FYSJ5109 PH2: Nuclear Waste Management(JSS34) (2 cr)

The objective of the course is to present nuclear waste management (mainly the spent nuclear fuel produced in nuclear power plants) from an overall point of view. The course covers all nuclear waste issues in nuclear energy: the production of spent nuclear fuel, deep geological disposal, multi-barrier system concept, host rock, constitutive models for unsaturated soils to be able to carry out the performance assessment of the barriers from the emplacement, laboratory testing methods for materials characterization, in-situ tests in underground laboratories, and licensing processes. 

After the course, the student is able to

• describe the prevalent issues in nuclear waste management,
• identify the key components of nuclear waste repositories and indicate their functions,
• discuss critically different constitutive models for the materials in the repository,
• suggest laboratory tests relevant for measuring the properties of the barrier components, and
• suggest the instrumentation in “in situ” tests performed in underground rock laboratories,
• recite the typical licensing process for a nuclear waste repository.

Basic understanding of radiation physics. Experience in Continuum mechanics and Measurement techniques is considered an asset.