scholarly journals Vertical Distribution of Calcite at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as an Indicator of Flow Through a Thick Unsaturated Zone

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.B. Paces ◽  
Z.E. Peterman
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Distribution ◽  
Unsaturated Zone ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Flow Through

Effect of the Residual Heat Release of the Nuclear Waste Stored in an Unsaturated Zone on Radionuclide Release

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lubna K. Hamdan ◽  
John C. Walton ◽  
Arturo Woocay
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Unsaturated Zone ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Minimum Length ◽  
General Corrosion ◽  
Waste Package ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Radionuclide Release ◽  
Residual Heat

Over time, nuclear waste packages disposed in geological repositories are expected to fail gradually due to localized and general corrosion. As a result, water will have access to the nuclear waste and radionuclides will be transported to the accessible environment by ground water. In this paper we consider a serious failure case in which penetrations at the top and bottom of the waste package will allow water to flow through it (flow-through model). We introduce a new conceptual model that examines the effect of the residual heat release of the nuclear waste stored in an unsaturated environment on radionuclide release. This model predicts that the evaporation of water at the hotter sheltered areas (from condensate and seepage) inside the failed waste package will create a capillary pressure gradient that drives water to wick with its dissolved and suspended contents toward these relict areas, effectively preventing radionuclides release. We drive a dimensionless group to estimate the minimum length of the sheltered areas required to sequester radionuclides and prevent their release. The implications of this model on the performance of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain or unsaturated zone geological repositories in general are explored.

Uncertainty Analyses of Unsaturated Zone Travel Time at Yucca Mountain

Ground Water ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Nichols ◽  
Mark D. Freshley
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Unsaturated Zone ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Uncertainty Analyses

Assessment of radionuclide transport uncertainty in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Ye ◽  
Feng Pan ◽  
Yu-Shu Wu ◽  
Bill X. Hu ◽  
Craig Shirley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unsaturated Zone ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Radionuclide Transport
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