• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2005년도 Proceedings of The 6th korea-china joint workshop on nuclear waste management
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• pp.225-235
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• 2005

This paper outlined the status of the development of Korean Reference Disposal (KRS­1) system for high-level radioactive wastes. The repository concept was based on the engineering barrier system which KAERI has developed through a long-term research and development program. The design requirements were prepared for the conceptual design of the repository. The amount of PWR and CANDU spent fuels were projected with the current nuclear power plan. The disposal rates of PWR and CANDU spent fuels were analyzed. The reference geologic characteristics including classification of fracture zones were set for the KRS. The disposal concepts and the layout of the repository were described.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.26-36
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• 1998

To assess the groundwater flow near high-level radioactive waste repositories, it is important to understand the effect of coupling among thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical effects. In this paper, detailed mathematical approach to model the groundwater flow near the waste form surrounded by buffer, influenced by decay heat of radioactive waste along with stress change is developed. Two cases(1) before the full expansion of buffer and (2) after the full expansion of buffer are modelled. Based on the mathematical models in this paper, detailed numerical study shall be pursued later.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권4호
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• pp.1540-1554
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• 2023

To use nuclear energy sustainably, spent nuclear fuel, classified as high-level radioactive waste and inevitably discharged after electricity generation by nuclear power plants, must be managed safely and isolated from the human environment. In Korea, the land area is limited and the amount of high-level radioactive waste, including spent nuclear fuels to be disposed, is relatively large. Thus, it is particularly necessary to maximize disposal efficiency. In this study, a high-efficiency deep geological repository concept was developed to enhance disposal efficiency. To this end, design strategies and requirements for a high-efficiency deep geological repository system were established, and engineered barrier modules with a disposal canister for pressurized water reactor (PWR)-type and pressurized heavy water reactor type Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) plants were developed. Thermal and structural stability assessments were conducted for the repository system; it was confirmed that the system was suitable for the established strategies and requirements. In addition, the results of the nuclear safety assessment showed that the radiological safety of the new system met the Korean safety standards for disposal of high-level radioactive waste in terms of radiological dose. To evaluate disposal efficiency in terms of the disposal area, the layout of the developed disposal areas was assessed in terms of thermal limits. The estimated disposal areas were 2.51 km² and 1.82 km² (existing repository system: 4.57 km²) and the excavated host rock volumes were 2.7 Mm³ and 2.0 Mm³ (existing repository system: 4.5 Mm³) for thermal limits of 100 ℃ and 130 ℃, respectively. These results indicated that the area and the excavated volume of the new repository system were reduced by 40-60% compared to the existing repository system. In addition, methods to further improve the efficiency were derived for the disposal area for deep geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The results of this study are expected to be useful in establishing a national high-level radioactive waste management policy, and for the design of a commercial deep geological repository system for spent nuclear fuels.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2005년도 Proceedings of The 6th korea-china joint workshop on nuclear waste management
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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.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.135-148
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• 2005

방사성 폐기물의 지층 처분장 건설 및 운영을 위한 개념 선정 단계에서는 폐기물 운반 및 거치뿐 아니라, 처분장의 건설/운영/폐쇄 기간 동안 지하 처분장의 작업 환경 및 위생, 안전, 그리고 처분장내의 수분 제거와 같은 향후 처분장의 환경을 위해 처분장 환기시스템에 대한 고려가 향후 처분장의 환경을 위해 반드시 필요하다. 본 논문은 동굴처분 방식의 중-저준위 처분장 및 지하 심부에 위치하게 될 고준위 처분장에 대한 환기시스템 개념설계 기준 및 요구사항에 대한 내용이다. 방사성폐기물 처분장의 환기 시스템에서 가장 주된 기본 설계 개념은 처분장 건설과 폐기물저장을 위한 작업활동을 위해 각각 독립적이고 분리된 환기시스템을 적용하여야 한다는 것이다. 본 논문에서는 방사성폐기물 처분장의 환기시스템의 설계과정에 대해 기술하고 환기회로 모델링 방법, 자연 환기, 환기 모니터링 시스템과 실시간 환기 시뮬레이션, 화재 시뮬레이션 및 비상 방재 시스템에 관한 사항도 논의하였다

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
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• 제1권1호
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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.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2016

In this study, thermal-hydrological-chemical modeling for the alteration of a bentonite buffer is carried out using a simulation code TOUGHREACT. The modeling results show that the water saturation of bentonite steadily increases and finally the bentonite is fully saturated after 10 years. In addition, the temperature rapidly increases and stabilizes after 0.5 year, exhibiting a constant thermal gradient as a function of distance from the copper tube. The change of thermal-hydrological conditions mainly results in the alteration of anhydrite and calcite. Anhydrite and calcite are dissolved along with the inflow of groundwater. They then tend to precipitate in the vicinity of the copper tube due to its high temperature. This behavior induces a slight decrease in porosity and permeability of bentonite near the copper tube. Furthermore, this study finds that the diffusion coefficient can significantly affect the alteration of anhydrite and calcite, which causes changes in the hydrological properties of bentonite such as porosity and permeability. This study may facilitate the safety assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.244-253
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• 2000

A Simple Large Model (SLM), which can be used to make thermal calculation for a deep geological repository with finite number of HLW canisters, was developed. In order to develop the SLM, a Simple Basic Model (SBM), which will be a unit of the SLM, was optimized first. The SBM was optimized to achieve the same maximum buffer temperature as that of the Detailed Basic Model (DBM) representing the real geometric aspects of the repository. In contrast to the models with the assumption of infinite number of canisters which cannot consider boundary effect, the SLM can model the real repository with finite number of canisters and thus consider the boundary effect. Thermal results from the SLM can be used to evaluate the reliability of the models, which do not consider boundary effect. This model can also be used to simulate the thermal layout design and to analyze the thermal safety of a deep geological repository as well as an underground laboratory.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.116-132
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• 1999

This study is intended to analyze the requirements of a buffer material that is one of the major components of the engineered barriers in a high-level radioactive waste repository. The characteristics of potential materials for the buffer in the repository were analyzed and a candidate material was selected. And, based on the current knowledge and the information from various sources, the requirements of a buffer material were evaluated. Finally its quantitative functional criteria on the generic viewpoint has been recommended to be supplied as a guideline for the development of the reference disposal concept and the related buffer material in Korea. The criteria are composed of seven major items, such as hydraulic conductivity, retardation capacity, swelling potential and swelling pressure, thermal conductivity, longevity, organic matter content, and mechanical properties.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.39-50
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• 1999

The physicochemical, mineralogical, hydraulic, swelling and mechanical properties of a domestic bentonite for use as the buffer material in a high-level waste repository have been measured. The bentonite is identified to be a Ca-bentonite, and the hydraulic conductivity of the compacted bentonite with the dry density higher than 1.4 Mg/㎥ is lower than 10$^{-11}$ m/s When the dry densities are 1.4 to 1.8 Mg/㎥, the swelling pressures are in the range of 6.6 to 143.5 kg/$\textrm{cm}^2$. The unconfined compressive strength is about 94 kg/$\textrm{cm}^2$, and the coefficient of volume change and the coefficient of consolidation are in the range of 0.O0249 to 0.02142 $m^2$/MN and 0.018 to 0.115$m^2$/year, respectively.