Estimating two-phase hydraulic properties by inverse modeling

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:10149428

Finsterle, S; Pruess, K

Disposal of high-level nuclear waste in geologic formations requires characterizing the hydrogeologic conditions at the potential site. This involves extensive data interpretation from laboratory and field experiments which are being performed on different scales. Two-phase flow processes are relevant if the potential site is located in the unsaturated zone, but they are also studied for repositories beneath the water table if the waste packages generate significant amounts of free gas. Numerical models are used for predicting the system behavior under different hydrologic and thermal loads. Parameters appearing in the governing equations are usually difficult to measure and subject to systematic errors. The strategy chosen to obtain model-related formation parameters is to calibrate the numerical model using observations of the system response. The practical relevance of parameter estimation for site characterization and design of field and laboratory experiments motivated the development. The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of parameter estimation, and to demonstrate the use of the proposed method for the interpretation of hydraulic tests conducted under two-phase flow conditions.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Swiss National Cooperative for the Storage of Nuclear Waste, Baden (Switzerland)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 10149428
• Report Number(s): LBL--35191; CONF-940553--49; ON: DE94011351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000
FLOW MODELS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOSCIENCES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROLOGY
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SITE RESOURCE AND USE STUDIES
TWO-PHASE FLOW
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE