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DOI 10.1007/s00254-008-1552-1
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Title (Primary) A comparative simulation study of coupled THM processes and their effect on fractured rock permeability around nuclear waste repositories
Author Rutqvist, J.; Barr, D.; Birkholzer, J.T.; Fujisaki, K.; Kolditz, O. ORCID logo ; Liu, Q.; Oda, Y.; Wang, W. ORCID logo ; Zhang, C.
Source Titel Environmental Geology
Year 2009
Department ENVINF
Volume 57
Issue 6
Page From 1347
Page To 1360
Language englisch
Keywords Coupled processes; Nuclear waste repository; Temperature; Stress; Permeability
Abstract This paper presents an international, multiple-code, simulation study of coupled thermal, hydrological, and mechanical (THM) processes and their effect on permeability and fluid flow in fractured rock around heated underground nuclear waste emplacement drifts. Simulations were conducted considering two types of repository settings (1) open emplacement drifts in relatively shallow unsaturated volcanic rock, and (2) backfilled emplacement drifts in deeper saturated crystalline rock. The results showed that for the two assumed repository settings, the dominant mechanism of changes in rock permeability was thermal-mechanically induced closure (reduced aperture) of vertical fractures, caused by thermal stress resulting from repository-wide heating of the rock mass. The magnitude of thermal-mechanically induced changes in permeability was more substantial in the case of an emplacement drift located in a relatively shallow, low-stress environment where the rock is more compliant, allowing more substantial fracture closure during thermal stressing. However, in both of the assumed repository settings in this study, the thermal-mechanically induced changes in permeability caused relatively small changes in the flow field, with most changes occurring in the vicinity of the emplacement drifts.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=550
Rutqvist, J., Barr, D., Birkholzer, J.T., Fujisaki, K., Kolditz, O., Liu, Q., Oda, Y., Wang, W., Zhang, C. (2009):
A comparative simulation study of coupled THM processes and their effect on fractured rock permeability around nuclear waste repositories
Environ. Geol. 57 (6), 1347 - 1360 10.1007/s00254-008-1552-1