Modeling of Coupled Heat-Mass-Stress Effects in Geologic Media

by Sharad Kelkar, Los Alamos Natl Lab, United States,
George Zyvoloski, Los Alamos Natl Lab, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: High Level Radioactive Waste Management 1990

Abstract:

To investigate the importance of coupled hydraulic-thermal-mechanical processes for the potential nuclear waste storage repository at the Yucca Mountain, a computer code is being developed. The code solves coupled, nonlinear equations of heat and mass transfer and stress equilibrium for fractured, porous geological media. The use of finite elements and implicit time differencing with state-of-the-art numerical equation solvers has lead to a practical code, able to solve geological problems in realistic computer times. The code being developed is capable of fully three-dimensional simulations; however, it is desirable to start with simpler problems. In this paper we present several examples of two dimensional heat transfer and fluid flow coupled with one-dimensional solid deformation. Partial verification of the code is also presented by comparing with published semi-analytical results.

Subject Headings: Fluid flow | Radioactive wastes | Standards and codes | Geology | Coupling | Waste storage | Heat transfer

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