The objectives of this paper are: (1) to conduct the thermal analyses of the disposal cell using COMSOL Multiphysics; (2) to determine whether the design of the disposal cell satisfies the thermal design requirement; and (3) to evaluate the effect of design modifications on the temperature of the disposal cell. Specifically, the analysis incorporated a heterogeneous model of 236 fuel rod heat sources of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) to improve the reality of the modeling. In the reference case, the design, featuring 8 m between deposition holes and 30 m between deposition tunnels for 40 years of the SNF cooling time, did not meet the design requirement. For the first modified case, the designs with 9 m and 10 m between the deposition holes for the cooling time of 40 years and five spacings for 50 and 60 years were found to meet the requirement. For the second modified case, the designs with 35 m and 40 m between the deposition tunnels for 40 years, 25 m to 40 m for 50 years and five spacings for 60 years also met the requirement. This study contributes to the advancement of the thermal analysis technique of a disposal cell.

This article presents the crucial role played by the French underground research laboratory (URL) in initiating the deep geological repository project Cigéo. In January 2023, Andra finalized the license application for the initial construction of Cigéo. Depending on Government’s decision, the construction of Cigéo may be authorized around 2027. Cigéo is the result of a National program, launched in 1991, aiming to safely manage high-level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive wastes. This National program is based on four principles: 1) excellent science and technical knowledge, 2) safety and security as primary goals for waste management, 3) high requirements for environment protection, 4) transparent and openpublic exchanges preceding the democratic decisions and orientations by the Parliament. The research and development (R&D) activities carried out in the URL supported the design and the safety demonstration of the Cigéo project. Moreover, running the URL has provided an opportunity to gain practical experience with regard to the security of underground operations, assessment of environmental impacts, and involvement of the public in the preparation of decisions. The practices implemented have helped gradually build confidence in the Cigéo project.

With South Korea increasingly focusing on nuclear energy, the management of spent nuclear fuel has attracted considerable attention in South Korea. This study established a novel procedure for selecting safety-relevant radionuclides for long-term safety assessments of a deep geological repository in South Korea. Statistical evaluations were performed to identify the design basis reference spent nuclear fuels and evaluate the source term for up to one million years. Safety-relevant radionuclides were determined based on the half-life criteria, the projected activities for the design basis reference spent nuclear fuel, and the annual limit of ingestion set by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Notification No. 2019-10 without considering their chemical and hydrogeological properties. The proposed process was used to select 56 radionuclides, comprising 27 fission and activation products and 29 actinide nuclides. This study explains first the determination of the design basis reference spent nuclear fuels, followed by a comprehensive discussion on the selection criteria and methodology for safety-relevant radionuclides.

The buffer is installed around the disposal canister, subjected to heating due to decay heat while simultaneously experiencing expansion influenced by groundwater inflow from the surrounding rock. The engineering barrier system for deep geological disposal require the evaluation of longterm evolution based on the verification of individual component performance and the interactions among components within the disposal environment. Thus, it is crucial to identify the thermalhydro- mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes of the buffer and assess its long- and short-term stability based on these interactions. Therefore, we conducted experimental evaluations of saturationswelling, dry heating, gas transport, and mineralogical alterations that the buffer may undergo in the heated-hydration environment. We simulated a 310 mm-thick buffer material in a cylindrical form, simulating the domestic disposal system concept of KRS+ (the improved KAERI reference disposal system for spent nuclear fuel), and subjected it to the disposal environment using heating cartridges and a hydration system. To monitor the thermal-hydro-mechanical behavior within the buffer material, load cells were installed in the hydration section, and both of thermal couples and relative humidity sensors were placed at regular intervals from the heat source. After 140 days of heating and hydration, we dismantled the experimental cell and conducted post-mortem analyses of the samples. In this post-mortem analysis, we performed functions of distance from the water contents, heat source, wet density, dry density, saturation, and X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The results showed that after 140 days in the heated-hydration environment, the samples exhibited a significant decrease water contents and saturation near the heat source, along with very low wet and dry densities. XRD Quantitative Analysis did not indicate mineralogical changes. The findings from this study are expected to be useful for input parameters and THMC interaction assessments for the long-term stability evaluation of buffer in deep geological disposal.

In 2012, POSIVA selected a bentonite-based (montmorillonite) block/pellet as the backfilling solution for the deposition tunnel in the application for a construction license for the deep geological repository of high-level radioactive waste in Finland. However, in the license application (i.e. SC-OLA) for the operation submitted to the Finnish Government in 2021, the design for backfilling was changed to a granular mixture consisting of bentonite (smectite) pellets crushed to various sizes, based on NAGRA’s buffer solution. In this study, as part of the preliminary design of the deep geological repository system in Korea, we reviewed history and its rationale for the design change of Finland’s deposition tunnel backfilling solution. After the construction license was granted by the Finnish Government in 2015, POSIVA conducted various lab- and full-scale in-situ tests to evaluate the producibility and performance of two design alternatives (i.e. block/pellet type and granular type) for backfilling. Principal demonstration tests and their results are summarized as follows: (a) Manufacturing of blocks using three types of materials (Friedland, IBeco RWC, and MX-80): Cracking and jointing under higher pressing loads were found. Despite adjusting the pressing process, similar phenomena were observed. (b) 1:6 scale experiment: Confirmation of density difference inhomogeneity due to the swelling of block/pellet backfill and void filling due to swelling behavior into the mass loss area of block/pellet. (c) FISST (Full-Scale In situ system Test): Identification of technical unfeasibility due to the inefficient (too manual) installation process of blocks/pellets and development of an efficient granular in-situ backfilling solution to resolve the disadvantage. (d) LUCOEX-FE (Large Underground Concept Experiments – Full-scale Emplacement) experiment: Confirmation of dense/homogeneous constructability and performance of granular backfilling solution. In conclusion, the simplified granular backfill system is more feasible compared to the block/ pellet system from the perspective of handling, production, installation, performance, and quality control. It is presumed that various experimental and engineering researches should be preceded reflecting specific disposal conditions even though these results are expected to be applied as key data and/or insights for selecting the backfilling solution in the domestic deep geological repository.

Due to the necessity of isolating spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the human life zone for a minimum of 106 years, deep geological disposal (DGD) has emerged as a prominent solution for SNF management in numerous countries. Consequently, the resilience of disposal canisters to corrosion over such an extended storage period becomes paramount. While copper exhibits a relatively low corrosion rate, typically measured in millimeters per million years, in geological environment, special attention must be directed towards verifying the corrosion resistance of copper canister welds. This validation becomes inevitable during the sealing of the disposal canister once SNFs are loaded, primarily because the weld zone presents a discontinuous microstructure, which can accelerate both uniform and localized corrosion processes. In this research, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the microstructural characteristics of copper welds manufactured by TIG-based wire are additive manufacturing, which is ideal for welding relatively large structures such as a disposal canister. To simulate the welds of copper canister, a 12 mm thick oxygen-free plate was prepared and Y and V grooves were applied to perform overlay welding. Both copper welding zones were very uniform, with negligible defects (i.e., void and cracks), and contained relatively large grains with columnar structure regardless of groove types. For improving microstructures at welds with better corrosion resistance, the effect of preheat temperature also investigated up to 600°C.

Deep borehole drilling is essential not only to select the host rock type for deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), but also to identify the characteristics of the disposal site during the site selection process. In particular, since the disposal depth of HLW is considered to be over 300 m, deep borehole drilling must be performed. In deep borehole drilling, drilling design, excavation, and operation may vary depending on the rock type, drilling depth, and drilling purpose etc. This study introduced cases in which Korea was divided into four geotectonic structures and four representative rock types and conducted with a goal of 750 m drilling depth. Prior to this, a review of deep drilling cases conducted at domestic and abroad was presented. If sufficient time and cost are available, several drilling holes can be excavated for various purposes, but if not, one or two drilling holes should be used to achieve the objectives of various fields related to HLW disposal. The presence of bedding, strata or fault zones depending on the type of rock, etc. may affect drilling deviation or circulating water management. In addition, unlike drilling in general geotechnical investigation drilling, the use of polymers or grouting agents is limited to determine hydraulic and geochemical characteristics. This report introduces the experience considered during the design and drilling process of deep drilling in granite, gneiss, sedimentary rock, volcanic rock, etc., and is expected to be used as basic data when carrying out future HLW projects.

EU taxonomy requires to solve problems for safe management of radioactive waste and disposal of spent fuel, which is a precondition for growing demand for nuclear power plant. Currently, Korea manages about 18,000 tons of high-level radioactive waste at temporary storage facilities in nuclear power plant sites, but such temporary storage facilities are expected to become saturated sequentially from 2031. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a permanent disposal facility to safely treat high-level radioactive waste. In accordance with the second basic plan for high-level radioactive waste management in 2021, it is necessary to establish requirements for regulatory compliance for the site selection and site acquisition, investigation and evaluation, and construction for the establishment of a deep geological disposal facility. In this study, we analyzed the regulatory policies and cases of leading foreign countries related to deep geological disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste disposal waste such as IAEA, USA, Sweden, and Finland using data analysis methodology. To analyze a large amount of textbased document data, text mining is applied as a major technology and a verification standard that secures validity and safety based on the regulatory laws described so far is developed to establish a regulatory base suitable for domestic deep geological disposal status. Based on the collected data, preprocessing and analysis with Python were performed. Keywords and their frequency were extracted from the data through keyword analysis. Through the measured frequency values, the contents of the objects and elements to be regulated in the statutory items were grasped. And through the frequency values of words co-occurring among different sections through the analysis of related words, the association was obtained, and the overall interpretation of the data was performed. The results of analyzing regulations of major foreign countries using text mining are visualized in charts and graphs. Word cloud can intuitively grasp the contents by extracting the main keywords of the contents of the regulations. Through the network connection graph, the relationship between related words can be visually structured to interpret data and identify the causal relationship between words. Based on the result data, it is possible to compare and analyze the factors to be supplemented by analyzing domestic nuclear safety case and regulations.

The deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste requires careful consideration due to its exceptionally long-term implications, making long-term impact assessments essential. However, evaluating the long-term effects of deep geological repositories using performance assessment models is accompanied by various sources of uncertainty, including uncertainties about the future, model uncertainties, and uncertainties associated with input data. These multifaceted uncertainties arise from factors such as a lack of current knowledge, contributing to a complex web of unpredictability. Managing, mitigating, and ultimately eliminating these uncertainties is crucial for ensuring the performance and safety of deep geological repositories. Currently, the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) is developing a complex behavior model that incorporates Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) phenomena within the disposal system using PFLOTRAN. To address model uncertainties and furthermore input data uncertainties for this intricate model, an automated sensitivity analysis system has been developed. This automated system operates without human intervention, facilitating tasks such as automatic parameter adjustments and the quantification of uncertainties. Furthermore, this system aids in identifying key factors characterized by substantial uncertainties. Through this system, it is possible to examine concentration distributions in each components of the deep disposal facility in response to changes in input data and to identify factors with significant uncertainties. The sensitivity results and key uncertainty factors obtained through this system are intended to be used for optimizing uncertainties in future research and development.

For the performance and safety assessments of deep geological disposal, developing scenarios, which represent possible long-term changes in the surface environment, is required. These scenarios are formulated using a list of FEPs (Features, Events, and Processes) that describes characteristics of disposal system components. In this study, using international FEP (IFEP) list from OECD/NEA, the individual FEPs related to uplift-subsidence and erosion-deposition were analyzed, and the correlation between each FEP was evaluated. From the IFEP list, the elements related to uplift-subsidence and erosion-deposition processes that cause long-term changes in the surface environment were identified. Uplift-subsidence, erosion - deposition, and the long-term change factors caused by them were analyzed and a correlation diagram was produced according to their interactions. Basis for the integrated analysis of long-term changes in the surface environment and the construction of long-term change scenarios were established considering the evaluation of the factors that cause uplift-subsidence and erosiondeposition, and their correlation with the hydrology-hydrogeology, topography and local climate of the affected surface. The results of this study will be used for systematically formulating scenarios of long-term changes in the surface environment due to uplift-subsidence and erosion-deposition based on natural phenomena. And, it may be necessary to modify and supplement the correlation of domestic FEPs based on the correlation diagram of IFEPs in order to analyze long-term changes in the surface environment in an integrated manner.

This study investigates the behavior of bentonite, used as a buffer material in deep geological disposal systems, in the context of pore morphology under the influence of field-collected groundwater conditions. The bentonite was processed into block form using cold isostatic press (CIP) and subsequently analyzed for its pore morphology in situ using synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (CT) within the field-collected groundwater environment. Bentonite buffers play a critical role in deep geological disposal systems by preventing contact between disposal containers and groundwater. Bentonite typically exhibits swelling upon contact with water, forming few layers of water molecules between its structural layers. However, the presence of ions such as K+ and Cl- can lead to a sharp reduction in swelling pressure. Loss of swelling pressure could negatively impact the integrity of future deep geological disposal systems, making its assessment crucial. This study involves processing various types of bentonite, including natural Na-type bentonite, into block forms and subjecting them to exposure in both deionized water and field-collected groundwater conditions. Internal pore morphology changes were measured using Xray CT technology.

Since high-level radioactive wastes contain long-lived nuclides and emit high energy, they should be disposed of permanently through a deep geological disposal system. In Korea, the first (2016.07) and the second (2021.12) basic plans for the management of high-level disposal systems were proposed to select sites for deep geological disposal facilities and to implement business strategies. Leading countries such as Finland, Sweden and France have developed and applied safety cases to verify the safety of deep geological disposal systems. By examining the regulatory status of foreign leading countries, we analyze the safety cases ranging from the site selection stage of the deep geological disposal system to the securing of the permanent disposal system to the investigation, analysis, evaluation, design, construction, operation, and closure. Based on this analysis, we will develop safety case elements for long-term safety of deep geological disposal systems suitable for domestic situation. To systemically analyze data based on safety cases, we have established a database of deep geological disposal system regulations in leading foreign countries. Artificial intelligence text mining and data visualization techniques are used to provide database in dashboard form rather than simple lists of data items, which is a limitation of existing methods. This allows regulatory developers to understand information more quickly and intuitively and provide a convenient interface so that anyone can easily access the analyzed data and create meaningful information. Furthermore, based on the accumulated bigdata, the artificial intelligence learns and analyzes the information in the database through deep learning, and aims to derive a more accurate safety case. Based on these technologies, this study analyzed the legal systems, regulatory standards, and cases of major international leading countries and international organizations such as the United States, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Switzerland, and the IAEA to establish a database management system. To establish a safety regulation base suitable for the domestic deep geological disposal environment, the database is provided as data to refer to and apply systematic information management on regulatory standards and regulatory cases of overseas leading countries, and it is expected that it will play a key role as a forum for understanding and discussing the level of safety of deep geological disposal system among stakeholders.

Since spent nuclear fuel (SNF) should be isolated from the human life zone for at least 106 years, deep geological disposal (DGD) is considered a strong candidate for SNF management in many countries. Therefore, a disposal canister should be nearly immune to corrosion in such a long-term storage environment. Even though copper has a low corrosion rate of a few millimeters per million years in geological environments, the corrosion resistance of the copper welds must be preferentially validated, which inevitably occurs during the sealing of the disposal canister after the SNF is loaded. This is because the weld zone is a discontinuous area of microstructure, which can accelerate uniform and localized corrosion. In this study, the microstructural characteristics of copper welds in different welding conditions such as friction stir welding, electron beam welding, cold spray, were analyzed, focusing on the formation of microstructure, which affects resistance to corrosion. In addition, the microstructure and corrosion properties of the copper weld zone manufactured by recent wire-based additive manufacturing (AM) technology were experimentally evaluated. From this preliminary test result, it was found that the corrosion characteristics of the welds produced by the AM process using wire are comparable to those of the conventional forged copper plate.

Two sets of analyses for the cases of groundwater release to well and sea ecosystems were conducted for the environmental impact assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. After obtaining the respective BDCF (Biosphere Dose Conversion Factor) results for the scenarios of well-farming and marine water fishing using different biosphere assessment conceptual models implemented in ECOLEGO, they were compared each other. The purposes of these analyses are to identify reference generic biosphere conceptual models and to get insight on model uncertainty. In this study, the endpoint used for the comparison of the ECOLEGO biosphere models was the socalled Biosphere Dose Conversion Factor (BDCF), which is defined as the maximum value of the total dose to the exposed group, in Sv/yr, resulting from a continuous unit release of 1 Bq/yr during the whole simulation time either to the well compartment (BDCF_Well) or to the marine water compartment (BDCF_Sea). The radionuclides considered in the comparison were Cs-137, I-129, Nb-94, Ni-59, Ni- 63, Sr-90 and Tc-99. The conceptual models used in the biosphere assessment of the releases to a well are based on models that have been used by the DOE (simple-soil model) and SKB (complex-soil model) in safety assessments of radioactive waste repositories, respectively. Difference between two conceptual models used in the assessment of the releases to a sea is the number of compartments representing the sea; i.e., one model represents the sea with one compartment for the water and one for the sediment (singlecompartment model), whereas the alternative model uses two compartments for the water and the sediments: one for the inner coast and one for the outer coast (double-compartment model). The results of the BDCF_Well to a farmer obtained with the DOE and SKB models are shown to be very close to each other. Despite the differences in conceptual models and parameters, the results are within a maximum difference of a factor of 4. The results from the SKB model were higher for all radionuclides. The values of the BDCF_Sea obtained with the single- and double-compartment models are shown to be larger differences with a maximum order of 2. For all studied radionuclides, the double-compartment model produces higher BDCFs than does the single-compartment model. The differences would be due to activity concentrations in both water and sediments. Since the hydrodynamic behavior assumed for flow in the sea could significantly influence the dilution volumes and hence the concentrations, it is found that site-specific investigations are necessary to establish an appropriate marine biosphere conceptual model.

The acoustic emission (AE) method as a passive non-destructive monitoring technique is proposed for real-time monitoring of mechanical degradation in underground structures, such as deep geological disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW). This study investigates the low-frequency characteristics of AE signals emitted during the fracturing of meter-scale concrete specimens; uniaxial compression tests (UCT) in a lab scale and Goodman jack (GJ) tests in a 1.3 m-long concrete block were conducted while acquiring the AE signals using low-frequency AE sensors. The results indicate a sharp increase in AE energy emission at approximately 60% and 80% of the yield stresses in the UCT and GJ tests, respectively. The collected AE signals were primarily found in two frequency bands: the 4-28 kHz range and the 56-80 kHz range. High-frequency AE signals were captured more as the stress increased in the GJ tests, which was in contrast to the UCT tests. Furthermore, the AE signals obtained from the Goodman jack tests tended to lower RA values than the UCT results. This study presents unique experimental data with low-frequency AE sensors under different loading conditions, which provides insights into field-scale AE monitoring practices.

To obtain a license for a deep geological disposal repository for spent nuclear fuel, it is necessary to perform a safety assessment that quantifies the radiological impact on the environment and humans. One of the key steps in the safety assessment of a deep geological repository is the development of scenarios that describe how the repository evolves over the performance period and how events and processes affect performance. In the field of scenario development, demonstrating comprehensiveness is critical, which describes whether all factors that are expected to have a significant impact on the repository's performance have been considered. Mathematical proof of this is impossible. However, If the scenario development process is logical and systematic, it can support the claim that the scenario is comprehensive. Three primary approaches are being considered for scenario development: ‘Bottomup’, ‘Top-down’, and ‘Hybrid’. Hybrid approach provides a more systematic and structured process by considering both the FEPs (Features, Events, Processes) and safety functions utilized in the bottomup and top-down approaches. Many countries that develop recent scenarios prefer demonstrating scenario comprehensiveness using a hybrid approach. In this study, a systematic and structured scenario development process of a hybrid approach was formulated. Based on this, sub-scenarios were extracted that describe the phenomena occurring in the repository over the performance period, categorized by period. By integrating and screening the extracted sub-scenarios, a scenario describing the phenomena occurring over the entire period of disposal was developed.

As part of the safety case development for generic disposal sites in Korea, it is necessary to develop generic assessment models using various geosphere–biosphere interfaces (GBIs) and potentially exposed groups (PEGs) that reflect the natural environmental characteristics and the lifestyles of people in Korea. In this study, a unique modeling strategy was developed to systematically construct and select Korean generic biosphere assessment models. The strategy includes three process steps (combination, screening, and experts’ scoring) for the biosphere system conditions. First, various conditions, such as climate, topography, GBIs, and PEGs, were combined in the biosphere system. Second, the combined calculation cases were configured into interrelation matrices to screen out some calculation cases that were highly unlikely or less significant in terms of the exposure dose. Finally, the selected calculation cases were prioritized based on expert judgment by scoring the knowledge, probability, and importance. The results of this study can be implemented in the development of biosphere assessment models for Korean generic sites. It is believed that this systematic methodology for selecting the candidate calculation cases can contribute to increasing the confidence of future site-specific biosphere assessment models.

Several countries have been operating radioactive waste disposal (RWD) programs to construct their own repositories and have used natural analogues (NA) studies directly or indirectly to ensure the reliability of the long-term safety of deep geological disposal (DGD) systems. A DGD system in Korea has been under development, and for this purpose a generic NA study is necessary. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has just launched the first national NA R&D program in Korea to identify the role of NA studies and to support the safety case in the RWD program. In this article, we review some cases of NA studies carried out in advanced countries considering crystalline rocks as candidate host rocks for high-level radioactive waste disposal. We examine the differences among these case studies and their roles in reflecting each country’s disposal repository design. The legal basis and roadmap for NA studies in each country are also described. However because the results of this analysis depend upon different environmental conditions, they can be only used as important data for establishing various research strategies to strengthen the NA study environment for domestic disposal system research in Korea.

Coupled thermo-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes are essential for the long-term performance of deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this study, a numerical sensitivity analysis was performed to analyze the effect of rock properties on THM responses after the execution of the heater test at the Kamaishi mine in Japan. The TOUGHFLAC simulator was applied for the numerical simulation assuming a continuum model for coupled THM analysis. The rock properties included in the sensitivity study were the Young’s modulus, permeability, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficients of crystalline rock, rock salt, and clay. The responses, i.e., temperature, water content, displacement, and stress, were measured at monitoring points in the buffer and near-field rock mass during the simulations. The thermal conductivity had an overarching impact on THM responses. The influence of Young’s modulus was evident in the mechanical behavior, whereas that of permeability was noticed through the change in the temperature and water content. The difference in the THM responses of the three rock type models implies the importance of the appropriate characterization of rock mass properties with regard to the performance assessment of the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

The nuclear criticality analyses considering burnup credit were performed for a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) disposal cell consisting of bentonite buffer and two different types of SNF disposal canister: the KBS-3 canister and small standardized transportation, aging and disposal (STAD) canister. Firstly, the KBS-3 & STAD canister containing four SNFs of the initial enrichment of 4.0wt% 235U and discharge burnup of 45,000 MWD/MTU were modelled. The keff values for the cooling times of 40, 50, and 60 years of SNFs were calculated to be 0.79108, 0.78803, and 0.78484 & 0.76149, 0.75683, and 0.75444, respectively. Secondly, the KBS-3 & STAD canister with four SNFs of 4.5wt% and 55,000 MWD/MTU were modelled. The keff values for the cooling times of 40, 50, and 60 years were 0.78067, 0.77581, and 0.77335 & 0.75024, 0.74647, and 0.74420, respectively. Therefore, all cases met the performance criterion with respect to the keff value, 0.95. The STAD canister had the lower keff values than KBS-3. The neutron absorber plates in the STAD canister significantly affected the reduction in keff values although the distance among the SNFs in the STAD canister was considerably shorter than that in the KBS-3 canister.