Subseabed Disposal Program IN Situ Heat Transfer Experiment (ISHTE): Final Design Report

摘要

An In Situ Heat Transfer Experiment has been developed in support of the Subseabed Disposal Program. The primary objectives of this experiment are: to provide information on the in situ response of seabed sediment to localized heating; to obtain data on in situ ion migration processes; to provide an opportunity for evaluating theoretical models of the response and to observe any unanticipated phenomena which may occur; to develop and demonstrate the technology necessary for performing waste-isolation-oriented experiments on the sea floor at depths up to 6000 m. The heat transfer experiment is planned for a location in the central North Pacific although it could be performed anywhere that the ocean bottom is of a type deemed suitable. During the experiment of a 500-W isotopic heat source is to be implanted in the illite sediment and the subsequent response of the sediment to the induced thermal field evaluated. After initiation of the experiment, a permanent record of the data obtained is maintained on board the platform, with selected information transmitted on command to a surface vessel by acoustic telemetry. The experiment is designed for one year, after which the entire platform is to be recovered. Initial plans called for the deployment of the experiment in 1986; however, because of lack of funds, the ISHTE deployment has been indefinitely postponed. 140 refs., 52 figs., 7 tabs. (ERA citation 12:030176)