{"title":"Modeling of coupled processes in full-scale engineered barrier system performance experiment at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Japan","authors":"Hirokazu Ohno , Yusuke Takayama","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100636","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, the overpack lifetime and initial conditions of radionuclide migration are essential considerations along with the assessments of the environmental conditions, including study of the evolution of near-field thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes following the emplacement of an engineered barrier system. In this study, experimental data from an in situ full-scale engineered barrier experiment at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory were used to assess the applicability of a simulation model to evaluate near-field coupled processes. Simulation results indicate that the thermal and hydraulic properties generally explain the temperature and saturation distributions and that it is crucial to capture changes in pore water characteristics as an indicator of changes in saturation. The application of the simplified unsaturated elastoplastic constitutive model improves the reproducibility of the swelling deformation behavior of buffer materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100636"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352380825000012","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, the overpack lifetime and initial conditions of radionuclide migration are essential considerations along with the assessments of the environmental conditions, including study of the evolution of near-field thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes following the emplacement of an engineered barrier system. In this study, experimental data from an in situ full-scale engineered barrier experiment at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory were used to assess the applicability of a simulation model to evaluate near-field coupled processes. Simulation results indicate that the thermal and hydraulic properties generally explain the temperature and saturation distributions and that it is crucial to capture changes in pore water characteristics as an indicator of changes in saturation. The application of the simplified unsaturated elastoplastic constitutive model improves the reproducibility of the swelling deformation behavior of buffer materials.
期刊介绍:
The aim of the Journal is to publish research results of the highest quality and of lasting importance on the subject of geomechanics, with the focus on applications to geological energy production and storage, and the interaction of soils and rocks with the natural and engineered environment. Special attention is given to concepts and developments of new energy geotechnologies that comprise intrinsic mechanisms protecting the environment against a potential engineering induced damage, hence warranting sustainable usage of energy resources.
The scope of the journal is broad, including fundamental concepts in geomechanics and mechanics of porous media, the experiments and analysis of novel phenomena and applications. Of special interest are issues resulting from coupling of particular physics, chemistry and biology of external forcings, as well as of pore fluid/gas and minerals to the solid mechanics of the medium skeleton and pore fluid mechanics. The multi-scale and inter-scale interactions between the phenomena and the behavior representations are also of particular interest. Contributions to general theoretical approach to these issues, but of potential reference to geomechanics in its context of energy and the environment are also most welcome.