skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Bench-scale experimental determination of the thermal diffusivity of crushed tuff

Abstract

A bench-scale experiment was designed and constructed to determine the effective thermal diffusivity of crushed tuff. Crushed tuff particles ranging from 12.5 mm to 37.5 mm (0.5 in. to 1.5 in.) were used to fill a cylindrical volume of 1.58 m{sup 3} at an effective porosity of 0.48. Two iterations of the experiment were completed; the first spanning approximately 502 hours and the second 237 hours. Temperatures near the axial heater reached 700 degrees C, with a significant volume of the test bed exceeding 100 degrees C. Three post-test analysis techniques were used to estimate the thermal diffusivity of the crushed tuff. The first approach used nonlinear parameter estimation linked to a one dimensional radial conduction model to estimate thermal diffusivity from the first 6 hours of test data. The second method used the multiphase TOUGH2 code in conjunction with the first 20 hours of test data not only to estimate the crushed tuffs thermal diffusivity, but also to explore convective behavior within the test bed. Finally, the nonlinear conduction code COYOTE-II was used to determine thermal properties based on 111 hours of cool-down data. The post-test thermal diffusivity estimates of 5.0 x 10-7 m{sup 2}/s to 6.6 x 10-7more » m{sup 2}/s were converted to effective thermal conductivities and compared to estimates obtained from published porosity-based relationships. No obvious match between the experimental data and published relationships was found to exist; however, additional data for other particle sizes and porosities are needed.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
395414
Report Number(s):
SAND-94-2320
ON: DE96013851; TRN: 97:000003
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Jun 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; TUFF; THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; T CODES; CONVECTION; SEALING MATERIALS; MATERIALS TESTING; YUCCA MOUNTAIN; POROSITY; CONTAINMENT; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; MOISTURE

Citation Formats

Ryder, E.E., Finley, R.E., George, J.T., Ho, C.K., Longenbaugh, R.S., and Connolly, J.R. Bench-scale experimental determination of the thermal diffusivity of crushed tuff. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/395414.
Copy to clipboard
Ryder, E.E., Finley, R.E., George, J.T., Ho, C.K., Longenbaugh, R.S., & Connolly, J.R. Bench-scale experimental determination of the thermal diffusivity of crushed tuff. United States. doi:10.2172/395414.
Copy to clipboard
Ryder, E.E., Finley, R.E., George, J.T., Ho, C.K., Longenbaugh, R.S., and Connolly, J.R. Sat . "Bench-scale experimental determination of the thermal diffusivity of crushed tuff". United States. doi:10.2172/395414. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/395414.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_395414,
title = {Bench-scale experimental determination of the thermal diffusivity of crushed tuff},
author = {Ryder, E.E. and Finley, R.E. and George, J.T. and Ho, C.K. and Longenbaugh, R.S. and Connolly, J.R.},
abstractNote = {A bench-scale experiment was designed and constructed to determine the effective thermal diffusivity of crushed tuff. Crushed tuff particles ranging from 12.5 mm to 37.5 mm (0.5 in. to 1.5 in.) were used to fill a cylindrical volume of 1.58 m{sup 3} at an effective porosity of 0.48. Two iterations of the experiment were completed; the first spanning approximately 502 hours and the second 237 hours. Temperatures near the axial heater reached 700 degrees C, with a significant volume of the test bed exceeding 100 degrees C. Three post-test analysis techniques were used to estimate the thermal diffusivity of the crushed tuff. The first approach used nonlinear parameter estimation linked to a one dimensional radial conduction model to estimate thermal diffusivity from the first 6 hours of test data. The second method used the multiphase TOUGH2 code in conjunction with the first 20 hours of test data not only to estimate the crushed tuffs thermal diffusivity, but also to explore convective behavior within the test bed. Finally, the nonlinear conduction code COYOTE-II was used to determine thermal properties based on 111 hours of cool-down data. The post-test thermal diffusivity estimates of 5.0 x 10-7 m{sup 2}/s to 6.6 x 10-7 m{sup 2}/s were converted to effective thermal conductivities and compared to estimates obtained from published porosity-based relationships. No obvious match between the experimental data and published relationships was found to exist; however, additional data for other particle sizes and porosities are needed.},
doi = {10.2172/395414},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}
Copy to clipboard
Technical Report:
View Technical Report (10.59 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/395414
Save / Share:
Export Metadata
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.

  • The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity in a sample of crushed Bandelier Tuff was evaluated using volumetric pressure plate extractors. The total impedance of the tuff sample is determined from the experimental outflow data for each pressure step applied. The determination of the membrane impedance is not compulsory and the varying contact impedances are taken into account at each different pressure step. The results show that predictions of saturation ratios can be made based on knowledge of matric potentials just as predictions of hydraulic conductivities can be made based on knowledge of either matric potentials or saturation ratios. They are highly significantmore » at the equivalent of a matric potential lower than -10 kPa. These results are then compared to those obtained by means of the predictive methods promoted by Campbell and Millington-Quirk using moisture retention data.« less

  • Under DOE Contract DE-AC05-77ET-10152, HRI is investigating the thermal dissolution of coal and its effects on the mechanism of catalytic coal liquefaction in an H-COAL system. The two-stage coal liquefaction system consists of a coal slurry preheater which is essentially a short residence time reactor and the liquefaction reactor which can be regarded as a catalytic-hydrogenation reactor. The bench unit operation tested Amocat 1A catalyst in the modified bench-unit operations with Illinois No. 6 coal, using a catalytic temperature 15/sup 0/F lower than had been used in earlier bench unit tests with this catalyst. The yield of residual oil frommore » this operation was 10% greater than would have been expected on the basis of earlier bench-unit operations with this coal and catalyst, although such comparison is highly dependent on correlated extrapolation of the earlier work. The interrelation of product distribution and hydrogen requirement in this Amocat 1A operation was approximately the same as in the bench-unit (with preheater) operation with the standard catalyst, although feed space velocity would be 40% lower in the Amocat 1A operation because of the lower temperature used. This work indicates little pre-reaction of coal and residual oil in the preheater as operated in this run, with a nominal preheater slurry residence time of two minutes and a linear temperature profile to an outlet temperature of 750/sup 0/F. This work has shown that considerably higher severities are required in the thermal stage to effect a substantial impact upon the results of the catalytic stage.« less

  • Yield and product quality data from SRC-II experimental research units were investigated to determine if differences existed among the various units. Yield differences among the bubble column units were found generally not to be statistically significant but statistically significant differences were observed between the bubble column units and a small continuous stirred tank reactor unit. Product quality data was very sketchy but did indicate that the PDU scale unit may have been producing higher product quality than the other units. Both yields and product qualities seemed to remain constant with time, in an extended run on the PDU unit supportingmore » a conclusion that the process chemistry is stable in extended recycle operation. Based on cost of operation, data precision, flexibility of operation, and need to address specific design questions, it is recommended that most process development work for SRC and similar processes could be performed in a cost effective manner on highly instrumented bench-scale continuous units but that one or more large scale units will need to be operated to address certain critical equipment and process integration issues.« less

  • ; ;

  • ;
    Research is reported in the effort to optimize process parameters in the conversion of organic solid materials to useful liquid fuels. The process entails the liquefaction of solid materials (wood, meswprint, refuse, animal manure) by heating to about 350/sup 0/C under carbon monoxide and steam pressure, in the presence of sodium carbonate, water, and recycle oil. Initial tasks were directed toward: evaluation of process operation at reduced system pressure; evaluation of process operation at reduced carbon monoxide overpressures; and study of the effect of recycling the oil and aqueous phases. The role of the sodium carbonate catalyst and the fatemore » of the CO consumed during the course of the reaction were studied by the use of radiotracer techniques. A quick heatup/cooldown autoclave was used to investigate process parameters. (JGB)« less