Underground heater tests

Birkholzer, J.T. Tsang, Y.W. 2000. Modeling the thermal-hydrologic processes in a large-scale underground heater test in partially saturated fractured tuff. Water Resources Research, 36(6) pp. 1431-1447. 

The DST is the second underground thermal test to be carried out in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The purpose of the test is to evaluate the effect of coupled thermal, hydrological, chemical, and mechanical processes that take place in unsaturated fractured tuff over a range of temperatures (approximately 25°C to 200°C). The DST heaters were activated on December 3,1997, with a planned period of 4 years of heating, followed by 4 years of cooling. After just over 4 years, the heaters were switched off and since that time the system has been slowly cooling. 

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