Search results for "Radioactive waste disposal"
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Increasing understanding and confidence in THM simulations of engineered barrier systems
2020
Previous studies on the modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in bentonite-based engineered barrier systems (EBSs) showed the sensitivity of the output quantities to changes in the input parameters. To investigate the effects of uncertainties on the modelling results, to improve the understanding of the coupled processes active in the repository near field and to gain in-depth understanding of model uncertainties of different codes, a sensitivity analysis and code comparison of EBS simulations was performed within the Task Force on Engineered Barrier Systems. The analysis included variations in material parameter values, boundary and initial conditions, considered phy…
Water retention behaviour and microstructural evolution of MX-80 bentonite during wetting and drying cycles
2014
MX-80 bentonite used in engineered barrier systems would be subjected to wetting and drying cycles. To assess the response of the material under such circumstances, a comprehensive experimental characterisation of the water retention behaviour of compacted MX-80 granular bentonite was performed in this study. A new methodology is proposed to investigate this behaviour under a constant volume condition for specimens prepared at different dry densities. The material was subjected to different hydraulic paths, including cyclic variations of the water content. As a result, an irreversible modification of the retention behaviour was observed when the material approached a fully saturated state …