Speaker
Description
DFN modelling has been extensively used in Posiva’s safety case to represent fracture-controlled flow and transport across scales, capturing system behavior with a high level of complexity and detail. However, its computational demands limit its applicability in operational decision-making during the repository lifecycle. In contrast, current modelling on impact of construction and operations relies on simplified, site-scale representations, with local heterogeneity incorporated as observed. While this enables efficient simulations and supports operational use, it leaves uncertainties in unobserved regions and provides limited resolution both at site scale and between known fracture zones.
DFN modelling is therefore needed to extend heterogeneity into less constrained regions and to provide the level of detail required for tunnel section scale analysis. The key challenge is to integrate DFN approaches into the workflow in a sufficiently lightweight and practical manner to support routine predictions and decision-making.
This presentation introduces a synthetic example of a tunnel section scale situation requiring modelling input to support operational decision-making. To begin, conservative assumptions are used to approximate transport-relevant geometries. The central question to the group is whether DFN modelling could be applied in a lightweight way to better represent these conditions and improve the solution.
| Preferred duration for demo/hackathon | 20 min presentation |
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