Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.9
2.5
Journals
Minerals
Special Issues
Nuclear Waste Disposal
share announcement

Nuclear Waste Disposal

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 13020

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mostafa Fayek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
Interests: ore deposits; mine tailings; mineralogy; nuclear waste disposal; isotopes; SIMS; geo-fluids
Dr. Julie Brown

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, ON K1P 5S9, Canada
Interests: nuclear waste disposal; mine tailings; mineralogy; geochemistry; metamorphism and phase equilibria

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With increasing concern over climate change due to the consumption of fossil fuels, identifying clean sources of energy is of paramount importance. Nuclear energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy. Despite the utility and climate friendly nature of nuclear power, the waste generated (mainly in the form of spent nuclear fuel) can pose a hazard to the hydro and bio-spheres. Radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants that may be placed in a deep geologic repository (DGR), as well as radioactive waste from former uranium mines and other industrial sites, are of concern to humans because of potential impacts on ground water quality and habitat. The goal of this Special Issue is to gather recent advances in the field of nuclear waste disposal. Contributions on subjects such as natural analogues for DGR concepts, radionuclide transport in surface and subsurface environments, uranium mine tailings, contaminated sites, waste matrices, and geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel are strongly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Mostafa Fayek
Dr. Julie Brown
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Radionuclides
  • Uranium
  • Spent nuclear fuel
  • Deep geologic repository
  • Natural analogues

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 9780 KiB  
Article
Thermal Disturbances in Permafrost Due to Open Pit Mining and Tailings Impoundment
by Ahmad Booshehrian, Richard Wan and Grant Su
Minerals 2020, 10(1), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10010035 - 30 Dec 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2940
Abstract
The paper is concerned with thermal disturbances in continuous permafrost due to open pit mining and tailings impoundment in the cold regions of Northern Canada. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate issues of thermal regime changes and permafrost degradation in both the short [...] Read more.
The paper is concerned with thermal disturbances in continuous permafrost due to open pit mining and tailings impoundment in the cold regions of Northern Canada. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate issues of thermal regime changes and permafrost degradation in both the short term and the long term in connection with the proposed Kiggavik project in Nunavut, Canada. The results of numerical simulations indicate that no open talik would form below the East Zone and Center Zone pits during the estimated mining and milling operation period of 14 years, although a thin thawed zone would develop surrounding the open pits. For the Main Zone pit where the excavation would break through permafrost, the open talik remains following an extended operation period of 25 years with a 5 to 30 m thawed zone along the pit side walls. In the long term, with a plausible climate change scenario of 5 °C increase in the mean annual ground surface temperature during the next 100 years, the permafrost surrounding the in-pit tailings management facilities (TMFs) would reduce greatly in about 500 years. However, an approximately 40 m thick permafrost layer would remain on the top of the TMFs, which is impervious and would prevent any tailings pore water from migrating upward to reach the ground surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear Waste Disposal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

33 pages, 10609 KiB  
Article
A Mathematical Model of Gas and Water Flow in a Swelling Geomaterial—Part 2. Process Simulation
by Elias Ernest Dagher, Julio Ángel Infante Sedano and Thanh Son Nguyen
Minerals 2020, 10(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10010032 - 29 Dec 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2236
Abstract
Gases can potentially generate in a deep geological repository (DGR) for the long-term containment of radioactive waste. Natural and engineered barriers provide containment of the waste by mitigating contaminant migration. However, if gas pressures exceed the mechanical strength of these barriers, preferential flow [...] Read more.
Gases can potentially generate in a deep geological repository (DGR) for the long-term containment of radioactive waste. Natural and engineered barriers provide containment of the waste by mitigating contaminant migration. However, if gas pressures exceed the mechanical strength of these barriers, preferential flow pathways for both the gases and the porewater could form, providing a source of potential exposure to people and the environment. Expansive soils, such as bentonite-based materials, are widely considered as sealing materials. Understanding the long-term performance of these seals as barriers against gas migration is an important component in the design and the long-term safety assessment of a DGR. This study proposes a hydro-mechanical mathematical model for migration of gas through a low-permeable swelling geomaterial based on the theoretical framework of poromechanics. Using the finite element method, the model is used to simulate 1D flow through a confined cylindrical sample of near-saturated low-permeable soil under a constant volume boundary stress condition. The study expands upon previous work by the authors by assessing the influence of heterogeneity, the Klinkenberg “slip flow” effect, and a swelling stress on flow behavior. Based on the results, this study provides fundamental insight into a number of factors that may influence two-phase flow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear Waste Disposal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 4991 KiB  
Article
A Mathematical Model of Gas and Water Flow in a Swelling Geomaterial—Part 1. Verification with Analytical Solution
by Elias Ernest Dagher, Julio Ángel Infante Sedano and Thanh Son Nguyen
Minerals 2020, 10(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10010030 - 29 Dec 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2092
Abstract
Gas generation and migration are important processes that must be considered in a safety case for a deep geological repository (DGR) for the long-term containment of radioactive waste. Expansive soils, such as bentonite-based materials, are widely considered as sealing materials. Understanding their long-term [...] Read more.
Gas generation and migration are important processes that must be considered in a safety case for a deep geological repository (DGR) for the long-term containment of radioactive waste. Expansive soils, such as bentonite-based materials, are widely considered as sealing materials. Understanding their long-term performance as barriers to mitigate gas migration is vital in the design and long-term safety assessment of a DGR. Development and the application of numerical models are key to understanding the processes involved in gas migration. This study builds upon the authors’ previous work for developing a hydro-mechanical mathematical model for migration of gas through a low-permeable geomaterial based on the theoretical framework of poromechanics through the contribution of model verification. The study first derives analytical solutions for a 1D steady-state gas flow and 1D transient gas flow problem. Using the finite element method, the model is used to simulate 1D flow through a confined cylindrical sample of near-saturated low-permeable soil under a constant volume boundary stress condition. Verification of the numerical model is performed by comparing the pore-gas pressure evolution and stress evolution to that of the results of the analytical solution. The results of the numerical model closely matched those of the analytical solutions. Future studies will attempt to improve upon the model complexity and investigate processes and material characteristics that can enhance gas migration in a nearly saturated swelling geomaterial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear Waste Disposal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 4877 KiB  
Article
Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis at Low Value of Determination Coefficient of Regression Analysis: Case of I-129 Release from RBMK-1500 SNF under Disposal Conditions
by Asta Narkuniene, Povilas Poskas and Darius Justinavicius
Minerals 2019, 9(9), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/min9090521 - 29 Aug 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2175
Abstract
As in other nuclear countries, the operation of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania has led to the accumulation of around 22 thousand assemblies of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The development of geological disposal program involves an iterative assessment of the system [...] Read more.
As in other nuclear countries, the operation of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania has led to the accumulation of around 22 thousand assemblies of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The development of geological disposal program involves an iterative assessment of the system safety supported by scientific research on radionuclides migration and related processes. This study focused on the application of Contribution to the Sample Mean (CSM) and Contribution to Sample Variance (CSV) methods to complement the uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of the time-dependent flux of I-129 from the engineered barriers of a conceptual disposal facility for RBMK-1500 SNF (RBMK is abbreviation of “High Power Channel-type Reactor” (in Russian)). The analysis was performed using a MATLAB platform (8.0.0.783 (R2012b), MathWorks, MA, USA). The mean and variance ratios derived from CSM and CSV plots were applied to estimate the effect of reduced uncertainty range on mean flux and its variance, and the uncertainty analysis was also complimented. Increasing the lower bounding value of defect size enlargement time range to 4.6 × 104 years would lead to a lower mean flux until 5 × 104 years after repository closure. Later on (up to 1 million years after repository closure), the only reduction of the upper bounding value of the SNF dissolution rate range would affect a decreased mean flux. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear Waste Disposal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5798 KiB  
Article
Mathematical Modelling of Fault Reactivation Induced by Water Injection
by Thanh Son Nguyen, Yves Guglielmi, Bastian Graupner and Jonny Rutqvist
Minerals 2019, 9(5), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/min9050282 - 08 May 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3085
Abstract
Faults in the host rock that might exist in the vicinity of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, constitute potential enhanced pathways for radionuclide migration. Several processes might trigger pore pressure increases in the faults leading to fault failure and induced seismicity, and [...] Read more.
Faults in the host rock that might exist in the vicinity of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, constitute potential enhanced pathways for radionuclide migration. Several processes might trigger pore pressure increases in the faults leading to fault failure and induced seismicity, and increase the faults’ permeability. In this research, we developed a mathematical model to simulate fault activation during an experiment of controlled water injection in a fault at the Mont-Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland. The effects of in-situ stress, fault shear strength parameters and heterogeneity are assessed. It was shown that the above factors are critical and need to be adequately characterized in order to predict the faults’ hydro-mechanical behaviour. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nuclear Waste Disposal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop