Repurposing a Spent Nuclear Fuel Cask for Disposal of Solid Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste From Decommissioning of a Nuclear Power Plant in Korea

• 발행기관: 한국방사성폐기물학회
• 저자명: Wonjune Mah Chang-Lak Kim
• 간행물 정보: 『Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology (JNFCWT)』Vol.20 No.3, 365~369쪽, 전체 5쪽
• 주제분류: 공학 > 공학일반
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2022.06.30

국문 초록

Operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants generates radioactive waste. This radioactive waste can be categorized into several different levels, for example, low, intermediate, and high, according to the regulations. Currently, low and intermediate-level waste are stored in conventional 200-liter drums to be disposed. However, in Korea, the disposal of intermediate-level radioactive waste is virtually impossible as there are no available facilities. Furthermore, large-sized intermediate-level radioactive waste, such as reactor internals from decommissioning, need to be segmented into smaller sizes so they can be adequately stored in the conventional drums. This segmentation process requires additional costs and also produces secondary waste. Therefore, this paper suggests repurposing the no-longer-used spent nuclear fuel casks. The casks are larger in size than the conventional drums, thus requiring less segmentation of waste. Furthermore, the safety requirements of the spent nuclear fuel casks are severer than those of the drums. Hence, repurposed spent nuclear fuel casks could better address potential risks such as dropping, submerging, or a fire. In addition, the spent nuclear fuel casks need to be disposed in compliance with the regulations for low level radioactive waste. This cost may be avoided by repurposing the casks.

키워드

Radioactive waste storage Decommissioning Spent nuclear fuel cask Repurposing