Modeling and Simulation of the Cooling Process of Borosilicate Glass

Abstract

For a better understanding of the thermomechanical behavior of glasses used for nuclear waste vitrification, the cooling process of a bulk borosilicate glass is modeled using the finite element code Abaqus. During this process, the thermal gradients may have an impact on the solidification process. To evaluate this impact, the simulation was based on thermal experimental data from an inactive nuclear waste package. The thermal calculations were made within a parametric window using different boundary conditions to evaluate the variations of temperature distributions for each case. The temperature differences throughout the thickness of solidified glass were found to be significantly non-uniform throughout the package. The temperature evolution in the bulk glass was highly responsive to the external cooling rates applied; thus emphasizing the role of the thermal inertia for this bulky glass cast.