| Phase: |
Theme |
| Theme: | Land / Water (T10) |
| Status: | Active |
| Start Date: | 2024-04-01 |
| End Date: | 2026-06-30 |
| Principal Investigator |
| Zambrano Narvaez, Gonzalo |
Project Overview
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) supports on-grid power, industry heat and power, off-grid solutions, district heating, and remote desalination. Canada's SMR market, valued at $5.3B (2025-2040), is highly promising. However, concerns from public, Indigenous, and potential users persist on safety, waste, and costs. Ongoing engagement and research initiatives supported by FES are crucial. With no approved disposal site, nuclear waste in Canada faces uncertainties post-impact assessments. Deep Borehole Disposal (DBD) emerges as an alternative for SMR waste management.
This research, organized into three working packages (WPs), investigates potential DBD solutions in Northeastern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan. WP1 focuses on global deep borehole disposal, emphasizing environmental factors. WP2 evaluates boundary conditions in Western Canada. WP3 explores atomic geothermal energy in DBD for responsible waste disposal. Deliverables 1-4 consolidate findings, establishing the foundation for secure nuclear waste management in Western Canada.
Outputs
| Title |
Category |
Date |
Authors |
| Investigating Potential (DeepSAFE) Deep borehole disposal solutions in Saskatchewan and Alberta for used ILW Fuel Emplacement from SMRs Invited speaker at the SRM summit 2025 as part of the Breakout Session: Building a robust nuclear ecosystem in Alberta - University of Alberta's key capacities for its sustainable development, present by UAlberta Researcher University of Alberta | Activity | 2025-03-04 | Zambrano Narvaez, G. |
| Numerical Validation of a Sequential Coupling between TOUGH3 and FLAC3D for Deep Borehole DisposalDeep borehole disposal is considered as a feasible disposal concept option for intermediate level-waste (ILW). Thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled processes govern geomechanical aspects for geological disposal. Therefore, understanding of these coupled processes is essential for accurately analyzing and predicting long-term performance of geological disposal systems. Numerical modeling can improve the understanding of such complex interaction among heat transfer, fluid flow, and mechanical responses in porous media. In addition, it can help define suitable conditions for geological disposal.
To conduct an adequate assessment of the performance and changes in the conditions of the disposal system after closure, as well as study the associated risks in the absence of engineered barriers, it is necessary to generate numerical model scenarios exploring the effectiveness of natural barriers at containing radionuclides (when all the engineered barriers have failed e.g., glass matrix, primary package, and overpack.)
However, to be able to carry out post-closure safety assessment based on numerical modeling it is necessary to implement a model that considers thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling. In this work a sequential coupling between TOUGH3 and FLAC3D is validated. University of Alberta | Activity | 2025-03-04 | Carlos Romano Perez, Zambrano Narvaez, G. |
| SMR Forum 2024 University of Alberta | Activity | 2025-04-10 | Zambrano Narvaez, G. |
| SMR Summit 2024First oficial event post inauguration of this FES program. Very important networking and connections that leaded to successful expansion program of this research topic. University of Alberta | Activity | 2025-04-03 | Zambrano Narvaez, G. |
