Coupled Processes Associated with Nuclear Waste Repositories

Coupled Processes Associated with Nuclear Waste Repositories covers the proceedings of the 1985 International Symposium on Coupled Processes Associated with Nuclear Waste Repositories. The study of the behavior of geologic waste repositories is based on the coupled thermal, hydrologic, chemical, and mechanical processes that may occur in these systems. The symposium is sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy, in collaboration with the Nuclear Energy Authority in Paris and the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels. This book is organized into five parts encompassing 58 chapters. The introductory parts survey the concerns and interests from American and European agencies that have responsibilities in nuclear waste isolation research. These parts also provide overviews of coupled processes, with a particular emphasis on hydrology, geomechanics, and geochemistry. These topics are followed by summaries of major field projects on nuclear waste repositories in the U.S.A., France, Sweden, Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland. The fourth part covers considerable research results from topical studies of particular coupled processes. The concluding part provides the comments and discussion of various international researchers on the subject. This work will be of value to geology, hydrology, chemistry, thermodynamics, and rock mechanics students and researchers.

Table of Contents:
Preface Chapter 1 Introduction to Coupled Processes Agency Overviews Chapter 2 Coupled Processes in NRC High-Level Waste Research Chapter 3 Implementation of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 Chapter 4 A Review of OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Activities Related to Coupled Processes Affecting the Performance of a Nuclear Waste Repository Chapter 5 Outline of Some European Community Activities on Coupled Processes Overviews of Coupled Processes Chapter 6 An Overview of Coupled Processes with Emphasis on Geohydrology Chapter 7 Coupled Processes in Geomechanics Chapter 8 Overview of Coupled Processes with Emphasis in Geochemistry Current Field Projects Chapter 9 Basalt Waste Isolation Project Overview Chapter 10 Coupled Processes Addressed by Underground Testing for the Salt Repository Project Chapter 11 Experiments Performed on Granite in the Underground Research Laboratory at Fanay-Augères, France Chapter 12 Recent Progress of the NEA Stripa Project on In Situ Experiments in Granite Associated with the Disposal of Radioactive Waste Chapter 13 An Overview of Some Geotechnical Experiments within the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program Chapter 14 Geological Disposal in the Belgian Context Chapter 15 Swiss Field Investigations for Radioactive Waste Repositories Topical Studies Chapter 16 Coupling of Fluid Flow with Stepwise Alteration of Glass Waste Forms Chapter 17 Assessment of the Combined Effects of Temperature Increase, Water Convection, Migration of Radionuclides, and Radiolysis on the Safety of a Nuclear Waste Repository in the Boom Clay Chapter 18 Coupled Processes at the Oklo Natural Reactor Chapter 19 Simulation of Chemically Reactive Solute Transport Under Conditions of Changing Temperature Chapter 20 On Nuclide Transport, Precipitation, Dissolution and Shared Solubility Limits Chapter 21 The Role of Uranium Series Disequilibrium Studies of Fluids and Solids in Geological Systems with Potential for Radioactive Waste Disposal (H-C) Chapter 22 Electrolyte Diffusion in Compacted Montmorillonite Engineered Barriers Chapter 23 Steady Radionuclide Release Rates from a Bentonite-Protected Waste Canister Chapter 24 A Coupled Approach to Radioelement Migration Modeling in the United Kingdom Chapter 25 Gamma and Alpha Radiation Levels in a Basalt High-Level Waste Repository: Potential Impact on Container Corrosion and Packing Properties Chapter 26 Development of an Algorithm for the Biogeochemical Evolution of Uranium Mill Tailings Chapter 27 Chemical and Diffusional Effects in a Thermal Gradient: Results of Recent Experimental Studies and Implications for Subseabed Disposal of Nuclear Waste Chapter 28 Results from Some Tracer Experiments in Crystalline Rocks in Sweden Chapter 29 Hydrology and Chemistry of Hosokura Tuff in Japan Chapter 30 Hydraulic and Ionic Diffusion Properties of Bentonite-Sand Buffer Materials Chapter 31 Coupled Hydrothermal Flows of Liquid and Vapor in Welded Tuff: Numerical Modeling of Proposed Experiment Chapter 32 Effect of Electric Fields on Vapor Transport Near a High-Level Waste Canister Chapter 33 Coupled Process Analyses for Salt Repository Performance Assessment Chapter 34 Colloid Migration in Porous Media: An Analysis of Mechanisms Chapter 35 Multiparameter Testing of Permeability by the Transient Vacuum Technique Chapter 36 Slip-Flow Experiments in Welded Tuff: The Knudsen Diffusion Problem Chapter 37 Theory and Application of the PORFLOW Model for Analysis of Coupled Flow, Heat, and Radionuclide Transport in Porous Media Chapter 38 Analysis of Colloid Transport Chapter 39 Analysis of Permeability Reduction During Flow of Heated, Aqueous Fluid Through Westerly Granite Chapter 40 Effects of Silica Redistribution on Performance of High-Level Nuclear Waste Repositories in Saturated Geologic Formations Chapter 41 Coupling of Thermo-Plastic and Hydraulic Effects in a Clay Repository: Near-Field Analysis Chapter 42 Modeling of Pervious Fault Generation in Clay Host Formation Chapter 43 Coupled Processes in Repository Sealing Chapter 44 Numerical Modeling of Coupled Fluid, Heat, and Solute Transport in Deformable Fractured Rock Chapter 45 Coupled Triaxial Testing of Rock Salt Specimens Chapter 46 Hydromechanical Modeling of Fractured Rock Masses Using Coupled Numerical Schemes Chapter 47 A Coupled Model for Fluid-Driven Fractures Chapter 48 Field Investigation of Disturbed Zones around Excavations by Strain Distribution Measurements Chapter 49 Simulation of Coupled Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical Interactions in Fluid Injection into Fractured Rocks Chapter 50 Development of Finite Element Code for the Analysis of Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Behaviors of a Saturated-Unsaturated Medium Chapter 51 A Field Study of Coupled Mechanical-Hydrological Processes in Fractured Crystalline Rock Discussions Chapter 52 Comments on the Modeling of Coupled Thermo-Mechanical-Fluid Flow Behavior of Rock Masses Chapter 53 Comments Based on Hydrologic and Geochemical Characteristics of Active Hydrothermal Systems Chapter 54 Field Studies of Coupled Mechanical and Hydraulic Processes in the Foundation Rock of Large Dams Chapter 55 Some Coupled Processes Which May Be Important for a Nuclear Waste Repository Chapter 56 Waste Isolation Experiments from the Hydrologist's Point of View Chapter 57 Performance Assessment of Coupled Processes Chapter 58 The Need for Field Research in Coupled Processes Appendix A Symposium Program Appendix B List of Symposium Attendees Key-Word Index