Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigation. Quarterly report, October 1-December 31, 1983

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:59092

A one-dimensional model of flow through a representative column at Yucca Mountain is being used to gain familiarity with physical phenomena that ultimately must be modeled in two dimensions to effectively predict compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards. Analytical tools that are available for analysis of engineered systems are being evaluated for development of methods to express permeability as a function of average fluid flux per crack and number of cracks per unit area. Characterization studies continued on samples of densely-welded devitrified Topopah Spring tuff collected from the proposed repository horizon. Waste-form testing included parametric testing of DHLW glass, permeability testing of tuff reaction vessels, and testing of prototype stainless steel reaction vessels. Spent-fuel cladding test studied release rates into solution of cesium, plutonium, and uranium through machined slits and laser hole defects. General corrosion rates are being determined for various stainless steels and a high-nickel alloy. Plain carbon steels and other ferrous alloys are being tested for use as borehole liners. Structural analyses of canisters indicate that the axial force necessary to exceed the yield strength of the canister wall is nine times the canister weight; this is considered a satisfactory safety margin for lifting and retrieval operations. The most significant sorbing minerals present in Yucca Mountain tuffs are clinoptilolite, heulandite, mordenite, and montmorillonite. High-temperature x-ray diffraction experiments were performed on samples of Yucca Mountain drill core in order to determine the response of cristobalite, clinoptilolite, and heulandite to the heated near-field environment.

• Research Organization: Science Applications International Corp., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-83NV10270
• OSTI ID: 59092
• Report Number(s): NVO-196-42; ON: DE85007369
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Jan 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
58 GEOSCIENCES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
TUFF
PERMEABILITY
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STAINLESS STEELS
CORROSION
NICKEL BASE ALLOYS
NEPTUNIUM
PLUTONIUM
TECHNETIUM
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
NEVADA TEST SITE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
SITE SELECTION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PACKAGING
MATERIALS TESTING
GEOCHEMISTRY
ROCK MECHANICS
TEST FACILITIES
ZIRCALOY
CONTAINERS
WASTE FORMS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
Yucca Mountain Project