Experimental Research on Nuclear Waste Disposal

Lecturer:

Tutor:

Supervisor:

Centre of Experimental Geotechnics

Synopsis:

A voluntary course dealing with safe radioactive waste disposal. Classification of radioactive waste according to various aspects, principle of a multi-barrier system, vertical and horizontal way of disposal. Requirements for the construction of the deep geological repository. Natural analogues. Natural and engineered barriers. Bentonite - basic material of the geotechnical part of the engineered barrier, requirements for its properties. Interdisciplinarity of the research, laboratory and „in-situ? research (underground laboratories), physical modelling (Mock-Up models). Practical laboratory lessons (plasticity of bentonites, swelling pressure measurements, permeability measurements of compacted samples, strength and deformation properties, thermophysical properties). Practical lesson at the Josef UEF underground laboratory (www.uef-josef.eu) - construction of big “in situ? physical models).

Requirements:

No prerequisites.

Syllabus of lectures:

1 - Introduction

2 - IAEA, Types of Radwaste, Fuel Cycle, LLW/ILW repository, Natural analogues, Deep repository

3 - Several Deep repository concenpts, Requirements on sealing material, Localities of bentonite in the Czech Republic/ Europe /World

4 - Basic characterization - Properties of bentonite, Microstructure, Natrification, Quick Clays

5 - LABORATORY I. - Density, Specific density, Degree of saturation - Theory, Practical tests

6 - LABORATORY II. - Atterberg limits - Cone/ Cassagrande methods, Effect of thermal loading - Theory, Practical test

7 - LABORATORY III. - Swelling pressure, Swell index, Permeability, Effect of heating and salinity of pore water - Theory, Practical test

8 - LABORATORY IV. - Thermal properties, Apparent water density (ISOMET, APT) - - Theory, Practical test (ISOMET)

9 - LABORATORY V. - Strength properties - compression, bending, shear - Theory, Practical test

10 - Underground Laboratories, Physical modelling, Experiments - Ophelie, FEBEX, Mock-Up-CZ model, TIMODAZ

11 - Excursion to Nuclear Research Institute Řež

12, 13 - Practical exercise in Josef UEF

14 - Short students presentations

Syllabus of tutorials:

Study Objective:

Recognition of main issues in problematics of long term storage of radioactive waste and its safe isolation from the biosphere. Practical exercises on specific geotechnical behaviour of the materials of the engineered barriers.

Study materials:

http://ceg.fsv.cvut.cz/CZ/misc/jirka/vyuka/euro/

Pusch R., 2001. SKB Technical Report TR-02-12, The Buffer and Backfill Handbook Part 2: Materials and techniques, Roland Pusch, Geodevelopment AB

Pusch R., 2002. SKB Technical Report TR-02-20, The Buffer and Backfill Handbook Part 1: Definitions, basic relationships, and laboratory methods, Geodevelopment AB

Note:

Further information:

No time-table has been prepared for this course

The course is a part of the following study plans: