A numerical study of water percolation through an unsaturated variable aperture fracture under coupled thermomechanical effects
In calculation of ground water travel times associated with performance assessment of a nuclear waste repository, the role of fractures may turn out to be very important. There are two aspects related to fracture flow that have not been fully resolved. The first is the effect of coupled thermomechanical impact on fracture apertures due to the thermal output of the nuclear waste repository. The second is the effect of the variable aperture nature of the fractures. The present paper is an exploratory study of the impact of these two effects on water percolation through unsaturated fractures. The paper is divided into two main sections. the first section describes a calculation of the thermomechanical behavior of the geologic formation around a waste repository. In this exploratory study we assume two major fractures, one vertical and one horizontal through the repository center. Temperatures and thermally induced stress fields are calculated. The second part of the paper considers the unsaturated case and describes a study of water infiltration from the land surface through the vertical fracture to the repository.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; SENPI; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Energiverken, Goeteborg (Sweden). Energifoersoerjningsdelegationen
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 5844589
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-31713; CONF-920430-66; ON: DE92008285
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International high level radioactive waste management (IHLRWM) conference: promoting understanding through education and communication, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 12-16 Apr 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
FLOW MODELS
GROUND WATER
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
ROCKS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage