Development of a new mechanistic low-level waste source term model

Abstract

A new mechanistic low-level waste source term model was developed. Key features of this effort are: use of cumulative probability functions to describe the failures of waste containers; capability to describe diffusion controlled release which is dependent on the conditions of the waste package surroundings; consideration of the effects of gas generation on the source term, and; use of a source inventory characterization routine to provide a built-in capability for defining the distributions of radionuclides in various waste forms and streams. The model is capable of describing the diffusion of radionuclides in waste forms with the use of concentration and flux continuity boundary conditions. Release of radionuclides from various waste streams is modeled by the combination of diffusion, dissolution, and surface release. Failures of waste containers are portrayed by the use of probabilistic failure functions based on Weibull and lognormal distributions. The model for radionuclide release from waste packages is coupled with the near-field transport model to describe the effects of migration and dispersion within the disposal unit. Characteristics of the new model were evaluated through sensitivity analysis and compared with existing source term codes.