• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.939-944
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• 2012

Deposition potential, deposition time, square wave frequency, rotation speed of the rotating disc electrode, and palladium concentration were studied on a Glassy Carbon Electrode (GCE) in 0.01M HCl for the determination of palladium in High Level Nuclear Waste (HLNW) by anodic stripping voltammetry. Experimental conditions were optimized for the determination of palladium at two different, $10^{-8}$ and $10^{-7}M$, levels. Error and standard deviation of this method were under 1% for all palladium standard solutions. The developed technique was successfully applied as a subsidiary method for the determination of palladium in simulated high level nuclear waste with very good precision and high accuracy (under 1 % error and standard deviation).

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.469-488
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• 2022

Technology for high-level-waste disposal employing a multibarrier concept using engineered and natural barrier in stable bedrock at 300-1,000 m depth is being commercialized as a safe, long-term isolation method for high-level waste, including spent nuclear fuel. Managing heat generated from waste is important for improving disposal efficiency; thus, research on efficient heat management is required. In this study, thermal management methods to maximize disposal efficiency in terms of the disposal area required were developed. They efficiently use the land in an environment, such as Korea, where the land area is small and the amount of waste is large. The thermal effects of engineered barriers and natural barriers in a high-level waste disposal repository were analyzed. The research status of thermal management for the main bedrocks of the repository, such as crystalline, clay, salt, and other rocks, were reviewed. Based on a characteristics analysis of various heat management approaches, the spent nuclear fuel cooling time, buffer bentonite thermal conductivity, and disposal container size were chosen as efficient heat management methods applicable in Korea. For each method, thermal analyses of the disposal repository were performed. Based on the results, the disposal efficiency was evaluated preliminarily. Necessary future research is suggested.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.365-369
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• 2022

Operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants generates radioactive waste. This radioactive waste can be categorized into several different levels, for example, low, intermediate, and high, according to the regulations. Currently, low and intermediate-level waste are stored in conventional 200-liter drums to be disposed. However, in Korea, the disposal of intermediate-level radioactive waste is virtually impossible as there are no available facilities. Furthermore, large-sized intermediate-level radioactive waste, such as reactor internals from decommissioning, need to be segmented into smaller sizes so they can be adequately stored in the conventional drums. This segmentation process requires additional costs and also produces secondary waste. Therefore, this paper suggests repurposing the no-longer-used spent nuclear fuel casks. The casks are larger in size than the conventional drums, thus requiring less segmentation of waste. Furthermore, the safety requirements of the spent nuclear fuel casks are severer than those of the drums. Hence, repurposed spent nuclear fuel casks could better address potential risks such as dropping, submerging, or a fire. In addition, the spent nuclear fuel casks need to be disposed in compliance with the regulations for low level radioactive waste. This cost may be avoided by repurposing the casks.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.1176-1180
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• 2021

The current study relates to RADAR (RAdio Detection and Ranging) application for level measurement of vitrified radioactive liquid nuclear waste. The vitrification of radioactive liquid waste is carried out in special equipment called 'Melters'. The study is directed towards the design and frequency modulation used in the level measurement of vitrified waste. More specifically, the RADAR design and frequency used for level measurement in a melter. This level measurement technique can also be used for dynamic vitrification process and can be used to measure the level variations without using any external medium/material and using only electromagnetic waves. Also, this technique is durable and accurate even under the high radioactive environment present inside the melter.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.92-102
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• 2015

Current plans for legacy nuclear wastes stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington are that they will be separated into high-level waste and low-activity waste fractions that will be vitrified separately. Formulating optimized glass compositions that maximize the waste loading in glass is critical for successful and economical treatment and immobilization of these nuclear wastes. Glass property-composition models have been developed and applied to formulate glass compositions for various objectives for the past several decades. Property models with associated uncertainties combined with composition and property constraints have been used to develop preliminary glass formulation algorithms designed for vitrification process control and waste-form qualification at the planned waste vitrification plant. This paper provides an overview of the current status of glass property-composition models, constraints applicable to Hanford waste vitrification, and glass formulation approaches that have been developed for vitrification of hazardous and highly radioactive wastes stored at the Hanford Site.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.89-102
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• 2012

The buffer and backfill are important components of the engineered barrier system in a high-level waste repository, which should be constructed in a hard rock formation at a depth of several hundred meters below the ground surface. The primary function of the buffer and backfill is to seal the underground excavation as a preferred flow path for radionuclide migration from the deposited high-level waste. This study investigates the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of Kyungju Ca-bentonite, which is the candidate material for the buffer and backfill in the Korean reference high-level waste disposal system. The factors that influence the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of the buffer and backfill are analyzed. The factors considered are the dry density, the temperature, the sand content, the salinity and the organic carbon content. The possibility of deterioration in the sealing performance of the buffer and backfill is also assessed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.7
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• pp.2704-2710
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• 2024

Nuclear archaeology research provides scientific methods to reconstruct the operating histories of fissile material production facilities to account for past fissile material production. While it has typically focused on analyzing material in permanent reactor structures, spent fuel or high-level waste also hold information about the reactor operation. In this computational study, we explore a Bayesian inference framework for reconstructing the operational history from measurements of isotope ratios from a sample of nuclear waste. We investigate two different inference models. The first model discriminates between three potential reactors of origin (Magnox, PWR, and PHWR) while simultaneously reconstructing the fuel burnup, time since irradiation, initial enrichment, and average power density. The second model reconstructs the fuel burnup and time since irradiation of two batches of waste in a mixed sample. Each of the models is applied to a set of simulated test data, and the performance is evaluated by comparing the highest posterior density regions to the corresponding parameter values of the test dataset. Both models perform well on the simulated test cases, which highlights the potential of the Bayesian inference framework and opens up avenues for further investigation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.03a
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• pp.791-800
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• 2010

This paper presents the construction status and the conceptual designs of midium and high level radioactive waste disposal facilities from all around world. For the midium radioactive waste, a shallow disposal using trench or a deep depth disposal are adopted. However, these are rather focusing on the social and cultural point of view than the technical. Meanwhile, the high level radioactive waste is basically disposed in the deep underground. The corresponding ground conditions are usually dense and composed of sedimentary and crystalline rocks mainly with low permeability. A barrier system is made of canister which consists of copper, titanium, and tin. The inner and outer side of the canister are composed of different materials respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.312-323
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• 2015

This paper presents future directions for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste management. The successes and failures of siting nuclear waste repository experienced by the United States and other countries are reviewed with the current policy stance. Further, the needs for establishing management policy, considering the high-level radioactive waste produced by the dismantlement, nuclear security concerns, and cost-effectiveness analysis for the total nuclear fuel cycle, are emphasised. Technical discussions are organised into three main topics: interim storage, permanent disposal, and reprocessing. Licensing regimes are also investigated to suggest strategic plans for research and development programmes in the Republic of Korea.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.435-446
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• 2021

This article examines the consequences of a significant spent fuel management decision or event in the United States, South Korea and Taiwan. For the United States, it is the financial impact of the Department of Energy's inability to take possession of spent fuel from commercial nuclear power companies beginning in 1998 as directed by Congress. For South Korea, it is the potential financial and socioeconomic impact of the successful construction, licensing and operation of a low and intermediate level waste disposal facility on the siting of a spent fuel/high level waste repository. For Taiwan, it is the operational impact of the Kuosheng 1 reactor running out of space in its spent fuel pool. From these, it draws six broad lessons other countries new to, or preparing for, nuclear energy production might take from these experiences. These include conservative planning, treating the back-end of the fuel cycle holistically and building trust through a step-by-step approach to waste disposal.