Results of repository conditions study for commercial and defense high-level nuclear waste and spent fuel repositories in salt
This report summarizes activities to determine repository conditions for temperatures, pressure, fluid, chemical, and radiation environments that are expected to exist in commercial and defense high-level nuclear waste and spent fuel repositories in salt. These conditions were generated by the Reference Repository Conditions Interface Working Group (RRC-IWG), an ad hoc IWG established by the National Waste Terminal Storage Program's (NWTS) Isolation Interface Control Board (I-ICB). These repository conditions are based on the standard room-and-pillar mined repository concept with waste emplaced in vertical holes drilled in the room floor. Some important results obtained are given below for selected local areal thermal loadings of 25, 25, and 11.6 W/m/sup 2/ for spent fuel (SF), commercial high-level waste (CHLW) and defense high-level waste (DHLW), respectively. In all cases, the results below are given in order for SF, CHLW, and DHLW. Some thermal results are: maximum waste temperature - 190, 320, and 100 C; maximum canister surface temperature - 160, 260, and 90 C; and maximum rock temperature - 150, 160, and 80C. The length of significant thermal exposure is greater for SF than the other wastes. Thermal histories are given in the report. Vapor phase pressures are not expected to rise significantly above atmospheric pressure until the repository is sealed. After sealing, the pressure will gradually increase to approach lithostatic equilibrium. Estimated volumes of accumulation of brine from thermal migration for 1000 years are 3 to 4 liters, 8 liters, and 0.5 liter. Reference brine compositions are given, although actual brine compositions are strongly site dependent. The maximum absorbed gamma radiation dose delivered to the salt after 10/sup 4/ year is 1.6 x 10/sup 10/ rads, and 9.6 x 10/sup 8/ rads for the CHLW and SF canisters, respectively. 12 figures, 5 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH (USA). Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830; AC02-83CH10140
- OSTI ID:
- 5762233
- Report Number(s):
- ONWI-483; ON: DE83016536
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BRINES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DATA
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUELS
GAMMA RADIATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
INFORMATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MIGRATION
MINING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR MATERIALS
ROOM AND PILLAR MINING
SALT DEPOSITS
SPENT FUELS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
UNDERGROUND MINING
VAPOR PRESSURE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES