• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.109-120
• /
• 1999

Residual radiation and radioactivity level in TRIGA Mark-II, III research reactors and facilities at the KAERI Seoul site, which are to be decommissioned, have been measured, analyzed and evaluated to know the current status of radiation and radioactivity level and to establish and to provide the technical requirements for the safe decommissioning of the facilities which shall be applied in minimizing the radiation exposure for workers and in preventing the release of the radioactive materials to the environment. Radiation dose rate and surface radioactivity contamination level on the experimental equipments, floors, walls of the facilities, and the surface of the activated materials within the reactor pool structure were measured and evaluated. Radioactivity and radionuclides in the pool and cooling water were also analyzed. In case of the activated reactor pool structures which are very difficult to measure the radiation and radioactivity level, a computer code Fispin was additionally used for estimation of the residual radioactivity and radionuclides. The radiation and radioactivity data obtained in this study were effectively used as basic data for decontamination and dismantling plan for safe decommissioning of TRIGA Mark-II, III facilities.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.63-74
• /
• 2020

The Kori-Unit 1 nuclear power plant, which is scheduled for decommissioning after permanent shutdown, is expected to generate a large amount of various types of radioactive waste during decommissioning process. For concrete radioactive waste, which is expected to occupy the most amount, it is important to analyze the current waste disposal status and legal limitations and to prepare an appropriate and efficient disposal method. Concrete radioactive waste is waste of various levels, of which the clearance level is bioshield concrete. In this paper, clearance radioactive waste safety evaluation was performed using the RESRAD code, which is a safety evaluation code, based on the activation evaluation results for the wastes with the clearance level. The clearance scenario of the target radioactive waste was selected and the individual's exposure dose was calculated at the time of clearance to determine whether the clearance criteria limit prescribed by the Nuclear Safety Act was satisfied. As a result of the evaluation, the results showed significantly lower results and satisfied the criteria value. Based on the results of this clearance safety assessment, the appropriate disposal method for bioshield concrete, which are the clearance wastes of subject of deregulation, was suggested.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.377-387
• /
• 2018

Korea's first commercial nuclear power plant, Kori Unit 1, was permanently shut down on June 18, 2017, after 40 years of successful operation. Kori Unit 1 plans to construct a waste treatment facility in the turbine building prior to commencement of dismantling in earnest. Various radioactive wastes are decontaminated, disassembled, cut and melted in the waste treatment facility and sent to the radioactive waste repository. The proportion of metal radioactive waste in dismantled waste is about 70%, of which large metal radioactive waste is mainly generated in the primary circuit and has high radioactivity, so radiation exposure must be managed during disassembly. In this study, the steam generators are selected as large metal radioactive waste, the exposure doses of the dismantling workers are calculated using RESRAD-RECYCLE code and the methods for reducing the exposure doses are suggested.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.507-522
• /
• 2012

When decommissioning a nuclear power plant, it is difficult to make an appropriate plan to ensure sufficient space for temporary placement and conveyance operations of dismantling targets. This paper describes a system to support temporary placement and conveyance operations using augmented reality (AR). The system employs a laser range scanner to measure the three-dimensional (3D) information of the environment and a dismantling target to produce 3D surface polygon models. Then, the operator simulates temporary placement and conveyance operations using the system by manipulating the obtained 3D model of the dismantling target in the work field. Referring to the obtained 3D model of the environment, a possible collision between the dismantling target and the environment is detectable. Using AR, the collision position is presented intuitively. After field workers evaluated this system, the authors concluded that the system is feasible and acceptable to verify whether spaces for passage and temporary storage are sufficient for temporary placement and conveyance operations. For practical use in the future, some new functions must be added to improve the system. For example, it must be possible for multiple workers to use the system simultaneously by sharing the view of dismantling work.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.1368-1375
• /
• 2016

A radiological safety assessment study was performed for the transportation of low level radioactive wastes which are temporarily stored in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Daejeon, Korea. We considered two kinds of wastes: (1) operation wastes generated from the routine operation of facilities; and (2) decommissioning wastes generated from the decommissioning of a research reactor in KAERI. The important part of the radiological safety assessment is related to the exposure dose assessment for the incidentfree (normal) transportation of wastes, i.e., the radiation exposure of transport personnel, radiation workers for loading and unloading of radioactive waste drums, and the general public. The effective doses were estimated based on the detailed information on the transportation plan and on the radiological characteristics of waste packages. We also estimated radiological risks and the effective doses for the general public resulting from accidents such as an impact and a fire caused by the impact during the transportation. According to the results, the effective doses for transport personnel, radiation workers, and the general public are far below the regulatory limits. Therefore, we can secure safety from the viewpoint of radiological safety for all situations during the transportation of radioactive wastes which have been stored temporarily in KAERI.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.7
• /
• pp.2489-2497
• /
• 2023

Co and Eu impurities in the SSCs are nuclides that dominantly influence the neutron-induced radioactive inventory in metal and concrete radwastes (radioactive wastes) during NPP decommission. The impurity concentrations provided by NUREG/CR-3474 were used for the practical range of Co and Eu impurity concentrations to be applied to the code calculations. Metal structures near the core were evaluated to be ILW (intermediate-level waste) for the whole range of Co impurity concentration, so the boundary line between ILW and LLW (low-level waste) has no change for the whole concentration range provided by NUREG/CR-3474. Also, the boundary line between VLLW (very low-level waste) and CW (clearance waste) in the concrete shield could alter a little depending on the Eu impurity concentration within the range provided by NUREG/CR-3474. From this work, it is found that the concentration of material impurities of SSCs gives no critical impact on determining radwaste levels.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.91-100
• /
• 2016

The neutron activation inventories in reactor vessel and its internals, and bio-shield of a PWR nuclear power plant were calculated to evaluate the effect of impurity elements contained in the structural materials on the activation inventory. Carbon steel is, in this work, used as the reactor vessel material, stainless steel as the reactor vessel internals, and ordinary concrete as the bio-shield. For stainless steel and carbon steel, one kind of impurity concentration was employed, and for ordinary concrete five kinds were employed in this study using MCNP5 and FISPACT for the calculation of neutron flux and activation inventory, respectively. As the results, specific activities for the cases with impurity elements were calculated to be more than twice than those for the cases without impurity elements in stainless and carbon steel. Especially, the specific activity for the concrete material with impurity elements was calculated to be 30 times higher than that without impurity. Neutron induced reactions and activation inventories in each material were also investigated, and it is noted that major radioactive nuclide in steel material is Co-60 from cobalt impurity element, and, in concrete material, Co-60 and Eu-152 from cobalt and europium impurity elements, respectively. The results of this study can be used for nuclear decommissioning plan during activation inventory assessment and regulation, and it is expected to be used as a reference in the design phase of nuclear power plant, considering the decommissioning of nuclear power plants or nuclear facilities.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.91-102
• /
• 2020

According to the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency's (KORAD's) medium and low level radioactive waste management implementation plan, the Domestic 3rd Step Landfill Disposal Facility has planned to accept a total of 104,000 drums (2 trenches) of very low level radioactive waste (VLLW), from the decommissioning site from April 2019 - February 2026 (total budget: 224.6 billion Won). Subsequently, 260,000 drums (5 trenches) will be disposed in a 34,076 ㎡. Accordingly, KORAD is preparing a waste acceptance criteria (WAC) for this facility. Every disposal facility for VLLW in other countries such as France and Spain, operate their WAC for each VLLW facility with a reasonable application approach, This, paper focuses on analyzing the WAC conditions in VLLW sites in the USA and discusses whether these can be met in domestic VLLW WAC. It also helps in the preparation of WAC for the 3rd Step Landfill Disposal Site in Gyeongju, since the USA has prior experience on decommissioning nuclear waste.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.343-356
• /
• 2016

The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) has developed a dual-purpose metal cask for the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel that has been generated by domestic light-water reactors. The metal cask was designed in compliance with international and domestic technology standards, and safety was the most important consideration in developing the design. It was designed to maintain its integrity for 50 years in terms of major safety factors. The metal cask ensures the minimization of waste generated by maintenance activities during the storage period as well as the safe management of the waste. An activation evaluation of the main body, which includes internal and external components of metal casks whose design lifetime has expired, provides quantitative data on their radioactive inventory. The radioactive inventory of the main body and the components of the metal cask were calculated by applying the MCNP5 ORIGEN-2 evaluation system and by considering each component's chemical composition, neutron flux distribution, and reaction rate, as well as the duration of neutron irradiation during the storage period. The evaluation results revealed that 10 years after the end of the cask's design life, $^{60}Co$ had greater radioactivity than other nuclides among the metal materials. In the case of the neutron shield, nuclides that emit high-energy gamma rays such as $^{28}Al$ and $^{24}Na$ had greater radioactivity immediately after the design lifetime. However, their radioactivity level became negligible after six months due to their short half-life. The surface exposure dose rates of the canister and the main body of the metal cask from which the spent nuclear fuel had been removed with expiration of the design lifetime were determined to be at very low levels, and the radiation exposure doses to which radiation workers were subjected during the decommissioning process appeared to be at insignificant levels. The evaluations of this study strongly suggest that the nuclide inventory of a spent nuclear fuel metal cask can be utilized as basic data when decommissioning of a metal cask is planned, for example, for the development of a decommissioning plan, the determination of a decommissioning method, the estimation of radiation exposure to workers engaged in decommissioning operations, the management/reuse of radioactive wastes, etc.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.297-304
• /
• 2018

U.S. nuclear power plant decommissioning guidelines(MARSSIM and MARLAP) are recommends to use DQOs when planning and conducting site surveys. The DQOs which is constructed in the site survey planning stage provide a way to make the best use of data. It helps we can get the important information and data to make decisions as well. From fifth to seventh steps of DQOs are the process of designing a site survey by using the collected data and information in the previous step to make reasonable and reliable decisions. The gray region that is set up during this process is defined as the range of concentrations where the consequences of type II decision errors are relatively small. The gray region can be set using DCGL and the average concentration of radionuclide in the sample collected at the survey unit. By setting up the gray region, site survey plan can be made most resource-efficient and the consequences on decision errors can be minimized. In this study, we set up the gray region by using the DCGL of Kori-1 which was derived from the previous research. In addition, we proposed a method to assess the concentration of radionuclide in samples for making decisions correctly.