Simulation of gas phase transport of carbon-14 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA
- Disposal Safety Inc., Washington, DC (United States)
The authors have simulated gas phase transport of Carbon-14 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Three models were established to calculate travel time of Carbon-14 from the potential repository to the mountain surface: a geochemical model for retardation factors, a coupled gas-flow and heat transfer model for temperature and gas flow fields, and a particle tracker for travel time calculation. The simulation used three parallel, east-west cross-sections that were taken from the Sandia National Laboratories Interactive Graphics Information Systems (IGIS). Assuming that the repository is filled with 30-year-old waste at an initial areal power density of 57 kw/acre, the authors found that repository temperatures remain above 60 C for more than 10,000 years. For a tuff permeability of 10{sup {minus}7} cm{sup 2}, Carbon-14 travel times to the surface are mostly less than 1,000 years, for particles starting at any time within the first 10,000 years. If the tuff permeability is 10{sup {minus}8} cm{sup 2}, however, Carbon-14 travel times to the surface range from 3,000 to 12,000 years, for particle starting within the 10,000 years.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratory
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 145589
- Journal Information:
- Waste Management, Journal Name: Waste Management Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 14; ISSN WAMAE2; ISSN 0956-053X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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