Pressure-induced brine migration into an open borehole in a salt repository
In the Environmental Assessment for a potential nuclear waste repository in salt, estimates of release rates of radionuclides from the engineered barrier system were made by multiplying the brine flow rate into an assumed open borehole at 300 yr by the solubilities of radioelements in the waste packages. The borehole was conservatively assumed to remain open at atmospheric pressure for hundreds and thousands of years. Brine was assumed to migrate into the borehole at a rate given by the Jenks equation for temperature-gradient induced movement of brine inclusions within individual salt crystals. However, it is now recognized that inclusions that reach grain boundaries are likely to move along grain boundaries under the influence of a pressure gradient, along with brine originally present in the grain boundaries. In this paper estimates are presented of the rate of brine accumulation in an assumed open borehole, based on grain-boundary migration theory.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Berkeley (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6930443
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8711195-
- Journal Information:
- Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 55; ISSN TANSA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Pressure-induced brine migration into an open borehole in a salt repository
Thermal-gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
510300 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BOREHOLES
BRINES
CAVITIES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
PERMEABILITY
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SALT CAVERNS
TIME DEPENDENCE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES