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Quantifying Conservatism of Performance Assessment Calculations by Sorption Model Reduction: Case Study on Near Field Cs Migration in Callovo-Oxfordian Clay

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Eef Weetjens ,
Evelien Martens  and
Diederik Jacques
Eef Weetjens
Affiliation:
Institute Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
Evelien Martens
Affiliation:
Institute Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
Diederik Jacques
Affiliation:
Institute Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
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Abstract

Implementation of full thermodynamic models in performance assessment (PA) calculations (large domain and very large timescales) is practically unfeasible due to excessive computational times. The complex competitive sorption processes of radionuclides are often simplified.

In this paper, such simple sorption models (i.e. linear Kd and Langmuir isotherms) were compared with more complex thermodynamic models for a reduced geometry and relatively short timescales (compared to traditional PA calculations).

Within the context of a safety case the value of this study is twofold. Primarily, it provides support information on how to choose adequate parameter values in a consistent simplified analysis for compliance with safety criteria. For the cases studied in this paper it became clear that a linear model is sufficient to represent sorption, but a proper choice of the Kd values is critical. Secondly, the comparison of results from these compliance calculations with more realistic analyses demonstrates quantitatively the safety margin implicitly present in PA calculations through model abstraction.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1193: Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXXIII , 2009 , 381
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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References

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