Thermal analysis of nuclear waste emplacement in welded tuff
Welded tuff is being evaluated as a possible medium in which to store nuclear waste. This report analyzes the heat effects of emplacing radioactive waste in welded tuff below the water table at Yucca Mountain on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). One-, two-, and three-dimensional calculations were used to evaluate the heat effects of spent fuel (SF) and commercial high-level waste (CHLW) in three regions: the very-near field, the room and pillar, and the far field. It was assumed that the canistered waste was placed in a borehole with no additional waste packaging. As a result of the calculations, interim reference-repository conditions of a gross thermal loading (GTL) of 100 kW/acre and a 20% extraction ratio (ER) were defined for both SF and CHLW. For these conditions, far-field temperatures remain below 100{sup 0}C and those in the room-and-pillar domain below 120{sup 0}C. In the very-near field, canister centerline temperatures are 195{sup 0}C for SF and 295{sup 0}C for CHLW; borehole wall temperatures are 184{sup 0}C for SF and 222{sup 0}C for CHLW. (The room-and-pillar and far-field temperatures are recognized as upper limits.) Once a full waste package is defined, canister loading may have to be reduced to prevent excessively high temperature within the waste package.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 59438
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--80-2639; ON: DE82009353
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
BOREHOLES
CALCULATION METHODS
CONTAINERS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NEVADA TEST SITE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THERMAL ANALYSIS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
TUFF
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
Yucca Mountain Project