Digital Commons Network^™

Corrosion Research On Rock Bolts And Steel Sets For Sub-Surface Reinforcement Of The Yucca Mountain Repository, Dhanesh Chandra, Jaak J.K. Daemen

Publications (YM)

Underground nuclear waste storage repositories generally use steels and super alloys for various structural members and storage containers. These materials are susceptible to corrosion due to seepage of water. We studied rock bolt materials for reinforcing tunnels and containment materials for storing nuclear waste materials. In general, the design of underground support materials for tunnels are mainly based on mechanical behavior of the materials, but not much was known about the interaction of the seepage YM waters with the structural members under various conditions in the tunnels. The sources of water in the Yucca Mountain (YM) repository are due to …

Final Report: Task 22 — Extreme Ground Motion Studies, John G. Anderson, James N. Brune, Jaak J.K. Daemen, Matthew Purvance

Publications (YM)

TASK 22 consisted of two separate investigations into extreme ground motions due to seismic events, Subtask 1 and Subtask 2. Subtask 1 included field studies of geological formations that should put an upper bound on extreme ground motions that have happened at the site of the formations. The locations are critically selected to provide the most effective constraints possible on the validity of the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Yucca Mountain. Subtask 2 surveyed recorded ground motions from around the world, with the aim to draw general conclusions from these as to the conditions where extreme ground motions are observed. …

Results Of Precipitation Monitoring At Yucca Mountain, N. Mcginnis, Amanda Brandt

Publications (YM)

This is the final report presenting precipitation data collected under task ORD-FYO4-007 “Precipitation Monitoring at Yucca Mountain”. This task acquired data using tipping bucket rain gauges to measure, with known accuracy, the accumulation and timing of precipitation in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. Operation of the tipping bucket precipitation monitoring network was assumed by the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in March of 2001. Precipitation monitoring data collection concluded June of 2008. All data presented in this report were collected during that time.

Environmental Effects On Corrosion Properties Of Alloy 22, Mano Misra

Publications (YM)

This document presents detailed technical report for four Subtasks that were conducted independently. All four Subtasks investigated environmental effects on corrosion properties of Alloy 22. The four Subtasks that were investigated are as follows: Subtask 1: Experimental Determination of Parameters for the General Corrosion Model. Subtask 2: Corrosion under Dust Deposits Containing Hygroscopic Salts. Subtask 3: Heated Electrode Approach for the Study of Corrosion Under Aggressive Conditions. Subtask 4: Effect of Hydrogen Permeation on the Stability of the Passive Film of Alloy 22.

Final Report: Nevada System Of Higher Education Quality Assurance Program, Nevada System Of Higher Education

Publications (YM)

The principal purpose of the cooperative agreement was to develop and continue providing the public and the Office of Repository Development (ORD) of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) with an independently derived, unbiased body of scientific and engineering data concerning the study of Yucca Mountain as a potential high-level radioactive waste repository. Under this agreement, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), formerly the University and Community CollegeSystem of Nevada (UCCSN), performed scientific and engineering research, and maintained and fostered collaborative working relationships between government and academic researchers. In performing these activities, …

Quality Assurance Services, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Quality Assurance (QA) Program provides a full range of affordable QA services including records management, document and data control, training, and auditing. The program was regularly audited by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure strict compliance to regulatory requirements for nuclear facilities.

The NSHE QA Program is staffed by knowledgeable professionals who specialize in assisting smaller organizations who have no previous quality assurance experience.

Exceptional Ground Accelerations And Velocities Caused By Earthquakes, John G. Anderson, James N. Brune

Publications (YM)

This project aims to understand the characteristics of the free-field strong-motion records that have yielded the 100 largest peak accelerations and the 100 largest peak velocities recorded to date. The peak is defined as the maximum magnitude of the acceleration or velocity vector during the strong shaking. This compilation includes 35 records with peak acceleration greater than gravity, and 41 records with peak velocities greater than 100 cm/s. The results represent an estimated 150,000 instrument-years of strong-motion recordings. The mean horizontal acceleration or velocity, as used for the NGA ground motion models, is typically 0.76 times the magnitude of this …

Sub-Surface Corrosion Research On Rock Bolt System, Perforated Ss Sheets And Steel Sets For The Yucca Mountain Repository — Quarterly Technical Report No. 14, Dhanesh Chandra, Jaak J.K. Daemen

Publications (YM)

This report shows the work done for this period in accordance to cooperative agreement of University of Nevada system for the Task 019 “Subsurface Corrosion Research on Rock Bolt System, Perforated SS Sheets and Steel Sets for the Yucca Mountain Repository”, the overall objective of which is to conduct corrosion research and predict the durability of rock-bolts and other underground metallic roof supports. We are performing oxidation tests using Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA), and Potentiodynamic and immersion tests to determine the corrosion rates of rock bolts.

In this quarter specifically we have accomplished the following:

Potentiodynamic tests were performed to determine …

Final Report: Phase Stability And Segregation In Alloy 22 Base Metal And Weldments, Jeffrey Lacombe

Publications (YM)

At the outset of this project, the design of the waste disposal containers relied heavily on encasement in a multi-layered container, featuring a corrosion barrier of Alloy 22, a Ni-Cr- Mo-W based alloy with excellent corrosion resistance over a wide range of conditions. The fundamental concern from the perspective of the Yucca Mountain Project, however, was the inherent uncertainty in the (very) long-term stability of the base metal and welds. Should the properties of the selected materials change over the long service life of the waste packages, it was conceivable that the desired performance characteristics (such as corrosion resistance) would …

Measurement Of The Parameter Kappa, And Reevaluation Of Kappa For Small To Moderate Earthquakes At Seismic Stations In The Vicinity Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, Glenn Biasi, John G. Anderson, Amy J. Smiecinski, Nevada Seismological Laboratory

Publications (YM)

We address two primary questions. First, what are the values of seismic spectral decay parameter kappa at stations on and around Yucca Mountain. Second, can small and/or moderate earthquakes provide estimates of kappa that are valid for conditions of strong ground motion.

Ground Water Level Measurements In Selected Boreholes Near The Site Of The Proposed Repository, H. Scott Page, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The purpose of this report is to summarize the work and present conclusions of Project Activity Task FY-04-005 conducted under DE-FC28-04RW12232 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). The work was conducted in the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies of the University of Nevada – Las Vegas from Oct 1, 2003 to Sept 30, 2007.

Seismicity In The Vicinity Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, For The Period October 1, 2004 To September 30, 2006, Ken Smith, John G. Anderson, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This report describes earthquake activity within approximately 65 km of Yucca Mountain site during the October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2006 time period (FY05-06). The FY05-06 earthquake activity will be compared with the historical and more recent period of seismic activity in the Yucca Mountain region. The relationship between the distribution of seismicity and active faults, historical patterns of activity, and rates of earthquakes (number of events and their magnitudes) are important components in the assessment of the seismic hazard for the Yucca Mountain site. Since October 1992 the University of Nevada has compiled a catalog of earthquakes in …

Seismicity In The Vicinity Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, For The Period October 1, 2002 To September 30, 2003, Ken Smith, David Vin Seggern, John G. Anderson, Richard Quittmeyer, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

Earthquake activity in the Yucca Mountain from October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003 (FY03) is assessed and compared with previous activity in the region. FY03 is the first reporting year since the 1992 M 5.6 Little Skull Mountain earthquake with no earthquakes greater than M 3.0 within 65 km of Yucca Mountain. In addition, FY03 includes the fewest number of earthquakes greater than M 2.0 in any reporting year since the LSM event. With 3075 earthquakes in the catalog, FY03 represents the second largest number of earthquakes (second to FY02) since FY96 when digital seismic network operations began. The …

Sub-Surface Corrosion Research On Rock Bolt System, Perforated Ss Sheets And Steel Sets For The Yucca Mountain Repository — Quarterly Technical Report No. 13, Dhanesh Chandra, Jaak J.K. Daemen

Publications (YM)

This report shows the work done for this period in accordance to cooperative agreement of University of Nevada system for the Task 019 “Subsurface Corrosion Research on Rock Bolt System, Perforated SS Sheets and Steel Sets for the Yucca Mountain Repository”, the overall objective of which is to conduct corrosion research and predict the durability of rock-bolts and other underground metallic roof supports. We are performing oxidation tests using Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA), and Potentiodynamic and immersion tests to determine the corrosion rates of rock bolts.

In this quarter:

Potentiodynamic tests were performed to determine corrosion rates (CR) of 4340 Steel …

Seismicity In The Vicinity Of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, For The Period October 1, 2003, To September 30, 2004, David Von Seggern, Ken Smith, John G. Anderson, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This report describes the seismicity and earthquake monitoring activities within the Yucca Mountain region during fiscal year 2004 (FY2004 - October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004) based on operation of the Southern Great Basin Digital Seismic Network (SGBDSN). Network practices and earthquake monitoring conducted at the Nevada Seismological Laboratory (NSL) under DOE directives for prior fiscal years are covered in similar yearly reports (see references). Real-time systems, including regional data telemetry and data management at NSL, provide for the automatic determination of earthquake locations and magnitudes and notification of important earthquakes in the region to UNR staff and DOE …

Geostatistical And Stochastic Study Of Flow And Tracer Transport In The Unsaturated Zone At Yucca Mountain, Ming Ye, Feng Pan, Xiaolong Bill Hu, Jianting Zhu, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

Yucca Mountain has been proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy as the nation’s long-term, permanent geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste. The potential repository would be located in Yucca Mountain’s unsaturated zone (UZ), which acts as a critical natural barrier delaying arrival of radionuclides to the water table. Since radionuclide transport in groundwater can pose serious threats to human health and the environment, it is important to understand how much and how fast water and radionuclides travel through the UZ to groundwater. The UZ system consists of multiple hydrogeologic units whose hydraulic and geochemical properties …

Sub-Surface Corrosion Research On Rock Bolt System, Perforated Ss Sheets And Steel Sets For The Yucca Mountain Repository — Quarterly Technical Report No. 12, Dhanesh Chandra, Jaak J.K. Daemen

Publications (YM)

This 12th report shows the work done in accordance to cooperative agreement of University of Nevada system for the Task 019 “Subsurface Corrosion Research on Rock Bolt System, Perforated SS Sheets and Steel Sets for the Yucca Mountain Repository”, the overall objective of which is to conduct corrosion research and predict the durability of rock-bolts and other underground metallic roof supports. We are performing oxidation tests using Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA), and Potentiodynamic and immersion tests to determine the corrosion rates of rock bolts.

In this quarter:

Potentiodynamic tests were performed to determine corrosion rates (CR) of 4340 Steel in pure …

Final Report: Second Generation Waste Package Design Study, L. S. Armijo, Mano Misra, Piyush Kar

Publications (YM)

The objectives of this project activity are: to review the current YMP baseline environment and establish corrosion test environments representative of the range of dry to intermittently wet conditions expected in the drifts as a function of time. to demonstrate the oxidation and corrosion resistance of A588 weathering steel and reference Alloy 22 samples in the representative dry to intermittently dry conditions. to evaluate backfill and design features to improve the thermal performance analyses of the proposed second-generation waste packages using existing models developed at UNR.

Influence Of Lithophysal Geometry On The Uniaxial Compression Of Tuff-Like Rock, Douglas B. Rigby, Moses Karakouzian, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The purpose of this report is to summarize the work and present conclusions of Project Activity Task ORD-FY04-013 conducted under Cooperative Agreement No. DEFC28- 04RW12232 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). This document describes results of laboratory testing on analog lithophysal tuff (Hydro-StoneTB®) conducted in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) from 2004 to 2006.

Groundwater Characterization At Yucca Mountain Task 2: Surface Complexation And Solid Phase Sorption, Kenneth Czerwinski, Anthony Hechanova, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The purpose and scope of this report is to present an overview of the experiments, methods, results, and conclusions from research performed for the project “Groundwater Characterization at Yucca Mountain Task 2: Surface Complexation and Solid Phase Dissolution”. The impact of surface complexation, alteration phase formation, and solution competition with metal ions on the solubility and speciation of actinide elements (U, Pu, Np) will be examined. In particular the role of iron (as Fe2+ and Fe3+) and silicate (as SO3 2-) concentrations on speciation, solubility, sorption, and secondary phase formation of actinides will be investigated. While a large body of …

Direct Analysis Of Solid Corrosion Products By Laser Ablation Icp-Ms: Method Development And The Interaction Of Aqueous Uranium, Gadolinium And Neodymium With Iron Shot And Iron (Iii) Oxide, James Cizdziel, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The purpose of this report is to summarize the work and present conclusions of Project Activity Task ORD-RF-03 conducted under cooperative agreement number DE-FC28-04RW12237 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). The work was conducted in the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies of the University of Nevada Las Vegas from October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2006. The purpose of the study was to develop a method using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for the direct analysis of iron corrosion products, to evaluate its capabilities, advantages, and limitations, and …

Geochemical Modeling Of Solubility And Speciation Of Uranium, Neptunium, And Plutonium, Zhongbo Yu, Yuyu Lin, Karen Johannesson, Amy J. Smiecinski, Klaus J. Stetzenbach

Publications (YM)

The purpose of this study is to model the solubility, speciation, and transport of three actinides: uranium (U), neptunium (Np), and plutonium (Pu) by a geochemical modeling tool under possible repository environmental conditions upon waste package failure. The dissolution concentration of three actinides in the waste package, their aqueous speciation after dissolving in the unsaturated zone (UZ), and transport processes in the saturated zone (SZ) along the groundwater flow path at Yucca Mountain (YM) are simulated by geochemical modeling calculations using PHREEQC. This model report was prepared in fulfillment of Groundwater Characterization at Yucca Mountain, Task II: Surface Complexation and …

Sub-Surface Corrosion Research On Rock Bolt System, Perforated Ss Sheets And Steel Sets For The Yucca Mountain Repository — Quarterly Technical Report No. 11, Dhanesh Chandra, Jaak J.K. Daemen

Publications (YM)

This report shows the work done for this period in accordance to cooperative agreement of University of Nevada system for the Task 019 “Subsurface Corrosion Research on Rock Bolt System, Perforated SS Sheets and Steel Sets for the Yucca Mountain Repository”, the overall objective of which is to conduct corrosion research and predict the durability of rock-bolts and other underground metallic roof supports. We are performing oxidation tests using Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA), and Potentiodynamic and immersion tests to determine the corrosion rates of rock bolts.

In this quarter:

Potentiodynamic tests were performed to determine corrosion rates (CR) of 4340 Steel …

Control Of The Electronic Management Of Information, A. Boone, R. Szatmary Jr.

Publications (YM)

This procedure establishes the responsibilities and provides direction for developing and evaluating the adequacy of process controls on specific uses of electronically stored information. These uses include, but are not limited to, information used in design input, developed as design output, or developed as input to or output from scientific investigation or performance assessment modeling and analysis. This pertains to information that resides in an electronic information management system or on electronic media.

Procedure Planning For Science Activities, C. A. Schneider, W. W. Watson

Publications (YM)

This procedure establishes responsibilities and process for preparation, review, approval, revision/cancellation, and distribution of work plans for scientific investigation activities, including modeling, scientific laboratory and field testing activities, scientific analyses, and other science related documents and technical products. Plans for other activities may be completed in accordance with the requirements of this procedure, as directed by management.

Procedure Records Management, S. A. Morris, R. Szatmary Jr.

Publications (YM)

This procedure describes the process for the identification, creation, maintenance, and disposition of Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) records. This procedure also describes the process for maintaining the OCRWM records retention and disposition information. Processes for special handling of record categories and media types are addressed in Attachment 1, Special Handling Requirements for Records.

Condition Reporting And Resolution, J. M. Pesek, S. A. Wade

Publications (YM)

This procedure facilitates a safety conscious work environment by providing a mechanism for employees to make management aware of existing and potential conditions. This procedure establishes the responsibilities and process to be used to ensure that conditions related to, but not limited to, the environment, safety, health, waste isolation, operations, security, or quality of items and services associated with Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) work activities are promptly identified, controlled, evaluated, and corrected as soon as practical. This procedure describes the process flow, controls, interfaces, and requirements for condition identification and resolution. This includes adverse conditions as well …

Basic Research Needs For Geosciences: Facilitating 21st Century Energy Systems, U.S. Department Of Energy, Office Of Basic Energy Sciences, Donald J. Depaolo, Franklin M. Orr Jr.

Publications (YM)

Executive Summary

Serious challenges must be faced in this century as the world seeks to meet global energy needs and at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Even with a growing energy supply from alternative sources, fossil carbon resources will remain in heavy use and will generate large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO₂). To reduce the atmospheric impact of this fossil energy use, it is necessary to capture and sequester a substantial fraction of the produced CO₂. Subsurface geologic formations offer a potential location for long-term storage of the requisite large …

Phase Stability And Segregation In Alloy 22 Base Metal And Weldments, Jeffrey Lacombe, G. L. Mcmillon

Publications (YM)

Subtask 1: Microstructural Characterization of Phase Stability and Variability in Alloy 22. Develop an improved understanding of Alloy 22 and the extent to which compositional and microstructural variations are present in otherwise “nominal” as-procured material.

Subtask 2: Electrochemical Methods to Detect Susceptibility of Alloy 22 to Localized Corrosion. Study the influence that compositional and microstructural variations have on the corrosion performance of Alloy 22.

Extreme Ground Motion Studies, James N. Brune, John G. Anderson

Publications (YM)

Subtasks:

1. Constraints on Yucca Mountain extreme ground motion based on precariously balanced rocks, unstable precipitous cliffs, and un-fractured sandstone along the San Andreas fault.

2. Prepare summary report on large recorded ground motions.