• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.143-152
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• 2005

There certainly exists the radioactive inventory that exceeds the waste acceptance criteria for final disposal of the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste. In this paper, current disposal status of the long-lived radioactive waste in several nations are summarized and the basic procedures for disposal approach are suggested. With this suggestion, intensive discussion and research activities can hopefully be launched to set down the possible resolutions to dispose of the long-lived radioactive waste.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1540-1554
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• 2023

To use nuclear energy sustainably, spent nuclear fuel, classified as high-level radioactive waste and inevitably discharged after electricity generation by nuclear power plants, must be managed safely and isolated from the human environment. In Korea, the land area is limited and the amount of high-level radioactive waste, including spent nuclear fuels to be disposed, is relatively large. Thus, it is particularly necessary to maximize disposal efficiency. In this study, a high-efficiency deep geological repository concept was developed to enhance disposal efficiency. To this end, design strategies and requirements for a high-efficiency deep geological repository system were established, and engineered barrier modules with a disposal canister for pressurized water reactor (PWR)-type and pressurized heavy water reactor type Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) plants were developed. Thermal and structural stability assessments were conducted for the repository system; it was confirmed that the system was suitable for the established strategies and requirements. In addition, the results of the nuclear safety assessment showed that the radiological safety of the new system met the Korean safety standards for disposal of high-level radioactive waste in terms of radiological dose. To evaluate disposal efficiency in terms of the disposal area, the layout of the developed disposal areas was assessed in terms of thermal limits. The estimated disposal areas were 2.51 km² and 1.82 km² (existing repository system: 4.57 km²) and the excavated host rock volumes were 2.7 Mm³ and 2.0 Mm³ (existing repository system: 4.5 Mm³) for thermal limits of 100 ℃ and 130 ℃, respectively. These results indicated that the area and the excavated volume of the new repository system were reduced by 40-60% compared to the existing repository system. In addition, methods to further improve the efficiency were derived for the disposal area for deep geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The results of this study are expected to be useful in establishing a national high-level radioactive waste management policy, and for the design of a commercial deep geological repository system for spent nuclear fuels.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.64-72
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• 2004

The dryer (ten per unit) are operating to remove tritium in PHWR(Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor). There are coming out heavy water adsorbent from operating the dryer (95 drums for ten year per unit) The amount of radioactivity of heavy water adsorbent almost exceed ninety times more than disposal limit-in-itself showed by The Ministry of Science and Technology. It has to be disposed whole radioactive waste products, however there are problems of increase at the expense of their permanent disposal. In this research, We have studied how to remove kinds of nuclear materials and amount of tritium with in heavy water adsorbent. As the result we could develop disposal equipment and apply it. D20 adsorbent have to contain below Gamma nuclide O.3Bq/g and tritium 100Bq/g "The Regulation for disposal of the radioactivity wastes" showed by The Ministry of Science and Technology. There fore. So as to remove amount of tritium and kinds of nuclear materials (DTO) we needed a equipment. Also we have studied how to remove effectively radioactivity with in Adsorbent. As cleaning heavy water adsorbent and drying on each condition (temperature for drying and hours for cleaning). Because there is something to return heavy water adsorbent by removing impurities within adsorbent when it is dried o high temperature. After operating, we have been applying this research to the way to dispose heavy water adsorbent. Through this we could reduce solid waste products and the expense of permanent disposal of radioactive waste products and also we could contribute nuclear power plant run safely. According to the result we could keep the best condition of radiation safety super vision and we could help people believe in safety with Radioactivity wastes control for harmony with Environment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.194-213
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• 1980

The paper describes and quantifies the wastes arising in the nuclear fuel cycle for Light Water Reactors, Heavy Water Reactors and Fast Breeder Reactors. The management and disposal technologies are indicated, together with their environmental impacts. Both once-through and uranium-plutonium recycle systems are evaluated, and comparisons are made on the basis of tingle reference technologies for waste management, and for one gigawatt/year of electricity generation. Environmental impacts are assessed, particularly that of health and safety, and a reference costing system is applied purely as a basis for comparing the fuel cycles. From this study it call be concluded generally that the relative differences of the impacts of waste management and disposal between the selected fuel cycles are not decisive factors in choosing a fuel cycle. Employing the technologies assumed, the radioactive wastes from any of the fuel cycles studied can be managed and disposed of with a high degree of safety and without undue risk to man or the environment. The cost of waste management and disposal is only a few percent of the value of the electricity generated and does not vary greatly between fuel cycles.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2004

To validate the previous conceptual design of cover system, construction of the engineered barrier test facility is completed and the performance tests of the disposal cover system are conducted. The disposal test facility is composed of the multi-purpose working space, the six test cells and the disposal information space for the PR center. The dedicated detection system measures the water content, the temperature, the matric potential of each cover layer and the accumulated water volume of lateral drainage. Short-term experiments on the disposal cover layer using the artificial rainfall system are implemented. The sand drainage layer shows the satisfactory performance as intended in the design stage. The artificial rainfall does not affect the temperature of cover layers. It is investigated that high water infiltration of the artificial rainfall changes the matric potential in each cover layer. This facility is expected to increase the public information about the national radioactive waste disposal program and the effort for the safety of the planned disposal facility.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.293-301
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• 2013

Borehole Disposal Concept (BDC) was initiated by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA) with the view to improve the radioactive waste management practices in Africa. At a time when geological disposal of radioactive waste is being considered, the need to protect ground water from possible radioactive contamination and the investigation of radionuclides migration through soil and rocks of zone of aeration into ground water has becomes very imperative. This is why the Borehole Disposal Concept (BDC) is being suggested to address the problem. The concept involves the conditioning and emplacement of disused sealed radioactive sources in an engineered facility of a relatively narrow diameter borehole (260 mm). Tanzania is operating a Radioactive Waste Management Facility where a number of spent sealed radioactive sources with long and short half lives are stored. The activity of spent sealed radioactive sources range from (1E-6 to 8.8E+3 Ci). However, the long term disposal solution is still a problem. This study therefore proposing the country to adopt the BDC, since the repository requires limited land area and has a low probability of human intrusion due to the small footprint of the borehole.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1524-1533
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• 2021

The structural stability of a waste package is essential for containing radioactive waste for the long term in a repository. A silo-type disposal facility would require more severe verification for the structural integrity, because of radioactive waste packages staked with several tens of meters and overburdens of crushed rocks and shotcretes. In this study, structural safety was analyzed for a silo-type repository, located approximately 100 m below sea level in Gyeongju, Korea. Finite element simulation was performed to investigate the influence of the loads from the backfilling materials and waste package stacks on the mechanical stress of the disposed of wastes and containers. It was identified that the current design of the waste package and the compressive strength criterion for the solidified waste would not be enough to maintain structural stability. Therefore, an enhanced criterion for the compressive strength of the solidified waste and several reinforced structural designs for the disposal concrete container were proposed to prevent failure of the waste package based on the results of parametric studies.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.365-369
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• 2022

Operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants generates radioactive waste. This radioactive waste can be categorized into several different levels, for example, low, intermediate, and high, according to the regulations. Currently, low and intermediate-level waste are stored in conventional 200-liter drums to be disposed. However, in Korea, the disposal of intermediate-level radioactive waste is virtually impossible as there are no available facilities. Furthermore, large-sized intermediate-level radioactive waste, such as reactor internals from decommissioning, need to be segmented into smaller sizes so they can be adequately stored in the conventional drums. This segmentation process requires additional costs and also produces secondary waste. Therefore, this paper suggests repurposing the no-longer-used spent nuclear fuel casks. The casks are larger in size than the conventional drums, thus requiring less segmentation of waste. Furthermore, the safety requirements of the spent nuclear fuel casks are severer than those of the drums. Hence, repurposed spent nuclear fuel casks could better address potential risks such as dropping, submerging, or a fire. In addition, the spent nuclear fuel casks need to be disposed in compliance with the regulations for low level radioactive waste. This cost may be avoided by repurposing the casks.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.509-518
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• 2023

The Kori Unit 1 nuclear power plant, which is planned to be dismantled after permanent shutdown, is expected to generate a large amount of various types of radioactive waste during the dismantling process. For the disposal of Very-low-level waste, which is expected to account for the largest amount of generation, the Korea Radioactive waste Agency (KORAD) is in the process of detailed design to build a 3-phase landfill disposal facility in Gyeongju. In addition, a large container is being developed to efficiently dispose of metal and concrete waste, which are mainly generated as Very low-level waste of decommissioning. In this study, based on the design characteristics of the 3-phase landfill disposal facility and the large container under development, radiation exposure dose evaluation was performed considering the normal and accident scenarios of radiation workers during operation. The direct exposure dose evaluation of workers during normal operation was performed using the MCNP computer program, and the internal and external exposure dose evaluation due to damage to the decommissioning waste package during a drop accident was performed based on the evaluation method of ICRP. For the assumed scenario, the exposure dose of worker was calculated to determine whether the exposure dose standards in the domestic nuclear safety act were satisfied. As a result of the evaluation, it was confirmed that the result was quite low, and the result that satisfied the standard limit was confirmed, and the radiational disposal suitability for the 3-phase landfill disposal facility of the large container for dismantled radioactive waste, which is currently under development, was confirmed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.63-78
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• 2016

To meet nuclear regulatory requirements, more than 95% individual radionuclides in the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste inventory have to be identified. In this study, the radionuclide inventory has been estimated by taking the long-term radioactive waste generation, the development plan of disposal facility, and the new radioactive waste classification into account. The state of radioactive waste cumulated from 2014 was analyzed for various radioactive sources and future prospects for predicting the long-term radioactive waste generation. The predicted radionuclide inventory results are expected to contribute to secure the development of waste disposal facility and to deploy the safety case for its long-term safety assessment.