• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 1995

The mechanism of radionuclide colloid transport in porous media was studied through modeling and experiment. A nondestructive column scanning system was developed to improve the traditional destructive core slicing method. With an aid of this system we could get much more results from one experiment. Neutron activated clay soaked with soluble isotopes was used as colloid suspension. Filtration coefficients obtained through the experiments show two families of colloids despite their size distribution. New modeling of polydispersed colloid transport was made with two lumped parameters. This new model simulates well. Among the soluble isotopes $^{l37}$Cs mowed mainly as a form of colloid, but $^{85}$ Sr did not.t.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.175-182
• /
• 2023

APro, a modularized process-based total system performance assessment framework, was developed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to simulate radionuclide transport considering coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical processes occurring in a geological disposal system. For reactive transport simulation considering geochemical reactions, COMSOL and PHREEQC are coupled with MATLAB in APro using an operator splitting scheme. Conventionally, coupling is performed within a MATLAB interface so that COMSOL stops the calculation to deliver the solution to PHREEQC and restarts to continue the simulation after receiving the solution from PHREEQC at every time step. This is inefficient when the solution is frequently interchanged because restarting the simulation in COMSOL requires an unnecessary setup process. To overcome this issue, a coupling scheme that calls PHREEQC inside COMSOL was developed. In this technique, PHREEQC is called through the "MATLAB function" feature, and PHREEQC results are updated using the COMSOL "Pointwise Constraint" feature. For the one-dimensional advection-reaction-dispersion problem, the proposed coupling technique was verified by comparison with the conventional coupling technique, and it improved the computation time for all test cases. Specifically, the more frequent the link between COMSOL and PHREEQC, the more pronounced was the performance improvement using the proposed technique.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.37 no.8
• /
• pp.465-471
• /
• 2015

Adsorption experiments for radionuclides such as $^3H$, $^{90}Sr$ and $^{99}Tc$ were conducted using fractured rock collected in unsaturated zone. The released radionuclide through artificial barrier from the near surface repository can be transported by the flow of rainfall or pore water through fractures in unsaturated zone and reach to groundwater flow. Therefore, it is important to investigate transport behavior (retardation) of radionuclides through fractured rock for the safety assessment and long-term performance of repository. Fractured rock samples were collected and characterized by X-ray microtomography (XMT) analysis, which can be used to develop a more robust unsaturated fracture transport model. When fracture-filling materials are exist, distribution coefficient of $^{90}Sr$ is higher than without fracture-filling materials. In this study, batch sorption distribution coefficient ($K_d$) of radionuclide was determined and used to increase our understanding of radionuclide retardtion through fracture-filling materials.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.56 no.5
• /
• pp.501-514
• /
• 2023

Forest fires can generate numerous pollutants through the combustion of vegetation and cause serious environmental problems. The global warming and climate change will increase the frequency and scale of forest fires across the world. In Korea, many nuclear power plants (NPPs) are located in the East Coast where large-scale forest fires frequently occur. Therefore, understanding the sorption and transport characteristics of radionuclides in the forest fire areas is required against the severe accidents in NPPs. This article reviewed the physiochemical changes and contamination of groundwater and soil environments after forest fires, and discussed sorption and transport of radionuclides in the subsurface environment of burned forest area. We considered the geochemical factors of subsurface environment changed by forest fire. Moreover, we highlighted the need for studies on changes and contamination of subsurface environments caused by forest fires to understand more specific mechanisms.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.277-284
• /
• 1994

Much attention has been given to predict the near-field mass transfer of a single radioactive species from a waste solid into surrounding porous medium. But only limited considerations have been given to predict the coupled mass transfer of species with a radioactive decay chain. In this study we present an analysis assuming that the members of a decay chain dissolve congruently with a solubility-limited matrix. We give general, non-recursive analytic solutions for the transport of a radioactive decay chain in a finite porous medium when nuclides are released congruently with the matrix. As an illustration we consider the decay chain $^{234}$ Ulongrightarrow$^{230}$ Thlongrightarrow$^{226}$ Ra from spent fuel. These solutions may be useful and potentially important in performance assessment of radioactive waste repositories.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 1991

Many of the analyses of the transient radionuclide migration are approximated by an one-dimensional geometry and/or planar geometry. To validate these approximations, one should prove that these are reasonable and proper approximations. In this paper, the approximation which was in the study of the transport through backfill into a fissure is tried to validate. In that analysis, a cylindrical geometry was approximated by a planar geometry. The numerical illustrations show that the planar approximation agrees very well with the result of the cylindrical geometry for a ratio of the backfill outer radius to the waste form radius closed to unity. Even for a larger ratio of the two radii, the numerical difference is relatively small. Also the planar approximation which was used in the analysis gives conservative estimates.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.183-191
• /
• 2015

Gas transport through graphene-derived membranes has gained much interest recently due to its promising potential in filtration and separation applications. In this work, we explore Kr-85 gas radionuclide sequestration from natural air in nanoporous graphene oxide membranes in which different sizes and geometries of pores were modeled on the graphene oxide sheet. This was done using atomistic simulations considering mean-squared displacement, diffusion coefficient, number of crossed species of gases through nanoporous graphene oxide, and flow through interlayer galleries. The results showed that the gas features have the densest adsorbed zone in nanoporous graphene oxide, compared with a graphene membrane, and that graphene oxide was more favorable than graphene for Kr separation. The aim of this paper is to show that for the well-defined pore size called P-7, it is possible to separate Kr-85 from a gas mixture containing Kr-85, O₂ and N₂. The results would benefit the oil industry among others.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.49 no.8
• /
• pp.1575-1588
• /
• 2017

In order to develop a domestic research roadmap for severe accidents, a special committee was established by the Korean Nuclear Society. One of the subcommittees discussed the characteristics and the relevant technical issues in the stages of fission product release and physical forms of radionuclide release and transport. The group members developed a tree to identify fission product release phenomena by tracing failures of individual defense-in-depth barriers and added possible countermeasures against failure. For each elemental issue, they searched for technical problems by examining the phenomena, accident management actions, and regulatory aspects relevant to the mitigation features for containment, including mitigation strategies against containment bypass accidents. Regulatory concerns, including the source term and the acceptance criteria for radionuclide release, were also considered. They identified further research needs regarding important technical issues based on the degree of the current knowledge level in Korea and in foreign countries, looking at the significance and urgency of issues and the expected research period required to reach an advanced level of knowledge. As a result, the group identified the 12 most important and urgent issues, most of which were expected to require mid-term and long-term research periods.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.20-32
• /
• 2003

To understand the behavior of migration of contaminants in a fractured porous medium is a key to assure the overall safety of a potential radwaste repository. The feasible retention mechanism of contaminant transport in a tinctured medium are sorption of contaminants on solid surface and matrix diffusion of contaminants from a fracture into an adjacent porous medium. The acceleration mechanisms are the migration of contaminants in the form of pseudo-colloids and the limit of a volume f3r matrix diffusion. In this paper, the effects of these two acceleration mechanisms are studied mathematically, then semi-analytically computed by the application of the Talbot theorem and verified. Results indicate that the acceleration processes cannot be neglected in the modeling of contaminant transport in a fractured porous medium.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.329-346
• /
• 2008

Post-closure safety assessment for the Wolsong Low- and Intermediate-level radioactive waste Disposal Center is described. Based on assessment context, closure concept and ground water flow characteristics of the disposal site, brief descriptions are included on the assessment scenarios, models, input parameters and tools. Radionuclide transport modeling in the near-field and far-field, gas generation and transport modeling, human intrusion and biosphere transport are also described briefly. Assessment results for each scenarios are shown to meet the performance criteria of regulatory body. Further and continuous efforts to improve the safety of disposal facility will be made during the construction and operational period.