investigated, and their effects on the temperature change of the buffer material were analyzed numerically. Heat transfer by air conduction and convection in the gap were considered simultaneously. Moreover, by applying the Korean reference disposal system, changes in the properties of the buffer material were derived, and the basic design of the engineered barrier system was presented according to the gap filling material (GFM). The findings showed that a GFM with high initial thermal conductivity must be filled in the space between the buffer material and rock. Moreover, the target dry density of the buffer material varied according to the initial wet density, specific gravity, and water content values of the GFM.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.309-320
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• 2023

A multi-purpose canister (MPC) was developed for the purpose of transportation, storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and has the advantage of minimizing repackaging between management stages of SNF. Considering the typical rock characteristics in Korea, a disposal canister is expected to contain 4 assemblies of Pressurized water reactor (PWR) SNF. The capacity of the MPC should be similarly designed with the disposal canister. However, the MPC with four SNF assemblies is expected to be less efficient in transporting and storing compared to a large-capacity canister. Therefore, a preliminary concept was derived for an auxiliary equipment that can transport and store multiple MPCs in a large overpack. A previously derived concept from US was thoroughly reviewed, and the preliminary concept was revised considering domestic situations including crane capacity and others. In addition, the safety of the normal transportation and storage of the MPC placed in transportation and storage overpack was evaluated with the auxiliary equipment.