Effect of a low-permeability layer on calculated gas flow at Yucca Mountain
- Disposal Safety, Inc., Washington, DC (USA)
Yucca Mountain is being studied to determine its suitability as a location for a high-level nuclear waste repository. Amter and Ross developed a model called TGIF (Topographic Induced Flow) to simulate gas flow under Yucca Mountain. The TGIF model differs significantly from previous gas flow models. It uses a governing equation that is based on the concept of freshwater head, thus avoiding the numerical problems associated with the near-cancellation of the forces due to gravity and the pressure gradient. Unlike most other models, dipping, layered media can be simulated. This paper describes a systematic sensitivity study that was designed to test several aspects of the TGIF model when used to simulate gas flow under Yucca Mountain. Values of three important inputs to the model were systematically varied to form a matrix of 80 runs. The matrix consisted of five values of permeability contrast between a bedded tuff layer and surrounding welded units (in all cases, bulk permeabilities were used to represent the combined effect of both fractures and matrix permeability), four temperature profiles representing different stages of repository cooldown, and four finite-difference grids.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 137987
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--90-7059C; CONF-910435--30; ON: DE91005966
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
AIR FLOW
BOREHOLES
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
DATA
EQUATIONS
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FLOW MODELS
GAS FLOW
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PERMEABILITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RESERVOIR ROCK
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TOPOGRAPHY
TUFF
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project