• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.683-690
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• 2007

Because of increasing concerns regarding global warming and the longevity of oil and gas reserves, the importance of nuclear energy as a major source of sustainable energy is gaining recognition worldwide. To make nuclear energy truly sustainable, it is necessary to ensure not only the sustainability of the fuel supply but also the sustained availability of waste repositories, especially those for high-level radioactive waste (HLW). From this perspective, the effort to maximize the waste loading density in a given repository is important for easing repository capacity problems. In most cases, the loading of a repository is controlled by the decay heat of the emplaced waste. In this paper, a comparison of the decay heat characteristics of HLW is made among the various fuel cycle options. It is suggested that, for a future fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle, the removal and burning of minor actinides (MA) would significantly reduce the heat load in waste and would allow for a reduction of repository size by half.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권11호
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• pp.4083-4095
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• 2023

Currently, various research institutes in Korea are conducting research to develop a safety case for deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste (HLW). In the past, low and intermediate-level waste (LILW) was approved by a regulatory body by performing a post-closure safety assessment, but HLW has different disposal characteristics and safety objectives are different. Therefore, in the case of HLW, safety assessment should be performed based on these changed conditions, and specific procedures are also under development. In this paper, the regulatory status of prior research institutes, feature, event and process (FEP) and scenario development cases were investigated for well-organized FEP and scenario development methodologies. In addition, through the results of these surveys, the requirements and procedures necessary for the FEP and scenario development stage during the safety assessment of repository for HLW were presented. These review results are expected to be used to identify the overall status of previous studies in conducting post-closure risk assessment for HLW repository, starting with identifying regulatory requirements, the most basic element.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.489-504
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• 2006

A review has been made for the previous studies on safety of a geologic repository for high-level radioactive wastes (HLW) related to autocatalytic criticality phenomena with positive reactivity feedback. Neutronic studies on geometric and materials configuration consisting of rock, water and thermally fissile materials and the radionuclide migration and accumulation studies were performed previously for the Yucca Mountain Repository and a hypothetical water-saturated repository for vitrified HLW. In either case, it was concluded that it would be highly unlikely for an autocatalytic criticality event to happen at a geologic repository. Remaining scenarios can be avoided by careful selection of a repository site, engineered-barrier design and conditioning of solidified HLW. Thus, criticality safety should be properly addressed in regulations and site selection criteria. The models developed for radiological safety assessment to obtain conservatively overestimated exposure dose rates to the public may not be used directly for the criticality safety assessment, where accumulated fissile materials mass needs to be conservatively overestimated. The models for criticality safety also require more careful treatment of geometry and heterogeneity in transport paths because a minimum critical mass is sensitive to geometry of fissile materials accumulation.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.55-63
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• 2008

고준위폐기물처분장의 완충재 물질로 사용되는 팽윤성 점토는 방벽재로서 그 기능을 제대로 발휘하기 위해 오랫동안 물리 화학적으로 안정해야 한다. 팽윤성 점토의 장기건전성 관련인 자들을 검토하고, 처분장 성능에 대한 각 인자의 중요성을 평가하였다. 검토결과, 붕괴 열에 의한 온도상승, 지하수 화학, 콘크리트에 의한 pH 증가, 유기물과 미생물, 방사선 조사 및 기계적 교란은 완충재물질로서 팽윤성 점토의 장기건전성에 중요한 인자임을 확인하였다. 본 연구는 고준위폐기물 처분장에서 팽윤성 점토의 완충재 설계를 위한 기초자료로 유용하게 활용될 것이다.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.529-539
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• 2024

A high-level nuclear waste (HLW) repository is designed for the long-term disposal of high-level waste. Positioned at depths of 500-1000 meters, it offers an alternative to the insufficient storage space for spent fuels, providing a long-term solution. High-level waste emits heat and radiation, causing structural deterioration, including strength reduction and cracks. Therefore, the use of piezoelectric sensors for structural health monitoring is essential for evaluating the safety of the structure over time. Unlike other structures, the HLW repository restricts human access after the disposal of HLW, rendering sensor replacement impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to assess both the lifespan and suitability of sensors under the disposal conditions in the HLW repository. This study employed an accelerated life test (ALT) to assess the sensor's lifespan under disposal conditions. Failure modes, failure mechanisms, and operational limits were analyzed through accelerated stress test (AST). Additionally, the parameters of the Weibull life probability distribution and the Arrhenius accelerated life model were estimated through statistical methods, including the likelihood ratio test, maximum likelihood estimation, and hypothesis testing. Results confirmed that the sensor's lifespan decreases significantly with the increase in the temperature limit of the HLW repository. The findings of this study can be used for improving sensor lifespan through shielding, development of alternative sensors, or lifespan evaluation of alternative monitoring sensors.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.264-273
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• 2011

고준위폐기물처분장에서 벤토나이트완충재는 공학적방벽의 중요한 구성요소 중 하나이다. 벤토나이트완충재는 방사성폐기물로부터의 붕괴열, 주위 암반으로부터의 지하수 유입, 고밀도로 압축된 벤토나이트 자체의 높은 팽윤압에 의해 큰 영향을 받는다. 그러므로 벤토나이트완충재의 열-수리-역학적 특성 이해와 평가모델의 입력데이터 확보는 고준위폐기물처분장의 성능 및 안전성 평가를 위해서 선행되어야 할 중요한 과제이다. 본 논문에서는 우리나라 고준위폐기물처분장 완충재 후보물질을 대상으로 지금까지 수행된 열-수리-역학적 특성을 분석하고, 기준벤토나이트완충재 조건을 설정하여, 이 조건에 부합되는 벤토나이트완충재의 열-수리-역학적 특성치를 제시하였다.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.256-260
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• 1994

HLW canister array was designed by FLLSSM program, considering the thermal concentration. Rock properties were chosen as those of granite, the most possible bedrock for the repository in Korea. It was shown that repository area and excavation volumes can be determined by the pitch or distance between canisters. Pitch can be reduced to 0.6 m assuming the tolerance temperature as 200$^{\circ}C$. Thermal concentration was reduced as storage time for cooling the canister passed. After 10 years of storage the thermal problems seemed to be negligible.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.83-100
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• 1999

As disposal packaging concepts of spent fuels generated from the domestic NPP, two types, one is to package PWR and CANDU spent fuels in different containers and the other is to package them together, were proposed. The configuration of the containers and the layout of underground repository, such as the container spacing and the deposition tunnel spacing, were developed. The layout of underground repository satisfies the thermal constraint of the bentonite buffer surrounding disposal container, which should be lower than $100^{\circ}C$ in order to keep the physical and chemical properties of bentonite From the spent fuel packaging concepts and container emplacement methods, seven options were developed. With a typical pair-wise comparison methods, AHP, the most promising disposal concept was selected based on the technology Point of view.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.553-558
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• 2000

1997년부터 시작된 국가원자력중장기 연구사업의 일환으로 국내에서 발생하는 고준위 방사성폐기물을 영구 처분하는데 따른 장기 방사선적 안전성평가 연구가 수행되었다. 2000년 3월까지 수행된 제 1 단계 안전성 평가 연구에서는 이 연구와 병행하여 추진된 처분장 개념 정립 연구에서 도출된 기준 처분 개념을 근간으로 지하 약 300-770 미터 단열 암반에 건설될 처분장을 대상으로 안전성 평가를 수행하였다. 이러한 안전성 평가를 위해 우선 MASCOT-K 코드가 개발되었다. MASCOT-K는 다양한 지하매질을 통과하는 핵종 이동을 모사하는 프로그램으로 최종적으로 처분장 주변 주민들이 년간 혹은 누적 피폭 선량을 예측한다. 가상적인 지질 자료들을 근간으로 처분 개념에 대한 평가 결과 예상 유출량은 현재 국내 기술기준에서 규정한 제한치보다 낮은 것으로 판명되었다.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.136-148
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• 2020

우리나라는 1978년부터 원자력발전소를 운영해왔으며 그에 따른 고준위방사성폐기물 발생이 누적되고 있다. 이를 안전하게 처분하기 위한 영구 처분시설이 시급한 실정이나 처분 부지를 선정하는 과정에서 광범위하고 정밀한 부지조사가 요구되기 때문에 장기간에 걸친 조사가 선행되어야한다. 이러한 부지조사는 단계별로 진행되는 것이 일반적이며 이 과정에서 다학제적 평가가 이루어진다. 본 논문에서는 부지조사 과정에서 요구되는 암반공학적 요소를 중점으로 사례조사를 수행하였다. 단계별로 고려되는 암반공학적 평가요소와 그 적용 사례를 정리하였으며 이 과정에서 수행된 해외 연구 사례를 조사하였다. 동시에 국내 연구현황을 정리하였고 부지조사와 관련된 향후 연구 계획을 간략히 보고하였다. 향후 연구를 통해 부지조사 시 참고할 수 있는 기반자료를 생산하고자 하며 본 논문에서 수집된 사례 역시 활용할 예정이다.