Fluid flow and solute transport though a fracture intersecting a canister - Analytical solutions for the parallel plate model

In this paper, we are concerned with a specific scenario where a large fracture intersects, at its center, a canister that contains spent nuclear fuel. Assuming that a nuclide is free to release from the canister into groundwater flowing through the fracture, a detailed formulation of the volumetric flow rate and the equivalent flow rate are made for the parallel plate model. The formulas proposed have been validated by numerical examinations; they are not only simple in forms but also universal in applications where the flow may be taken normal, inclined or parallel to the axis of the canister. Of great importance, they provide a convenient way to predict the average properties of fluid flow and solute transport through a single fracture with spatially variable apertures.