Design and validation of the THMC China-Mock-Up test on buffer material for HLW disposal

Abstract According to the preliminary concept of the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository in China, a large-scale mock-up facility, named China-Mock-Up was constructed in the laboratory of Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG). A heater, which simulates a container of radioactive waste, is placed inside the compacted Gaomiaozi (GMZ)-Na-bentonite blocks and pellets. Water inflow through the barrier from its outer surface is used to simulate the intake of groundwater. The numbers of water injection pipes, injection pressure and the insulation layer were determined based on the numerical modeling simulations. The current experimental data of the facility are herein analyzed. The experiment is intended to evaluate the thermo-hydro-mechano-chemical (THMC) processes occurring in the compacted bentonite-buffer during the early stage of HLW disposal and to provide a reliable database for numerical modeling and further investigation of engineered barrier system (EBS), and the design of HLW repository.