Advanced Modeling Techniques in Radioactive Waste Disposal

The safe disposal of radioactive waste over extended timescales presents a critical scientific and engineering challenge. Safety assessments of geological repositories require a comprehensive understanding of the complex, multiscale, and multi-physical-chemical interactions that occur within the disposal system. This field draws on insights from both experimental studies and advanced modeling techniques. Numerical simulations are particularly crucial, as they allow for the prediction of multi-physical-chemical processes over broader temporal and spatial scales than experiments alone can accomplish.

A key component in this area is the modeling of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) coupled processes, which determine the behavior of disposal systems under varying conditions. These processes involve nonlinear interactions between materials and their interfaces, encompassing a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Consequently, advanced numerical tools and methods are required. Enhancing these modeling techniques is vital for improving safety assessments, validating experimental results, and optimizing the design of geological repositories. The continual development of these models is essential for understanding complex dynamics and ensuring the long-term safety and effectiveness of radioactive waste disposal.

This Research Topic aims to consolidate and expand current knowledge in modeling techniques for radioactive waste disposal and their application in optimizing disposal system designs. We aim to showcase advances in numerical methods for simulating multiscale and multi-physical-chemical coupled processes, thereby creating a comprehensive foundation for future research and development in long-term safety evaluations. Additionally, this Research Topic will highlight developments in integrating advanced modeling techniques with experimental data, contributing to the ongoing efforts to develop more reliable and scalable numerical tools, which are essential for ensuring the safe and sustainable disposal of radioactive waste.

We are particularly interested in articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Simulation of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) coupled processes
• Predictive modeling for ensuring the long-term safety of radioactive waste disposal
• Multiscale modeling and upscaling techniques in disposal systems
• Numerical tools for reactive transport across various timescales
• Calibration and validation of numerical tools through experimental data
• Coupling techniques for modeling multi-physics processes
• Optimization of radioactive waste disposal systems through simulation
• Artificial intelligence techniques for rapid prediction of radionuclide transport
• Innovations in computational methods for safety evaluations.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: radioactive waste disposal, thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes, multiscale modeling, computational methods, reactive transport, predictive modeling, radionuclide transport, numerical modeling, radioactive waste modeling, geological repositories

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.