Development of a decommissioning waste assessment module for heavy water reactors

In this study, we developed a Decommissioning Waste Assessment Module (DWAM) for Heavy Water Reactors (HWRs). To evaluate the waste amount of radioactive structures that make up a significant portion of decommissioning waste, we establish a comprehensive DB containing detailed information on the volume, weight, material type, and radioactivity of each decommissioning waste segment. Decommissioning waste assessment algorithms were developed and applied in the proposed module to optimize the calculated results, and their performance was evaluated to ensure accuracy and reliability. The DWAM currently being developed for the Wolsong Unit 1 commercial pressurized heavy water reactor is a technology that has the potential to be utilized not only for domestic reactors but also for reactors worldwide. In addition, the technology is expected to contribute to the development of technology related to the decommissioning of both radioactive and non-radioactive structures.