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。     

缓冲层热—湿—力耦合作用研究简介

介绍了高放射性废物深地质处置库热－湿－力耦合作用，着重给出了国际高压实缓冲层热－湿－力耦合作用的研究进展，指出与高放射性废物处置库有关的热－湿－力耦合过程研究是核废物地质处置提出的新课题，涉及多学科，需广大有识之士共同合作研究。     

Modeling coupled THM processes of geological porous media with multiphase flow: Theory and validation against laboratory and field scale experiments

A FEM model for analysis of fully coupled multiphase flow, thermal transport and stress/deformation in geological porous media was developed based on the momentum, mass and energy conservation laws of the continuum mechanics and the averaging approach of the mixture theory over a three phase (solid–liquid–gas) system. Six processes (i.e. stress–strain, water flow, gas flow, vapor flow, heat transport and porosity evolution processes) and their coupling effects are considered, which not only makes the problem well-defined, but renders the governing PDEs closed, complete, compact and compatible. Displacements, pore water pressure, pore gas pressure, pore vapor pressure, temperature and porosity are selected as basic unknowns. The physical phenomena such as phase transition, gas solubility in liquid, thermo-osmosis, moisture transfer and moisture swelling are modeled. As a result, the relative humidity and other related variables in porous media can be evaluated on a sounder physical basis. A three dimensional computer code, THYME3D, was developed, with eight degrees of freedom at each node. The laboratory CEA Mock-up test and the field scale FEBEX benchmark test on bentonite performance assessment for underground nuclear waste repositories were used to validate the numerical model and the software. The coupled THM behaviors of the bentonite barriers were satisfactorily simulated, and the effects and impacts of the governing equations, constitutive relations and property parameters on the coupled THM processes were understood in terms of more straightforward interpretation of physical processes at microscopic scale of the porous media. The work developed enables further in-depth research on fully coupled THM or THMC processes in porous media.     

Modelling the Mont Terri HE-D experiment for the Thermal–Hydraulic–Mechanical response of a bedded argillaceous formation to heating

Coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical (THM) processes in the near field of deep geological repositories can influence several safety features of the engineered and geological barriers. Among those features are: the possibility of damage in the host rock, the time for re-saturation of the bentonite, and the perturbations in the hydraulic regime in both the rock and engineered seals. Within the international cooperative code-validation project DECOVALEX-2015, eight research teams developed models to simulate an in situ heater experiment, called HE-D, in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland. The models were developed from the theory of poroelasticity in order to simulate the coupled THM processes that prevailed during the experiment and thereby to characterize the in situ THM properties of Opalinus Clay. The modelling results for the evolution of temperature, pore water pressure, and deformation at different points are consistent among the research teams and compare favourably with the experimental data in terms of trends and absolute values. The models were able to reproduce the main physical processes of the experiment. In particular, most teams simulated temperature and thermally induced pore water pressure well, including spatial variations caused by inherent anisotropy due to bedding.     

THM Coupled Modeling in Near Field of an Assumed HLW Deep Geological Disposal Repository

One of the most suitable ways under study for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) is isolation in deep geological repositories. It is very important to research the thermo-hydromechanical (THM) coupled processes associated with an HLW disposal repository. Non-linear coupled equations, which are used to describe the THM coupled process and are suited to saturated-unsaturated porous media, are presented in this paper. A numerical method to solve these equations is put forward, and a finite element code is developed. This code is suited to the plane strain or axis-symmetry problem. Then this code is used to simulate the THM coupled process in the near field of an ideal disposal repository. The temperature vs. time, hydraulic head vs. time and stress vs. time results show that, in this assumed condition, the impact of temperature is very long (over 10 000 a) and the impact of the water head is short (about 90 d). Since the stress is induced by temperature and hydraulic head in this condition, the impact time of stress is the same as that of temperature. The results show that THM coupled processes are very important in the safety analysis of an HLW deep geological disposal repository.     

Hydromechanical modelling of the SEALEX experiments

Numerical modelling of coupled physical processes in bentonite–sand mixtures under the geological conditions is significant for designing and constructing sealing systems in deep underground repositories for highly radioactive nuclear waste. Within the framework of DECOVALEX 2015, Task A, this work presents the model validation of OpenGeoSys by numerical modelling of coupled hydromechanical (HM) processes in bentonite–sand mixtures. Parameters used in the HM model were determined by modelling the laboratory tests of the sealing experiment (SEALEX). Afterwards these parameters were applied for the modelling of a small-scale mock-up test considering the influence of technological gap and incidental fail of the seal in the sealing system. In order to investigate the availability of employing these HM parameters and numerical models directly to field predictions, the modelling results and measured data of an in situ SEALEX experiment were analysed comparatively. The modelling results reproduced well the main features in HM behaviour of the compacted bentonite–sand mixture, which denotes that the adopted HM models and parameters are adequate for describing the HM processes in the sealing system. It is necessary to take the elastoplastic behaviour and evolution of the permeability of bentonite–sand mixtures into account when using the adopted models to reproduce the HM processes of a sealing system.     

高放废物深地质处置中的多场耦合与核素迁移

概括了深地下工程的深地质处置库的若干特点,简要介绍了多场耦合的机理与类型,论述了高放废物深地质处置多场耦合与核素迁移问题的特点及研究现状,最后提出了高放废物深地质处置多场耦合与核素迁移所需研究的主要问题。     

Modeling of Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Processes with Links to Geochemistry Associated with Bentonite-Backfilled Repository Tunnels in Clay Formations

This paper presents simulation results related to coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) processes in engineered barrier systems (EBS) and clay host rock, in one case considering a possible link to geochemistry. This study is part of the US DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s used fuel disposition campaign, to investigate current modeling capabilities and to identify issues and knowledge gaps associated with coupled THMC processes and EBS–rock interactions associated with repositories hosted in clay rock. In this study, we simulated a generic repository case assuming an EBS design with waste emplacement in horizontal tunnels that are back-filled with bentonite-based swelling clay as a protective buffer and heat load, derived for one type of US reactor spent fuel. We adopted the Barcelona basic model (BBM) for modeling of the geomechanical behavior of the bentonite, using properties corresponding to the FEBEX bentonite, and we used clay host rock properties derived from the Opalinus clay at Mont Terri, Switzerland. We present results related to EBS host–rock interactions and geomechanical performance in general, as well as studies related to peak temperature, buffer resaturation and thermally induced pressurization of host rock pore water, and swelling pressure change owing to variation of chemical composition in the EBS. Our initial THM modeling results show strong THM-driven interactions between the bentonite buffer and the low-permeability host rock. The resaturation of the buffer is delayed as a result of the low rock permeability, and the fluid pressure in the host rock is strongly coupled with the temperature changes, which under certain circumstances could result in a significant increase in pore pressure. Moreover, using the BBM, the bentonite buffer was found to have a rather complex geomechanical behavior that eventually leads to a slightly nonuniform density distribution. Nevertheless, the simulation shows that the swelling of the buffer is functioning to provide an adequate increase in confining stress on the tunnel wall, leading to a stabilization of any failure that may occur during the tunnel excavation. Finally, we describe the application of a possible approach for linking THM processes with chemistry, focusing on the evolution of primary and secondary swelling, in which the secondary swelling is caused by changes in ionic concentration, which in turn is evaluated using a transport simulation model.     

Visualization of the El Berrocal granite: application to rock engineering

This paper outlines the visualization of the El Berrocal granite using a computer-based geological modelling system, EarthVision, and discusses the application of this visualization to engineering aspects of waste disposal in crystalline rocks. The El Berrocal Project was an international study with the aim of understanding and modelling the migration processes which have controlled the distribution of naturally occurring radionuclides in a fractured granitic environment. EarthVision was used to provide three-dimensional geological models of the site structure and properties. Modelling of the site structure concentrated on the development of visualizations of the main discontinuities in the granite. These included a model of the main mineralized structures, a model of the regional fracture network, models of local fracture networks between borehole clusters and a visualization of the mineralogy of the fractures in individual boreholes. These fracture models were visualized with the boreholes and access gallery to the mine. In addition, the fracture network in the region of a large scale tracer test was visualized with the injection and extraction zones for the tracer test. Three-dimensional interpolations of the rock and fluid structure were undertaken. A model of the hydraulic conductivity illustrated large-scale variations in hydraulic conductivity and channelling effects in the tracer test zone. A model of the sulphate concentrations in the groundwater illustrated the interpolation of spatial data based on structural domains. The visualizations of the geology of the El Berrocal granite illustrate that, despite limitations, geological modelling can be a powerful and graphic tool in rock engineering. The use of computer visualizations can be provide the three-dimensional structural framework for computations, can aid decision making during the construction phase of waste repositories and can be useful in understanding and analysing the results of numerical calculations.     

Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of ATLAS in situ large scale test in Boom Clay

Following the need for understanding and quantifying the effect of temperature on the response of a candidate host formation for radioactive waste disposal, finite element modelling of an in situ thermal experiment has been carried out. Based on a thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element approach including a consistent thermo-plastic constitutive model, it has been possible to reproduce the THM response of a clay formation submitted to in situ thermal loading. The simulated large-scale experiment, called ATLAS was designed in the underground research facility (HADES-URF) in Mol, Belgium. After an extensive literature analysis on the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of Boom Clay, laboratory tests were simulated to calibrate model parameters. The results of the finite element modelling of the ATLAS experiment were compared with in situ measurements and revealed the necessity to account for flow diffusion in all three directions through a 2D axisymmetric analysis. Finally, those results were interpreted in the light of elasto-thermoplasticity, which emphasizes the significant role of thermo-plastic processes in the global THM response of the clay formation.     

Numerical analysis of canister movements in an engineered barrier system

The mid-term safety of deep geological nuclear waste repositories is based in part on the presence of a buffer, the main role of which is to isolate the environment from radionuclides. A design evaluation of such a repository is necessary to assess the potential vertical canister movement inside the drift that could reduce the buffer efficiency. A thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) simulation is performed in a vertical cross-section of the drift. The THM couplings are described, and their influences on the mid-term (300 years) response of the engineered barrier system (EBS) are revealed. This study uses an advanced constitutive model to simulate the THM processes that occur in a specific EBS design case. The near-field simulations of the nuclear waste canister are performed in a two-dimensional finite element configuration that considers the effect of gravity. The focus of this study is on the mechanical behaviour of the buffer, which consists of two different forms of bentonite. Such an approach allows realistic consideration of the effect of the wetting and drying of the buffer material in non-isothermal conditions. Due to a specific design that includes bentonite blocks and pellets, the canister is observed to heave slightly during the re-saturation period, which extends up to 100 years.     

Study of desaturation and resaturation in brittle rock with anisotropic damage

This paper deals with numerical modelling of anisotropic damage induced by desaturation and resaturation processes in a brittle rock. This study is conducted in the framework of geological barrier safety analysis for deep disposal of nuclear waste. A non-linear poroelastic model coupled with anisotropic damage is proposed for constitutive modelling of unsaturated rock. A fully coupled FEM method is used for modelling of hydromechanical coupling problems. Instantaneous phase change without dissipation between water liquid phase and vapour is included. Parametric studies are performed to investigate influences of main factors involved in such processes. Rock damage induced by excavation, desaturation and resaturation is evaluated. Finally, we analyse the importance of taking into account the correlation between induced damage and rock permeability.     

高放废物深地质处置场近场剂量场-温度场-水势场-应力场的耦合计算

回顾了高放废物处置概况, 给出了剂量场-温度场-水势场-应力场耦合研究的意义, 探讨了剂量场计算公式与热-湿-力耦合方程及其求解, 最后指出了这一领域的若干优先研究方向.      

FUNMIG Integrated Project results and conclusions from a safety case perspective

The scope of the FUNMIG Integrated Project (IP) was to improve the knowledge base on biogeochemical processes in the geosphere which are relevant for the safety of radioactive waste repositories. An important part of this project involved the interaction between data producers (research) and data users (radioactive waste management organisations in Europe). The aim thereof was to foster the benefits of the research work for performance assessment (PA), and in a broader sense, for the safety case of radioactive waste repositories. For this purpose a specifically adapted procedure was elaborated. Thus, relevant features, events and processes (FEPs) for the three host rock types, clay, crystalline and salt, were taken from internationally accepted catalogues and mapped onto each of the 108 research tasks conducted during the FUNMIG project by a standardised procedure. The main outcome thereof was a host-rock specific tool (Task Evaluation Table) in which the relevance and benefits of the research results were evaluated both from the PA and research perspective. Virtually all generated data within FUNMIG are related to the safety-relevant FEP-groups “transport mechanisms” and “retardation”.     

非饱和膨润土的有效热传导特性模型

膨润土缓冲材料热传导特性的研究,对于高放废物深地质处置系统的安全评价至关重要。基于串、并联原理,通过将土体孔隙划分为与固相基质并联和串联两部分,提出了考虑矿物成分、颗粒亲水性、孔隙率及饱和度等因素的非饱和膨润土有效热传导系数的4种预测形式,建立了基于4种形式线性组合的有效热传导特性预测模型。详细讨论了模型参数的确定方法,并讨论了孔隙率、饱和度和孔隙结构、颗粒亲水性等因素对土体有效热传导特性的影响。基于MX-80膨润土和高庙子膨润土热传导特性试验成果,对模型的预测性能进行了验证。结果表明,由于膨润土颗粒尺寸较小且具有亲水特性,孔隙内的空气与水宜采用并联描述。研究成果对于非饱和膨润土的导热性能以及工程屏障系统的THM耦合数值模拟研究具有一定的参考价值。     

A case study on the influence of THM coupling on the near field safety of a spent fuel repository in sparsely fractured granite

In order to demonstrate the feasibility of geological disposal of spent CANDU fuel in Canada, a safety assessment was performed for a hypothetical repository in the Canadian Shield. The assessment shows that the maximum long term radionuclide release from such repository would meet international criteria for dose rate; however, uncertainties in the assumed evolution of the repository were identified. Such uncertainties could be resolved by the consideration of coupled Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) processes. In Task A of the DECOVALEX-THMC project, THM models were developed within the framework of the theory of poroelasticity. Such model development was performed in an iterative manner, using experimental data from laboratory and field tests. The models were used to perform near-field simulations of the evolution of the repository in order to address the above-mentioned uncertainties. This paper presents the definition and rationale of task A and the results of the simulations. From a repository safety point of view, the simulations predict that the maximum temperature would be well below the design target of 100°C; however, the stress on the container can marginally exceed the design value of 15 MPa. However, the most important finding from the simulations is that a rock damage zone could form around the emplacement borehole. Such damage zone can extend a few metres from the walls of the emplacement holes, with permeability values that are orders of magnitude higher than the initial values. The damage zone has the potential to increase the radionuclide transport flux from the geosphere; the effect of such an increase should be taken into account in the safety assessment and mitigated if necessary by the provision of sealing systems. Prepared for publication in Environmental Geology. DECOVALEX-THMC Special Issue.     

Model development and calibration for the coupled thermal,hydraulic and mechanical phenomena of the bentonite

In the international DECOVALEX-THMC project, five research teams study the influence of thermal-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupling on the safety of a hypothetical geological repository for spent fuel. In order to improve the analyses, the teams calibrated their bentonite models with results from laboratory experiments, including swelling pressure tests, water uptake tests, thermally gradient tests, and the CEA mock-up THM experiment. This paper describes the mathematical models used by the teams, and compares the results of their calibrations with the experimental data.     

中国高放废物地质处置缓冲材料大型试验台架和热-水-力-化学耦合性能研究

缓冲材料作为高放废物深地质处置库中一道重要的人工屏障,与高放废物容器和处置库围岩直接接触,在高放废物衰变热、辐射作用和地下水等影响下产生复杂的热-水-力-化学耦合作用,为了验证缓冲材料是否能长期有效地发挥其屏障材料的作用,核工业北京地质研究院利用高庙子钠基膨润土组装并运行了模拟中国高放废物地质处置室 尺寸的大型缓冲材料膨润土试验台架（China-Mock-Up）。建立了缓冲材料试验台架的安装和试验方法,依据实测数据和理论分析,揭示了热-水-力-化学耦合作用条件下膨润土中的相对湿度是在加热器的热效应和外部供水的湿效应共同作用下发生变化的,压实膨润土中应力的变化主要是由于膨润土遇水膨胀和加热器的热效应引起的,试验验证了模拟高放废物地质处置室内加热器（废物罐）运行初期的位移过程,为缓冲材料和高放废物地质处置库的设计提供了重要的工程参数和理论依据。     

Experimental study and numerical modeling of the thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in soil freezing with different frost penetration directions

Acta Geotechnica - This research work presents an experimental and numerical study of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes that occur during soil freezing. With focusing on the...     

热-流-固耦合建模过程

热-流-固耦合作用是存在高度非线性的复杂耦合作用。有关这三场的耦合作用研究在地石油工程、热资源开发、地下核废料存储安全、采矿工程等很多领域有着非常重要的应用价值。由于研究对象的不同,热流固耦合模型的形式存在差异,建立符合实际问题的三场耦合模型十分困难,文中在国内外学者对三场耦合模型理论研究的进展状况的基础上,通过一个例子,介绍了用adina建立模型的过程。