High level radioactive waste (HLW) final disposal repository is faced thermos-hydro-mechanical - radioactive condition because it is placed over 500 m in depth and waste emits decay heats for decades. Repository will be operated around 100 years and will be closed after all the wastes are disposed. The integrity of engineered barriers including buffer, backfill, concrete plug and canister and natural barrier (natural rock mass) will be stood during operating periods. Monitoring sensors for concrete and rock mass is conducted using piezo based sensors such as accelerometer or acoustic emission (AE) sensors. Typical accelerometer for harsh conditions is commonly expensive and data/power cable can be a potential groundwater inflow and nuclide outflow path. The fiber optic accelerometer whose data and power cable are united and has limited volume. Therefore, it can be a potential alternative sensor of piezo based sensors. The temperature limits and accelerated tests for fiber optic sensors are conducted. Most of sensors gives a malfunction around 130°C. The results of these experimental tests give a possibility of communications in compacted bentonite buffer and will be utilized for the design of monitoring systems for the repository.

High level radioactive waste disposal repository is faced thermos-hydro-mechanical-radioactive condition. Factors according to these complex conditions are measured using multiple sensors installed in the disposal repository to check integrity of the structure. Wires of the sensors can be potential pathways of groundwater and nuclide flow and these pathways accelerates bentonite saturation. Therefore, it is worth to developing wireless sensors buried in the bentonite buffer which can communicate without wires. In start of the study, widely-utilized wireless communication methods including WiFi and LoRa are tested using compacted bentonite blocks to estimate the performance of them. Compacted bentonite blocks are prepaired using di-press method with metal molds and the dry density of them are about 1.6 g/cm3. All wireless communication methods are well communicated through the bentonite blocks over 50 cm. The further experimental tests will be conducted with different dry density and water contents. The results of these experimental tests give a possibility of wireless communications in compacted bentonite buffer and will be utilized for the design of wireless sensor systems for the repository monitoring.

The integrity of the disposal repository structure must be guaranteed for few hundreds to few hundred thousand years until toxicity of radioactive waste is surely degraded. Acoustic emission (AE) method is widely utilized to evaluate the integrity of the structure because it can detect crack wave signals of the structures. It is well known that the cracking AE energy is proportional to the volume of the structure (Fractal theory). However, it is hard to destroy whole structures for obtaining AE energy. Therefore, the scaled specimens are prepared to obtain the relationship between volume of the structure and AE energy. The specimens are prepared with same of Wolsong Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Center (WLDC) silo concrete recipe. Their diameters are from 50 mm to 150 mm in each 10 mm and their heights are twice of the diameter. One set of 50 mm to 150 mm specimens (11 specimens in one set) are made in single mixers to maintain uniformity. Surface of the specimens are flatten with cement milk to prevent from applying load with eccentricity. The uniaxial compression test is performed by controlling displacement as 0.1 mm/min. The fractal constant is obtained using least square function from volume-cumulative AE energy relationship.

Low and intermediate radioactive wastes in South Korea have been disposed in Wolsong Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Center (WLDC), Gyeongju. This repository structure is planned to be operated few hundred years while toxicity of the waste is sufficiently decayed. The structural integrity of the repository is required to protect the waste in safe. The integrity of the structure is commonly estimated using acoustic emission (AE) method. The integrity of the structure using AE is obtained by following process: 1) Estimation of maximum acoustic crack energy of the structure, 2) Acoustic signal measurement and filtering, and 3) Measurement of simultaneous acoustic cracking energy. The damage of the structure can be obtained from cumulative cracking energy from the structure divided by the predicted maximum cracking energy of the structure. Estimation of maximum cracking energy is gained by the specimens whose components are identical to the repository structure. The cracking energy of the different specimens are obtained during uniaxial compressive test and volume of the specimen is calculated. Then, the fractal coefficient for the structure is obtained and the maximum crack energy of the target structure can be calculated. The specimens whose diameters vary from 50 mm to 150 mm and heights are twice of the diameter are made with same recipe of WLDC silo concrete. The uniaxial compression test is conducted with loading rate of 0.1 mm·min−1. The fractal coefficient is obtained by least square method from the volume-cumulative energy relationship.

High level nuclear waste (HLW) is surely disposed in repository in safe by being separated from human life zone. Deep geological disposal method is one of the most potent disposal method. Deep geological repository is exposed to high pressure and groundwater saturation due to its depth over 500 m. And it is also exposed to high temperature and radiation by spent fuels. Thus, HLW repository suffers extremely complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-radioactive condition. Long-term integrity of repository should be verified because the expected lifetime of the repository is over 10,000 years. However, the integrity of monitoring sensors are not reach the endurance lifetime of the repository with present technology. And the disposal condition, thermo-hydro-mechanical-radioactive, should shorten the estimated lifetime of the monitoring sensors. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the long-term integrity of the monitoring sensors. Although long-term tests are required to identify the prolonged durability of monitoring sensors, accelerated tests can help curtail test period. Accelerated tests is classified into accelerated stress test and accelerated degradation test and their methodology and theories are investigated. Their tests are design and proceed by following process: 1) identify failure modes, 2) select accelerated stress parameter, 3) Determine stress level, 4) Determine testing time and number of specimens, 5) Define measurement paremeter and failure criteria, 6) Suggest measurement method and measurement duration. Literature reviews were conducted to identify the influence of the disposal conditions such as thermo-hydro-mechnical-radioactive on integrity of material and monitoring sensors. The investigated data reported in this paper will be utilized to verify the improvement of integrity of monitoring sensors.

In this study, the well-known non-destructive acoustic emission (AE) and electrical resistivity methods were employed to predict quantitative damage in the silo structure of the Wolsong Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Center (WLDC), Gyeongju, South Korea. Brazilian tensile test was conducted with a fully saturated specimen with a composition identical to that of the WLDC silo concrete. Bi-axial strain gauges, AE sensors, and electrodes were attached to the surface of the specimen to monitor changes. Both the AE hit and electrical resistance values helped in the anticipation of imminent specimen failure, which was further confirmed using a strain gauge. The quantitative damage (or damage variable) was defined according to the AE hits and electrical resistance and analyzed with stress ratio variations. Approximately 75% of the damage occurred when the stress ratio exceeded 0.5. Quantitative damage from AE hits and electrical resistance showed a good correlation (R = 0.988, RMSE = 0.044). This implies that AE and electrical resistivity can be complementarily used for damage assessment of the structure. In future, damage to dry and heated specimens will be examined using AE hits and electrical resistance, and the results will be compared with those from this study.

Background: Flexion-relaxation phenomenon (FRP) was a term which refers to a sudden onset of myoelectric silence in the erector spinae muscles of the back during standing full forward flexion. Hamstring muscle length may be related to specific pelvic and trunk movements. Many studies have been done on the FRP of the erector spinae muscles. However, no studies have yet investigated the influence of hamstring muscle flexibility on the FRP of the hamstring muscle and lumbopelvic kinematics during forward bending. Objects: The purpose of this study was to examine the flexion-relaxation ratio (FRR) of the hamstring muscles and lumbopelvic kinematics and compare them during forward bending in subjects with different hamstring muscle flexibility. Methods: The subjects of two different groups were recruited using the active knee extension test. Group 1-consisted of 13 subjects who had a popliteal angle under 30°; Group 2-consisted of 13 subjects who had a popliteal angel above 50°. The kinematic parameters during the trunk bending task were recorded using a motion analysis system and the FRRs of the hamstring muscles were calculated. Differences between the groups were identified with an independent t-test. Results: The subjects with greater hamstring length had significantly less lumbar spine flexion movement and more pelvic flexion movement. The subjects with greater pelvic flexion movement had a higher rate of flexion relaxation during full trunk bending (p<.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that differences in hamstring muscle flexibility might cause changes in people’s hamstring muscle activity and lumbopelvic kinematics.

Background: The active knee extension (AKE) test commonly used to assess the flexibility of the hamstring muscles. Many researchers have tested the reliability of the AKE test; however, no published studies have examined the intrarater and interrater reliability of the AKE test using a PBU. Objects: The purpose of this study was to determine the intrarater and interrater reliability of the AKE test performed with a pressure biofeedback unit (PBU) on healthy subjects. Methods: Sixteen healthy male participants volunteered and gave informed consent to participate in this study. Two raters conducted AKE tests independently with a PBU. Each knee was measured twice, and the AKE testing was repeated one week after the first round of testing. Results: The interrater reliability’s intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,1) were .887∼.986 for the right knees and .915∼.988 for the left knees. In addition, the intrarater (test-retest) reliability (ICC3,1) values ranged between .820∼.915 and .820∼.884 for Raters 1 and 2, respectively. The values for the standard error of mesurement were low for all tests (.81∼2.97˚); the calculated minimum detectable change was 2.24∼8.21˚. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the AKE test performed with a PBU had excellent interrater and intrarater reliability for assessing hamstring flexibility in healthy young males.

This study was undertaken to determine the normal appearance of the postpartum uterine involution. Postpartum changes in uterine shape, architecture, echogenicity and diameter were monitored with ultrasonography in 8 Miniature Schnauzer dogs. Vaginal discharge was observed visually during the 3 weeks of postpartum. A large amount of viscous dark green discharge changed progressively to a small amount of transparent discharge. In the uterine shape, the transverse images were crescent or polygonal at the beginning, but became circular after 16 days. At postpartum day 24, the longitudinal images of placental and interplacental sites were similar to each other The echogenicity of uterine structure was clearly distinguishable among the hyperechoic serous membrane, hypochoic myometrium, hyperechoic endometrium, and anechoic uterine contents during the first week postpartum, but afterward the interluminal boundaries and echogenicity became obscure gradually. In addition, the anechoic substance of the endometrial cavity was not observed after postpartum day 28. In the uterine diameter, the diameter of placental sites decreased markedly from 24 mm at the first day postpartum to 13 mm at day 7, and the diameter of interplacental sites decreased from 15 mm at postpartum day 1 to 10 mm at day 7. At postpartum day 65, the uterus (6.4 mm) changed little and had a uniform homogenous echo, and thus it was confirmed that uterine involution was completed at that time in Miniature Schnauzer dogs.

In recent years, the demand of renewable energy fuels has been increased in worldwide because the capacity of fossil fuel would be not affordable in the near decade. As one of renewable energy fuels, the production of sewage sludge would be gradually increased by year, and it would be over than 10million tons in 2015 in Korea. Since ocean dumping was inhibited due to London Convention with being in effective at the end of 2012 in Korea, the combustion of sewage sludge has been emerged as one of alternative technologies of waste to energy. Meanwhile, it would be necessary to apply the carbon capture & storage (CCS) technology to reduce carbon dioxide originated from waste sludge incineration. During oxy-fuel combustion, a combination of oxygen typically of greater than 95% purity and recycled flue gas is used for combustion of the fuel. By recycling the flue gas, a gas consisting mainly of CO₂ and water is generated, ready for sequestration without stripping of the CO₂ from the flue gas. In this study, the pilot test was conducted by a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustor consisting of a riser, a cyclone, a down-comer, and a loop-seal. The CFB combustor has a riser with an inner diameter of 0.15m and a height of 6.4m. The experimental test was carried out with waste sludge in 30kwth CFB combustor operating with oxy-fuel and typical air conditions. The optimum temperature for waste sludge incineration was determined as 800℃. Oxygen with carbon dioxide as a combustion air was fed into a riser and a loop-seal in pilot test bed. The oxygen rate as a combustion air was ranged from 21% to 30% to observe the condition of waste sludge oxy-fuel combustion. The temperature and pressure profile in CFB reactor were depicted in the condition of typical air and oxy-fuel combustion. The flue-gas from typical air and oxy-fuel combustion was analyzed to observe the trend of carbon dioxide and air pollutants emission such as CO, NOx, and SOx, respectively. The production of carbon dioxide was approximately 90% in flue-gas from waste sludge incineration with oxy-fuel condition.