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DOI 10.1007/s12665-016-6117-0
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Title (Primary) Development of approaches for modelling coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical processes in single granite fracture experiments
Author Bond, A.E.; Bruský, I.; Chittenden, N.; Feng, X.-T.; Kolditz, O. ORCID logo ; Lang, P.; Lu, R.; McDermott, C.; Neretnieks, I.; Pan, P.-Z.; Šembera, J.; Shao, H.; Yasuhara, H.; Zheng, H.
Source Titel Environmental Earth Sciences
Year 2016
Department ENVINF
Volume 75
Issue 19
Page From art. 1313
Language englisch
Keywords Fracture; Fluid flow; Coupled analysis; THMC; Code comparison; Rock-matrix diffusion
UFZ wide themes RU5;
Abstract The geological formation immediately surrounding a nuclear waste disposal facility has the potential to undergo a complex set of physical and chemical processes starting from construction and continuing many years after closure. The DECOVALEX project (DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against EXperiments) was established and maintained by a variety of waste management organizations, regulators and research organizations to help improve capabilities in experimental interpretation, numerical modelling and blind prediction of complex coupled systems. In the present round of DECOVALEX (D-2015), one component of Task C1 has considered the detailed experimental work of Yasuhara et al. (Appl Geochem 26:2074–2088, 2011), wherein three natural fractures in Mizunami granite are subject to variable fluid flows, mechanical confining pressure and different applied temperatures. This paper presents a synthesis of the completed work of six separate research teams, building on work considering a single synthetic fracture in novaculite. A range of approaches are presented including full geochemical reactive transport modelling and 2D and 3D high-resolution coupled thermo–hydro–mechanical–chemical (THMC) models. The work shows that reasonable fits can be obtained to the experimental data using a variety of approaches, but considerable uncertainty remains as to the relative importance of competing process sets. The work also illustrates that a good understanding of fracture topography, interaction with the granite matrix, a good understanding of the geochemistry and the associated multi-scale THMC process behaviours is a necessary pre-cursor to considering predictive models of such a system.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=18007
Bond, A.E., Bruský, I., Chittenden, N., Feng, X.-T., Kolditz, O., Lang, P., Lu, R., McDermott, C., Neretnieks, I., Pan, P.-Z., Šembera, J., Shao, H., Yasuhara, H., Zheng, H. (2016):
Development of approaches for modelling coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical processes in single granite fracture experiments
Environ. Earth Sci. 75 (19), art. 1313 10.1007/s12665-016-6117-0