• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.169-170
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• 2019

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.194-198
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• 2004

The thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) process is one of major issues in the performance assessment of a high level waste (HLW) repository. An engineering-scale test was planned and its experimental set-up has being installed, to validate the T-H-M behavior in the buffer of a reference disposal system. The experimental set-up consists of 4 major components: the confining cylinder with its hydration water tank, the bentonite block, the heating system, and the sensors and instruments. The monitoring and data acquisition system is employed to control the heater to maintain the temperature of $95^{\circ}C$ at the interface of the heater and bentonite blocks and to collect signals from sensors and instruments installed in the bentonite blocks.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.136-148
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• 2020

Nuclear power plants have been operated in Korea since 1978, thus the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) produced from the plants has been accumulated accordingly. Hence, it is urgent to secure a final repository for HLW disposal, however, siting process should be preceded, which usually takes long time, as it requires broad and precise investigation. The investigation is generally carried out in stages, which consists of multidisciplinary approaches. In this study, the case studies mainly pertaining to rock mechanics were conducted. Rock mechanical aspects required in each stage and their applications were investigated and corresponding R&D researches were presented as well. At the same time, current research status in Korea was presented, followed by a brief future research plan with regard to the site investigation. The future research aims to produce fundamental information for siting process, and the compiled cases in this study will be utilized as references in the research.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.9-27
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• 2013

Nagra was established in 1972 by the Swiss nuclear power plant operators and the Federal Government to implement permanent and safe disposal of all types of radioactive waste generated in Switzerland. The Swiss Nuclear Energy Act specifies that these shall be disposed of in deep geological repositories. A number of different geological formations and sites have been investigated to date and an extended database of geological characteristics as well as data and state-of-the-art methodologies required for the evaluation of the long-term safety of repository systems have been developed. The research, development, and demonstration activities are further supported by the two underground research facilities operating in Switzerland, the Grimsel Test Site and the Mont Terri Project, along with very active collaboration of Nagra with national and international partners. A new site selection process was approved by the Federal Government in 2008 and is ongoing. This process is driven by the long-term safety and feasibility of the geological repositories and is based on a step-wise decision-making approach with a strong participatory component from the affected communities and regions. In this paper a brief history and the current status of the Swiss radioactive waste management program are presented and special characteristics that may be useful beyond the Swiss program are highlighted and discussed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2004

A waste container, one of the key components of a multi-barrier system in a potential high level radioactive waste (HLW) repository in Korea ensures the mechanical stability against the lithostatic pressure of a deep geologic medium and the swelling pressure of the bentonite buffer. Also, it delays potential release of radionuclides for a certain period of time, before it is corroded by intruding impurities. Even though the material of a waste container is carefully chosen and its manufacturing processes are under quality assurance processes, there is a possibility of initial defects in a waste container during manufacturing. Also, during the deposition of a waste container in a repository, there is a chance of an incident affecting the integrity of a waste container. In this study, the appropriate Features, Events, and Processes(FEP's) to describe these incidents and the associated scenario on radionuclide release from a container to the biosphere are developed. Then the total system performance assessment on the Initial waste Container Failure (ICF) scenario was carried out by the MASCOT-K, one of the probabilistic safety assessment tools KAERI has developed. Results show that for the data set used in this paper, the annual individual dose for the ICF scenario meets the Korean regulation on the post closure radiological safety of a repository.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2022

The mechanical and thermal properties of the rock masses can affect the performance associated with both the isolating and retarding capacities of radioactive materials within the deep geological disposal system for High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW). In this study, the essential parameters for the site descriptive model (SDM) related to the rock mechanics and thermal properties of the HLW disposal facilities site were reviewed, and the technical background was explored through the cases of the preceding site descriptive models developed by SKB (Swedish Nuclear and Fuel Management Company), Sweden and Posiva, Finland. SKB and Posiva studied parameters essential for the investigation and evaluation of mechanical and thermal properties, and derived a rock mechanics site descriptive model for safety evaluation and construction of the HLW disposal facilities. The rock mechanics SDM includes the results obtained from investigation and evaluation of the strength and deformability of intact rocks, fractures, and fractured rock masses, as well as the geometry of large-scaled deformation zones, the small-scaled fracture network system, thermal properties of rocks, and the in situ stress distribution of the disposal site. In addition, the site descriptive model should provide the sensitivity analysis results for the input parameters, and present the results obtained from evaluation of uncertainty.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.387-396
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• 2024

The geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) involves permanently isolating the wastes in stable geological formations deep underground. Mudstone (siltstone and claystone) containing abundant clay minerals is proposed as a host rock for geological disposal of HLW because clay minerals have low permeability and high ion sorption/exchange capacity. Despite the widespread occurrence of sedimentary basins in Korea, there is a lack of evaluation of mudstone as host rocks for geological disposal. In this study, we utilized the JBH-1 borehole (7-754 m) obtained from the Jinju Formation to investigate the distribution trend and mineral compositions of mudstone. Additionally, we conducted comparative analyses with the Opalinus Clay in Switzerland considered as host rock of geological disposal of HLW. Claystone containing more than 40% clay minerals exhibit thick layers primarily in the upper section (7-350 m) of the JBH-1 borehole. While the clay minerals content of claystone does not show significant variation with depth, there are differences in the characteristics of feldspar and carbonate minerals. These mineralogical variations can led change in pore water chemistry and rock mechanical properties. The clay minerals content of claystone in the Jinju Formation is similar to that of the Opalinus Clay. However, there are notable differences in clay minerals composition. While the Opalinus Clay contains smectite-illite mixed-layer minerals, the Jinju Formation are dominated by illite indicating higher burial temperatures. This information will be useful for studying the host rock of HLW geological disposal site in Korea.

• 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 Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2008

A swelling clay should remain physically and chemically stable for a long time to perform its functions as a buffer material of a high-level waste (HLW) repository. The longevity issues in the swelling clay were reviewed to evaluate their importance in the performance of a repository. The review results suggest that an elevated temperature due to decay heat, groundwater chemistry, high pH environment by concrete, organic matter and microbes, radiation, and mechanical disturbance might significantly affect the long-term performance of a swelling clay as a buffer material. This paper will be used as basic informations to design the swelling clay buffer for a HLW repository.