Effects of temperature, temperature gradients, stress, and irradiation on migration of brine inclusions in a salt repository

Abstract

Davidson, N.C.; presently a visiting member of the ORNL Chemistry Division. NOTICE This document contains information of a preliminary nature. It if wbjaet to reVsion or correction and therefore does not represent a fine' report. The project was administered by the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, Battelle Memorial Institute. OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 operated by UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION for the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY nonet Tn» rtprHi WM praired * *n accow of work •pmiM»vdhyl>ttUittft4&lkiC.tfi«*iiflmi NfKrKrrAf Univi S«« nor dw Uoitrt 5r*e* OtyTmi of ti*\0. nor jny of Act fmploTW*. m* my of tmt comracfors. Bbcontticfcm. or r*cw flnptotvM. "fc** •*> wwrMtly. npvcm or mpM. of am-toWtty or rapoMbditr for *t *car«icy. or wfvfef* of My mfomtmn. mpmwm. proit prom d«ckMtd. or repranti fctt itt wx «TMM •nrVfr prlMHly owwd neitt.

Development of Reference Conditions for Geologic Repositories for Nuclear Waste in the USA

“….developed by Jenks [ 5 ] which relates the velocity of the brine inclusion to the temperature and temperature gradients, and the MIGRAIN code [ 2 ] which solves the equation for mass continuity numerically.…”

Mass transfer in a salt repository

“…Natural polycrystalline salt contains brine in grain boundaries and brine inclusions in crystals. A liquid inclusion in a salt crystal migrates up the temperature gradient to the grain boundary because of temperature-dependent solubility, at a rate determined by the rate of molecular and thermal diffusion of dissolved salt from the hot face to the cold face of the inclusion and by the kinetics of dissolution and crystallization [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Earlier studies [7] predicted thermally driven 2 transport of brine towards the waste package, assuming that a brine inclusion in a crystal moves across the grain boundary into the adjacent crystal and finally reaches the waste package.…”

U.S. Geological Survey research in radioactive waste disposal; fiscal year 1981

“…In order to quantify the problem, the migration rate of these brine inclusions must be estimated under various repository conditions. Several different models of the migration process were reviewed recently (Anthony and Cline, 1971;Jenks, 1979;Cheung and others, 1980;Kovar and Steinborn, 1980). Among them, the model presented by Anthony and Cline (1971) is considered as being most complete because it accounts for most of the phenomena known to occur in the migration process.…”

“…The reports present information for approximately 200 wells in and near Burial Grounds 3, 4, 5, and 6, about 16,000 ground-water level measurements during 1975-1979, and precipitation data for Burial Grounds 5 and 6 during 1976-1980. The data base thus established provides information useful to the site managers and ORNL scientists performing various studies of the sites, a factual foundation for interpretive reports, and measured values of parameters in numerical models.…”