Three-dimensional modeling of unsaturated flow in the vicinity of proposed exploratory shaft facilities at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Technical Report · Tue Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/138402· OSTI ID:138402

Rockhold, M L ^[1]; Sagar, B ^[2]; Connelly, M P ^[3]

---

1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States)
3. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)

This report describes the results of a study to investigate the influence of proposed exploratory shafts on the moisture distribution within unsaturated, fractured rock at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The long-term effects of exploratory shafts at Yucca Mountain are important in the estimation of potential waste migration and fate, while short-term effects may be important in the planning and interpretation of tests performed at the site. The PORFLO-3 computer code was used for simulation of moisture flow through the geologic units adjacent to the ESF. Rather than represent fractures as discrete elements, an equivalent continuum was stipulated, in which the fractured units were assigned equivalent or composite hydrologic properties. Explicit treatment of fractures is not feasible because of the extremely large number of fractures contained in the site-scale problem and the difficulties in characterizing and modeling the fracture geometries.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 138402
• Report Number(s): PNL--7474; ON: DE92012319
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
FLUID FLOW
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
HYDROLOGY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
P CODES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
ROCKS
SHAFTS
STRATIGRAPHY
TUFF
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WATER
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project