Radioactive liquid waste generated during the operation of domestic nuclear power plants is treated through a somewhat different liquid radwaste system (LRS) for each plant. Prior to the introduction of standard nuclear power plants, LRS used a concentrated water dry system (CWDS) to evaporate liquid waste and manage it in the form of dry powder. The boron-containing radioactive liquid waste dry powder was solidified using paraffin from 1995 to 2010, and about 3,650 drums (based on 200 L) of paraffin solidified drums are currently stored in nuclear power plants. Paraffin solidification drums do not meet the acceptance criteria for radioactive waste repositories because it is difficult to secure the homogeneity of the solidified body and there are concerns about leaching of radioactive waste due to the low melting point of paraffin. In order to solve this problem and safely permanently dispose of paraffin solidification drums, the characteristics of dry powder paraffin solidification drums containing boron-containing radioactive liquid waste must be analyzed and appropriate treatment technology utilizing the results must be introduced. This study analyzes the physical properties of paraffin, the chemical properties of boron-containing radioactive waste dry powder, and the physicochemical properties of paraffin solidification powder, and proposes an appropriate alternative technology for treating boron-containing radioactive waste dry drum. When disposing of the paraffin solidification drum with boron-containing radioactive liquid waste dry powder, the solidification body must be effectively withdrawn from the drum and the paraffin must be completely separated from the solidification body. When disposing the drum, the solidified material must be effectively extracted from the drum and the paraffin must be completely separated from the solidified material. Afterwards, the paraffin must be self-disposed, and the radioactive waste must be disposed of in accordance with acceptance criteria of repository. We looked at how each characteristic of the paraffin solidification drum with boron-containing radioactive liquid waste dry powder can be utilized in each of the above treatment processes.

Laser cutting technology capable of remote cutting is being developed to reduce radiation exposure to workers and minimize secondary waste generation when dismantling highly polluted nuclear power plant facilities (reactors, pressurizers, steam generators, coolant pumps, etc.). Laser cutting proceeds in air or water, and at this time, secondary products containing radioactive materials are inevitably generated. In air cutting, dust and aerosol are generated, and in underwater cutting, aerosol, water vapor, dispersed particles (colloid, suspension), sediment (dross, sediment), and radioactive waste liquid are generated. Dispersed particles float in the form of fine particles in water, increasing the turbidity of water as cutting progresses, hindering work, and aerosols contain micrometer-sized particles together with water vapor, which can threaten the safety of workers. Particles dispersed in water and aerosol are within 10% of the mass ratio among secondary products, but the volume they occupy is very large, which can have a significant impact on the environment as well as a burden on treatment capacity. Various characterization methods are being developed to diagnose the generation mechanism and physical and chemical properties of laser cutting secondary products in real time and to secure technologies for collecting and removing dispersed particles and aerosols in water. This study introduces a real-time laser cutting secondary product characteristic evaluation method that can identify the key mechanisms of secondary product generation by analyzing the plasma formation process on laser cutting surface and behavior of aerosol, underwater dispersed particles produced by secondary products, as well as physical and chemical properties in real time with various measurement technologies such as Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES), Particle Size Analyzer (PSA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ICP-TOF-MS).

As the plan for the nuclear dismantlement due to the permanent shutdown of Kori-1 and Wolseong- 1 nuclear power plants has been concretized, a “movable radionuclide analysis system” is being developed that can quickly and accurately analyze large amounts of radioactive waste generated on the sites during dismantling. This system has various advantages from the perspective of strict regulations on the radioactive waste movement and social acceptability, such as preventing unexpected accidents while moving on the national highway or expressway, reducing various documents and immediate response to dismantling plans. Currently the system is being developed to be equipped with previously developed sample pretreatment and radioactivity measuring equipment and automated volatile and nonvolatile nuclide separation equipments, but to ensure mobile stability, it needs to analyze factors and establish stability standards. In the KS Q ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard, the requirements for “facilities and environmental conditions” are a very important factor in building reliability for consumers as part of the quality guarantee for this facility. In order to meet the requirements, the technical standards of various test equipment to be installed in this facility were investigated. The physical, chemical, and radiological hazards that could affect the safety of the equipment and workers in the process of moving the equipment between nuclear power plants or between nuclear dismantling sites were derived from vibrations, rapid changes in temperature and humidity, and the spread of contamination from radioactive waste samples. Therefore, the scope of application of the law, which is the basis for securing stability during movement, was classified into two situations: movement from facility manufacturer to installation site (non-contaminated) and movement from primary to secondary use (contaminated). And in order to investigate the Nuclear Safety Act, enforcement ordinances, and radiation safety management, and to establish standards for packaging and transportation of radioactive materials, the results of transportation tests and transport details were compared and analyzed. Finally, the air suspension systems and the automatic temperature and humidity control devices were analyzed to establish standards for securing stability against the vibration and the sharp changes in the temperature and humidity, and countermeasures such as accident measures in accordance with the Enforcement Decree of the Nuclear Safety Act were also investigated.

방사성 폐기물 핵종 재고량 평가에 필요한 핵종분석을 위하여 다양한 매질의 방사성 폐기물 시료로부터 및 의 분리에 관한 연구가 수행되고 있다. Ni은 음이온교환 수지와 Sr-Spec 추출 크로마토그래피 수지로 Re(의 대용물), Nb, Fe 및 Sr을 차례로 분리하는 과정에서 Ca, Mg, Al, Cr, Ti, Mn, Ce, Na, K 및 Cu와 함께 회수되었다. 본 연구에서는 Ni의 선택적 분리기술을 확립하기 위하여 Ni-Spec 추출 크로마토그래피 및 양이온교환수지법으로 이들의 분리거동을 비교하였다. 또한 Ni의 정제와 기체비례계수법으로 방사능을 측정하기에 적합한 계측시료 준비를 위하여 ammonium 및 tartaric 에서 dimethylglyoxime(DMG)에 의한 Ni의 침전거동을 조사하였다 원자력발전소로부터 채취한 폐이온교환수지 시료 용해용액의 화학조성을 모사하여 만든 모의 폐이온교환수지 용액을 사용하여 Re, Nb, Fe 및 Sr 분리과정을 거쳐 최종적으로 분리한 Ni의 회수율은 이었다. 또한 tartaric 에서 DMG에 의한 Ni의 회수율은 이었다.

원자력 발전소에서 발생하는 고체 방사성 폐기물인 이온교환수지, 제올라이트, 활성탄 및 슬러지 에 포함된 성분 원소 분석을 위한 산분해 조건을 확립하였다. 방사성 폐기물의 분해 에는 흔합산을 이용한 밀폐형 극초단파 산분해법을 사용하였으며, 제안한 방법에 따른 산분해 후의 용액은 맑고 색이 없는 투명한 상태임을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한, 산분해 과정을 거친 각각의 용액 시료는 ICP-AES와 AAS를 사용하여 분석하였고, 모의 방사성 폐기물에 첨가한 5종의 금속 원소들은 이상의 높은 회수율을 보여주었다. 화학적 특성을 고려하여 제안된 산분해 조건에 의해 용액화된 중저준위 방사성 폐기물의 성분 원소 분석은 최적의 유리화 기술 개발을 위한 기초 자료로 유용하게 사용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

본 연구는 CT를 이용한 지방측정(Fat measurement)에 반복 재구성법(IR)이 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 알아보기 위하여 기존의 필터보정 역투영법(FBP)과 비교하여 고급 모델링 반복 재구성법(ADMIRE)은 어떠한 차이가 있는지 알아보고자 한다. CT Fat measurement에 ADMIRE가 미치는 영향에 대해 알아본 결과 기존의 Filtered back projection과 비교하여 Visceral fat area, Subcutaneous fat area, V/S Ratio, Visceral fat area의 HU 그리고 Subcutaneous fat area의 HU는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다. 하지만 ADMIRE Strength가 커질수록 Visceral fat area의 Noise는 최대 12%, Subcutaneous fat area의 Noise는 최대 19% 감소하였다. 그리고 CT를 이용한 Fat measurement에서 내장지방과 피하지방 측정에 ADMIRE 알고리즘은 아무런 영향을 주지 않았다.