Influence of Hydrologic Heterogencity on Thermal-Hydrologic Behavior in Emplacement Drifts

Conference · Tue Mar 28 04:00:00 EST 2006

OSTI ID:894028

Sun, Y; Buscheck, T A; Hao, Y

Fracture networks have been characterized as highly permeable continuum within the porous rock matrix in thermal-hydrologic models used to support performance assessments of the proposed nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Uncertainty and spatial variability of the fracture permeability are important considerations for understanding thermal-hydrologic behavior within the host rock surrounding an emplacement drift. In this paper, we conducted numerical experiments with a number of realizations of intrinsic fracture permeability and examine thermal conditions around an emplacement drift. Peak temperature and boiling duration on the drift wall are used as indices to quantify, the influence of fracture permeability. The variability of peak temperature and boiling duration resulting from small-scale fracture-permeability heterogeneity is compared with the variability resulting from variability of host-rock thermal conductivity and infiltration flux. An examination of rock dryout and condensate drainage shows that small-scale heterogeneity in fracture permeability results in a relatively small range in dryout volume and does not prevent the shedding of condensate through the pillar-separating emplacement drifts.

• Research Organization: Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 894028
• Report Number(s): UCRL-PROC-218581; MOL.20060413.0023, DC# 47460
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BOILING
CONDENSATES
DRAINAGE
DRYOUT
FRACTURES
PERFORMANCE
PERMEABILITY
POSITIONING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
YUCCA MOUNTAIN