Seal System Research within the Brine Availability Test in Salt at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Abstract:

Sealing materials, typically comprised of various types of concrete, are an important component within repository systems developed for closing shafts and drifts. A research initiative on seal systems for salt repositories is currently being conducted as part of the brine availability heater test (BATS) located at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA. The overall goal of BATS is to gain a better understanding of the response of salt as a disposal media for heat generating radioactive waste. BATS is a borehole heater field test consisting of two identical arrays, unheated and heated, of 14 horizontal boreholes each recently drilled in the underground and outfitted with various instrumentation and measurement devices. In the heated array, a heater ran for 4 weeks and the heated borehole reached a maximum temperature just over 80°C. Two types of cement seals, modified salt concrete and Sorel cement, each with embedded strain gauges have been fabricated and installed in each borehole array in close proximity to the heated borehole. The strain, temperature, moisture conditions, and brine composition will be monitored throughout the test phases and cement/salt samples will be collected at the conclusion of the test to observe interactions between salt, brine, and cementitious materials under repository relevant conditions. SNL is managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525.SAND2020-7638A.