A model for heat flow in deep borehole disposals of high‐level nuclear waste

Deep borehole disposal (DBD) is emerging as a viable alternative to mined repositories for many forms of highly radioactive waste. It is geologically safer, more secure, less environmentally disruptive and potentially more cost‐effective. All high‐level wastes generate heat leading to elevated temperatures in and around the disposal. In some versions of DBD this heat is an essential part of the disposal while in others it affects the performances of materials and waste forms and can threaten the success of the disposal. Different versions of DBD are outlined, for all of which it is essential to predict the distribution of temperature with time. A generic physical model is established and a mathematical model set up involving the transient conductive heat flow differential equation for a cylindrical source term with realistic decay. This equation is solved using the method of Finite Differences. A Fortran computer code (GRANITE) has been developed for the model in the context of DBD and validated against theoretical and other benchmarks. The limitations of the model, code, input parameters and data used are discussed and it is concluded that the model provides a satisfactory basis for predicting temperatures in DBD. Examples of applications to some DBD scenarios are given and it is shown that the results are essential to the design strategy of the DBD versions, geometric details and choice of materials used. Without such modeling it would be impossible to progress DBD of nuclear wastes; something that is now being given serious consideration in several countries.