scholarly journals A Numerical Investigation on the Effect of Gas Pressure on the Water Saturation of Compacted Bentonite-Sand Samples

Geofluids ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jiang-Feng Liu ◽  
Shuai-Bing Song ◽  
Jian Liu ◽  
Bing-Xiang Huang ◽  
Xu-Lou Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Saturation ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Sand Sample ◽  
Compacted Bentonite ◽  
Bentonite Buffer ◽  
Deep Geological Disposal ◽  
Bottom Side ◽  
High Level ◽  
Gas Pressures

In deep geological disposal for high-level radioactive waste, the generated gas can potentially affect the sealing ability of bentonite buffers. There is a competition between water and gas: the former provides sealing by swelling bentonite, and the latter attempts to desaturate the bentonite buffer. Thus, this study focused on numerically modelling the coupling effects of water and gas on the water saturation and sealing efficiency of compacted bentonite-sand samples. Different gas pressures were applied to the top surface of an upper sample, whereas the water pressure on the bottom side of the lower sample was maintained at 4 MPa. The results indicated that gas pressure did not significantly affect the saturation of the bentonite-sand sample until 2 MPa. At 2 MPa, the degree of water saturation of the upper sample was close to 1.0. As the gas pressure increased, this influence was more apparent. When the gas pressure was 6 MPa or higher, it was difficult for the upper sample to become fully saturated. Additionally, the lower sample was desaturated due to the high gas pressure. This indicated that gas pressure played an important role in the water saturation process and can affect the sealing efficiency of bentonite-based buffer materials.

scholarly journals Numerical Modeling of Water and Gas Transport in Compacted GMZ Bentonite under Constant Volume Condition

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Jiang-Feng Liu ◽  
Xu-Lou Cao ◽  
Hong-Yang Ni ◽  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Zhi-Xiao Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Transport ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Underground Water ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Constant Volume ◽  
Gmz Bentonite ◽  
Gas Migration ◽  
Sealing Ability ◽  
High Level

During deep geological disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste, underground water erosion into buffer materials, such as bentonite, and gas production around the canister are unavoidable. Therefore, understanding water and gas migration into buffer materials is important when it comes to determining the sealing ability of engineered barriers in deep geological repositories. The main aim of our study is to provide insights into the water/gas transport in a compacted bentonite sample under constant volume conditions. The results of our study indicate that water saturation is obtained after 450 hours, which is similar to experimental results. Gas migration testing shows that the degree of water saturation in the samples is very sensitive to the gas pressure. As soon as 2 MPa or higher gas pressure was applied, the water saturation degree decreased quickly. Laboratory experiments indicate that gas breakthrough occurs at 4 MPa, with water being expelled from the downstream side. This indicates that gas pressure has a significant effect on the sealing ability of Gaomizozi (GMZ) bentonite.

Ultrasonic Velocities Measurement in Compacted Bentonite-Sand Mixtures for Saturation Level Evaluation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun Kimura ◽  
Hideharu Takahashi ◽  
Ari Hamdani ◽  
Masanori Aritomi ◽  
Susumu Ozaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
Saturation Level ◽  
Degree Of Saturation ◽  
Ultrasonic Velocities ◽  
Compacted Bentonite ◽  
Bentonite Buffer ◽  
Buffer Material

Compacted bentonite materials are often considered as a buffer material in the geological radioactive waste disposal. This bentonite is expected to fill up the space between the waste and the surrounding ground by swelling. Therefore, understanding the surrounding ground, i.e., groundwater behavior in bentonite, as a buffer material, is essential in order to evaluate the bentonite buffer performance and guarantee long-term safety. The monitoring system of the water saturation level in compacted bentonite is required because water content in buffer material may influence its elastic properties. In this study, the correlation between water content and elasticity in unsaturated compressed bentonite was experimentally evaluated. The evaluation was done by measuring the sound velocity of both longitudinal wave and transverse wave. As a result, it can be confirmed that ultrasonic velocities could evaluate a degree of saturation and bulk modulus of compacted bentonite.

Water and Gas Movement in Mx80 Bentonite Buffer Clay

2003 ◽  
Vol 807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Horseman ◽  
Jon F. Harrington ◽  
P. Sellin
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Capillary Pressure ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Swelling Pressure ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Constant Volume ◽  
Total Stress ◽  
Porewater Pressure ◽  
Gas Pressures

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a long-term laboratory test designed to examine the sensitivity of gas flow in Mx80 buffer bentonite subject to a constant volume boundary condition. A constant volume and radial flow (CVRF) apparatus was designed to enable gas flow from a centrally located injection filter to be independently monitored at three sink-filter arrays mounted around the circumference of the clay specimen. Axial and radial total stresses and internal porewater pressure were continuously monitored. Gas entry, breakthrough and peak gas pressures were found to be systematically higher under constant volume boundary conditions than under previously reported constant stress and radially-constrained test conditions [6, 9, 10]. The observation that gas pressures are sensitive to test boundary conditions supports the hypothesis that gas entry is accompanied by dilation of the bentonite fabric. Gas penetration of the clay caused a substantial increase in total stress and internal porewater pressure. Abrupt drops in gas pressure, accompanied by similar drops in total stress, were interpreted as fracture propagation events. The outflow of gas was always non-uniformly distributed between the sinks. Furthermore, the distribution of flow between sinks often changed abruptly during the course of an experiment indicating that gas pathways were very unstable. When gas injection stopped, the gas pressure and rate of outflow spontaneously declined with time. Under constant volume conditions, the gas pressure at the asymptote exceeded the internal porewater pressure by an amount equal to the capillary pressure. In constant volume tests on clay with high water saturation, capillary pressure has a value close to the measured swelling pressure of the clay.

Geochemical Processes at the Carbon steel/bentonite Interface in Repository Conditions

2006 ◽  
Vol 985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Torres ◽  
María Jesús Turrero ◽  
Pedro Luis Martin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Steel ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Compacted Bentonite ◽  
Bentonite Buffer ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
Geological Formation ◽  
Gaseous Corrosion ◽  
High Level

AbstractThe Deep Geological Repository (DGR) is currently the most accepted management option for the isolation of high level radioactive wastes. The DGR is based on a multibarrier system, which will limit releases of mobile radionuclides to the biosphere. In the design of the repository the spent fuel is encapsulated in canisters of carbon-steel. The space between the canister and the host geological formation will be filled with bentonite buffer clay. Under the prevailing conditions in a DGR, both localized and generalized corrosion phenomena are possible.Corrosion of the canister will result in formation of solid and gaseous corrosion products, which can influence the behaviour of both the canister and the bentonite. Many studies have been carried out in order to improve the knowledge on the reactivity of these barriers. Most of them have focused on the mineralogical alteration of the bentonite as a function of temperature, time, iron/clay and liquid/rock ratio in batch conditions. The aim of this study is to provide experimental evidences, at repository conditions, on chemical and mineralogical changes during the canister-compacted bentonite interaction: determination of secondary minerals and their alteration reactions, the advance of the corrosion front in the compacted bentonite, and changes in porosity, permeability and cation exchange capacity.

scholarly journals Effects of OH− activity and temperature on the dissolution rate of compacted montmorillonite under highly alkaline conditions

Clay Minerals ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuma Sawaguchi ◽  
Manabu Tsukada ◽  
Tetsuji Yamaguchi ◽  
Masayuki Mukai
Keyword(s):  
Dissolution Rate ◽  
Cementitious Materials ◽  
Ion Concentration ◽  
Bentonite Buffer ◽  
Deep Geological Disposal ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Alkaline Conditions ◽  
The Difference ◽  
High Level

AbstractThe highly alkaline environment induced by cementitious materials in a deep geological disposal system of high-level radioactive waste is likely to alter montmorillonite, the main constituent of bentonite buffer materials. Over long time periods, the alteration may cause the physical and/or chemical barrier functions of the buffer materials to deteriorate. In order to evaluate the long-term alteration behaviour, the dissolution rate, RA (kgm−3 s−1), of compacted pure montmorillonite (Kunipia-F) was investigated experimentally under conditions of hydroxide ion concentration of 0.10—1.0 mol dm−3 at temperatures of 50—90°C. The dissolution rate data, including those from a previous study at 130°C, were formulated as a function of the activity of hydroxide ions, aOH− (mol dm−3), and temperature, T (K), and expressed as RA = 104.5·(aOH−)1.3·e−55000/RT by multiple regression analysis, where R is the gas constant. The dissolution rate of montmorillonite was greater in the compacted montmorillonite than in the compacted sand-bentonite mixtures. The difference can be explained by considering the decrease in aOH− in the mixtures accompanied by dissolution of accessory minerals such as quartz and chalcedony. The dissolution rate model developed for pure montmorillonite is expected to be applied to bentonite mixtures if quantification of the decrease in aOH− is achieved somehow.

Development of performance assessment models for glass dissolution

MRS Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (63-64) ◽  
pp. 4239-4245
Author(s):  
T. Goto ◽  
S. Mitsui ◽  
H. Takase ◽  
S. Kurosawa ◽  
M. Inagaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Performance Assessment ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Joint Research ◽  
Glass Dissolution ◽  
Bentonite Buffer ◽  
Deep Geological Disposal ◽  
Safety Case ◽  
And Performance ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTNUMO and JAEA have been conducting a joint research since FY2011, which is aimed to enhance the methodology of repository design and performance assessment in preliminary investigation stage for the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. As a part of this joint research, we have been developing glass dissolution models which include various processes derived from glass-overpack-bentonite buffer interaction, considering the precipitation of Fe-silicates associated with steel overpack corrosion, and Si transport through altered layer of glass. The objective of this modeling work is to show comprehensively the lifetime of the vitrified waste due to glass matrix dissolution timescales through sensitivity analysis, and to identify the feature/process that most strongly influences the lifetime, and to identify future R&D issues that would help to improve the nuclide transport analysis with confidential value and the safety case in future. The sensitivity analysis suggested that the duration of the glass dissolution might be predicted in the ranges from 3.8×103 to 1.9×105 years. Also, the results indicated that the precipitation of Fe–silicate has the strongest influence on the long-team behavior of vitrified waste.

Measurement of Soil Suction and Soil-Water Characteristics of Bentonite-Sand Mixtures

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pan Hu ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
Maotian Luan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Vapor Phase ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Phase Method ◽  
Soil Suction ◽  
Compacted Bentonite ◽  
Water Characteristics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Level

The soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) is a widely used experimental means for assessing fundamental properties of unsaturated soils for a wide range of soil suction values. The study of SWCC is helpful because some properties of unsaturated soils can be predicted from it. Nowadays, much attention has been paid to the behaviours of highly compacted bentonite-sand mixtures used in engineering barriers for high level radioactive nuclear waste disposal. It is very important to study the various performances of bentonite-sand mixtures in order to insure the safety of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository. After an introduction to vapor phase method and osmotic technique, a laboratory study has been carried out on compacted bentonite-sand mixtures. The SWCC of bentonite-sand mixtures has been obtained and analyzed. The results show that the vapor phase method and osmotic technique is suitable to the unsaturated soils with high and low suction.

Pressure Assisted Sintering of an Aluminium Alloy

2009 ◽  
Vol 618-619 ◽  
pp. 627-630
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Bonner ◽  
Graham B. Schaffer ◽  
Ji Yong Yao
Keyword(s):  
Aluminium Alloy ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Isothermal Holding ◽  
Horizontal Tube ◽  
Elevated Pressure ◽  
Nitrogen Pressure ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Densification Rate ◽  
Conventional Press ◽  
Gas Pressures

An aluminium alloy was sintered using a conventional press and sinter process, at various gas pressures, to observe the effect of sintering gas pressure on the densification rate. Compacts of aluminium alloy 2712 (Al-3.8Cu-1Mg-0.7Si-0.1Sn) were prepared from elemental powders and sintered in a horizontal tube furnace under nitrogen or argon at 590°C for up to 60 minutes, and air cooled. The gas flow was adjusted to achieve specific gas pressures in the furnace. It has been found that increasing the nitrogen pressure at the start of the isothermal holding stage to 160kPa increased the densification rate compared to standard atmospheric pressure sintering. Increasing the nitrogen pressure further, up to 600kPa, had no additional benefit. The densification rate was increased significantly by increasing the gas pressure to 600kPa during both heating and isothermal holding. Under argon the elevated pressure did not increase the densification rate. Results seem to suggest that the beneficial effect of the elevated pressure on the rate of densification is related to nitride formation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document