Modeling infiltration into a tuff matrix from a saturated vertical fracture
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
The evaluation of Yucca Mountain as a potential high-level radioactive waste repository relies on predictive hydrologic models in unsaturated tuff surrounding the proposed site. Saturation profiles resulting from TOUGH2 numerical simulations of water infiltration into a tuff matrix from a saturated vertical fracture have been compared to experimental results. The purpose was to determine the sensitivity of the infiltration on local heterogeneities and different representations of two-phase characteristic curves used by the model. Findings indicate that the use of simplified (linearized) capillary pressure curves with rigorous (van Genuchten) relative permeability curves resulted in a more computationally efficient solution without a loss in accuracy. However, linearized forms of the relative permeability functions produced poor results, regardless of the form of the capillary pressure function. In addition, numerical simulations revealed that the presence of local heterogeneities in the tuff caused non-uniform saturation distributions and wetting fronts in the matrix.
- Research Organization:
- American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, NY (United States); American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 60928
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940553--Vol.4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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