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As a solution to the problem of spent nuclear fuels (SNFs), the disposal of SNF has gained attention from nations using nuclear energy because of hazards posed to the ecosystem. Among many proposed solutions, the most promising method is to dispose of SNF in a deep geological repository (DGR) which utilizes the multi-barrier concept developed by Finland and Sweden. Here, a new fully-coupled Thermal-Hydraulic (TH) code HADES (High-level rAdionuclide Disposal Evaluation Simulator) is developed using the MOOSE framework. This new code suggests basic numerical tools, such as a non-linear solver and finite element discretization, to assess the safety performance of disposal systems. The new TH code considered various TH behavior using Richards' flow approach, assuming gas pressure is constant. The HADES showed promising results when it was compared to various TH codes validated from DECOVAELX-THMC projects. When the single-canister model was utilized to estimate the TH behavior of the Korean Reference disposal System, although it showed significant saturation reduction due to the evaporation of water, the temperature was maintained under the thermal criteria limit, which is 100 °C. In addition, the new code estimated temperature and degree of saturation of the multi-canisters model, considering two or three canisters, it showed a slightly lower temperature, 5 °C, than the single-canister model. From these results, the following are concluded: (1) the new TH code contribute to an additional integrity by estimating TH behavior of KRS; (2) however, due to limitations in single-canister simulation, it is recommended to use multi-canisters simulation to estimate TH behavior accurately. Therefore, this model is anticipated not only to help licensing applications and estimation of various multi-physics phenomena and multi-canister at the disposal site.

Copper canisters are commonly employed to contain HLW for the long-term, making it crucial to understand how corrosion affects the canister. This study conducted a comparative analysis of two widely used calculation methods for modeling canister corrosion within a 3-D DGR domain. The first method, termed transport-limited corrosion, assumes an immediate sulfide-copper reaction and has been traditionally used due to its conservative nature. The second method, known as the potential-limited corrosion, considers coupled redox reactions at the canister surface and computes corrosion rates through anodic current density. From the results, we found that the edge of the canister geometry and the omission of electrochemical kinetics impose critical limitations with the transport-limited corrosion method. These limitations include the singularity problem, excessive sensitivity to the curvature of the canister's edge, and an inability to evaluate the distribution of corrosion rate over the canister surface as a function of the sulfide concentration. On the other hand, the potential-limited corrosion method avoided the limitations found in the other method. Since the factors relating to these limitations are critical to the design and optimization of the copper disposal canister, careful consideration when selecting appropriate calculation methods for corrosion will be required.

Abstract The durability of copper (Cu) canisters against corrosion is critical for the licensing of deep geological repositories. Assessing oxic corrosion, a primary degradation mechanism, is essential for ensuring the reliability of such repositories. Due to the complex interactions influencing oxic corrosion, a comprehensive model is necessary for evaluating Cu canister corrosion. This study develops a model for the KAERI Reference Disposal System (KRS), incorporating mixed-potential theory with key O2 consumption reactions, including Cu corrosion, Cu(I) oxidation, FeS2 oxidation, aerobic microbial activity, and O2 dissolution and consumption. Simulation of 11 scenarios revealed that the representative KRS case would experience a maximum corrosion depth of 9.3 μm on the Cu canister after 2.3 years due to oxic corrosion, under conditions that are unfavorable for the initiation of pitting corrosion. These results suggest that oxic corrosion is not a threat to the isolation of spent nuclear fuels in KRS.

Simulating the Corrosion-Related Unidentified Deposit (CRUD) on the surface of fuel assemblies is necessary to predict the axial offset anomaly and the localized corrosion induced by the CRUD during the operation of nuclear power plants. A new CRUD model was developed to predict the formation of the CRUD deposits, considering the deposition and erosion mechanisms. The heat transfer and capillary flow within the CRUD were also considered to evaluate the boiling amount within the CRUD layer. This model predicted a CRUD deposit thickness of 44 μm during a one-cycle operation of the Seabrook nuclear power plant. The CRUD deposition tended to accelerate and decelerate during the simulation, by being related to boiling mechanism on the deposits surface. Additionally, during a three-cycle operation corresponding to the refueling period, the CRUD deposition was saturated at a thickness of 80 μm, which was in good agreement with the suggested thickness for CRUD buildup in pressurized water reactors. Surface boiling on the thin CRUD deposits enhanced the acceleration of the deposition, even when the wick boiling properties were not favorable for CRUD deposition. To ensure the certainty of the simulation results, sensitivity analyses were conducted for the porosity, chimney density, and the constants employed in the proposed model of the CRUD.

Abstract Canister performance is a major issue for constructing reliable deep geological repositories for storing spent nuclear fuels, and corrosion resistance is main the factor determining canister durability. We developed a 2-D multiphysics model, which can predict both the corrosion rate and potential, for simulating copper canister corrosion in deep geological repositories. We found that canisters corroded through the long-cell action in a deep geological repository, the corrosion was quite limited, and the overall canister durability was around 1.7 million years. Our results demonstrated that copper exhibits sufficient corrosion resistance and that long-cell action-based corrosion cannot severely damage copper canisters.

To regulate the safety protocols in nuclear facilities, radioactive aerosols have been extensively researched to understand their health impacts. However, most measured particle-size distributions remain at low resolutions, with the particle sizes ranging from nanometer to micrometer. This study combines the high-resolution detection of 500 size classes, ranging from 6 nm to 10 μm, for aerodynamic diameter distributions, with a regional lung deposition calculation. We applied the new approach to characterize particle-size distributions of aerosols generated during the plasma arc cutting of simulated non-radioactive steel alloy wastes. The high-resolution measured data were used to calculate the deposition ratios of the aerosols in different lung regions. The deposition ratios in the alveolar sacs contained the dominant particle sizes ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 μm. We determined the distribution of various metals using different vapor pressures of the alloying components and analyzed the uncertainties of lung deposition calculations using the low-resolution aerodynamic diameter data simultaneously. In high-resolution data, the changes in aerosols that can penetrate the blood system were better captured, correcting their potential risks by a maximum of 42%. The combined calculations can aid the enhancement of high-resolution measuring equipment to effectively manage radiation safety in nuclear facilities.

Radioactive aerosols are produced during the cutting of contaminated and activated metals. They must be collected and removed by a high-performing filtration system before releasing to the environment from the decommissioning workplace. The filtration system requires regular replacement to ensure the sufficient removal of radioactive aerosols because its filtration efficiency gradually decreases. This study evaluates the efficiency and lifetime of filters while cutting metals by using a plasma arc cutter. Particularly, this study considers the aerodynamic diameter distribution of number and mass concentrations for aerosols from 6 nm to 10 μm when evaluating the performance of filters. After 20 time reuses for cutting operation performed in a cutting chamber, the removal efficiency is reduced from over 99 to below 93% at 2 μm. The results are used to analyze the lifetime of filters, the frequencies of their replacements, and impact on internal radiation dose. Keywords: Radioactive aerosols, HEPA filter, Aerodynamic diameter, Metal cutting, Nuclear power plant decommissioning