Bentonite has been considered as a potential buffer material in the engineering barriers of highlevel radioactive waste disposal systems. The intrusion of groundwater and heat from the waste change the temperature of the bentonite, which can alter the hydraulic properties of the bentonite. In this study, temperature effects on permeability were observed in two Ca-type bentonites. Laboratory tests were conducted on two types of block that were compacted using Korean Gyeongju bentonite and bentonil-WRK at different dry densities. Permeability tests were conducted at three different temperatures, namely 30°C, 60°C, and 90°C, using deionized water. Moreover, comparison between two Ca-type bentonites is carried out.

The structural integrity of concrete silos is important from the perspective of long-term operation of radioactive waste repository. Recently, the application of acoustic emission (AE) is considered as a promising technology for the systematic real-time health monitoring of concrete-like brittle material. In this study, the characteristics of AE wave propagation through concrete silo of Gyeongju radioactive waste repository were evaluated under the effects of groundwater and temperature for the quantitative damage assessment. The attenuation coefficients and absolute energies of AE waves were measured for the temperature cases of 15, 45, 75°C under dry and saturated concrete specimens, which were manufactured based on the concrete mix same as that of Gyeongju concrete silo. The geometric spreading and material loss were taken into account with regard to the wave attenuation coefficient. The attenuation coefficient shows a decreasing pattern with temperature rise for both dry and saturated specimens. The AE waves in saturated condition attenuate faster than those in dry condition. It is found that the effect of water content has a greater impact on the wave attenuation than the temperature. The results from this study will be used as valuable information for estimating the quantitative damage at the location micro-cracks are generated rather than the AE sensor location.

Gases such as hydrogen can generate from the disposal canister in high-level radioactive waste disposal systems owing to the corrosion of cooper container in anoxic conditions. The gas can be accumulated in the voids of bentonite buffer around the disposal canister if gas generation rates become larger than the gas diffusion rate of bentonite buffer with the low-permeability. Continuous gas accumulations result in the increase in gas pressure, causing sudden dilation flow of gases with the gas pressure exceeding the gas breakthrough pressure. Given that the gas dilation flow can cause radionuclide leakage out of the engineered barrier system, it is necessary to consider possible damages affected by the radionuclide leakage and to properly understand the complicated behaviors of gas flow in the bentonite buffer with low permeability. In this study, the coupled hydro-mechanical model combined with the damage model that considers two-phase fluid flow and changes in hydraulic properties affected by mechanical deformations is applied to numerical simulations of 1-D gas injection test on saturated bentonite samples (refer to DECOVALEX-2019 Task A Stage 1A). To simulate the mechanical behavior of microcracks which occur due to the dilation flow caused by increase in gas pressure, a concept of elastic damage constitutive law is considered in the coupled hydro-mechanical model. When the TOUGH-FLAC coupling-based model proposed in this study is applied, changes in hydraulic properties affected by mechanical deformations combined with the mechanical damage are appropriately considered, and changes in gas injection pressure, pore pressures at radial filters and outlet, and stress recorded during the gas injection test are accurately simulated.

본 연구의 목적은 In-DEBS (In-situ Demonstration of Engineered Barrier System) 시험장치에 대한 설계안을 도출하고, 현장실증용 공학적방벽재의 생산을 위한 최적 제작조건을 도출하는 것이다. 이와 관련하여 그간 한국원자력연구원에서 수행한 실증실험 수행경험과 문헌분석 그리고 선진핵주기 고준위폐기물처분시스템(AKRS)을 근거로 시험장치를 설계하였다. 또한 처분용기와 벤토나이트 완충재는 시험제작을 통해 최적의 제작조건을 도출하였고, 예비 성능평가를 통해 제작된 공학적방벽재의 성능을 검증하였다. In-DEBS 현장시험을 위해서 AKRS의 1/2.3 규모로 설계하였으며, 고른 온도분포의 핵연료 모사를 위하여 설계 전력량 4.2 kW의 알루미늄 재질 몰드히터를 사용하였다. 한편 In-DEBS에 사용될 공학규모 이상의 균질 완충재 블록을 제작하기 위해 플롯팅 다이(floating die) 방식의 프레스 재하 및 냉간등방압프레스(CIP; Cold Isostatic Press) 기법을 국내 최초로 완충재 제작에 적용하였다. 연구결과 AKRS 완충재 블록 제한요건(건조밀도 › 1.6 kg·cm-3)을 충족하기 위해서는 1차로 40 MPa 이상의 플롯팅 다이 프레스 압력을 가하고, 2차로 50 MPa의 CIP 압력이 소요됨을 확인하였다. 또한 완충재 블록 내 센서설치를 위하여 CNC (Computer Numerical Control) 기법을 이용하여 센서위치를 정교하게 성형하였다

A literature review on the effects of high temperature and radiation on radiation shielding concrete in Spent Fuel Dry Storage is presented in this study with a focus on concrete degradation. The general threshold is 95℃ for preventing long-term degradation from high temperature, and it is suggested that the temperature gradient should be less than 60℃ to avoid crack generation in concrete structures. The amount of damage depends on the characteristics of the concrete mixture, and increases with the temperature and exposure time. The tensile strength of concrete is more susceptible than the compressive strength to degradation due to high temperature. Nuclear heating from radiation can be neglected under an incident energy flux density of 1010 MeV·cm-2·s-1. Neutron radiation of >1019 n·cm-2 or an integrated dose of gamma radiation exceeding 1010 rads can cause a reduction in the compressive and tensile strengths and the elastic moduli. When concrete is highly irradiated, changes in the mechanical properties are primarily caused by variation in water content resulting from high temperature, volume expansion, and crack generation. It is necessary to fully utilize previous research for effective technology development and licensing of a Korean dry storage system. This study can serve as important baseline data for developing domestic technology with regard to concrete casks of an SF (Spent Fuel) dry storage system.

본 연구의 목적은 고준위폐기물 처분기술 개발과 관련하여 현장실증 연구를 위해 사용될 공학규모 이상의 균질 완충재 블록 을 제작하기 위한 새로운 방법론을 제시하는 것이다. 이와 관련하여 플롯팅 다이(floating die) 방식의 프레스 재하 및 냉간 등방압프레스(CIP; Cold Isostatic Press) 기법을 국내 최초로 완충재 제작에 적용하였다. 또한 소요 밀도기준을 충족하는 완충재 블록을 생산하기 위한 최적의 제작조건(프레스 및 CIP의 소요 압력)과 현장 적용성을 분석하였다. 상기 기법의 적용을 통해 완충재 블록 내 밀도분포 편차가 현저히 감소하였으며, 이와 동시에 평균 건조밀도가 소폭 상승하고 약 5%의 크기가 감소하였다. 또한 CIP 적용을 통해 응력이완(stress release) 현상이 감소하고, 이로 인해 시간 경과에 따른 표면균열 발생이 현저히 저감됨을 시험제작을 통해 확인하였다. 본 연구에서 제시된 방법론은 공학규모 이상의 균질한 완충재 블럭을 성형할 수 있으며, 또한 이는 선진핵주기 고준위폐기물처분시스템(AKRS; Advanced Korea Reference Disposal System of HLW)의 완충재 소요 밀도기준을 충족하는 것으로 분석되었다.