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A Mathematical Model for Advective Release from Perforated WastePackage Container Under Dripping Water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

Joon H. Lee
Joon H. Lee*
Affiliation:
INTERA Inc., CRWMS M&O, 1180 Town Center Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89134, USA
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Abstract

A defense-in-depth engineered barrier system (EBS) is employed in thecurrent design concept for the potential high-level nuclear waste repositoryat Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA. Simplifying the geometry of the cylindricalwaste container into the equivalent spherical configuration, andincorporating detailed analysis of the mechanics of water flow around thewaste container surface, a mathematical model is developed for advectiverelease from a “failed” (or perforated) waste container under drippingwater. It is shown that the advective release rates are controlled bydiffusion through the perforations in the waste container, and affected insignificantly by the dripping flow rate for the flowrate range considered. The release rates depend strongly on the number ofperforations (or pit penetrations) in the waste container. The insensitivityof the release rate to the dripping flow rate is explained by the fact thatradionuclide is released from the container surface to the boundary layer ofthe water film which contacts the container surface and is relativelystagnant. Also, since a laminar flow around the waste container surface isassumed in the model development, radionuclides transport across the waterlayers in the film by diffusion only. Additionally, the insignificant effectof the flow rate is contributed by the “short” penetration depth ofradionuclide into the water film assumed in the model development. Theanalyses show that the number of perforations, the size of perforation, thecontainer wall thickness, and the geometry (i.e., radius) of the wastecontainer are important parameters that control the advective release rate.It is emphasized that the “failed” (or perforated) waste package containercan still perform as a potentially important barrier to radionucliderelease.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 465: Symposium II – Scienfific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XX , 1996 , 1067
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

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