Hydro Nuclear Power Research Articles

Current Status of Radioactive Waste Management in Korea

Korean energy security is dependent on the peaceful and safe utilization of nuclear energy. The Korean government’s policy on nuclear energy can be summarized with two principles: promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and ensuring its safe use and storage. Since April 1978 Korea has strongly relied on nuclear energy for its electricity generation. As of today, 20 nuclear power plants, 16 pressurized water reactors PWRs and 4 Canada Deuterium Uranium CANDU reactors are in operation, and 4 PWRs are under construction. The installed nuclear capacity is 17.7 GWe, representing 27% of the nation’s total installed capacity. The nuclear share in electricity remains at around 37.8%, reaching a level of 146.8 TWh. New power reactors in Korea Standard Nuclear Power Plants are fully designed by domestic technologies. A more advanced reactor named AP1400 will be commissioned in 2020. The Achilles’ heel of nuclear energy is radioactive waste. Even though proper scientific management of radioactive waste has been found and proved safe for lowand intermediate-level waste LILW disposal and an interim storage of spent nuclear fuel and even the introduction of permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste HLW is envisaged to be feasible, the public perception on these issues is not supportive. The public’s everlasting “not in my backyard” refrain has hindered the implementation of Korea’s radioactive waste management program for the last two decades. Overcoming the safety issues involved in radioactive waste management is not a simple scientific problem. It requires attention to both state-of-the-art science and technology and the psychology of the general and local public. In fact, it is a transscientific issue, a fusion of science and socioeconomic studies. The Korean Atomic Energy Commission provided clear milestones for constructing two key facilities: the LILW repository by 2008 and the centralized storage for spent fuel by 2016. With the full support of the Korean government, institutes, and general public, Korea Hydro Nuclear Power KHNP secured a site for the LILW repository in 2005. An underground repository with the capacity for 100,000 drums is under construction, and will be in commission by 2012. Long-term safe management of spent nuclear fuel is necessary not only to store spent fuel over a long period of time but also to potentially recycle it under full observance of the nuclear nonproliferation duties. The permanent disposal of HLW is the research and development R&D topic for a future generation and involves protecting the environment and minimizing the economic burden. Since 1997 Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute KAERI has been developing a permanent disposal facility for HLW and a total system performance assessment TSPA . Its current R&D activities are focused on the preliminary conceptual design of the Korean Reference Disposal System KRS , development of the

Occupational Dose Reduction Experience in Ontario Hydro Nuclear Power Stations

Occupational doses received during the operation and maintenance of Ontario Hydro's pressurized heavy water nuclear power reactors are reported and comparisons made with occupational doses received during the operation of other reactor types in various nuclear power programs. The organizational and technical factors that have contributed to significant occupational dose reductions in Ontario Hydro's program over the past 20 yr are discussed. Dose reduction practices in the design and operation of Ontario Hydro's nuclear power reactors are described.

The Development of a Programmable Controller System for use in Ontario Hydro Nuclear Power Plants

Ontario Hydro has successfully used telephone type relays in its CANDU nuclear power plant control systems. An alternative type of hardware using microprocessor technology has been developed possessing some advanced control features. Prototype systems have been built and have passed preliminary tests.

Human Factors in Ontario Hydro's Nuclear Power Stations

Human Factors in Ontario Hydro's Nuclear Power Stations