Quintessa

Geological Disposal Facility Resaturation

Gases will be generated in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF), for example by corrosion of metallic wastes and engineered materials in contact with water, and this will affect the physico-chemical evolution of the GDF, and the release and transport of radionuclides. QPAC has been used to model the coupled processes of gas generation and water & gas flow during the resaturation period throughout the lifetime of a GDF.

QPAC’s capabilities to model multi-phase flow and to freely couple additional process calculations have been used to model the sequential construction, operational dewatering, and post-closure resaturation of a GDF. Gas generation from the wastes is simulated and the fate of gases is explored. The mathematical model consists of two distinct, but fully coupled, process models, namely multi-phase flow of water and gas in porous media, and gas generation from the chemical processes associated with the corrosion and degradation of organic wastes. Coupling between the two models is achieved through the gas generation model acting as a source and sink for gas and water respectively, while the rates of waste degradation and corrosion are also a function of the availability of water in and around the wastes.