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Title: Modelling radionuclide transport in fractured media with a dynamic update of Kd values

Journal Article · · Computers and Geosciences
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [1];  [4]
  1. AMPHOS 21 Consulting S.L., Barcelona (Spain)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Posiva Oy, Eurajoki (Finland)
  4. Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, Stockholm (Sweden)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Radionuclide transport in fractured crystalline rocks is a process of interest in evaluating long term safety of potential disposal systems for radioactive wastes. Given their numerical efficiency and the absence of numerical dispersion, Lagrangian methods (e.g. particle tracking algorithms) are appealing approaches that are often used in safety assessment (SA) analyses. In these approaches, many complex geochemical retention processes are typically lumped into a single parameter: the distribution coefficient (Kd). Usually, the distribution coefficient is assumed to be constant over the time frame of interest. However, this assumption could be critical under long-term geochemical changes as it is demonstrated that the distribution coefficient depends on the background chemical conditions (e.g. pH, Eh, and major chemistry). In this study, we provide a computational framework that combines the efficiency of Lagrangian methods with a sound and explicit description of the geochemical changes of the site and their influence on the radionuclide retention properties.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1265916
Journal Information:
Computers and Geosciences, Vol. 86; ISSN 0098-3004
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 19 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (16)

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Cited By (3)

Statistical Formulation of Generalized Tracer Retention in Fractured Rock: TRACER RETENTION IN FRACTURED ROCK journal November 2017
Stochastic modeling of flow and conservative transport in three-dimensional discrete fracture networks journal January 2019
Stochastic modeling of flow and conservative transport in three-dimensional discrete fracture networks posted_content August 2018

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Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
radionuclide transport
retention properties
background geochemistry
distribution coefficient