Category: Transient Plane Source
Author(s): Jan Sundberg
Keywords: Determine suitability of site for nuclear waste storage, geology, nuclear power, nuclear waste disposal, nuclear waste storage, Thermal Conductivity, thermal conductivity testing of rocks, thermal response testing, Transient Plane Source, Transient plane source (TPS) method
Abstract: This report is a comprehensive compilation of a variety of studies performed on rock in a borehole at a potential nuclear waste storage facility in Sweden. Density, water absorption, mineral composition and thermal properties were studied to determine the site's suitability as a safe storage area. Thermal properties are an important factor since the nuclear waste canisters will continue to give off heat in storage due to nuclear fission, and the thermal characteristics of the surrounding rocks will determine if the location is safe, and how the site should be laid out. An instrument was used to measure the thermal conductivity of rock samples from borehole KA 2599 G01. A thermal response test collected thermal conductivity data from the borehole itself, which was compared against thermal conductivity testing on rock samples from the borehole in a laboratory. The thermal response test was found to overestimate the thermal conductivity, and the best predictions were obtained through the laboratory testing coupled with revising rock mapping. Temperature changes were found to have little effect on the thermal conductivity.
Reference: Swedish Government Commissioned Report by Geo Innova AB, August 2002
DOI: N/A