Abstract
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a mined, geologic repository operated for the U. S. Department of Energy in New Mexico. Ongoing technical programs at the facility support requirements regarding continued demonstration of compliance with regulations and improvements to operational efficiency. One factor that can be important to performance measurements at WIPP is the volume of fluid flowing into the repository. The objective of the analysis presented in this paper is to address those processes that influence liquid inflow to the waste disposal areas. Simulations focus on the coupling between brine inflow and properties of the proximal damaged zone in the host rock. Calculations show that significant reduction in predicted brine inflow results when two-phase flow properties of the damaged zone are modified relative to baseline values. Results warrant further investigation regarding these properties. The study also indicates that only nominal improvement to predictive capabilities would result from using a fully coupled transient approach to simulate development of damage in the host rock.
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