Overview of total system model used for the 2008 performance assessment for the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Hansen, Clifford W.; Birkhölzer, Jens; Blink, J.A.; Bryan, Charles R.; Chen, Y.; Gross, Martha; Hardin, Ernest; Houseworth, James; Howard, Robert; Jarek, Russell L.; Lee, K.P.; Lester, B.; Mariner, Paul; Mattie, Patrick D.; Mehta, Sunil; Perry, Frank V.; Robinson, Bruce A.; Sassani, David; Sevougian, S. David; Stein, Joshua S.; Wasiolek, Maryla

doi:10.1016/j.ress.2013.06.001

Cited by 16 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…However, the methodology to demonstrate compliance with post-closure standards of geological repositories relies, particularly in the U.S., on probabilistic calculations [28,29]. In the case of the Yucca Mountain repository in the U.S., for example, compliance is demonstrated using a probabilistic total system performance assessment (TSPA) [30]. To account for complexity in performance assessment, the strategy relies on a hierarchical organization of sub-models, which account for about 300 sub-models in the TSPA supporting the license application of the Yucca Mountain repository [30].…”

Section: Engineering Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of the Yucca Mountain repository in the U.S., for example, compliance is demonstrated using a probabilistic total system performance assessment (TSPA) [30]. To account for complexity in performance assessment, the strategy relies on a hierarchical organization of sub-models, which account for about 300 sub-models in the TSPA supporting the license application of the Yucca Mountain repository [30]. Yet, such a strategy relies on a weak conceptualization of complexity and hierarchy, simply referring to complexity as the existence of non-linearity in systems and using hierarchies only for data management purposes, without a consideration of the issue of scale in the analysis.…”

Section: Engineering Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This example intends to assess the level of complexity considered in the total system performance assessment (TSPA) of the safety analysis report (SAR) supporting the license application (LA) that was reviewed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [46,47]. The TSPA is a modelling approach to the repository system based on probabilistic calculations used to demonstrate the compliance of the Yucca Mountain repository [30]. While probabilistic calculations are commonly used in geologic repository design [28,29], the TSPA approach is specific to the United States in that its conceptual structure relies on a mathematical framework connecting models to represent the overall evolution of the disposal system [48].…”

Section: Application Of the Integrated Formalism To The Yucca Mountaimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mission Impossible? Socio-Technical Integration of Nuclear Waste Geological Disposal Systems

Diaz-Maurin

Ewing

2018

Sustainability

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We present a new perspective on geological disposal systems for nuclear waste. Geological disposal systems encompass all the processes required for the permanent isolation of highly-radioactive materials from humans and the biosphere. Radioactive materials requiring geological disposal are created by commercial nuclear power plants, research reactors, and defense-related nuclear activities, such as spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors and high-level waste from reprocessing to reclaim fissile material for weapons. We show that disposal systems are so complex that new methods of representation are required. Despite the common call for a systems approach, a broader perspective is needed to obtain an integrated view of disposal systems. We introduce a conceptual formalism of geological disposal systems based on a multi-scale integrated analysis approach. This ‘metabolic’ representation allows one to account for the technical complexity of disposal systems in relation to their broader societal context. Although the paper is conceptual, the integrated formalism can improve the understanding of the complexity of disposal systems and their policy requirements by connecting technical solutions with societal constraints. However, the paper also reveals the limits to efforts to integrate technical and social dimensions of geological disposal systems into a single formalism.

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Section: Engineering Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Engineering Representationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Application Of the Integrated Formalism To The Yucca Mountaimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mission Impossible? Socio-Technical Integration of Nuclear Waste Geological Disposal Systems

Diaz-Maurin

Ewing

2018

Sustainability

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“…Goodwin et al, (30,31) Andres and Goodwin (32) TILA-99 Finland 1999 Vieno and Nordman (33) (38) Helton and Sallaberry, (39,40) Rechard et al, (41) Helton et al, (42,44,46,50,51,53) Hansen et al, (43,45,47,52) Sallaberry et al (48,49)…”

Section: Canada 1998mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An illustrative example is given in Fig. 2 in Hansen et al (43) Although AMFs do not exactly use the definition of SM in Section 2.1.2, they are treated here in the context of SMs because they clarify how interactions are analyzed in the pluralistic and the probabilistic approaches.…”

Section: Interactions Between the Fepsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scenario Analysis for the Safety Assessment of Nuclear Waste Repositories: A Critical Review

2017

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A major challenge in scenario analysis for the safety assessment of nuclear waste repositories pertains to the comprehensiveness of the set of scenarios selected for assessing the safety of the repository. Motivated by this challenge, we discuss the aspects of scenario analysis relevant to comprehensiveness. Specifically, we note that (1) it is necessary to make it clear why scenarios usually focus on a restricted set of features, events, and processes; (2) there is not yet consensus on the interpretation of comprehensiveness for guiding the generation of scenarios; and (3) there is a need for sound approaches to the treatment of epistemic uncertainties.

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Conceptual Structure of Performance Assessments for Geologic Disposal of Radioactive Waste

Helton¹,

Hansen²,

Salaberry³

2015

Handbook of Uncertainty Quantification

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Overview of total system model used for the 2008 performance assessment for the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Cited by 16 publications

References 13 publications

Mission Impossible? Socio-Technical Integration of Nuclear Waste Geological Disposal Systems

Mission Impossible? Socio-Technical Integration of Nuclear Waste Geological Disposal Systems

Scenario Analysis for the Safety Assessment of Nuclear Waste Repositories: A Critical Review

Conceptual Structure of Performance Assessments for Geologic Disposal of Radioactive Waste

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