• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.239-256
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• 2017

In the process of site selection for a radioactive waste disposal, site characterization must be carried out to obtain input parameters to assess the safety and feasibility of deep geological repository. In this paper, methodologies of site characterization for radioactive waste disposal in Korea were suggested based on foreign cases of site characterization. The IAEA recommends that site characterization for radioactive waste disposal should be performed through stepwise processes, in which the site characterization period is divided into preliminary and detailed stages, in sequence. This methodology was followed by several foreign countries for their geological disposal programs. General properties related to geological environments were obtained at the preliminary site characterization stage; more detailed site characteristics were investigated during the detailed site characterization stage. The results of investigation of geology, hydro-geology, geochemistry, rock mechanics, solute transport and thermal properties at a site have to be combined and constructed in the form of a site descriptive model. Based on this site descriptive model, the site characteristics can be evaluated to assess suitability of site for radioactive waste disposal. According to foreign site characterization cases, 7 or 8 years are expected to be needed for site characterization; however, the time required may increase if the no proper national strategy is provided.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.680-699
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• 2010

In this paper, we attempted to analysis and track dynamic properties of the interdisciplinary relationship between scientific research areas in energy field using bibliometric analysis. We created network maps with SCs (subject categories) defined from $WoS^{\circledR}$ (Web of Science, Thomson Scientific ISI, Philadelphia, USA) using co-occurrence analysis method in order to identify overall disciplines directly linked with energy fields and investigate the change of interaction between SCs as a function of time. From the results of this study, thermodynamics, fuels, chemistry/chemical engineering, and electrochemistry have differentiated into more specific disciplines while the strength of interaction with energy field gradually has increased. Meanwhile, "nuclear physics" was developed to "nuclear science & technology" toward applicable target sector and also the interaction of "environmental science" with "energy generation area" among various energy disciplines recently showed the radical increase as compared with the values of 4 years ago. Finally, through combinative reviews of today's energy policy established by South Korea government, this study will give a help for keeping up with national energy agenda meeting the diverse characteristics of academic disciplines of energy field. In addition, our results support that the use of such network analysis based on bibliometric analysis to discern shifts in academic R&D strategies and target sectors.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.253-257
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• 2013

Geology, hydrogeology, and geochemistry are the main technical siting factors of a geological repository for spent nuclear fuels. This paper evaluated the siting criteria of overseas geological repository with related to hydrogeologic properties, such as hydraulic conductivity, partitioning coefficient, dispersion coefficient, boundary condition, and water age. Each country establishes the siting criteria based on its important geological backgrounds and information, and social environment. For example, Sweden and Finland that have decided a crystalline rock as a host rock of a geological repository show different siting criteria for hydraulic conductivity. In Sweden, it is preferable to avoid area where the hydraulic conductivity on a deposition hole scale (~30m) exceeds $10^{-8}m/s$, whereas Finland does not decide any criterion for the hydraulic conductivity because of limited data for it. In addition, partitioning coefficients should be less than 10-1 of average value in Swedish crystalline bedrock. However, the area where shows 100 times less than average partitioning coefficients of radionuclides in crystalline rock should be avoided in Sweden. In German, the partitioning coefficients for the majority of the long-term-relevant radionuclides should be greater than or equal to $0.001m^3/kg$. Therefore, it is strongly required to collect much and exact information for the hydrogeologic properties in order to set up the siting criteria.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.652-656
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• 2018

In this study, effects of the reaction pressure were studied for petroleum-based pitch synthesis. A two-stage reaction process was performed based on different reaction pressure conditions. Each stage experiments for the two-stage reaction were consecutively carried out. The first stage was consisted of three different pressure conditions; high (10 bar), normal and low (0.1 bar). And the second stage was carried out at the normal and low (0.1 bar) pressure. The pitch synthesis was realized at $400^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. Thermal properties and molecular weight distributions of each samples were investigated by analyzing the softening point and MALDI-TOF data. Volatilized components during the pith synthesis were measured by GC-SIMDIS. In case of the first-step reaction with the high pressure condition, the low molecular weight component participated to the pitch formation more effectively and the pitch with the low softening point was obtained. However, for the case of the first-step with the low pressure, the low molecular weight component was vent outside and the partial coke formation occurred. Eventually, pitch properties such as the softening point and yield were controlled effectively by changing the pressure in the pitch synthesis reaction.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2019

In this study, the relationships between the material properties of the wall and the fuel mass flux in compartment fire. The fire resistant board (fire-board) and steel plate compartments are constructed with a 0.3 m width, 0.5 m height and 3.0 m length. To obtain the mass loss rate considering the location of the fire origin in compartment, experiments of a heptane pool fire are performed with a combustion area of $0.01m^2$ and $0.0225m^2$. The results show that the initial mass flux of heptane, $0.0087kg/m^2{\cdot}s$, is increased to $0.166kg/m^2{\cdot}s$ for fire board and $0.019kg/m^2{\cdot}s$ for steel plate. It means that the fire-scenario should be considered with the thermal characteristics of the material properties and geometric shapes of the compartment to predict fire propagation accurately in a compartment space.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.1A
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• pp.75-84
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• 2009

The present study assesses the chloride threshold level for corrosion of steel in concrete by examining the properties of four different binders used for blended concrete in terms of chloride binding, buffering of cement matrix to a pH fall and the corrosion behaviour. As binders, ordinary Portland cement (OPC), 30% pulverised fuel ash (PFA), 60% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and 10% silica fume (SF) were used in a concrete mix. Testing for chloride binding was carried out using the water extraction method, the buffering of cement matrix was assessed by measuring the resistance to an artificial acidification of nitric acid, and the corrosion rate of steel in mortar with chlorides in cast was measured at 28 days using an anodic polarisation technique. Results show that the chloride binding capacity was much affected by $C_{3}A$ content and physical adsorption, and its order was 60% GGBS>30% PFA>OPC>10% SF. The buffering of cement matrix to a pH fall was varied with binder type and given values of the pH. From the result of corrosion test, it was found that the chloride threshold ranged 1.03, 0.65, 0.45 and 0.98% by weight of cement for OPC, 30% PFA, 60% GGBS and 10% SF respectively, assuming that corrosion starts at the corrosion rate of $0.1-0.2{\mu}A/cm^{2}$. The mole ratio of [$Cl^{-}$]:[$H^{+}$], as a new presentation of the chloride threshold, indicated the value of 0.008-0.009, irrespective of binder, which would be indicative of the inhibitive characteristic of binder.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.603-618
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• 2023

This study focused on evaluating the suitability of the WRK (waste repository Korea) bentonite as a buffer material in the SNF (spent nuclear fuel) repository. The U (uranium) adsorption/desorption characteristics and the adsorption mechanisms of the WRK bentonite were presented through various analyses, adsorption/desorption experiments, and kinetic adsorption modeling at various pH conditions. Mineralogical and structural analyses supported that the major mineral of the WRK bentonite is the Ca-montmorillonite having the great possibility for the U adsorption. From results of the U adsorption/desorption experiments (intial U concentration: 1 mg/L) for the WRK bentonite, despite the low ratio of the WRK bentonite/U (2 g/L), high U adsorption efficiency (>74%) and low U desorption rate (<14%) were acquired at pH 5, 6, 10, and 11 in solution, supporting that the WRK bentonite can be used as the buffer material preventing the U migration in the SNF repository. Relatively low U adsorption efficiency (<45%) for the WRK bentonite was acquired at pH 3 and 7 because the U exists as various species in solution depending on pH and thus its U adsorption mechanisms are different due to the U speciation. Based on experimental results and previous studies, the main U adsorption mechanisms of the WRK bentonite were understood in viewpoint of the chemical adsorption. At the acid conditions (＜pH 3), the U is apt to adsorb as forms of UO₂²⁺, mainly due to the ionic bond with Si-O or Al-O(OH) present on the WRK bentonite rather than the ion exchange with Ca²⁺ among layers of the WRK bentonite, showing the relatively low U adsorption efficiency. At the alkaline conditions (>pH 7), the U could be adsorbed in the form of anionic U-hydroxy complexes (UO₂(OH)₃^-, UO₂(OH)₄^2-, (UO₂)₃(OH)₇^-, etc.), mainly by bonding with oxygen (O^-) from Si-O or Al-O(OH) on the WRK bentonite or by co-precipitation in the form of hydroxide, showing the high U adsorption. At pH 7, the relatively low U adsorption efficiency (42%) was acquired in this study and it was due to the existence of the U-carbonates in solution, having relatively high solubility than other U species. The U adsorption efficiency of the WRK bentonite can be increased by maintaining a neutral or highly alkaline condition because of the formation of U-hydroxyl complexes rather than the uranyl ion (UO₂²⁺) in solution,and by restraining the formation of U-carbonate complexes in solution.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.554-564
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• 1996

Oxygen reduction in an alkaline fuel cell was studied by using perovskite of $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{1-x}Fe_xO_3$(x=0.00, 0.01, 0.10, 0.20, 0.35, and 0.50) as an oxygen electrode catalyst. The changes in the catalytic properties as a function of Fe content were investigated by XRD, TG, and TPR. XRD patterns gave different lattice parameters of the catalysts. TG study revealed that Fe was so stabilized in the perovskite structure as to be hardly reduced even up to $900^{\circ}C$, and the amount of oxygen which was eliminated at high temperature increased with the fraction of Fe because Fe induced the increase of Co-O binding energy. From TPR study, ${\alpha}$-(low temperature peak) and ${\beta}$-(high temperature peak)states were observed. The bond strength of the ${\beta}$-species which was associated strongly with Co of the perovskite increased proportionally with the fraction of Fe. The ${\alpha}$-species, reversible oxygen, was the active species in the oxygen reduction. The ${\alpha}$-peak temperature which reflected the binding energy between Co and ${\alpha}$-state oxygen moved to lower temperature with the increase of lattice parameter of the catalytst due to the increase of Fe content. The decrease in the binding energy increased the activity in the oxygen reduction, but the decrease of ${\alpha}$-species with the increase of Fe content decreased the activity. The increase in the surface area with Fe content had little effect on the activity.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1998

For the purpose of finding new cathode materials for medium-temperature $(700\~800^{\circ}C)$ solid oxide fuel cells, $Gd_{0.8}Ca_{0.2}Co_{1-x}Fe_xO_3,\;(x=0.0\~0.5)$ are prepared, and their thermal stability and conductivity characteristics are investigated. Also, the cathodic activities are measured after the cathode layer being attached on CGO (cerium-gadolinium oxide) electrolyte disk. The X-ray analyses indicate that the materials prepared by calcining the citrate-gels at $800^{\circ}C$ have the orthorhombic perovskite structure without discernible impurities. The thermal stability of the undoped Co perovskite is so poor that it is decomposed to the individual binary oxide even at $1300^{\circ}C$. But the partially Fe-doped cobaltates exhibit a better thermal stability to retain their structural integrity up to $1400^{\circ}C$. The observation whereby both the undoped and Fe-doped cobaltates melt at ca. $1300^{\circ}C$ leads us to perform the electrode adhesion at <$1300^{\circ}C$. The cathodic activity of $Gd_{0.8}Ca_{0.2}Co_{1-x}Fe_xO_3,\;(x=0.0\~0.5)$, electrodes is superior to $La_{0.9}Sr_{0.1}MnO_3$, among the samples of $x=0.0\~0.5$, the x=0.2 cathode shows the best activity for the oxygen reduction reaction. It is likely that the Fe-doping provides a better thermal stability to the materials but in turn imparts an inferior cathodic activity, such that the optimum trade-off is made at x=0.2 between the two factors. The total electrical conductivity and ion conductivity of $Gd_{0.8}Ca_{0.2}Co_{1-x}Fe_xO_3$, are measured to be 51 S/cm and $6.0\times10^{-4}S/cm\;at\;800^{\circ}C$, respectively. The conductivity values illustrate that the materials are a mixed conductor and the reaction sites can be expanded to the overall electrode surface, thereby providing a better cathodic activity than $La_{0.9}Sr_{0.1}MnO_3$.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.288-294
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• 2007

The LSCF cathode far Solid Oxide Fuel Cell was investigated to develop high performance unit cell at intermediate temperature by modified oxalate method with different electrolytes and different pH. The LSCF powders employed La, Sr, Co and Fe oxides, oxalic acid, ethanol and $NH_4OH$ solution were synthesized with pH controlled as 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 at $80^{\circ}C$ Single crystalline phase was obtained from pH $2{\sim}9$. on the other hand, $La_2O_3$ appeared from pH 10. Very fine powder with particle size of 50 nm was obtained at calcination temperature of $800^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours. LSCF cathode synthesized at pH 7 showed the highest electric conductivity in the temperature range of $600^{\circ}C$ to $900^{\circ}C$ its value was 950 S/cm at $900^{\circ}C$ Under same synthesis conditions, polarization resistance of each LSCF cathode was changed with different calcination temperatures. As-prepared powder presented 2.52, 1.54 and $2.58\;{\Omega}$ at $600^{\circ}C$ with ScSZ, 8Y-YSZ and GDC as its electrolyte respectively after calcination at $800^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours.