Numerical simulation of coupled THM behaviour of full-scale EBS in backfilled experimental gallery in the Horonobe URL

Sugita, Yutaka; Ohno, Hirokazu; Beese, Steffen; Pan, Pengzhi; Kim, Minseop; Lee, Changsoo; Jove-Colon, Carlos; Lopez, Carlos Miguel; Liang, Suu-yan

doi:10.1016/j.gete.2025.100668

Numerical simulation of coupled THM behaviour of full-scale EBS in backfilled experimental gallery in the Horonobe URL

Journal Article · Sat Mar 29 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2025.100668· OSTI ID:2562740

Sugita, Yutaka ^[1]; Ohno, Hirokazu ^[1]; Beese, Steffen ^[2]; Pan, Pengzhi ^[3]; Kim, Minseop ^[4]; Lee, Changsoo ^[4]; Jove-Colon, Carlos ^[5]; Lopez, Carlos Miguel ^[5]; Liang, Suu-yan ^[6]

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Hokkaido (Japan)
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hannover (Germany)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan (China)
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sinotech Engineering Consultants, Inc. (Taiwan)

Bentonite-based engineered barrier system (EBS) is a key component of many repository designs for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Given the complexity and interaction of the phenomena affecting the barrier system, coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) numerical analyses are a potentially useful tool for a better understanding of their behaviour. In this context, a Task (the Horonobe EBS experiment) was undertaken to study, using numerical analyses, the thermo-hydro-mechanical (and thermo-hydro) interactions in bentonite based engineered barriers within the international cooperative project DECOVALEX 2023. One full-scale in-situ experiment and four laboratory experiments, largely complementary, were selected for modelling. The Horonobe EBS experiment is a temperature-controlled non-isothermal experiment combined with artificial groundwater injection. The Horonobe EBS experiment consists of the heating and cooling phases. Six research teams performed the THM or TH (depended on research team approach) numerical analyses using a variety of computer codes, formulations and constitutive laws. Finally, for each experiment, the basic features of the analyses are described and the comparison between calculations and laboratory experiments and field observations are presented and discussed.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 2562740

Report Number(s):: SAND--2025-05033J

Journal Information:: Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, Journal Name: Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment Vol. 42; ISSN 2352-3808

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Numerical simulation of coupled THM behaviour of full-scale EBS in backfilled experimental gallery in the Horonobe URL

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