Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104417
Lizenz creative commons licence
Titel (primär) The value of simplified models of radionuclide transport for the safety assessment of nuclear waste repositories: A benchmark study
Autor Selzer, P.; Shao, H. ORCID logo ; Behrens, C.; Lehmann, C.; Seydewitz, R.; Lu, R.; Kreye, P.; Rühaak, W.; Kolditz, O. ORCID logo
Quelle Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Erscheinungsjahr 2024
Department ENVINF
Band/Volume 267
Seite von art. 104417
Sprache englisch
Topic T8 Georesources
Supplements https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0169772224001219-mmc1.csv
Keywords Deep geological repository; Radionuclide transport; Diffusion; Benchmarking; TransPyREnd; OpenGeoSys
Abstract In order to assess sites for a deep geological repository for storing high-level nuclear waste safely in Germany, various numerical models and tools will be in use. For their interaction within one workflow, their reproducibility, and reliability version-controlled open-source solutions and careful documentation of model setups, results and verifications are of special value. However, spatially fully resolved models including all relevant physical and chemical processes are neither computationally feasible for large domains nor is the data typically available to parameterize such models. Thus, simplified models are crucial for the pre-assessment of possible sites to narrow down the list of suitable candidates for which detailed site investigations and fully resolved models will be done at a later stage. Still, the accuracy of these simplified models is of importance as the pre-assessment of suitable sites will be based on them. In this study, we compare the modelling capabilities of TransPyREnd, a one-dimensional transport code based on finite differences, specifically developed for the fast estimation of radionuclide transport by the German federal company for radioactive waste disposal (BGE), with OpenGeoSys, which is a modelling platform based on finite elements in up to three spatial dimensions. Both codes are used in the site selection procedure for the German nuclear waste repository. The comparison of the model results of TransPyREnd and OpenGeoSys is augmented by comparisons with an analytical solution for a homogeneous material. For the purpose of numerical benchmarking, we consider a geological profile located in southern Germany as an example where the hypothetical repository is located in a clay-stone formation. TransPyREnd and OpenGeoSys yield overall similar results. However, both codes use different discretizations which impact is the highest for strongly sorbing compounds, while the difference gets negligible for less sorbing and more diffusive compounds as higher diffusion tends to blur the initial conditions. Overall, the OpenGeoSys model is more exact whereas the TransPyREnd model has considerable faster run times. We found in our example, that significant substance amounts are only leaving the host rock formation, if apparent diffusion is high, for which case both codes give similar results, while relative differences are considerable for strongly sorbing compounds. However, in the latter case no significant substance amount of radionuclides leaves the host-rock formation, thus deeming the differences in the model results minor for the overall safety assessments of sites.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=29646
Selzer, P., Shao, H., Behrens, C., Lehmann, C., Seydewitz, R., Lu, R., Kreye, P., Rühaak, W., Kolditz, O. (2024):
The value of simplified models of radionuclide transport for the safety assessment of nuclear waste repositories: A benchmark study
J. Contam. Hydrol. 267 , art. 104417 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104417