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Title: Results from an International Simulation Study on Coupled Thermal,Hydrological, and Mechanical (THM) Processes near Geological NuclearWaste Repositories

Abstract

As part of the ongoing international DECOVALEX project, four research teams used five different models to simulate coupled thermal, hydrological, and mechanical (THM) processes near waste emplacement drifts of geological nuclear waste repositories. The simulations were conducted for two generic repository types, one with open and the other with back-filled repository drifts, under higher and lower postclosure temperatures, respectively. In the completed first model inception phase of the project, a good agreement was achieved between the research teams in calculating THM responses for both repository types, although some disagreement in hydrological responses is currently being resolved. In particular, good agreement in the basic thermal-mechanical responses was achieved for both repository types, even though some teams used relatively simplified thermal-elastic heat-conduction models that neglected complex near-field thermal-hydrological processes. The good agreement between the complex and simplified process models indicates that the basic thermal-mechanical responses can be predicted with a relatively high confidence level.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
Earth Sciences Division
OSTI Identifier:
936253
Report Number(s):
LBNL-59056-2008
Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450; NUTYBB; TRN: US0805467
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Nuclear Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 163; Journal Issue: 1; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 2008; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54; 58; POSITIONING; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SIMULATION; WASTES

Citation Formats

Rutqvist, Jonny, Rutqvist, J, Barr, D, Birkholzer, J T, Chijimatsu, M, Kolditz, O, Liu, Q -S, Oda, Y, Wang, W, and Zhang, C -Y. Results from an International Simulation Study on Coupled Thermal,Hydrological, and Mechanical (THM) Processes near Geological NuclearWaste Repositories. United States: N. p., 2007. Web.
Rutqvist, Jonny, Rutqvist, J, Barr, D, Birkholzer, J T, Chijimatsu, M, Kolditz, O, Liu, Q -S, Oda, Y, Wang, W, & Zhang, C -Y. Results from an International Simulation Study on Coupled Thermal,Hydrological, and Mechanical (THM) Processes near Geological NuclearWaste Repositories. United States.
Rutqvist, Jonny, Rutqvist, J, Barr, D, Birkholzer, J T, Chijimatsu, M, Kolditz, O, Liu, Q -S, Oda, Y, Wang, W, and Zhang, C -Y. 2007. "Results from an International Simulation Study on Coupled Thermal,Hydrological, and Mechanical (THM) Processes near Geological NuclearWaste Repositories". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/936253.
@article{osti_936253,
title = {Results from an International Simulation Study on Coupled Thermal,Hydrological, and Mechanical (THM) Processes near Geological NuclearWaste Repositories},
author = {Rutqvist, Jonny and Rutqvist, J and Barr, D and Birkholzer, J T and Chijimatsu, M and Kolditz, O and Liu, Q -S and Oda, Y and Wang, W and Zhang, C -Y},
abstractNote = {As part of the ongoing international DECOVALEX project, four research teams used five different models to simulate coupled thermal, hydrological, and mechanical (THM) processes near waste emplacement drifts of geological nuclear waste repositories. The simulations were conducted for two generic repository types, one with open and the other with back-filled repository drifts, under higher and lower postclosure temperatures, respectively. In the completed first model inception phase of the project, a good agreement was achieved between the research teams in calculating THM responses for both repository types, although some disagreement in hydrological responses is currently being resolved. In particular, good agreement in the basic thermal-mechanical responses was achieved for both repository types, even though some teams used relatively simplified thermal-elastic heat-conduction models that neglected complex near-field thermal-hydrological processes. The good agreement between the complex and simplified process models indicates that the basic thermal-mechanical responses can be predicted with a relatively high confidence level.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/936253}, journal = {Nuclear Technology},
issn = {0029-5450},
number = 1,
volume = 163,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 23 00:00:00 EDT 2007},
month = {Tue Oct 23 00:00:00 EDT 2007}
}