Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

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Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Canada McGill University, Canada... 

Abstract The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) used the finite element code FRACON to perform blind predictions of the FEBEX heater experiment. The FRACON code numerically solves the extended equations of Biot s poro-elasticity. The rock was assumed to be linearly elastic, however, the poro-elastic coefficients of variably saturated bentonite were expressed as functions of net stress and void ratio using the state surface equation obtained from suction-controlled oedometer tests. In this paper, we will summarize our approach and predictive results for the Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical response of the bentonite. It is shown that the model correctly predicts drying of the bentonite near the heaters and re-saturation near the rock interface. The evolution of temperature and the heater thermal output were reasonably well predicted by the model. The trends in the total stresses developed in the bentonite were also correctly predicted, however the absolute values were underestimated probably due to the neglect of pore pressure build-up in the rock mass. 

The authors sincerely thank the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for its financial support and ENRESA/UPC for providing experimental data from the FEBEX project. The opinion expressed in this paper is the authors and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the CNSC or McGill University. 

Nguyen, T.S., 2001. Modelling of the excavation of the FEBEX gallery, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Internal Report. 

Hazama Corporation, Japan Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden Commissariat a I Energie Atomique (CEA), France ) Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Canada Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN), France Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), USA INERIS-LAEGO, France... 

The following organisations are gratefully acknowledged for their financial support (alphabetical order) the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission the Commissariat a I Energie Atomique the European Commission through the BENCHPAR project under Contract FIKW-CT-2000-00066 the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire the Japan Nuclear Fuel Cycle Development Institute, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate. 

Ontario Power Generation, Canada Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, Argentina International Organization for Standardization E. Mennerdahl Systems, Sweden International Atomic Energy Agency Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Canada Ministry of Transport, Japan... 

CNSC, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, 2008. Design of New Nuclear Power Plants. CNSC Report RD-337. 

CNSC/OECD, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, 2014. In International Workshop on Multi-Unit ProbabiUstic Safety Assessment (PSA), Ottawa, Canada, November 17—20. 

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