• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.239-255
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• 2007

An underground research tunnel is essential to validate the integrity of a high-level waste disposal system, and the safety of geological disposal. In this study, KAERI underground research tunnel(KURT) was constructed in the site of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI). The results of the site investigation and the design of underground tunnel were presented. The procedure for the construction permits and the construction of KURT were described briefly. The in-situ experiments being carried out at KURT were also introduced.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.505-534
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• 2006

Ensuring sufficient supplies of clean, economic and acceptable energy is a critical global challenge for the 21st century. There seems little alternative to a greatly expanded role for nuclear power, but implementation of this option will depend on ensuring that all resulting wastes can be disposed of safely. Although there is a consensus on the fundamental feasibility of such disposal by experts in the field, concepts have to be developed to make them more practical to implement and, in particular, more acceptable to key stakeholders. By considering global trends and using illustrative examples from Japan, key areas for future R&D are identified and potential areas where the synergies of international collaboration would be beneficial are highlighted.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2022

Nuclear power plant decommissioning generates significant concrete waste, which is slightly contaminated, and expected to be classified as clearance concrete waste. Clearance concrete waste is generally crushed into rubble at the site or a satellite treatment facility for practical disposal purposes. During the process, workers are exposed to radiation from the nuclides in concrete waste. The treatment processes consist of concrete cutting/crushing, transportation, and loading/unloading. Workers' radiation exposure during the process was systematically studied. A shielding package comprising a cylindrical and hexahedron structure was considered to reduce workers' radiation exposure, and improved the treatment process's efficiency. The shielding package's effect on workers' radiation exposure during the cutting and crushing process was also studied. The calculated annual radiation exposure of concrete treatment workers was below 1 mSv, which is the annual radiation exposure limit for members of the public. It was also found that workers involved in cutting and crushing were exposed the most.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 2017

A deep geological disposal at a depth of 500 m in stable host rock is considered to be the safest method with current technologies for disposal of spent fuels classified as high-level radioactive waste. The most important requirement is that the temperature of the bentonite buffer, which is a component of the engineered barrier, should not exceed $100^{\circ}C$. In Korea, the amount of spent fuel generated by nuclear power generation, which accounts for about 30% of the total electricity, is continuously increasing and accumulating. Accordingly, the area required to dispose of it is also increasing. In this study, various duplex disposal concepts were derived for the purpose of improving the disposal efficiency by reducing the disposal area. Based on these concepts, thermal analyses were carried out to confirm whether the critical disposal system requirements were met, and the thermal stability of the disposal system was evaluated by analyzing the results. The results showed that upward 75 m or downward 75 m apart from the reference disposal system location of 500 m depth would qualify for the double layered disposal concept. The results of this study can be applied to the establishment of spent fuel management policy and the design of practical commercial disposal system. Detailed analyses with data of a real disposal site are necessary.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.221-230
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• 2005

To support the design concept and performance evaluation of the cover system for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste(LILW) disposal facility, the pioneering study is conducted with the tomb of historical age. Research status of the art are followed and the characteristics of tomb cover are summarized based on the preservation of historical remains. Visiting the excavation site of historical tomb and communication with Korean archeological society is required for the further understanding and for the extension of radioactive waste disposal research.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.385-410
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• 2016

The disposal facility in Gyeongju is planning to dispose of 800,000 packages of low- and intermediate- level radioactive waste. This facility will be developed as a complex disposal facility that has various types of disposal facilities and accompanying management. In this study, based on the comprehensive development plan of the disposal facility, a preliminary post-closure safety assessment is performed to predict the phase development of the total capacity for the 800,000 packages to be disposed of at the site. The results for each scenario meet the performance target of the disposal facility. The assessment revealed that there is a significant impact of the inventory of intermediate-level radionuclide waste on the safety evaluation. Due to this finding, we introduce a disposal limit value for intermediate-level radioactive waste. With stepwise development of safety case, this development plan will increase the safety of disposal facilities by reducing uncertainties within the future development of the underground silo disposal facilities.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.349-358
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• 2005

In this study, analysis of the disposal tunnel spacing and disposal pit pitch was carried out, as a factor of the design to estimate the scale and layout of the repository. To do this, based on the reference repository concept and the engineered barrier concept, several cross sections of the disposal tunnel and disposal pit were established. After then, the mechanical and thermal stabilities of the established tunnels were analyzed. Also, an optimized disposal tunnel spacing and the disposal pit pitch reducing the excavation volume was proposed. The results of these analyses can be used in the deep geological repository design. The detailed analyses by the exact site characteristics data to reduce the uncertainty of the site and the modification for the optimization are required.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.136-148
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• 2020

Nuclear power plants have been operated in Korea since 1978, thus the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) produced from the plants has been accumulated accordingly. Hence, it is urgent to secure a final repository for HLW disposal, however, siting process should be preceded, which usually takes long time, as it requires broad and precise investigation. The investigation is generally carried out in stages, which consists of multidisciplinary approaches. In this study, the case studies mainly pertaining to rock mechanics were conducted. Rock mechanical aspects required in each stage and their applications were investigated and corresponding R&D researches were presented as well. At the same time, current research status in Korea was presented, followed by a brief future research plan with regard to the site investigation. The future research aims to produce fundamental information for siting process, and the compiled cases in this study will be utilized as references in the research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.947-955
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the awareness of spent nuclear fuel among residents in nuclear power plant areas and use it as basic data for establishing a disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. 204 questionnaires collected online were analyzed using SPSS Window Ver 28.0. To verify differences between groups, t-test and one-way ANOVA were performed. And correlation analysis was conducted to confirm the relationship between variables. As a result, first, risk perception regarding nuclear-related accidents showed statistically significant differences depending on gender and educational level. The position on the construction of a permanent disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel showed a statistically significant difference depending on gender, education, and age, and the perception of the importance of each evaluation standard for establishing a spent nuclear fuel management plan showed a statistically significant difference depending on education and age. In terms of trust in information-providing institutions, trust in the National Assembly was found to be the lowest. Second, the results of the correlation analysis between variables showed that local residents are aware that an alternative to the current disposal of spent nuclear fuel is needed, and that financial support for the construction of a permanent disposal facility is needed. Therefore, in order to build a high-level radioactive waste disposal site, it is believed that it is necessary to increase trust in the government, collect opinions from local residents, and provide economic support.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.199-207
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• 2004

In order to develop a safe geological disposal concept for the HLW from the nuclear power plants in Korea, it is necessary to evaluate the safety of the disposal concept in an underground research tunnel in the same geological formation as the host rock mass. The design concept of a research tunnel depends on the actual disposal concept, repository geometry, experiments to be carried at the tunnel, and geological conditions. In this study, geological investigation had been carried out to develop the basic design of the small scale underground disposal research tunnel in KAERI.