A Structured Programme of Research into the Chemical Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal

1986 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Read ◽  
A.A. Krol ◽  
B.G.J. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Deterministic Models ◽  
Safety Case ◽  
Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe UK Department of the Environment (DOE) is developing an independent capability to assess proposals made by the nuclear industry for the underground disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Modelling chemical processes forms an integral part of the underlying DOE research programme which includes the development of probabilistic risk assessment codes, more detailed deterministic models and supporting field and laboratory studies, in a co-ordinated, hierarchical approach. This paper summarises the results of a survey on the current status of this and related research, with emphasis on the assessment of a safety case for shallow land disposal of low level waste in about two years time. Shortcomings in existing work are identified, and a structured programme for future research described.

Legitimacy as the Key: The Long-Term Management of Radioactive Waste in the UK

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Murray ◽  
David Wild ◽  
Ann McCall ◽  
John Mathieson ◽  
Ben Russell
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Public Acceptance ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Radioactive Waste Management ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Term Management

This paper provides an overview of the current status of radioactive waste management in the UK from the point of view of Nirex, the organisation responsible for providing safe, environmentally sound and publicly acceptable options for the long-term management of radioactive materials. Essentially, it argues that: • the waste exists and must be dealt with in an ethical manner; • legitimacy is the key to public acceptance of any attempt to solve the waste issue; and • credible options and a new political will allow, and indeed, compel this generation to deal with it. In doing this, the paper takes account of a number of recent announcements and ongoing developments in the UK nuclear industry, in particular: • the recent announcement that Nirex is to be made independent of industry; • the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Devolved Administrations’ Managing Radioactive Waste Safely consultation exercise; • the creation of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management to oversee the consultation; • the creation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to manage the civil nuclear site clean-up programme; • proposals for improved regulation of Intermediate Level Waste conditioning and packaging; and • proposals by the European Commission for a new radioactive waste Directive. These institutional and policy changes amount to an evolution of the back-end of the fuel cycle that represents the most radical transformation in the UK nuclear industry for many years. In a large part, this is a transformation made necessary by past failures in trying to impose a solution on the general public. Therefore, in order for these changes to result in a successful long-term radioactive waste management programme, it is necessary to pay as much attention to political and social concerns as scientific and technical ones. Primarily it is crucial that all parties involved act in an open and transparent manner so that the decisions made achieve a high degree of legitimacy and thus public acceptance. Crucially too, the problem must be framed in the correct term — that the waste exists irrespective of the future of nuclear power and that this is an issue that must be addressed now. Thus there is a legitimacy of purpose and scope in moving forward that addresses the ethical imperative of this generation dealing with the waste. Put together with the action the government is taking to create the necessary institutional framework, Nirex believes that for the first time in a generation the UK has the building blocks in place to find a publicly acceptable, long-term solution for radioactive waste.

Sustainability and Design Education: The Current Status of Product Design Higher Education in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emelia Delaney ◽  
Wei Liu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Product Design ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
The Uk

Abstract The aim of sustainability is to fulfil the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations. It is also a rising area of concern within industry, it is therefore important that graduate designers are equipped with the skills to accommodate sustainability issues as well as demands from industry. Additionally, the product design stage during New Product Development has been identified to have the greatest impact on the sustainability of the entire product, however how educated designers are on the topic of sustainability is unclear. An initial literature review has been conducted to investigate design education on sustainability as well as teaching styles. Following this the study identifies and reviews UK Product Design courses to establish the current status of sustainability integration in higher education. The exploration into university prospectuses has found that around half of UK universities implement sustainability in some way, however there are limited courses which dedicate specific modules to sustainability. Additionally, links with industry and accreditation organizations between UK product design courses have been confirmed, but there is no definite information to suggest that the universities use this to aid in the implementation sustainability education. From this review future research directions have been outlined.

Current Status of Radioactive Waste Disposal in Russia

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Gupalo ◽  
V. V. Lopatin ◽  
N. F. Lobanov
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Nuclear Materials ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Closed Fuel Cycle ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Geological Formations

A huge amount of radioactive waste has been accumulated in the Russian Federation (RF) in the course of implementation of the defense and energy programs, industrial and research activity involving the use of nuclear materials. The most justified and technically feasible technology of solidified RW isolation is its disposition in low-permeable geological formations in specially constructed underground facilities. Today in Russia a Closed Fuel Cycle (CFC) has been adopted, at the CFC final stage the spent nuclear materials and radioactive waste have to be isolated from the biosphere for the whole term of their potential hazard. In Russia, in accordance with the regional approach to the decision of Radioactive Waste (RW) disposal problem, several candidate disposal sites have been assigned.

An Integrated Safety Assessment System for Near-Surface Disposal of Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste in Korea

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
JooWan Park ◽  
Chang-Lak Kim ◽  
Jin Beak Park ◽  
Eun Yong Lee ◽  
Youn Myoung Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
System Level ◽  
Assessment Methodology ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste

An integrated safety assessment system to be used for evaluation of near-surface disposal concept has been developed within the framework of safety assessment methodology taken for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal in Korea. It is to provide an evaluation of the safety of the disposal system in a clear, comprehensive and well-documented manner, and to integrate the results into a defensible package showing reasonable assurance of compliance with regulatory requirements for licensing application. This system is made up of two key components, a system-level safety assessment code and an input database/quality assurance module for safety assessment, which both are interfaced with each other.

scholarly journals Management of Radioactive Waste Containing Graphite: Overview of Methods

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 4638
Author(s):  
Leon Fuks ◽  
Irena Herdzik-Koniecko ◽  
Katarzyna Kiegiel ◽  
Grazyna Zakrzewska-Koltuniewicz
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Triso Fuel ◽  
Irradiated Graphite ◽  
High Temperature Gas

Since the beginning of the nuclear industry, graphite has been widely used as a moderator and reflector of neutrons in nuclear power reactors. Some reactors are relatively old and have already been shut down. As a result, a large amount of irradiated graphite has been generated. Although several thousand papers in the International Nuclear Information Service (INIS) database have discussed the management of radioactive waste containing graphite, knowledge of this problem is not common. The aim of the paper is to present the current status of the methods used in different countries to manage graphite-containing radioactive waste. Attention has been paid to the methods of handling spent TRISO fuel after its discharge from high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) reactors.

Modelling Radionuclide Transport in Cracks Through Cemented Radioactive Waste

1994 ◽  
Vol 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Chambers
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Computer Programs ◽  
Intermediate Level ◽  
Radionuclide Transport ◽  
Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Radionuclide Release

AbstractIt is currently proposed to site the UK repository for intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW) underground at a depth of several hundred metres, and to use a cementitious backfill to fill spaces between disposal packages within the repository vaults. Flow of water through the repository could be concentrated within cracks that may form in the backfill. This paper describes the CRACK and CRACK2 computer programs. These are used to predict radionuclide release via cracks, and radionuclide distributions within the vault. The programs are applied to an assessment of the release of inventory- and solubility-limited radionuclides from hypothetical ILW vaults. Calculations are reported for different densities of cracking, and for different repository designs, and the dominant modes of transport within cracks in repository vaults are discussed.

Decommissioning of Nuclear Reactor Systems

1992 ◽  
Vol 206 (4) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
J H Large
Keyword(s):  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
Lost Generation ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Safety Case ◽  
Generation Capacity

The decision-making process involving the decommissioning of the British graphite-moderated, gas-cooled Magnox power stations is complex. There are timing, engineering, waste disposal, cost and lost generation capacity factors and the ultimate uptake of radiation dose to consider and, bearing on all of these, the overall decision of when and how to proceed with decommissioning may be heavily weighed by political and public tolerance dimensions. These factors and dimensions are briefly reviewed with reference to the ageing Magnox nuclear power stations, of which Berkeley and Hunterston A are now closed down and undergoing the first stages of decommissioning and Trawsfynydd, although still considered as available capacity, has had both reactors closed down since February 1991 and is awaiting substantiation and acceptance of a revised reactor pressure vessel safety case. Although the other first-generation Magnox power stations at Hinkley Point, Bradwell, Dungeness and Sizewell are operational, it is most doubtful that these stations will be. able to eke out a generating function for much longer. It is concluded that the British nuclear industry has adopted a policy of deferred decommissioning, that is delaying the process of complete dismantlement of the radioactive components and assemblies for at least one hundred years following close-down of the plant. In following this option the nuclear industry has expressed considerable confidence that the decommissioning technology required will he developed with passing time, that acceptable radioactive waste disposal methods and facilities will be available and that the eventual costs of decommissioning will not escalate without restraint.

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