scholarly journals Seismic stability of the survey areas of potential sites for the deep geological repository of the spent nuclear fuel

Open Physics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 486-493
Author(s):  
Zdeněk Kaláb ◽  
Jan Šílený ◽  
Markéta Lednická
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Probabilistic Method ◽  
Seismic Stability ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Deep Geological Repository ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis paper deals with the seismic stability of the survey areas of potential sites for the deep geological repository of the spent nuclear fuel in the Czech Republic. The basic source of data for historical earthquakes up to 1990 was the seismic website [10]. The most intense earthquake described occurred on September 15, 1590 in the Niederroesterreich region (Austria) in the historical period; its reported intensity is Io = 8-9. The source of the contemporary seismic data for the period since 1991 to the end of 2014 was the website [11]. It may be stated based on the databases and literature review that in the period from 1900, no earthquake exceeding magnitude 5.1 originated in the territory of the Czech Republic.In order to evaluate seismicity and to assess the impact of seismic effects at depths of hypothetical deep geological repository for the next time period, the neo-deterministic method was selected as an extension of the probabilistic method. Each one out of the seven survey areas were assessed by the neo-deterministic evaluation of the seismic wave-field excited by selected individual events and determining the maximum loading.Results of seismological databases studies and neo-deterministic analysis of Čihadlo locality are presented.

scholarly journals Assessment of the climate changes evolution for the long-term safety of the radioactive waste repository in the Czech Republic

2019 ◽  
Vol 133 ◽  
pp. 02005
Author(s):  
Markéta Camfrlová
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Deep Geological Repository ◽  
Climatic Effects ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Geological Repository

Nuclear energy accounts for a significant part of the total energy production in the Czech Republic, which is currently facing a problem dealing with the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and the spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Deep repository is the safest option for storage of HLW. Rock environment of the area must guarantee the stability of the deep geological repository for at least 100,000 years. The aim of the research is a long-term evaluation of the climatic changes of the hypothetical area of interest, which corresponds to the candidate sites for deep geological repository in the Czech Republic. The occurrences of endogenous and exogenous phenomena, which could affect site stability, were evaluated. Concerning exogenous processes, research focuses mainly on the assessment of climatic effects. The climate scenarios for the Central Europe were examined – global climate change, glaciation, and the depth of permafrost as well as CO2 increase.

New Perspectives for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Radionuclides Release Model in a Deep Geological Repository

2006 ◽  
Vol 985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Poinssot ◽  
Cécile FERRY ◽  
Arnaud POULESQUEN
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Deep Geological Repository ◽  
Term Evolution ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Release Model ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSpent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) source terms are used to define the release rate of radionuclides (RN) in a direct disposal and to assess the performance of this waste form. They classically distinguish between two contributions: (i) the Instant Release Fraction (IRF) of RN which are directly leached when water contacts the fuel, (ii) the slow and long term release of RN which are embedded within the fuel matrix. Recent experimental results bring significant input in our understanding and assessment of both contributions. However, they have not yet been integrated in the definition of the SNF source term. This paper will present the impact on the RN source term of the latest results on the SNF long term evolution and the key remaining scientific issues.

Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipment From the Czech Republic to the Russian Federation

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frantisek Svitak ◽  
Karel Svoboda ◽  
Josef Podlaha
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Materials ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Global Threat

In May 2004, the Global Threat Reduction Initiative agreement was signed by the governments of the United States and the Russian Federation. The goal of this initiative is to minimize, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the existing threat of misuse of nuclear and radioactive materials for terrorist purposes, particularly highly enriched uranium (HEU), fresh and spent nuclear fuel (SNF), and plutonium, which have been stored in a number of countries. Within the framework of the initiative, HEU materials and SNF from research reactors of Russian origin will be transported back to the Russian Federation for reprocessing/liquidation. The program is designated as the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) Program and is similar to the U.S. Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Program, which is underway for nuclear materials of United States origin. These RRRFR activities are carried out under the responsibilities of the respective ministries (i.e., U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Russian Federation Rosatom). The Czech Republic and the Nuclear Research Institute Rez, plc (NRI) joined Global Threat Reduction Initiative in 2004. During NRI’s more than 50 years of existence, radioactive and nuclear materials had accumulated and had been safely stored on its grounds. In 1995, the Czech regulatory body, State Office for Nuclear Safety (SONS), instructed NRI that all ecological burdens from its past activities must be addressed and that the SNF from the research reactor LVR-15 had to be transported for reprocessing. At the end of November 2007, all these activities culminated with the unique shipment to the Russian Federation of 527 fuel assemblies of SNF type EK-10 (enrichment 10% U235) and IRT-M (enrichment 36% and 80% U235) and 657 irradiated fuel rods of EK-10 fuel, which were used in LVR-15 reactor.

Shipment of Spent Nuclear Fuel From the Czech Republic for Reprocessing

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Podlaha
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Packaging System ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Us ◽  
Global Threat ◽  
High Level

After more than 50 years of operation of the research reactor operated by ÚJV Řež, a. s. (ÚJV) or the Research Centre Řež, as the case may be, a large amount of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) of Russian origin has accumulated. In 2005, ÚJV joined the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) program under the US-Russian Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) and started the process of SNF shipment from the LVR-15 research reactor back to the Russian Federation (RF) using the ŠKODA VPVR/M transport packaging system (TPS). Two SNF shipments from ÚJV were carried out in 2007 and 2013. After the shipments were completed, only low-enriched nuclear fuel with a maximum enrichment below 20% of 235U remained on the territory of the Czech Republic. ÚJV also participates in shipments of SNF from other countries. The services of ÚJV comprise mainly ŠKODA VPVR/M TPS leasing, technical oversight and expertise during cask handling, SNF loading and cask closing and sealing. Up to now, ÚJV has participated in thirteen shipments of SNF from eight countries; one shipment is currently being prepared. High-level radioactive waste (HLW) will be generated from SNF reprocessing. The vitrified HLW will be returned to the Czech Republic as stated in the Russian-Czech Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation in Nuclear Energy. The return of the waste represents very complex and complicated work, technically, legally and contractually.

Multi-criteria site assessment process for candidate deep geological repository sites: Case study from the Czech Republic 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Vondrovic ◽  
Jaromir Augusta ◽  
Antonin Vokal ◽  
Katerina Konopacova ◽  
Eva Popelova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Deep Geological Repository ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Site Assessment ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Geological Repository

<p>The future deep geological repository for radioactive waste in the Czech Republic will be constructed in a suitable crystalline rock mass around 500 metres below the earth’s surface. The commencement of operation is planned for 2065. The current DGR development phase is devoted principally to the determination of the optimum disposal concept and the selection of the most suitable site. A total of nine potential sites have been assessed with the aim of reducing their number to four.</p><p>The data set subjected to assessment included site descriptions from the geological point of view (3D geological and hydrogeological model), and long-term site stability (seismotectonic, climate and erosion) and geomechanical data. A further assessed dataset included information on construction issues and on the evaluation of both environmental characteristics and the presence of groundwater resources. All the assessed characteristics were derived from surface-based exploration without the need for borehole drilling.</p><p>The key criteria reflected the three main areas of concern i.e. long-term and operational safety (including geological and hydrogeological indicators), technical feasibility and environmental impacts. The assessment of the sites was performed in two stages. The first stage involved the assessment of the probability of fulfilling the exclusion criteria (total 26), while the second stage involved the mutual comparison of the sites in terms of the defined key criteria (total of 13, divided into 38 indicators). The second stage involved the determination of weightings for the various criteria and indicators via the application of the SAATY method for the expert comparison of the significance of criteria. This method distinguished between relatively strongly weighted and less weighted criteria. The sites were graded with respect to the value estimation of the criteria; moreover, the grading of the sites considered various types of data.</p><p>A total of eight calculations were performed for five scenarios using various procedures for the estimation of the weightings and for data normalisation purposes. The first assessment stage indicated that all the sites fulfilled the DGR site assessment methodology requirements. The second stage, which comprised the assessment of the comparison of the site calculations (assessment grades) for each of the sites, was based on the levels of significance of the indicators and criteria and the resulting representative values for each site. The results of the subsequent comparison calculations indicated that the same four sites always occupied the first four positions with only minor variations in the order. The differences in the gradings of the four most suitable sites and the four relatively less suitable five sites ranged between 11% and 17.8% (between the fourth and fifth sites), which convincingly differentiated between the two groups of sites. One site was always in last position according to the calculations. In compliance with the assessment results, the four  sites were subsequently recommended to the Government of the Czech Republic for further follow-up research and analysis. Those sites that were not recommended for the next stage of research will continue to be considered as reserve (i.e. backup) sites.</p>

Experimental pressure and sealing plug as part of the European DOPAS project – deep geological repository plug demonstration

Clay Minerals ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-601
Author(s):  
Irena Hanusová ◽  
Jiří Svoboda ◽  
Petr Večerník
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
International Project ◽  
Construction Technology ◽  
Deep Geological Repository ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
Experimental Pressure

AbstractThe objective of the DOPAS international project is to design a sealing-plug system for deep geological repository (DGR) use, to provide detailed plans for the design of such plugs, to test the characteristics of the materials to be used and the construction technology and to install four experimental in situ plugs. The Czech experimental pressure and sealing-plug (EPSP) experiment is being conducted in a rock environment consisting of granitoids at the Josef Regional Underground Research Centre. The concept of the experiment is based primarily on the use of materials and technology available in the Czech Republic and the principal aim is to demonstrate the technical viability and functioning of a pressure-resistant plug located in a future DGR. The completion of the EPSP experiment will contribute towards both the demonstration of how sealing-plug systems behave under real underground conditions and the long-term safety of a future DGR in the Czech Republic.

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