• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.583-592
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• 2011

The radiological characteristics for waste classification were assessed for neutron-activated decommissioning wastes from a CANDU reactor. The MCNP/ORIGEN2 code system was used for the source term analysis. The neutron flux and activation cross-section library for each structural component generated by MCNP simulation were used in the radionuclide buildup calculation in ORIGEN2. The specific activities of the relevant radionuclides in the activated metal waste were compared with the specified limits of the specific activities listed in the Korean standard and 10 CFR 61. The time-average full-core model of Wolsong Unit 1 was used as the neutron source for activation of in-core and ex-core structural components. The approximated levels of the neutron flux and cross-section, irradiated fuel composition, and a geometry simplification revealing good reliability in a previous study were used in the source term calculation as well. The results revealed the radioactivity, decay heat, hazard index, mass, and solid volume for the activated decommissioning waste to be $1.04{\times}10^{16}$ Bq, $2.09{\times}10^3$ W, $5.31{\times}10^{14}\;m^3$-water, $4.69{\times}10^5$ kg, and $7.38{\times}10^1\;m^3$, respectively. According to both Korean and US standards, the activated waste of the pressure tubes, calandria tubes, reactivity devices, and reactivity device supporters was greater than Class C, which should be disposed of in a deep geological disposal repository, whereas the side structural components were classified as low- and intermediate-level waste, which can be disposed of in a land disposal repository. Finally, this study confirmed that, regardless of the cooling time of the waste, 15% of the decommissioning waste cannot be disposed of in a land disposal repository. It is expected that the source terms and waste classification evaluated through this study can be widely used to establish a decommissioning/disposal strategy and fuel cycle analysis for CANDU reactors.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.12-22
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• 2020

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a promising water management strategy for securing stable water resources to overcome water shortage and water quality deterioration caused by global environmental changes. A MAR demonstration site was selected at Imgok-ri, Sangju-si, Korea, based on screening for the frequency of drought events and local water supply situations. The abundant groundwater discharging from a nearby abandoned coal mine is one of the potential recharge water sources for the MAR implementation. However, it has elevated levels of arsenic (~12 ㎍/L). In this study, the potential of the natural attenuation of arsenic by the field geological media was investigated using batch and column experiments. The adsorption and desorption parameters were obtained for two drill core samples (GM1; 21.8~22.8 m and GM2; 26.0~27.8 m depth) recovered from the potentially water-conducting fracture-zones in the injection well. The effluent arsenic concentrations were monitored during the continuous flow of the mine drainage water through the columns packed with the core samples. GM2 removed about 60% of arsenic in the influent (0.1 mg-As/L) while GM1 removed about 20%. The results suggest that natural attenuation is an acitive process occurring during the MAR operation, potentially lowering the arsenic level in the mine drainage water below the regulatory standard for drinking water. This study hence demonstrates that using the mine drainage water as the recharge water source is a viable option at the MAR demonstration site.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.134-148
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• 2008

암반의 초기응력 상태는 방사성 폐기물 지층 처분장의 적합성을 판단하는데 중요한 요소이다. 본 연구에서는 3차원 개별요소법을 이용하여 스웨덴 방사성 폐기물 처분장 후보지 중 하나인 오스카샴 지역에서 대규모 변형대가 초기응력에 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다. 수치해석에서는 부지조사 과정에서 확인된 변형대를 모델에 포함시켰으며 원거리 지각응력을 경계조건으로 사용하였다. 현지 암반에서 관찰되는 초기응력값의 변화 양상이 수치해석에서도 재현이 됨으로써 수치해석이 암반의 초기응력상태를 이해하는데 유용하게 쓰일 수 있음을 확인하였다. 수치해석을 통한 예측값과 초기응력 측정값과의 차이는 측정된 자료의 양호한 정도, 지질모델 및 변형대의 물성치의 불확실성 등에 기인하는 것으로 생각된다.

• 자원환경지질
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• 제56권5호
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• pp.533-545
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• 2023

본 연구에서는 고준위 방사성 폐기물 심지층 처분장을 구성하고 있는 천연방벽의 장기안전성에 영향을 줄 수 있는 요소(Feature), 사건(Event), 및 공정(Process)에 대한 조사를 수행하여 FEP 목록을 작성하였다. FEP 목록 작성을 위해 NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency)의 IFEP 목록 3.0이 기초 자료로 활용되었으며, 국외 선도국에서 수행된 지질 조사 및 연구 결과들이 추가적으로 참고되었다. 천연방벽의 성능과 관련하여 총 49개의 FEP 목록이 작성되었으며, 각 인자에 대한 정의, FEP 분류, 장기 안전성에 미치는 영향, 국내 여건에서의 중요도, 정량화 가능 여부 측면에서의 결과가 작성되었다. 또한, 작성된 FEP 목록을 기반으로 처분시설의 장기 안전성에 위협이 될 수 있는 총 3가지의 시나리오를 개발하고 각 시나리오에 있어 천연방벽의 처분 성능에 영향을 주는 지질학적 인자들을 선별 및 관계를 가시화하였다. 본 연구를 통해 구축된 FEP 목록과 시나리오별 인자간 상호관계 가시화 결과는 심지층 처분장의 장기 안전성을 정량 평가하기 위한 수학적 모델 개발에 있어 필수적으로 고려해야 할 인자를 선별 및 구성하는데 중요한 기초 정보를 제공할 수 있을 것으로 판단되며, 방폐물 처분장 부지확정을 위한 천연방벽의 주요 성능과 관련된 기준안을 마련하는 데 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것으로 보인다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.239-255
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• 2007

고준위폐기물 기준처분시스템의 건전성과 처분안전성의 실험적 검증에 필수적 시설인 지하처분연구시설이 한국원자력연구원 부지 내에 건설되었다. 지하처분연구시설의 부지조사 결과에 대해 기술하고, 이 부지에 건설될 지하처분연구시설의 설계, 인허가, 건설 과정과 건설된 시설의 개요에 대해 하였다. 또 지하처분연구시설에서 수행 중인 현장실험에 대해 소개하였다.

• 자원환경지질
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.277-283
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• 1989

For the study of attenuation phenomena of the radioactive elements in solution, the adsorption experiment of thorium, uranium, barium and strontium on kaolinite, gibbsite, quartz, granite and shale as a function of time, pH and the surface area was conducted under the competition condition each other. There are two steps of adsorption kinetics. The first step is faster and completes in hours or a day, and the second step is slower eqiulibrium reaction. The adsorption rate which is considered to be related to CEC differs with adsorbent and decreases in the order of shale, kaolinite, granite, gibbsite and quartz. On the other hand, the adsorption rate for the same adsorbent differs with elements in the order of thorium,uranium, barium and strontium in decreasing rate. It is also affected by pH of the solution and the surface area of adsorbent. In conclusion, we didn't find any different between noncompetition condition and competition condition, and this means that we only have to consider the pH of ground water, the characteristics of the geological materials and the kinds of radioactive element in the case of selection of the places for the radioactive waste disposal.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.459-468
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• 2011

The current solution to the problem of using cementitious material for sealing purposes in a final radioactive waste repository is to develop a low-pH cement grout. In this study, the material properties of a low-pH cement grout based on a recipe used at ONKALO are investigated by considering such factors as pH variation, compressive strength, dynamic modulus, and hydraulic conductivity by using silica fume and micro-cement. From the pH measurements of the hardened cement grout, the required pH (< pH 11) is obtained after 130 days of curing. Although the engineering properties of the low-pH cement grout used in this study are inferior to those of conventional high-pH cement grout, the utilization of silica fume and micro-cement effectively meets the long-term environmental and durability requirements for cement grout in a radioactive waste repository.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권8호
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• pp.2576-2581
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• 2021

The thermal stability and crystallization behaviors of La₂O₃ containing B₂O₃-CaO-Al₂O₃ glass waste forms were investigated to evaluate the stability of waste form during emergencies in deep geological disposal. For glasses containing 15% La₂O₃, LaBO₃ phases were observed as major crystals from 780 ℃ and exhibited needlelike structures. Al, Ca, and O were homogeneously distributed throughout the entire specimen, while some portions of B and La were concentrated in some parts. By differential thermal analysis at various heating rates, the activation energy for grain growth and the crystallization rate of LaBO₃ were calculated to be 12.6 kJ/mol and 199.5 kJ/mol, respectively. These values are comparable to other waste forms being developed for the same purpose.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.165-173
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• 2023

Various linear system solvers with multi-physics analysis schemes are compared focusing on the near-field region considering thermal-hydraulic-chemical (THC) coupled multi-physics phenomena. APro, developed at KAERI for total system performance assessment (TSPA), performs a finite element analysis with COMSOL, for which the various combinations of linear system solvers and multi-physics analysis schemes should to be compared. The KBS-3 type disposal system proposed by Sweden is set as the target system and the near-field region, which accounts for most of the computational burden is considered. For comparison of numerical analysis methods, the computing time and memory requirement are the main concerns and thus the simulation time is set up to one year. With a single deposition hole problem, PARDISO and GMRES-SSOR are selected as representative direct and iterative solvers respectively. The performance of representative linear system solvers is then examined through a problem with an increasing number of deposition holes and the GMRES-SSOR solver with a segregated scheme shows the best performance with respect to the computing time and memory requirement. The results of the comparative analysis are expected to provide a good guideline to choose better numerical analysis methods for TSPA.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.313-319
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• 2019

A-KRS는 한국원자력연구원에서 개발한 파이로프로세싱 처리된 폐기물을 처분하는 개념이다. 고준위 방사성폐기물은 파이로프로세싱에 의하여 최소화되며, 최종 발생된 고준위 방사성폐기물은 모나자이트 세라믹 폐기물 형태로 제조된다. 모나자이트 세라믹 폐기물은 처분공에 영구 처분되어 열을 발생시킨다. 발생된 열은 폐기물을 보호하는 캐니스터 및 완충재의 온도를 상승시켜 설계 기준을 초과 시킬 수 있다. 온도는 처분공 간의 거리로 조절 가능하며 한국원자력연구원에서 해석한 바 있다. 한국원자력연구원에서 해석한 경계조건은 완벽 접촉을 가정한 것이기 때문에, 최초 처분 시에 발생하는 간격에 의해 발생하는 열 저항에 의한 온도 분포는 알 수 없다. 이를 보완하기 위하여, 본 논문에서는 최초 처분 시 존재하는 간격에 의한 열 전달 해석을 수행하였다. 또한 발열체와 캐니스터 간의 공극을 추가하여 온도 분포 해석을 수행하였다. COMSOL 전산해석 소프트웨어를 이용하여 열전달 해석을 수행하였다.