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U.S. Department of Energy
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THM-Coupled Modeling of Barrier Integrity for HLW Disposal in Bedded Salt - 18289

Conference ·
OSTI ID:22975434
;  [1]; ; ; ; ;  [2]
  1. IfG - Institut fuer Gebirgsmechanik GmbH, Leipzig (Germany)
  2. BGR Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover (Germany)

Within the framework of the R and D project KOSINA in Germany, numerical studies analyzing the long-term integrity of a bedded salt barrier under the thermal loading of heat generating radioactive waste have been performed using different modeling approaches for various repository concepts and two geological structures. The THM-coupled calculations show an initially steep increase of temperatures in the vicinity of the HLW canisters which reduces an uplift above the repository. This in turn leads to a temporally and spatially limited reduction of horizontal stresses at the top of the salt, allowing for pressure-driven percolation of groundwater into the upper part of the hydraulic barrier. However, at any given time an undisturbed salt barrier of over 300 m remains, shielding the repository from groundwater inflow. (authors)

Research Organization:
WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
OSTI ID:
22975434
Report Number(s):
INIS-US--20-WM-18289
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English