• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.212-221
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• 2001

This paper introduces the characteristics and generation of the synchrotron radiation (SR). SR has the very high spectral brilliance, broad spectral range, X-ray wavelength tunability, high degree of polarization and collimation, and pulsed time structure. Also describes the technologies to apply in the fields of geology and environmental sciences. These include X-ray tomography, XRF, EXAFS, XANES, DAC, IVP experiments. Further, nuclear power generation and nuclear waste disposal methods are mentioned relating to energy. Using these, analyses of the chemistry, crystal structure and chemical combining states of minerals and rocks can be carried out. Applications in the fields of the economic geology, paleontology and environmental sciences are open too. Informations of the Earth interior materials' behavior under high pressure-temperature can be acquired.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2013

Bentonite is generally used as a buffer material in high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and consists of 50% quartz by weight. Quartz strongly affects the behavior of bentonite over very long periods. For this reason, quartz dissolution experiment was performed under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions based on the conditions found in a high-level radioactive waste disposal facility located deep underground. In this study, two quartz dissolution experiments were conducted on 1) quartz beads under low-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions and 2) a single quartz crystal under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions. Following the experiments, a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) was used to observe the surfaces of experimental samples. Numerical analyses using the finite element method (FEM) were also performed to quantify the deformation of contact area. Quartz dissolution was observed in both experiments. This deformation was due to a concentrated compressive stress field, as indicated by the quartz deformation of the contact area through the FEM analysis. According to the numerical results, a high compressive stress field acted upon the neighboring contact area, which showed a rapid dissolution rate compared to other areas of the sample.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2010

Geological disposal is designed to provide safe containment of radioactive waste for very long times, with the containment provided by a combination of engineered and geological barriers. In the extreme long term, after many thousands of years or longer, residual amounts of long-lived radionulides such as Cl-36, but also radionuclides in the natural decay chains, may be released into the environment normally accessed and used by humans, termed here, the biosphere. It is necessary to ensure that any such releases meet radiation protection objectives through the development of a safety case, which will include assessment of radiation doses to humans. The design of such dose calculations over such long timeframes is not straightforward, because of the range of potentially relevant assumptions which could be made, concerning environmental change and changes in human behavior. These conceptual uncertainties are additional to those that more typically arise, for example, in the assessment of present day situations, but which also have to be addressed. The issue has therefore been subject to international cooperation for many years. This paper summarizes the evolution and results of that collaboration leading up to the present day, taking account of developments in international recommendations on radiation protection objectives and the more recent greater focus on preparation of site specific safety cases.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.375-384
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• 2020

In this study, the application of conventional cubic law to a deep depth condition was experimentally evaluated. Moreover, a modified equation for estimating the rock permeability at a deep depth was suggested using precise hydraulic tests and an effect analysis according to the vertical stress, pore water pressure and fracture roughness. The experimental apparatus which enabled the generation of high pore water pressure (< 10 MPa) and vertical stress (< 20 MPa) was manufactured, and the surface roughness of a cylindrical rock sample was quantitatively analyzed by means of 3D (three-dimensional) laser scanning. Experimental data of the injected pore water pressure and outflow rate obtained through the hydraulic test were applied to the cubic law equation, which was used to estimate the permeability of rock fracture. The rock permeability was estimated under various pressure (vertical stress and pore water pressure) and geometry (roughness) conditions. Finally, an empirical formula was proposed by considering nonlinear flow behavior; the formula can be applied to evaluations of changes of rock permeability levels in deep underground facility such as nuclear waste disposal repository with high vertical stress and pore water pressure levels.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.333-344
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• 2023

To validate the numerical model used in the study of deep disposal of spent nuclear fuel, we selected benchmark cases and performed numerical model validation. We selected the DECOVALEX-THMC Task D_THM1 FEBEX Type benchmark case, which was conducted from 2003 to 2007. We analyzed the thermal-hydraulic (TH) behavior using the finite element program CODE_BRIGHT and verified the results against previous studies. The temperature results were similar to the results of DECOVALEX-THMC Task D. The saturation results showed a similar trend to the results of DECOVALEX-THMC Task D, but the time to reach full saturation was different.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.363-373
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• 2018

The evaluation of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) coupling behavior is important for the development of underground space for various purposes. For a high-level radioactive waste repository excavated in a deep underground rock mass, the accurate prediction of the complex THM behavior is essential for the long-term safety and stability assessment. In order to develop reliable THM analysis techniques effectively, an international cooperation project, Development of Coupled models and their Validation against Experiments (DECOVALEX), was carried out. In DECOVALEX-2015 Task B2, the in situ THM experiment that was conducted at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory(URL) by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), was modeled by the research teams from the participating countries. In this study, a THM coupling technique that combined TOUGH2 and FLAC3D was developed and applied to the THM analysis for the in situ experiment, in which rock, buffer, backfill, sand, and heater were installed. With the assistance of an artificial neural network, the boundary conditions for the experiment could be adequately implemented in the modeling. The thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical results from the modeling were compared with the measurements from the in situ THM experiment. The predicted buffer temperature from the THM modelling was about $10^{\circ}C$ higher than measurement near by the overpack. At the other locations far from the overpack, modelling predicted slightly lower temperature than measurement. Even though the magnitude of pressure from the modeling was different from the measurements, the general trends of the variation with time were found to be similar.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2000.09a
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• pp.105-115
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• 2000

As large underground projects such as radioactive waste disposal, hot water and heat storage, and geothermal energy become influential, the study, which consider all aspects of thermics, hydraulics and mechanics would be needed. Thermo Hydro-Mechanical coupling analysis is one of the most complex numerical technique because it should be implemented with the combined three governing equations to analyze the behavior of rock mass. In this study, finite element code, which is based on Biot's consolidation theory, was developed to analyze the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in continuum rock mass. To verify the implemented program, one-dimensional consolidation model under the isothermal and non-isothermal conditions was analyzed and was compared with the analytic solution. The parametric study on two-dimensional consolidation was also performed and the effects of several factors such as poisson's ratio and hydraulic anisotropy on rock mass behavior were investigated. In the future, this program would be revised to be used for analysis of general discontinuous media with incorporating discrete joint model.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.355-365
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• 2000

As large underground projects such as radioactive waste disposal, hot water and heat storage, and geothermal energy become influential, the study, which consider all aspects of thermics, hydraulics and mechanics would be needed. Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical coupling analysis is one of the most complex numerical technique because it should be implemented with the combined three governing equations to analyze the behavior of rock mass. In this study, finite element code, which is based on Biot's consolidation theory, was developed to analyze the thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in continuum rock mass. To verify the implemented program, one-dimensional consolidation model under the isothermal and non-isothermal conditions was analyzed and was compared with the analytic solution. The parametric study on two-dimensional consolidation was also performed and the effects of several factors such as poisson's ratio and hydraulic anisotropy on rock mass behavior were investigated. In the future, this program would be revised to be used for analysis of general discontinuous media with incorporating discrete joint model.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2022

The construction of an underground silo structure was the first stage of erecting the Gyeongju low-and-intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility. The facility, completed in 2014, has a scale of 100 000 drums and is currently in operation. The underground silo structure, 25 and 50 m in diameter and height, respectively, consists of cylindrical (for storing waste packages) and dome parts. The dome is divided into lower (connected to the operation tunnel) and upper parts. The wall of the underground silo structure is an approximately 1-m-thick reinforced concrete liner. In this study, finite element analysis was performed for each phase of the construction sequence and operation of the underground silo structure. Two-dimensional axial symmetric finite element analysis was implemented using the SMAP-3D program. Three-dimensional finite element analysis was also performed to examine the reliability of the two-dimensional axial symmetric finite element model. The structural behavior of the underground silo structure was predicted, and its structural safety was examined.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.144-159
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• 2022

The present study developed a sequential approach-based numerical simulator for modeling coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical (THM) processes in the ground and investigated the computational performance of the coupling analysis algorithm. The present sequential approach linked the two different solvers: an open-source numerical code, OpenGeoSys for solving the thermal and hydrological processes in porous media and a commercial code, FLAC3D for solving the geomechanical response of the ground. A benchmark test of the developed simulator was carried out using a THM problem where an analytical solution is given. The benchmark problem involves the coupled behavior (variations in temperature, pore pressure, stress, and deformation with time) of a fully saturated porous medium which is subject to a point heat source. The results of the analytical solution and numerical simulation were compared and the validity of the numerical simulator was investigated.