Study of regional temperature and thermohydrological effects of an underground repository for nuclear wastes in hard rock

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5721942· OSTI ID:5721942

Wang, J S.Y.; Tsang, C F; Cook, N G.W.; Witherspoon, P A

Heat released by the radioactive decay of nuclear wastes in an underground repository causes a long-term thermal disturbance in the surrounding rock mass. The nature of this disturbance for a planar repository 3000 m in diameter at a depth of 500 m below surface is investigated for various waste forms. The effects of changes in the density and viscosity of groundwater caused by the temperature changes on the flow through a simple model of a vertical fracture connected to a horizontal fracture in a rock mass are evaluated. It is concluded that different waste forms and time periods before burial have significant effects on the thermal disturbance and that buoyant groundwater flow is a function of both the vertical and horizontal fracture transmissivities, as well as the changes in temperature. Loaded initially with a power density of 10 W/m/sup 2/ of spent fuel assemblies 10 years after discharge from a reactor, the maximum increase in temperature of the repository in granite is about 50/sup 0/C and the epicentral thermal gradient about 70/sup 0/C/km. 30 figures, 4 tables.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5721942
• Report Number(s): LBL-8271(Rev.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
DECAY
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER