Multiple-code simulation study of the long-term EDZ evolution of geological nuclear waste repositories
This simulation study shows how widely different model approaches can be adapted to model the evolution of the excavation disturbed zone (EDZ) around a heated nuclear waste emplacement drift in fractured rock. The study includes modeling of coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical (THM) processes, with simplified consideration of chemical coupling in terms of time-dependent strength degradation or subcritical crack growth. The different model approaches applied in this study include boundary element, finite element, finite difference, particle mechanics, and elastoplastic cellular automata methods. The simulation results indicate that thermally induced differential stresses near the top of the emplacement drift may cause progressive failure and permeability changes during the first 100 years (i.e., after emplacement and drift closure). Moreover, the results indicate that time-dependent mechanical changes may play only a small role during the first 100 years of increasing temperature and thermal stress, whereas such time-dependency is insignificant after peak temperature, because decreasing thermal stress.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA(US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Earth Sciences Division
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 941676
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-1128E; TRN: US0807474
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Geology, Journal Name: Environmental Geology
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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