2024 Faculty Courses School of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal Engineering
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Nuclear Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Takehiko Tsukahara / Koichiro Takao / / Kenji Nishihara
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Tue
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- NCL.C402
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
A deep geological disposal is one of the most important ways for the safe treatment of various kinds of radioactive wastes generated by nuclear power and reprocessing plants. This course focuses on the relation between the disposal engineering and natural environments, and explains basic science and technologies in the waste disposal, e.g., vitrified glass, bentonite buffer material, canister, overpack, and rock.
Moreover, the course aims to cultivate students' skills to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the radioactive waste management scientifically.
Course description and aims
The goals of this course are as follows.
1. Students can understand the qualities, the safety, and the performances of engineered barrier systems consisting of vitrified glass, bentonite buffer material, canister, overpack, and rock.
2. Students can obtain the scientific knowledge of waste management and the problem solving abilities.
Keywords
Nuclear fuel cycle, waste management, deep geological disposal, vitrified glass, artificial barrier
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
In order to enhance students' learning, the practice will be provided.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Nuclear fuel cycle & radioactive wastes | Studies on nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive wastes |
| Class 2 | Vitrification and Vitrified Waste | Studies on the vitrification and vitrified Waste |
| Class 3 | Evaluation of the long-term safety and the feasibility of deep geological disposal | Studies on a scenario and a solution for evaluating the safety and the feasibility of deep geological disposal |
| Class 4 | Buffer Material/Bentonite/Migration | Studies on the properties of bentonite buffer materials and the migration behavior of water and radionuclides in the buffer matereial |
| Class 5 | Engineering Technology for Future Radioactive Waste Management | Studies on the Engineering Technology for Future Radioactive Waste Management |
| Class 6 | Metal Container and Overpack | Studies on the metal container and overpack |
| Class 7 | Radioactive Wastes from Future Nuclear Fuel Cycle | Studies on Radioactive Waste Management Generated from Future Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Nuclear Fuec Cycle Simulator |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
none
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Handouts will be distributed at the beginning of class when necessary.
Principles and Standards for the Disposal of Long-Lived Radioactive Waste, N. Chapman and C. McCombie, Pergamon(2003)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Exercise and report
Related courses
- NCL.C401 ： Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering
- NCL.D405 ： Experiments for Nuclear Fuel Debris and Back‐end Fuel Cycle Ａ
- NCL.D406 ： Experiments for Nuclear Fuel Debris and Back‐end Fuel Cycle B
- CAP.E361 ： Radiation Chemistry
- CAP.E362 ： Nuclear Chemical Engineering
- NCL.C604 ： Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Sepcial Laboratory
Prerequisites
none
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
tsukahara.t.ab[at]m.titech.ac.jp / 3067
Office hours
send by e-mail