• 제목/요약/키워드: nuclear waste disposal

검색결과 548건 처리시간 0.031초

Applicability of abrasive waterjet cutting to irradiated graphite decommissioning

  • Francesco Perotti ;Eros Mossini ;Elena Macerata;Massimiliano Annoni ;Michele Monno
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • 제55권7호
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    • pp.2356-2365
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    • 2023
  • Characterization, dismantling and pre-disposal management of irradiated graphite (i-graphite) have an important role in safe decommissioning of several nuclear facilities which used this material as moderator and reflector. In addition to common radiation protection issues, easily volatizing long-lived radionuclides and stored Wigner energy could be released during imprudent retrieval and processing of i-graphite. With this regard, among all cutting technologies, abrasive waterjet (AWJ) can successfully achieve all of the thermo-mechanical and radiation protection objectives. In this work, factorial experiments were designed and systematically conducted to characterize the AWJ processing parameters and the machining capability. Moreover, the limitation of dust production and secondary waste generation has been addressed since they are important aspects for radiation protection and radioactive waste management. The promising results obtained on non-irradiated nuclear graphite blocks demonstrate the applicability of AWJ as a valid technology for optimizing the retrieval, storage, and disposal of such radioactive waste. These activities would benefit from the points of view of safety, management, and costs.

Physicochemical Property of Borosilicate Glass for Rare Earth Waste From the PyroGreen Process

  • Young Hwan Hwang;Mi-Hyun Lee;Cheon-Woo Kim
    • 방사성폐기물학회지
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    • 제21권2호
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    • pp.271-281
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    • 2023
  • A study was conducted on the vitrification of the rare earth oxide waste generated from the PyroGreen process. The target rare earth waste consisted of eight elements: Nd, Ce, La, Pr, Sm, Y, Gd, and Eu. The waste loading of the rare earth waste in the developed borosilicate glass system was 20wt%. The fabricated glass, processed at 1,200℃, exhibited uniform and homogeneous surface without any crystallization and precipitation. The viscosity and electrical conductivity of the melted glass at 1,200℃ were 7.2 poise and 1.1 S·cm-1, respectively, that were suitable for the operation of the vitrification facility. The calculated leaching index of Cs, Co, and Sr were 10.4, 10.6, and 9.8, respectively. The evaluated Product Consistency Test (PCT) normalized release of the glass indicated that the glass satisfied the requirements for the disposal acceptance criteria. Furthermore, the pristine, 90 days water immersed, 30 thermal cycled, and 10 MGy gamma ray irradiated glasses exhibited good compressive strength. The results indicated that the fabricated glass containing rare earth waste from the PyroGreen process was acceptable for the disposal in the repository, in terms of chemical durability and mechanical strength.

Scoping Calculations on Criticality and Shielding of the Improved KAERI Reference Disposal System for SNFs (KRS+)

  • Kim, In-Young;Cho, Dong-Keun;Lee, Jongyoul;Choi, Heui-Joo
    • 방사성폐기물학회지
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    • 제18권spc호
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    • pp.37-50
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    • 2020
  • In this paper, an overview of the scoping calculation results is provided with respect to criticality and radiation shielding of two KBS-3V type PWR SNF disposal systems and one NWMO-type CANDU SNF disposal system of the improved KAERI reference disposal system for SNFs (KRS+). The results confirmed that the calculated effective multiplication factors (keff) of each disposal system comply with the design criteria (< 0.95). Based on a sensitivity study, the bounding conditions for criticality assumed a flooded container, actinide-only fuel composition, and a decay time of tens of thousands of years. The necessity of mixed loading for some PWR SNFs with high enrichment and low discharge burnup was identified from the evaluated preliminary possible loading area. Furthermore, the absorbed dose rate in the bentonite region was confirmed to be considerably lower than the design criterion (< 1 Gy·hr-1). Entire PWR SNFs with various enrichment and discharge burnup can be deposited in the KRS+ system without any shielding issues. The container thickness applied to the current KRS+ design was clarified as sufficient considering the minimum thickness of the container to satisfy the shielding criterion. In conclusion, the current KRS+ design is suitable in terms of nuclear criticality and radiation shielding.

Transport Risk Assessment for On-Road/Sea Transport of Decommissioning Waste of Kori Unit 1

  • Woo Yong Kim;Hyun Woo Song;Jisoo Yoon;Moon Oh Kim
    • 방사성폐기물학회지
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    • 제21권2호
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    • pp.255-269
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    • 2023
  • Compared to operational wastes, nuclear power plant (NPP) decommissioning wastes are generated in larger quantities within a short time and include diverse types with a wider range of radiation characteristics. Currently used 200 L drums and IP-2 type transport containers are inefficient and restrictive in packaging and transporting decommissioning wastes. Therefore, new packaging and transport containers with greater size, loading weight, and shielding performance have been developed. When transporting radioactive materials, radiological safety should be assessed by reflecting parameters such as the type and quantity of the package, transport route, and transport environment. Thus far, safety evaluations of radioactive waste transport have mainly targeted operational wastes, that have less radioactivity and a smaller amount per transport than decommissioning wastes. Therefore, in this study, the possible radiation effects during the transport from NPP to disposal facilities were evaluated to reflect the characteristics of the newly developed containers and decommissioning wastes. According to the evaluation results, the exposure dose to transport workers, handling workers, and the public was lower than the domestic regulatory limit. In addition, all exposure dose results were confirmed, through sensitivity analysis, to satisfy the evaluation criteria even under circumstances when radioactive materials were released 100% from the container.

Illustration of Nagra's AMAC approach to Kori-1 NPP decommissioning based on experience from its detailed application to Swiss NPPs

  • Volmert, Ben;Bykov, Valentyn;Petrovic, Dorde;Kickhofel, John;Amosova, Natalia;Kim, Jong Hyun;Cho, Cheon Whee
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • 제53권5호
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    • pp.1491-1510
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    • 2021
  • This work presents an illustration of Nagra's AMAC (Advanced Methodology for Activation Characterization) approach to the South Korean pressurized water reactor Kori-1 decommissioning. The results achieved are supported by the existing experience from the detailed AMAC applications to Swiss NPPs and are used not only for a demonstration of the applicability of AMAC to South Korean NPPs, but also for a first approximation of the activated waste volumes to be expected from Kori-1. A packaging concept based on the above activation characterization is also presented, using the AMAC algorithmic optimization software ALGOPACK leading to the minimum number of waste containers needed given the selected packaging constraints. Nagra's AMAC enables effective planning before and during NPP decommissioning, including recommendations for cutting profiles for diverse reactor components and building structures. Finally, it is expected to lead to significant cost savings by reducing the number of expensive waste containers, by optimizing a potential melting strategy for metallic waste as well as by significantly limiting the number of radiological measurements. All information about Kori-1 used for the purpose of this study was collected from publicly available sources.

방사성폐기물 고화체의 인수기준 및 평가기술 ( I ) (Acceptance Criteria and Evaluation Techniques for Radioactive Waste Forms ( I ))

  • 김정국;김준형;박헌휘
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • 제23권1호
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    • pp.81-94
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    • 1991
  • 방사성폐기물의 육지처분을 위한 인수기준을 개발하기 위하여 방사성폐기물의 처분관점의 분류법, 폐기물 발생에서 처분에 이르는 관리기간 동안 고려해야 할 기본요건 및 기준을 고찰하였다. 이로부터 방사성폐기물 고화체(또는 포장물)를 평가, 시험할 수 있는 표준시험방법을 보였다.

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