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Corrosion Performance of Engineered Barrier System in Deep Horizontal Drillholes

Author

Listed:
  • Joe H. Payer

    (Corrosion Engineering, University of Akron, Whitby Hall 211, Akron, OH 44325-3906, USA)

  • Stefan Finsterle

    (Finsterle GeoConsulting, 315 Vassar Ave., Kensington, CA 94708, USA)

  • John A. Apps

    (Geochemistry Consultant, 3389 Angelo Street, Lafayette, CA 94549, USA)

  • Richard A. Muller

    (Deep Isolation Inc., 2120 University Avenue, Ste. 623, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA)

Abstract

The disposal of spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste in deep horizontal drillholes is an innovative system. Canisters of highly corrosion-resistant nickel-chromium-molybdenum (Ni-Cr-Mo) alloys are specified for the disposal of this nuclear waste. The canisters are emplaced along a steel casing in a horizontal drillhole that is one to three kilometers deep into or below a low-permeability geologic formation. The drillhole is in fully saturated rock with anoxic and reducing pore waters. A time-interval analysis method was used to track the evolution of the environment and to analyze corrosion performance of a representative engineered barrier system (EBS) configuration. In this analysis, the canisters remained perforation-free for tens of thousands of years. The amounts of hydrogen and metal oxides formed as by-products of the metal corrosion process were determined. These by-products are of interest, because both hydrogen and metal oxides can affect the chemical composition of the environment and the transport and sorption behavior of radionuclides and other species. Beneficial attributes that contribute to the extraordinarily long life of the canisters were identified. Several inherent characteristics of the horizontal drillhole disposal system reduced the complexities and uncertainties of the analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Joe H. Payer & Stefan Finsterle & John A. Apps & Richard A. Muller, 2019. "Corrosion Performance of Engineered Barrier System in Deep Horizontal Drillholes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:8:p:1491-:d:224381
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard A. Muller & Stefan Finsterle & John Grimsich & Rod Baltzer & Elizabeth A. Muller & James W. Rector & Joe Payer & John Apps, 2019. "Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste in Deep Horizontal Drillholes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-28, May.
    2. Stefan Finsterle & Richard A. Muller & Rod Baltzer & Joe Payer & James W. Rector, 2019. "Thermal Evolution near Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste Canisters Disposed in Horizontal Drillholes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Richard A. Muller & Stefan Finsterle & John Grimsich & Rod Baltzer & Elizabeth A. Muller & James W. Rector & Joe Payer & John Apps, 2019. "Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste in Deep Horizontal Drillholes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-28, May.
    2. Dirk Mallants & Karl Travis & Neil Chapman & Patrick V. Brady & Hefin Griffiths, 2020. "The State of the Science and Technology in Deep Borehole Disposal of Nuclear Waste," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-7, February.
    3. Stefan Finsterle & Richard A. Muller & John Grimsich & John Apps & Rod Baltzer, 2020. "Post-Closure Safety Calculations for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel in a Generic Horizontal Drillhole Repository," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-31, May.

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