Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Structural stability analysis of waste packages containing low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste in a silo-type repository

  • Byeon, Hyeongjin (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology) ;
  • Jeong, Gwan Yoon (Innovative System Technology Development Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Park, Jaeyeong (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology)
  • Received : 2020.09.02
  • Accepted : 2020.10.28
  • Published : 2021.05.25
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Abstract

The structural stability of a waste package is essential for containing radioactive waste for the long term in a repository. A silo-type disposal facility would require more severe verification for the structural integrity, because of radioactive waste packages staked with several tens of meters and overburdens of crushed rocks and shotcretes. In this study, structural safety was analyzed for a silo-type repository, located approximately 100 m below sea level in Gyeongju, Korea. Finite element simulation was performed to investigate the influence of the loads from the backfilling materials and waste package stacks on the mechanical stress of the disposed of wastes and containers. It was identified that the current design of the waste package and the compressive strength criterion for the solidified waste would not be enough to maintain structural stability. Therefore, an enhanced criterion for the compressive strength of the solidified waste and several reinforced structural designs for the disposal concrete container were proposed to prevent failure of the waste package based on the results of parametric studies.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank KORAD for providing information on the disposal container used in the simulation.

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