Comparison of waste emplacement configurations for a nuclear waste repository in tuff. II. Ventilation analysis

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:59507

Hickox, C E

Ventilation requirements are assessed for three proposed nuclear waste emplacement schemes. The configurations investigated involve canisters of nuclear waste (1) placed periodically along the floor of a storage drift, (2) emplaced in vertical holes bored in the floor of a storage drift, and (3) emplaced in bored holes extending horizontally from the sides of an access drift. Preliminary analyses indicate that, for a drift wall temperature of 25{sup 0}C, the maximum required cooling air velocity is slightly less than 1 m/s and occurs for configuration 1. The other two configurations require approximately one-half as much cooling air velocity, the exact value depending on the drift length. The associated frictional pressure loss is shown to be small. Estimates are made of the power required to reduce the temperature of the ambient air to levels suitable for effective cooling of the drifts. Based on the arrangements required for the storage of 1000 canisters, it is shown that configuration 1 requires the most refrigeration and configuration 3 the least. Finally, brief consideration is given to the physiological environment associated with the thermal energy released. Initial results indicate that it should be relatively easy to maintain an acceptable working environment.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 59507
• Report Number(s): SAND--83-0678; ON: DE84000976
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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