Final Predictions of Ambient Conditions Along the East-West Cross Drift Using the 3-D Uz Site-Scale Model
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
In 1998, the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP) is expected to continue construction of an East-West Cross Drift. The 5-meter diameter drift (shown as“ECRB” on Figure 1.0-1) will extend from the North Ramp of the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF), near Station 19+92, southwest through the repository block, and over to and through the Solitario Canyon Fault This drift is part of a program designed to enhance characterization of Yucca Mountain and to complement existing surface-based and ESF testing studies. The objective of this milestone is to use the three-dimensional (3-D) unsaturated zone (UZ) site-scale model to predict ambient conditions along the East-West Cross Drift. These predictions provide scientists and engineers with a priori information that can support design and construction of the East-West Cross Drift and associated testing program. The predictions also provide, when compared with data collected after drift construction, an opportunity to test and verify the calibration of the 3-D UZ site-scale model. Ambient pneumatic, moisture, temperature and geochemical conditions along the drift were predicted using a series of model simulations. Flow modeling was performed using the TOUGH2 code developed by Pruess (1987; 1991). Geochemical variations were predicted using the TOUGH2 radionuclide transport module T2R3D (Wu et al., 1996). For all simulations, the 3-D UZ site-scale model grid was locally refined to explicitly discretize the proposed location of the drift, based on the basis engineering drawings and geologic cross section provided in the East-West Cross Drift Geotechnical Report (Level 3 Deliverable SP39V1M3) (TRW, 1998). A more detailed discussion of the development of the computational grid and refinement process is included in Section 3.1 of this report. Modeling was conducted using the full 3-D UZ site-scale model domain, a 3-D submodel, and a two-dimensional (2-D) cross section extracted from the full 3-D model.
- Research Organization:
- Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States); TRW Environmental Safety Systems, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (RW)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC01-91RW00134; AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 780393
- Report Number(s):
- MOL.19980508.0008
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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