Initial demonstration of the NRC`s capability to conduct a performance assessment for a High-Level Waste Repository
In order to better review licensing submittals for a High-Level Waste Repository, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has expanded and improved its capability to conduct performance assessments. This report documents an initial demonstration of this capability. The demonstration made use of the limited data from Yucca Mountain, Nevada to investigate a small set of scenario classes. Models of release and transport of radionuclides from a repository via the groundwater and direct release pathways provided preliminary estimates of releases to the accessible environment for a 10,000 year simulation time. Latin hypercube sampling of input parameters was used to express results as distributions and to investigate model sensitivities. This methodology demonstration should not be interpreted as an estimate of performance of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. By expanding and developing the NRC staff capability to conduct such analyses, NRC would be better able to conduct an independent technical review of the US Department of Energy (DOE) licensing submittals for a high-level waste (HLW) repository. These activities were divided initially into Phase 1 and Phase 2 activities. Additional phases may follow as part of a program of iterative performance assessment at the NRC. The NRC staff conducted Phase 1 activities primarily in CY 1989 with minimal participation from NRC contractors. The Phase 2 activities were to involve NRC contractors actively and to provide for the transfer of technology. The Phase 2 activities are scheduled to start in CY 1990, to allow Sandia National Laboratories to complete development and transfer of computer codes and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) to be in a position to assist in the acquisition of the codes.
- Research Organization:
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 138429
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG-1327; ON: TI92014995; TRN: 92:021828
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: May 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
99 MATHEMATICS
COMPUTERS
INFORMATION SCIENCE
MANAGEMENT
LAW
MISCELLANEOUS
US NRC
PERFORMANCE
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
FLOW MODELS
S CODES
V CODES
T CODES
N CODES
GROUND WATER
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
FLUID FLOW
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
DATA ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
CONTAINMENT
SOURCE TERMS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
DATA COVARIANCES
Yucca Mountain Project