• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-35
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• 2014

A parametric sensitivity to the annual exposure dose rate to the farming exposure group has been probabilistically carried out for three principal elements associated with the nuclide transport behavior in the near-field of the pyroprocessed waste repository system. Credit time for both metal and ceramic containers, annual nuclide release rete, and the degree of loss of bentonite buffer around the container are selected as the elements and investigated for important nuclides. All the elements are shown to be sensitive to the results. Methodology studied through this study and the results are expected to make a good feedback to the repository design. As a follow-up study, separated in Part 2, the A-KRS will be deterministically assessed and then compared among each other with the normal, the worst, and the best case scenarios associated with their extreme values these elements could have.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.50
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• pp.311-349
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• 2016

This study reviewed how the appraisal process of the research records of the cases of Australia and the United States can be planed and managed. As the records schedule includes the list of core records and the appropriate disposal instructions, as well as the fact that it is a critical records management tool, the records schedule was considered for the basis of the research records appraisal system. The results of this study are as follows. First, the research records have to be appraised by research project because research is carried out into project units, and records management is effective when combined with the business practice and basic structure of the operating system. Second, the research institutions have to plan and manage one general disposal schedule and plural disposal schedules in the different research divisions. Finally, the characteristics of research style and the research record of each research institution should be recognized. Moreover, there is a need to link the research appraisal process of each research institution and the national records management system because the research records of public research institutions are public goods. Although various cases were not analyzed, this study is significant that the meaning and role of the research records schedule was reorganized. Also, a discriminatory records schedule according to the characteristics of research records was suggested.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.339-346
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• 2018

A geological repository system consists of a disposal canister with packed spent fuel, buffer material, backfill material, and intact rock. The buffer is indispensable to assure the disposal safety of high-level radioactive waste. Since the heat generated from spent nuclear fuel in a disposal canister is released to the surrounding buffer materials, the thermal properties of the buffer material are very important in determining the entire disposal safety. Especially, since thermal expansion can cause thermal stress to the intact rock mass in the near-field, it is very important to evaluate thermal expansion characteristics of bentonite buffer materials. Therefore, this paper presents a thermal expansion coefficient prediction model of the Gyeongju bentonite buffer materials which is a Ca-bentonite produced in South Korea. The linear thermal expansion coefficient was measured considering heating rate, dry density and temperature variation using dilatometer equipment. Thermal expansion coefficient values of the Gyeongju bentonite buffer materials were $4.0{\sim}6.0{\times}10^{-6}/^{\circ}C$. Based on the experimental results, a non-linear regression model to predict the thermal expansion coefficient was suggested and fitted according to the dry density.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.33-39
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• 2020

A geological repository has been considered as an option for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The HLW is disposed in a host rock at a depth of 500~1,000 meters below the ground surface based on the concept of engineered barrier system (EBS). The EBS is composed of a disposal canister, buffer material, backfill material, and gap-filling material. The compacted bentonite buffer is very important since it can restrain the release of radionuclide and protect the canister from the inflow of ground water. The saturation of the buffer decreases because high temperature in a disposal canister is released into the surrounding buffer material, but saturation of the buffer increases because of the inflow of ground water. The unsaturated properties of the buffer are critical input parameters for the entire safety assessment of the engineered barrier system. In Korea, Gyeongju bentonite can be considered as a candidate buffer material, but there are few test results of the unsaturated properties considering temperature variation. Therefore, this paper conducted experiment of soil-water characteristic curve for the Gyeongju compacted bentonite considering temperature variation under a constant water content condition. The relative error showed approximately 2% between test results and modified van-Genuchten model values.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2021

The buffer is a key component of an engineered barrier system that safeguards the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Buffers are located between disposal canisters and host rock, and they can restrain the release of radionuclides and protect canisters from the inflow of ground water. Since considerable heat is released from a disposal canister to the surrounding buffer, the thermal conductivity of the buffer is a very important parameter in the entire disposal safety. For this reason, a lot of research has been conducted on thermal conductivity prediction models that consider various factors. In this study, the thermal conductivity of a buffer is estimated using the machine learning methods of: linear regression, decision tree, support vector machine (SVM), ensemble, Gaussian process regression (GPR), neural network, deep belief network, and genetic programming. In the results, the machine learning methods such as ensemble, genetic programming, SVM with cubic parameter, and GPR showed better performance compared with the regression model, with the ensemble with XGBoost and Gaussian process regression models showing best performance.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.887-897
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• 2023

Leading waste disposal countries, such as Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, conduct safety assessments across all stages of High-Level Radioactive Waste Deep Geological Disposal Facilities-from planning and site selection to construction, operation, closure, and post-closure management. As safety assessments are repeatedly performed at each stage, generating vast amounts of diverse data over extended periods, it is essential to construct a database for safety assessment and establish a data management system. In this study, the safety assessment data management systems of leading countries, were analyzed, categorizing them into 1) input and reference data for safety assessments, 2) guidelines for data management, 3) organizational structures for data management, and 4) computer systems for data management. While each country exhibited differences in specific aspects, commonalities included the classification of safety assessment input data based on disposal system components, the establishment of organizations to supply, use, and manage this data, and the implementation of quality management systems guided by instructions and manuals. These cases highlight the importance of data management systems and document management systems for securing the safety and enhancing the reliability of High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities. To achieve this, the classification of input data that can be flexibly and effectively utilized, ensuring the consistency and traceability of input data, and establishing a quality management system for input data and document management are necessary.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.300-305
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• 2003

One of the most important parts in constructing radioactive waste repository may be its safety aspect. The fundamental function of the repository is to isolate completely and forever the radioactive wastes disposed of in it. However, since either normally or abnormally nuclides are to be released from the repository with a certain causes. The hydraulic conductivity is related to transportation of nuclide in soil. However, hydraulic characteristics research in unsaturated soil is not enough at present time. A fast and easy procedure for estimating unsaturated flow parameters is presented. The estimation is based on direct measurement of the retention characteristics combined with inverse estimation of the hydraulic conductivity characteristics from one-step outflow experiment.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.132-145
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• 2001

The purpose and need of the study is to quantify the advantage or disadvantage of the environmental friendliness of the partitioning of nuclear fuel cycle. To this end, a preliminary study on the quantitative effect of the partition on the permanent disposal of spent PWR and CANDU fuel (HLW) was carried out. Before any analysis, the so-called reference radionuclide release scenario from a potential repository embedded into a crystalline rock was developed. Firstly, the feature, event and processes (FEPs) which lead to the release of nuclides from waste disposed of in a repository and the transport to and through the biosphere were identified. Based on the selected FEPs, the ‘Well Scenario’which might be the worst case scenario was set up. For the given scenario, annual individual doses to a local resident exposed to radioactive hazard were estimated and compared to that from direct disposal. Even though partitioning and transmutation could be an ideal solution to reduce the inventory which eventually decreases the release time as well as the peaks in the annual dose and also minimize the repository area through the proper handling of nuclides, it should overcome major disadvantages such as echnical issues on the partitioning and transmutation system, cost, and public acceptance, and environment friendly issues. In this regard, some relevant issues are also discussed to show the direction for further studies.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2016

The buffer in geological disposal system is one of the major elements to restrain the release of radionuclide and to protect the container from the inflow of groundwater. The buffer material requires long-term stability, low hydraulic conductivity, low organic content, high retardation of radionuclide, high swelling pressure, and high thermal conductivity. These requirements could be determined by the quantitative analysis results. In case of South Korea, the bentonites produced in Gyeongju area have been regarded as candidate buffer/backfill materials at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) since 1997. According to the study on several physical and chemical characteristics of domestic bentonite in the same district, this is the Ca-type bentonite with about 65% of montmorillonite content. Through this study, we present the criteria for the performance evaluation items and methods when collecting new buffer/backfill materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.135-144
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• 2006