An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain

Gauthier, J H

Title: An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain

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Abstract

Improvements have been made to the fracture-flow model being used in the total-system performance assessment of a potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The {open_quotes}weeps model{close_quotes} now includes (1) weeps of varied sizes, (2) flow-pattern fluctuations caused by climate change, and (3) flow-pattern perturbations caused by repository heat generation. Comparison with the original weeps model indicates that allowing weeps of varied sizes substantially reduces the number of weeps and the number of containers contacted by weeps. However, flow-pattern perturbations caused by either climate change or repository heat generation greatly increases the number of containers contacted by weeps. In preliminary total-system calculations, using a phenomenological container-failure and radionuclide-release model, the weeps model predicts that radionuclide releases from a high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain will be below the EPA standard specified in 40 CFR 191, but that the maximum radiation dose to an individual could be significant. Specific data from the site are required to determine the validity of the weep-flow mechanism and to better determine the parameters to which the dose calculation is sensitive.

Authors:

Gauthier, J H ^[1]

SPECTRA Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994

Research Org.:: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), New York, NY (United States); American Nuclear Society (ANS), La Grange Park, IL (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 60775

Report Number(s):: CONF-940553-Vol.3
TRN: 95:001702

DOE Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:: Conference

Resource Relation:: Conference: International high-level radioactive waste management conference, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 22-26 May 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of High Level Radioactive Waste Management: Proceedings of the fifth annual international conference. Volume 3; PB: 699 p.

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 99 MATHEMATICS, COMPUTERS, INFORMATION SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, LAW, MISCELLANEOUS; GEOLOGIC FRACTURES; FLOW RATE; FLOW MODELS; YUCCA MOUNTAIN; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; Yucca Mountain Project

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                    Gauthier, J H. An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain.  United States: N. p., 1994. 
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                    Gauthier, J H. An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain.  United States.

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                    Gauthier, J H. 1994.  
        "An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain".  United States.

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@article{osti_60775,

  title        = {An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain},

  author       = {Gauthier, J H},

  abstractNote = {Improvements have been made to the fracture-flow model being used in the total-system performance assessment of a potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The {open_quotes}weeps model{close_quotes} now includes (1) weeps of varied sizes, (2) flow-pattern fluctuations caused by climate change, and (3) flow-pattern perturbations caused by repository heat generation. Comparison with the original weeps model indicates that allowing weeps of varied sizes substantially reduces the number of weeps and the number of containers contacted by weeps. However, flow-pattern perturbations caused by either climate change or repository heat generation greatly increases the number of containers contacted by weeps. In preliminary total-system calculations, using a phenomenological container-failure and radionuclide-release model, the weeps model predicts that radionuclide releases from a high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain will be below the EPA standard specified in 40 CFR 191, but that the maximum radiation dose to an individual could be significant. Specific data from the site are required to determine the validity of the weep-flow mechanism and to better determine the parameters to which the dose calculation is sensitive.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/60775},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994},

  month        = {Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994}

}

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An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain

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Improvements have been made to the fracture-flow model being used in the total-system performance assessment of a potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The ``weeps model`` now includes (1) weeps of varied sizes, (2) flow-pattern fluctuations caused by climate change, and (3) flow-pattern perturbations caused by repository heat generation. Comparison with the original weeps model indicates that allowing weeps of varied sizes substantially reduces the number of weeps and the number of containers contacted by weeps. However, flow-pattern perturbations caused by either climate change or repository heat generation greatly increases the number of containers contacted by weeps.more »« less
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