Assessment of operational safety for a wide range of disposal concepts, use of operational safety/robustness to differentiate between repository designs.
BACKGROUND
Only recently, as repositories move closer to implementation, has operational safety become a major topic, closely related to assurance of quality of the engineered barriers and response measures in the case of barriers that do not meet specifications or other operational perturbations.
This has extended more recently to seminal studies to assess the application of the concept of resilience to the operational phase of geological repositories and development of designs with higher resilience to even major operational perturbations.
EXPERIENCE
Post-closure safety was the main focus of early feasibility studies, which the team has been involved with since the early ‘80s. In recent decades, we have contributed to developing a more holistic approach in which post-closure performance assessment is incorporated into a safety case, with more consideration of risk and uncertainty issues, facilitated by use of advanced KM approaches and tools.
Only recently, as repositories move closer to implementation, has safety during construction and operations become a major topic. The latter is closely related to assurance of quality of the engineered barriers and response measures in the case of barriers that do not meet specifications or other operational perturbations. Much of this builds on practical experience gained in URLs.
This has extended more recently to seminal studies to assess the application of the concept of resilience to the operational phase of geological repositories and development of designs with higher resilience to even major operational perturbations.
Relevant publications include:
- Nishikawa, S., Fujiyama, T., McKinley, I.G., Hardie, S.M.L. and Umeki, H. (2019). NUMO safety case: results in perspective. Proc. IHLRWM 19, 68-76.
- Umeki, H., Fujiyama, T., Suzuki, S. and McKinley, I.G. (2017) Applying the concept of resilience to geological disposal in Japan. Proc. IHLRWM 17.
- Kawamura, H., McKinley, I.G. (2011). Support of the repository closure decision with an integrated safety case, Proc. IHLRWMC 2011, Volume 2, 2011, Pages 267-273.
- Makino H., Hioki K., Umeki H., Yang H., Takase H. and McKinley I.G. (2010). Practical application of the KMS: 1) Total system performance assessment, Proc. ICEM`09, (CD-ROM: data/pdfs/s52/ICEM2009-16349.pdf), 8 pp.
- Kawamura H., McKinley I.G. and Neall F.B. (2008). Practical and safe implementation of disposal with prefabricated EBS modules. Proc. ESDRED workshop, Andra, 8-1 – 8-9.
- McKinley I.G., Kaku K., Neall F.B., Kawamura H. and Asano H. (2004). Assessment of operational-phase safety of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste. Proc. PSAM 7/ ESREL'04, 3540-3545.
- McCombie C., Zuidema P. and McKinley I.G. (1991). Sufficient validation: The value of robustness in performance assessment and system design. Validation of geosphere flow and transport models (Geoval), OECD, Paris, pp. 598-610.