• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.311.1-311
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• 1999

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.267-274
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• 2014

The first Low- and Intermediate-Level Waste (LILW) disposal facility with 6 silos has been constructed in granite host rock saturated with groundwater in Korea. A two-dimensional numerical modeling on gas migration was carried out using TOUGH2 with EOS5 module in the disposal facility. Laboratory-scale experiments were also performed to measure the important properties of silo concrete related with gas migration. The gas entry pressure and relative gas permeability of the concrete was determined to be $0.97{\pm}0.15bar$ and $2.44{\times}10^{-17}m^2$, respectively. The results of the numerical modeling showed that hydrogen gas generated from radioactive wastes was dissolved in groundwater and migrated to biosphere as an aqueous phase. Only a small portion of hydrogen appeared as a gas phase after 1,000 years of gas generation. The results strongly suggested that hydrogen gas does not accumulate inside the disposal facility as a gas phase. Therefore, it is expected that there would be no harmful effects on the integrity of the silo concrete due to gas generation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.228-228
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• 2004

Nuclear Environment Technology Institute (KHNP-NETEC) developed the conceptual design of the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) repository. Among many engineering challenges, it is of particular importance to find out an optimum arrangement of near-surface disposal vaults in the repository area to minimize the radionuclide flux and concentration at the interface between the geo-sphere and bio-sphere. (omitted)

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2011

Metal waste generated from the pyroprocessing of 10 MtU of spent fuel was classified by comparing the specific activity of a relevant radionuclide with the limit value of the specific activity specified in the Korean acceptance criteria for a lowand intermediate-level waste repository. A Korean Optimized Fuel Assembly design with a 17${\times}$17 array, an initial enrichment of 4.5 weight-percent, discharge burn-up of 55 GWD/MtU, and a 10-year cooling time was considered. Initially, the mass and volume of each structural component of the assembly were calculated in detail, and a source term analysis was subsequently performed using ORIGEN-S for these components. An activation cross-section library generated by the KENO-VI/ORIGEN-S module was utilized for top-end and bottom-end pieces. As a result, an Inconel grid plate, a SUS plenum spring, a SUS guide tube subpart, SUS top-end and bottom-end pieces, and an Inconel top-end leaf spring were determined to be unacceptable for the Gyeongju low- and intermediate-level waste repository, as these waste products exceeded the acceptance criteria. In contrast, a Zircaloy grid plate and guide tube can be placed in the Gyeongju repository. Non-contaminated Zircaloy cladding occupying 76% of the metal waste was found to have a lower level of specific activity than the limit value. However, Zircaloy cladding contaminated by fission products and actinides during the decladding process of pyroprocessing was revealed to have 52 and 2 times higher specific activity levels than the limit values for alpha and $^{90}Sr$, respectively. Finally, it was found that 88.7% of the metal waste from the 17${\times}$17 Korean Optimized Fuel Assembly design should be disposed of in a deep geological repository. Therefore, it can be summarized that separation technology with a higher decontamination factor for transuranics and strontium should be developed for the efficient management of metal waste resulting from pyroprocessing.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.229-238
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• 2010

In order to acquire a realistic forecast for the lifetime and post-closure period of the LILW (Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste) repository and to establish the overall management plan associated gas issues. it is essential to carry out the long-term experimental research in a similar condition to actual disposal environment. Regarding this, as a part of the following-up actions on a construction and operation license for the first stage of the LILW repository at Gyeongju city, a large-scale in-situ experiment is being planned. For securing basic data on the experiment, the experimental researches related to gas generation previously performed in foreign countries are reviewed in detail. Consequently, it is judged that data on the gas generation experiment in Finland could be practically applied as the benchmark for our large-scale in-situ experiment because the same disposal concept as the Korean repository is adopted and the experiment is performed in a scale large enough to allow the use of regular waste packages.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.78-89
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• 1994

The radionuclide release rates from the engineered barrier composed of concrete structure and clay-based backfill in a low and intermediate level waste repository were assessed. Four types of release pathway were considered, and the contribution of each pathway to the total release were analyzed. To quantify the effect of uncertainties of input parameter values on the assessment of radionuclide release rates, the Latin Hypercube sampling method was used, and the resulting release rate distribution were determined through a goodness-of-fit test. Finally, the ranges of maxi-mum release rates ore estimated statistically with a confidence level of 95%.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.482-496
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• 2003

effectiveness of the PAM graphite-electrode technology for the treatment of many types of low-level radioactive waste including : combustible material, solidified resins in cement, inorganic materials, steel, glass, and solidified boric acid cement. The objectives of PAM-200 evaluation were to verify that 1) the facility meets air emission regulations, 2) the facility can be safely operated when processing hazardous and radioactive materials and 3) satisfactory final waste forms can be produced. Results, derived from KAERI's(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) analyses for samples of vitrified product, scrubbing solution and offgas collected during test period, show that PAM-200 can treat radioactive wastes as well as hazardous wastes with toxic constituents and radionuclides contained in the offgas exiting from the stack to the environment controlled to be far lower than the limit regulated by air conservation law and atomic law.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.435-446
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• 2021

This article examines the consequences of a significant spent fuel management decision or event in the United States, South Korea and Taiwan. For the United States, it is the financial impact of the Department of Energy's inability to take possession of spent fuel from commercial nuclear power companies beginning in 1998 as directed by Congress. For South Korea, it is the potential financial and socioeconomic impact of the successful construction, licensing and operation of a low and intermediate level waste disposal facility on the siting of a spent fuel/high level waste repository. For Taiwan, it is the operational impact of the Kuosheng 1 reactor running out of space in its spent fuel pool. From these, it draws six broad lessons other countries new to, or preparing for, nuclear energy production might take from these experiences. These include conservative planning, treating the back-end of the fuel cycle holistically and building trust through a step-by-step approach to waste disposal.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.65-82
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• 2017

The result of a preliminary safety assessment that was completed by applying the radionuclide inventory calculated on the basis of available data from radioactive waste generation agencies suggested that many difficulties are to be expected with regard to disposal safety and operation. Based on the results of the preliminary safety assessment of the entire disposal system, in this paper, a unit package exceeding the safety goal is selected that occupies a large proportion of radionuclides in intermediate-level radioactive waste. We introduce restrictions on the amount of radioactivity in a way that excludes the high surface dose rate of the package. The radioactivity limit for disposal will be used as the baseline data for establishing the acceptance criteria and the disposal criteria for each disposal facility to meet the safety standards. It is necessary to draw up a comprehensive safety development plan for the Gyeongju waste disposal facility that will contribute to the construction of a Safety Case for the safety optimization of radioactive waste disposal facilities.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.936-942
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• 2003

In order to develop glass formulations for vitrifying Low-and Intermediate-Level radioactive Wastes (LILW) from nuclear power plants of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) Co., Ltd., promising glass formulations were selected based on glass property model predictions for viscosity, electrical conductivity and leach resistance. Laboratory measurements were conducted to verify the model predictions. Based on the results, the models for electrical conductivity, US DOE 7-day Product Consistency Test (PCT) elemental release, and pH of PCT leachate are accurate for the LILW glass formulations. However, the model for viscosity was able to provide only qualitative results. A leachate conductivity test was conducted on several samples to estimate glass leach resistance. Test results from the leachate conductivity test were useful for comparison before PCT elemental release results were available. A glass formulation K11A meets all the KHNP glass property constraints, and use of this glass formulation on the pilot scale is recommended. Glass formulations K12A, K12B, and K12E meet nearly all of the processing constraints and may be suitable for additional testing. Based on the comparison between the measured and predicted glass properties, existing glass property models may be used to assist with the LILW glass formulation development.