The development of existing radioactive waste (RI waste) management technologies has been limited to processing techniques for volume reduction. However, this approach has limitations as it does not address issues that compromise the safety of RI waste management, such as the leakage of radioactive liquid, radiation exposure, fire hazards, and off-gas generation. RI waste comes in various forms of radioactive contamination levels, and the sources of waste generation are not fixed, making it challenging to apply conventional decommissioning and disposal techniques from nuclear power plants. This necessitates the development of new disposal facilities suitable for domestic use. Various methods have been considered for the solidification of RI waste, including cement solidification, paraffin solidification, and polymer solidification. Among these, the polymer solidification method is currently regarded as the most suitable material for RI waste immobilization, aiming to overcome the limitations of cement and paraffin solidification methods. Therefore, in this study, a conceptual design for a solidification system using polymer solidification was developed. Taking into account industrial applicability and process costs, a solidification system using epoxy resin was designed. The developed solidification system consists of a pre-treatment system (fine crush), solidification system, cladding system, and packing system. Each process is automated to enhance safety by minimizing user exposure to radioactive waste. The cladding system was designed to minimize defects in the solidified material. Based on the proposed conceptual design in this paper, we plan to proceed with the specific design phase and manufacture performance testing equipment based on the basic design.

Even though a huge amount of spent nuclear fuels are accumulated at each nuclear power plant site in Korea, our government has not yet started to select a final disposal site, which might require more than several km2 surface area. According to the second national plan for the management of high-level radioactive waste, the reference geological disposal concept followed the Finnish concept based on KBS-3 type. However, the second national plan also mentioned that it was necessary to develop the technical alternatives. Considering the limited area of the Korean peninsula, the authors had developed an alternative disposal concepts for spent nuclear fuels in order to enhance the disposal density since 2021. Among ten disposal concepts shown in the literature published in 2000’s, we narrowed them to four concepts by international experiences and expert judgements. Assuming 10,000 t of CANDU spent nuclear fuels (SNF), we designed the engineered barriers for each alternative disposal concept. That is, using a KURT geological conditions, the engineered barrier systems (EBS) for the following four alternative concepts were proposed: ① mined deep borehole matrix, ② sub-seabed disposal, ③ deep borehole disposal, and ④ multi-level dispoal. The quantitative data of each design such as foot prints, safety factors, economical factors are produced from the conceptual designs of the engineered barriers. Five evaluation criteria (public acceptance, safety, cost, technology readiness level, environmental friendliness) were chosen for the comparison of alternatives, and supporting indicators that can be evaluated quantitatively were derived. The AHP with domestic experts was applied to the comparison of alternatives. The twolevel disposal was proposed as the most appropriate alternative for the enhancement of disposal efficiency by the experts. If perspectives changes, the other alternatives would be preferred. Three kinds of the two-level disposal of CANDU SNF were compared. It was decided to dispose of all the CANDU spent nuclear fuels into the disposal holes in the lower-level disposal tunnels because total footprint of the disposal system for CANDU SNF was much smaller than that for PWR SNF. Currently, we reviewed the performance criteria related to the disposal canister and the buffer and designed the EBS for CANDU SNF. With the design, safety assessment and cost estimates for the alternative disposal system will be carried out next year.

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.

Based on conceptual metaphor theory and speech act, this study aims to examine the communicative functions of language use by analyzing texts used in Seoul’s urban design. Considering that life in a modern society is based on the ecosystem of its cities, the importance of urban design in increasingly felt by modern individuals who share limited space and move along predetermined routes. According to El-Khoury and Robbins (2004), urban design is both an abstract and relative concept, and the purpose of a city can be interpreted differently according to differences in experience and perspective. Conceptual metaphorical language expressions not only have a communicative function but also provide the hearer with a certain perspective by concretizing the events or phenomena indicated by the speaker. Metaphorical language expressions based on metaphors created by the speaker perform speech acts by serving as an effective means of persuasion and communication (Searle 1979). We examine the linguistic aspects based on the metaphor of the development of illocutionary forces in Seoul’s urban design texts.

High Integrity Container (HIC) made of polymer concrete was developed for the efficient treatment and safe disposal of radioactive spent resin and concentrate waste in consideration of the disposal requirements of domestic disposal sites. Permission for application of Polymer Concrete High Integrity Container (PC-HIC) to the domestic nuclear power plants (NPPs) has been completed or is under examination by the regulatory agency. In the case of 860 L PC-HIC for very-low-level-waste (VLLW) or low low-level-waste (LLW), the application of four representative NPPs has been approved, and the license for extended application to the rest NPPs is also almost completed. A licensing review is also underway to apply 510 L PC-HIC for intermediate and low-level-waste (ILLW) to representative nuclear power plants. In order to handle and efficiently store and manage PC-HICs and high-dose PCHIC packages, a gripper device that can be remotely operated and has excellent safety is essential, and the introduction of NPPs is urgent. The conventional gripper device developed by the PC-HIC manufacturer for lifting test to evaluate the structural integrity of PC-HIC requires a rather wide storage interval due to its design features, and does not have a passive safety design to handle heavy materials safely. In addition, work convenience needs to be reinforced for safety management of high radiation work. Therefore, we developed a conceptual design for a gripper device with a new concept to minimize the work space by reflecting on-site opinions on the handling and storage management conditions of radioactive waste in NPPs, and to enhances work safety with the passive safety design by the weight of the package and the function of checking the normal seating of the device and the normal operation of the grip by the detector/indicator, and to greatly improves the work efficiency and convenience with the wireless power supply function by rechargeable battery and the remote control function by camera and wireless monitoring & control system. Through design review by experts in mechanical system, power supply and instrumentation & control fields and further investigations on the usage conditions of PC-HICs, it is planned to facilitate preparations for the application of PC-HIC to domestic NPPs by securing the technical basis for a gripper device that can be used safely and efficiently and seeking ways to introduce it in a timely manner.

Despite the increasing interest in Deep Borehole Disposal (DBD) for its capability of minimizing disposal area, detailed research about DBD operation system design should be conducted before the DBD can be implemented. Recently, DBD operation system applying wireline emplacement (WE) technique is under study due to its high flexibility and capability of minimizing surface equipment. In this study, a conceptual WE system, and operation procdure is introduced. The conceptual WE system consists of 3 main stations, which from the top are hoisting station (HS), canister connection station (CCS) and basement (BS). In HS, WE is controlled and monitored. The WE is controlled using wireline drum winch and sheaves, and load on wireline is measured using a load cell. HS also has a pressure control system (PCS), which monitors internal pressure of the system, and a lubricator, which act as housing for joint device, allowing the joint device to be easily inserted into the borehole. The joint device is used to connect the disposal canister to wireline for emplacement/retrieval. In CCS, a rail transporter brings a transport cask containing disposal canisters, then the transport cask is connected to the hoisting system and a PCS in the BS. The main component located at canister station are a sliding shielding door (SSD), and a slip. The SSD is used to prevent canister from falling into borehole during the connecting operation and prevent radiation from BS to affect the workers. The slip is located beneath the SSD and is used to hold the disposal canister before it is lowered into the borehole. In BS, PCS is installed to prevent overflow and blowout of borehole fluid. The PCS consists of wireline pressure valve, christmas tree and BOP, which all are a type of pressure valve to seal the borehole and release pressure inside the borehole. The WE procedure starts with transporting transport cask to CCS. The transport cask is connected to lubricator, and PCS. Joint device is lowered down to be connected with disposal canisters, then pulled up to check the load on the wireline. After the check-up, SSD is opened, and disposal canister is lowered into the borehole. When desired depth is reached, joint device is disconnected and retrieved for next emplacement. In this study, the conceptual deep borehole disposal system design implementing WE technique is introduced. Based on this study, further detailed design could be derived in future, and feasibility could be tested.

The cyber-attack on Natanz nuclear facility in Iran which called Stuxnet showed how cyber could affect the physical system. If cyber-attack on NPPs compromise digital I&C system, it may occur some malfunction on actuators and at worst, radioactive material released into the environment. However, it is hard to test the cyber security on operating NPPs because of the safety problems. So, it is necessary to develop a test-bed to test both the cyber security of NPPs and the effect of cyber-attack on NPPs. KINAC has been developing NPPs test-bed to evaluate the cyber security of NPPs, validate cyber security controls of licensee and train the inspectors. In this paper, the conceptual design of NPPs cyber security test-bed will be discussed. Actual I&C systems such as PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and DCS (Distributed Control System) are essential for testing cyber security. Also, NPPs simulator is one of important part to evaluate or analyze the effect of cyber-attack on NPPs. Usually, NPPs simulator consists of software which contains nuclear model, thermal-hydraulic model, execution program and GUI and hardware which contains workstation, operator console, PC and large display panel. It provides very similar to actual NPPs to users. However, in case of conventional NPPs simulator, I&C part is implemented as a software, so it is impossible to test the cyber security. To solve this issue, in case of the NPPs cyber security test-bed, I&C part should be hardware and simulation code should be modified to connect the hardware I&C part and software simulator using the HIL (Hardware-in-the-loop) method. The main purpose of this NPPs cyber security test-bed is to utilize in NPPs cyber security regulation. So, KINAC is developing the test-bed with APR 1400 simulator model and KNICS PLC and DCS platform. These real hardware I&C system will be connected to hacker’s PC to test cyber security of NPPs. Also, the data set will be updated with real NPPs data set after the test-bed development finished. Furthermore, to give various analysis environment, archiving equipment that archive major plant process data, network packet between I&C systems and the like will be added. This NPPs cyber security test-bed combined the good points of conventional NPPs simulator and cyber security test-bed. It can test the cyber security of NPPs that conventional NPPs simulator cannot do. Also, it can evaluate and analyze the impact of cyber-attack on NPPs that cyber security test-bed cannot do.

This study aims to propose a conceptual design of information displays for supporting responsive actions under severe accidents in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Severe accidents in NPPs can be defined as accident conditions that are more severe than a design basis accident and involving significant core degradation. Since the Fukushima accident in 2011, the management of severe accidents is increasing important in nuclear industry. Dealing with severe accidents involves several cognitively complex activities, such as situation assessment; accordingly, it is significant to provide human operators with appropriate knowledge support in their cognitive activities. Currently, severe accident management guidelines (SAMG) have been developed for this purpose. However, it is also inevitable to develop information displays for supporting the management of severe accidents, with which human operators can monitor, control, and diagnose the states of NPPs under severe accident situations. It has been reported that Ecological Interface Design (EID) framework can be a viable approach for developing information displays used in complex socio-technical systems such as NPPs. Considering the design principles underlying the EID, we can say that EID-based information displays can be useful for dealing with severe accidents effectively. This study developed a conceptual design of information displays to be used in severe accidents, following the stipulated design process and principles of the EID framework. We particularly attempted to develop a conceptual design to make visible the principle knowledge to be used for coping with dynamically changing situations of NPPs under severe accidents.

대기오염물질 감축에 대한 국제적인 인식이 높아짐에 따라 친환경 선박에 대한 수요가 증가하고 있어 각국에서 전기추진선박 개발을 활발하게 수행하고 있다. 현재 전기추진선박에 대해서는 주로 전기추진시스템 및 전동기 연구를 주로 수행하고 있으며, 선박 관점 에서 전기추진시스템 및 배터리의 탑재를 고려한 국내 연안 차도선 개념설계 연구는 수행된 바가 없다. 본 연구에서는 배터리 차량 기반의 이동식 전원공급시스템을 주전원으로 하는 순수전기추진차도선의 개념설계 과정에서의 주요 고려사항에 대하여 검토하였다. 100척 이상의 국내 연안차도선의 제원을 분석하여, 요구사항 만족을 위한 선박의 주요제원 선정과 이동식 배터리 차량 탑재를 고려한 비손상, 손상 복원성능 검토를 수행하였고, 개념설계 과정에서 발생하는 문제의 원인분석을 통해 해결방안을 모색하였다.

The Ozone Dynamics Investigation Nano-Satellite (ODIN) is a CubeSat design proposed by Chungnam National University as contribution to the CubeSat Competition 2019 sponsored by the Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The main objectives of ODIN are (1) to observe the polar ozone column density (latitude range of 60 to 80 in both hemispheres) and (2) to investigate the chemical dynamics between stratospheric ozone and ozone depleting substances (ODSs) through spectroscopy of the terrestrial atmosphere. For the operation of ODIN, a highly ecient power system designed for the specic orbit is required. We present the conceptual structural design of ODIN and an analysis of power generation in a sun synchronous orbit (SSO) using two dierent congurations of 3U solar panels (a deployed model and a non-deployed model). The deployed solar panel model generates 189.7 W through one day which consists of 14 orbit cycles, while the non-deployed solar panel model generates 152.6 W. Both models generate enough power for ODIN and the calculation suggests that the deployed solar panel model can generate slightly more power than the non-deployed solar panel model in a single orbit cycle. We eventually selected the non-deployed solar panel model for our design because of its robustness against vibration during the launch sequence and the capability of stable power generation through a whole day cycle.

위험유해물질(HNS, Hazardous and Noxious Substances)은 해상운송 과정에서 다양한 사고에 노출되어 있어 많은 양이 바다에 유출 될 우려가 있다. HNS 유출에 따른 해양환경의 손상은 유류 유출에 의한 손상보다도 훨씬 큰 것으로 알려져 있다. 특히 해저로 침강하여 침적되는 HNS는 해저생태계에 돌이키기 어려운 피해를 주게 되므로, 반드시 회수되어야 한다. 해저로부터 HNS를 회수하기 위해서는 해저침적 HNS에 대한 정확한 탐지, 안정화 처리 및 회수를 위한 절차와 장비가 필요하다. 그 중에서도 기계적 회수장치를 개발하기 위해서는 성능지표를 이용하여 성능요건을 선정하고, 이를 토대로 기계적 회수장치에 대한 개념설계가 이루어져야 한다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 해저침적 HNS의 회수 절차에서 요구되는 기계적 회수장치에 대한 개념설계안을 제시하였다. 개념설계안으로 해저침적 HNS를 회수하기 위한 기본 시나리오를 제시하고, 자체적 밀폐 성능을 가지는 흡인 기초를 활용하는 방안을 채택하였다. 기계적 회수장치는 흡인 기초, 오 염 방지, 펌프 시스템, 제어 시스템, 모니터링 장비, 위치정보 장비, 이송 장비, 탱크로 구성된다. 이러한 개념설계안은 기계적 회수장치의 부품 및 형상을 결정하는 기본설계에 반영되어 활용될 것으로 기대된다.

행정선 추자호는 제주시 추자군도 내 유인도서를 운항하는 유일한 교통수단이다. 추자호는 선령이 관공선의 내구연한인 25년이 지나서 안전을 위해 대체 건조가 필요한 상황이다. 또한 현재 추자도에는 응급환자 발생 시 제주시까지 해상수송 수단이 없어서 추자도 주민들은 의료선 기능을 갖춘 행정선으로 대체를 강력히 요구하고 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 추자도 행정선의 대체건조를 위해 행정선이 수행해야 할 기능을 조사하고, 그 기능의 수행에 적합한 대체 행정선의 개념설계를 제시하는 데 있다. 본 연구에서는 선박운항 현장조사 및 선박이용자와 관계기관 종사자를 대상으로 이용자 요구사항을 조사하여 대체 행정선이 의료선 기능을 수행해야 할 필요성을 제시 하고, 의료선 기능을 갖춘 행정선의 개념설계를 제시하였다. 본 연구 결과는 지방정부의 행정선 대체 건조사업의 예산편성을 위한 검토 및 선박기본설계로 활용될 수 있으며 도서지역 주민의 교통안전 향상 및 의료환경 개선에 기여할 것으로 기대한다.

Anionic radionuclides pose one of the highest risks to the long-term safety assessments of disposal repositories. Therefore, techniques to immobilize and separate such anionic radionuclides are of crucial importance from the viewpoints of safety and waste volume reduction. The main objective of this study is to design a separator with minimum pressure disturbance, based on the concept of a conventional cyclone separator. We hypothesize that the anionic radionuclides can be immobilized onto a nanomaterial-based substrate and that the particles generated in the process can flow via water. These particles are denser than water; hence, they can be trapped within the cyclone-type separator because of its design. We conducted particle tracking analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for the conventional cyclone separator and studied the effects due to the morphology of the separator. The proposed sandglass-like design of the separator shows promising results (i.e., only one out of 10,000 particles escaped to the outlet from the separation zone). To validate the design, we manufactured a laboratory-scale prototype separator and tested it for iron particles; the efficiency was ca. 99%. Furthermore, using an additional magnetic effect with the separator, we could effectively separate particles with ~100% efficiency. The proposed sandglass-like separator can thus be used for effective separation and recovery of immobilized anionic radionuclides.