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Summary of FY15 results of benchmark modeling activities

Arguello, Jose G.

Sandia is participating in the third phase of an is a contributing partner to a U.S.-German "Joint Project" entitled "Comparison of current constitutive models and simulation procedures on the basis of model calculations of the thermo-mechanical behavior and healing of rock salt." The first goal of the project is to check the ability of numerical modeling tools to correctly describe the relevant deformation phenomena in rock salt under various influences. Achieving this goal will lead to increased confidence in the results of numerical simulations related to the secure storage of radioactive wastes in rock salt, thereby enhancing the acceptance of the results. These results may ultimately be used to make various assertions regarding both the stability analysis of an underground repository in salt, during the operating phase, and the long-term integrity of the geological barrier against the release of harmful substances into the biosphere, in the post-operating phase.

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TYPE Other Report YEAR 2015
DOIOSTI

Results from the US-German Benchmark Initiative for FY14

Arguello, Jose G.

Sandia recently joined the third phase of and is a contributing partner to a U.S.-German “Joint Project” entitled “Comparison of current constitutive models and simulation procedures on the basis of model calculations of the thermo-mechanical behavior and healing of rock salt.” The first goal of the project is to check the ability of numerical modeling tools to correctly describe the relevant deformation phenomena in rock salt under various influences. Achieving this goal will lead to increased confidence in the results of numerical simulations related to the secure storage of radioactive wastes in rock salt, thereby enhancing the acceptance of the results. These results may ultimately be used to make various assertions regarding both the stability analysis of an underground repository in salt during the operating phase and the long-term integrity of the geological barrier against the release of harmful substances into the biosphere in the post-operating phase. Among the numerical modeling tools are constitutive models that are used in computer simulations for the description of the thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic behavior of the host rock under various influences and for the long-term prediction of this behavior into the future. A second goal of the project is to investigate and demonstrate the possibilities for further potential development and improvement of these constitutive models. This report summarizes the efforts undertaken during FY14 in support of these international benchmark calculations of field experiments.

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TYPE Other Report YEAR 2014
DOIOSTI

Potential use of geologic rock salt for fuel cycle sustainability -a computational modeling perspective

48th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2014

Arguello, Jose G.

Because of relatively recent decisions by the current administration and its renewed assessment of the nuclear life- cycle, the various deep geologic disposal medium options are once again open for consideration. This paper focuses on addressing the favorable creep properties and behavior of rock salt, from the computational modeling perspective, as it relates to its potential use as a disposal medium for a deep geologic repository. The various components that make up a computational modeling capability to address the thermo-mechanical behavior of rock salt over a wide range of time and space are presented here. Several example rock salt calculations are also presented to demonstrate the applicability and validity of the modeling capability described herein to address repository-scale problems. The evidence shown points to a mature computational capability that can generate results relevant to the design and assessment of a potential rock salt HLW repository. The computational capability described here can be used to help enable fuel cycle sustainability by appropriately vetting the use of geologic rock salt for use as a deep geologic disposal medium.

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TYPE Conference YEAR 2014
ScopusOSTI

Revisiting the 1980's WIPP room D and B in-situ experiments: Performing thermo-mechanical simulations of rock salt using a state-of-the-art code suite

47th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2013

Arguello, Jose G.; Rath, Jonathan S.

Several "Thermal/Structural Interactions" full-scale in-situ experiments were fielded at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in the mid 1980's. Data from two of these experiments, the Mining Development Test (Room D) and the Overtest for Simulated Defense High-Level Waste (Room B), havebeen used previously to help validate the legacy constitutive models and computer codes used to assess the performance of the disposal facility prior to its licensing and operation. Since then, approximately 30 years of software and hardware advances have yielded efficient software frameworks and enabling tools/infrastructure to produce a new generation of high-fidelity simulation tools. One such current state-of-the-art modeling capability is the computer code suite, SIERRA Mechanics. The capability to model waste repositories is a relatively recent addition to SIERRA Mechanics. Consequently, datafrom the same two WIPP rooms D &B are used in an effort, described herein, aimed at validating the code suite to this class of problems. WIPP Rooms D &B are also being proposed for an international benchmarking exercise between US and German researchers. A review of the salient features for these two rooms that need to be captured in such an exercise will also be described and elaborated. Copyright 2013 ARMA, American Rock Mechanics Association.

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TYPE Conference YEAR 2013
OSTIScopus
Results 1–25 of 59
Results 1–25 of 59