A transfer cask serves as the container for transporting and handling canisters loaded with spent nuclear fuels from light water reactors. This study focuses on a cylindrical transfer cask, standing at 5,300 mm with an external diameter of 2,170 mm, featuring impact limiters on the top and bottom sides. The base of the cask body has an openable/closable lid for loading canisters with storage modules. The transfer cask houses a canister containing spent nuclear fuels from lightweight reactors, serving as the confinement boundary while the cask itself lacks the confinement structure. The objective of this study was to conduct a structural analysis evaluation of the transfer cask, currently under development in Korea, ensuring its safety. This evaluation encompasses analyses of loads under normal, off-normal, and accident conditions, adhering to NUREG-2215. Structural integrity was assessed by comparing combined results for each load against stress limits. The results confirm that the transfer cask meets stress limits across normal, off-normal, and accident conditions, establishing its structural safety.

In the case of dry storage facilities, slipping of the cask or tip-over are dangerous phenomena. For this reason, in dry storage facilities, measures against slipping and tip-over or related safety evaluations are important. Accidental conditions that can cause cask slippage and tip-over in dry storage facilities include natural phenomena such as floods, tornadoes, tsunamis, typhoons, earthquakes, and artificial phenomena such as airplane crashes. However, among natural phenomena, earthquakes are the most important natural phenomenon that causes tip-over. Also, many people had the stereotype that Korea is an earthquake-safe zone before 2016. However, earthquakes become a major disaster in Korea due to the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake and the 2017 Pohang earthquake, followed by the Goesan earthquake in October 2022. In this paper, seismic analysis was performed based on dry storage facilities including multiple casks. Design variables for the construction of an analysis model for dry storage facilities were investigated, and seismic analysis was performed. To evaluate tip-over accident during earthquake, seismic load was used from 0.2 g PGA to 0.8 g PGA and these earthquakes were followed Design Response Spectrum (DRS) in RG 1.60. The friction coefficient of concrete pad was used from 0.2 to 1.0. As a result of the analysis, tip-over accident could not find in the analysis from 0.2 g to 0.6 g. However, tip-over was appeared at friction coefficients of 0.8 and 1.0 at 0.8 g PGA. Tip-over angular velocity of cask was derived by seismic analysis and was compared with formula and tip-over analysis results. As a result, a generalized dry storage facility analysis model was proposed, and dry storage facility safety evaluation was conducted through seismic analysis. Also, tip-over angular velocity was derived using seismic analysis for tip-over analysis.

Concrete structures of spent nuclear fuel interim storage facility should maintain their ability to shield and structural integrity during normal, off-normal and accident conditions. The concrete structures may deteriorate if the interim storage facility operates for more than several decades. Even if deterioration occurs, the concrete structures must maintain their own functions such as radiation shielding protection and structural integrity. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an analysis methodology that can evaluate whether the deteriorated concrete structure maintains its integrity under not only normal or off-normal condition but also accident condition. In accident conditions such as tip over and aircraft collision, both static material properties and dynamic properties are needed to evaluate the structural integrity of the concrete structures. Especially, it has been known to be difficult to estimate the resulted damage precisely where an aircraft collides with the degraded concrete structures at a high strain rate. In this study, damage evaluation of concrete overpack due to aircraft collisions was conducted. First, in order to verify the impact analysis methodology, the aircraft impact analysis of plane concrete overpack was performed and compared with the test results previously conducted by our research team. Then, the impact analysis for the overpack of KORAD21C was performed. In the future, the radiation shielding analysis will be performed under the conditions to evaluate whether or not the radiation shielding ability is maintained.

In concrete structures exposed to chloride environments such as seashore structures, chloride ions penetrate into the concrete. Chlorine ions in concrete react with cement hydrates to form Friedel’s salt and change the microstructure. Changes in the microstructure of concrete affect the mechanical performance, and the effect varies depending on the concentration of chloride ions that have penetrated. However, research on the mechanical performance of concrete by chloride ion penetration is lacking. In this study, the effect of chloride ion penetration on the mechanical performance of dry cask concrete exposed to the marine environment was investigated. The mixture proportion of self-compacting concrete is used to produce concrete specimens. CaCl2 was used to add chlorine ions, and 0, 1, 2, and 4% of the binder in weight were added. To evaluate the mechanical performance of concrete, a compressive strength test, and a splitting tensile strength test were performed. The compressive strength test was conducted through displacement control to obtain a stress-strain curve, and the loading speed was set to 10 με/sec, which is the speed of the quasi-static level. The splitting tensile strength test was performed according to KS F 2423. As a result of the experiment, the compressive strength increased when the chloride ion concentration was 1%, and the compressive strength decreased when the chlorine ion concentration was 4%. The effect of the chloride ion concentration on the peak strain was not shown. In order to present a stress-strain curve model according to the chloride ion concentration, the existing concrete compressive stress-strain models were reviewed, and it was confirmed that the experimental results could be simulated through the Popovics model.

Concrete structures of spent nuclear fuel interim storage facility should maintain their shielding ability and structural integrity during normal, off-normal and accident conditions. The concrete structures may deteriorate if the interim storage facility operates for more than several decades. Even if deterioration occurs, the concrete structures must maintain its unique functions (shielding and structural integrity). Therefore, it is necessary to establish an analysis methodology that can evaluate whether the deteriorated concrete structure maintains its integrity under not only normal or off-normal condition but also accident condition. In accident conditions such as tip over and aircraft collision, both static material properties and dynamic properties of the concrete are required to evaluate the structural integrity of the concrete structures. Unlike the calculated damage results for the static deformation of the concrete structure, it is very difficult to accurately estimate the damage values of the degraded concrete structures where an aircraft collides at a high strain rate. Therefore, the present authors have a plan to establish a database of the dynamic material properties of deteriorated concrete and implement to a Finite Element Analysis model. Prior to that, dynamic increase factors described in a few technical specifications were investigated. The dynamic increase factor represents the ratio of the dynamic to static strength and is normally reported as function of strain rate. In ACI-349, only the strain rate is used as a variable in the empirical formula obtained from the test results of specified concrete strengths of 28 to 42 MPa. The maximum value of dynamic increase factor is limited to 1.25 in the axial direction and 1.10 in the shear direction. On the other hand, in the case of the CEB model, static strength is included as variables in addition to the strain rate, and a constitutive equation in which the slope changes from the strain rate of 30 /s is proposed. As plotting the two dynamic increase factor models, in the case of ACI, it is drawn as a single line, but in the case of CEB, it is plotted as multiple lines depending on the static strength. The test methods and specimen sizes of the previously performed tests, which measured the concrete dynamic properties, were also investigated. When the strain rate is less than 10 /s, hydraulic or drop hammer machines were generally used and the length of the specimens was more than twice the diameter in most cases. However, in the case of Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar tests, the small size specimens are preferred to minimize the inertia effect, so the specimens were small and the length was less than twice the diameter. We will construct the dynamic properties DB with our planned deteriorate concrete specimen test, and also include the dynamic property data already built in the previous studies.

국내의 사용후핵연료가 증가함에 따라 사용후핵연료 저장조는 곧 포화가 될 것으로 예상된다. 따라서 사용후핵연료 건식저장 운영 및 관리 방안에 대해 연구하는 것은 매우 중요하다. 미국에서는 오랜 기간 건식저장을 운영해왔으며 이를 바탕으로 사용후핵연료 건식저장 운영 및 관리 방안에 대해 많은 연구가 수행되고 있다. 그러나 우리나라에서는 경수로 사용후핵연료 건식저장 경험이 없으며 관련 관리방안 및 구체적인 기준이 매우 부족한 현실이다. 건식저장기간 동안 주요한 이슈중의 하나는 건식저장용기 열화현상이며 대표적으로 응력부식균열에 의한 부식현상이 있다. 미국에서는 U.S. DOE, U.S. NRC, 그리고 EPRI 주관 아래 건식저장 캐니스터에서의 염화물 응력부식균열에 관한 많은 연구들을 수행하고 있다. 또한 건식저장 캐니스터의 염화물 응력부식균열 현상을 설명하기 위해 SNL에서는 확률론적 응력부식균열 모델을 제시하였다. 본 논문에 서는 SNL에서 제시한 확률론적 응력부식균열 모델을 검토하였으며 모델에 제시된 주요인자들을 세세하게 분석하였다. 본 논문은 우리나라에서 스테인리스 스틸로 제작된 캐니스터를 경수로 사용후핵연료 건식저장으로 이용할 경우, 건식저장 운영 및 관리 방안을 구축하는 대에 좋은 참고문헌이 될 것이라 사료된다.

한국원자력환경공단에서는 국내 경수로 원전에서 발생된 사용후핵연료를 건식으로 저장할 수 있는 콘크리트 용기를 개발하 였다. 본 저장용기는 사용후핵연료가 건식환경에서 장기간 저장되는 동안 용기 및 사용후핵연료의 건전성이 유지되며, 방사 선량률이 저장시설의 설계기준을 초과하지 않도록 설계되어야 한다. 특히, 저장시설은 정상 및 사고조건에서 적절한 방사선 방호를 위한 차폐설계가 이루어져야 한다. 이를 위해 본 연구에서는 미국 10CFR72 및 10CFR20의 기술기준과 NRC의 표준 심사지침 NUREG-1536에서 제시한 평가방법에 따라 건식저장조건하에서 단일 콘크리트용기 및 2×10 용기배열조건의 선 량율을 평가하였다. 평가결과, 일반인에 대한 연간선량 한도인 0.25 mSv를 만족하는 통제구역 경계까지의 거리는 약 230 m 로 도출되었다. 콘크리트 저장용기의 설계사고는 2×10 배열의 저장시설에서 한 개의 저장용기가 이송 중 전도사고가 발생 하여 용기의 바닥면이 통제구역 경계로 향하는 상황으로 가정하였다. 전도된 저장용기의 바닥면으로 부터 100 m 및 230 m 지점에서 각각 12.81 mSv 및 1.28 mSv로 평가되었다. 본 연구를 통해 건식저장조건에서 콘크리트 저장용기 및 저장시설은 적절하게 평가된 통제구역경계까지의 거리가 확보된다면 방사선적 안전성이 유지됨을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 평가결과만으 로 건식환경의 저장용기(시설) 설계에 직접 적용하기는 어렵겠으나, 향후‘국가 고준위폐기물 관리 전략’에 근거한 원전내 저장시설 또는 중간저장 시설의 설계 및 운영에 유용한 자료가 될 것으로 사료된다.

사용후연료 건식저장용기의 전복사고조건에 대한 1/3 축소모델의 시험을 실시하여 전복해석에 대한 검증을 하였다. 전복해석은 전복각도에 따른 위치에너지와 동일한 운동에너지를 가지는 초기각속도를 이용하여 결정된 각 점에서의 속도를 충돌직전 모델에 대한 초기경계값으로 입력하여 해석하였다. 전복시험에 따른 캐니스터의 구조적 건전성을 확인하기 위하여 육안검사와 함께 액체침투법과 초음파 탐상법와 같은 비파괴검사를 실시하였다. 전복충격에 의하여 저장용기의 뚜껑 에 변형 이 발생되었지만 캐니스터의 구조적 건전성이 유지되었다. 시험에서 취득한 변형률과 가속도를 해석결과와 비교하여 해석 에 대한 검증을 실시하였다. 해석결과는 시험결과보다 대체로 두 배 정도의 큰 값을 주는 것으로 나타났다.

사용후핵연료 건식저장용기는 낙하사고조건에서 캐니스터의 건전성이 입증되어야 한다. 낙하사고조건은 캐니스터를 건식저장용기에 장입하기 위하여 저장용기의 상부에서 크레인으로 취급하는 도중에 캐니스터가 저장용기 내부의 받침대로 자유 낙하하는 조건이다. 저장용기 내부의 받침대는 이러한 조건에서 캐니스터의 구조적 건전성을 유지하도록 완충효과가 좋아야 한다. 본 연구에서는 다양한 저장용기 내부 받침대 에 대한 3차원 유한요소해석을 통하여 낙하사고조건에서 캐니스터의 구조적 건전성을 향상시킬 수 있는 구조를 결정하였다. 저장용기 내부 받침대는 탄소강으로 만들어진 원통 쉘의 내부에 콘크리트를 장입한 구조와 받침대 높이의 변화 없이 콘크리트 높이의 1/4정도에 탄소강과 폴리우레탄폼을 이용한 구조물을 사용하여 완충효과를 보완하고자 수정된 구조를 고려하였다. 완충체의 형상 및 구조를 결정하기 위하여 십자형상이나 원형의 탄소강 구조물을 받침대 상부에 위치하여 그 영향을 알아보았다. 이때 탄소강 구조물의 두께를 24 mm, 12 mm, 6mm로 변화를 주었다. 또한, 탄소강 구조물 사이에 충진하는 폴리우레탄폼의 밀도에 대한 영향을 알아보았다.