• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 2014

If the spent fuels or the high-level radioactive wastes can be disposed of in the depth of 3~5 km and more stable rock formation, it has several advantages. For example, (1)significant fluid flow through basement rock is prevented, in part, by low permeability, poorly connected transport pathways, and (2)overburden self-sealing. (3)Deep fluids also resist vertical movement because they are density stratified and reducing conditions will sharply limit solubility of most dose-critical radionuclides at the depth. Finally, (4) high ionic strengths of deep fluids will prevent colloidal transport. Therefore, as an alternative disposal concept to the deep geological disposal concept(DGD), very deep borehole disposal(DBD) technology is under consideration in number of countries in terms of its outstanding safety and cost effectiveness. In this paper, for the preliminary applicability analyses of the DBD system for the spent fuels or high level wastes, the DBD concepts which have been developed by some countries according to the rapid advance in the development of drilling technology were reviewed. To do this, the general concept of DBD system was checked and the study cases of foreign countries were described and analyzed. These results will be used as an input for the analyses of applicability for DBD in Korea.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2010

Vitrification technology has been gradually recognized as one of effective solidification methods for concentrated boric acid wastes generated in PWR. Vitrification for low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes has a large volume reduction and good durability for the final products. A feasibility study for the vitrification of concentrated boric acid wastes has been performed with developing the pre-treatment methods of powdered wastes, glass compositions using glass formulation and demonstration test. The pre-treatment method is pelletizing the powder type for stable feeding within cold crucible melter. The glass compositions should be developed considering molten glass are related with wastes reduction. High contents of sodium and boron within borate wastes give influence to waste loading. A variety of factors obtained from the demonstration test are reviewed, which is wastes feeding rate, off-gas characteristics on stack and glass characteristics of final products such as durability for implementing the wastes disposal requirement. The aim of this paper is to present the feasibility of vitrification and review the solidification method for concentrated boric acid wastes and obtain the physicochemical characteristics of solidified glass.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.524-531
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• 2003

The usefulness of vitrification technology for low- and intermediate- level radioactive wastes was demonstrated because of high volume reduction, mechanical and chemical stability of final waste forms. Thus, a construction of the commercial vitrification plant Is currently promoted. Due to the high radiation level of the waste, shielding analysis has to be carried out for safe design in a vitrification facility. Because there has been no experience in the construction and operation of the vitrification facility in Korea, in this study, in order to get some information for help the detailed design and plan for operation in vitrification facility, shielding analysis for each facility in pilot plant is carried out by using source term from established study. For the selection of the shielding material, concrete was chosen compared to the lead because of economic advantage, weight consideration, and thermal resistance.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2_spc
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• pp.291-303
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• 2020

The Kori-Unit 1 nuclear power plant, which is scheduled to be decommissioned after permanent shutdown, is expected to generate large amounts of various types of radioactive waste during the decommissioning process. Among these, nuclear reactors and internal structures have high levels of radioactivity and the dismantled structure must have the proper size and weight on the primary side. During decommissioning, it is important to prepare an appropriate and efficient disposal method through analysis of the disposal status and the legal restrictions on wastes generated from the reactors and internal structures. Nuclear reactors and internal structures generate radioactive wastes of various levels, such as medium, very low, and clearance. A radiation evaluation indicates that wastes in the clearance level are generated in the reactor head and upper head insulation. In this study, a clearance waste safety evaluation was conducted using the RESRAD-RECYCLE code, which is a safety evaluation code, based on the activation evaluation results for the clearance level wastes. The clearance scenario for the target radioactive waste was selected and the maximum individual and collective exposure doses at the time of clearance were calculated to determine whether the clearance criteria limit prescribed by the Nuclear Safety Act was satisfied. The evaluation results indicated that the doses were significantly low, and the clearance criteria were satisfied. Based on the safety assessment results, an appropriate metal recycle and disposal method were suggested for clearance, which are the subject of the deregulation of internal structures of nuclear power plant.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1997.07e
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• pp.1660-1662
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• 1997

High temperature arc plasma technologies are recently being developed in Europe, Japan and United States as one or the treatment schemes of municipal wastes, industrial wastes and vitrification of low level radioactive wastes. An experimental plasma melting furnace, a transferred type plasma torch and 100kW class power supply have been made. Operation of this system and some basic experimental results for solid wastes treatment are reported.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.135-148
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• 2005

In the stage of conceptual design for the construction and operation of the geologic repository for radioactive wastes, it is important to consider a repository ventilation system which serves the repository working environment, hygiene & safety of the public at large, and will allow safe maintenance like moisture content elimination in repository for the duration of the repositories life, construction/operation/closure, also allowing safe waste transportation and emplacement. This paper describes the possible ventilation system design criteria and requirements for the prospective Korean radioactive waste repositories with emphasis on the underground rock cavity disposal method in the both cases of low & medium-level and high-level wastes. It was found that the most important concept is separate ventilation systems for the construction (development) and waste emplacement (storage) activities. In addition, ventilation network system modeling, natural ventilation, ventilation monitoring systems & real time ventilation simulation, and fire simulation & emergency system in the repository are briefly discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.163-170
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• 2005

가압경수로형 사용후핵연료 처분용기에 대한 개념설계 및 안전성분석이 완료되어 이를 상용화하기 위한 단계로서 처분용기의 국내 제작성을 분석하였다. 용기의 내부구조물 제작성 확인을 위하여 실규모 용기의 직경 1/2, 길이 1/5인 소규모 용기를 설계하였다. 직경에 비해 길이가 크게 줄어 주조시 예상되는 사용후핵연료 바스켓의 변형을 관찰하기에는 적합하지 알았으나 이에 대한 문제는 향후 용기 규또를 확대하며 해결하여야 할 것으로 판단되었다. 용기의 제작 공정에 대해 검토하고 절차를 수립하였다 처분용기 내부구조물은 주조를 통해 제작할 계획이며. 이를 위한 주형틀 개념을 제시하였다. 개념설계 된 소규모 용기에 대해 구조 해석을 수행하고, 구조 해석 견과로부터 시험용기의 강도 시험을 위한 시편 채취 위치를 선정하였다. 용기 제조 후 시험 방안을 수립하였다.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.171-188
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• 2012

A GoldSim template program for a safety assessment of a hybrid-typed repository system, called "A-KRS," in which two kinds of pyro-processed radioactive wastes, low-level metal wastes and ceramic high-level wastes that arise from the pyro-processing of PWR nuclear spent fuels are disposed of, has been developed. This program is ready both for a deterministic and probabilistic total system performance assessment which is able to evaluate nuclide release from the repository and farther transport into the geosphere and biosphere under various normal, disruptive natural and manmade events, and scenarios. The A-KRS has been deterministically assessed with 5 various normal and abnormal scenarios associated with nuclide release and transport in and around the repository. Dose exposure rates to the farming exposure group have been evaluated in accordance with all the scenarios and then compared among other.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.263-272
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• 2012

A GoldSim template program for a safety assessment of a hybrid-typed repository system, called A-KRS, in which two kinds of pyro-processed radioactive wastes, low-level metal wastes and ceramic high-level wastes that arise from the pyro-processing of PWR nuclear spent fuels are disposed of, has been developed. This program is ready both for a deterministic and probabilistic total system performance assessment which is able to evaluate nuclide release from the repository and farther transport into the geosphere and biosphere under various normal, disruptive natural and manmade events, and scenarios. The A-KRS has been probabilistically assessed with 9 selected input parameters, each of which has its own statistical distribution for a normal release and transport scenario associated with nuclide release and transport in and around the repository. Probabilistic dose exposure rates to the farming exposure group have been evaluated. A sensitivity of 9 selected parameters to the result has also been investigated to see which parameter is more sensitive and important to the exposure rates.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 2013

Two different kinds of nuclear power plants produce a substantial amount of spent fuel annually in Korea. According to the current projection, it is expected that around 60,000 MtU of spent fuel will be produced from 36 PWR and APR reactors and 4 CANDU reactors by the end of 2089. In 2006, KAERI proposed a conceptual design of a geological disposal system (called KRS, Korean Reference disposal System for spent fuel) for PWR and CANDU spent fuel, as a product of a 4-year research project from 2003 to 2006. The major result of the research was that it was feasible to construct a direct disposal system for 20,000 MtU of PWR spent fuels and 16,000 MtU of CANDU spent fuel in the Korean peninsula. Recently, KAERI and MEST launched a project to develop an advanced fuel cycle based on the pyroprocessing of PWR spent fuel to reduce the amount of HLW and reuse the valuable fissile material in PWR spent fuel. Thus, KAERI has developed a geological disposal system for high-level waste from the pyroprocessing of PWR spent fuel since 2007. However, since no decision was made for the CANDU spent fuel, KAERI improved the disposal density of KRS by introducing several improved concepts for the disposal canister. In this paper, the geological disposal systems developed so far are briefly outlined. The amount and characteristics of spent fuel and HLW, 4 kinds of disposal canisters, the characteristics of a buffer with domestic Ca-bentonite, and the results of a thermal design of deposition holes and disposal tunnels are described. The different disposal systems are compared in terms of their disposal density.