Investigation into water retention and gas permeability of Opalinus clay

Opalinus clay (OPA) is currently being investigated as a potential host rock for radioactive waste repository. The construction of this repository will lead to an excavation-damaged zone (EDZ) in the surrounding. Its sealing ability is crucial for the safety assessment of the geological repository. The sealing ability of OPA has a close relationship with its water retention and gas permeability behaviours. For this purpose, the water retention and gas permeability of OPA and its comparison with the artificial barrier (i.e. bentonite) were investigated in this study. The results show that OPA absorbed less water than granular bentonite material with equal suction. Compared with the other two similar materials (Boom clay and COx argillite), which were selected as natural engineering barriers for nuclear waste storage in Belgium and France, the suction behaviours of OPA are similar to those of COx argillite but notably different from those of Boom clay. The gas permeability tests show that OPA sample is quite sensitive to the changes in confining pressures but is less sensitive to applied gas pressures. Further, it is found that the OPA is more permeable than bentonite barrier after 10.5 years of hydration. Then, the OPA samples were artificially water-saturated. We find that the sealing ability can be recovered after long-time water saturation. However, when comparing with bentonite barrier, it is still a weak zone. This indicates that the EDZ should be paid more attention for the assessment the performance of the nuclear repository.     

地质系统热-水-力耦合作用的随机建模初步研究

热-水-力(THM)耦合作用是岩石力学与环境地质中的重要基础理论问题,核废料地质处置库周围的缓冲材料和围岩中的热-水-力耦合现象将影响其力学稳定性、热传导性和渗透性,进而影响放射性核素在裂隙岩体中的迁移规律。核废料或放射性废料的地下深埋处置是国际上正在研究的永久性隔离的有效方法之一。因此,对核废料地质处置法安全性评估的一个重要内容就是对裂隙岩体中力学稳定性与构造应力、地下水渗流及热载荷等的耦合作用之数值模拟和评估。这已成为当前刻不容缓的重要的环境影响评价课题。笔者研究了温度场-渗流场-应力场中热传导系数和渗透率以及岩体力学参数的空间变异性,用实验方法研究三场耦合效应及裂隙岩体的场性能等效处理,试图建立热-水-力耦合作用的随机性数学模型及可视化数值模拟方法,为核废料地质处置安全性评估提供直观的新方法。     

A Fully Coupled Chemo-Poroelastic Analysis of Pore Pressure and Stress Distribution around a Wellbore in Water Active Rocks

Water active rocks consist of minerals that hold water in their crystalline structure and in pore spaces. Free water from drilling fluid can be attracted by the formation depending on the potential differences between pore space and drilling fluid. The fluid movement into the formation or out of the formation can lead to a change in effective stress, thus causing wellbore failures. In all previous studies it is found that the solute transport from or to the formation is primarily controlled by diffusion process and the effect of advection on solute transfer is negligible for a range of very low permeable shale formations (>10⁻⁵ mD). In this study a range of permeable shale formations (10⁻⁵ to 10⁻³ mD) commonly encountered in drilling oil and gas wells are considered to investigate the solute transfer between drilling fluid and formation due to advection. For this purpose a finite element model of fully coupled chemo-hydro-mechanical processes was developed. Results of this study revealed that the solute transfer between the drilling fluid and the shale formation is controlled primarily by permeability of the shale formations. For the range of shale formations studied here, there exists a threshold permeability below which the solute transfer is dominated by diffusion process and above which by fluid in motion (fluid flow). Results from the numerical experiments have shown that when the permeability of shales is greater than this threshold permeability, the chemical potential gradient between the pore fluid and drilling fluid reaches equilibrium faster than that when the permeability of shales is below this threshold value. Also it has been found that when advection is taken into account, effective radial and tangential stresses decrease around the wellbore, particularly near the wellbore wall where the solute concentration has reached near equilibrium.     

Non-isothermal flow in low permeable porous media: a comparison of Richards’ and two-phase flow approaches

The present work compares the performance of two alternative flow models for the simulation of thermal-hydraulic coupled processes in low permeable porous media: non-isothermal Richards’ and two-phase flow concepts. Both models take vaporization processes into account: however, the Richards’ model neglects dynamic pressure variations and bulk flow of the gaseous phase. For the comparison of the two approaches first published, data from a laboratory experiment are studied involving thermally driven moisture flow in a partially saturated bentonite sample. Then a benchmark test of longer-term thermal-hydraulic behavior in the engineered barrier system of a geological nuclear waste repository is analyzed (DECOVALEX project). It was found that both models can be used to reproduce the vaporization process if the intrinsic permeability is relative high. However, when a thermal-hydraulic coupled problem has the same low intrinsic permeability, only the two-phase flow approach provides reasonable results.     

Flow and transport through clay membrane barriers

Flux equations for liquid and solute migration through clay barriers that behave as semi-permeable membranes used in waste containment and remediation applications, known as clay membrane barriers (CMBs), are discussed. The results of a simplified analysis of flow through a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) using measured values for the chemico-osmotic efficiency coefficient (ω) of the GCL indicate a total liquid flux that counters the outward Darcy (hydraulic) flux due to chemico-osmosis associated with clay membrane behavior of the GCL. Also, the solute (contaminant) flux through the GCL is reduced relative to the solute flux that would occur in the absence of membrane behavior due to chemico-osmotic counter advection and solute restriction. Since diffusion commonly controls solute transport through GCLs and other low-permeability clay barriers, the implicit (empirical) correlation between ω and the effective salt-diffusion coefficient of the migrating contaminant is an important consideration with respect to contaminant restriction in CMBs.     

Rn and CO2 soil–gas geochemical characterization of thermally altered clays at Orciatico (Tuscany,Central Italy)

The physical properties of clay allow argillaceous formations to be considered geological barriers to radionuclide migration in high-level radioactive-waste isolation systems. As laboratory simulations are short term and numerical models always involve assumptions and simplifications of the natural system, natural analogues are extremely attractive surrogates for the study of long-term isolation. The clays of the Orciatico area (Tuscany, Central Italy), which were thermally altered via the intrusion of an alkali-trachyte laccolith, represent an interesting natural model of a heat source which acted on argillaceous materials. The study of this natural analogue was performed through detailed geoelectrical and soil–gas surveys to define both the geometry of the intrusive body and the gas permeability of a clay unit characterized by different degrees of thermal alteration. The results of this study show that gas permeability is increased in the clay sequences subjected to greater heat input from the emplacement of the Orciatico intrusion, despite the lack of apparent mineral and geotechnical variations. These results, which take into consideration long time periods in a natural, large-scale geological system, may have important implications for the long-term safety of underground storage of nuclear waste in clay formations.     

Hydrogeological modeling of radionuclide transport in low permeability media: a comparison between Boom Clay and Ypresian Clay

Deep low-permeability clay layers are considered as suitable environments for disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In Belgium, the Boom Clay is the reference host formation and the Ypresian Clay an alternative host formation for research and safety and feasibility assessment of deep disposal of nuclear waste. In this study, two hydrogeological models are built to calculate the radionuclide fluxes that would migrate from a potential repository through these two clay formations. Transport parameter heterogeneity is incorporated in the models using geostatistical co-simulations of hydraulic conductivity, diffusion coefficient and diffusion accessible porosity. The calculated radionuclide fluxes in the two clay formations are compared. The results show that in the Ypresian Clay larger differences between the fluxes through the lower and the upper clay boundary occur, larger total output radionuclide amounts are calculated and a larger effect of parameter heterogeneity on the calculated fluxes is observed, compared to the Boom Clay.     

核废物处置安全评价的地质类比研究

本文简要论述了利用天然地质类似物（或类比体），类比评价核废物处置系统的安全性能。地质类比研究是安全评价核废物处置系统的重要方法之一，也是地质学科的新研究领域。目前已有的地质类比研究对象主要有火山玻璃，陨石玻璃，粘土矿物，铁陨石，铜矿床，铀矿床，含含Ｔｈ和ＲＥＥ的铁矿床，天然核反应堆（一种特殊的铀矿床）和火成岩接触带等。最后对我国今后从事同类研究提出了若干建议。     

Consequences of the Thermal Transient on the Evolution of the Damaged Zone Around a Repository for Heat-Emitting High-Level Radioactive Waste in a Clay Formation: a Performance Assessment Perspective

A proper evaluation of the perturbations of the host rock induced by the excavation and the emplacement of exothermic wastes is essential for the assessment of the long-term safety of high-level radioactive waste disposals in clay formations. The impact of the thermal transient on the evolution of the damaged zone (DZ) has been explored in the European Commission project TIMODAZ (thermal impact on the damaged zone around a radioactive waste disposal in clay host rocks, 2006–2010). This paper integrates the scientific results of the TIMODAZ project from a performance assessment (PA) point of view, showing how these results support and justify key PA assumptions and the values of PA model parameters. This paper also contextualises the significance of the thermal impact on the DZ from a safety case perspective, highlighting how the project outcomes result into an improved understanding of the thermo–hydro–mechanical behaviour of the clay host rocks. The results obtained in the TIMODAZ project strengthen the assessment basis of the safety evaluation of the current repository designs. There was no evidence throughout the TIMODAZ experimental observations of a temperature-induced additional opening of fractures nor of a significant permeability increase of the DZ. Instead, thermally induced plasticity, swelling and creep seem to be beneficial to the sealing of fractures and to the recovery of a very low permeability in the DZ, close to that of an undisturbed clay host rock. Results from the TIMODAZ project indicate that the favourable properties of the clay host rock, which guarantee the effectiveness of the safety functions of the repository system, are expected to be maintained after the heating–cooling cycle. Hence, the basic assumptions usually made in PA calculations so far are expected to remain valid, and the performance of the system should not be affected in a negative way by the thermal evolution of the DZ around a radioactive waste repository in clay host rock.     

高放废物地质处置黏土岩处置库围岩研究现状

世界上很多国家都对处置库的可能围岩进行了详细研究。通过对比,认为花岗岩、黏土岩、岩盐比较适合作为处置库围岩,而黏土岩由于具有自封闭性、渗透率低等其他岩石类型不可比拟的优点,因而将黏土岩作为高放废物地质处置库围岩越来越受到各国的关注。文章同时介绍了瑞士、法国、比利时等国家在黏土岩中所进行的大量研究,均认为在黏土岩中处置高放废物和乏燃料是安全的。文章还对黏土岩处置库概念设计、黏土岩处置库围岩地下实验室研究,以及我国开展黏土岩处置库研究的意义等进行了综述。     

Influences of Mineralogy and Water Content on the Mechanical Properties of Argillite

Callovo-Oxfordian (Cox) argillite was investigated in the context of feasibility studies for an underground repository for nuclear waste. In this study, the influence of mineralogical composition and water content on the mechanical properties of the Cox argillite was investigated. The samples were drilled from three representative depths at which the rock formations have different mineralogical compositions. Micro-indentation and mini-compression tests were performed on samples with different water contents. The elastic and failure properties of argillite were determined and were found to be related to the mineralogical composition and water content. Both the elastic modulus and strength decrease with increasing clay and water contents.     

Mechanisms and Models for Bentonite Erosion Used for Geologic Disposal of High Level Radioactive Waste: A Review

The performance of the bentonite buffer in nuclear waste repository concept relies to a great extent on the buffer surrounding the canister having sufficient dry density. Loss of buffer material caused by erosion remains as the most significant process reducing the density of the buffer. In the worst case, the process is assumed to last as long as the free volume between the pellets in the pellets filled regions is filled with groundwater. Erosion rate and mass erosion are calculated based on the erosion model, and the measures are presented to prevent the geological disaster due to bentonite erosion. The groundwaters may solubilise the smectite particles in the bentonite and carry them away as colloidal particles. A dynamic model is developed for sodium gel expansion in fractures where the gel soaks up groundwater as it expands. The model is based on a force balance between and on smectite particles, which move in the water. Attractive van der Waals forces, repulsive electric diffuse layer (DDL) forces, gravity and buoyancy forces and forces caused by the gradient of chemical potential of the particles act to move the particle in the water. The effect of the fracture width and the frictions between particles and water and surrouding rock is analysed based on erosion model. The DDL forces strongly depend on the type of clay minerals and the type of ion and concentration in the water surrounding the particles. In the designed safe use of nuclear waste disposal (tens of thousands of years to hundreds of thousands of years), the safety of nuclear waste disposal is affected by the hydrodynamic and chemical effects, and bentonite erosion. Due to the bentonite erosion, the buffer/backfill layers become loose, and their permeability increases, which causes the nuclear element diffusion and convection, and even the nuclear disaster. In this paper, the mechanisms, models, experiments and control measures of bentonite erosion were systematically summarized. The current deficiencies of bentonite erosion were pointed out, and new methods were put forward to carry out the research for bentonite erosion. The measures were presented to prevent the geological disaster due to bentonite erosion through changes. The project is not only academic innovation, but also has a large practical significance. The research results of this project can be widely applied to the design, construction and maintenance of the bentonite buffer in nuclear waste repository.     

核废物处置试验场环境地质研究综述

介绍了国外核废物处理试验场有关环境地质研究现状与进展。据核废物的放射性不同，目前或未来处置的方式不一样：中－低放射性废物（ＩＬＷ－ＬＬＷ）一般采用浅层处置，多置于粘土层或沉积岩层中；高放射性废物（ＨＬＷ）一般通过竖井或平巷处置于深部的花岗岩或岩盐中。根据母岩的类别不同，本文分花岗岩、岩盐、粘土及其它四部分，对不同的试验场的研究计划、内容、方法、进展等进行了评述。     

Convective mixing influenced by the capillary transition zone

Convective mixing of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) with formation brine has been shown to be a significant factor for the rate of dissolution of CO₂ and thus for determining the viability of geological CO₂ storage sites. In most previous convection investigations, a no-flow boundary condition was used to represent the interface between an upper region with CO₂ and brine and the single-phase brine region beneath. However, due to interfacial tension between the phases, the water phase is partly mobile in the upper region and advection may occur. Based on linear stability analysis and numerical simulations, we show that advection across the interface leads to considerable destabilization of the system. In particular, the time of onset of instability is reduced by a factor of two and the rate of dissolution is enhanced by a factor of two for three of four formations we consider, and by 40 % for the fourth formation. It is found that exponential decay of the relative permeability away from the interface provides a useful approximation to the real system. In addition, the exponential decay also simplifies the linear stability analysis. Interestingly, formations with large absolute permeability and small porosity have the largest impact from the transition zone, despite the fact that the relative permeability decays quickly above the interface in these formations. This is because the length-scale of instability is smallest in these formations.     

湘西北下古生界海相页岩储层特征与含气性分析

基于野外地质和钻井资料,结合相关实验测试结果,对湘西北地区下古生界海相页岩储层特征进行了深入研究,并探讨了页岩甲烷含气性及影响因素。结果表明：牛蹄塘组黑色页岩以深水陆棚斜坡相沉积为主,厚度范围为50~250 m;龙马溪组为闭塞海湾沉积,底部黑色页岩发育。两组页岩有机质类型均属于Ⅰ型,有机碳含量平均为3.57%和1.16%,热演化程度较高,平均达2.61%和2.08%。受沉积环境和成岩作用影响,两组页岩均具有高石英、低黏土、少量碳酸盐矿物的组成特征。页岩储集空间可划分为3大类：矿物基质孔、有机质孔、微裂缝。受有机质和黏土矿物等因素影响,页岩内部孔隙结构参数各不同,但主体上孔径小于50 nm的微孔和中孔提供了大部分比表面积和孔体积,为气体存储主要场所。牛蹄塘组页岩甲烷最大吸附量平均为1.98 cm3/g;龙马溪组页岩甲烷最大吸附量较低,为1.16 cm3/g。其中有机质与黏土矿物对页岩甲烷吸附量均有一定的贡献,而过高的成熟度和含水量可导致页岩吸附能力下降。     

Model for large strain consolidation with non-Darcian flow described by a flow exponent and threshold gradient

Many pieces of evidence have confirmed that the seepage in fine-grained soils can deviate from traditional Darcy's law that contributes to the consolidation theory. In this paper, a numerical model, referred to as consolidation with non-Darcian flow 2 (CNDF2), is developed for the 1D large strain consolidation of a saturated porous medium with the non-Darcian flow. The algorithm accounts for vertical strain, general constitutive relationships, the relative velocity of the fluid and solid phases, variable compressibility and permeability relation during consolidation, time-dependent loading, and unload/reload effects. Compared with the CS2 model proposed in previous studies, some parts of the CNDF2 model are modified in order to adapt to the non-Darcian flow, especially the equivalent series hydraulic conductivity and fluid flow. The verification examples of the CNDF2 model demonstrate excellent accuracy for both small strain and large strain consolidation. According to the applicable conditions of non-Darcian flow law, the CNDF2 model is most suitable for the fine-grained soil. The development of CNDF2 is first presented, followed by examples to analyze the influences of the non-Darcian flow on the consolidation behavior.     

渗透系数对渗流速度影响的热-水-应力耦合二维有限元分析

使用建立的饱和-非饱和介质中热-水-应力耦合弹塑性模型,取一组真实的缓冲材料、岩体及贮存容器（用加热器代替）的物理力学指标作为基本计算条件,以一个假想的核废料处置库为模拟对象,就高、中、低3种渗透系数进行了二维有限元数值分析,考察了近场的渗流速度大小及方向的变化,认识到：在其他计算参数相同的条件下,缓冲材料的渗透系数越高,近场的渗流速度越大,缓冲层达到饱和状态也越快;当缓冲层达到饱和状态后,如果玻璃固化体继续放热,有可能使得近场的温度梯度的作用强于水力梯度的作用,导致渗流速度方向发生逆转,即水分由内向外迁移;依渗透系数不同,其渗流速度的大小、方向有显著差异,这也势必引起放射性核素随地下水流动扩散的复杂多变。     

考虑自愈合效应的泥岩巷道开挖扰动区渗透性反演分析

泥岩自愈合特性是核废料库选址评价及储库安全稳定性分析的一项重要研究内容。以某泥岩高放废物处置库为研究背景,在室内和现场试验的基础上,采用指数模型建立了巷道围岩渗透性分布模型和裂隙渗透性自愈合模型;结合巷道围岩孔隙水压力的多年观测资料,通过建立能够反映实际施工过程的水-力耦合计算模型,采用精确罚函数法以及Nelder-Mead算法相结合的有限元优化反分析程序,对巷道围岩渗透性参数进行反演研究。结果表明：反演所得的围岩渗透系数量级与试验值量级均为10-12 m/s,反演孔隙水压力值与实测值比较接近;围岩垂向渗透系数的扰动程度和范围明显大于水平向渗透系数,垂向渗透系数提高了2个数量级,扰动范围约为25 m,渗透性恢复到初始水平时间约需5 a。