In the evaluation of the stability of radioactive waste disposal, it is imperative to take into account the concept of the redox front. Initially, this front is typically observed near the surface. However, if the hydraulic gradient increases due to the construction of a disposal facility, the redox front can potentially transport deeper into the geological environment through groundwater flow. This transport triggers changes in the geochemical characteristics, potentially diminishing the natural buffering capacity of the bedrock. Consequently, it is necessary to characterize both the unsaturated and saturated zones in the disposal site. In this context, a tracer test is a useful method to identify the characteristics of the site from the surface to the deep geological environment where the disposal facility can be located. Therefore, this study also aims to establish a methodology enabling a comprehensive understanding of the hydrogeochemical characteristics through the tracer test that can be applied to future sites for research URL (Underground Research Laboratory) or radioactive waste disposal in Korea. For the tracer test, a UNIT (UNsaturated zone Insitu Test facility) was built within the KAERI and five wells with a depth of 24 m were installed in 2022. Before conducting the test, to determine the geochemical background characteristics of the site, topsoil and soils at depths of 30 cm, 60 cm, and 90 cm were collected. Additionally, a groundwater sample was obtained from the newly installed well. Soil samples were analyzed for soil texture, moisture content, total and exchange cations, anions, and heavy metals. Similarly, the groundwater sample was analyzed for cations, anions, and trace elements. The outcomes of these comprehensive analyses will serve as the baseline values in the hydrogeochemical changes after the tracer test. This includes changes in soil composition, water quality, precipitation/dissolution processes, and mineral phases. Furthermore, these results will be provided as input parameters for surface-underground interface models in future studies.

Long-term climate and surface environment changes can influence the geological subsurface environment evolution. In this context, a fluid flow pathway developing and connection possibility can be increased between the near-surface zone and deep depth underground. Thus, it is necessary to identify and prepare for the overall fluid flow at the entire geological system to minimize uncertainty on the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) disposal safety. The fluid flow outside the subsurface environment is initially penetrated through the surface and then the unsaturated area. Thus, the previously proved reports, POSIVA in Finland, suggested that sequential research about the fluid infiltration experiment (INEX) and the investigation is necessary. Characterizing the unsaturated zone can help predict changes and ensure the safety of SNFs according to geological long-term evolution. For example, the INEX test was conducted at the upper part of ONKALO, about 50 to 100 m depth, to understand the geochemical evolution of the groundwater through the unsaturated zone, to evaluate the main flow of groundwater that can approach the SNF disposal reservoir, and to estimate the decreasing progress of the buffering capacity along the pathway through the deep geological disposal. In the present study, a preliminary test was performed in the UNsaturated-zone In-situ Test (UNIT) facility near the KAERI underground research tunnel to design and establish a methodology for infiltration experiments consistent with the regional characteristics. The results represented the methodological application is possible for characterizing unsaturated-zone to perform infiltration experiments. The scale of the experiment will be expanded sequentially, and continuous research will be conducted for the next application.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is currently developing a vertical concrete dry storage module for the dry storage of used nuclear fuel within nuclear power plants. This module is designed with a structure consisting of cylinders, which can block the ingress of external air, thereby preventing Chloride-Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking (CISCC). However, due to the presence of these cylinder structures, unlike conventional dry storage systems, it cannot directly dissipate heat to the external atmosphere, making thermal evaluation an important issue. The SF dry storage module being developed by KHNP is a massive concrete structure of approximately 20 m × 10 m × 7 m in size, employing a vertical storage system. To demonstrate the safety of such a large structure, there is no alternative to conducting experiments with scaled-down models. Furthermore, according to NUREG-2215 Section 5.5.4, it is explicitly mentioned that design-verification testing can be performed using scaled-down models. In this paper, a 1/4 scaled-down model was constructed to perform thermal performance verification experiments, and the effectiveness of this model was analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods. The analysis results indicated that there was not a significant difference in terms of maximum concrete temperature and air outlet temperature. However, a considerable difference was observed in the canister surface temperature. Therefore, it is concluded that careful consideration of natural convection heat transfer is necessary for the full application of the scaled-down model.

Colloid Formation and Migration (CFM) project is being carried out within the Grimsel Test Site (GTS) Phase Ⅵ. Since 2008, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has joined CFM to investigate the behavior of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in a generic Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The CFM project includes a long-term in-situ test (LIT) and an in-rock bentonite erosion test (i-BET) to assess the in-situ colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport through the bentonite erosion in the natural flow field. In the LIT experiment, radionuclide-containing compacted bentonite was equipped with a triple-packer system and then positioned at the borehole in the shear zone. It was observed that colloid transport was limited owing to the low swelling pressure and low hydraulic conductivity. Therefore, a postmortem analysis is being conducted to estimate the partial migration and diffusion of radionuclides. The i-BET experiment, that focuses more on bentonite erosion, was newly designed to assess colloid formation in another flow field. The i-BET experiment started with the placement of compacted bentonite rings in the double-packer system, and the hydraulic parameters and bentonite erosion have been monitored since December 2018.

본 연구는 원심 모형 시험을 위한 동적 현장 지반의 모사 기법을 제안하였다. 현장지반 모사를 위해서 현장 지반의 층상구조 및 전단파 속도 주상도에 대한 자료를 바탕으로 모형시료를 조성하고, 구속압 별 공진주 시험을 수행하였다. 그리고 공진주 시험을통하여 지반의 특성계수와 구속압 영향계수를 구하고, 모형 지반의 전단파 속도를 예측하였다. 이를 현장의 전단파 속도 주상도와 비교하여 시료 조건을 결정하였다. 그리고 결정된 시료 조건을 바탕으로 원심모형시험 모델을 제작하고, 인-플라이트 상태에서 벤더 엘리먼트시험을 수행하여 제안된 기법의 타당성을 검증하였다. 그리고 대형지진시험이 수행된 적이 있는 대만 화련의 현장 지반을 대상으로 축소모델링 기법을 적용하였다.

우리나라 전통 초가삼간의 1/4 축소모델을 제작하여 연약지반 조건에 대한 내진 성능실험을 수행하였다. Imperial Valley 지진파를 사용하여 모델의 파괴 시까지 거동을 분석하였다. 탄성한계 내에서 초가삼간의 고유진동수는 장방향 및 단방향 각각 1.66Hz 및 1.76Hz로 측정되었다. 탄성한게 내에서의 감쇠비는 약 7%이다. 수평방향의 최대 가속도응답은 입력에 비해 감소하며 이는 목조 프레임의 비선형, 비탄상 특성 때문이다. 수평방향의 변위응답은 입력이 증가함에 따라 급격히 증가하여 최대 지반가속도 0.25g에서 모델이 붕괴되었다. 비선형 지진해석 결과와 실험결과를 비교하였다.

우리나라 전통 초가삼간의 1/4 축소모델을 제작하여 암반지반 조건에 대한 내진성능실험을 수행하였다. Nahanni 지진파를 사용하여 최대 가속도 0.1g~0.6g 범위에서 거동을 분석하였다. 탄성한계에서 초가삼간의 고유진동수는 장방향의 경우 약 1.66Hz, 단방향의 경우 215Hz이다. 탄성한계에서의 감쇠비는 약 7%이다. 수평방향의 가속도응답은 입력에 비해 감소하며 입력가속도 수준이 증가할수록 감소율이 증가한다. 이는 사개맞춤으로 만들어진 목조 프레임의 비선형.비탄성 특성 때문이다. 전통 초가삼간 가옥은 고진동수가 지배적인 암반지반에서 매우 큰 내진성능을 나타내었다.

In this paper, the filed test procedure for evaluating the performance of track structure for additional Speed-Up test on Test-Bed Section(KP 100∼128km Osong starting point). The behavior of track system corresponding the speed up of train will be identified by the analysis of the measured data.