The bentonite buffer material is a crucial component in an engineered barrier system used for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Because a large amount of heat from the disposal canister is released into the bentonite buffer material, the thermal conductivity of the bentonite buffer is a crucial parameter that determines the design temperature. At the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), a new standard bentonite (Bentonil-WRK) has been used since 2022 because Gyeongju (KJ) bentonite is no longer produced. However, the currently available data are insufficient, making it essential to investigate both the basic and complex properties of Bentonil-WRK. Thus, this study evaluated its geotechnical and thermal properties and developed a thermal conductivity empirical model that considers its dry density, water content, and temperature variations from room temperature to 90°C. The coefficient of determination (R2) for the model was found to be 0.986. The thermal conductivity values of Bentonil-WRK were 1–10% lower than those of KJ bentonite and 10–40% higher than those of MX-80 bentonites, which were attributable to mineral-composition differences. The thermal conductivity of Bentonil-WRK ranged between 0.504 and 1.149 W·(m−1·K−1), while the specific heat capacity varied from 0.826 to 1.138 (kJ·(kg−1·K−1)).

Numerous factors contribute to the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. Elevated temperatures significantly alter the composition of the concrete ingredients, consequently diminishing the concrete's strength properties. With the escalation of global CO2 levels, the carbonation of concrete structures has emerged as a critical challenge, substantially affecting concrete durability research. Assessing and predicting concrete degradation due to thermal effects and carbonation are crucial yet intricate tasks. To address this, multiple prediction models for concrete carbonation and compressive strength under thermal impact have been developed. This study employs seven machine learning algorithms—specifically, multiple linear regression, decision trees, random forest, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbors, artificial neural networks, and extreme gradient boosting algorithms—to formulate predictive models for concrete carbonation and thermal impact. Two distinct datasets, derived from reported experimental studies, were utilized for training these predictive models. Performance evaluation relied on metrics like root mean square error, mean square error, mean absolute error, and coefficient of determination. The optimization of hyperparameters was achieved through k-fold cross-validation and grid search techniques. The analytical outcomes demonstrate that neural networks and extreme gradient boosting algorithms outshine the remaining five machine learning approaches, showcasing outstanding predictive performance for concrete carbonation and thermal effect modeling.

The thermal evaluations for the conceptual design of the deep geological repository considering the improved modeling of the spent fuel decay heat were conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics computational program. The maximum temperature at the surface of a disposal canister for the technical design requirement should not exceed 100°C. However, the peak temperature at the canister surface should not exceed 95°C considering the safety margin of 5°C due to several uncertainties. All thermal evaluations were based on the time-dependent simulation from the emplacement time of the canister to 100,000 years later. In particular, the heat source condition was set to the decay heat rate and axial decay heat profile of the PLUS7 fuel with 4.0wt% U-235 and 45 GWD/MTU. The thermal properties of the granitic rock in South Korea were applied to the host rock region. For the reference design case, the cooling time of the SNF was set to 40 years, the distance between the deposition holes 8 meters and that between the deposition tunnels 30 meters. However, the peak temperature at the canister surface at 10 years was 95.979°C greater than 95°C. This design did not meet the thermal safety requirement and needed to be modified. For the first modified case, when the distance between the deposition tunnels was set to 30 meters, three cooling time cases of 40, 50 and 60 years and five distances of 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 meters between the deposition holes were considered. The design with the distances of 9 and 10 meters between the deposition holes for the cooling time of 40 years and all five distances for 50 and 60 years were less than 95°C. For the second modified case, when the distance between the deposition holes was set to 8 meters, three cooling time cases of 40, 50 and 60 years and five distances of 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 meters between the deposition tunnels were considered. The design with the distances of 35 and 40 meters between the deposition tunnels for the cooling time of 40 years, the distances of 25, 30, 35 and 40 meters for 50 years and all five distances for 60 years were less than 95°C. As a result, the peak temperature at the canister surface decreased as the cooling time and the distance between the deposition holes and the tunnels increased.

상변화 물질(PCM)은 상전이 동안 에너지를 흡수하거나 방출할 수 있는 잠열 저장 물질로 활용된다. 최근 수십 년 동 안, 연구자들은 다양한 온도 적용을 위한 건설 물질로의 다양한 PCM의 통합을 탐구해 왔다. 그러나, PCM을 통합하는 콘크리트 의 기계적 및 열적 반응은 통합 방법에 의해 영향을 받는다. PCM을 콘크리트에 추가하기 위한 여러 기술이 제안되었다. 그럼 에도 불구하고, 콘크리트에 마이크로 캡슐화 PCM(m-PCM)의 통합은 종종 기계적 강도의 상당한 감소를 초래한다. 기존 콘크리 트에 m-PCM의 추가와 관련된 한계를 극복하기 위해, 예외적인 강도 및 내구성 특성으로 인해 초고성능 시멘트 복합체(UHPCC) 가 선호된다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 기존 기술의 단점을 해결하기 위해 PCM을 통합한 신규 나노 엔지니어링 UHPCC를 개발하 였다. 또한, 시멘트 복합체의 기계적 및 열적 성능을 향상시키기 위해 다중 벽 탄소 나노튜브(MWCNT)를 추가하였다. 결과는 MWCNT의 포함이 기계적 성능을 향상시켰을 뿐만 아니라 시멘트 복합체의 열적 성능을 향상시켰다는 것을 보여 주었다.

With the increasing number of aging buildings across Korea, emerging maintenance technologies have surged. One such technology is the non-contact detection of concrete cracks via thermal images. This study aims to develop a technique that can accurately predict the depth of a crack by analyzing the temperature difference between the crack part and the normal part in the thermal image of the concrete. The research obtained temperature data through thermal imaging experiments and constructed a big data set including outdoor variables such as air temperature, illumination, and humidity that can influence temperature differences. Based on the collected data, the team designed an algorithm for learning and predicting the crack depth using machine learning. Initially, standardized crack specimens were used in experiments, and the big data was updated by specimens similar to actual cracks. Finally, a crack depth prediction technology was implemented using five regression analysis algorithms for approximately 24,000 data points. To confirm the practicality of the development technique, crack simulators with various shapes were added to the study.

Many countries have used nuclear power to generate electricity. Uranium-235, which is used as fuel in nuclear power plants, produces many fission products. Among them, iodine-129 is problematic due to its long half-life (1.57×107 years) and high diffusivity in the environment. If it is released into the environment without any treatment, it could have a major impact on humans and ecosystems. Therefore, it must be treated into a stable form through capture and solidification. Iodine can be captured in the form of AgI through silver-loaded zeolite filters in off-gas treatment processes. However, AgI could be decomposed in the reducing atmosphere of groundwater, so it must be converted into a stable form. In this study, Al2O3, Bi2O3, PbO, V2O5, MoO3, or WO3 were added to the iodine solidification matrix, AgI-Ag2O-TeO2 glass. The glass precursors were mixed to the appropriate composition and placed in an alumina crucible. After heat treatment at 800°C for 1 hour, the melt was quenched in a carbon crucible. The leaching behavior and thermal properties of the glass samples were evaluated. The PCT-A test for leaching evaluation showed that the normalized releases of all elements were below 2 g/m2, which satisfied the U.S. glass wasteform leaching regulations. Diffrential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed to evaluate the thermal properties of all glass samples. The addition of MoO3 or WO3 to the AgI-Ag2O-TeO2 glass increased the glass transition temperature (Tg) and crystallization temperature (Tc) while maintaining the glass stability. The similar relative electro-static filed values of MoO3, and WO3 which are approxibately three times that of the glass network former TeO2, could provide sufficient force to the TeO2 interacting with the non-bridging oxygen forming Te-O-M (M=V, Mo, W) links. The high electrostatic forces of Mo and W increased the glass network cohension and prevented the crystallization of the glass.

Heat-generating nuclides such as Cs-137 and Sr-90 should be separated from spent nuclear fuel to reduce the short-term thermal load on the repository facility. In particular, Sr-90 must be separated because its decay process generates high temperatures. Recently, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KEARI) has been developing a waste burden minimization technology to reduce the environmental burden resulting from the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and maximize the utilization of the disposal facility. The technology incorporates a nuclide management process that maximizes disposal efficiency by selectively separating and accumulating key nuclides from spent nuclear fuel, such as Cs, Sr, I, TRU/RE, and Tc/Se. Sr nuclides dissolve in the chloride phase during the chlorination process of spent nuclear fuel and are recovered as carbonate or oxide through reactive distillation or reactive crystallization. Due to their chemical similarity, Ba nuclides are recovered along with Sr nuclides during this process. In this study, we prepared a ceramic waste form for group II nuclides, Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1), using the solid-state reaction method, taking into account the different ratios of Sr/Ba nuclides produced during the nuclide management process. Regardless of the Sr/Ba ratio, the established waste form fabrication process was able to produce a stable waste form. Physicochemical properties, including leaching and thermal properties, were evaluated to determine the stability of group II waste forms. In addition, the radiological properties of waste forms of Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 with varying Sr/Ba ratios were evaluated. These results provided fundamental data for the long-term storage and management of waste forms containing group II nuclides.

There have been a variety of issues related to spent nuclear fuel in Korea recently. Most of the issues are related to intermediate storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel. However, recently, various studies have been started in advanced nuclear countries such as the United States to reduce spent nuclear fuel, focusing on measures to reduce spent nuclear fuel. In this study, a simple preliminary assessment of the thermal part was performed for the consolidation storage method which separates fuel rods from spent nuclear fuel and stores them. The preliminary thermal evaluation was analyzed separately for storing the spent fuel in fuel assembly state and separating the fuel rods and storing them. The consolidation storage method in separating the fuel rods was advantageous in terms of thermal conductivity. However, detailed evaluation should be performed considering heat transfer by convection and vessel shape when storing multiple fuel bundles simultaneously.

This study sought to conduct a fundamental investigation in order to test and evaluate the thermal performance of an aluminum stick curtain wall system. In terms of the thermal performance index, the infiltration rate of air tightness, thermal transmittance of the heat insulation property and temperature difference ratio of condensation resistance were experimentally measured. The research process can be divided into three parts. First of all, a database for the test report of the curtain wall was compiled and existing design criteria with respect to the evaluation method and standard of transparent building components such as curtain wall, window and door were analyzed to produce the specimens. Secondly, four different types of curtain wall specimens were created through investigating the curtain wall database. Thirdly, standard tests of thermal performance were carried out for airtightness, thermal performance and condensation resistance. As a result, the curtain wall specimens with low-e triple glazing covered by an aluminum capture system showed high thermal performance compared to other curtain wall specimens including low-e triple glazing with a 4-sided structural sealant glazing system. Air tightness of all types of curtain wall specimens satisfied level 1 standard for air tightness. It was found that a curtain wall which consists of a one track frame has difficulties meeting the residential standard of thermal performance with regard to thermal transmittance and condensation resistance.

PURPOSES : In this study, the thermal conductivity properties and mechanical performance of a thermally conductive asphalt mixture that can be applied to increase the efficiency of deicing asphalt pavements are evaluated. METHODS : Graphite powder and carbon fiber, which are inexpensive carbon materials, were added to the asphalt mixture to its conductivity. To determine the optimal mixing ratio of the carbon materials, the dispersibility, thermal conductivity, and performance of the conductive asphalt mixture were evaluated. The performance of the mixture was evaluated in terms of its volume characteristics, Marshall stability, dynamic modulus, indirect tensile strength (IDT), and wheel-tracking tests. RESULTS : The thermal conductivity of the asphalt mixture containing 2% graphite is 1.81 W/mK, which is approximately twice (0.94 W/mK) that of a general asphalt mixture. Meanwhile, the graphite-added asphalt mixture indicates a much higher temperature increase rate than the general asphalt mixture, and its surface temperature after 60 min is 7.5 ℃ higher. In addition, it reaches 0 ℃ from -10 ℃ at a rate 1.5 times higher than that required by the general asphalt mixture. When both 2% graphite and 1% carbon fiber are added, the thermal conductivity improves to 2.03 W/mK, and the conductivity is similar at all locations of the slab specimen location, which indicates no dispersibility issue. The results of the mechanical performance evaluation shows that the higher the ratio of the carbon material, the lower is the dynamic modulus and IDT at 20 ℃, which decreases the crack resistance. Meanwhile, the results of the Hamburg wheel-tracking test at 50 ℃ show an improvement in the permanent deformation resistance. CONCLUSIONS : The results of the conductivity and performance evaluation show that the optimal ratio is the combination of 2% graphite and 0.5% carbon fiber. This suggests that the conductive asphalt mixture incorporated with carbon materials can efficiently transfer heat generated from the heating layer at the bottom of the pavement to the pavement surface.

Uranium-235, used in nuclear power generation, produces a lot of radioactive waste. Among radioactive waste nuclides, I-129 is problematic due to its long half-life (1.57×107 y) with high mobility in the environment. It should be captured and immobilized into a geological disposal environment through a stable waste form. In this study, various additives including Al, Bi, Pb, V, Mo and W were added to silver tellurite glass to prepare a matrix for immobilizing iodine, and its thermal and leaching properties were evaluated. To prepare glass, the glass precursor mixture was placed in alumina crucibles and heated at 800°C for 1 h. Except for aluminum, there was no significant loss of constituent elements. The loading of iodine in the matrix was approximately 11-15% by weigh, excluding oxygen. The normalized releases of all the elements obtained by PCT-A were below the order of 10-1 g/m2, which satisfies US regulation (2 g/m2). Differential scanning calorimetry was performed to evaluate the thermal properties of the glass samples. The glass transition temperature (Tg) increased by adding such as V2O5, MoO3, or WO3. The similar relative electrostatic field values of V2O5, MoO3, and WO3 could provide sufficient electro static field to the TeO2 interacting with the non-bridging oxygen forming Te-O-M (M = V, Mo, W) links. The addition of MoO3 or WO3 in the silver tellurite glass system increased glass transition temperature (Tg) and crystallization temperature (Tc) while maintaining the glass stability.

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.

Uranium-235, used for nuclear power generation, has brought radioactive waste. It could be released into the environment during reprocessing or recycling of the spent nuclear fuel. Among the radioactive waste nuclides, I-129 occurs problems due to its long half-life (1.57×107 y) with high mobility in the environment. Therefore, it should be captured and immobilized into a geological disposal system through a stable waste form. One of the methods to capture iodine in the off-gas treatment process is to use silver loaded zeolite filter. It converts radioactive iodine into AgI, one of the most stable iodine forms in the solid state. However, it is difficult to directly dispose of AgI itself in an underground repository because of its aqueous dissolution under reducing condition with Fe2+. It must be immobilized in the matrix materials to prevent release of iodine as a result of chemical reaction. Among the matrix glasses, silver tellurite glass has been proposed. In this study, additives including Al, Bi, Pb, V, Mo, and W were added into the silver tellurite glass. The thermal properties of each matrix for radioactive iodine immobilization were evaluated. The glasses were prepared by the melt-quenching method at 800°C for 1 h. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed to evaluate the thermal properties of the glass samples. From the study, the glass transition temperature (Tg) was increased by adding additives such as V2O5, MoO3, or WO3 in the silver tellurite glass. The relative electro-static field (REF) values of V2O5, MoO3, and WO3 are about three times higher than that of the glass network former, TeO2. It could provide sufficient electro-static field (EF) to the TeO2 interacting with the non-bridging oxygen forming Te-O-M (M = V, Mo, W) links. Therefore, the addition of V2O5, MoO3, or WO3 reinforced the glass network cohesion to increase the Tg of the glass. The addition of MoO3or WO3 in the silver tellurite glass increased Tg and crystallization temperature (Tc) with remaining the glass stability.

The conventional research trend on spent fuel was safety analysis based on mechanical perspective. Analysis of spent fuel cladding is based on the temperature of cladding and pressure inside cladding. To improve fuel cladding analysis, precise and accurate thermal safety evaluation is required. In this study a database which is about thermal conductivity and emissivity for the thermal modeling was established for a long-term safety analysis of spent fuel. As a result, we confirmed that the thermal conductivity of zirconium hydride was not accounted in conventional model such as FRAPCON and MATPRO. The conductivity of zirconium and its oxide was evaluated only as a function of temperature. However, the behavior of heat conductivity and emissivity is determined by the change of the material properties. The material properties depend on the microstructural characteristic. It can be seen that this conventional approach does not consider the microstructure change behavior according to vacuum drying process or burn-up induced degradation phenomena. To improve the thermal properties of spent nuclear fuel cladding, the measurement experiments of heat conduction and emissivity are required according to spent fuel experience and status such as the number of vacuum drying, cooling rate, burn up, hydrogen concentration and oxidation degree. In previous domestic reports and papers, we found that relative data between thermal properties and spent fuel experience and status does not exist. Recently, in order to understand the failure mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement, many studies have been conducted by accounting and spent fuel experience and status in a mechanical perspective. If microstructure information could be obtained from these studies, the modeling of thermal conductivity and emissivity will be possible indirectly. According to a recent abroad paper, it was confirmed that the thermal conductivity decreased by about 30% due to irradiation damage. The radiation damage effects on thermal conductivity also has not been studied in zirconium oxide and hydride. These un-revealed phenomena will be considered for the thermal safety model of spent fuel.

In this study, the types of thermal breakers applied to structures to prevent thermal bridges were identified. Condensation prevention performance was evaluated for apartment houses with standard floor structures to which a thermal breaker was applied. In addition, the effect of thermal cross-blocking was compared by calculating the total heat and equivalent U-value through the wall. (1) As a result of the evaluation of anti-condensation performance, when “가” grade insulation was applied, the surface temperature increased by about 1K due to the application of the thermal breaker. The TDR value increased by about 0.06 to 0.07. When "나" grade insulation was applied, the minimum surface temperature increased by about 1K, and the TDR value increased by about 0.05~0.06. (2) As a result of the evaluation of total heat and U-equivalent, it was possible to reduce the total heat by 38.5~44.9% and U-equivalent by 38.5~45.0% for the "가" grade insulation to which the thermal breaker was applied. In addition, the "나" grade insulation to which the thermal breaker was applied can reduce total heat by 38.9 to 43.6%, and reduce the Uequivalent by 38.9 to 43.7%.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to suggest a thermal expansion coefficient measurement method using an embedded strain transducer (EST) and vibrating wire gauge (VWG), as well as to evaluate the reliability of the proposed methods by comparing them with the AASHTO T 336-10 standard method. METHODS : To apply the AASHTO 336-10 test method, which is the criterion for reliability evaluation, a reference specimen using stainless steel (sus304) is manufactured, and a thermal expansion coefficient of 17.308με/°C is obtained based on ISO regulations. Using the reference specimen, the correction factor of the thermal expansion coefficient measurement equipment is measured to be 2.93με/°C, and using this value, the thermal expansion coefficient of the mortar specimen containing the embedded gauges is measured accurately. The reliability of the proposed experimental method is evaluated by measuring the thermal expansion coefficient of the embedded gauge with temperature compensation and then comparing it with that of the reference specimen. RESULTS : The coefficient of thermal expansion of the mortar specimen is measured to be 12.423με/°C based on AASHTO 336-10, 11.963με/°C using the EST method, and 12.522με/°C using the VWG method. Based on the results obtained using the AASHTO method, the embedded gauges show a difference of 1%~3% in terms of the average results, as well as a difference in the standard deviation of 0.059~0.186. Therefore, our level of confidence in the thermal expansion coefficient experiment using the embedded gauges is high. CONCLUSIONS : When using the AASHTO 336-10 test method, the thermal expansion coefficient should be obtained by measuring the length change of the specimen; however, some engineering judgment of the experimenter is required when the measurement values fluctuate during the temperature stabilization period. In the thermal expansion coefficient test using embedded gauges (EST and VWG), temperature compensation must be performed. Furthermore, it is assumed that the temperature difference between the water tank and test specimen does not significantly affect the thermal expansion coefficient measurement because the important point is not the actual temperature value but the temperature gradient. For reliability evaluation, a statistical significance review of the strain distribution by measurement method is performed via a T-test comparing with the AASHTO test result (12.423με/°C) and the reliability level for each measurement method remains confidential.