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Numerical modeling techniques for assessing three-dimensional diffusion processes in heterogeneous rock samples on the sub-mm scale

University of British Columbia

The burial of high level nuclear wastes in geologic repositories requires careful consideration of the long-term hydrogeological and geochemical stability of the receiving formations. Care must be taken due to the high environmental sensitivity of the waste material and its potential long-term effect on groundwater. Studies into the host rocks' natural ability to minimize contaminant migration are a matter of high priority in the planning for long-term storage of high level radioactive waste. Focusing on porous sedimentary rock, this study aims to examine numerical techniques used to analyze and interpret experimental data that characterize the distribution of porosity in geologic samples at the µm to mm scale. Because repositories are hosted in natural fine-grained rock formations, transport in the vicinity of these repositories is diffusion-controlled and believed to be affected substantially by heterogeneities at these scales. Data available for the analyses consist of non-destructive, high-resolution measurements of porosity obtained using new developments in X-ray imaging. Advances in computing technology make it possible to numerically analyze the expected patterns of sub-mm-scale diffusive transport for these large experimental data sets. The modeling analyses examine 3D diffusive transport in heterogeneous rock samples and evaluate the effect of data resolution and image processing techniques on the connectivity of the transport pathways. The simulation results provide insight into small-scale diffusive transport of solutes, and guide the needs for dataset resolution and handling for these types of investigations. With increased availability of experimental results, further modeling studies could be conducted. These studies would aim at developing a link between simulation results and observed data to further develop the transport theory for contaminant migration on this scale.

Text

2010-11-30

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/30233

Geological Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/