Pretest 3D finite element analysis of the WIPP Intermediate Scale Borehole Test
A three dimensional pretest finite element analysis of the Intermediate Scale Borehole Test has been performed. In the analysis, the 7.7 years simulation period includes the mining of Rooms C1 and C2, and the N1420 cross drift, at time zero; drilling of the borehole between the two rooms at 5.7 years; and 2 years of post-drilling response. An all salt configuration was used in the calculation. The 1984 Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) reference elastic-secondary creep law, with reduced elastic moduli, was used to model the creeping response of the salt. Results show that after mining of the rooms and cross drift a relatively high von Mises stress state exists around the perimeter of the pillar. However, by 5.7 years, or immediately prior to drilling of the borehole, the pillar has relaxed to an almost uniform von Mises stress of about 7--8 MPa. After the borehole is drilled, a relatively high von Mises stress field is once again set up in the immediate vicinity of the hole. This drives the creep closure of the borehole. The hole closes more in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, resulting in ovalling of the hole. At the end of the simulation, the von Mises stress around the borehole is still higher than that in the remained of the pillar. Thus, the closure rates are relatively high at the end of the simulation time.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 5948554
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-90-2055; ON: DE92007353
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
BOREHOLES
STRESSES
ROCK DRILLING
J CODES
SALT DEPOSITS
CREEP
COMPRESSIBILITY
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN
DEFORMATION
ELASTICITY
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
STRAINS
STRATIGRAPHY
WIPP
CAVITIES
COMPUTER CODES
DESIGN
DRILLING
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
MATHEMATICS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
TENSILE PROPERTIES
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
580000 - Geosciences