Review of THM coupling mechanisms; geological disposal system development

In this study, the Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical(THM) coupling mechanisms, which should be developed for the repository design and safety assessment with consideration of the heat generated from the high-level waste as well as the hydraulic and mechanical behaviors of the natural barrier and engineering barriers, were reviewed. It is necessary to consider the site and waste characteristics to determine the concept for the disposal of high-level waste. In this study, the reference disposal concept in Korea, which should be considered in THM coupling analysis, was described. The thermal, mechanical, hydraulic, thermal-mechanical, hydraulic-mechanical, thermal-hydraulic coupling processes, and THM coupling process were reviewed and the mechanisms and computer codes used for describing the processes in different countries were discussed. Finally, the important THM coupling mechanisms with consideration of Korean reference concept were proposed to simplify the complex THM coupling mechanisms