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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

The {open_quotes}FEBEX{close_quotes} project: An in-situ full scale engineered barrier test

Conference ·
OSTI ID:476586
A large project is being carried out by ENRESA, in collaboration with other European partners, for a full-scale demonstration of engineered barriers for High Level Waste (HLW) repositories in horizontal disposal drifts in crystalline rock formations. The project includes both a mock-up test and an in-situ test and considers different technological and scientific aspects related to this type of emplacements. This paper describes the overall project structure and aims, but is mainly focused to the engineering and emplacement aspects of the in-situ test to be carried out at NAGRA`s underground laboratory in Grimsel. This experiment involves the emplacement of two large electrical heaters with the same weight and dimensions of the HLW canisters, and the backfilling of 17 m in a horizontal drift with a circular cross-section of 2.28 m diameter. The backfilled section will be sealed with a concrete plug and the system will be heated during a period of 3 years, during which a large number of measurements will be taken, related to the hydro-thermo-mechanical processes taking place within the buffer.
OSTI ID:
476586
Report Number(s):
CONF-960804--Vol.3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English