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Title: Evaluation of used fuel disposition in clay-bearing rock

Abstract

The R&D program from the DOE Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) has documented key advances in coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) modeling of clay to simulate its complex dynamic behavior in response to thermal and hydrochemical feedbacks. These efforts have been harnessed to assess the isolation performance of heat-generating nuclear waste in a deep geological repository in clay/shale/argillaceous rock formations. This report describes the ongoing disposal R&D efforts on the advancement and refinement of coupled THMC process models, hydrothermal experiments on barrier clay interactions, used fuel and canister material degradation, thermodynamic database development, and reactive transport modeling of the near-field under non-isothermal conditions. These play an important role to the evaluation of sacrificial zones as part of the EBS exposure to thermally-driven chemical and transport processes. Thermal inducement of chemical interactions at EBS domains enhances mineral dissolution/precipitation but also generates mineralogical changes that result in mineral H2O uptake/removal (hydration/dehydration reactions). These processes can result in volume changes that can affect the interface / bulk phase porosities and the mechanical (stress) state of the bentonite barrier. Characterization studies on bentonite barrier samples from the FEBEX-DP international activity have provided important insight on clay barrier microstructures (e.g., microcracks) and interactions at EBS interfaces. Enhancementsmore » to the used fuel degradation model outlines the need to include the effects of canister corrosion due the strong influence of H2 generation on the source term.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [5]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  4. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  5. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Fuel Cycle Technologies (NE-5)
OSTI Identifier:
1341730
Report Number(s):
SAND2016-10311R
650150; TRN: US1701849
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; BENTONITE; SHALES; FUELS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; CONTAINERS; CORROSION

Citation Formats

Jove-Colon, Carlos F., Hammond, Glenn Edward, Kuhlman, Kristopher L., Zheng, Liange, Kim, Kunhwi, Xu, Hao., Rutqvist, Jonny, Caporuscio, Florie Andre, Norskog, Katherine E., Maner, James, Palaich, Sarah, Cheshire, Michael, Zavarin, Mavrik, Wolery, Thomas J., Atkins-Duffin, Cindy, Jerden, James L., Copple, Jacqueline M., Cruse, Terry, and Ebert, William L. Evaluation of used fuel disposition in clay-bearing rock. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.2172/1341730.
Jove-Colon, Carlos F., Hammond, Glenn Edward, Kuhlman, Kristopher L., Zheng, Liange, Kim, Kunhwi, Xu, Hao., Rutqvist, Jonny, Caporuscio, Florie Andre, Norskog, Katherine E., Maner, James, Palaich, Sarah, Cheshire, Michael, Zavarin, Mavrik, Wolery, Thomas J., Atkins-Duffin, Cindy, Jerden, James L., Copple, Jacqueline M., Cruse, Terry, & Ebert, William L. Evaluation of used fuel disposition in clay-bearing rock. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1341730
Jove-Colon, Carlos F., Hammond, Glenn Edward, Kuhlman, Kristopher L., Zheng, Liange, Kim, Kunhwi, Xu, Hao., Rutqvist, Jonny, Caporuscio, Florie Andre, Norskog, Katherine E., Maner, James, Palaich, Sarah, Cheshire, Michael, Zavarin, Mavrik, Wolery, Thomas J., Atkins-Duffin, Cindy, Jerden, James L., Copple, Jacqueline M., Cruse, Terry, and Ebert, William L. 2016. "Evaluation of used fuel disposition in clay-bearing rock". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1341730. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1341730.
@article{osti_1341730,
title = {Evaluation of used fuel disposition in clay-bearing rock},
author = {Jove-Colon, Carlos F. and Hammond, Glenn Edward and Kuhlman, Kristopher L. and Zheng, Liange and Kim, Kunhwi and Xu, Hao. and Rutqvist, Jonny and Caporuscio, Florie Andre and Norskog, Katherine E. and Maner, James and Palaich, Sarah and Cheshire, Michael and Zavarin, Mavrik and Wolery, Thomas J. and Atkins-Duffin, Cindy and Jerden, James L. and Copple, Jacqueline M. and Cruse, Terry and Ebert, William L.},
abstractNote = {The R&D program from the DOE Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) has documented key advances in coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) modeling of clay to simulate its complex dynamic behavior in response to thermal and hydrochemical feedbacks. These efforts have been harnessed to assess the isolation performance of heat-generating nuclear waste in a deep geological repository in clay/shale/argillaceous rock formations. This report describes the ongoing disposal R&D efforts on the advancement and refinement of coupled THMC process models, hydrothermal experiments on barrier clay interactions, used fuel and canister material degradation, thermodynamic database development, and reactive transport modeling of the near-field under non-isothermal conditions. These play an important role to the evaluation of sacrificial zones as part of the EBS exposure to thermally-driven chemical and transport processes. Thermal inducement of chemical interactions at EBS domains enhances mineral dissolution/precipitation but also generates mineralogical changes that result in mineral H2O uptake/removal (hydration/dehydration reactions). These processes can result in volume changes that can affect the interface / bulk phase porosities and the mechanical (stress) state of the bentonite barrier. Characterization studies on bentonite barrier samples from the FEBEX-DP international activity have provided important insight on clay barrier microstructures (e.g., microcracks) and interactions at EBS interfaces. Enhancements to the used fuel degradation model outlines the need to include the effects of canister corrosion due the strong influence of H2 generation on the source term.},
doi = {10.2172/1341730},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1341730}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}