• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.55-64
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• 2017

A geological repository has been considered one of the most adequate options for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. A geological repository will be constructed in a host rock at a depth of 500~1,000 meters below the ground surface. The geological repository system consists of a disposal canister with packed spent fuel, buffer material, backfill material, and intact rock. The buffer is very important to assure the disposal safety of high-level radioactive waste. It can restrain the release of radionuclide and protect the canister from the inflow of groundwater. High temperature in a disposal canister is released into the surrounding buffer material, and thus the thermal transfer behavior of the buffer material is very important to analyze the entire disposal safety. Therefore, this paper presents a thermal conductivity prediction model for the Kyungju compacted bentonite buffer material which is the only bentonite produced in Korea. Thermal conductivity of Kyungju bentonite was measured using a hot wire method according to various water contents and dry densities. With 39 data obtained by the hot wire method, a regression model to predict the thermal conductivity of Kyungju bentonite was suggested.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.51-59
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• 2004

The geological research as a part of HLW disposal program in Korea is carried out to provide necessary data for the establishment of the reference repository system in term of design and safety assessment in the crystalline rock terrains. Six deep boreholes were drilled to obtain hydrogeological and hydrochemical data from Jurassic granites in the Yuseong area, Korea. The core observation, televiewer logging and hydraulic testing were carried out during and after drilling and multi-packer system were installed in the boreholes of 500m depth for hydraulic and hydrochemical monitoring including environmental isotopes. The integration of hydrogeochemical and hydrodynamic data would be built greater confidence for the understanding of groundwater system in fractured rock mass. This geoscientific program could be possible to suggest a general guideline to develop the reference disposal concept of high-level radioactive waste in Korea.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.3359-3366
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• 2021

An engineered barrier system (EBS) for the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) is composed of a disposal canister, buffer material, gap-filling material, and backfill material. As the buffer fills the empty space between the disposal canisters and the near-field rock mass, heat energy from the canisters is released to the surrounding buffer material. It is vital that this heat energy is rapidly dissipated to the near-field rock mass, and thus the thermal conductivity of the buffer is a key parameter to consider when evaluating the safety of the overall disposal system. Therefore, to take into consideration the sizeable amount of heat being released from such canisters, this study investigated the thermal conductivity of Korean compacted bentonites and its variation within a temperature range of 25 ℃ to 80-90 ℃. As a result, thermal conductivity increased by 5-20% as the temperature increased. Furthermore, temperature had a greater effect under higher degrees of saturation and a lower impact under higher dry densities. This study also conducted a regression analysis with 147 sets of data to estimate the thermal conductivity of the compacted bentonite considering the initial dry density, water content, and variations in temperature. Furthermore, the Kriging method was adopted to establish an uncertainty metamodel of thermal conductivity to verify the regression model. The R² value of the regression model was 0.925, and the regression model and metamodel showed similar results.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2012

This paper gives some basic requirements and preferences of various geological environmental conditions for the final deep geological repository of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). This study also indicates how the requirements and preferences are to be considered prior to the selection of sites for a site investigation as well as the final disposal in Korea. The results of the study are based on the knowledge and experience from the IAEA and NEA/OECD as well as the advanced countries in SNF disposal project. This study discusses and suggests preliminary guideline of the disposal requirements including geological, mechanical, thermal, hydrogeological, chemical and transport properties of host rock with long term geological stabilities which influence the functions of a multi-barrier disposal system. To apply and determine whether requirements and preferences for a given parameter are satisfied at different stages during a site selection and suitability assessment of a final disposal site, the quantitative criteria in each area should be formulated with credibility through relevant research and development efforts for the deep geological environment during the site screening and selection processes as well as specific studies such as productions of safety cases and validation studies using a generic underground research laboratory (URL) in Korea.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.169-179
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• 2011

There are two types of nuclear reactors in Korea and they are PWR type and CANDU type. The safe management of the spent fuels from these reactors is very important factor to maintain the sustainable energy supply with nuclear power plant. In Korea, a reference disposal system for the spent fuels has been developed through a study on the direct disposal of the PWR and CANDU spent fuel. Recently, the research on the demonstration and the efficiency analyses of the disposal system has been performed to make the disposal system safer and more economic. PWR spent fuels which include a lot of reusable material can be considered being recycled and a study on the disposal of HLW from this recycling process is being performed. CANDU spent fuels are considered being disposed of directly in deep geological formation, since they have little reusable material. In this study, based on the Korean Reference spent fuel disposal System (KRS) which was to dispose of both PWR type and CANDU type, the more effective CANDU spent fuel disposal systems were developed. To do this, the disposal canister for CANDU spent fuels was modified to hold the storage basket for 60 bundles which is used in nuclear power plant. With these modified disposal canister concepts, the disposal concepts to meet the thermal requirement that the temperature of the buffer materials should not be over $100^{\circ}C$ were developed. These disposal concepts were reviewed and analyzed in terms of disposal effective factors which were thermal effectiveness, U-density, disposal area, excavation volume, material volume etc. and the most effective concept was proposed. The results of this study will be used in the development of various wastes disposal system together with the HLW wastes from the PWR spent fuel recycling process.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.517-532
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• 2021

Safe geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) requires knowledge of the deep hydrochemical characteristics of the repository site. Here, we conducted a set of deep hydrochemical investigations using a 750-m borehole drilled in a model granite system in Wonju, South Korea. A closed investigation system consisting of a double-packer, Waterra pump, flow cell, and water-quality measurement unit was used for in situ water quality measurements and subsequent groundwater sampling. We managed the drilling water labeled with a fluorescein dye using a recycling system that reuses the water discharged from the borehole. We selected the test depths based on the dye concentrations, outflow water quality parameters, borehole logging, and visual inspection of the rock cores. The groundwater pumped up to the surface flowed into the flow cell, where the in situ water quality parameters were measured, and it was then collected for further laboratory measurements. Atmospheric contact was minimized during the entire process. Before hydrochemical measurements and sample collection, pumping was performed to purge the remnant drilling water. This study on a model borehole can serve as a reference for the future development of deep hydrochemical investigation procedures and techniques for siting processes of SNF repositories.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.119-132
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• 2001

This paper provides the basic technical and safety criteria to guide establishing the reference HLW geological repository system that has been developing based on the recommendations from the international organizations such as IAEA and ICRP as well as the comparison of the regulations of several leading countries in HLW disposal. The proposed criteria and guidelines were categorized by the basic principles and general criteria for the radiological safety and the functional criteria of the repository system components. They would be useful for the development of the national regulations and criteria for HLW disposal in the future. They, of course, will be revised based on the deep geological investigation in Korean Peninsular which will be implemented in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.470-473
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• 2005

Spent nuclear fuels are regarded as a high level radioactive waste and they will be disposed in a deep geological repository. To maintain the safety of the repository for hundreds of thousands of years, the spent fuels are encapsulated in a disposal canister and the canister containing spent fuels should have the structural integrity and the corrosion resistance below the several hundreds meters from the ground surface. In this study, the concept of the spent fuel encapsulation process and the process equipment fur deep geological disposal were established. To do this, the design requirements, such as the functions and the spent fuel accumulations, were reviewed. Also, the design principles and the bases were established. Based on the requirements and the bases, the encapsulation process and the equipment from spent fuel receiving process to transferring canister into the underground repository including hot cell processes was established. The established concept of the spent fuel encapsulation process and the process equipment will be improved continuously with the future studies. And this concept can be effectively used in implementing the reference repository system of our own case.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.421-433
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• 2023

The final disposal of spent nuclear fuel(SNF) from nuclear power plants takes place in a deep geological repository. The metal canister encasing the SNF is made of cast iron and copper, and is engineered to effectively isolate radioactive isotopes for a long period of time. The SNF is further shielded by a multi-barrier disposal system comprising both engineering and natural barriers. The deep disposal environment gradually changes to an anaerobic reducing environment. In this environment, sulfide is one of the most probable substances to induce corrosion of copper canister. Stress-corrosion cracking(SCC) triggered by sulfide can carry substantial implications for the integrity of the copper canister, potentially posing a significant threat to the long-term safety of the deep disposal repository. Sulfate can exist in various forms within the deep disposal environment or be introduced from the geosphere. Sulfate has the potential to be transformed into sulfide by sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB), and this converted sulfide can contribute to the corrosion of the copper canister. Bentonite, which is considered as a potential material for buffering and backfilling, contains oxidized sulfate minerals such as gypsum(CaSO4). If there is sufficient space for microorganisms to thrive in the deep disposal environment and if electron donors such as organic carbon are adequately supplied, sulfate can be converted to sulfide through microbial activity. However, the majority of the sulfides generated in the deep disposal system or introduced from the geosphere will be intercepted by the buffer, with only a small amount reaching the metal canister. Pyrite, one of the potential sulfide minerals present in the deep disposal environment, can generate sulfates during the dissolution process, thereby contributing to the corrosion of the copper canister. However, the quantity of oxidation byproducts from pyrite is anticipated to be minimal due to its extremely low solubility. Moreover, the migration of these oxidized byproducts to the metal canister will be restricted by the low hydraulic conductivity of saturated bentonite. We have comprehensively analyzed and summarized key research cases related to the presence of sulfates, reduction processes, and the formation and behavior characteristics of sulfides and pyrite in the deep disposal environment. Our objective was to gain an understanding of the impact of sulfates and sulfides on the long-term safety of high-level radioactive waste disposal repository.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.05b
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• pp.458-463
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• 1998

고준위방사성페기물의 기준 처분시스템 (Reference Geological Disposal System)의 개념설정을 위하여 현재 국내 원전에서 발생되고 있거나 향후 2010까지 건설될 원전으로부터 발생될 모든 사용 후 핵연료연료의 특성(크기, 무게, 초기농축도, 연소도, 냉각기간 등)을 대표할 수 있는 기준 사용 후 핵연료를 선정하였다.