| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/T08975/01 |
| Title: |
Modelling the physical & fluid dynamic environments around deep borehole disposals of radioactive wastes |
| Principal Investigator: |
Gibb, Emeritus Professor FG |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Materials Science and Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Sheffield |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 November 2004 |
Ends: |
31 October 2007 |
Value (£): |
149,396
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Ground Engineering |
Heat & Mass Transfer |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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An innovative scheme for safe and permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste utilises heat from the waste to melt and recrystallize granite in the lower reaches of a 4-5 km deep borehole, thus immobilising the waste in a substantial sarcophagus of solid granite. Such deployment of containers filled with heat-generating waste in the borehole will also produce elevated temperatures in the host rock beyond the zone of melting and recrystallization. These elevated temperatures could give rise to physical, chemical and fluid dynamic effects in the surrounding rocks that could be beneficial or detrimental to the safety of the disposal.The project would begin by calculating heat budgets for high-level wastes, such as spent nuclear fuel and reprocessing wastes, through collaboration with BNFL. These would then be used as input for the creation of sophisticated computer programs to quantitatively model temperature/time profiles in and around waste packages in deep boreholes for realistic ranges of waste types, disposal parameters and host rock properties. From the results the likely effects on and in the surrounding rocks will be evaluated, quantified where possible and used to demonstrate the safety and viability (or otherwise) of the proposed disposal scheme.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.shef.ac.uk |