Low-level waste source term evaluation: Review of published modeling and experimental work, and presentation of low-level waste source term modeling framework and preliminary model development: Topical report
Objective is development of a model to predict radionuclide release rates from a low-level waste disposal unit. The approach for model development has been based on a compartmentalized scheme focused on the four major processes of water flow, container degradation, waste leaching and waste radionuclide transport to the trench boundaries. This stage of the project is focused primarily on modeling release rates from shallow land burial as currently practiced. Research efforts to this point include characterization work (of burial trenches themselves, of soils and structural features, and of waste forms and containers), review of published modeling work, review of several waste package performance system models, and development of original container degradation and waste leaching models. Characterization of the wastes, containers, and of the site (trench soils and structure) has been based on the premise that NRC guidance has been put into effect. Quantitative prediction of the water flow in the trench is a major part of this program. The water flow equations are generally formulated to yield the hydraulic potential in the porous medium as a function of space and time. The solution of the water flow equations provides a method to obtain the average velocity with which the water moves at each spatial location in the disposal unit. This velocity is used in the contaminant transport equation. Inclusion of waste package container degradation and waste leaching leads to the radionuclide release amounts which must be coupled with the water flow and containment transport models to complete the scheme.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA); Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 6240651
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG/CR-4897; BNL-NUREG-52066; ON: TI87011275
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
CONTAINERS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
HYDRAULICS
LEACHING
LIQUID FLOW
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PACKAGING
SOILS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WATER
DISSOLUTION
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects