Heavy water primary system decontamination technology is essential to reduce worker exposure and improve safety during maintenance and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Advanced decontamination technology development aims to secure controlled decontamination technologies that can reduce the cost of radiation exposure and dramatically reduce the amount of secondary waste generated when decontaminating large equipment and large-area facilities. We conducted a study to identify candidate corrosion inhibitors through the literature and analyze the degree of corrosion of carbon steel samples. Countries with advanced nuclear technology have developed chemical decontamination technology for the entire nuclear power generation system and applied it to the dismantling and maintenance of nuclear power plants. In the decontamination process, the corrosion oxide film must be removed. If the base metal is corroded by the decontaminant in this process, additional secondary waste is generated and treatment costs increase. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a corrosion inhibitor that inhibits the corrosion of the carbon steel base metal in the decontamination process to generate a secondary waste liquid that is favorable for waste reduction and treatment. In this presentation, a study was conducted to analyze the extent of corrosion on a carbon steel base material and identify candidate materials for corrosion inhibition testing. Samples were analyzed using optical microscopy and EPMA analysis to determine the thickness of the corroded oxide film. EPMA analysis also allowed us to map the elemental distribution of the carbon steel corrosion layer, which we plan to quantify in the future. The candidate materials for organic-based corrosion inhibitor were also selected based on their inhibition mechanism; having high electronegative elements for coordinate covalent bonding at metal surface and hydrophobic nonpolar group for preventing access of corrosive substances.The selection of candidate materials for corrosion inhibition testing was based on the mechanism of the corrosion inhibitor. Organic-based corrosion inhibitors are adsorbed by donor-acceptor interactions between metal surfaces and highly electronegative elements. Corrosion can also be inhibited by arranging hydrophobic nonpolar groups on metal surfaces in the solution direction to prevent access of corrosive substances.

Heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O) is water in which hydrogen atoms (1H, H), one of the constituent elements of water molecules, have been replaced with deuterium (2H, D), a heavier isotope. Heavy water is used in a variety of industries, including semiconductors, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, neutron deceleration, neutrino detection, metabolic rate studies, neutron capture therapy, and the production of radioactive materials such as plutonium and tritium. In particular, heavy water is used as a neutron moderator or coolant in nuclear reactors and as a fuel for nuclear fusion energy, methods for measuring heavy water are becoming increasingly important. There are methods with density, mass spectrometry, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used, which is commonly used in IR spectroscopy because of its relatively high analytical sensitivity, low operating costs, and easy online analysis. Heavy water was identified in the range of 2,300-2,600 cm-1 wavenumber (O-D) and the range of 1,200-1,300 cm-1 wavenumber (D-O-D), which are known to be the range with strong infrared absorption. As a result, the linearity of infrared absorbance for each heavy water concentration was confirmed within the relative expansion uncertainty (k=2).

Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) have stored ion exchange resins, which are used in deuteration, dehydrogenation systems, liquid waste treatment systems, and heavy water cleaning systems, in spent resin storage tanks. The C-14 radioactivity concentration of PHWR spent resin currently stored at the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant is 4.6×10E+6 Bq/g, which exceeds the limited concentration of low-level radioactive waste. In addition, when all is disposed of, the total radioactivity of C-14, 1.48×10E+15 Bq, exceeds the disposal limit of the first-stage disposal facility, 3.04×10E+14. Therefore, it is currently impossible to dispose of them in Gyeongju intermediate- and low-level disposal facilities. As to dispose of spent resins produced in PHWR, C-14 must be removed from spent resins. This C- 14 removal technology from the spent resin can increase the utilization of Gyeongju intermediate- and low-level disposal facilities, and since C-14 separated from the spent resin can be used as an expensive resource, it is necessary to maximize its economic value by recycling it. The development of C-14 removal technology from the spent resin was carried out under the supervision of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in 2003, but there was a limit to the C-14 removal and adsorption technology and process. After that, Sunkwang T&S, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology developed spent resin treatment technology with C-14-containing heavy water for the first and second phases from 2015 to 2019 and from 2019 to the present, respectively. The first study had a limitation of a pilot device with a treatment capacity of 10L per day, and the second study was insufficient in implementing the technology to separate spent resin from the mixture, and it was difficult to install on-site due to the enlarged equipment scale. The technology to be proposed in this paper overcomes the limitations of spent resin mixture separation and equipment size, which are the disadvantages of the existing technology. In addition, since 14CO2 with high concentration is stored in liquid form in the storage tank, only the necessary amount of C-14 radioactive isotope can be extracted from the storage tank and be used in necessary industrial fields such as labeling compound production. Therefore, when the facility proposed in this paper is applied for treating mixtures in spent resin tanks of PHWR, it is expected to secure field applicability and safety, and to reflect the various needs of consumers of labeled compound operators utilizing C-14.

According to IAEA PRIS, there is no record of dismantling commercial heavy water reactors among 57 heavy water reactors around the world. In Canada, which has the largest number of heavy water reactors, three of the 22 commercial heavy water reactors with more than 500 MW are permanently suspended, Gentilly unit 2 (2012), Pickering unit 2 (2007), and Pickering unit 3 (2008), all of which chose a delayed decommissioning strategy. On the other hand, Wolsong unit 1, which will be the world’s first heavy water reactor to be dismantled commercially, will be immediately carried out as a decommissioning strategy. KHNP has established various cooperation systems with advanced companies and international organizations related to overseas NPP decommission and is actively exchanging technologies. Among them, the most important focus is on research cooperation related to COG (CANDU owners Group). The first case is a joint study on Conceptual Calandria Segmentation. Four areas of process, waste management, ALARA, and cost for decommissioning reactors to be submitted to Canadian regulators for approval of Pickering and Gentilly-2’s preliminary decommissioning plan have been evaluated, and research on Wolsong unit 1 is currently underway. The second case is Decommissioning and long-term waste management R&D. Although the technical maturity is low, it studies the common interests of member companies in the decommissioning of heavy water reactor power generation companies and long-term waste management. Robotics for dismantling high-radiation structures, C- 14, H-3 measurement and removal methods, and concrete decontamination technology, which are characterized by heavy water, are being actively studied. KHNP is strengthening international cooperation with COG to prepare for the successful decommissioning of Wolsong unit 1. Based on previous studies by Pickering and Gentilly-2, an evaluation of the decommissioning of Wolsong unit 1 reactor is being conducted. In addition, it is preparing for decommissioning through experience analysis of the pressure tube replacement project.

KHNP is carrying out international technical cooperation and joint research projects to decommission Wolsong unit 1 reactor. Construction data of the reactor structures, experience data on the pressure tube replacement projects, and the operation history were reviewed, and the amount of dismantled waste was calculated and waste was classified through activation analysis. By reviewing COG (CANDU owners Group) technical cooperation and experience in refurbishment projects, KHNP’s unique Wolsong unit 1 reactor decommissioning process was established, and basic design of a number of decommissioning equipment was carried out. Based on this, a study is being conducted to estimate the worker dose of dismantling workers. In order to evaluate the dose of external exposure of dismantling workers, detailed preparation and dismantling processes and radiation field evaluation of activated structures are required. The preparation process can be divided into dismantlement of existing facilities that interfere with the reactor dismantling work and construction of various facilities for the dismantlement process. Through process details, the work time, manpower, and location required for each process will be calculated. Radiation field evaluation takes into account changes in the shape of structures by process and calculates millions of areas by process, so integrated scripts are developed and utilized to integrate input text data. If the radiation field evaluation confirms that the radiation risk of workers is high, mutual feedback will be exchanged so that the process can be improved, such as the installation of temporary shields. The results of this study will be used as basic data for the final decommissioning plan for Wolsong unit 1. By reasonably estimating the dose of workers through computer analysis, safety will be the top priority when decommissioning.

Under the Foreign Trade Act, an export license from the Nuclear Safety Commission is required to export items specified in Part 10 of Schedule 2 of the Public Notice of Exportation and Importation of Strategic Items (Trigger List Items). In the case of nuclear materials, deuterium, and heavy water, its cumulative amount determines whether it is trigger list item. An export license is required only if the cumulative amount exported to a single end-user country from January 1st to December 31st exceeds the regulation criteria. The reason for this cumulative control is to exclude small amounts of materials from the scope of control as they are considered less important in view of nuclear proliferation, but to prevent the possibility of acquiring large quantities of materials by importing small amounts several times. As a result, export control of nuclear material, deuterium, and heavy water requires different considerations than other Trigger List Items. First, materials exported by different companies must be consolidated to manage the cumulative amount. Second, it is necessary to continuously follow up the actual export status. If the material is not exported after it was classified as ‘non-Trigger List Items’, it should not be included in the cumulative amount. Third, there may be a difference between the accumulated quantities aggregated at the time of the classification and the time of the actual export. The classification should be changed if an export of the classified material is postponed or another export of same materials occurs before the export of the classified material. Fourth, the classification result of these materials should not be reused. Generally, the classification result could be reused within the expiration date (2 years) but in the case of substances. However, the reuse of classification result for materials should be limited as the classification results could be change depending on the cumulative amount. In addition, the sharing of classification results between different entities should also be restricted. The government approval procedures are required even for export of small amounts of nuclear materials which are less than the regulation criteria. The cumulative quantities of nuclear materials are systematically managed in the Nuclear Export & imPort control System (NEPS) through these procedures. NEPS is also linked to the custom clearance system of Korea Customs Service, which enables to track actual exports and the time of exports. However, cumulative quantities for the heavy water and deuterium are managed individually by classification reviewers. The annual export plans are received in advance from major entities which deal with the materials for nuclear uses, and the cumulative quantities for each application are managed manually. The systematic management has not been required as there were a few cases of exporting small quantities. However, systematic management may be required in the future as overseas expansion attempts from various companies in the nuclear field has been increasing. In addition, further study is needed on the criteria and system for calculating the cumulative amount. The time of aggregate the cumulative amount should be clarified by considering the difference between the time of classification and actual export. It is required to devise an efficient way to follow up the actual export.

중수는 경수와 다른 물리화학적 특징으로 다양한 생물화학적 변화를 유도할 수 있다. 기존 분리공정의 단점인 에 너지소비량을 줄이고자 전기방사 폴리아마이드 분리막을 이용하여 정삼투공정을 이용하였다. 유도용액으로 NaCl과 인산을 사용하였다. 중수농도를 정량화하기 위해 FT-IR 분광법을 활용하였다. 인산과 수소/중수소의 특별한 상호작용력을 분광학적 으로 확인하였으며, 정삼투공정으로 농축이 가능할 수 있다는 것을 관찰하였다.

A simulation model was developed for heavy water pre-enrichment and detritiation by the Combined Electrolysis and Catalytic Exchange (CECE) process. In the CECE process, heavy water enrichment and detritiation are based on the principle that concentrated in to water phase through an isotopic exchange reaction between water vapor and hydrogen gas produced by a water electrolysis. An operational analysis for a liquid phase catalytic exchange column was carried out by the model equations, composed of a material balance and combined equilibrium relationships for a scrubbing and catalyst bed, respectively. As a result of simulation, the optimum flow ratio of water to the rising hydrogen gas in contact with the down-coming water was predicted as the key variables in the separation performance analysis at a given feed flow rate and isotopic composition. From a graphical approach based on this model, the operating conditions can be determined within the range where the operating line does not meet the combined equilibrium line before reaching the specified target concentration.

With the aging of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in 37 countries around the world, 207 out of 437 NPPs have been permanently shutdown as of August 2022 according to the IAEA. In Korea, the decommissioning of NPPs is emerging as a challenge due to the permanent shutdown of Kori Unit 1 and Wolsong Unit 1. However, there are no cases of decommissioning activities for Heavy Water Reactor (HWR) such as Wolsong Unit 1 although most of the decommissioning technologies for Light Water Reactor (LWR) such as Kori Unit 1 have been developed and there are cases of overseas decommissioning activities. This study shows the development of a decommissioning waste amount/cost/process linkage program for decommissioning Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), i.e. CANDU NPPs. The proposed program is an integrated management program that can derive optimal processes from an economic and safety perspective when decommissioning PHWR based on 3D modeling of the structures and digital mock-up system that links the characteristic data of PHWR, equipment and construction methods. This program can be used to simulate the nuclear decommissioning activities in a virtual space in three dimensions, and to evaluate the decommissioning operation characteristics, waste amount, cost, and exposure dose to worker. In order to verify the results, our methods for calculating optimal decommissioning quantity, which are closely related to radiological impact on workers and cost reduction during decommissioning, were compared with the methods of the foreign specialized institution (NAGRA). The optimal decommissioning quantity can be calculated by classifying the radioactivity level through MCNP modeling of waste, investigating domestic disposal containers, and selecting cutting sizes, so that costs can be reduced according to the final disposal waste reduction. As the target waste to be decommissioning for comparative study with NAGRA, the calandria in PHWR was modeled using MCNP. For packaging waste container, NAGRA selected three (P2A, P3, MOSAIK), and we selected two (P2A, P3) and compared them. It is intended to develop an integrated management program to derive the optimal process for decommissioning PHWR by linking the optimal decommissioning quantity calculation methodology with the detailed studies on exposure dose to worker, decommissioning order, difficulty of work, and cost evaluation. As a result, it is considered that it can be used not only for PHWR but also for other types of NPPs decommissioning in the future to derive optimal results such as worker safety and cost reduction.

The safety of a KTC-360 transport cask, a large-capacity pressurized heavy-water reactor transport cask that transports CANDU spent nuclear fuel discharged from the reactor after burning in a pressurized heavy-water reactor, must be demonstrated under the normal transport and accident conditions specified under transport cask regulations. To confirm the thermal integrity of this cask under normal transport and accident conditions, high-temperature and fire tests were performed using a one-third slice model of an actual KTC-360 cask. The results revealed that the surface temperature of the cask was 62°C, indicating that such casks must be transported separately. The highest temperature of the CANDU spent nuclear fuel was predicted to be lower than the melting temperature of Zircaloy-4, which was the sheath material used. Therefore, if normal operating conditions are applied, the thermal integrity of a KTC-360 cask can be maintained under normal transport conditions. The fire test revealed that the maximum temperatures of the structural materials, stainless steel, and carbon steel were 446°C lower than the permitted maximum temperatures, proving the thermal integrity of the cask under fire accident conditions.

In this study, four types of water-heavy fuel oil hybrid emulsion oil were manufactured depending on the moisture content ratio in order to reduce exhaust emissions of heavy fuel oil(Bunder-C), which is necessarily used in vessels, power plants and boilers. The components of the manufactured emulsion oil were analyzed using the ISO standard testing method. The analysis result showed that in the EM25 fuel with a maximum moisture content ratio of 25.0%, the moisture content was 25.0%, the sulphur content was 0.20%, the kinematic viscosity was 144.8mm2/s, the specific gravity was 0.9382, and the flash point was 100 Celsius degrees or above.

Heavy metals in stream water and sediments around industrial complex were studied in order to assess the contamination and to identify the potential source of metals. High variability has been observed for both dissolved and particulate phases in stream water with coefficient of variation (CV) ranging from 1.3 to 2.8. The highest metal concentrations in both phases were observed in Gunja for Ni and Cu, in Jungwang for Zn and Pb and in Shiheung for Cd, respectively. These results indicate that the different metal sources could be existing. The concentrations of the heavy metals in sediments decreased in the order of Cu>Zn>Pb>Cr>Ni>As>Cd>Hg, with mean of 2,549, 1,742, 808, 539, 163, 17.1, 5.8, 0.07 mg kg-1, respectively. Mean of metal concentrations (except for As) in sediments showed the highest values at Shiheung stream comparing with other streams. In sediments, the percent exceedance of class II grade that metal may potentially harmful impact on benthic organism for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb was about 57%, 62%, 84%, 60%, 68%, 81% for all stream sediments, respectively. Sediments were classified as heavily to extremely polluted for Cu and Cd, heavily polluted for Zn and Pb, based on the calculation of Igeo value. About 59% and 35% of sediments were in the categories of “poor” and “very poor” pollution status for heavy metals. Given the high metal concentrations, industrial wastes and effluents, having high concentrations of most metals originated from the manufacture and use of metal products in this region, might be discharged into the stream through sewer outlet. The streams receive significant amounts of industrial waste from the industrial facilities which is characterized by light industrial complexes of approximately 17,000 facilities. Thus, the transport of metal loads through streams is an important pathway for metal pollution in Shihwa Lake.