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Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Modeling of Bentonite Under High Temperature Heating and Hydration for a Bench-Scale Laboratory Experiment

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Abstract

Compacted bentonite is under consideration as a backfill material for engineered barrier systems in a geological repository for high-level radioactive waste. Coupled THM (thermal–hydrological–mechanical) models for laboratory tests have been effective in understanding coupled processes and improving modeling capability. While studies on bentonite behavior under heating temperatures < 100 °C have been extensively conducted, models and tests for high temperatures are relatively sparse. A bench-scale laboratory experiment at a high temperature (200 °C) was conducted, which provided 3D visualization of the density distribution via frequent X-ray CT images during the experiment, and detailed characterization of bentonite samples after the column tests was running for 1.5 years. We present here a THM model to interpret the data observed from the test, particularly focusing on the effect of the soil–water retention curve (SWRC) and the thermal conductivity function (TCF) under high temperatures. Model results provide a decent match of measured temporal and spatial changes that are the result of heating-induced desaturation, capillary-regulated hydration, swelling/shrinkage induced by local water content, temperature and pressure change, and displacement from nearby areas. The model suggests that (1) the non-linear TCF function should be chosen, (2) temperature-dependent SWRC affects the simulation results in all aspects, and (3) the linear swelling model underperforms the state surface approach in matching the displacement data. It is challenging to explain the density distribution at an early time (< 10 days) at the hydration front where increases in water content, swelling at the hydration front, and compression from nearby areas leads to high density that cannot be fully explained by the current THM model. Refinement of the mechanical model is needed in the future.

Highlights

  • A column experiment at a high temperature (200 °C) was conducted to track THM evolution of bentonite under heating and hydration.

  • A coupled THM model was developed to interpret the dynamic change of temperature, density, displacement.

  • The model suggests the non-linear thermal conductivity function should be used.

  • Temperature-dependent soil–water retention curve affects the simulation results in all aspects.

  • The linear swelling model underperforms the state surface approach in matching the displacement data.

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Data availability

Data sets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This material was based upon the work supported by the Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology, Office of Nuclear Energy, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract Number DE-AC02-05CH11231 with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Energy Geosciences Division, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Liange Zheng, Chun Chang, Sharon Borglin & Chunwei Chou

  2. Schlumberger-Doll Research, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Sangcheol Yoon

Authors
  1. Sangcheol Yoon
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  2. Liange Zheng
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  3. Chun Chang
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  4. Sharon Borglin
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  5. Chunwei Chou
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Material preparation, experimental design, data collection, and analysis were performed by Chun Chang, Sharon Borglin, and Chunwei Chou. Modeling and data interpretation were performed by Sangcheol Yoon and Liange Zheng. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Sangcheol Yoon and Liange Zheng, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Liange Zheng.

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Appendix A

Appendix A

See below Table 5 and Fig. 17.

Table 5 Chemical composition of the artificial groundwater used to saturate the column (from Bradbury and Baeyens 2003)
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Fig. 17
figure 17

Microscope images of the (a) rejected and (2) collected particles after sieving

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Yoon, S., Zheng, L., Chang, C. et al. Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Modeling of Bentonite Under High Temperature Heating and Hydration for a Bench-Scale Laboratory Experiment. Rock Mech Rock Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-024-03927-1

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