22. Conformal Analysis of Ion Transport in Heterogeneous Solid State Nuclear Waste Forms

Abstract

Release of nuclear species from spent fuel ceramic waste form storage depends on the individual constituent properties as well as their internal morphology, heterogeneity and boundary conditions. To predict the release rate, a finite element model is developed based on the Nernst Planck Equation describing charged species transport through different heterogeneous storage media by convection, diffusion or migration driven by chemical/electrical potentials or by a velocity field. In this work, a 2D approach is taken to investigate the contributions of different basic parameters in a waste form i.e., volume fraction, phase dispersion, phase surface area variation, phase diffusion co-efficient, boundary concentration etc. The method is postulated to be a foundation for conformal analysis based design of heterogeneous waste form materials.