• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.131-147
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• 2018

In the present study, the safety of the near surface disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) is examined based on the fluid-flow simulation model. The effects of the structural design and hydrological properties of the disposal system are quantitatively evaluated by estimating the flux of infiltrated water at the boundary of the structure. Additionally, the safety margins of the disposal system, especially for the cover layer and vault, are determined by applying the various scenarios with consideration of possible facility designs and precipitation conditions. The overall results suggest that the disposal system used in this study is sufficiently suitable for the safe operation of the facility. In addition, it is confirmed that the soundness of both the cover layer and the vault have great impact on the safety of the facility. Especially, as shown in the vault degradation scenario, capability of the concrete barrier of the vault make more positive contribution on the safe operation of the facility compared to that of the cover layer.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.394-405
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• 2011

In this paper, we applied coupled non-isothermal, multiphase fluid flow and geomechanical numerical modeling using TOUGH-FLAC coupled analysis to study the complex thermodynamic and geomechanical performance of underground lined rock caverns (LRC) for compressed air energy storage (CAES). Mechanical stress in concrete linings as well as pressure and temperature within a storage cavern were examined during initial and long-term operation of the storage cavern for CAES. Our geomechanical analysis showed that effective stresses could decrease due to air penetration pressure, and tangential tensile stress could develop in the linings as a result of the air pressure exerted on the inner surface of the lining, which would result in tensile fracturing. According to the simulation in which the tensile tangential stresses resulted in radial cracks, increment of linings' permeability and air leakage though the linings, tensile fracturing occurred at the top and at the side wall of the cavern, and the permeability could increase to $5.0{\times}10^{-13}m^2$ from initially prescribed $10{\times}10^{-20}m^2$. However, this air leakage was minor (about 0.02% of the daily air injection rate) and did not significantly impact the overall storage pressure that was kept constant thanks to sufficiently air tight surrounding rocks, which supports the validity of the concrete-lined underground caverns for CAES.