• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2017

To evaluate radiological impact from the operation of a low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility, a logical presentation and explanation of expected accidental scenarios is essential to the stakeholders of the disposal facility. The logical assessment platform and procedure, including analysis of the safety function of disposal components, operational hazard analysis, operational risk analysis, and preparedness of remedial measures for operational safety, are improved in this study. In the operational risk analysis, both design measures and management measures are suggested to make it possible to connect among design, operation, and safety assessment within the same assessment platform. For the preparedness of logical assessment procedure, classification logic of an operational accident is suggested based on the probability of occurrence and consequences of assessment results. The improved assessment platform and procedure are applied to an operational accident analysis of the Korean low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility and partly presented in this paper.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.275-284
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• 2006

In the measurement of gamma rays emitted from the nuclide in the radioactive waste drum, to analyze the nuclide concentration accurately, it is necessary to use the proper calibration standards and to correct for the attenuation of the gamma rays. Two drums having a different density were used to analyze the nuclide concentration inside the drum in this study. After carrying out the system calibration, we measured the gamma rays emitted from the standard source inside the model drum with changing the distance between the drum and the detector. The measured values were corrected with the three kinds of gamma attenuation correction methode, as a results, the error was less than 10 % in the low density drum and less than 25 % in the high density drum. The measured activity in the short distance was more accruable than in the long distance. The transmission correction for the mass attenuation showed good results(very Low error) compared to the mean density and the differential peak correction method.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2006

In this study, an experimental study on the sorption properties of uranium(VI) onto a bentonite colloid generated from Gyeongju bentonite which is a potential buffer material in a high-level radioactive waste repository was performed as a function of the pH and the ionic strength. The bentonite colloid prepared by separating a colloidal fraction was mainly composed of montmorillonite. The concentration and the size fraction of the prepared bentonite colloid measured using a gravitational filtration method was about 5100 ppm and 200-450 nm in diameter, respectively. The amount of uranium removed by the sorption reaction bottle walls, by precipitation, and by ultrafiltration was analyzed by carrying out some blank tests. The removed amount of uranium was found not to be significant except the case of ultrafiltration at 0.001 M $NaClO_4$. The ultrafiltration was significant in the lower ionic strength of 0.001 M $NaClO_4$ due to the cationic sorption onto the ultrafilter by a surface charge reversion. The distribution coefficient $K_d$ (or pseudo-colloid formation constant) of uranium(VI) for the bentonite colloid was about $10^4{\sim}10^7mL/g$ depending upon pH and ionic strength of $NaClO_4$ and the $K_d$ was highest in the neutral pH around 6.5. It is noted that the sorption of uranium(VI) onto the bentonite colloid is closely related with aqueous species of uranium depending upon geochemical parameters such as pH, ionic strength, and carbonate concentration. As a consequence, the bentonite colloids generated from a bentonite buffer can mobilize the uranium(VI) as a colloidal form through geological media due to their high sorption capacity.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2006

The structural and contamination characteristics of hot cells at KAERI were investigated. The SEM results showed that the size of the hot particulate on the inner surface of the hot cell ranged from 0.2 to $10{\mu}m$. It was found that an inlet flow rate of 15 m/sec was suitable for this developed cyclone with a 49 mm optimum vortex finder length. The results showed that the collection efficiency was about 85% for $3{\mu}m$ particles. The collection efficiency didn't show a sharp increase when the inlet flow rate was faster than 15m/sec. When the temperature of the inlet flow gas was increased, the collection efficiency of the cyclone was slightly decreased. The larger the vortex finder length was, the higher the pressure drop in the cyclone was. The cut size diameter decreased with an increment of the Reynolds number. It was established that the flow in the cyclone was a turbulent flow on the basis of the Reynolds number and this turbulent flow caused a pressure drop in the cyclone. $Stk^{1/2}_{50}$ decreased with increasing values of the Reynolds number and it gradually approached a constant value at a higher value of the Reynolds number Namely, $Stk^{1/2}_{50}$ approached approximately 0.045 between 6000 and 8000 of the Reynolds number.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2004

Neutron induced prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy(NIPS) system measures the prompt gamma-ray emitting by the interaction of a neutron with various materials. This system will be of great benefit to scientists worldwide, since it provides the non-destructive measurement of many element in either solid or liquid wastes. In this study, the full-energy-peak (FEP) efficiency calibration for a HPGe detector was constructed in the ${\gamma}$-ray energy range from 80 keV to 8 MeV, using $^{l33}$Ba and >TEX>$^{152}Eu$ RI sources and $ ^{35}Cl(n, ${\gamma}$)^{36}Cl$ thermal neutron captured reaction. The FEP efficiency curve for the higher energies using the $^{35}Cl(n, ${\gamma}$)^{36}Cl$ reaction was normalized with the curve obtained from the RI sources, since the accurate activity of its prompt ${\gamma}$-ray is unknown. The average thermal neutron flux was theoretically calculated using the FEP efficiency curve for the KCl standard solutions. The NIPS system equipped with a ${\gamma}$-${\gamma}$ coincidence setup with two n-type coaxial HPGe detectors was considered in order to reduce the interfering ${\gamma}$-ray background. The FEP efficiency curve for the ${\gamma}$-${\gamma}$ coincidence system was also obtained for full energy range. The performance of the normal and coincidence NIPS system was tested by comparing signal-to-noise ratio in each mode using the reference sample.e.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2009

An analytical method of $^{99}Tc$ concentration in soil was set up and discussed considering the $^{99}Tc$ concentration in Korean soil measured with its analytical method. A selective TEVA resin was used to separate and purify the $^{99}Tc$ in the soil sample. $^{99m}Tc$ from a commercial $^{99}Mo/^{99m}Tc$ generator was used as a yield tracer for the chemical separation of $^{99}Tc$ and its problem when using $^{99m}Tc$ as a tracer was discussed. The chemical recovery yield of $^{99}Tc$ was above 70%. The optimum conditions of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry system(ICP-MS) were set up to determine the $^{99}Tc$ after the separation process. The minimum detectable activity(MDA) was 15 mBq/kg-dry in this analytical procedure. The $^{99}Tc$ concentration in soils of Jeju and Kori were measured in the rage of 33.73-89.16 mBq/kg-dry. Those values were less than those reported in other countries and seemed to be originated from atmospheric fallout.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2009

The METRO-K is a model for a radiological dose assessment due to a radioactive contamination in the Korean urban environment. The model has been taken part in the Urban Remediation Working Group within the IAEA's (International Atomic Energy Agency) EMRAS (${\mathbf{\underline{E}}}nvironmental$ ${\mathbf{\underline{M}}}odeling$ for ${\mathbf{\underline{RA}}}diation$ ${\mathbf{\underline{S}}}afety$) program. The Working Croup designed for the intercomparison of radioactive contamination to be resulted from the explosion of a radiological dispersal device in a hypothetical city. This paper dealt intensively with a part among a lot of predictive results which had been performed in the EMRAS program. The predictive results of three different models (METRO-K, RESRAD-RDD, CPHR) were submitted to the Working Group. The gap of predictive results was due to the difference of mathemathical modeling approaches, parameter values, understanding of assessors. Even if final results (for example, dose rates from contamintaed surfaces which might affect to a receptor) are similar, the understanding on the contribution of contaminated surfaces showed a great difference. Judging from the authors, it is due to the lack of understanding and information on radioactive terrors as well as the social and cultural gaps which assessors have been experienced. Therefore, it can be known that the experience of assessors and their subjective judgements might be important factors to get reliable results. If the acquisition of a little additional information is possible, it was identified that the METRO-K might be a useful tool for decision support against contamination resulting from radioactive terrors by improving the existing model.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2009

Recently the importance and interest for the microbes has been increased because several important results for the effects of microbes on the radioactive waste disposal have been published continuously. In this study, research status and major results on the various roles and effects of microbes in the radioactive waste disposal have been investigated. We investigated and summarized the roles and major results of microbes in a multi-barrier system consisting of an engineered barrier and a natural barrier which is considered in radioactive waste disposal systems. For the engineered barrier, we discussed about the effects of microbes on the corrosion of a waste container and investigated the survival possibility and roles of microbes in a compacted bentonite buffer. For the natural barrier, the roles of microbes present in groundwaters and rocks were discussed and summarized with major results from natural analogue studies. Furthermore, we investigated and summarized the roles and various interactions processes of microbes and their effects on the radionuclide migration and retardation including recent research status. Therefore, it is expected that the effects and roles of microbes on the radioactive waste disposal can be rigorously evaluated if further researches are carried out for a long-term behavior of the disposal system in the deep geological environments and for the effects of microbes on the radionuclide migration through geological media.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.73-86
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• 2015

The use of complimentary indicators, other than radiation dose and risk, to assess the safety of radioactive waste disposal has been discussed in a number of publications for providing the reasonable assurance of disposal safety and convincing the public audience. In this study, the radionuclide flux was selected as performance indicator to appraise the performance of engineered barriers and natural barrier in the Wolsong low- and intermediate-level waste disposal facility. Radionuclide flux showing the retention capability by each compartment of the disposal system is independent of assumptions in biosphere model and exposure pathways. The scenario considered as the normal scenario of disposal facility has been divided into intact or degraded silo concrete conditions. In the intact silo concrete, the radionuclide flux has been assessed with respect to the radionuclide retardation performance of each engineered barrier. In the degraded silo concrete, the radionuclide flux has been explored based on the performance degradation of engineered barriers and the relative significance of natural barrier quantitatively. The results can be used to optimally design the near-surface disposal facility being planned as the second project phase. In the future, additional complimentary indicators will be employed for strengthening the safety case for improving the public acceptance of low- and intermediate-level waste disposal facility.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

In the safety assessment of the geological disposal system of the radioactive wastes, the abnormal scenarios, in which the system is impacted by the abnormal events, need to be considered in addition to the reference scenario. In this study, characterization and prediction of well intrusion as one of the abnormal events which will impact the disposal system were conducted probabilistically and statistically for the safety assessment. The domestic well development data were analyzed, and the prediction methodologies of the well intrusion were suggested with a computation example. From the results, the annual well development rate per unit area in Korea was about 0.8 well/yr/km² in the conservative point of view. Considering the area of the overall disposal system which is about 1.5 km², the annual well development rate within the disposal system could be 1.2 well/yr. That is, it could be expected that more than one well would be installed within the disposal system every year after the institutional management period. From the statistical analysis, the probabilistic distribution of the well depth followed the log-normal distribution with 3.0363 m of mean value and 1.1467 m of standard deviation. This study will be followed by the study about the impacts of the well intrusion on the geological disposal system, and the both studies will contribute to the increased reliability of safety assessment.