Finite element analysis of heat transport in a hydrothermal zone

Conference · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6774328

Bixler, N E; Carrigan, C R

Two-phase heat transport in the vicinity of a heated, subsurface zone is important for evaluation of nuclear waste repository design and estimation of geothermal energy recovery, as well as prediction of magma solidification rates. Finite element analyses of steady, two-phase, heat and mass transport have been performed to determine the relative importance of conduction and convection in a permeable medium adjacent to a hot, impermeable, vertical surface. The model includes the effects of liquid flow due to capillarity and buoyancy and vapor flow due to pressure gradients. Change of phase, with its associated latent heat effects, is also modeled. The mechanism of capillarity allows for the presence of two-phase zones, where both liquid and vapor can coexist, which has not been considered in previous investigations. The numerical method employs the standard Galerkin/finite element method, using eight-node, subparametric or isoparametric quadrilateral elements. In order to handle the extreme nonlinearities inherent in two-phase, nonisothermal, porous-flow problems, steady-state results are computed by integrating transients out to a long time (a method that is highly robust).

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6774328
• Report Number(s): SAND-87-0132C; CONF-8706110-1; ON: DE87009298
• Resource Relation: Conference: 5. international conference on numerical methods for thermal problems, Montreal, Canada, 29 Jun 1987; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
HEAT TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
CONVECTION
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
THEORETICAL DATA
THERMAL CONDUCTION
DATA
ENERGY TRANSFER
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
NUMERICAL DATA
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
990220 - Computers
Computerized Models
& Computer Programs- (1987-1989)