The engineering design of disposal of the high level waste (HLW) packages in a geologic repository requires a thermal analysis to forecast the temperature history of the packages. Calculated temperatures are used to demonstrate compliance with criteria for waste acceptance into the geologic disposal gallery system and as input to assess the transient thermal characteristics of the vitrified HLW Package. The objective of the work was to evaluate the thermal performance of the supercontainer containing the vitrified HLW in a nonbackfilled and unventilated underground disposal gallery. In order to achieve the objective, transient computational models for a geologic vitrified HLW package were developed by using a computational fluid dynamics method, and calculations for the HLW disposal gallery of the current Belgian geological repository reference design were performed. An initial simplified two-dimensional model was used to conduct some parametric sensitivity studies to better understand the geologic system’s thermal response. The effect of heat decay, number of codisposed supercontainers, domain size, humidity, thermal conductivity, and thermal emissivity were studied. A more accurate three-dimensional model was also developed by considering the conduction–convection cooling mechanism coupled with radiation, and the effect of the number of supercontainers was studied in more detail, as well as a bounding case with zero heat flux at both ends. The modeling methodology and results of the sensitivity studies will be presented.
Skip Nav Destination
e-mail: steve.hensel@srnl.doe.gov
Article navigation
December 2011
Research Papers
Thermal Performance Analysis of Geologic High-Level Radioactive Waste Packages
Steve J. Hensel,
e-mail: steve.hensel@srnl.doe.gov
Steve J. Hensel
Savannah River National Laboratory, Savannah River Site
, Aiken, SC 29808
Search for other works by this author on:
Chris De Bock
Chris De Bock
ONDAF/NIRAS
Belgium
Search for other works by this author on:
Steve J. Hensel
Savannah River National Laboratory, Savannah River Site
, Aiken, SC 29808e-mail: steve.hensel@srnl.doe.gov
Chris De Bock
ONDAF/NIRAS
Belgium
J. Pressure Vessel Technol. Dec 2011, 133(6): 061601 (13 pages)
Published Online: October 13, 2011
Article history
Received:
September 17, 2010
Accepted:
February 18, 2011
Online:
October 13, 2011
Published:
October 13, 2011
Citation
Lee, S. Y., Hensel, S. J., and Bock, C. D. (October 13, 2011). "Thermal Performance Analysis of Geologic High-Level Radioactive Waste Packages." ASME. J. Pressure Vessel Technol. December 2011; 133(6): 061601. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4003823
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
On the possibility of extending the crack length criterion in the master curve methodology
J. Pressure Vessel Technol
Investigation of Fracture Prediction Capability of XFEM and FEM using SENT Specimens
J. Pressure Vessel Technol
The Behavior of Elbow Elements at Pure Bending Applications Compared to Beam and Shell Element Models
J. Pressure Vessel Technol (February 2025)
Related Articles
Conjugate Thermal Analysis of Air-Cooled Discrete Flush-Mounted Heat Sources in a Horizontal Channel
J. Electron. Packag (December,2011)
Influence of Buoyancy and Inter-Surface Radiation on Confined Jet Impingement Cooling of a Semi-Cylindrical Concave Plate
J. Heat Mass Transfer (March,2024)
Three-Dimensional Conjugate Heat Transfer in a Horizontal Channel
With Discrete Heating
J. Heat Transfer (August,2004)
Investigations on Multimode Heat Transfer From a Heated Vertical Plate
J. Heat Transfer (March,2010)
Related Chapters
Experimental Investigation of an Improved Thermal Response Test Equipment for Ground Source Heat Pump Systems
Inaugural US-EU-China Thermophysics Conference-Renewable Energy 2009 (UECTC 2009 Proceedings)
Short-Pulse Collimated Radiation in a Participating Medium Bounded by Diffusely Reflecting Boundaries
International Conference on Mechanical and Electrical Technology, 3rd, (ICMET-China 2011), Volumes 1–3
Even a Watched Pot Boils Eventually
Hot Air Rises and Heat Sinks: Everything You Know about Cooling Electronics Is Wrong