IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,703,017
Granted Patent B2
US 12,703,017 · App. 18/571,651 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Monitoring a hazardous waste repository

Inventor: Richard A. Muller (Berkeley, CA)
Assignee: Deep Isolation, Inc.
B09B5/00B09B1/008G21F9/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,703,017
App. No.
18/571,651
Filed
Dec 18, 2023
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3678
USPC
405/129.45
Abstract

Techniques for monitoring hazardous waste include identifying a hazardous waste drillhole formed from a terranean surface into one or more subterranean formations, the hazardous waste drillhole including an entry sized to receive a plurality of hazardous waste canisters that enclose hazardous waste into and through the entry, and a hazardous waste storage area formed in a storage subterranean formation and sized to receive the plurality of hazardous waste canisters; identifying a probe borehole formed from the terranean surface into the one or more subterranean formations adjacent the hazardous waste drillhole, the probe borehole having a diameter sized insufficiently to receive the plurality of hazardous waste canisters; and measuring, with at least one measurement instrument positioned in the probe borehole near the hazardous waste storage area, at least one parameter associated with the hazardous waste.

Claims (45)

1 . A hazardous waste repository monitoring system, comprising:

a hazardous waste drillhole formed from a terranean surface into one or more subterranean formations, the hazardous waste drillhole comprising an entry sized to receive a plurality of hazardous waste canisters that enclose radioactive hazardous waste into and through the entry, and a hazardous waste storage area formed in a storage subterranean formation and sized to receive the plurality of hazardous waste canisters;

a probe borehole formed from the terranean surface into the one or more subterranean formations adjacent the hazardous waste drillhole, the probe borehole having a diameter that is less than a diameter of each of the plurality of hazardous waste canisters; and

a plurality of radiation measurement instruments positioned in the probe borehole near the hazardous waste storage area and configured to measure at least one parameter associated with the radioactive hazardous waste;

at least one radiation shield positioned in the probe borehole between adjacent radiation measurement instruments and configured to impede a movement of radiation between the adjacent radiation measurement instruments, wherein:

the probe borehole is separated from the hazardous waste drillhole by a predetermined distance in the storage subterranean formation that defines a closest approach distance between the hazardous waste drillhole and the probe borehole, the closest approach distance defining an amount of attenuation of radiation from the radioactive hazardous waste between the hazardous waste drillhole and the probe borehole based on the storage subterranean formation.

2 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of radioactivity, heat energy, pressure, temperature, salinity, or pH.

3 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the radioactive hazardous waste comprises high level waste or transuranic (TRU) waste.

4 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the radioactive hazardous waste comprises spent nuclear fuel.

5 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance is selected such that a radiation level from the radioactive hazardous waste at the particular radiation measurement instrument is insufficient to damage the particular radiation measurement device over a particular time duration.

6 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the particular radiation measurement instrument comprises at least one scintillation detector, at least one ionization chamber, at least one proportional detector, or at least one Geiger detector.

7 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the probe borehole comprises a diameter between 10-20 cm.

8 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the probe borehole comprises an open hole completion.

9 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the probe borehole is open at the terranean surface.

10 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radiation measurement instruments are coupled to a downhole conveyance from the terranean surface.

11 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the downhole conveyance comprises a support and communications wire.

12 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of radiation measurement instruments is separated from the hazardous waste drillhole by a particular, unique distance through the storage subterranean formation, and each of the plurality of radiation measurement instruments is configured to measure a unique radiation amount emitted from the radioactive hazardous waste in the particular hazardous waste canister.

13 . The hazardous waste repository monitoring system of claim 12 , comprising a control system communicably coupled to the plurality of radiation measurement instruments through the downhole conveyance, the control system configured to perform operations comprising:

determining a measure of radiation absorption in the storage subterranean formation based on the plurality of unique radiation amounts emitted from the radioactive hazardous waste in the particular hazardous waste canister.

14 . A method for monitoring hazardous waste, comprising:

identifying a hazardous waste drillhole formed from a terranean surface into one or more subterranean formations, the hazardous waste drillhole comprising an entry sized to receive a plurality of hazardous waste canisters that enclose radioactive hazardous waste into and through the entry, and a hazardous waste storage area formed in a storage subterranean formation and sized to receive the plurality of hazardous waste canisters;

identifying a probe borehole formed from the terranean surface into the one or more subterranean formations adjacent the hazardous waste drillhole, the probe borehole having a diameter less than a diameter of each of the plurality of hazardous waste canisters; and

measuring, with at least one radiation measurement instrument of a plurality of radiation measurement instruments positioned in the probe borehole near the hazardous waste storage area, at least one parameter associated with the hazardous waste;

while measuring, impeding movement of radiation within the probe borehole between adjacent radiation measurement instruments with at least on radiation shield positioned in the probe borehole between the adjacent radiation measurement instruments, wherein

the probe borehole is separated from the hazardous waste drillhole by a predetermined distance in the storage subterranean formation that defines a closest approach distance between the hazardous waste drillhole and the probe borehole, the closest approach distance defining an amount of attenuation of radiation from the radioactive hazardous waste between the hazardous waste drillhole and the probe borehole based on the storage subterranean formation.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of radioactivity, heat energy, pressure, temperature, salinity, or pH.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the radioactive hazardous waste comprises high level waste or transuranic (TRU) waste.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the radioactive hazardous waste comprises spent nuclear fuel.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined distance is selected such that a radiation level from the radioactive hazardous waste at the particular radiation measurement instrument is insufficient to damage the particular measurement device over a particular time duration.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the particular radiation measurement instrument comprises at least one scintillation detector, at least one ionization chamber, at least one proportional detector, or at least one Geiger detector.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the probe borehole comprises a diameter between 10-20 cm.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the probe borehole comprises an open hole completion.

22 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the probe borehole is open at the terranean surface.

23 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of radiation measurement instruments are coupled to a downhole conveyance from the terranean surface.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the downhole conveyance comprises a support and communications wire.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein each of the plurality of radiation measurement instruments is separated from the hazardous waste drillhole by a particular, unique distance through the storage subterranean formation, and the method comprises:

measuring a unique radiation amount emitted from the radioactive hazardous waste in the particular hazardous waste canister with each of the plurality of radiation measurement instruments.

26 . The method of claim 25 , comprising determining, with a control system communicably coupled to the plurality of radiation measurement instruments through the downhole conveyance, a measure of radiation absorption in the storage subterranean formation based on the plurality of measured unique radiation amounts emitted from the radioactive hazardous waste in the particular hazardous waste canister.

27 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming the hazardous waste drillhole from the terranean surface into one or more subterranean formations and into the storage subterranean formation.

28 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming the probe borehole from the terranean surface into one or more subterranean formations and into the storage subterranean formation.

29 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising moving the at least one measurement instrument from the terranean surface into the probe borehole and to the storage subterranean formation.

30 . A hazardous waste repository monitoring system, comprising:

a hazardous waste drillhole formed from a terranean surface into one or more subterranean formations, the hazardous waste drillhole comprising an entry sized between 28 inches and 60 inches to receive a plurality of hazardous waste canisters that enclose hazardous waste into and through the entry, and a hazardous waste storage area formed in a storage subterranean formation and sized to receive the plurality of hazardous waste canisters, the hazardous waste comprising radioactive waste;

a probe borehole formed from the terranean surface into the one or more subterranean formations adjacent the hazardous waste drillhole, the probe borehole having a diameter of between 4 inches and 8 inches and less than a diameter of each of the plurality of hazardous waste canisters, the probe borehole separated from the hazardous waste drillhole by a distance of between 1 and 3 meters at which a radiation level from the radioactive waste by at least one measurement instrument is attenuated by a portion of the one or more subterranean formations between the hazardous waste drillhole and the probe borehole to be insufficient to damage the at least one measurement device over a particular time duration; and

the at least one measurement instrument positioned in the probe borehole near the hazardous waste storage area and configured to measure at least one parameter associated with the hazardous waste.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2024
From: MULLER, RICHARD A.
To: DEEP ISOLATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 066547/0669 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63213044 · Jun 21, 2021
Related Publication 20240278297A1 · Aug 22, 2024
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