• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.4083-4095
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• 2023

Currently, various research institutes in Korea are conducting research to develop a safety case for deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste (HLW). In the past, low and intermediate-level waste (LILW) was approved by a regulatory body by performing a post-closure safety assessment, but HLW has different disposal characteristics and safety objectives are different. Therefore, in the case of HLW, safety assessment should be performed based on these changed conditions, and specific procedures are also under development. In this paper, the regulatory status of prior research institutes, feature, event and process (FEP) and scenario development cases were investigated for well-organized FEP and scenario development methodologies. In addition, through the results of these surveys, the requirements and procedures necessary for the FEP and scenario development stage during the safety assessment of repository for HLW were presented. These review results are expected to be used to identify the overall status of previous studies in conducting post-closure risk assessment for HLW repository, starting with identifying regulatory requirements, the most basic element.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.167-183
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• 2021

It is essential to understand the complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) coupled behavior in the engineered barrier system and natural barrier system to secure the high-level radioactive waste repository's long-term safety. The heat from the high-level radioactive waste induces thermal pressurization and vaporization of groundwater in the repository system. Groundwater inflow affects the saturation variation in the engineered barrier system, and the saturation change influences the heat transfer and multi-phase flow characteristics in the buffer. Due to the complexity of the coupled behavior, a numerical simulation is a valuable tool to predict and evaluate the THMC interaction effect on the disposal system and safety assessment. To enhance the knowledge of THMC coupled interaction and validate modeling techniques in geological systems. DECOVALEX, an international cooperation project, was initiated in 1992, and KAERI has participated in the projects since 2008 in Korea. In this study, we introduced the main contents of all tasks in the DECOVALEX-2023, the current DECOVALEX phase, to the rock mechanics and geotechnical researchers in Korea.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.312-338
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• 2023

The underground disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel demands a specialized design, distinct from conventional practices, to ensure long-term thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic integrity, preventing the release of radioactive isotopes from high-temperature spent nuclear fuel. SKB has established design criteria for such facilities and executed practical design implementations for Forsmark. Moreover, in response to subsurface uncertainty, SKB has proposed an empirical approach involving monitoring and adaptive design modifications, alongside stepwise development. SKB has further introduced a unique support system, categorizing ground types and behaviors and aligning them with corresponding support types to confirm safety through comparative analyses against existing systems. POSIVA has pursued a comparable approach, developing a support system for Onkalo while accounting for distinct geological characteristics compared to Forsmark. This demonstrates the potential for domestic implementation of spent nuclear fuel disposal facility designs and the establishment of a support system adapted to national attributes.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.335-339
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• 2003

The estimation of seawater intrusion into deep aquifers has been becoming an important subject in terms of site characterization for geological disposal of radioactive waste. Conventional direct-current resistivity methods have been used for ground water explorations and recently have been applied to environmental problems. However, electromagnetic methods are more practical and useful for such a deep investigation. We consider audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) and surface-to-borehole electromagnetic (EM) tomography methods as promising tools for the investigation of deep aquifer. These methods were tested in the Hasunuma area, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Although the study area is in an urban area, high-quality AMT data were acquired, which was mainly accomplished by night-time data recording and remote-reference data processing. One-dimensional inversion results of the AMT data revealed two extremely conductive zones, which is consistent with the electrical conductivity profile of pore water in core samples. It can be interpreted as the seawater intrusions into both zones. However, the chemical analysis of the groundwater sampled in the deep zone suggests that this groundwater must be fossil seawater that had been confined during sedimentation processes. In addition, the permeability coefficient of the deep layer is very low. Thus the deep conductive zone corresponds to the fossil seawater regarded as being difficult to flow.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.533-545
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• 2023

In this study, an investigation was conducted on the features, events, and processes (FEP) that could impact the long-term safety of the natural barriers constituting high-level radioactive waste geological repositories. The FEP list was developed utilizing the IFEP list 3.0 provided by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) as foundational data, supplemented by geological investigations and research findings from leading countries in this field. A total of 49 FEPs related to the performance of the natural barrier were identified. For each FEP, detailed definitions, classifications, impacts on long-term safety, significance in domestic conditions, and feasibility of quantification were provided. Moreover, based on the compiled FEP list, three scenarios that could affect the long-term safety of the disposal facility were developed. Geological factors affecting the performance of the natural barrier in each scenario were selected and their relationships were visualized. The constructed FEP list and the visualization of interrelated factors in various scenarios are anticipated to provide essential information for selecting and organizing factors that must be considered in the development of mathematical models for quantitatively evaluating the long-term safety of deep geological repositories. In addition, these findings could be effectively utilized in establishing criteria related to the key performance of natural barriers for the confirmation of repository sites.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2018

A buffer in a geological disposal system minimizes groundwater inflow from the surrounding rock and protects the disposed high-level waste (HLW) against any mechanical impact. As decay heat of a spent fuel causes temperature variation in the buffer that affects the mechanical performance of the system, an accurate estimation of the temperature variation is substantial. The temperature variation is affected by thermal and material properties of the system such as thermal conductivity, density and specific heat capacity of the buffer, and thus these factors should be properly included in the design of the system. In particular, as the thermal properties are variable depending on the density and water content of the buffer, consideration of the effects should be included in the analysis. Hence, in this study, a numerical model based on finite element method (FEM) which is able to consider the change of density and water content of the buffer was established. In addition, using the numerical model, a parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of each thermal property on the temperature variation of the buffer.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2021

The article summarises the status and competence of UJV Rez, a. s. (up to 2012, the Nuclear Research Institute Rez, Czech Republic) in the field of radioactive waste (RAW) management as a company managing of 95% of institutional radioactive wastes in Czech Republic. UJV Rez a. s. has been one of the Czech Republic's key research and engineering institutions in the field of nuclear energy production since 1955. The company processes and conditions prior to storage 95% of so-called institutional RAW and is the principal partner of the state with respect to the research support of the Czech deep geological repository development project. UJV Rez a. s. boasts its own accredited radiochemical analytical test laboratory, unique of its kind in the Czech Republic. Of equal importance is UJV Rez's active participation in a range of international organisations and associations and its involvement in wide range of international projects, and so as European projects. One of them is EU funded project PREDIS: Pre-disposal management of radioactive wastes, that has started at September 2020, focused on the field of low level radioactive waste (LLW) and intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) pre-disposal.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

The major concern in the deep geological disposal of spent nuclear fuels include sulfide-induced corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of copper canisters. Sulfur diffusion into copper canisters may induce copper embrittlement by causing Cu₂S particle formation along grain boundaries; these sulfide particles can act as crack initiation sites and eventually cause embrittlement. To prevent the formation of Cu₂S along grain boundaries and sulfur-induced copper embrittlement, copper alloys are designed in this study. Alloying elements that can act as chemical anchors to suppress sulfur diffusion and the formation of Cu₂S along grain boundaries are investigated based on the understanding of the microscopic mechanism of sulfur diffusion and Cu₂S precipitation along grain boundaries. Copper alloy ingots are experimentally manufactured to validate the alloying elements. Microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy demonstrates that Cu₂S particles are not formed at grain boundaries but randomly distributed within grains in all the vacuum arc-melted Cu alloys (Cu-Si, Cu-Ag, and Cu-Zr). Further studies will be conducted to evaluate the mechanical and corrosion properties of the developed Cu alloys.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2009

Recently the importance and interest for the microbes has been increased because several important results for the effects of microbes on the radioactive waste disposal have been published continuously. In this study, research status and major results on the various roles and effects of microbes in the radioactive waste disposal have been investigated. We investigated and summarized the roles and major results of microbes in a multi-barrier system consisting of an engineered barrier and a natural barrier which is considered in radioactive waste disposal systems. For the engineered barrier, we discussed about the effects of microbes on the corrosion of a waste container and investigated the survival possibility and roles of microbes in a compacted bentonite buffer. For the natural barrier, the roles of microbes present in groundwaters and rocks were discussed and summarized with major results from natural analogue studies. Furthermore, we investigated and summarized the roles and various interactions processes of microbes and their effects on the radionuclide migration and retardation including recent research status. Therefore, it is expected that the effects and roles of microbes on the radioactive waste disposal can be rigorously evaluated if further researches are carried out for a long-term behavior of the disposal system in the deep geological environments and for the effects of microbes on the radionuclide migration through geological media.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.198-209
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• 2002

To assess deep geological environment for the research and development of hish-level radioactive waste disposal, six boreholes of 3" in diameter were installed in two granitic areas. An areal extent of the rock block scale in the study sites was estimated by the lineament analysis from satellite images and shaded relief maps. The characterization of fracture system developed in rock block scale was carried out based on the acoustic televiewer logging in deep boreholes. In the Yuseong site, the granite rock mass was divided into the upper and lower zones at around -160m based on the probabilistic distribution characteristics of the geometric parameters such as orientation, fracture frequency, spacing and aperture size. Since the groundwater flow is dependent on the fracture system in a fractured rock mass, the correlation of the fracture frequency and cumulative aperture size to the hydraulic conductivity was also discussed.