Reevaluation of HFIR source term: Supplement 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, W.E.

1986-11-01

The HFIR source term has been reevaluated to assess the impact of the increase in core lifetime from 15 to 24 days. Calculations were made to determine the nuclide activities of the iodines, noble gases, and other fission products. The results show that there is no significant change in off-site dose due to the increased fuel cycle for the release scenario postulated in ORNL-3573

10 CFR 50.67 - Accident source term.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Conditions of Licenses and Construction Permits § 50.67 Accident source term. (a) Applicability. The... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accident source term. 50.67 Section 50.67 Energy NUCLEAR... to January 10, 1997, who seek to revise the current accident source term used in their design basis...

Inverse kinetics method with source term for subcriticality measurements during criticality approach in the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loureiro, Cesar Augusto Domingues; Santos, Adimir dos

2009-01-01

In reactor physics tests which are performed at the startup after refueling the commercial PWRs, it is important to monitor subcriticality continuously during criticality approach. Reactivity measurements by the inverse kinetics method are widely used during the operation of a nuclear reactor and it is possible to perform an online reactivity measurement based on the point reactor kinetics equations. This technique is successful applied at sufficiently high power level or to a core without an external neutron source where the neutron source term in point reactor kinetics equations may be neglected. For operation at low power levels, the contribution of the neutron source must be taken into account and this implies the knowledge of a quantity proportional to the source strength, and then it should be determined. Some experiments have been performed in the IPEN/MB-01 Research Reactor for the determination of the Source Term, using the Least Square Inverse Kinetics Method (LSIKM). A digital reactivity meter which neglects the source term is used to calculate the reactivity and then the source term can be determined by the LSIKM. After determining the source term, its value can be added to the algorithm and the reactivity can be determined again, considering the source term. The new digital reactivity meter can be used now to monitor reactivity during the criticality approach and the measured value for the reactivity is more precise than the meter which neglects the source term. (author)

LS-APC v1.0: a tuning-free method for the linear inverse problem and its application to source-term determination

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tichý, Ondřej; Šmídl, Václav; Hofman, Radek; Stohl, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 11 (2016), s. 4297-4311 ISSN 1991-959X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7F14287 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Linear inverse problem * Bayesian regularization * Source-term determination * Variational Bayes method Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 3.458, year: 2016 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2016/AS/tichy-0466029.pdf

Description of apparatus for determining radiological source terms of nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, D.L.; Woodley, R.E.; Holt, F.E.; Archer, D.V.; Steele, R.T.; Whitkop, P.G.

1985-01-01

New apparatus have been designed, built and are currently being employed to measure the release of volatile fission products from irradiated nuclear fuel. The system is capable of measuring radiological source terms, particularly for cesium-137, cesium-134, iodine-129 and krypton-85, in various atmospheres at temperatures up to 1200 0 C. The design allows a rapid transient heatup from ambient to full temperature, a hold at maximum temperature for a specified period, and rapid cooldown. Released fission products are measured as deposition on a platinum thermal gradient tube or in a filter/charcoal trap. Noble gases pass through to a multi-channel gamma analyzer. 1 ref., 4 figs

Source terms: an investigation of uncertainties, magnitudes, and recommendations for research. [PWR; BWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levine, S.; Kaiser, G. D.; Arcieri, W. C.; Firstenberg, H.; Fulford, P. J.; Lam, P. S.; Ritzman, R. L.; Schmidt, E. R.

1982-03-01

The purpose of this document is to assess the state of knowledge and expert opinions that exist about fission product source terms from potential nuclear power plant accidents. This is so that recommendations can be made for research and analyses which have the potential to reduce the uncertainties in these estimated source terms and to derive improved methods for predicting their magnitudes. The main reasons for writing this report are to indicate the major uncertainties involved in defining realistic source terms that could arise from severe reactor accidents, to determine which factors would have the most significant impact on public risks and emergency planning, and to suggest research and analyses that could result in the reduction of these uncertainties. Source terms used in the conventional consequence calculations in the licensing process are not explicitly addressed.

Accident source terms for Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soffer, L.; Burson, S.B.; Ferrell, C.M.; Lee, R.Y.; Ridgely, J.N.

1995-02-01

In 1962 tile US Atomic Energy Commission published TID-14844, ''Calculation of Distance Factors for Power and Test Reactors'' which specified a release of fission products from the core to the reactor containment for a postulated accident involving ''substantial meltdown of the core''. This ''source term'', tile basis for tile NRC's Regulatory Guides 1.3 and 1.4, has been used to determine compliance with tile NRC's reactor site criteria, 10 CFR Part 100, and to evaluate other important plant performance requirements. During the past 30 years substantial additional information on fission product releases has been developed based on significant severe accident research. This document utilizes this research by providing more realistic estimates of the ''source term'' release into containment, in terms of timing, nuclide types, quantities and chemical form, given a severe core-melt accident. This revised ''source term'' is to be applied to the design of future light water reactors (LWRs). Current LWR licensees may voluntarily propose applications based upon it

Release of radionuclides following severe accident in interim storage facility. Source term determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morandi, S.; Mariani, M.; Giacobbo, F.; Covini, R.

2006-01-01

Among the severe accidents that can cause the release of radionuclides from an interim storage facility, with a consequent relevant radiological impact on the population, there is the impact of an aircraft on the facility. In this work, a safety assessment analysis for the case of an aircraft crash into an interim storage facility is tackled. To this aim a methodology, based upon DOE, IAEA and NUREG standard procedures and upon conservative yet realistic hypothesis, has been developed in order to evaluate the total radioactivity, source term, released to the biosphere in consequence of the impact, without recurring to the use of complicated numerical codes. The procedure consists in the identification of the accidental scenarios, in the evaluation of the consequent damage to the building structures and to the waste packages and in the determination of the total release of radionuclides through the building-atmosphere interface. The methodology here developed has been applied to the case of an aircraft crash into an interim storage facility currently under design. Results show that in case of perforation followed by a fire incident the total released activity would be greater of some orders of magnitude with respect to the case of mere perforation. (author)

Aerosol behavior and light water reactor source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbey, F.; Schikarski, W.O.

1988-01-01

The major developments in nuclear aerosol modeling following the accident to pressurized water reactor Unit 2 at Three Mile Island are briefly reviewed and the state of the art summarized. The importance and implications of these developments for severe accident source terms for light water reactors are then discussed in general terms. The treatment is not aimed at identifying specific source term values but is intended rather to illustrate trends, to assess the adequacy of the understanding of major aspects of aerosol behavior for source term prediction, and demonstrate in qualitative terms the effect of various aspects of reactor design. Areas where improved understanding of aerosol behavior might lead to further reductions in current source terms predictions are also considered

Probabilistic source term predictions for use with decision support systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grindon, E.; Kinniburgh, C.G.

2003-01-01

Probabilistic Inference of Nuclear Power plant Transients (SPRINT), the SPRINT tool takes, as input, observations and trends in key instrument readings from the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). lt uses these observations to interrogate a database of precalculated source terms, typically compiled from existing NPP analyses performed as Part of a Level 2 PSA study. The basis for this interrogation is a probabilistic logic model, or belief network, of plant behaviour developed by plant experts (using, as a platform, the Netica Bayesian network Software). This is included in the application as a data file. The end points of this logic model are then mapped onto the database of pre-calculated source terms. This process is very rapid (taking only as long as is required to input the responses to a series of questions about the NPP status) and can overcome 'don't know' responses in the question set by resorting to prior probabilities determined by the plant experts who set up the model. The SPRINT application is the combination of the main SPRINT interface containing the user input/output screens and the logic model (dne file) loaded in the Netica application. The conditional probability tables. Beside the network structure itself, the key data in the model are the conditional probabilities that define the strength of influence of a parent node an a daughter node. These values are stored in the model file as network tables, one table per, node, called Conditional Probability Tables (CPTs). However, as detailed documentation of the CPT values is vital during development of reactor specific models, the Net2SS pro.gram was written to take any dne file and output the CPT data as an Excel spreadsheet which can be modified, annotated and loaded back into the dne file via the SPRINT interface. The repository file. The parameters defining the source term data stored in the Excel repository file is determined by the requirement that SPRINT be capable of generating input files for Decision Support

Mechanistic facility safety and source term analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PLYS, M.G.

1999-01-01

A PC-based computer program was created for facility safety and source term analysis at Hanford The program has been successfully applied to mechanistic prediction of source terms from chemical reactions in underground storage tanks, hydrogen combustion in double contained receiver tanks, and proccss evaluation including the potential for runaway reactions in spent nuclear fuel processing. Model features include user-defined facility room, flow path geometry, and heat conductors, user-defined non-ideal vapor and aerosol species, pressure- and density-driven gas flows, aerosol transport and deposition, and structure to accommodate facility-specific source terms. Example applications are presented here

Some practical implications of source term reassessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-03-01

This report provides a brief summary of the current knowledge of severe accident source terms and suggests how this knowledge might be applied to a number of specific aspects of reactor safety. In preparing the report, consideration has been restricted to source term issues relating to light water reactors (LWRs). Consideration has also generally been restricted to the consequences of hypothetical severe accidents rather than their probability of occurrence, although it is recognized that, in the practical application of source term research, it is necessary to take account of probability as well as consequences. The specific areas identified were as follows: Exploration of the new insights that are available into the management of severe accidents; Investigating the impact of source term research on emergency planning and response; Assessing the possibilities which exist in present reactor designs for preventing or mitigating the consequences of severe accidents and how these might be used effectively; Exploring the need for backfitting and assessing the implications of source term research for future designs; and Improving the quantification of the radiological consequences of hypothetical severe accidents for probabilistic safety assessments (PSAs) and informing the public about the realistic risks associated with nuclear power plants. 7 refs

Revised accident source terms for light-water reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soffer, L. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)

1995-02-01

This paper presents revised accident source terms for light-water reactors incorporating the severe accident research insights gained in this area over the last 15 years. Current LWR reactor accident source terms used for licensing date from 1962 and are contained in Regulatory Guides 1.3 and 1.4. These specify that 100% of the core inventory of noble gases and 25% of the iodine fission products are assumed to be instantaneously available for release from the containment. The chemical form of the iodine fission products is also assumed to be predominantly elemental iodine. These assumptions have strongly affected present nuclear air cleaning requirements by emphasizing rapid actuation of spray systems and filtration systems optimized to retain elemental iodine. A proposed revision of reactor accident source terms and some im implications for nuclear air cleaning requirements was presented at the 22nd DOE/NRC Nuclear Air Cleaning Conference. A draft report was issued by the NRC for comment in July 1992. Extensive comments were received, with the most significant comments involving (a) release fractions for both volatile and non-volatile species in the early in-vessel release phase, (b) gap release fractions of the noble gases, iodine and cesium, and (c) the timing and duration for the release phases. The final source term report is expected to be issued in late 1994. Although the revised source terms are intended primarily for future plants, current nuclear power plants may request use of revised accident source term insights as well in licensing. This paper emphasizes additional information obtained since the 22nd Conference, including studies on fission product removal mechanisms, results obtained from improved severe accident code calculations and resolution of major comments, and their impact upon the revised accident source terms. Revised accident source terms for both BWRS and PWRS are presented.

Revised accident source terms and control room habitability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lahti, G.P.; Hubner, R.S.; Johnson, W.J.; Schwartz, B.C.

1993-01-01

In April 1992, the NRC staff presented to the Commissioners the draft NUREG open-quotes Revised Accident Source Terms for Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants.close quotes This document is the culmination of more than ten years of NRC-sponsored research and represents the first change in the NRC's position on source terms since TID-14844 was issued in 1962. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the revised source terms on the current approach to analyzing control room habitability as required by 10 CFR 50. Sample calculations are presented that identify aspects of the model requiring clarification before the implementation of the revised source terms. 6 refs., 4 tabs

Estimation of Source terms for Emergency Planning and Preparedness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yi, Chul Un; Chung, Bag Soon; Ahn, Jae Hyun; Yoon, Duk Ho; Jeong, Chul Young; Lim, Jong Dae [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Sun Gu; Suk, Ho; Park, Sung Kyu; Lim, Hac Kyu; Lee, Kwang Nam [Korea Power Engineering Company Consulting and Architecture Engineers, (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-31

In this study the severe accident sequences for each plant of concern, which represent accident sequences with a high core damage frequency and significant accident consequences, were selected based on the results of probabilistic safety assessments and source term and time-histories of various safety parameters under severe accidents. Accidents progression analysis for each selected accident sequence was performed by MAAP code. It was determined that the measured values, dose rate and radioisotope concentration, could provide information to the operators on occurrence and timing of core damage, reactor vessel failure, and containment failure during severe accidents. Radioactive concentration in the containment atmosphere, which may be measured by PASS, was estimated. Radioisotope concentration in emergency planning, evaluation of source term behavior in the containment, estimation of core damage degree, analysis of severe accident phenomena, core damage timing, and the amount of radioisotope released to the environment. (author). 50 refs., 60 figs.

Some problems in the categorization of source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbey, F.; Dunbar, I.H.; Hayns, M.R.; Nixon, W.

1985-01-01

In recent years techniques for calculating source terms have been considerably improved. It would be unfortunate if the new information were to be blurred by the use of old schemes for the categorization of source terms. In the past categorization schemes have been devised without the question of the general principles of categorization and the available options being addressed explicitly. In this paper these principles are set out, providing a framework within which categorization schemes used in past probabilistic risk assessments and possible future improvements are discussed. In particular the use of input from scoping consequence calculations in deciding how to group source terms, and the question of how modelling uncertainties may be expressed as uncertainties in a final category source terms are considered

Using Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) modelling for rapid source term prediction. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knochenhauer, M.; Swaling, V.H.; Dedda, F.D.; Hansson, F.; Sjoekvist, S.; Sunnegaerd, K. [Lloyd' s Register Consulting AB, Sundbyberg (Sweden)

2013-10-15

The project presented in this report deals with a number of complex issues related to the development of a tool for rapid source term prediction (RASTEP), based on a plant model represented as a Bayesian belief network (BBN) and a source term module which is used for assigning relevant source terms to BBN end states. Thus, RASTEP uses a BBN to model severe accident progression in a nuclear power plant in combination with pre-calculated source terms (i.e., amount, composition, timing, and release path of released radio-nuclides). The output is a set of possible source terms with associated probabilities. One major issue has been associated with the integration of probabilistic and deterministic analyses are addressed, dealing with the challenge of making the source term determination flexible enough to give reliable and valid output throughout the accident scenario. The potential for connecting RASTEP to a fast running source term prediction code has been explored, as well as alternative ways of improving the deterministic connections of the tool. As part of the investigation, a comparison of two deterministic severe accident analysis codes has been performed. A second important task has been to develop a general method where experts' beliefs can be included in a systematic way when defining the conditional probability tables (CPTs) in the BBN. The proposed method includes expert judgement in a systematic way when defining the CPTs of a BBN. Using this iterative method results in a reliable BBN even though expert judgements, with their associated uncertainties, have been used. It also simplifies verification and validation of the considerable amounts of quantitative data included in a BBN. (Author)

Using Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) modelling for rapid source term prediction. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knochenhauer, M.; Swaling, V.H.; Dedda, F.D.; Hansson, F.; Sjoekvist, S.; Sunnegaerd, K.

2013-10-01

The project presented in this report deals with a number of complex issues related to the development of a tool for rapid source term prediction (RASTEP), based on a plant model represented as a Bayesian belief network (BBN) and a source term module which is used for assigning relevant source terms to BBN end states. Thus, RASTEP uses a BBN to model severe accident progression in a nuclear power plant in combination with pre-calculated source terms (i.e., amount, composition, timing, and release path of released radio-nuclides). The output is a set of possible source terms with associated probabilities. One major issue has been associated with the integration of probabilistic and deterministic analyses are addressed, dealing with the challenge of making the source term determination flexible enough to give reliable and valid output throughout the accident scenario. The potential for connecting RASTEP to a fast running source term prediction code has been explored, as well as alternative ways of improving the deterministic connections of the tool. As part of the investigation, a comparison of two deterministic severe accident analysis codes has been performed. A second important task has been to develop a general method where experts' beliefs can be included in a systematic way when defining the conditional probability tables (CPTs) in the BBN. The proposed method includes expert judgement in a systematic way when defining the CPTs of a BBN. Using this iterative method results in a reliable BBN even though expert judgements, with their associated uncertainties, have been used. It also simplifies verification and validation of the considerable amounts of quantitative data included in a BBN. (Author)

Chernobyl source term estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gudiksen, P.H.; Harvey, T.F.; Lange, R.

1990-09-01

The Chernobyl source term available for long-range transport was estimated by integration of radiological measurements with atmospheric dispersion modeling and by reactor core radionuclide inventory estimation in conjunction with WASH-1400 release fractions associated with specific chemical groups. The model simulations revealed that the radioactive cloud became segmented during the first day, with the lower section heading toward Scandinavia and the upper part heading in a southeasterly direction with subsequent transport across Asia to Japan, the North Pacific, and the west coast of North America. By optimizing the agreement between the observed cloud arrival times and duration of peak concentrations measured over Europe, Japan, Kuwait, and the US with the model predicted concentrations, it was possible to derive source term estimates for those radionuclides measured in airborne radioactivity. This was extended to radionuclides that were largely unmeasured in the environment by performing a reactor core radionuclide inventory analysis to obtain release fractions for the various chemical transport groups. These analyses indicated that essentially all of the noble gases, 60% of the radioiodines, 40% of the radiocesium, 10% of the tellurium and about 1% or less of the more refractory elements were released. These estimates are in excellent agreement with those obtained on the basis of worldwide deposition measurements. The Chernobyl source term was several orders of magnitude greater than those associated with the Windscale and TMI reactor accidents. However, the 137 Cs from the Chernobyl event is about 6% of that released by the US and USSR atmospheric nuclear weapon tests, while the 131 I and 90 Sr released by the Chernobyl accident was only about 0.1% of that released by the weapon tests. 13 refs., 2 figs., 7 tabs

Determination of Source Term for an Annual Stack Release of Gas Reactor G.A. Siwabessy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudiyati; Syahrir; Unggul Hartoyo; Nugraha Luhur

2008-01-01

Releases of radionuclide from the reactor are noble gases, halogenides and particulates. The measurements were carried out directly on the air monitoring system of the stack. The results of these measurements are compared with the annual Source-Term data from the Safety Analyses report (SAR) of RSG-GAS. The measurement results are smaller than the data reported in SAR document. (author)

Source term and radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mourad, R.

1987-09-01

This report presents the results of a study of the source term and radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident. The results two parts. The first part was performed during the first 2 months following the accident and dealt with the evaluation of the source term and an estimate of individual doses in the European countries outside the Soviet Union. The second part was performed after August 25-29, 1986 when the Soviets presented in a IAEA Conference in Vienna detailed information about the accident, including source term and radiological consequences in the Soviet Union. The second part of the study reconfirms the source term evaluated in the first part and in addition deals with the radiological consequences in the Soviet Union. Source term and individual doses are calculated from measured post-accident data, reported by the Soviet Union and European countries, microcomputer program PEAR (Public Exposure from Accident Releases). 22 refs

Phase 1 immobilized low-activity waste operational source term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burbank, D.A.

1998-01-01

This report presents an engineering analysis of the Phase 1 privatization feeds to establish an operational source term for storage and disposal of immobilized low-activity waste packages at the Hanford Site. The source term information is needed to establish a preliminary estimate of the numbers of remote-handled and contact-handled waste packages. A discussion of the uncertainties and their impact on the source term and waste package distribution is also presented. It should be noted that this study is concerned with operational impacts only. Source terms used for accident scenarios would differ due to alpha and beta radiation which were not significant in this study

Regulatory Technology Development Plan - Sodium Fast Reactor: Mechanistic Source Term - Trial Calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grabaskas, David

2016-01-01

The potential release of radioactive material during a plant incident, referred to as the source term, is a vital design metric and will be a major focus of advanced reactor licensing. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has stated an expectation for advanced reactor vendors to present a mechanistic assessment of the potential source term in their license applications. The mechanistic source term presents an opportunity for vendors to realistically assess the radiological consequences of an incident, and may allow reduced emergency planning zones and smaller plant sites. However, the development of a mechanistic source term for advanced reactors is not without challenges, as there are often numerous phenomena impacting the transportation and retention of radionuclides. This project sought to evaluate U.S. capabilities regarding the mechanistic assessment of radionuclide release from core damage incidents at metal fueled, pool-type sodium fast reactors (SFRs). The purpose of the analysis was to identify, and prioritize, any gaps regarding computational tools or data necessary for the modeling of radionuclide transport and retention phenomena. To accomplish this task, a parallel-path analysis approach was utilized. One path, led by Argonne and Sandia National Laboratories, sought to perform a mechanistic source term assessment using available codes, data, and models, with the goal to identify gaps in the current knowledge base. The second path, performed by an independent contractor, performed sensitivity analyses to determine the importance of particular radionuclides and transport phenomena in regards to offsite consequences. The results of the two pathways were combined to prioritize gaps in current capabilities.

Source term analyses under severe accidents for KNGR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Yong Mann; Park, Soo Yong

2001-03-01

In this study, in-containment source term for LOFW (Loss of Feed Water), which has appeared the most frequent core melt accident, is calculated and compared with NUREG-1465 source term. This study provides not only new source term data using MELCOR1.8.4 and its state-of-the-art models but also evaluating basis of KNGR design and its mitigation capability under severe accidents. As the selected accident is identical with LOFW-S17, which has been analyzed using MAAP by KEPCO with only difference of 2 SITs, mutual comparison of the results is especially expected.

A simplified approach to evaluating severe accident source term for PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Gaofeng; Tong, Lili; Cao, Xuewu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Traditional source term evaluation approaches have been studied. • A simplified approach of source term evaluation for 600 MW PWR is studied. • Five release categories are established. - Abstract: For early design of NPPs, no specific severe accident source term evaluation was considered. Some general source terms have been used for some NPPs. In order to implement a best estimate, a special source term evaluation should be implemented for an NPP. Traditional source term evaluation approaches (mechanism approach and parametric approach) have some difficulties associated with their implementation. The traditional approaches are not consistent with cost-benefit assessment. A simplified approach for evaluating severe accident source term for PWR is studied. For the simplified approach, a simplified containment event tree is established. According to representative cases selection, weighted coefficient evaluation, computation of representative source term cases and weighted computation, five containment release categories are established, including containment bypass, containment isolation failure, containment early failure, containment late failure and intact containment

Realistic minimum accident source terms - Evaluation, application, and risk acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelo, P. L.

2009-01-01

The evaluation, application, and risk acceptance for realistic minimum accident source terms can represent a complex and arduous undertaking. This effort poses a very high impact to design, construction cost, operations and maintenance, and integrated safety over the expected facility lifetime. At the 2005 Nuclear Criticality Safety Division (NCSD) Meeting in Knoxville Tenn., two papers were presented mat summarized the Y-12 effort that reduced the number of criticality accident alarm system (CAAS) detectors originally designed for the new Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility (HEUMF) from 258 to an eventual as-built number of 60. Part of that effort relied on determining a realistic minimum accident source term specific to the facility. Since that time, the rationale for an alternate minimum accident has been strengthened by an evaluation process that incorporates realism. A recent update to the HEUMF CAAS technical basis highlights the concepts presented here. (authors)

Effect of source term composition on offsite doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karahalios, P.; Gardner, R.

1985-01-01

The development of new realistic accident source terms has identified the need to establish a basis for comparing the impact of such source terms. This paper attempts to develop a generalized basis of comparison by investigating contributions to offsite acute whole body doses from each group of radionuclides being released to the atmosphere, using CRAC2. The paper also investigates the effect of important parameters such as regional meteorology, sheltering, and duration of release. Finally, the paper focuses on significant changes in the relative importance of individual radionuclide groups in PWR2, SST1, and a revision of the Stone and Webster proposed interim source term

Design parameters and source terms: Volume 3, Source terms: Revision 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-09-01

The Design Parameters and Source Terms Document was prepared in accordance with DOE request and to provide data for the environmental impact study to be performed in the future for the Deaf Smith County, Texas site for a nuclear waste repository in salt. This document updates a previous unpublished report to the level of the Site Characterization Plan /endash/ Conceptual Design Report, SCP-CDR. The previous unpublished SCC Study identifies the data needs for the Environmental Assessment effort for seven possible salt repository sites

A comparison of world-wide uses of severe reactor accident source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ang, M.L.; Frid, W.; Kersting, E.J.; Friederichs, H.G.; Lee, R.Y.; Meyer-Heine, A.; Powers, D.A.; Soda, K.; Sweet, D.

1994-09-01

The definitions of source terms to reactor containments and source terms to the environment are discussed. A comparison is made between the TID-14844 example source term and the alternative source term described in NUREG-1465. Comparisons of these source terms to the containments and those used in France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are made. Source terms to the environment calculated in NUREG-1500 and WASH-1400 are discussed. Again, these source terms are compared to those now being used in France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It is concluded that source terms to the containment suggested in NUREG-1465 are not greatly more conservative than those used in other countries. Technical bases for the source terms are similar. The regulatory use of the current understanding of radionuclide behavior varies among countries

Source terms for airborne radioactivity arising from uranium mill wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Riordan, M.C.; Downing, A.L.

1978-01-01

One of the problems in assessing the radiological impact of uranium milling is to determine the rates of release to the air of material from the various sources of radioactivity. Such source terms are required for modelling the transport of radioactive material in the atmosphere. Activity arises from various point and area sources in the mill itself and from the mill tailings. The state of the tailings changes in time from slurry to solid. A layer of water may be maintained over the solids during the life of the mine, and the tailings may be covered with inert material on abandonment. Releases may be both gaseous and particulate. This paper indicates ways in which radon emanation and the suspension of long-lived particulate activity might be quantified, and areas requiring further exploration are identified

Quantification of severe accident source terms of a Westinghouse 3-loop plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee Min; Ko, Y.-C.

2008-01-01

Integrated severe accident analysis codes are used to quantify the source terms of the representative sequences identified in PSA study. The characteristics of these source terms depend on the detail design of the plant and the accident scenario. A historical perspective of radioactive source term is provided. The grouping of radionuclides in different source terms or source term quantification tools based on TID-14844, NUREG-1465, and WASH-1400 is compared. The radionuclides release phenomena and models adopted in the integrated severe accident analysis codes of STCP and MAAP4 are described. In the present study, the severe accident source terms for risk quantification of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant of Taiwan Power Company are quantified using MAAP 4.0.4 code. A methodology is developed to quantify the source terms of each source term category (STC) identified in the Level II PSA analysis of the plant. The characteristics of source terms obtained are compared with other source terms. The plant analyzed employs a Westinghouse designed 3-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) with large dry containment

Regulatory Technology Development Plan - Sodium Fast Reactor: Mechanistic Source Term – Trial Calculation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabaskas, David [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Bucknor, Matthew [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Jerden, James [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Brunett, Acacia J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Denman, Matthew [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Clark, Andrew [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Nuclear Engineering Division; Denning, Richard S. [Consultant, Columbus, OH (United States)

2016-10-01

The potential release of radioactive material during a plant incident, referred to as the source term, is a vital design metric and will be a major focus of advanced reactor licensing. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has stated an expectation for advanced reactor vendors to present a mechanistic assessment of the potential source term in their license applications. The mechanistic source term presents an opportunity for vendors to realistically assess the radiological consequences of an incident, and may allow reduced emergency planning zones and smaller plant sites. However, the development of a mechanistic source term for advanced reactors is not without challenges, as there are often numerous phenomena impacting the transportation and retention of radionuclides. This project sought to evaluate U.S. capabilities regarding the mechanistic assessment of radionuclide release from core damage incidents at metal fueled, pool-type sodium fast reactors (SFRs). The purpose of the analysis was to identify, and prioritize, any gaps regarding computational tools or data necessary for the modeling of radionuclide transport and retention phenomena. To accomplish this task, a parallel-path analysis approach was utilized. One path, led by Argonne and Sandia National Laboratories, sought to perform a mechanistic source term assessment using available codes, data, and models, with the goal to identify gaps in the current knowledge base. The second path, performed by an independent contractor, performed sensitivity analyses to determine the importance of particular radionuclides and transport phenomena in regards to offsite consequences. The results of the two pathways were combined to prioritize gaps in current capabilities.

Determination of source terms in a degenerate parabolic equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cannarsa, P; Tort, J; Yamamoto, M

2010-01-01

In this paper, we prove Lipschitz stability results for inverse source problems relative to parabolic equations. We use the method introduced by Imanuvilov and Yamamoto in 1998 based on Carleman estimates. What is new here is that we study a class of one-dimensional degenerate parabolic equations. In our model, the diffusion coefficient vanishes at one extreme point of the domain. Instead of the classical Carleman estimates obtained by Fursikov and Imanuvilov for non degenerate equations, we use and extend some recent Carleman estimates for degenerate equations obtained by Cannarsa, Martinez and Vancostenoble. Finally, we obtain Lipschitz stability results in inverse source problems for our class of degenerate parabolic equations both in the case of a boundary observation and in the case of a locally distributed observation

Estimation of Source Term Behaviors in SBO Sequence in a Typical 1000MWth PWR and Comparison with Other Source Term Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Tae Woon; Han, Seok Jung; Ahn, Kwang Il; Fynan, Douglas; Jung, Yong Hoon [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Since the Three Mile Island (TMI) (1979), Chernobyl (1986), Fukushima Daiichi (2011) accidents, the assessment of radiological source term effects on the environment has been a key concern of nuclear safety. In the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the long-term SBO (station blackout) accident occurs. Using the worst case assumptions like in Fukushima accident on the accident sequences and on the availability of safety systems, the thermal hydraulic behaviors, core relocation and environmental source terms behaviors are estimated for long-term SBO accident for OPR-1000 reactor. MELCOR code version 1.8.6 is used in this analysis. Source term results estimated in this study is compared with other previous studies and estimated results in Fukushima accidents in UNSCEAR-2013 report. This study estimated that 11 % of iodine can be released to environment and 2% of cesium can be released to environment. UNSCEAR-2013 report estimated that 2 - 8 % of iodine have been released to environment and 1 - 3 % of cesium have been released to the environment. They have similar results in the aspect of release fractions of iodine and cesium to environment.

Selection of models to calculate the LLW source term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, T.M.

1991-10-01

Performance assessment of a LLW disposal facility begins with an estimation of the rate at which radionuclides migrate out of the facility (i.e., the source term). The focus of this work is to develop a methodology for calculating the source term. In general, the source term is influenced by the radionuclide inventory, the wasteforms and containers used to dispose of the inventory, and the physical processes that lead to release from the facility (fluid flow, container degradation, wasteform leaching, and radionuclide transport). In turn, many of these physical processes are influenced by the design of the disposal facility (e.g., infiltration of water). The complexity of the problem and the absence of appropriate data prevent development of an entirely mechanistic representation of radionuclide release from a disposal facility. Typically, a number of assumptions, based on knowledge of the disposal system, are used to simplify the problem. This document provides a brief overview of disposal practices and reviews existing source term models as background for selecting appropriate models for estimating the source term. The selection rationale and the mathematical details of the models are presented. Finally, guidance is presented for combining the inventory data with appropriate mechanisms describing release from the disposal facility. 44 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

Utility view of the source term and air cleaning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Littlefield, P.S.

1985-01-01

The utility view of the source term and air cleaning is discussed. The source term is made up of: (1) noble gases, which there has been a tendency to ignore in the past because it was thought there was nothing that could be done with them anyway, (2) the halogens, which have been dealt with in Air Cleaning Conferences in the past in terms of charcoal and other systems for removing them, and (3) the solid components of the source term which particulate filters are designed to handle. Air cleaning systems consist of filters, adsorbers, containment sprays, suppression pools in boiling water reactors and ice beds in ice condenser-equipped plants. The feasibility and cost of air cleaning systems are discussed

Literature study of source term research for PWRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sponton, L.L.; NiIsson, Lars

2001-04-01

A literature survey has been carried out in support of ongoing source term calculations with the MELCOR code of some severe accident scenarios for the Swedish Ringhals 2 pressurised water reactor (PWR). The research in the field of severe accidents in power reactors and the source term for subsequent release of radioisotopes was intensified after the Harrisburg accident and has produced a large amount of reports and papers. This survey was therefore limited to research concerning PWR type of reactors and with emphasis on papers related to MELCOR code development. A background is given, relating to some historic documents, and then more recent research after 1990 is reviewed. Of special interest is the ongoing PMbus-programme which is creating new and important results of benefit to the code development and validation of, among others, the MELCOR code. It is concluded that source term calculations involve simulation of many interacting complex physical phenomena, which result in large uncertainties The research has, however, over the years led to considerable improvements Thus has the uncertainty in source term predictions been reduced one to two orders of magnitude from the simpler codes in the early 1980-s to the more realistic codes of today, like MELCOR.

Literature study of source term research for PWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sponton, L.L.; NiIsson, Lars

2001-04-01

A literature survey has been carried out in support of ongoing source term calculations with the MELCOR code of some severe accident scenarios for the Swedish Ringhals 2 pressurised water reactor (PWR). The research in the field of severe accidents in power reactors and the source term for subsequent release of radioisotopes was intensified after the Harrisburg accident and has produced a large amount of reports and papers. This survey was therefore limited to research concerning PWR type of reactors and with emphasis on papers related to MELCOR code development. A background is given, relating to some historic documents, and then more recent research after 1990 is reviewed. Of special interest is the ongoing PMbus-programme which is creating new and important results of benefit to the code development and validation of, among others, the MELCOR code. It is concluded that source term calculations involve simulation of many interacting complex physical phenomena, which result in large uncertainties The research has, however, over the years led to considerable improvements Thus has the uncertainty in source term predictions been reduced one to two orders of magnitude from the simpler codes in the early 1980-s to the more realistic codes of today, like MELCOR

Reassessment of the technical bases for estimating source terms. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silberberg, M.; Mitchell, J.A.; Meyer, R.O.; Ryder, C.P.

1986-07-01

This document describes a major advance in the technology for calculating source terms from postulated accidents at US light-water reactors. The improved technology consists of (1) an extensive data base from severe accident research programs initiated following the TMI accident, (2) a set of coupled and integrated computer codes (the Source Term Code Package), which models key aspects of fission product behavior under severe accident conditions, and (3) a number of detailed mechanistic codes that bridge the gap between the data base and the Source Term Code Package. The improved understanding of severe accident phenonmena has also allowed an identification of significant sources of uncertainty, which should be considered in estimating source terms. These sources of uncertainty are also described in this document. The current technology provides a significant improvement in evaluating source terms over that available at the time of the Reactor Safety Study (WASH-1400) and, because of this significance, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is recommending its use

Regulatory impact of nuclear reactor accident source term assumptions. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasedag, W.F.; Blond, R.M.; Jankowski, M.W.

1981-06-01

This report addresses the reactor accident source term implications on accident evaluations, regulations and regulatory requirements, engineered safety features, emergency planning, probabilistic risk assessment, and licensing practice. Assessment of the impact of source term modifications and evaluation of the effects in Design Basis Accident analyses, assuming a change of the chemical form of iodine from elemental to cesium iodide, has been provided. Engineered safety features used in current LWR designs are found to be effective for all postulated combinations of iodine source terms under DBA conditions. In terms of potential accident consequences, it is not expected that the difference in chemical form between elemental iodine and cesium iodide would be significant. In order to account for the current information on source terms, a spectrum of accident scenerios is discussed to realistically estimate the source terms resulting from a range of potential accident conditions

Determination of the in-containment source term for a Large-Break Loss of Coolant Accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-04-01

This is the report of a project that focused on one of the most important design basis accidents: the Large Break Loss Of Coolant Accident (LBLOCA) (for pressurised water reactors). The first step in the calculation of the radiological consequences of this accident is the determination of the source term inside the containment. This work deals with this part of the calculation of the LBLOCA radiological consequences for which a previous benchmark (1988) has shown wide variations in the licensing practices adopted by European countries. The calculation of this source term may naturally be split in several steps (see chapter II), corresponding to several physical stages in the release of fission products: fraction of core failure, release from the damaged fuel, airborne part of the release and the release into the reactor coolant system and the sumps, chemical behaviour of iodine in the aqueous and gas phases, natural and spray removal in the containment atmosphere. A chapter is devoted to each of these topics. In addition, two other chapters deal with the basic assumptions to define the accidental sequence and the nuclides to be considered when computing doses associated with the LBLOCA. The report describes where there is agreement between the partner organisations and where there are still differences in approach. For example, there is agreement concerning the percentage of failed fuel which could be used in future licensing assessments (however this subject is still under discussion in France, a lower value is thinkable). For existing plants, AVN (Belgium) wishes to keep the initial licensing assumptions. For the release from damaged fuel, there is not complete agreement: AVN (Belgium) wishes to maintain its present approach. IPSN (France), GRS (Germany) and NNC (UK) prefer to use their own methodologies that result in slightly different values to the proposed values for a common position. There are presently no recommendations of the release of fuel particulates

Preliminary investigation of processes that affect source term identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wickliff, D.S.; Solomon, D.K.; Farrow, N.D.

1991-09-01

Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 5 is known to be a significant source of contaminants, especially tritium ( 3 H), to the White Oak Creek (WOC) watershed. For example, Solomon et al. (1991) estimated the total 3 H discharge in Melton Branch (most of which originates in SWSA 5) for the 1988 water year to be 1210 Ci. A critical issue for making decisions concerning remedial actions at SWSA 5 is knowing whether the annual contaminant discharge is increasing or decreasing. Because (1) the magnitude of the annual contaminant discharge is highly correlated to the amount of annual precipitation (Solomon et al., 1991) and (2) a significant lag may exist between the time of peak contaminant release from primary sources (i.e., waste trenches) and the time of peak discharge into streams, short-term stream monitoring by itself is not sufficient for predicting future contaminant discharges. In this study we use 3 H to examine the link between contaminant release from primary waste sources and contaminant discharge into streams. By understanding and quantifying subsurface transport processes, realistic predictions of future contaminant discharge, along with an evaluation of the effectiveness of remedial action alternatives, will be possible. The objectives of this study are (1) to characterize the subsurface movement of contaminants (primarily 3 H) with an emphasis on the effects of matrix diffusion; (2) to determine the relative strength of primary vs secondary sources; and (3) to establish a methodology capable of determining whether the 3 H discharge from SWSA 5 to streams is increasing or decreasing

Hazardous constituent source term. Revision 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has several facilities that either generate and/or store transuranic (TRU)-waste from weapons program research and production. Much of this waste also contains hazardous waste constituents as regulated under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Toxicity characteristic metals in the waste principally include lead, occurring in leaded rubber gloves and shielding. Other RCRA metals may occur as contaminants in pyrochemical salt, soil, debris, and sludge and solidified liquids, as well as in equipment resulting from decontamination and decommissioning activities. Volatile organic compounds (VOCS) contaminate many waste forms as a residue adsorbed on surfaces or occur in sludge and solidified liquids. Due to the presence of these hazardous constituents, applicable disposal regulations include land disposal restrictions established by Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA). The DOE plans to dispose of TRU-mixed waste from the weapons program in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) by demonstrating no-migration of hazardous constituents. This paper documents the current technical basis for methodologies proposed to develop a post-closure RCRA hazardous constituent source term. For the purposes of demonstrating no-migration, the hazardous constituent source term is defined as the quantities of hazardous constituents that are available for transport after repository closure. Development of the source term is only one of several activities that will be involved in the no-migration demonstration. The demonstration will also include uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of contaminant transport

Application of the source term code package to obtain a specific source term for the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souto, F.J.

1991-06-01

The main objective of the project was to use the Source Term Code Package (STCP) to obtain a specific source term for those accident sequences deemed dominant as a result of probabilistic safety analyses (PSA) for the Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant (CNLV). The following programme has been carried out to meet this objective: (a) implementation of the STCP, (b) acquisition of specific data for CNLV to execute the STCP, and (c) calculations of specific source terms for accident sequences at CNLV. The STCP has been implemented and validated on CDC 170/815 and CDC 180/860 main frames as well as on a Micro VAX 3800 system. In order to get a plant-specific source term, data on the CNLV including initial core inventory, burn-up, primary containment structures, and materials used for the calculations have been obtained. Because STCP does not explicitly model containment failure, dry well failure in the form of a catastrophic rupture has been assumed. One of the most significant sequences from the point of view of possible off-site risk is the loss of off-site power with failure of the diesel generators and simultaneous loss of high pressure core spray and reactor core isolation cooling systems. The probability for that event is approximately 4.5 x 10 -6 . This sequence has been analysed in detail and the release fractions of radioisotope groups are given in the full report. 18 refs, 4 figs, 3 tabs

Source Term Model for Fine Particle Resuspension from Indoor Surfaces

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kim, Yoojeong; Gidwani, Ashok; Sippola, Mark; Sohn, Chang W

2008-01-01

This Phase I effort developed a source term model for particle resuspension from indoor surfaces to be used as a source term boundary condition for CFD simulation of particle transport and dispersion in a building...

MIT/OSO 7 catalog of x-ray sources: intensities, spectra, and long-term variability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markert, T.H.; Winkler, P.F.; Laird, F.N.; Clark, G.W.; Hearn, D.R.; Sprott, G.F.; Li, F.K.; Bradt, H.V.; Lewin, W.H.G.; Schnopper, H.W.

1979-01-01

This paper is a summary of the observations of the cosmic X-ray sky performed by the MIT 1--40 KeV X-ray detectors on the OSO 7 between 1971 October and 1973 May. Specifically, we have computed the mean intensities or upper limits of all third Uhuru or OSO 7 cataloged sources (185 sources) in the 3--10 KeV range. For those sources for which a statistically significant (>20) intensity was found in the 3--10 KeV band (138 sources), further intensity determinations were made in the 1--15 KeV, 1--6 KeV, and 15--40 KeV energy bands. We have provided graphs and other simple techniques to aid the user in converting the observed counting rates to convenient units and in determining spectral parameters. Finally, we have plotted long-term light curves (counting rates in one or more energy bands as a function of time) for 86 of the brighter sources

Scoping Analysis of Source Term and Functional Containment Attenuation Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pete Lowry

2012-10-01

In order to meet future regulatory requirements, the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project must fully establish and validate the mechanistic modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) source term. This is not possible at this stage in the project, as significant uncertainties in the final design remain unresolved. In the interim, however, there is a need to establish an approximate characterization of the source term. The NGNP team developed a simplified parametric model to establish mechanistic source term estimates for a set of proposed HTGR configurations.

Scoping Analysis of Source Term and Functional Containment Attenuation Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pete Lowry

2012-02-01

In order to meet future regulatory requirements, the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project must fully establish and validate the mechanistic modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) source term. This is not possible at this stage in the project, as significant uncertainties in the final design remain unresolved. In the interim, however, there is a need to establish an approximate characterization of the source term. The NGNP team developed a simplified parametric model to establish mechanistic source term estimates for a set of proposed HTGR configurations.

Scoping Analysis of Source Term and Functional Containment Attenuation Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pete Lowry

2012-01-01

In order to meet future regulatory requirements, the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project must fully establish and validate the mechanistic modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) source term. This is not possible at this stage in the project, as significant uncertainties in the final design remain unresolved. In the interim, however, there is a need to establish an approximate characterization of the source term. The NGNP team developed a simplified parametric model to establish mechanistic source term estimates for a set of proposed HTGR configurations.

Evaluation of short- and long-term fission product sources at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Shunsuke; Naitoh, Masanori; Suzuki, Hiroaki; Okada, Hidetoshi; Pellegrini, Marco; Achilli, Andrea; Hanamoto, Yukio; Sasaki, Hiroaki

2014-01-01

Research on fission product (FP) behaviors used to be one of the most important subjects in water chemistry but it is not done nowadays as a consequence of the increased integrity of nuclear fuels and the minimization of FP release into the environment. Evaluation of FP release into the environment is still one of the key issues for severe accident analysis, though. Although there have been a long quiet period in nuclear safety research, how to detect initiation of severe accidents, how to prevent them and how to mitigate them are still important subjects for nuclear engineering, and how to control the severe accidents after their occurrence, especially how to control FP release into the environment, has seldom been discussed in the water chemistry group recently. The paper is intended to address the issue of fewer activities for FP studies. FP sources are divided into two categories, short- and long-term FP sources. Short-term FP source can be evaluated based on the measured data obtained from monitoring posts (MPs), which give us clear evidence on the importance of radioactive iodine and cesium releases into the environment. It used to be considered that during primary containment vessel (PCV) venting, release of each element, e.g., iodine and cesium, was determined by the suppression pool scrubbing efficiency and most of the cesium would likely be removed in the pool due to its large scrubbing efficiency. But as a result of analyzing the MP data at early stage of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) accident, it was confirmed that the releases of both elements were in proportion to their inventories in the reactors and their scrubbing efficiencies were almost the same. The scrubbing efficiency which increased with the pool water temperature became almost the same for iodine and cesium around the pool water boiling temperature. As a result of the mass balance analysis for FPs in the contaminated water accumulated in the Fukushima Daiichi plant site, it

Calculation of the isotope concentrations, source terms and radiation shielding of the SAFARI-1 irradiation products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoker, C.C.; Ball, G.

2000-01-01

The ever increasing expansion of the irradiation product portfolio of the SAFARI-1 reactor leads to the need to routinely calculate the radio-isotope concentrations and source terms for the materials irradiated in the reactor accurately. In addition to this, the required shielding for the transportation and processing of these irradiation products needs to be determined. In this paper the calculational methodology applied is described with special attention given to the spectrum dependence of the one-group cross sections of selected SAFARI-1 irradiation materials and the consequent effect on the determination of the isotope concentrations and source terms. Comparisons of the calculated isotopic concentrations and dose rates with experimental analysis and measurements provide confidence in the calculational methodologies and data used. (author)

Review of radionuclide source terms used for performance-assessment analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnard, R.W.

1993-06-01

Two aspects of the radionuclide source terms used for total-system performance assessment (TSPA) analyses have been reviewed. First, a detailed radionuclide inventory (i.e., one in which the reactor type, decay, and burnup are specified) is compared with the standard source-term inventory used in prior analyses. The latter assumes a fixed ratio of pressurized-water reactor (PWR) to boiling-water reactor (BWR) spent fuel, at specific amounts of burnup and at 10-year decay. TSPA analyses have been used to compare the simplified source term with the detailed one. The TSPA-91 analyses did not show a significant difference between the source terms. Second, the radionuclides used in source terms for TSPA aqueous-transport analyses have been reviewed to select ones that are representative of the entire inventory. It is recommended that two actinide decay chains be included (the 4n+2 ''uranium'' and 4n+3 ''actinium'' decay series), since these include several radionuclides that have potentially important release and dose characteristics. In addition, several fission products are recommended for the same reason. The choice of radionuclides should be influenced by other parameter assumptions, such as the solubility and retardation of the radionuclides

Actinide Source Term Program, position paper. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novak, C.F.; Papenguth, H.W.; Crafts, C.C.; Dhooge, N.J.

1994-01-01

The Actinide Source Term represents the quantity of actinides that could be mobilized within WIPP brines and could migrate with the brines away from the disposal room vicinity. This document presents the various proposed methods for estimating this source term, with a particular focus on defining these methods and evaluating the defensibility of the models for mobile actinide concentrations. The conclusions reached in this document are: the 92 PA open-quotes expert panelclose quotes model for mobile actinide concentrations is not defensible; and, although it is extremely conservative, the open-quotes inventory limitsclose quotes model is the only existing defensible model for the actinide source term. The model effort in progress, open-quotes chemical modeling of mobile actinide concentrationsclose quotes, supported by a laboratory effort that is also in progress, is designed to provide a reasonable description of the system and be scientifically realistic and supplant the open-quotes Inventory limitsclose quotes model

Development of source term PIRT of Fukushima Daiichi NPPs accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suehiro, S.; Okamoto, K.

2017-01-01

The severe accident evaluation committee of AESJ (Atomic Energy Society of Japan) developed the thermal hydraulic PIRT (Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table) and the source term PIRT based on findings during the Fukushima Daiichi NPPs accident. These PIRTs aimed to explore the debris distribution and the current condition in the NPPs with high accuracy and to extract higher priority from the aspect of the sophistication of the analytical technology to predict the severe accident phenomena by the code. The source term PIRT was divided into 3 phases for the time domain and 9 categories for the spatial domain. The 68 phenomena were extracted and the importance from viewpoint of the source term was ranked through brainstorming and discussion. This paper describes the developed source term PIRT list and summarized the high ranked phenomena in each phase. (author)

The latest results from source term research. Overview and outlook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herranz, Luis E. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medio Ambientales y Tecnologica (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain); Haste, Tim [Centre d' Etudes de Cadarache, Paul-Lez-Durance (France). Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN); Kaerkelae, Teemu [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo (Finland)

2016-12-15

Source term research has continued internationally for more than 30 years, increasing confidence in calculations of the potential radioactive release to the environment after a severe reactor accident. Important experimental data have been obtained, mainly under international frameworks such as OECD/NEA and EURATOM. Specifically, Phebus FP provides major insights into fission product release and transport. Results are included in severe accident analysis codes. Data from international projects are being interpreted with a view to further improvements in these codes. This paper synthesizes the recent main outcomes from source term research on these topics, and on source term mitigation. It highlights knowledge gaps remaining and discusses ways to proceed. Aside from this further knowledge-driven research, there is consensus on the need to assess the source term predictive ability of current system codes, taking account of scale-up from experiment to reactor conditions.

Source terms derived from analyses of hypothetical accidents, 1950-1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stratton, W.R.

1987-01-01

This paper reviews the history of reactor accident source term assumptions. After the Three Mile Island accident, a number of theoretical and experimental studies re-examined possible accident sequences and source terms. Some of these results are summarized in this paper

Spent fuel assembly source term parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrett, P.R.; Foadian, H.; Rashid, Y.R.; Seager, K.D.; Gianoulakis, S.E.

1993-01-01

Containment of cask contents by a transport cask is a function of the cask body, one or more closure lids, and various bolting hardware, and seals associated with the cavity closure and other containment penetrations. In addition, characteristics of cask contents that impede the ability of radionuclides to move from an origin to the external environment also provide containment. In essence, multiple release barriers exist in series in transport casks, and the magnitude of the releasable activity in the cask is considerably lower than the total activity of its contents. A source term approach accounts for the magnitude of the releasable activity available in the cask by assessing the degree of barrier resistance to release provided by material characteristics and inherent barriers that impede the release of radioactive contents. Standardized methodologies for defining the spent-fuel transport packages with specified regulations have recently been developed. An essential part of applying the source term methodology involves characterizing the response of the spent fuel under regulatory conditions of transport. Thermal and structural models of the cask and fuel are analyzed and used to predict fuel rod failure probabilities. Input to these analyses and failure evaluations cover a wide range of geometrical and material properties. An important issue in the development of these models is the sensitivity of the radioactive source term generated during transport to individual parameters such as temperature and fluence level. This paper provides a summary of sensitivity analyses concentrating on the structural response and failure predictions of the spent fuel assemblies

Modelling and simulation the radioactive source-term of fission products in PWR type reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porfirio, Rogilson Nazare da Silva

1996-01-01

The source-term was defined with the purpose the quantify all radioactive nuclides released the nuclear reactor in the case of accidents. Nowadays the source-term is limited to the coolant of the primary circuit of reactors and may be measured or modelled with computer coders such as the TFP developed in this work. The calculational process is based on the linear chain techniques used in the CINDER-2 code. The TFP code considers forms of fission products release from the fuel pellet: Recoil, Knockout and Migration. The release from the gap to the coolant fluid is determined from the ratio between activity measured in the coolant and calculated activity in the gap. Considered the operational data of SURRY-1 reactor, the TFP code was run to obtain the source=term of this reactor. From the measured activities it was verified the reliability level of the model and the employed computational logic. The accuracy of the calculated quantities were compared to the measured data was considered satisfactory. (author)

Proposal for implementation of alternative source term in the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazan L, A.; Lopez L, M.; Vargas A, A.; Cardenas J, J. B.

2009-10-01

In 2010 the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde will implement the extended power upbeat in both units of the plant. Agree with methodology of NEDC-33004P-A, (constant pressure power up rate), and the source term of core, for accidents evaluations, were increased in proportion to the ratio of power level. This means that for the case of a design basis accident of loss of coolant an increase of power of 15% originated an increase of 15% in dose to main control room. Using the method of NEDC-33004P-A to extended power upbeat conditions was determined that the dose value to main control room is very near to regulatory limit established by SRP 6.4. By the above and in order to recover the margin, the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde will calculate an alternative source term following the criteria established in RG 1.183 (alternative radiological source term for evaluating DBA at nuclear power reactor). This approach also have a more realistic dose value using the criterion of 10-CFR-50.67, in addition is predicted to get the benefit of additional operational flexibilities. This paper present the proposal of implementing the alternative source term in Laguna Verde. (Author)

Spallation Neutron Source Accident Terms for Environmental Impact Statement Input

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Devore, J.R.; Harrington, R.M.

1998-08-01

This report is about accidents with the potential to release radioactive materials into the environment surrounding the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). As shown in Chap. 2, the inventories of radioactivity at the SNS are dominated by the target facility. Source terms for a wide range of target facility accidents, from anticipated events to worst-case beyond-design-basis events, are provided in Chaps. 3 and 4. The most important criterion applied to these accident source terms is that they should not underestimate potential release. Therefore, conservative methodology was employed for the release estimates. Although the source terms are very conservative, excessive conservatism has been avoided by basing the releases on physical principles. Since it is envisioned that the SNS facility may eventually (after about 10 years) be expanded and modified to support a 4-MW proton beam operational capability, the source terms estimated in this report are applicable to a 4-MW operating proton beam power unless otherwise specified. This is bounding with regard to the 1-MW facility that will be built and operated initially. See further discussion below in Sect. 1.2.

Long-term program up to fiscal 1993 of electric power source development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakami, Shin-ichi

1984-01-01

The long-term, ten years, program up to fiscal 1993 of electric power source development, determined by the Government aims at stable power supply and the expansion of utilization of petroleum-substitute energy. The annual growth in the gross national product (GNP) during the ten years was taken as about 4 %. So, the total electric power demand in fiscal 1993 is scheduled to be 731,000 million kwh, about 34 % up from 547,000 million kwh in fiscal 1983. The structure of electric power sources at the end of fiscal 1993 will be hydraulic 19.7 %, thermal 58.3 %, and nuclear 21.9 %. The development of electric power sources to be initiated in fiscal 1984 is hydraulic 500 MW, thermal 2,000 MW, and nuclear 6,000 MW. (Mori, K.)

Source term estimation during incident response to severe nuclear power plant accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenna, T.J.; Glitter, J.G.

1988-10-01

This document presents a method of source term estimation that reflects the current understanding of source term behavior and that can be used during an event. The various methods of estimating radionuclide release to the environment (source terms) as a result of an accident at a nuclear power reactor are discussed. The major factors affecting potential radionuclide releases off site (source terms) as a result of nuclear power plant accidents are described. The quantification of these factors based on plant instrumentation also is discussed. A range of accident conditions from those within the design basis to the most severe accidents possible are included in the text. A method of gross estimation of accident source terms and their consequences off site is presented. 39 refs., 48 figs., 19 tabs

The MIT/OSO 7 catalog of X-ray sources - Intensities, spectra, and long-term variability

Science.gov (United States)

Markert, T. H.; Laird, F. N.; Clark, G. W.; Hearn, D. R.; Sprott, G. F.; Li, F. K.; Bradt, H. V.; Lewin, W. H. G.; Schnopper, H. W.; Winkler, P. F.

1979-01-01

This paper is a summary of the observations of the cosmic X-ray sky performed by the MIT 1-40-keV X-ray detectors on OSO 7 between October 1971 and May 1973. Specifically, mean intensities or upper limits of all third Uhuru or OSO 7 cataloged sources (185 sources) in the 3-10-keV range are computed. For those sources for which a statistically significant (greater than 20) intensity was found in the 3-10-keV band (138 sources), further intensity determinations were made in the 1-15-keV, 1-6-keV, and 15-40-keV energy bands. Graphs and other simple techniques are provided to aid the user in converting the observed counting rates to convenient units and in determining spectral parameters. Long-term light curves (counting rates in one or more energy bands as a function of time) are plotted for 86 of the brighter sources.

Use of source term uncoupled in radionuclide migration equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silveira, Claudia Siqueira da; Lima, Zelmo Rodrigues de; Alvim, Antonio Carlos Marques

2008-01-01

Final repositories of high-level radioactive waste have been considered in deep, low permeability and stable geological formations. A common problem found is the migration modeling of radionuclides in a fractured rock. In this work, the physical system adopted consists of the rock matrix containing a single planar fracture situated in water saturated porous rock. The partial differential equations that describe the radionuclide transport were discretized using finite differences techniques, of which the following methods were adopted: Explicit Euler, Implicit Euler and Crank-Nicholson. For each one of these methods, the advective term was discretized with the following numerical schemes: backward differences, centered differences and forward differences. We make a comparison to determine which temporal and space discretization has the best result in relation to a reference solution. The obtained results show that the Explicit Euler Method with forward discretization in the advective term has a good accuracy. Next, with the objective of improving the answer of the Implicit Euler and Crank-Nicholson Methods it was accomplished a source term uncouplement, the diffusive flux. The obtained results were considered satisfactory by comparison with previous studies. (author)

Evaluation of Long-term Performance of Enhanced Anaerobic Source Zone Bioremediation using mass flux

Science.gov (United States)

Haluska, A.; Cho, J.; Hatzinger, P.; Annable, M. D.

2017-12-01

Chlorinated ethene DNAPL source zones in groundwater act as potential long term sources of contamination as they dissolve yielding concentrations well above MCLs, posing an on-going public health risk. Enhanced bioremediation has been applied to treat many source zones with significant promise, but long-term sustainability of this technology has not been thoroughly assessed. This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of enhanced anaerobic source zone bioremediation at chloroethene contaminated sites to determine if the treatment prevented contaminant rebound and removed NAPL from the source zone. Long-term performance was evaluated based on achieving MCL-based contaminant mass fluxes in parent compound concentrations during different monitoring periods. Groundwater concertation versus time data was compiled for 6-sites and post-remedial contaminant mass flux data was then measured using passive flux meters at wells both within and down-gradient of the source zone. Post-remedial mass flux data was then combined with pre-remedial water quality data to estimate pre-remedial mass flux. This information was used to characterize a DNAPL dissolution source strength function, such as the Power Law Model and the Equilibrium Stream tube model. The six-sites characterized for this study were (1) Former Charleston Air Force Base, Charleston, SC; (2) Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE; (3) Treasure Island Naval Station, San Francisco, CA; (4) Former Raritan Arsenal, Edison, NJ; (5) Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, FL; and, (6) Former Naval Air Station, Alameda, CA. Contaminant mass fluxes decreased for all the sites by the end of the post-treatment monitoring period and rebound was limited within the source zone. Post remedial source strength function estimates suggest that decreases in contaminant mass flux will continue to occur at these sites, but a mass flux based on MCL levels may never be exceeded. Thus, site clean-up goals should be evaluated as order

Review of the status of validation of the computer codes used in the severe accident source term reassessment study (BMI-2104)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kress, T.S.

1985-04-01

The determination of severe accident source terms must, by necessity it seems, rely heavily on the use of complex computer codes. Source term acceptability, therefore, rests on the assessed validity of such codes. Consequently, one element of NRC's recent efforts to reassess LWR severe accident source terms is to provide a review of the status of validation of the computer codes used in the reassessment. The results of this review is the subject of this document. The separate review documents compiled in this report were used as a resource along with the results of the BMI-2104 study by BCL and the QUEST study by SNL to arrive at a more-or-less independent appraisal of the status of source term modeling at this time

Evolution of source term definition and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutz, R.J. Jr.

2004-01-01

The objective of this presentation was to provide an overview of the evolution of accident fission product release analysis methodology and the obtained results; and to provide an overview of the source term implementation analysis in regulatory decisions

Source term estimation during incident response to severe nuclear power plant accidents. Draft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKenna, T J; Giitter, J

1987-07-01

The various methods of estimating radionuclide release to the environment (source terms) as a result of an accident at a nuclear power reactor are discussed. The major factors affecting potential radionuclide releases off site (source terms) as a result of nuclear power plant accidents are described. The quantification of these factors based on plant instrumentation also is discussed. A range of accident conditions from those within the design basis to the most severe accidents possible are included in the text. A method of gross estimation of accident source terms and their consequences off site is presented. The goal is to present a method of source term estimation that reflects the current understanding of source term behavior and that can be used during an event. (author)

Source term estimation during incident response to severe nuclear power plant accidents. Draft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenna, T.J.; Giitter, J.

1987-01-01

The various methods of estimating radionuclide release to the environment (source terms) as a result of an accident at a nuclear power reactor are discussed. The major factors affecting potential radionuclide releases off site (source terms) as a result of nuclear power plant accidents are described. The quantification of these factors based on plant instrumentation also is discussed. A range of accident conditions from those within the design basis to the most severe accidents possible are included in the text. A method of gross estimation of accident source terms and their consequences off site is presented. The goal is to present a method of source term estimation that reflects the current understanding of source term behavior and that can be used during an event. (author)

Accident source terms for boiling water reactors with high burnup cores.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gauntt, Randall O.; Powers, Dana Auburn; Leonard, Mark Thomas

2007-11-01

The primary objective of this report is to provide the technical basis for development of recommendations for updates to the NUREG-1465 Source Term for BWRs that will extend its applicability to accidents involving high burnup (HBU) cores. However, a secondary objective is to re-examine the fundamental characteristics of the prescription for fission product release to containment described by NUREG-1465. This secondary objective is motivated by an interest to understand the extent to which research into the release and behaviors of radionuclides under accident conditions has altered best-estimate calculations of the integral response of BWRs to severe core damage sequences and the resulting radiological source terms to containment. This report, therefore, documents specific results of fission product source term analyses that will form the basis for the HBU supplement to NUREG-1465. However, commentary is also provided on observed differences between the composite results of the source term calculations performed here and those reflected NUREG-1465 itself.

Selective application of revised source terms to operating nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Joo Hyun; Song, Jae Hyuk; Lee, Young Wook; Ko, Hyun Seok; Kang, Chang Sun

2001-01-01

More than 30 years later since 1962 when TID-14844 was promulgated, there has been big change of the US NRC's regulatory position in using accident source terms for radiological assessment following a design basis accident (DBA). To replace the instantaneous source terms of TID-14844, the time-dependent source terms of NUREG-1465 was published in 1995. In the meantime, the radiological acceptance criteria for reactor site evaluation in 10 CFR Part 100 were also revised. In particular, the concept of total effective dose equivalent has been incorporated in accordance with the radiation protection standards set forth in revised 10 CFR Part 20. Subsequently, the publication of Regulatory Guide 1.183 and the revision of Standard Review Plan 15.0.1 followed in 2000, which provided the licensee of operating nuclear power reactor with the acceptable guidance of applying the revised source term. The guidance allowed the holder of an operating license issued prior to January 10, 1997 to voluntarily revise the accident source terms used in the radiological consequence analyses of DBA. Regarding to its type of application, there suggested full and selective applications, Whether it is full or selective, based upon the scope and nature of associated plant modifications being proposed, the actual application of the revised source terms to an operating plant is expected to give a large impact on its facility design basis. Considering scope and cost of the analyses required for licensing, selective application is seemed to be more appealing to an licensee of the operating plant rather than full application. In this paper, hence, the selective application methodology is reviewed and is actally applied to the assessment of offsite radiological consequence following a LOCA at Ulchin Unit 3 and 4, in order to identify and analyze the potential impacts due to application of revised source terms and to assess the considerations taken in each application prior to its actual

Source term analysis for a criticality accident in metal production line glove boxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, D.H.

1991-06-01

A recent development in criticality accident analysis is the deterministic calculations of the transport of fission products and actinides through the barriers of the physical facility. The knowledge of the redistribution of the materials inside the facility will help determine the reentry and clean-up procedures. The amount of radioactive materials released to the environment is the source term for dispersion calculations. We have used an integrated computer model to determine the release of fission products to the environment from a hypothetical criticality event in a glove box of the metal production line (MPL) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

Directional Unfolded Source Term (DUST) for Compton Cameras.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, Dean J.; Mitchell, Dean J.; Horne, Steven M.; O' Brien, Sean; Thoreson, Gregory G

2018-03-01

A Directional Unfolded Source Term (DUST) algorithm was developed to enable improved spectral analysis capabilities using data collected by Compton cameras. Achieving this objective required modification of the detector response function in the Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS). Experimental data that were collected in support of this work include measurements of calibration sources at a range of separation distances and cylindrical depleted uranium castings.

Development of source term evaluation method for Korean Next Generation Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Keon Jae; Cheong, Jae Hak; Park, Jin Baek; Kim, Guk Gee [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-10-15

This project had investigate several design features of radioactive waste processing system and method to predict nuclide concentration at primary coolant basic concept of next generation reactor and safety goals at the former phase. In this project several prediction methods of source term are evaluated conglomerately and detailed contents of this project are : model evaluation of nuclide concentration at Reactor Coolant System, evaluation of primary and secondary coolant concentration of reference Nuclear Power Plant(NPP), investigation of prediction parameter of source term evaluation, basic parameter of PWR, operational parameter, respectively, radionuclide removal system and adjustment values of reference NPP, suggestion of source term prediction method of next generation NPP.

Severe accident source term reassessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazzan, M.J.; Gardner, R.; Warman, E.A.; Jacobs, S.B.

1987-01-01

This paper summarizes the status of the reassessment of severe reactor accident source terms, which are defined as the quantity, type, and timing of fission product releases from such accidents. Concentration is on the major results and conclusions of analyses with modern methods for both pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs), and the special case of containment bypass. Some distinctions are drawn between analyses for PWRs and BWRs. In general, the more the matter is examined, the consequences, or probability of serious consequences, seem to be less. (author)

Source term estimation via monitoring data and its implementation to the RODOS system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohunova, J.; Duranova, T.

2000-01-01

A methodology and computer code for interpretation of environmental data, i.e. source term assessment, from on-line environmental monitoring network was developed. The method is based on the conversion of measured dose rates to the source term, i.e. airborne radioactivity release rate, taking into account real meteorological data and location of the monitoring points. The bootstrap estimation methodology and bipivot method to estimate the source term from on-site gamma dose rate monitors is used. The mentioned methods provide an estimate of the mean value of the source term and a confidence interval for it. (author)

Source term estimation for small sized HTRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moormann, R.

1992-08-01

Accidents which have to be considered are core heat-up, reactivity transients, water of air ingress and primary circuit depressurization. The main effort of this paper belongs to water/air ingress and depressurization, which requires consideration of fission product plateout under normal operation conditions; for the latter it is clearly shown, that absorption (penetration) mechanisms are much less important than assumed sometimes in the past. Source term estimation procedures for core heat-up events are shortly reviewed; reactivity transients are apparently covered by them. Besides a general literature survey including identification of areas with insufficient knowledge this paper contains some estimations on the thermomechanical behaviour of fission products in water in air ingress accidents. Typical source term examples are also presented. In an appendix, evaluations of the AVR experiments VAMPYR-I and -II with respect to plateout and fission product filter efficiency are outlined and used for a validation step of the new plateout code SPATRA. (orig.)

Using Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) modelling for Rapid Source Term Prediction. RASTEP Phase 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knochenhauer, M.; Swaling, V.H.; Alfheim, P.

2012-09-01

The project is connected to the development of RASTEP, a computerized source term prediction tool aimed at providing a basis for improving off-site emergency management. RASTEP uses Bayesian belief networks (BBN) to model severe accident progression in a nuclear power plant in combination with pre-calculated source terms (i.e., amount, timing, and pathway of released radio-nuclides). The output is a set of possible source terms with associated probabilities. In the NKS project, a number of complex issues associated with the integration of probabilistic and deterministic analyses are addressed. This includes issues related to the method for estimating source terms, signal validation, and sensitivity analysis. One major task within Phase 1 of the project addressed the problem of how to make the source term module flexible enough to give reliable and valid output throughout the accident scenario. Of the alternatives evaluated, it is recommended that RASTEP is connected to a fast running source term prediction code, e.g., MARS, with a possibility of updating source terms based on real-time observations. (Author)

Using Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) modelling for Rapid Source Term Prediction. RASTEP Phase 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knochenhauer, M.; Swaling, V.H.; Alfheim, P. [Scandpower AB, Sundbyberg (Sweden)

2012-09-15

The project is connected to the development of RASTEP, a computerized source term prediction tool aimed at providing a basis for improving off-site emergency management. RASTEP uses Bayesian belief networks (BBN) to model severe accident progression in a nuclear power plant in combination with pre-calculated source terms (i.e., amount, timing, and pathway of released radio-nuclides). The output is a set of possible source terms with associated probabilities. In the NKS project, a number of complex issues associated with the integration of probabilistic and deterministic analyses are addressed. This includes issues related to the method for estimating source terms, signal validation, and sensitivity analysis. One major task within Phase 1 of the project addressed the problem of how to make the source term module flexible enough to give reliable and valid output throughout the accident scenario. Of the alternatives evaluated, it is recommended that RASTEP is connected to a fast running source term prediction code, e.g., MARS, with a possibility of updating source terms based on real-time observations. (Author)

Determining the semantic similarities among Gene Ontology terms.

Science.gov (United States)

Taha, Kamal

2013-05-01

We present in this paper novel techniques that determine the semantic relationships among GeneOntology (GO) terms. We implemented these techniques in a prototype system called GoSE, which resides between user application and GO database. Given a set S of GO terms, GoSE would return another set S' of GO terms, where each term in S' is semantically related to each term in S. Most current research is focused on determining the semantic similarities among GO ontology terms based solely on their IDs and proximity to one another in the GO graph structure, while overlooking the contexts of the terms, which may lead to erroneous results. The context of a GO term T is the set of other terms, whose existence in the GO graph structure is dependent on T. We propose novel techniques that determine the contexts of terms based on the concept of existence dependency. We present a stack-based sort-merge algorithm employing these techniques for determining the semantic similarities among GO terms.We evaluated GoSE experimentally and compared it with three existing methods. The results of measuring the semantic similarities among genes in KEGG and Pfam pathways retrieved from the DBGET and Sanger Pfam databases, respectively, have shown that our method outperforms the other three methods in recall and precision.

The development of a realistic source term for sodium-cooled fast reactors : assessment of current status and future needs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LaChance, Jeffrey L.; Phillips, Jesse; Parma, Edward J., Jr.; Olivier, Tara Jean; Middleton, Bobby D.

2011-06-01

Sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) continue to be proposed and designed throughout the United States and the world. Although the number of SFRs actually operating has declined substantially since the 1980s, a significant interest in advancing these types of reactor systems remains. Of the many issues associated with the development and deployment of SFRs, one of high regulatory importance is the source term to be used in the siting of the reactor. A substantial amount of modeling and experimental work has been performed over the past four decades on accident analysis, sodium coolant behavior, and radionuclide release for SFRs. The objective of this report is to aid in determining the gaps and issues related to the development of a realistic, mechanistically derived source term for SFRs. This report will allow the reader to become familiar with the severe accident source term concept and gain a broad understanding of the current status of the models and experimental work. Further, this report will allow insight into future work, in terms of both model development and experimental validation, which is necessary in order to develop a realistic source term for SFRs.

Development of source term evaluation method for Korean Next Generation Reactor(III)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Geon Jae; Park, Jin Baek; Lee, Yeong Il; Song, Min Cheonl; Lee, Ho Jin [Korea Advanced Institue of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1998-06-15

This project had investigated irradiation characteristics of MOX fuel method to predict nuclide concentration at primary and secondary coolant using a core containing 100% of all MOX fuel and development of source term evaluation tool. In this study, several prediction methods of source term are evaluated. Detailed contents of this project are : an evaluation of model for nuclear concentration at Reactor Coolant System, evaluation of primary and secondary coolant concentration of reference Nuclear Power Plant using purely MOX fuel, suggestion of source term prediction method of NPP with a core using MOX fuel.

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy source correction determination: A simulation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanda, Gurmeet S.; Keeble, David J., E-mail: d.j.keeble@dundee.ac.uk

2016-02-01

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) can provide sensitive detection and identification of vacancy-related point defects in materials. These measurements are normally performed using a positron source supported, and enclosed by, a thin foil. Annihilation events from this source arrangement must be quantified and are normally subtracted from the spectrum before analysis of the material lifetime components proceeds. Here simulated PALS spectra reproducing source correction evaluation experiments have been systematically fitted and analysed using the packages PALSfit and MELT. Simulations were performed assuming a single lifetime material, and for a material with two lifetime components. Source correction terms representing a directly deposited source and various foil supported sources were added. It is shown that in principle these source terms can be extracted from suitably designed experiments, but that fitting a number of independent, nominally identical, spectra is recommended.

STACE: Source Term Analyses for Containment Evaluations of transport casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seager, K.D.; Gianoulakis, S.E.; Barrett, P.R.; Rashid, Y.R.; Reardon, P.C.

1992-01-01

Following the guidance of ANSI N14.5, the STACE methodology provides a technically defensible means for estimating maximum permissible leakage rates. These containment criteria attempt to reflect the true radiological hazard by performing a detailed examination of the spent fuel, CRUD, and residual contamination contributions to the releasable source term. The evaluation of the spent fuel contribution to the source term has been modeled fairly accurately using the STACE methodology. The structural model predicts the cask drop load history, the mechanical response of the fuel assembly, and the probability of cladding breach. These data are then used to predict the amount of fission gas, volatile species, and fuel fines that are releasable from the cask. There are some areas where data are sparse or lacking (e.g., the quantity and size distribution of fuel rod breaches) in which experimental validation is planned. The CRUD spallation fraction is the major area where no quantitative data has been found; therefore, this also requires experimental validation. In the interim, STACE conservatively assumes a 100% spallation fraction for computing the releasable activity. The source term methodology also conservatively assumes that there is 1 Ci of residual contamination available for release in the transport cask. However, residual contamination is still by far the smallest contributor to the source term activity

Perspectives on source terms based on early research and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pressesky, A.J.

1985-07-01

This report presents an overview of the key documentation of the research and development programs relevant to the source term issue which were undertaken by the Atomic Energy Commission between 1950 and 1970. The source term is taken to be the amount, composition (physical and chemical), and timing of the projected release of radioactivity to the environment in the hypothetical event of a severe reactor accident in a light water reactor of the type currently being licensed, built and operated. The objective is to illuminate and provide perspectives on (a) the maturity of the technical data base and the analytical methodology, (b) the extent to which remaining conservatisms can be applied to compensate for uncertainties, (c) the purpose for which the technology and methodology will be used, and (d) the need to keep problems and uncertainties in proper perspective. Comments that can provide some context for the difficult programmatic choices to be made are included, and technical considerations that may be inadequately applied or neglected in some current source term calculations were studied. This review has not uncovered any significant technical considerations that have been omitted or are being inadequately treated in current source term analyses, except perhaps the contribution made to in-containment aerosols by coolant comminution upon escape at pressure from the reactor coolant system. 11 refs

Regulatory Technology Development Plan Sodium Fast Reactor. Mechanistic Source Term Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabaskas, David S. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Brunett, Acacia Joann [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Bucknor, Matthew D. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sienicki, James J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sofu, Tanju [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-02-28

Construction and operation of a nuclear power installation in the U.S. requires licensing by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A vital part of this licensing process and integrated safety assessment entails the analysis of a source term (or source terms) that represents the release of radionuclides during normal operation and accident sequences. Historically, nuclear plant source term analyses have utilized deterministic, bounding assessments of the radionuclides released to the environment. Significant advancements in technical capabilities and the knowledge state have enabled the development of more realistic analyses such that a mechanistic source term (MST) assessment is now expected to be a requirement of advanced reactor licensing. This report focuses on the state of development of an MST for a sodium fast reactor (SFR), with the intent of aiding in the process of MST definition by qualitatively identifying and characterizing the major sources and transport processes of radionuclides. Due to common design characteristics among current U.S. SFR vendor designs, a metal-fuel, pool-type SFR has been selected as the reference design for this work, with all phenomenological discussions geared toward this specific reactor configuration. This works also aims to identify the key gaps and uncertainties in the current knowledge state that must be addressed for SFR MST development. It is anticipated that this knowledge state assessment can enable the coordination of technology and analysis tool development discussions such that any knowledge gaps may be addressed. Sources of radionuclides considered in this report include releases originating both in-vessel and ex-vessel, including in-core fuel, primary sodium and cover gas cleanup systems, and spent fuel movement and handling. Transport phenomena affecting various release groups are identified and qualitatively discussed, including fuel pin and primary coolant retention, and behavior in the cover gas and

Quantification of uncertainties in source term estimates for a BWR with Mark I containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatib-Rahbar, M.; Cazzoli, E.; Davis, R.; Ishigami, T.; Lee, M.; Nourbakhsh, H.; Schmidt, E.; Unwin, S.

1988-01-01

A methodology for quantification and uncertainty analysis of source terms for severe accident in light water reactors (QUASAR) has been developed. The objectives of the QUASAR program are (1) to develop a framework for performing an uncertainty evaluation of the input parameters of the phenomenological models used in the Source Term Code Package (STCP), and (2) to quantify the uncertainties in certain phenomenological aspects of source terms (that are not modeled by STCP) using state-of-the-art methods. The QUASAR methodology consists of (1) screening sensitivity analysis, where the most sensitive input variables are selected for detailed uncertainty analysis, (2) uncertainty analysis, where probability density functions (PDFs) are established for the parameters identified by the screening stage and propagated through the codes to obtain PDFs for the outputs (i.e., release fractions to the environment), and (3) distribution sensitivity analysis, which is performed to determine the sensitivity of the output PDFs to the input PDFs. In this paper attention is limited to a single accident progression sequence, namely; a station blackout accident in a BWR with a Mark I containment buildings. Identified as an important accident in the draft NUREG-1150 a station blackout involves loss of both off-site power and DC power resulting in failure of the diesels to start and in the unavailability of the high pressure injection and core isolation coding systems

Review of areas that may require simultaneous coupled solution of the thermal hydraulic and fission product/aerosol behavior equations for source term determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kress, T.S.

1984-01-01

In the determination of the behavior of nuclear aerosols in the reactor coolant system and in the containment for the development of severe accident source terms, present practice generally is to first perform thermal hydraulic calculations for specific plant types and sequences and then to utilize the results as input for separate fission product/aerosol dynamic transport calculations. It is recognized that there are several areas in which the thermal-hydraulics and the fission product/aerosol behavior may be significantly coupled and that it is then basically incorrect to do the analyses in a separated manner. This review paper produces a speculative list of these potentially coupled areas and attempts to assess the importance of the coupling for as many of the specific items that time has allowed before this conference

A Study on Improvement of Algorithm for Source Term Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jeong Ho; Park, Do Hyung; Lee, Jae Hee

2010-03-01

The program developed by KAERI for source term assessment of radwastes from the advanced nuclear fuel cycle consists of spent fuel database analysis module, spent fuel arising projection module, and automatic characterization module for radwastes from pyroprocess. To improve the algorithm adopted the developed program, following items were carried out: - development of an algorithm to decrease analysis time for spent fuel database - development of setup routine for a analysis procedure - improvement of interface for spent fuel arising projection module - optimization of data management algorithm needed for massive calculation to estimate source terms of radwastes from advanced fuel cycle The program developed through this study has a capability to perform source term estimation although several spent fuel assemblies with different fuel design, initial enrichment, irradiation history, discharge burnup, and cooling time are processed at the same time in the pyroprocess. It is expected that this program will be very useful for the design of unit process of pyroprocess and disposal system

Source terms in relation to air cleaning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernero, R.M.

1985-01-01

There are two sets of source terms for consideration in air cleaning, those for routine releases and those for accident releases. With about 1000 reactor years of commercial operating experience in the US done, there is an excellent data base for routine and expected transient releases. Specifications for air cleaning can be based on this body of experience with confidence. Specifications for air cleaning in accident situations is another matter. Recent investigations of severe accident behavior are offering a new basis for source terms and air cleaning specifications. Reports by many experts in the field describe an accident environment notably different from previous models. It is an atmosphere heavy with aerosols, both radioactive and inert. Temperatures are sometimes very high; radioiodine is typically in the form of cesium iodide aerosol particles; other nuclides, such as tellurium, are also important aerosols. Some of the present air cleaning requirements may be very important in light of these new accident behavior models. Others may be wasteful or even counterproductive. The use of the new data on accident behavior models to reevaluate requirements promptly is discussed

Source-term reevaluation for US commercial nuclear power reactors: a status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzenberg, C.L.; Ball, J.R.; Ramaswami, D.

1984-12-01

Only results that had been discussed publicly, had been published in the open literature, or were available in preliminary reports as of September 30, 1984, are included here. More than 20 organizations are participating in source-term programs, which have been undertaken to examine severe accident phenomena in light-water power reactors (including the chemical and physical behavior of fission products under accident conditions), update and reevaluate source terms, and resolve differences between predictions and observations of radiation releases and related phenomena. Results from these source-term activities have been documented in over 100 publications to date

Reassessment of the technical bases for estimating source terms. Draft report for comment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silberberg, M.; Mitchell, J.A.; Meyer, R.O.; Pasedag, W.F.; Ryder, C.P.; Peabody, C.A.; Jankowski, M.W.

1985-07-01

NUREG-0956 describes the NRC staff and contractor efforts to reassess and update the agency's analytical procedures for estimating accident source terms for nuclear power plants. The effort included development of a new source term analytical procedure - a set of computer codes - that is intended to replace the methodology of the Reactor Safety Study (WASH-1400) and to be used in reassessing the use of TID-14844 assumptions (10 CFR 100). NUREG-0956 describes the development of these codes, the demonstration of the codes to calculate source terms for specific cases, the peer review of this work, some perspectives on the overall impact of new source terms on plant risks, the plans for related research projects, and the conclusions and recommendations resulting from the effort

Pennsylvania Source Term Tracking System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-08-01

The Pennsylvania Source Term Tracking System tabulates surveys received from radioactive waste generators in the Commonwealth of radioactive waste is collected each quarter from generators using the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Quarterly Report Form (hereafter called the survey) and then entered into the tracking system data base. This personal computer-based tracking system can generate 12 types of tracking reports. The first four sections of this reference manual supply complete instructions for installing and setting up the tracking system on a PC. Section 5 presents instructions for entering quarterly survey data, and Section 6 discusses generating reports. The appendix includes samples of each report

Preparation and determination of kerma for Iridium 192 sources of low dose rate for brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tendilla, J.I.; Tovar M, V.; Mitsoura, E.; Aguilar H, F.; Alanis M, J.

2000-01-01

The practice of Brachytherapy with Iridium-192 sources of low dose rate (0.4 - 0.8 Gy/h) is a technique used in the treatment of diverse illnesses. in this work the preparation, quality control and calibration are presented in terms of kerma in air of Iridium-192 using as target these recycled Iridium-Platinum wires. The targets were obtained as decayed sources of different radio therapeutical centers in the country and they were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy in order to determine their chemical composition. Subsequently it was developed an experimental design to establish the effect of neutron flux, geometrical array and irradiation time over the activity and percentage of the sources homogeneity. The homogeneity was determined by auto radiography and by Gamma spectroscopy. Once the optimal irradiation conditions were established, it is determined the apparent activity and kerma in air using a well type ionization chamber with traceability to a primary laboratory. Iridium-192 sources were obtained with an average homogeneity 96 %, apparent activity 282.129 ± 0.531 M Bq and kerma in air 0.03200 ± 0.00006 m Gy m/h A. (Author)

Technical basis for selecting radionuclide concentrations for use in Hanford tank basis for interim operation source term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowley, W.L.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the development of a radiological source term for waste tanks at the Hanford Site Nuclear Reservation. It describes the methodology used to identify the most important radionuclides, determine appropriate concentrations, and define unit liter doses. An example of how unit liter doses are used is given

Source term model evaluations for the low-level waste facility performance assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yim, M.S.; Su, S.I. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

1995-12-31

The estimation of release of radionuclides from various waste forms to the bottom boundary of the waste disposal facility (source term) is one of the most important aspects of LLW facility performance assessment. In this work, several currently used source term models are comparatively evaluated for the release of carbon-14 based on a test case problem. The models compared include PRESTO-EPA-CPG, IMPACTS, DUST and NEFTRAN-II. Major differences in assumptions and approaches between the models are described and key parameters are identified through sensitivity analysis. The source term results from different models are compared and other concerns or suggestions are discussed.

An investigation of the closure problem applied to reactor accident source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brearley, I.R.; Nixon, W.; Hayns, M.R.

1987-01-01

The closure problem, as considered here, focuses attention on the question of when in current research programmes enough has been learned about the source terms for reactor accident releases. Noting that current research is tending to reduce the estimated magnitude of the aerosol component of atmospheric, accidental releases, several possible criteria for closure are suggested. Moreover, using the reactor accident consequence model CRACUK, the effect of gradually reducing the aerosol release fractions of a pressurized water reactor (PWR2) source term (as defined in the WASH-1400 study) is investigated and the implications of applying the suggested criteria to current source term research discussed. (author)

Long-term storage life of light source modules by temperature cycling accelerated life test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Ningning; Tan Manqing; Li Ping; Jiao Jian; Guo Xiaofeng; Guo Wentao

2014-01-01

Light source modules are the most crucial and fragile devices that affect the life and reliability of the interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG). While the light emitting chips were stable in most cases, the module packaging proved to be less satisfactory. In long-term storage or the working environment, the ambient temperature changes constantly and thus the packaging and coupling performance of light source modules are more likely to degrade slowly due to different materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion in the bonding interface. A constant temperature accelerated life test cannot evaluate the impact of temperature variation on the performance of a module package, so the temperature cycling accelerated life test was studied. The main failure mechanism affecting light source modules is package failure due to solder fatigue failure including a fiber coupling shift, loss of cooling efficiency and thermal resistor degradation, so the Norris-Landzberg model was used to model solder fatigue life and determine the activation energy related to solder fatigue failure mechanism. By analyzing the test data, activation energy was determined and then the mean life of light source modules in different storage environments with a continuously changing temperature was simulated, which has provided direct reference data for the storage life prediction of IFOG. (semiconductor devices)

Data assimilation and source term estimation during the early phase of a nuclear accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golubenkov, A.; Borodin, R. [SPA Typhoon, Emergency Centre (Russian Federation); Sohier, A.; Rojas Palma, C. [Centre de l`Etude de l`Energie Nucleaire, Mol (Belgium)

1996-02-01

The mathematical/physical base of possible methods to model the source term during an accidental release of radionuclides is discussed. Knowledge of the source term is important in view of optimizing urgent countermeasures to the population. In most cases however, it will be impossible to assess directly the release dynamics. Therefore methods are under development in which the source term is modelled, based on the comparison of off-site monitoring data and model predictions using an atmospheric dispersion model. The degree of agreement between the measured and calculated characteristics of the radioactive contamination of the air and the ground surface is an important criterion in this process. Due to the inherent complexity, some geometrical transformations taking space-time discrepancies between observed and modelled contamination fields are defined before the source term is adapted. This work describes the developed algorithms which are also tested against data from some tracer experiments performed in the past. This method is also used to reconstruct the dynamics of the Chernobyl source term. Finally this report presents a concept of software to reconstruct a multi-isotopic source term in real-time.

Data assimilation and source term estimation during the early phase of a nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golubenkov, A.; Borodin, R.; Sohier, A.; Rojas Palma, C.

1996-02-01

The mathematical/physical base of possible methods to model the source term during an accidental release of radionuclides is discussed. Knowledge of the source term is important in view of optimizing urgent countermeasures to the population. In most cases however, it will be impossible to assess directly the release dynamics. Therefore methods are under development in which the source term is modelled, based on the comparison of off-site monitoring data and model predictions using an atmospheric dispersion model. The degree of agreement between the measured and calculated characteristics of the radioactive contamination of the air and the ground surface is an important criterion in this process. Due to the inherent complexity, some geometrical transformations taking space-time discrepancies between observed and modelled contamination fields are defined before the source term is adapted. This work describes the developed algorithms which are also tested against data from some tracer experiments performed in the past. This method is also used to reconstruct the dynamics of the Chernobyl source term. Finally this report presents a concept of software to reconstruct a multi-isotopic source term in real-time

The SSI TOOLBOX Source Term Model SOSIM - Screening for important radionuclides and parameter sensitivity analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Avila Moreno, R.; Barrdahl, R.; Haegg, C.

1995-05-01

The main objective of the present study was to carry out a screening and a sensitivity analysis of the SSI TOOLBOX source term model SOSIM. This model is a part of the SSI TOOLBOX for radiological impact assessment of the Swedish disposal concept for high-level waste KBS-3. The outputs of interest for this purpose were: the total released fraction, the time of total release, the time and value of maximum release rate, the dose rates after direct releases of the biosphere. The source term equations were derived and simple equations and methods were proposed for calculation of these. A literature survey has been performed in order to determine a characteristic variation range and a nominal value for each model parameter. In order to reduce the model uncertainties the authors recommend a change in the initial boundary condition for solution of the diffusion equation for highly soluble nuclides. 13 refs.

Revised reactor accident source terms in the U.S. and implementation for light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soffer, L.; Lee, J.Y.

1992-01-01

Current NRC reactor accident source terms used for licensing are contained in Regulatory Guides 1.3 and 1.4 and specify that 100 % of the core inventory of noble gases and 25 % of the iodine fission products are assumed to be instantaneously available for release from the containment. The chemical form of the iodine fission products is also assumed to be predominantly elemental (I 2 ) iodine. These assumptions have strongly affected present nuclear plant designs. Severe accident research results have confirmed that although the current source term is very substantial and has resulted in a very high level of plant capability, the present source term is no longer compatible with a realistic understanding of severe accidents. The NRC has issued a proposed revision of the reactor accident source terms as part of several regulatory activities to incorporate severe accident insights for future plants. A revision to 10 CFR 100 is also being proposed to specify site criteria directly and to eliminate source terms and doses for site evaluation. Reactor source terms will continue to be important in evaluating plant designs. Although intended primarily for future plants, existing and evolutionary power plants may voluntarily apply revised accident source term insights as well in licensing. The proposed revised accident source terms are presented in terms of fission product composition, magnitude, timing and iodine chemical form. Some implications for light water reactors are discussed. (author)

EDF source term reduction project main outcomes and further developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranchoux, Gilles; Bonnefon, Julien; Benfarah, Moez; Wintergerst Matthieu; Gressier, Frederic; Leclercq, Stephanie

2012-09-01

The dose reduction is a strategic purpose for EDF in link with the stakes of, nuclear acceptability, respect of regulation and productivity gains. This consists not only in improving the reactor shutdown organization (time spent in control area, biological shielding,...) but also in improving the radiological state of the unit and the efficiency of the source term reduction operations. Since 2003, EDF has been running an innovative project called 'Source Term Reduction' federating the different EDF research and engineering centers in order to: - participate to the long term view about Radiological Protection issues (international feedback analyses), - develop contamination prediction tools (OSCAR software) suitable for the industrial needs (operating units and EPR design), - develop scientific models useful for the understanding of contamination mechanisms to support the strategic decision processes, - carry on with updating and analyzing of contamination measurements feedback in corrosion products (EMECC and CZT campaigns), - carry on with the operational support at short or middle term by optimizing startup and shutdown processes, pre-oxidation or and by improving purification efficiency or material characteristics. This paper will show in a first part the main 2011 results in occupational exposure (collective and individual dose, RCS index...). In a second part, an overview of the main EDF outcomes of the last 3 years in the field of source term reduction will be presented. Future developments extended to contamination issues in EDF NPPs will be also pointed out in this paper. (authors)

Backup Sourcing Decisions for Coping with Supply Disruptions under Long-Term Horizons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Hou

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper studies a buyer’s inventory control problem under a long-term horizon. The buyer has one major supplier that is prone to disruption risks and one backup supplier with higher wholesale price. Two kinds of sourcing methods are available for the buyer: single sourcing with/without contingent supply and dual sourcing. In contingent sourcing, the backup supplier is capacitated and/or has yield uncertainty, whereas in dual sourcing the backup supplier has an incentive to offer output flexibility during disrupted periods. The buyer’s expected cost functions and the optimal base-stock levels using each sourcing method under long-term horizon are obtained, respectively. The effects of three risk parameters, disruption probability, contingent capacity or uncertainty, and backup flexibility, are examined using comparative studies and numerical computations. Four sourcing methods, namely, single sourcing with contingent supply, dual sourcing, and single sourcing from either of the two suppliers, are also compared. These findings can be used as a valuable guideline for companies to select an appropriate sourcing strategy under supply disruption risks.

Consideration of emergency source terms for pebble-bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Liu; Jun, Zhao; Jiejuan, Tong; Jianzhu, Cao

2009-01-01

Being the last barrier in the nuclear power plant defense-in-depth strategy, emergency planning (EP) is an integrated project. One of the key elements in this process is emergency source terms selection. Emergency Source terms for light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power plant (NPP) have been introduced in many technical documents, and advanced NPP emergency planning is attracting attention recently. Commercial practices of advanced NPP are undergoing in the world, pebble-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) power plant is under construction in China which is considered as a representative of advanced NPP. The paper tries to find some pieces of suggestion from our investigation. The discussion of advanced NPP EP will be summarized first, and then the characteristics of pebble-bed HTGR relating to EP will be described. Finally, PSA insights on emergency source terms selection and current pebble-bed HTGR emergency source terms suggestions are proposed

Evaluation of the LMFBR cover gas source term and synthesis of the associated R and D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balard, F.; Carluec, B.

1996-01-01

At the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties, there appeared a pressing need of experimental results to assess the LMFBR's safety level. Because of the urgency, analytical studies were not systematically undertaken and maximum credible cover gas instantaneous source terms (radionuclides core release fraction) were got directly from crude out-of-pile experiment interpretations. Two types of studies and mock-ups were undertaken depending on the timescale of the phenomena: instantaneous source terms (corresponding to an unlikely energetic core disruptive accident CDA), and delayed ones (tens of minutes to some hours). The experiments performed in this frame are reviewed in this presentation: 1) instantaneous source term: - FAUST experiments: I, Cs, UO2 source terms (FzK, Germany), - FAST experiments : pool depth influence on non volatile source term (USA), - CARAVELLE experiments: nonvolatile source term in SPX1 geometry (CEA, France); 2) delayed source term: - NALA experiments: I, Cs, Sr, UO2 source term (FzK, Germany), - PAVE experiments: I source term (CEA, France), - NACOWA experiments: cover gas aerosols enrichment in I and Cs (FzK, Germany) - other French experiments in COPACABANA and GULLIVER facilities. The volatile fission products release is tightly bound to sodium evaporation and a large part of the fission products is dissolved in the liquid sodium aerosols present in the cover gas. Thus the knowledge of the amount of aerosol release to the cover gas is important for the evaluation of the source term. The maximum credible cover gas instantaneous source terms deduced from the experiments have led to conservative source terms to be taken into account in safety analysis. Nevertheless modelling attempts of the observed (in-pile or out-of-pile) physico-chemical phenomena have been undertaken for extrapolation to the reactor case. The main topics of this theoretical research are as follows: fission products evaporation in the cover gas (Fz

A nuclear source term analysis for spacecraft power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCulloch, W.H.

1998-01-01

All US space missions involving on board nuclear material must be approved by the Office of the President. To be approved the mission and the hardware systems must undergo evaluations of the associated nuclear health and safety risk. One part of these evaluations is the characterization of the source terms, i.e., the estimate of the amount, physical form, and location of nuclear material, which might be released into the environment in the event of credible accidents. This paper presents a brief overview of the source term analysis by the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Panel for the NASA Cassini Space Mission launched in October 1997. Included is a description of the Energy Interaction Model, an innovative approach to the analysis of potential releases from high velocity impacts resulting from launch aborts and reentries

PFLOTRAN-RepoTREND Source Term Comparison Summary.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frederick, Jennifer M

2018-03-01

Code inter-comparison studies are useful exercises to verify and benchmark independently developed software to ensure proper function, especially when the software is used to model high-consequence systems which cannot be physically tested in a fully representative environment. This summary describes the results of the first portion of the code inter-comparison between PFLOTRAN and RepoTREND, which compares the radionuclide source term used in a typical performance assessment.

Nonradioactive Environmental Emissions Chemical Source Term for the Double-Shell Tank (DST) Vapor Space During Waste Retrieval Operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MAY, T.H.

2000-01-01

A nonradioactive chemical vapor space source term for tanks on the Phase 1 and the extended Phase 1 delivery, storage, and disposal mission was determined. Operations modeled included mixer pump operation and DST waste transfers. Concentrations of ammonia, specific volatile organic compounds, and quantitative volumes of aerosols were estimated

Low-level waste disposal performance assessments - Total source-term analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilhite, E.L.

1995-12-31

Disposal of low-level radioactive waste at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities is regulated by DOE. DOE Order 5820.2A establishes policies, guidelines, and minimum requirements for managing radioactive waste. Requirements for disposal of low-level waste emplaced after September 1988 include providing reasonable assurance of meeting stated performance objectives by completing a radiological performance assessment. Recently, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board issued Recommendation 94-2, {open_quotes}Conformance with Safety Standards at Department of Energy Low-Level Nuclear Waste and Disposal Sites.{close_quotes} One of the elements of the recommendation is that low-level waste performance assessments do not include the entire source term because low-level waste emplaced prior to September 1988, as well as other DOE sources of radioactivity in the ground, are excluded. DOE has developed and issued guidance for preliminary assessments of the impact of including the total source term in performance assessments. This paper will present issues resulting from the inclusion of all DOE sources of radioactivity in performance assessments of low-level waste disposal facilities.

PLOTLIB: a computerized nuclear waste source-term library storage and retrieval system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, J.R.; Nowicki, J.A.

1978-01-01

The PLOTLIB code was written to provide computer access to the Nuclear Waste Source-Term Library for those users with little previous computer programming experience. The principles of user orientation, quick accessibility, and versatility were extensively employed in the development of the PLOTLIB code to accomplish this goal. The Nuclear Waste Source-Term Library consists of 16 ORIGEN computer runs incorporating a wide variety of differing light water reactor (LWR) fuel cycles and waste streams. The typical isotopic source-term data consist of information on watts, curies, grams, etc., all of which are compiled as a function of time after reactor discharge and unitized on a per metric ton heavy metal basis. The information retrieval code, PLOTLIB, is used to process source-term information requests into computer plots and/or user-specified output tables. This report will serve both as documentation of the current data library and as an operations manual for the PLOTLIB computer code. The accompanying input description, program listing, and sample problems make this code package an easily understood tool for the various nuclear waste studies under way at the Office of Waste Isolation

Low-level radioactive waste source terms for the 1992 integrated data base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loghry, S.L.; Kibbey, A.H.; Godbee, H.W.; Icenhour, A.S.; DePaoli, S.M.

1995-01-01

This technical manual presents updated generic source terms (i.e., unitized amounts and radionuclide compositions) which have been developed for use in the Integrated Data Base (IDB) Program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These source terms were used in the IDB annual report, Integrated Data Base for 1992: Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Inventories, Projections, and Characteristics, DOE/RW-0006, Rev. 8, October 1992. They are useful as a basis for projecting future amounts (volume and radioactivity) of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) shipped for disposal at commercial burial grounds or sent for storage at DOE solid-waste sites. Commercial fuel cycle LLW categories include boiling-water reactor, pressurized-water reactor, fuel fabrication, and uranium hexafluoride (UF 6 ) conversion. Commercial nonfuel cycle LLW includes institutional/industrial (I/I) waste. The LLW from DOE operations is category as uranium/thorium fission product, induced activity, tritium, alpha, and open-quotes otherclose quotes. Fuel cycle commercial LLW source terms are normalized on the basis of net electrical output [MW(e)-year], except for UF 6 conversion, which is normalized on the basis of heavy metal requirement [metric tons of initial heavy metal ]. The nonfuel cycle commercial LLW source term is normalized on the basis of volume (cubic meters) and radioactivity (curies) for each subclass within the I/I category. The DOE LLW is normalized in a manner similar to that for commercial I/I waste. The revised source terms are based on the best available historical data through 1992

Impact of source terms on distances to which reactor accident consequences occur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostmeyer, R.M.

1982-01-01

Estimates of the distances over which reactor accident consequences might occur are important for development of siting criteria and for emergency response planning. This paper summarizes the results of a series of CRAC2 calculations performed to estimate these distances. Because of the current controversy concerning the magnitude of source terms for severe accidents, the impact of source term reductions upon distance estimates is also examined

On the sequence of core-melt accidents: Fission product release, source terms and Chernobyl release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albrecht, H

1986-01-01

There is a sketch of our ideas on the course of a core melt-out accident in a PWR. There is then a survey of the most important results on fission product release, which were obtained by experiments on the SASCHA melt-out plant. The 3rd part considers questions which are important for determining source terms for the environment and the last part contains some considerations on radioactivity release from the Chernobyl reactor.

The long-term problems of contaminated land: Sources, impacts and countermeasures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baes, C.F. III.

1986-11-01

This report examines the various sources of radiological land contamination; its extent; its impacts on man, agriculture, and the environment; countermeasures for mitigating exposures; radiological standards; alternatives for achieving land decontamination and cleanup; and possible alternatives for utilizing the land. The major potential sources of extensive long-term land contamination with radionuclides, in order of decreasing extent, are nuclear war, detonation of a single nuclear weapon (e.g., a terrorist act), serious reactor accidents, and nonfission nuclear weapons accidents that disperse the nuclear fuels (termed ''broken arrows'')

Using Reactive Transport Modeling to Evaluate the Source Term at Yucca Mountain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Y. Chen

2001-12-19

The conventional approach of source-term evaluation for performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories uses speciation-solubility modeling tools and assumes pure phases of radioelements control their solubility. This assumption may not reflect reality, as most radioelements (except for U) may not form their own pure phases. As a result, solubility limits predicted using the conventional approach are several orders of magnitude higher then the concentrations of radioelements measured in spent fuel dissolution experiments. This paper presents the author's attempt of using a non-conventional approach to evaluate source term of radionuclide release for Yucca Mountain. Based on the general reactive-transport code AREST-CT, a model for spent fuel dissolution and secondary phase precipitation has been constructed. The model accounts for both equilibrium and kinetic reactions. Its predictions have been compared against laboratory experiments and natural analogues. It is found that without calibrations, the simulated results match laboratory and field observations very well in many aspects. More important is the fact that no contradictions between them have been found. This provides confidence in the predictive power of the model. Based on the concept of Np incorporated into uranyl minerals, the model not only predicts a lower Np source-term than that given by conventional Np solubility models, but also produces results which are consistent with laboratory measurements and observations. Moreover, two hypotheses, whether Np enters tertiary uranyl minerals or not, have been tested by comparing model predictions against laboratory observations, the results favor the former. It is concluded that this non-conventional approach of source term evaluation not only eliminates over-conservatism in conventional solubility approach to some extent, but also gives a realistic representation of the system of interest, which is a prerequisite for truly understanding the long-term

Using Reactive Transport Modeling to Evaluate the Source Term at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Y. Chen

2001-01-01

The conventional approach of source-term evaluation for performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories uses speciation-solubility modeling tools and assumes pure phases of radioelements control their solubility. This assumption may not reflect reality, as most radioelements (except for U) may not form their own pure phases. As a result, solubility limits predicted using the conventional approach are several orders of magnitude higher then the concentrations of radioelements measured in spent fuel dissolution experiments. This paper presents the author's attempt of using a non-conventional approach to evaluate source term of radionuclide release for Yucca Mountain. Based on the general reactive-transport code AREST-CT, a model for spent fuel dissolution and secondary phase precipitation has been constructed. The model accounts for both equilibrium and kinetic reactions. Its predictions have been compared against laboratory experiments and natural analogues. It is found that without calibrations, the simulated results match laboratory and field observations very well in many aspects. More important is the fact that no contradictions between them have been found. This provides confidence in the predictive power of the model. Based on the concept of Np incorporated into uranyl minerals, the model not only predicts a lower Np source-term than that given by conventional Np solubility models, but also produces results which are consistent with laboratory measurements and observations. Moreover, two hypotheses, whether Np enters tertiary uranyl minerals or not, have been tested by comparing model predictions against laboratory observations, the results favor the former. It is concluded that this non-conventional approach of source term evaluation not only eliminates over-conservatism in conventional solubility approach to some extent, but also gives a realistic representation of the system of interest, which is a prerequisite for truly understanding the long-term

New source terms and the implications for emergency planning requirements at nuclear power plants in the United State

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaiser, G.D.; Cheok, M.C.

1987-01-01

This paper begins with a brief review of current approaches to source term driven changes to NRC emergency planning requirements and addresses significant differences between them. Approaches by IDCOR and EPRI, industry submittals to NRC and alternative risk-based evaluations have been considered. Important issues are discussed, such as the role of Protective Action Guides in determining the radius of the emergency planning zone (EPZ). The significance of current trends towards the prediction of longer warning times and longer durations of release in new source terms is assessed. These trends may help to relax the current notification time requirements. Finally, the implications of apparent support in the regulations for a threshold in warning time beyond which ad hoc protective measures are adequate is discussed

Operational techniques employed for the liquid sodium source term control loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chulos, L.E.

1976-01-01

Four Source Term Control Loops (STCLs) have been designed, constructed, and placed into operation at the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) as part of the Radioactivity Control Technology program. The data obtained are used to determine the corrosion and deposition of LMFBR materials, including corrosion product radionuclides, in a non-isothermal flowing sodium system. The paper discusses operation of the STCL Facilities and, in particular, the methods used for controlling the oxygen content of the liquid sodium. These methods include cold trapping techniques, hot trapping, seeding the cold traps with sodium oxide, and precipitating the oxygen in the cold trap in a controlled manner. Operational problems encountered with the STCL Facilities and the techniques for correcting these problems are also discussed

The long-term problems of contaminated land: Sources, impacts and countermeasures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baes, C.F. III

1986-11-01

This report examines the various sources of radiological land contamination; its extent; its impacts on man, agriculture, and the environment; countermeasures for mitigating exposures; radiological standards; alternatives for achieving land decontamination and cleanup; and possible alternatives for utilizing the land. The major potential sources of extensive long-term land contamination with radionuclides, in order of decreasing extent, are nuclear war, detonation of a single nuclear weapon (e.g., a terrorist act), serious reactor accidents, and nonfission nuclear weapons accidents that disperse the nuclear fuels (termed ''broken arrows'').

Recent advances in the source term area within the SARNET European severe accident research network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herranz, L.E.; Haste, T.; Kärkelä, T.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Main achievements of source term research in SARNET are given. • Emphasis on the radiologically important iodine and ruthenium fission products. • Conclusions on FP release, transport in the RCS and containment behaviour. • Significance of large-scale integral experiments to validate the analyses used. • A thorough list of the most recent references on source term research results. - Abstract: Source Term has been one of the main research areas addressed within the SARNET network during the 7th EC Framework Programme of EURATOM. The entire source term domain was split into three major areas: oxidising impact on source term, iodine chemistry in the reactor coolant system and containment and data and code assessment. The present paper synthesises the main technical outcome stemming from the SARNET FWP7 project in the area of source term and includes an extensive list of references in which deeper insights on specific issues may be found. Besides, based on the analysis of the current state of the art, an outlook of future source term research is outlined, where major changes in research environment are discussed (i.e., the end of the Phébus FP project; the end of the SARNET projects; and the launch of HORIZON 2020). Most probably research projects will be streamlined towards: release and transport under oxidising conditions, containment chemistry, existing and innovative filtered venting systems and others. These will be in addition to a number of projects that have been completed or are ongoing under different national and international frameworks, like VERDON, CHIP and EPICUR started under the International Source Term Programme (ISTP), the OECD/CSNI programmes BIP, BIP2, STEM, THAI and THAI2, and the French national programme MIRE. The experimental PASSAM project under the 7th EC Framework programme, focused on source term mitigation systems, is highlighted as a good example of a project addressing potential enhancement of safety systems

Recent advances in the source term area within the SARNET European severe accident research network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herranz, L.E., E-mail: luisen.herranz@ciemat.es [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medio Ambientales y Tecnologica, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Haste, T. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, IRSN, BP 3, F-13115 St Paul lez Durance Cedex (France); Kärkelä, T. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT Espoo (Finland)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • Main achievements of source term research in SARNET are given. • Emphasis on the radiologically important iodine and ruthenium fission products. • Conclusions on FP release, transport in the RCS and containment behaviour. • Significance of large-scale integral experiments to validate the analyses used. • A thorough list of the most recent references on source term research results. - Abstract: Source Term has been one of the main research areas addressed within the SARNET network during the 7th EC Framework Programme of EURATOM. The entire source term domain was split into three major areas: oxidising impact on source term, iodine chemistry in the reactor coolant system and containment and data and code assessment. The present paper synthesises the main technical outcome stemming from the SARNET FWP7 project in the area of source term and includes an extensive list of references in which deeper insights on specific issues may be found. Besides, based on the analysis of the current state of the art, an outlook of future source term research is outlined, where major changes in research environment are discussed (i.e., the end of the Phébus FP project; the end of the SARNET projects; and the launch of HORIZON 2020). Most probably research projects will be streamlined towards: release and transport under oxidising conditions, containment chemistry, existing and innovative filtered venting systems and others. These will be in addition to a number of projects that have been completed or are ongoing under different national and international frameworks, like VERDON, CHIP and EPICUR started under the International Source Term Programme (ISTP), the OECD/CSNI programmes BIP, BIP2, STEM, THAI and THAI2, and the French national programme MIRE. The experimental PASSAM project under the 7th EC Framework programme, focused on source term mitigation systems, is highlighted as a good example of a project addressing potential enhancement of safety systems

Added Value of uncertainty Estimates of SOurce term and Meteorology (AVESOME)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jens Havskov; Schönfeldt, Fredrik; Sigg, Robert

In the early phase of a nuclear accident, two large sources of uncertainty exist: one related to the source term and one associated with the meteorological data. Operational methods are being developed in AVESOME for quantitative estimation of uncertainties in atmospheric dispersion prediction.......g. at national meteorological services, the proposed methodology is feasible for real-time use, thereby adding value to decision support. In the recent NKS-B projects MUD, FAUNA and MESO, the implications of meteorological uncertainties for nuclear emergency preparedness and management have been studied...... uncertainty in atmospheric dispersion model forecasting stemming from both the source term and the meteorological data is examined. Ways to implement the uncertainties of forecasting in DSSs, and the impacts on real-time emergency management are described. The proposed methodology allows for efficient real...

Design parameters and source terms: Volume 1, Design parameters: Revision 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-10-01

The Design Parameters and Source Terms Document was prepared in accordance with DOE request and to provide data for the environmental impact study to be performed in the future for the Deaf Smith County, Texas site for a nuclear waste repository in salt. This document updates a previous unpublished report by Stearns Catalytic Corporation (SCC), entitled ''Design Parameters and Source Terms for a Two-Phase Repository in Salt,'' 1985, to the level of the Site Characterization Plan - Conceptual Design Report. The previous unpublished SCC Study identifies the data needs for the Environmental Assessment effort for seven possible Salt Repository sites

Strategic Sourcing of R&D: The Determinants of Success

Science.gov (United States)

Brook, Jacques W.; Plugge, Albert

The outsourcing of the R&D function is an emerging practice of corporate firms. In their attempt to reduce the increasing cost of research and technology development, firms are strategically outsourcing the R&D function or repositioning their internal R&D organisation. By doing so, they are able to benefit from other technology sources around the world. So far, there is only limited research on how firms develop their R&D sourcing strategies and how these strategies are implemented. This study aims to identify which determinants contribute to the success of R&D sourcing strategies. The results of our empirical research indicate that a clear vision of how to manage innovation strategically on a corporate level is a determinant of an effective R&D strategy. Moreover, our findings revealed that the R&D sourcing strategy influences a firm's sourcing capabilities. These sourcing capabilities need to be developed to manage the demand as well as the supply of R&D services. The alignment between the demand capabilities and the supply capabilities contributes to the success of R&D sourcing.

Inverse modeling of the Chernobyl source term using atmospheric concentration and deposition measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Evangeliou, Nikolaos; Hamburger, Thomas; Cozic, Anne; Balkanski, Yves; Stohl, Andreas

2017-07-01

This paper describes the results of an inverse modeling study for the determination of the source term of the radionuclides 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I released after the Chernobyl accident. The accident occurred on 26 April 1986 in the Former Soviet Union and released about 1019 Bq of radioactive materials that were transported as far away as the USA and Japan. Thereafter, several attempts to assess the magnitude of the emissions were made that were based on the knowledge of the core inventory and the levels of the spent fuel. More recently, when modeling tools were further developed, inverse modeling techniques were applied to the Chernobyl case for source term quantification. However, because radioactivity is a sensitive topic for the public and attracts a lot of attention, high-quality measurements, which are essential for inverse modeling, were not made available except for a few sparse activity concentration measurements far from the source and far from the main direction of the radioactive fallout. For the first time, we apply Bayesian inversion of the Chernobyl source term using not only activity concentrations but also deposition measurements from the most recent public data set. These observations refer to a data rescue attempt that started more than 10 years ago, with a final goal to provide available measurements to anyone interested. In regards to our inverse modeling results, emissions of 134Cs were estimated to be 80 PBq or 30-50 % higher than what was previously published. From the released amount of 134Cs, about 70 PBq were deposited all over Europe. Similar to 134Cs, emissions of 137Cs were estimated as 86 PBq, on the same order as previously reported results. Finally, 131I emissions of 1365 PBq were found, which are about 10 % less than the prior total releases. The inversion pushes the injection heights of the three radionuclides to higher altitudes (up to about 3 km) than previously assumed (≈ 2.2 km) in order to better match both concentration

Inverse modeling of the Chernobyl source term using atmospheric concentration and deposition measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Evangeliou

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the results of an inverse modeling study for the determination of the source term of the radionuclides 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I released after the Chernobyl accident. The accident occurred on 26 April 1986 in the Former Soviet Union and released about 1019 Bq of radioactive materials that were transported as far away as the USA and Japan. Thereafter, several attempts to assess the magnitude of the emissions were made that were based on the knowledge of the core inventory and the levels of the spent fuel. More recently, when modeling tools were further developed, inverse modeling techniques were applied to the Chernobyl case for source term quantification. However, because radioactivity is a sensitive topic for the public and attracts a lot of attention, high-quality measurements, which are essential for inverse modeling, were not made available except for a few sparse activity concentration measurements far from the source and far from the main direction of the radioactive fallout. For the first time, we apply Bayesian inversion of the Chernobyl source term using not only activity concentrations but also deposition measurements from the most recent public data set. These observations refer to a data rescue attempt that started more than 10 years ago, with a final goal to provide available measurements to anyone interested. In regards to our inverse modeling results, emissions of 134Cs were estimated to be 80 PBq or 30–50 % higher than what was previously published. From the released amount of 134Cs, about 70 PBq were deposited all over Europe. Similar to 134Cs, emissions of 137Cs were estimated as 86 PBq, on the same order as previously reported results. Finally, 131I emissions of 1365 PBq were found, which are about 10 % less than the prior total releases. The inversion pushes the injection heights of the three radionuclides to higher altitudes (up to about 3 km than previously assumed (≈ 2.2 km in order

Coarse Grid Modeling of Turbine Film Cooling Flows Using Volumetric Source Terms

Science.gov (United States)

Heidmann, James D.; Hunter, Scott D.

2001-01-01

The recent trend in numerical modeling of turbine film cooling flows has been toward higher fidelity grids and more complex geometries. This trend has been enabled by the rapid increase in computing power available to researchers. However, the turbine design community requires fast turnaround time in its design computations, rendering these comprehensive simulations ineffective in the design cycle. The present study describes a methodology for implementing a volumetric source term distribution in a coarse grid calculation that can model the small-scale and three-dimensional effects present in turbine film cooling flows. This model could be implemented in turbine design codes or in multistage turbomachinery codes such as APNASA, where the computational grid size may be larger than the film hole size. Detailed computations of a single row of 35 deg round holes on a flat plate have been obtained for blowing ratios of 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0, and density ratios of 1.0 and 2.0 using a multiblock grid system to resolve the flows on both sides of the plate as well as inside the hole itself. These detailed flow fields were spatially averaged to generate a field of volumetric source terms for each conservative flow variable. Solutions were also obtained using three coarse grids having streamwise and spanwise grid spacings of 3d, 1d, and d/3. These coarse grid solutions used the integrated hole exit mass, momentum, energy, and turbulence quantities from the detailed solutions as volumetric source terms. It is shown that a uniform source term addition over a distance from the wall on the order of the hole diameter is able to predict adiabatic film effectiveness better than a near-wall source term model, while strictly enforcing correct values of integrated boundary layer quantities.

Apparatus for radiation source depth determination in a material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, P.J.

1979-01-01

An apparatus is disclosed for determining the depth of a radiation source within a body of material utilizing a radiation source holder moving the radiation source within the body. A plurality of switches have contacts that are fixed in relation to the movement of the radiation source within the material. Trigger means activates a particular switch at a preselected depth of the radiation source. Means for indicating the activation of a switch would thus produce a signal as a representative of the depth of the radiation source

NRC source term assessment for incident response dose projections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Easley, P.; Pasedag, W.

1984-01-01

The NRC provides advice and assistance to licensees and State and local authorities in responding to accidents. The TACT code supports this function by providing source term projections for two situations during early (15 to 60 minutes) accident response: (1) Core/containment damage is indicated, but there are no measured releases. Quantification of a predicted release permits emergency response before people are exposed. With TACT, response personnel can estimate releases based on fuel and cladding conditions, coolant boundary and containment integrity, and mitigative systems operability. For this type of estimate, TACT is intermediate between default assumptions and time-consuming mechanistic codes. (2) A combination of plant status and limited release data are available. For this situation, iterations between predictions based on known conditions which are compared to measured releases gives reasonable confidence in supplemental source term information otherwise unavailable: nuclide mix, releases not monitored, and trending or abrupt changes. The assumptions and models used in TACT, and examples of its use, are given in this paper

Selected source term topics. Report to CSNI by an OECD/NEA Group of experts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-04-01

CSNI Report 136 summarizes the results of the work performed by the Group of Experts on the Source Term and Environmental Consequences (PWG4) during the period extending from 1983 and 1986. This report is complementary to Part 1, 'Technical Status of the Source Term' of CSNI Report 135, 'Report to CSNI on Source Term Assessment, Containment atmosphere control systems, and accident consequences'; it considers in detail a number of very specific issues thought to be important in the source term area. It consists of: an executive summary (prepared by the Chairman of the Group), a section on conclusions and recommendations, and five technical chapters (fission product chemistry in the primary circuit of a LWR during severe accidents; resuspension/re-entrainment of aerosols in LWRs following a meltdown accident; iodine chemistry under severe accident conditions; effects of combustion, steam explosions and pressurized melt ejection on fission product behaviour; radionuclide removal by pool scrubbing), a technical annex and two appendices

Development of the methodology for application of revised source term to operating nuclear power plants in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, M.S.; Kang, P.; Kang, C.S.; Moon, J.H.

2004-01-01

Considering the current trend in applying the revised source term proposed by NUREG-1465 to the nuclear power plants in the U.S., it is expected that the revised source term will be applied to the Korean operating nuclear power plants in the near future, even though the exact time can not be estimated. To meet the future technical demands, it is necessary to prepare the technical system including the related regulatory requirements in advance. In this research, therefore, it is intended to develop the methodology to apply the revised source term to operating nuclear power plants in Korea. Several principles were established to develop the application methodologies. First, it is not necessary to modify the existing regulations about source term (i.e., any back-fitting to operating nuclear plants is not necessary). Second, if the pertinent margin of safety is guaranteed, the revised source term suggested by NUREG-1465 may be useful to full application. Finally, a part of revised source term could be selected to application based on the technical feasibility. As the results of this research, several methodologies to apply the revised source term to the Korean operating nuclear power plants have been developed, which include: 1) the selective (or limited) application to use only some of all the characteristics of the revised source term, such as release timing of fission products and chemical form of radio-iodine and 2) the full application to use all the characteristics of the revised source term. The developed methodologies are actually applied to Ulchin 9 and 4 units and their application feasibilities are reviewed. The results of this research are used as either a manual in establishing the plan and the procedure for applying the revised source term to the domestic nuclear plant from the utility's viewpoint; or a technical basis of revising the related regulations from the regulatory body's viewpoint. The application of revised source term to operating nuclear

Source-term model for the SYVAC3-NSURE performance assessment code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowat, J.H.; Rattan, D.S.; Dolinar, G.M.

1996-11-01

Radionuclide contaminants in wastes emplaced in disposal facilities will not remain in those facilities indefinitely. Engineered barriers will eventually degrade, allowing radioactivity to escape from the vault. The radionuclide release rate from a low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal facility, the source term, is a key component in the performance assessment of the disposal system. This report describes the source-term model that has been implemented in Ver. 1.03 of the SYVAC3-NSURE (Systems Variability Analysis Code generation 3-Near Surface Repository) code. NSURE is a performance assessment code that evaluates the impact of near-surface disposal of LLRW through the groundwater pathway. The source-term model described here was developed for the Intrusion Resistant Underground Structure (IRUS) disposal facility, which is a vault that is to be located in the unsaturated overburden at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories. The processes included in the vault model are roof and waste package performance, and diffusion, advection and sorption of radionuclides in the vault backfill. The model presented here was developed for the IRUS vault; however, it is applicable to other near-surface disposal facilities. (author). 40 refs., 6 figs

Considerations about source term now used aiming to emergency planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Austregesilo Filho, H.

1987-01-01

The applicability of source terms, in parametric studies for improving external emergengy plan for Angra-I reactor is presented. The source term is defined as, the quantity and radioactive material disposable for releasing to the environment in case of austere accident in a nuclear power plant. The following hypothesis: occuring accident, 100% of the noble gases, 50% of halogens and 1% of solid fission products contained into the reactor core, are released immediately toward the containment building; the radioactivity releasing to the environment is done at a constant rate of 0.1% in mass per day; the actuation of mitigated systems of radioactivity releasing, such as, spray of container or system of air recirculation by filters, is not considered; and the releasing is done at soil level. (M.C.K.) [pt

A note on variational multiscale methods for high-contrast heterogeneous porous media flows with rough source terms

KAUST Repository

Calo, Victor M.

2011-09-01

In this short note, we discuss variational multiscale methods for solving porous media flows in high-contrast heterogeneous media with rough source terms. Our objective is to separate, as much as possible, subgrid effects induced by the media properties from those due to heterogeneous source terms. For this reason, enriched coarse spaces designed for high-contrast multiscale problems are used to represent the effects of heterogeneities of the media. Furthermore, rough source terms are captured via auxiliary correction equations that appear in the formulation of variational multiscale methods [23]. These auxiliary equations are localized and one can use additive or multiplicative constructions for the subgrid corrections as discussed in the current paper. Our preliminary numerical results show that one can capture the effects due to both spatial heterogeneities in the coefficients (such as permeability field) and source terms (e.g., due to singular well terms) in one iteration. We test the cases for both smooth source terms and rough source terms and show that with the multiplicative correction, the numerical approximations are more accurate compared to the additive correction. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Dosimetry audit on the accuracy of 192Ir brachytherapy source strength determinations in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlsson Tedgren, Aasa

2007-11-15

The absorbed dose delivered to the patient in brachytherapy is directly proportional to the source strength in terms of the reference air-kerma rate (RAKR). Verification of this quantity by the hospitals is widely recognized as an important part of a quality assurance program. An external audit was performed on behalf of the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The aim was to investigate how accurately the source-strength in 192Ir brachytherapy is determined at Swedish hospitals. The SSI reference well-type ion chamber and calibrated equipment were used to measure the RAKR of an 192Ir source in each of the 14 Swedish afterloading units. Comparisons with values determined by vendors and hospitals were made. Agreement in values of RAKR as determined by SSI, hospitals and vendors were in all cases within the +-3% uncertainty (at a coverage factor of k=2), typically guaranteed by the vendors. The good agreement reflects the robustness and easy handling of well-type chambers designed for brachytherapy in use by all Swedish hospitals. The 192Ir calibration service planned at SSI will solve the hospitals current problem with recalibration of equipment. SSI can also advise hospitals to follow the IAEA recommendations for measurement techniques and maintenance of equipment. It is worthwhile for the hospitals to establish their own ratio (or deviation) with the vendor and follow it as function of time. Such a mean-ratio embeds systematic differences of various origins and have a lower uncertainty than has the RAKR alone, making it useful for early detection of problems with equipment or routines. SSI could also define requirements for the agreement between source strengths as determined by hospitals and vendors and couple this to an action plan, dependent on level of disagreement, and some kind of reporting to SSI

Dosimetry audit on the accuracy of 192Ir brachytherapy source strength determinations in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson Tedgren, Aasa

2007-11-01

The absorbed dose delivered to the patient in brachytherapy is directly proportional to the source strength in terms of the reference air-kerma rate (RAKR). Verification of this quantity by the hospitals is widely recognized as an important part of a quality assurance program. An external audit was performed on behalf of the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The aim was to investigate how accurately the source-strength in 192 Ir brachytherapy is determined at Swedish hospitals. The SSI reference well-type ion chamber and calibrated equipment were used to measure the RAKR of an 192 Ir source in each of the 14 Swedish afterloading units. Comparisons with values determined by vendors and hospitals were made. Agreement in values of RAKR as determined by SSI, hospitals and vendors were in all cases within the ±3% uncertainty (at a coverage factor of k=2), typically guaranteed by the vendors. The good agreement reflects the robustness and easy handling of well-type chambers designed for brachytherapy in use by all Swedish hospitals. The 192 Ir calibration service planned at SSI will solve the hospitals current problem with recalibration of equipment. SSI can also advise hospitals to follow the IAEA recommendations for measurement techniques and maintenance of equipment. It is worthwhile for the hospitals to establish their own ratio (or deviation) with the vendor and follow it as function of time. Such a mean-ratio embeds systematic differences of various origins and have a lower uncertainty than has the RAKR alone, making it useful for early detection of problems with equipment or routines. SSI could also define requirements for the agreement between source strengths as determined by hospitals and vendors and couple this to an action plan, dependent on level of disagreement, and some kind of reporting to SSI

Distributed source term analysis, a new approach to nuclear material inventory verification

CERN Document Server

Beddingfield, D H

2002-01-01

The Distributed Source-Term Analysis (DSTA) technique is a new approach to measuring in-process material holdup that is a significant departure from traditional hold-up measurement methodology. The DSTA method is a means of determining the mass of nuclear material within a large, diffuse, volume using passive neutron counting. The DSTA method is a more efficient approach than traditional methods of holdup measurement and inventory verification. The time spent in performing DSTA measurement and analysis is a fraction of that required by traditional techniques. The error ascribed to a DSTA survey result is generally less than that from traditional methods. Also, the negative bias ascribed to gamma-ray methods is greatly diminished because the DSTA method uses neutrons which are more penetrating than gamma-rays.

Distributed source term analysis, a new approach to nuclear material inventory verification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beddingfield, D.H.; Menlove, H.O.

2002-01-01

The Distributed Source-Term Analysis (DSTA) technique is a new approach to measuring in-process material holdup that is a significant departure from traditional hold-up measurement methodology. The DSTA method is a means of determining the mass of nuclear material within a large, diffuse, volume using passive neutron counting. The DSTA method is a more efficient approach than traditional methods of holdup measurement and inventory verification. The time spent in performing DSTA measurement and analysis is a fraction of that required by traditional techniques. The error ascribed to a DSTA survey result is generally less than that from traditional methods. Also, the negative bias ascribed to γ-ray methods is greatly diminished because the DSTA method uses neutrons which are more penetrating than γ-rays

48 CFR 32.203 - Determining contract financing terms.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... financing terms. 32.203 Section 32.203 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT FINANCING Commercial Item Purchase Financing 32.203 Determining contract financing terms. When the criteria in 32.202-1(b) are met, the contracting officer may either...

Centrifugal Filtration System for Severe Accident Source Term Treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Shu Chang; Yim, Man Sung [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The objective of this paper is to present the conceptual design of a filtration system that can be used to process airborne severe accident source term. Reactor containment may lose its structural integrity due to over-pressurization during a severe accident. This can lead to uncontrolled radioactive releases to the environment. For preventing the dispersion of these uncontrolled radioactive releases to the environment, several ways to capture or mitigate these radioactive source term releases are under investigation at KAIST. Such technologies are based on concepts like a vortex-like air curtain, a chemical spray, and a suction arm. Treatment of the radioactive material captured by these systems would be required, before releasing to environment. For current filtration systems in the nuclear industry, IAEA lists sand, multi-venturi scrubber, high efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA), charcoal and combinations of the above in NS-G-1-10, 4.143. Most if not all of the requirements of the scenario for applying this technology near the containment of an NPP site and the environmental constraints were analyzed for use in the design of the centrifuge filtration system.

48 CFR 47.304 - Determination of delivery terms.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Determination of delivery terms. 47.304 Section 47.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT TRANSPORTATION Transportation in Supply Contracts 47.304 Determination of delivery...

Advanced Reactor PSA Methodologies for System Reliability Analysis and Source Term Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabaskas, D.; Brunett, A.; Passerini, S.; Grelle, A.; Bucknor, M.

2017-06-26

Beginning in 2015, a project was initiated to update and modernize the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) of the GE-Hitachi PRISM sodium fast reactor. This project is a collaboration between GE-Hitachi and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. Specifically, the role of Argonne is to assess the reliability of passive safety systems, complete a mechanistic source term calculation, and provide component reliability estimates. The assessment of passive system reliability focused on the performance of the Reactor Vessel Auxiliary Cooling System (RVACS) and the inherent reactivity feedback mechanisms of the metal fuel core. The mechanistic source term assessment attempted to provide a sequence specific source term evaluation to quantify offsite consequences. Lastly, the reliability assessment focused on components specific to the sodium fast reactor, including electromagnetic pumps, intermediate heat exchangers, the steam generator, and sodium valves and piping.

37 CFR 1.705 - Patent term adjustment determination.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Patent term adjustment determination. 1.705 Section 1.705 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES Adjustment and Extension of Patent Term...

Limitations of absolute activity determination of I-125 sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pelled, O; German, U; Kol, R; Levinson, S; Weinstein, M; Laichter, Y [Israel Atomic Energy Commission, Beersheba (Israel). Nuclear Research Center-Negev; Alphasy, Z [Ben-Gurion Univ. of the Negev, Beersheba (Israel)

1996-12-01

A method for absolute determination of the activity of a I-125 source, based on the counting rate values of the 27 keV photons and the coincidence photon peak is given in the literature. It is based on the principle that if a radionuclide emits two photons in coincidence , a measurement of its disintegration rate in the photopeak and in the sum- peak can determinate it`s absolute activity. When using this method , the system calibration is simplified and parameters such as source geometry or source position relative to the detector have no significant influence. However, when the coincidence rate is very low, the application of this method is limited because of the statistics of the coincidence peak (authors).

ITER safety task NID-5a: ITER tritium environmental source terms - safety analysis basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natalizio, A.; Kalyanam, K.M.

1994-09-01

The Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project's (CFFTP) is part of the contribution to ITER task NID-5a, Initial Tritium Source Term. This safety analysis basis constitutes the first part of the work for establishing tritium source terms and is intended to solicit comments and obtain agreement. The analysis objective is to provide an early estimate of tritium environmental source terms for the events to be analyzed. Events that would result in the loss of tritium are: a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA), a vacuum vessel boundary breach. a torus exhaust line failure, a fuelling machine process boundary failure, a fuel processing system process boundary failure, a water detritiation system process boundary failure and an isotope separation system process boundary failure. 9 figs

New Source Term Model for the RESRAD-OFFSITE Code Version 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Charley [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Gnanapragasam, Emmanuel [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Cheng, Jing-Jy [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Kamboj, Sunita [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Chen, Shih-Yew [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2013-06-01

This report documents the new source term model developed and implemented in Version 3 of the RESRAD-OFFSITE code. This new source term model includes: (1) "first order release with transport" option, in which the release of the radionuclide is proportional to the inventory in the primary contamination and the user-specified leach rate is the proportionality constant, (2) "equilibrium desorption release" option, in which the user specifies the distribution coefficient which quantifies the partitioning of the radionuclide between the solid and aqueous phases, and (3) "uniform release" option, in which the radionuclides are released from a constant fraction of the initially contaminated material during each time interval and the user specifies the duration over which the radionuclides are released.

Regulatory Technology Development Plan - Sodium Fast Reactor. Mechanistic Source Term - Metal Fuel Radionuclide Release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grabaskas, David; Bucknor, Matthew; Jerden, James

2016-01-01

The development of an accurate and defensible mechanistic source term will be vital for the future licensing efforts of metal fuel, pool-type sodium fast reactors. To assist in the creation of a comprehensive mechanistic source term, the current effort sought to estimate the release fraction of radionuclides from metal fuel pins to the primary sodium coolant during fuel pin failures at a variety of temperature conditions. These release estimates were based on the findings of an extensive literature search, which reviewed past experimentation and reactor fuel damage accidents. Data sources for each radionuclide of interest were reviewed to establish release fractions, along with possible release dependencies, and the corresponding uncertainty levels. Although the current knowledge base is substantial, and radionuclide release fractions were established for the elements deemed important for the determination of offsite consequences following a reactor accident, gaps were found pertaining to several radionuclides. First, there is uncertainty regarding the transport behavior of several radionuclides (iodine, barium, strontium, tellurium, and europium) during metal fuel irradiation to high burnup levels. The migration of these radionuclides within the fuel matrix and bond sodium region can greatly affect their release during pin failure incidents. Post-irradiation examination of existing high burnup metal fuel can likely resolve this knowledge gap. Second, data regarding the radionuclide release from molten high burnup metal fuel in sodium is sparse, which makes the assessment of radionuclide release from fuel melting accidents at high fuel burnup levels difficult. This gap could be addressed through fuel melting experimentation with samples from the existing high burnup metal fuel inventory.

Regulatory Technology Development Plan - Sodium Fast Reactor. Mechanistic Source Term - Metal Fuel Radionuclide Release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabaskas, David [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Bucknor, Matthew [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Jerden, James [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2016-02-01

The development of an accurate and defensible mechanistic source term will be vital for the future licensing efforts of metal fuel, pool-type sodium fast reactors. To assist in the creation of a comprehensive mechanistic source term, the current effort sought to estimate the release fraction of radionuclides from metal fuel pins to the primary sodium coolant during fuel pin failures at a variety of temperature conditions. These release estimates were based on the findings of an extensive literature search, which reviewed past experimentation and reactor fuel damage accidents. Data sources for each radionuclide of interest were reviewed to establish release fractions, along with possible release dependencies, and the corresponding uncertainty levels. Although the current knowledge base is substantial, and radionuclide release fractions were established for the elements deemed important for the determination of offsite consequences following a reactor accident, gaps were found pertaining to several radionuclides. First, there is uncertainty regarding the transport behavior of several radionuclides (iodine, barium, strontium, tellurium, and europium) during metal fuel irradiation to high burnup levels. The migration of these radionuclides within the fuel matrix and bond sodium region can greatly affect their release during pin failure incidents. Post-irradiation examination of existing high burnup metal fuel can likely resolve this knowledge gap. Second, data regarding the radionuclide release from molten high burnup metal fuel in sodium is sparse, which makes the assessment of radionuclide release from fuel melting accidents at high fuel burnup levels difficult. This gap could be addressed through fuel melting experimentation with samples from the existing high burnup metal fuel inventory.

An artificial neural network approach to reconstruct the source term of a nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giles, J.; Palma, C. R.; Weller, P.

1997-01-01

This work makes use of one of the main features of artificial neural networks, which is their ability to 'learn' from sets of known input and output data. Indeed, a trained artificial neural network can be used to make predictions on the input data when the output is known, and this feedback process enables one to reconstruct the source term from field observations. With this aim, an artificial neural networks has been trained, using the projections of a segmented plume atmospheric dispersion model at fixed points, simulating a set of gamma detectors located outside the perimeter of a nuclear facility. The resulting set of artificial neural networks was used to determine the release fraction and rate for each of the noble gases, iodines and particulate fission products that could originate from a nuclear accident. Model projections were made using a large data set consisting of effective release height, release fraction of noble gases, iodines and particulate fission products, atmospheric stability, wind speed and wind direction. The model computed nuclide-specific gamma dose rates. The locations of the detectors were chosen taking into account both building shine and wake effects, and varied in distance between 800 and 1200 m from the reactor.The inputs to the artificial neural networks consisted of the measurements from the detector array, atmospheric stability, wind speed and wind direction; the outputs comprised a set of release fractions and heights. Once trained, the artificial neural networks was used to reconstruct the source term from the detector responses for data sets not used in training. The preliminary results are encouraging and show that the noble gases and particulate fission product release fractions are well determined

A novel integrated approach for the hazardous radioactive dust source terms estimation in future nuclear fusion power plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Poggi, L A; Malizia, A; Ciparisse, J F; Gaudio, P

2016-10-01

An open issue still under investigation by several international entities working on the safety and security field for the foreseen nuclear fusion reactors is the estimation of source terms that are a hazard for the operators and public, and for the machine itself in terms of efficiency and integrity in case of severe accident scenarios. Source term estimation is a crucial key safety issue to be addressed in the future reactors safety assessments, and the estimates available at the time are not sufficiently satisfactory. The lack of neutronic data along with the insufficiently accurate methodologies used until now, calls for an integrated methodology for source term estimation that can provide predictions with an adequate accuracy. This work proposes a complete methodology to estimate dust source terms starting from a broad information gathering. The wide number of parameters that can influence dust source term production is reduced with statistical tools using a combination of screening, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analysis. Finally, a preliminary and simplified methodology for dust source term production prediction for future devices is presented.

Chernobyl source term, atmospheric dispersion, and dose estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gudiksen, P.H.; Harvey, T.F.; Lange, R.

1988-02-01

The Chernobyl source term available for long-range transport was estimated by integration of radiological measurements with atmospheric dispersion modeling, and by reactor core radionuclide inventory estimation in conjunction with WASH-1400 release fractions associated with specific chemical groups. These analyses indicated that essentially all of the noble gases, 80% of the radioiodines, 40% of the radiocesium, 10% of the tellurium, and about 1% or less of the more refractory elements were released. Atmospheric dispersion modeling of the radioactive cloud over the Northern Hemisphere revealed that the cloud became segmented during the first day, with the lower section heading toward Scandinavia and the uppper part heading in a southeasterly direction with subsequent transport across Asia to Japan, the North Pacific, and the west coast of North America. The inhalation doses due to direct cloud exposure were estimated to exceed 10 mGy near the Chernobyl area, to range between 0.1 and 0.001 mGy within most of Europe, and to be generally less than 0.00001 mGy within the US. The Chernobyl source term was several orders of magnitude greater than those associated with the Windscale and TMI reactor accidents, while the 137 Cs from the Chernobyl event is about 6% of that released by the US and USSR atmospheric nuclear weapon tests. 9 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs

ANL calculational methodologies for determining spent nuclear fuel source term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKnight, R. D.

2000-01-01

Over the last decade Argonne National Laboratory has developed reactor depletion methods and models to determine radionuclide inventories of irradiated EBR-II fuels. Predicted masses based on these calculational methodologies have been validated using available data from destructive measurements--first from measurements of lead EBR-II experimental test assemblies and later using data obtained from processing irradiated EBR-II fuel assemblies in the Fuel Conditioning Facility. Details of these generic methodologies are described herein. Validation results demonstrate these methods meet the FCF operations and material control and accountancy requirements

Dosimetry audit on the accuracy of {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy source strength determinations in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlsson Tedgren, Aasa

2007-11-15

The absorbed dose delivered to the patient in brachytherapy is directly proportional to the source strength in terms of the reference air-kerma rate (RAKR). Verification of this quantity by the hospitals is widely recognized as an important part of a quality assurance program. An external audit was performed on behalf of the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI). The aim was to investigate how accurately the source-strength in {sup 192}Ir brachytherapy is determined at Swedish hospitals. The SSI reference well-type ion chamber and calibrated equipment were used to measure the RAKR of an {sup 192}Ir source in each of the 14 Swedish afterloading units. Comparisons with values determined by vendors and hospitals were made. Agreement in values of RAKR as determined by SSI, hospitals and vendors were in all cases within the {+-}3% uncertainty (at a coverage factor of k=2), typically guaranteed by the vendors. The good agreement reflects the robustness and easy handling of well-type chambers designed for brachytherapy in use by all Swedish hospitals. The {sup 192}Ir calibration service planned at SSI will solve the hospitals current problem with recalibration of equipment. SSI can also advise hospitals to follow the IAEA recommendations for measurement techniques and maintenance of equipment. It is worthwhile for the hospitals to establish their own ratio (or deviation) with the vendor and follow it as function of time. Such a mean-ratio embeds systematic differences of various origins and have a lower uncertainty than has the RAKR alone, making it useful for early detection of problems with equipment or routines. SSI could also define requirements for the agreement between source strengths as determined by hospitals and vendors and couple this to an action plan, dependent on level of disagreement, and some kind of reporting to SSI.

Source term identification in atmospheric modelling via sparse optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Lukas; Branda, Martin; Hamburger, Thomas

2015-04-01

Inverse modelling plays an important role in identifying the amount of harmful substances released into atmosphere during major incidents such as power plant accidents or volcano eruptions. Another possible application of inverse modelling lies in the monitoring the CO2 emission limits where only observations at certain places are available and the task is to estimate the total releases at given locations. This gives rise to minimizing the discrepancy between the observations and the model predictions. There are two standard ways of solving such problems. In the first one, this discrepancy is regularized by adding additional terms. Such terms may include Tikhonov regularization, distance from a priori information or a smoothing term. The resulting, usually quadratic, problem is then solved via standard optimization solvers. The second approach assumes that the error term has a (normal) distribution and makes use of Bayesian modelling to identify the source term. Instead of following the above-mentioned approaches, we utilize techniques from the field of compressive sensing. Such techniques look for a sparsest solution (solution with the smallest number of nonzeros) of a linear system, where a maximal allowed error term may be added to this system. Even though this field is a developed one with many possible solution techniques, most of them do not consider even the simplest constraints which are naturally present in atmospheric modelling. One of such examples is the nonnegativity of release amounts. We believe that the concept of a sparse solution is natural in both problems of identification of the source location and of the time process of the source release. In the first case, it is usually assumed that there are only few release points and the task is to find them. In the second case, the time window is usually much longer than the duration of the actual release. In both cases, the optimal solution should contain a large amount of zeros, giving rise to the

Fission product source terms and engineered safety features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malinauskas, A.P.

1984-01-01

The author states that new, technically defensible, methodologies to establish realistic source term values for nuclear reactor accidents will soon be available. Although these methodologies will undoubtedly find widespread use in the development of accident response procedures, the author states that it is less clear that the industry is preparing to employ the newer results to develop a more rational approach to strategies for the mitigation of fission product releases. Questions concerning the performance of existing engineered safety systems are reviewed

Use of source term code package in the ELEBRA MX-850 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guimaraes, A.C.F.; Goes, A.G.A.

1988-12-01

The implantation of source term code package in the ELEBRA-MX850 system is presented. The source term is formed when radioactive materials generated in nuclear fuel leakage toward containment and the external environment to reactor containment. The implantated version in the ELEBRA system are composed of five codes: MARCH 3, TRAPMELT 3, THCCA, VANESA and NAVA. The original example case was used. The example consists of a small loca accident in a PWR type reactor. A sensitivity study for the TRAPMELT 3 code was carried out, modifying the 'TIME STEP' to estimate the processing time of CPU for executing the original example case. (M.C.K.) [pt

Development of Reference Source Terms for EU-APR1400

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, ByungIl; Lee, Chonghui; Lee, Dongsu; Ko, Heejin; Kang, Sangho [KEPCO Engineering and Construction Co. Inc., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

These source terms are developed for the typical U. S. NPP and do not reflect the design characteristics of EU-APR1400 (1,400 MWe PWR) which will be applied for the EUR certification in European countries. The process of developing the RST for EU-APR1400 is to undergo a similar process that NUREG-1465 had gone through when it came out with its proposed source terms. The purpose of this study is to develop the EU-APR1400 design-specific RST complied with the EUR. The Large LOCA is the reference equence used in the NUREG-1465 evaluation, whereas the EUAPR1400 risk-significant sequences are dominated by small LOCA and non-LOCA sequences. Moreover, when considering the EU-APR1400 has many design features to mitigate the consequences of severe accident phenomena, it is not surprising that the aspects of both release fractions and durations are distinctly different from NUREG-1465. This RST will be continuously updated to reflect to the design features of EU-APR1400, and then, be used as the reference for design purposes such as criteria satisfaction of radioactivity releases, equipment survivability, control room habitability for severe accident, and so on.

Semi-implicit and fully implicit shock-capturing methods for hyperbolic conservation laws with stiff source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yee, H.C.; Shinn, J.L.

1986-12-01

Some numerical aspects of finite-difference algorithms for nonlinear multidimensional hyperbolic conservation laws with stiff nonhomogenous (source) terms are discussed. If the stiffness is entirely dominated by the source term, a semi-implicit shock-capturing method is proposed provided that the Jacobian of the source terms possesses certain properties. The proposed semi-implicit method can be viewed as a variant of the Bussing and Murman point-implicit scheme with a more appropriate numerical dissipation for the computation of strong shock waves. However, if the stiffness is not solely dominated by the source terms, a fully implicit method would be a better choice. The situation is complicated by problems that are higher than one dimension, and the presence of stiff source terms further complicates the solution procedures for alternating direction implicit (ADI) methods. Several alternatives are discussed. The primary motivation for constructing these schemes was to address thermally and chemically nonequilibrium flows in the hypersonic regime. Due to the unique structure of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors for fluid flows of this type, the computation can be simplified, thus providing a more efficient solution procedure than one might have anticipated

Semi-implicit and fully implicit shock-capturing methods for hyperbolic conservation laws with stiff source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yee, H.C.; Shinn, J.L.

1987-01-01

Some numerical aspects of finite-difference algorithms for nonlinear multidimensional hyperbolic conservation laws with stiff nonhomogeneous (source) terms are discussed. If the stiffness is entirely dominated by the source term, a semi-implicit shock-capturing method is proposed provided that the Jacobian of the source terms possesses certain properties. The proposed semi-implicit method can be viewed as a variant of the Bussing and Murman point-implicit scheme with a more appropriate numerical dissipation for the computation of strong shock waves. However, if the stiffness is not solely dominated by the source terms, a fully implicit method would be a better choice. The situation is complicated by problems that are higher than one dimension, and the presence of stiff source terms further complicates the solution procedures for alternating direction implicit (ADI) methods. Several alternatives are discussed. The primary motivation for constructing these schemes was to address thermally and chemically nonequilibrium flows in the hypersonic regime. Due to the unique structure of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors for fluid flows of this type, the computation can be simplified, thus providing a more efficient solution procedure than one might have anticipated. 46 references

Neutron source strength determination for on-line reactivity measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoogenboom, J.E.; Sluijs, A.R. van der

1988-01-01

A method is described to determine the effective neutron source strength in a nuclear reactor, which must be known when calculating the time-varying reactivity from inverse reactor kinetics for a reactor at low power. When for an initially subcritical reactor the reactivity is changed and kept constant after the change, the effective source strength can be determined from a linear regression of reactor power to a function proportional to the emission rate of delayed neutrons, which can be calculated from the reactor power history. In view of the relatively strong noise present in the reactor power signal at low power, a grouping method for the regression is preferred over the least-squares method. Experiments with a reactor simulator with known source strength showed good agreement. Application to actual reactor signals gave consistent and satisfactory results.

Determining the sources of fine-grained sediment using the Sediment Source Assessment Tool (Sed_SAT)

Science.gov (United States)

Gorman Sanisaca, Lillian E.; Gellis, Allen C.; Lorenz, David L.

2017-07-27

A sound understanding of sources contributing to instream sediment flux in a watershed is important when developing total maximum daily load (TMDL) management strategies designed to reduce suspended sediment in streams. Sediment fingerprinting and sediment budget approaches are two techniques that, when used jointly, can qualify and quantify the major sources of sediment in a given watershed. The sediment fingerprinting approach uses trace element concentrations from samples in known potential source areas to determine a clear signature of each potential source. A mixing model is then used to determine the relative source contribution to the target suspended sediment samples.The computational steps required to apportion sediment for each target sample are quite involved and time intensive, a problem the Sediment Source Assessment Tool (Sed_SAT) addresses. Sed_SAT is a user-friendly statistical model that guides the user through the necessary steps in order to quantify the relative contributions of sediment sources in a given watershed. The model is written using the statistical software R (R Core Team, 2016b) and utilizes Microsoft Access® as a user interface but requires no prior knowledge of R or Microsoft Access® to successfully run the model successfully. Sed_SAT identifies outliers, corrects for differences in size and organic content in the source samples relative to the target samples, evaluates the conservative behavior of tracers used in fingerprinting by applying a “Bracket Test,” identifies tracers with the highest discriminatory power, and provides robust error analysis through a Monte Carlo simulation following the mixing model. Quantifying sediment source contributions using the sediment fingerprinting approach provides local, State, and Federal land management agencies with important information needed to implement effective strategies to reduce sediment. Sed_SAT is designed to assist these agencies in applying the sediment fingerprinting

Inventory and source term evaluation of Russian nuclear power plants for marine applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reistad, O.; Oelgaard, P.L.

2006-04-01

This report discusses inventory and source term properties in regard to operation and possible releases due to accidents from Russian marine reactor systems. The first part of the report discusses relevant accidents on the basis of both Russian and western sources. The overview shows that certain vessels were much more accident prone compared to others, in addition, there have been a noteworthy reduction in accidents the last two decades. However, during the last years new types of incidents, such as collisions, has occurred more frequently. The second part of the study considers in detail the most important factors for the source term; reactor operational characteristics and the radionuclide inventory. While Russian icebreakers has been operated on a similar basis as commercial power plants, the submarines has different power cyclograms which results in considerable lower values for fission product inventory. Theoretical values for radionuclide inventory are compared with computed results using the modelling tool HELIOS. Regarding inventory of transuranic elements, the results of the calculations are discussed in detail for selected vessels. Criticality accidents, loss-of-cooling accidents and sinking accidents are considered, bases on actual experiences with these types of accident and on theoretical considerations, and source terms for these accidents are discussed in the last chapter. (au)

Inventory and source term evaluation of Russian nuclear power plants for marine applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reistad, O. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Norway); Oelgaard, P.L. [Risoe National Lab. (Denmark)

2006-04-15

This report discusses inventory and source term properties in regard to operation and possible releases due to accidents from Russian marine reactor systems. The first part of the report discusses relevant accidents on the basis of both Russian and western sources. The overview shows that certain vessels were much more accident prone compared to others, in addition, there have been a noteworthy reduction in accidents the last two decades. However, during the last years new types of incidents, such as collisions, has occurred more frequently. The second part of the study considers in detail the most important factors for the source term; reactor operational characteristics and the radionuclide inventory. While Russian icebreakers has been operated on a similar basis as commercial power plants, the submarines has different power cyclograms which results in considerable lower values for fission product inventory. Theoretical values for radionuclide inventory are compared with computed results using the modelling tool HELIOS. Regarding inventory of transuranic elements, the results of the calculations are discussed in detail for selected vessels. Criticality accidents, loss-of-cooling accidents and sinking accidents are considered, bases on actual experiences with these types of accident and on theoretical considerations, and source terms for these accidents are discussed in the last chapter. (au)

Unsplit schemes for hyperbolic conservation laws with source terms in one space dimension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papalexandris, M.V.; Leonard, A.; Dimotakis, P.E.

1997-01-01

The present work is concerned with an application of the theory of characteristics to conservation laws with source terms in one space dimension, such as the Euler equations for reacting flows. Space-time paths are introduced on which the flow/chemistry equations decouple to a characteristic set of ODE's for the corresponding homogeneous laws, thus allowing the introduction of functions analogous to the Riemann invariants in classical theory. The geometry of these paths depends on the spatial gradients of the solution. This particular decomposition can be used in the design of efficient unsplit algorithms for the numerical integration of the equations. As a first step, these ideas are implemented for the case of a scalar conservation law with a nonlinear source term. The resulting algorithm belongs to the class of MUSCL-type, shock-capturing schemes. Its accuracy and robustness are checked through a series of tests. The stiffness of the source term is also studied. Then, the algorithm is generalized for a system of hyperbolic equations, namely the Euler equations for reacting flows. A numerical study of unstable detonations is performed. 57 refs

Challenges in defining a radiologic and hydrologic source term for underground nuclear test centers, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.K.

1995-06-01

The compilation of a radionuclide inventory for long-lived radioactive contaminants residual from nuclear testing provides a partial measure of the radiologic source term at the Nevada Test Site. The radiologic source term also includes potentially mobile short-lived radionuclides excluded from the inventory. The radiologic source term for tritium is known with accuracy and is equivalent to the hydrologic source term within the saturated zone. Definition of the total hydrologic source term for fission and activation products that have high activities for decades following underground testing involves knowledge and assumptions which are presently unavailable. Systematic investigation of the behavior of fission products, activation products and actinides under saturated or Partially saturated conditions is imperative to define a representative total hydrologic source term. This is particularly important given the heterogeneous distribution of radionuclides within testing centers. Data quality objectives which emphasize a combination of measurements and credible estimates of the hydrologic source term are a priority for near-field investigations at the Nevada Test Site

Least-squares finite-element method for shallow-water equations with source terms

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Shin-Jye Liang; Tai-Wen Hsu

2009-01-01

Numerical solution of shallow-water equations (SWE) has been a challenging task because of its nonlinear hyperbolic nature, admitting discontinuous solution, and the need to satisfy the C-property. The presence of source terms in momentum equations, such as the bottom slope and friction of bed, compounds the difficulties further. In this paper, a least-squares finite-element method for the space discretization and θ-method for the time integration is developed for the 2D non-conservative SWE including the source terms. Advantages of the method include: the source terms can be approximated easily with interpolation functions, no upwind scheme is needed, as well as the resulting system equations is symmetric and positive-definite, therefore, can be solved efficiently with the conjugate gradient method. The method is applied to steady and unsteady flows, subcritical and transcritical flow over a bump, 1D and 2D circular dam-break, wave past a circular cylinder, as well as wave past a hump. Computed results show good C-property, conservation property and compare well with exact solutions and other numerical results for flows with weak and mild gradient changes, but lead to inaccurate predictions for flows with strong gradient changes and discontinuities.

DUSTMS-D: DISPOSAL UNIT SOURCE TERM - MULTIPLE SPECIES - DISTRIBUTED FAILURE DATA INPUT GUIDE.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SULLIVAN, T.M.

2006-01-01

Performance assessment of a low-level waste (LLW) disposal facility begins with an estimation of the rate at which radionuclides migrate out of the facility (i.e., the source term). The focus of this work is to develop a methodology for calculating the source term. In general, the source term is influenced by the radionuclide inventory, the wasteforms and containers used to dispose of the inventory, and the physical processes that lead to release from the facility (fluid flow, container degradation, wasteform leaching, and radionuclide transport). Many of these physical processes are influenced by the design of the disposal facility (e.g., how the engineered barriers control infiltration of water). The complexity of the problem and the absence of appropriate data prevent development of an entirely mechanistic representation of radionuclide release from a disposal facility. Typically, a number of assumptions, based on knowledge of the disposal system, are used to simplify the problem. This has been done and the resulting models have been incorporated into the computer code DUST-MS (Disposal Unit Source Term-Multiple Species). The DUST-MS computer code is designed to model water flow, container degradation, release of contaminants from the wasteform to the contacting solution and transport through the subsurface media. Water flow through the facility over time is modeled using tabular input. Container degradation models include three types of failure rates: (a) instantaneous (all containers in a control volume fail at once), (b) uniformly distributed failures (containers fail at a linear rate between a specified starting and ending time), and (c) gaussian failure rates (containers fail at a rate determined by a mean failure time, standard deviation and gaussian distribution). Wasteform release models include four release mechanisms: (a) rinse with partitioning (inventory is released instantly upon container failure subject to equilibrium partitioning (sorption) with

Atucha-I source terms for sequences initiated by transients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baron, J.; Bastianelli, B.

1997-01-01

The present work is part of an expected source terms study in the Atucha I nuclear power plant during severe accidents. From the accident sequences with a significant probability to produce core damage, those initiated by operational transients have been identified as the most relevant. These sequences have some common characteristics, in the sense that all of them resume in the opening of the primary system safety valves, and leave this path open for the coolant loss. In the case these sequences continue as severe accidents, the same path will be used for the release of the radionuclides, from the core, through the primary system and to the containment. Later in the severe accident sequence, the failure of the pressure vessel will occur, and the corium will fall inside the reactor cavity, interacting with the concrete. During these processes, more radioactive products will be released inside the containment. In the present work the severe accident simulation initiated by a blackout is performed, from the point of view of the phenomenology of the behavior of the radioactive products, as they are transported in the piping, during the core-concrete interactions, and inside the containment buildings until it failure. The final result is the source term into the atmosphere. (author) [es

Method to determine the strength of a neutron source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vega C, H.R.; Manzanares A, E.; Hernandez D, V.M.; Chacon R, A.; Mercado, G.A. [UAZ, A.P. 336, 98000 Zacatecas (Mexico); Gallego, E.; Lorente, A. [Depto. Ingenieria Nuclear, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, (Spain)

2006-07-01

The use of a gamma-ray spectrometer with a 3 {phi} x 3 NaI(Tl) detector, with a moderator sphere has been studied in the aim to measure the neutron fluence rate and to determine the source strength. Moderators with a large amount of hydrogen are able to slowdown and thermalize neutrons; once thermalized there is a probability that thermal neutron to be captured by hydrogen producing 2.22 MeV prompt gamma-ray. The pulse-height spectrum collected in a multicharmel analyzer shows a photopeak around 2.22 MeV whose net area is proportional to total neutron fluence rate and to the neutron source strength. The characteristics of this system were determined by a Monte Carlo study using the MCNP 4C code, where a detailed model of the Nal(Tl) was utilized. As moderators 3, 5, and 10 inches-diameter spheres where utilized and the response was calculated for monoenergetic and isotopic neutrons sources. (Author)

Source terms for analysis of accidents at a high level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mubayi, V.; Davis, R.E.; Youngblood, R.

1989-01-01

This paper describes an approach to identifying source terms from possible accidents during the preclosure phase of a high-level nuclear waste repository. A review of the literature on repository safety analyses indicated that source term estimation is in a preliminary stage, largely based on judgement-based scoping analyses. The approach developed here was to partition the accident space into domains defined by certain threshold values of temperature and impact energy density which may arise in potential accidents and specify release fractions of various radionuclides, present in the waste form, in each domain. Along with a more quantitative understanding of accident phenomenology, this approach should help in achieving a clearer perspective on scenarios important to preclosure safety assessments of geologic repositories. 18 refs., 3 tabs

Evaluation of long-term community recovery from Hurricane Andrew: sources of assistance received by population sub-groups.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonnell, S; Troiano, R P; Barker, N; Noji, E; Hlady, W G; Hopkins, R

1995-12-01

Two three-stage cluster surveys were conducted in South Dade County, Florida, 14 months apart, to assess recovery following Hurricane Andrew. Response rates were 75 per cent and 84 per cent. Sources of assistance used in recovery from Hurricane Andrew differed according to race, per capita income, ethnicity, and education. Reports of improved living situation post-hurricane were not associated with receiving relief assistance, but reports of a worse situation were associated with loss of income, being exploited, or job loss. The number of households reporting problems with crime and community violence doubled between the two surveys. Disaster relief efforts had less impact on subjective long-term recovery than did job or income loss or housing repair difficulties. Existing sources of assistance were used more often than specific post-hurricane relief resources. The demographic make-up of a community may determine which are the most effective means to inform them after a disaster and what sources of assistance may be useful.

Long-term dust aerosol production from natural sources in Iceland.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagsson-Waldhauserova, Pavla; Arnalds, Olafur; Olafsson, Haraldur

2017-02-01

Iceland is a volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean with maritime climate. In spite of moist climate, large areas are with limited vegetation cover where >40% of Iceland is classified with considerable to very severe erosion and 21% of Iceland is volcanic sandy deserts. Not only do natural emissions from these sources influenced by strong winds affect regional air quality in Iceland ("Reykjavik haze"), but dust particles are transported over the Atlantic ocean and Arctic Ocean >1000 km at times. The aim of this paper is to place Icelandic dust production area into international perspective, present long-term frequency of dust storm events in northeast Iceland, and estimate dust aerosol concentrations during reported dust events. Meteorological observations with dust presence codes and related visibility were used to identify the frequency and the long-term changes in dust production in northeast Iceland. There were annually 16.4 days on average with reported dust observations on weather stations within the northeastern erosion area, indicating extreme dust plume activity and erosion within the northeastern deserts, even though the area is covered with snow during the major part of winter. During the 2000s the highest occurrence of dust events in six decades was reported. We have measured saltation and Aeolian transport during dust/volcanic ash storms in Iceland, which give some of the most intense wind erosion events ever measured. Icelandic dust affects the ecosystems over much of Iceland and causes regional haze. It is likely to affect the ecosystems of the oceans around Iceland, and it brings dust that lowers the albedo of the Icelandic glaciers, increasing melt-off due to global warming. The study indicates that Icelandic dust may contribute to the Arctic air pollution. Long-term records of meteorological dust observations from Northeast Iceland indicate the frequency of dust events from Icelandic deserts. The research involves a 60-year period and

The Chernobyl reactor accident source term: development of a consensus view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devell, L.; Guntay, S.; Powers, D.A.

1995-11-01

Ten years after the reactor accident at Chernobyl, a great deal more data is available concerning the events, phenomena, and processes that took place. The purpose of this document is to examine what is known about the radioactive materials released during the accident, a task that is substantially more difficult than it might first appear to be. The Chernobyl station, like other nuclear power plants, was not instrumented to characterize a disastrous accident. The accident was peculiar in the sense that radioactive materials were released, at least initially, in an exceptionally energetic plume and were transported far from the reactor site. Release of radioactivity from the plant continued for several days. Characterization of the contamination caused by the releases of radioactivity has had a much lower priority than remediation of the contamination. Consequently, an assessment of the Chernobyl accident source term must rely to a significant extent on inferential evidence. The assessment presented here begins with an examination of the core inventories of radioactive materials. In subsequent sections of the report, the magnitude and timing of the releases of radioactivity are described. Then, the composition, chemical forms, and physical forms of the releases are discussed. A number of more recent publications and results from scientists in Russia and elsewhere have significantly improved the understanding of the Chernobyl source term. Because of the special features of the reactor design and the peculiarities of the Chernobyl accident, the source term for the Chernobyl accident is of limited applicability to the safety analysis of other types of reactors

Source-term characterisation and solid speciation of plutonium at the Semipalatinsk NTS, Kazakhstan.

Science.gov (United States)

Nápoles, H Jiménez; León Vintró, L; Mitchell, P I; Omarova, A; Burkitbayev, M; Priest, N D; Artemyev, O; Lukashenko, S

2004-01-01

New data on the concentrations of key fission/activation products and transuranium nuclides in samples of soil and water from the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site are presented and interpreted. Sampling was carried out at Ground Zero, Lake Balapan, the Tel'kem craters and reference locations within the test site boundary well removed from localised sources. Radionuclide ratios have been used to characterise the source term(s) at each of these sites. The geochemical partitioning of plutonium has also been examined and it is shown that the bulk of the plutonium contamination at most of the sites examined is in a highly refractory, non-labile form.

Source-term characterisation and solid speciation of plutonium at the Semipalatinsk NTS, Kazakhstan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Napoles, H.J.H. Jimenez; Leon Vintro, L. E-mail: luis.leon@ucd.ie; Mitchell, P.I.; Omarova, A.; Burkitbayev, M.; Priest, N.D.; Artemyev, O.; Lukashenko, S

2004-09-01

New data on the concentrations of key fission/activation products and transuranium nuclides in samples of soil and water from the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site are presented and interpreted. Sampling was carried out at Ground Zero, Lake Balapan, the Tel'kem craters and reference locations within the test site boundary well removed from localised sources. Radionuclide ratios have been used to characterise the source term(s) at each of these sites. The geochemical partitioning of plutonium has also been examined and it is shown that the bulk of the plutonium contamination at most of the sites examined is in a highly refractory, non-labile form.

Fission product source term research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malinauskas, A.P.

1985-01-01

The purpose of this work is to describe some of the research being performed at ORNL in support of the effort to describe, as realistically as possible, fission product source terms for nuclear reactor accidents. In order to make this presentation manageable, only those studies directly concerned with fission product behavior, as opposed to thermal hydraulics, accident sequence progression, etc., will be discussed

Review of the accident source terms for aluminide fuel: Application to the BR2 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joppen, F.

2005-01-01

A major safety review of the BR2, a material test reactor, is to be conducted for the year 2006. One of the subjects selected for the safety review is the definition of source terms for emergency planning and in particular the development of accident scenarios. For nuclear power plants the behaviour of fuel under accident conditions is a well studied object. In case of non-power reactors this basic knowledge is rather scarce. The usefulness of information from power plant fuels is limited due to the differences in fuel type, power level and thermohydraulical conditions. First investigation indicates that using data from power plant fuel leads to an overestimation of the source terms. Further research on this subject could be very useful for the research reactor community, in order to define more realistic source terms and to improve the emergency preparedness. (author)

Application of source-receptor models to determine source areas of biological components (pollen and butterflies)

OpenAIRE

M. Alarcón; M. Àvila; J. Belmonte; C. Stefanescu; R. Izquierdo

2010-01-01

The source-receptor models allow the establishment of relationships between a receptor point (sampling point) and the probable source areas (regions of emission) through the association of concentration values at the receptor point with the corresponding atmospheric back-trajectories, and, together with other techniques, to interpret transport phenomena on a synoptic scale. These models are generally used in air pollution studies to determine the areas of origin of chemical compounds measured...

The long-term relationships among China's energy consumption sources and adjustments to its renewable energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Gaolu

2012-01-01

To reduce its consumption of coal and oil in its primary energy consumption, China promotes the development of renewable energy resources. I have analysed the long-term relationship among China's primary energy consumption sources. Changes in coal consumption lead those in the consumption of other energy sources in the long term. Coal and oil fuels substitute for each other equally. The long-term elasticities of China's coal consumption relative to its hydroelectricity consumption were greater than one and nearly equal during the two sample periods. Therefore, increased hydroelectricity consumption did not imply a reduction in coal consumption. China holds abundant hydroelectricity, wind and, solar energy potential. China must prevent an excessive escalation of its economy and resultant energy demand to realise a meaningful substitution of coal with hydroelectricity. Moreover, China must develop and use wind and solar energy sources. Natural gas can be a good substitute for coal, given its moderate price growth and affordable price levels. - Highlights: ► Coal consumption changes lead those of other energy sources in the long term. ► Coal and oil fuels substitute for each other equally. ► Increased hydroelectricity consumption has not meant lower coal consumption. ► Wind, solar and natural gas are China's promising energy sources.

Development of in-vessel source term analysis code, tracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyagi, K.; Miyahara, S.

1996-01-01

Analyses of radionuclide transport in fuel failure accidents (generally referred to source terms) are considered to be important especially in the severe accident evaluation. The TRACER code has been developed to realistically predict the time dependent behavior of FPs and aerosols within the primary cooling system for wide range of fuel failure events. This paper presents the model description, results of validation study, the recent model advancement status of the code, and results of check out calculations under reactor conditions. (author)

Quantification of source-term profiles from near-field geochemical models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKinley, I.G.

1985-01-01

A geochemical model of the near-field is described which quantitatively treats the processes of engineered barrier degradation, buffering of aqueous chemistry by solid phases, nuclide solubilization and transport through the near-field and release to the far-field. The radionuclide source-terms derived from this model are compared with those from a simpler model used for repository safety analysis. 10 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

Analysis of safety information for nuclear power plants and development of source term estimation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tae Woon; Choi, Seong Soo; Park, Jin Hee

1999-12-01

Current CARE(Computerized Advisory System for Radiological Emergency) in KINS(Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety) has no STES(Source Term Estimation System) which links between SIDS(Safety Information Display System) and FADAS(Following Accident Dose Assessment System). So in this study, STES is under development. STES system is the system that estimates the source term based on the safety information provided by SIDS. Estimated source term is given to FADAS as an input for estimation of environmental effect of radiation. Through this first year project STES for the Kori 3,4 and Younggwang 1,2 has been developed. Since there is no CARE for Wolsong(PHWR) plants yet, CARE for Wolsong is under construction. The safety parameters are selected and the safety information display screens and the alarm logic for plant status change are developed for Wolsong Unit 2 based on the design documents for CANDU plants

Determination of disintegration rates of a 60Co point source and volume sources by the sum-peak method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawano, Takao; Ebihara, Hiroshi

1990-01-01

The disintegration rates of 60 Co as a point source (<2 mm in diameter on a thin plastic disc) and volume sources (10-100 mL solutions in a polyethylene bottle) are determined by the sum-peak method. The sum-peak formula gives the exact disintegration rate for the point source at different positions from the detector. However, increasing the volume of the solution results in enlarged deviations from the true disintegration rate. Extended sources must be treated as an amalgam of many point sources. (author)

Derivation of the source term, dose results and associated radiological consequences for the Greek Research Reactor – 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pappas, Charalampos, E-mail: chpappas@ipta.demokritos.gr; Ikonomopoulos, Andreas; Sfetsos, Athanasios; Andronopoulos, Spyros; Varvayanni, Melpomeni; Catsaros, Nicolas

2014-07-01

Highlights: • Source term derivation of postulated accident sequences in a research reactor. • Various containment ventilation scenarios considered for source term calculations. • Source term parametric analysis performed in case of lack of ventilation. • JRODOS employed for dose calculations under eighteen modeled scenarios. • Estimation of radiological consequences during typical and adverse weather scenarios. - Abstract: The estimated source term, dose results and radiological consequences of selected accident sequences in the Greek Research Reactor – 1 are presented and discussed. A systematic approach has been adopted to perform the necessary calculations in accordance with the latest computational developments and IAEA recommendations. Loss-of-coolant, reactivity insertion and fuel channel blockage accident sequences have been selected to derive the associated source terms under three distinct containment ventilation scenarios. Core damage has been conservatively assessed for each accident sequence while the ventilation has been assumed to function within the efficiency limits defined at the Safety Analysis Report. In case of lack of ventilation a parametric analysis is also performed to examine the dependency of the source term on the containment leakage rate. A typical as well as an adverse meteorological scenario have been defined in the JRODOS computational platform in order to predict the effective, lung and thyroid doses within a region defined by a 15 km radius downwind from the reactor building. The radiological consequences of the eighteen scenarios associated with the accident sequences are presented and discussed.

Source term and activation calculations for the new TR-FLEX cyclotron for medical applications at HZDR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Konheiser, Joerg [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Reactor Safety; Ferrari, A. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Inst. of Radiation Physics; Magin, A. [Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (KIT), Karlsruhe (Germany); Naumann, B. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Protection and Safety; Mueller, S.E.

2017-06-01

The neutron source terms for a proton beam hitting an {sup 18}O-enriched water target were calculated with the radiation transport programs MCNP6 and FLUKA and were compared to source terms for exclusive {sup 18}O(p,n){sup 18}F production. To validate the radiation fields obtained in the simulations, an experimental program has been started using activation samples originally used in reactor dosimetry.

Development of a tool dedicated to the evaluation of hydrogen term source for technological Wastes: assumptions, physical models, and validation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lamouroux, C. [CEA Saclay, Nuclear Energy Division /DANS, Department of physico-chemistry, 91191 Gif sur yvette (France); Esnouf, S. [CEA Saclay, DSM/IRAMIS/SIS2M/Radiolysis Laboratory , 91191 Gif sur yvette (France); Cochin, F. [Areva NC,recycling BU, DIRP/RDP tour Areva, 92084 Paris La Defense (France)

2013-07-01

In radioactive waste packages hydrogen is generated, in one hand, from the radiolysis of wastes (mainly organic materials) and, in the other hand, from the radiolysis of water content in the cement matrix. In order to assess hydrogen generation 2 tools based on operational models have been developed. One is dedicated to the determination of the hydrogen source term issues from the radiolysis of the wastes: the STORAGE tool (Simulation Tool Of Emission Radiolysis Gas), the other deals with the hydrogen source term gas, produced by radiolysis of the cement matrices (the Damar tool). The approach used by the STORAGE tool for assessing the production rate of radiolysis gases is divided into five steps: 1) Specification of the data packages, in particular, inventories and radiological materials defined for a package medium; 2) Determination of radiochemical yields for the different constituents and the laws of behavior associated, this determination of radiochemical yields is made from the PRELOG database in which radiochemical yields in different irradiation conditions have been compiled; 3) Definition of hypothesis concerning the composition and the distribution of contamination inside the package to allow assessment of the power absorbed by the constituents; 4) Sum-up of all the contributions; And finally, 5) validation calculations by comparison with a reduced sampling of packages. Comparisons with measured values confirm the conservative character of the methodology and give confidence in the safety margins for safety analysis report.

Short-term X-ray variability of the globular cluster source 4U 1820 - 30 (NGC 6624)

Science.gov (United States)

Stella, L.; Kahn, S. M.; Grindlay, J. E.

1984-01-01

Analytical techniques for improved identification of the temporal and spectral variability properties of globular cluster and galactic bulge X-ray sources are described in terms of their application to a large set of observations of the source 4U 1820 - 30 in the globular cluster NGC 6624. The autocorrelation function, cross-correlations, time skewness function, erratic periodicities, and pulse trains are examined. The results are discussed in terms of current models with particular emphasis on recent accretion disk models. It is concluded that the analyzed observations provide the first evidence for shot-noise variability in a globular cluster X-ray source.

Influence of Chemistry on source term assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herranz Puebla, L.E.; Lopez Diez, I.; Rodriguez Maroto, J.J.; Martinez Lopez-Alcorocho, A.

1991-01-01

The major goal of a phenomenology analysis of containment during a severe accident situation can be splitedd into the following ones: to know the containment response to the different loads and to predict accurately the fission product and aerosol behavior. In this report, the main results coming from the study of a hypothetical accident scenario, based on LA-4 experiment of LACE project, are presented. In order to do it, several codes have been coupled: CONTEMPT4/MOD5 (thermalhydraulics), NAUA/MOD5 (aerosol physics) and IODE (iodine chemistry). 12 refs. It has been demonstrated the impossibility of assessing with confidence the Source Term if the chemical conduct of some radionuclides is not taken into account. In particular, the influence on the iodine retention efficiency of the sump of variables such as pH has been proven. (Author). 12 refs

Chandra Source Catalog: Background Determination and Source Detection

Science.gov (United States)

McCollough, Michael L.; Rots, A. H.; Primini, F. A.; Evans, I. N.; Glotfelty, K. J.; Hain, R.; Anderson, C. S.; Bonaventura, N. R.; Chen, J. C.; Davis, J. E.; Doe, S. M.; Evans, J. D.; Fabbiano, G.; Galle, E.; Gibbs, D. G.; Grier, J. D.; Hall, D. M.; Harbo, P. N.; He, X.; Houck, J. C.; Karovska, M.; Lauer, J.; McDowell, J. C.; Miller, J. B.; Mitschang, A. W.; Morgan, D. L.; Nichols, J. S.; Nowak, M. A.; Plummer, D. A.; Refsdal, B. L.; Siemiginowska, A. L.; Sundheim, B. A.; Tibbetts, M. S.; Van Stone, D. W.; Winkelman, S. L.; Zografou, P.

2009-01-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is a major project in which all of the pointed imaging observations taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory will used to generate the most extensive X-ray source catalog produced to date. Early in the development of the CSC it was recognized that the ability to estimate local background levels in an automated fashion would be critical for essential CSC tasks such as source detection, photometry, sensitivity estimates, and source characterization. We present a discussion of how such background maps are created directly from the Chandra data and how they are used in source detection. The general background for Chandra observations is rather smoothly varying, containing only low spatial frequency components. However, in the case of ACIS data, a high spatial frequency component is added that is due to the readout streaks of the CCD chips. We discuss how these components can be estimated reliably using the Chandra data and what limitations and caveats should be considered in their use. We will discuss the source detection algorithm used for the CSC and the effects of the background images on the detection results. We will also touch on some the Catalog Inclusion and Quality Assurance criteria applied to the source detection results. This work is supported by NASA contract NAS8-03060 (CXC).

Determination of eye lenses dose equivalent in terms of Hp(3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klamert, V.; Caresana, M.; Minchillo, G.; Tambussi, O.

2002-01-01

The Italian radioprotection legislation requires the determination of personal dose equivalent in terms of H p (10) and H p (0.07) and the determination of the eye lenses dose equivalent in terms of H p (3). Whereas the calibration of a dosemeter for the determination of H p (10) and H p (0.07) is feasible, the calibration of a dosemeter in terms of H p (3) is impossible, owing to the absence of the suitable phantom and the conversion coefficients h pk (3) from air kerma to H p (3). Using an anthropomorphic phantom for the irradiation, the aim of this work is to determine the experimental values of the conversion coefficients and to relate the result of the dosemeter worn on the forehead with the dose equivalent to the eye lenses. The study is performed in the X energy range from 30 keV to 100 keV, i.e. the one most widely used in medical practices

SARNET. Severe Accident Research Network - key issues in the area of source term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giordano, P.; Micaelli, J.C.; Haste, T.; Herranz, L.

2005-01-01

About fifty European organisations integrate in SARNET (Network of Excellence of the EU 6 th Framework Programme) their research capacities in resolve better the most important remaining uncertainties and safety issues concerning existing and future Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) under hypothetical Severe Accident (SA) conditions. Wishing to maintain a long-lasting cooperation, they conduct three types of activities: integrating activities, spreading of excellence and jointly executed research. This paper summarises the main results obtained by the network after the first year, giving more prominence to those from jointly executed research in the Source Term area. Integrating activities have been performed through different means: the ASTEC integral computer code for severe accident transient modelling, through development of PSA2 methodologies, through the setting of a structure for definition of evolving R and D priorities and through the development of a web-network of data bases that hosts experimental data. Such activities have been facilitated by the development of an Advanced Communication Tool. Concerning spreading of excellence, educational courses covering Severe Accident Analysis Methodology and Level 2 PSA have been set up, to be given in early 2006. A detailed text book on Severe Accident Phenomenology has been designed and agreed amongst SARNET members. A mobility programme for students and young researchers is being developed, some detachments are already completed or in progress, and examples are quoted. Jointly executed research activities concern key issues grouped in the Corium, Containment and Source Term areas. In Source Term, behaviour of the highly radio-toxic ruthenium under oxidising conditions (like air ingress) for HBU and MOX fuel has been investigated. First modelling proposals for ASTEC have been made for oxidation of fuel and of ruthenium. Experiments on transport of highly volatile oxide ruthenium species have been performed. Reactor

Evaluation of applicability of alternative source terms to operating nuclear power plants in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, S. N.; Park, Y. S.; Nam, K. M.; Song, D. B.; Bae, Y. J.; Lee, Y. J.; Jung, C. Y.

2002-01-01

In 1995 and 2000, NRC issued NUREG-1465 and Regulatory Guide 1.183 with respect to Alternative Source Terms(AST) replacing the existing source terms of TID-14844 and Regulatory Guide 1.4, 1.25, and 1.77 for radiological Design Basis Accidents(DBA) analysis. In 1990, ICRP published ICRP Pub. 60 which represents new recommendations on dose criteria and concepts. In Korea, alternative source terms were used for evaluation of effective doses for design basis accidents of Advanced Power Reactor(APR1400) using the computer program developed by an overseas company. Recently, DBADOSE, new computer program for DBA analysis incorporating AST and effective dose concept was developed by KHNP and KOPEC, and reanalysis applying AST to operating nuclear power plants, Kori units 3 and 4 in Korea using DBADOSE has been performed. As the results of this analysis, it was concluded that some conservative variables or operation procedures of operating plants could be mitigated or simplified by virtue of increased safety margin and consequently, economical and operational benefits ensue. In this paper, methodologies and results of Kori 3 and 4 DBA reanalysis and sensitivity analysis for mitigation of main design variables are introduced

Long term leaching of chlorinated solvents from source zones in low permeability settings with fractures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup; Chambon, Julie Claire Claudia; Troldborg, Mads

2008-01-01

spreads to the low permeability matrix by diffusion. This results in a long term source of contamination due to back-diffusion. Leaching from such sources is further complicated by microbial degradation under anaerobic conditions to sequentially form the daughter products trichloroethylene, cis...

The Fukushima releases: an inverse modelling approach to assess the source term by using gamma dose rate observations

Science.gov (United States)

Saunier, Olivier; Mathieu, Anne; Didier, Damien; Tombette, Marilyne; Quélo, Denis; Winiarek, Victor; Bocquet, Marc

2013-04-01

The Chernobyl nuclear accident and more recently the Fukushima accident highlighted that the largest source of error on consequences assessment is the source term estimation including the time evolution of the release rate and its distribution between radioisotopes. Inverse modelling methods have proved to be efficient to assess the source term due to accidental situation (Gudiksen, 1989, Krysta and Bocquet, 2007, Stohl et al 2011, Winiarek et al 2012). These methods combine environmental measurements and atmospheric dispersion models. They have been recently applied to the Fukushima accident. Most existing approaches are designed to use air sampling measurements (Winiarek et al, 2012) and some of them use also deposition measurements (Stohl et al, 2012, Winiarek et al, 2013). During the Fukushima accident, such measurements are far less numerous and not as well distributed within Japan than the dose rate measurements. To efficiently document the evolution of the contamination, gamma dose rate measurements were numerous, well distributed within Japan and they offered a high temporal frequency. However, dose rate data are not as easy to use as air sampling measurements and until now they were not used in inverse modelling approach. Indeed, dose rate data results from all the gamma emitters present in the ground and in the atmosphere in the vicinity of the receptor. They do not allow one to determine the isotopic composition or to distinguish the plume contribution from wet deposition. The presented approach proposes a way to use dose rate measurement in inverse modeling approach without the need of a-priori information on emissions. The method proved to be efficient and reliable when applied on the Fukushima accident. The emissions for the 8 main isotopes Xe-133, Cs-134, Cs-136, Cs-137, Ba-137m, I-131, I-132 and Te-132 have been assessed. The Daiichi power plant events (such as ventings, explosions…) known to have caused atmospheric releases are well identified in

Automated Determination of Magnitude and Source Length of Large Earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, D.; Kawakatsu, H.; Zhuang, J.; Mori, J. J.; Maeda, T.; Tsuruoka, H.; Zhao, X.

2017-12-01

Rapid determination of earthquake magnitude is of importance for estimating shaking damages, and tsunami hazards. However, due to the complexity of source process, accurately estimating magnitude for great earthquakes in minutes after origin time is still a challenge. Mw is an accurate estimate for large earthquakes. However, calculating Mw requires the whole wave trains including P, S, and surface phases, which takes tens of minutes to reach stations at tele-seismic distances. To speed up the calculation, methods using W phase and body wave are developed for fast estimating earthquake sizes. Besides these methods that involve Green's Functions and inversions, there are other approaches that use empirically simulated relations to estimate earthquake magnitudes, usually for large earthquakes. The nature of simple implementation and straightforward calculation made these approaches widely applied at many institutions such as the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the Japan Meteorological Agency, and the USGS. Here we developed an approach that was originated from Hara [2007], estimating magnitude by considering P-wave displacement and source duration. We introduced a back-projection technique [Wang et al., 2016] instead to estimate source duration using array data from a high-sensitive seismograph network (Hi-net). The introduction of back-projection improves the method in two ways. Firstly, the source duration could be accurately determined by seismic array. Secondly, the results can be more rapidly calculated, and data derived from farther stations are not required. We purpose to develop an automated system for determining fast and reliable source information of large shallow seismic events based on real time data of a dense regional array and global data, for earthquakes that occur at distance of roughly 30°- 85° from the array center. This system can offer fast and robust estimates of magnitudes and rupture extensions of large earthquakes in 6 to 13 min (plus

A simple method for estimating potential source term bypass fractions from confinement structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalinich, D.A.; Paddleford, D.F.

1997-01-01

Confinement structures house many of the operating processes at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Under normal operating conditions, a confinement structure in conjunction with its associated ventilation systems prevents the release of radiological material to the environment. However, under potential accident conditions, the performance of the ventilation systems and integrity of the structure may be challenged. In order to calculate the radiological consequences associated with a potential accident (e.g. fires, explosion, spills, etc.), it is necessary to determine the fraction of the source term initially generated by the accident that escapes from the confinement structure to the environment. While it would be desirable to estimate the potential bypass fraction using sophisticated control-volume/flow path computer codes (e.g. CONTAIN, MELCOR, etc.) in order to take as much credit as possible for the mitigative effects of the confinement structure, there are many instances where using such codes is not tractable due to limits on the level-of-effort allotted to perform the analysis. Moreover, the current review environment, with its emphasis on deterministic/bounding-versus probabilistic/best-estimate-analysis discourages using analytical techniques that require the consideration of a large number of parameters. Discussed herein is a simplified control-volume/flow path approach for calculating source term bypass fraction that is amenable to solution in a spreadsheet or with a commercial mathematical solver (e.g. MathCad or Mathematica). It considers the effects of wind and fire pressure gradients on the structure, ventilation system operation, and Halon discharges. Simple models are used to characterize the engineered and non-engineered flow paths. By making judicious choices for the limited set of problem parameters, the results from this approach can be defended as bounding and conservative

Source term estimation based on in-situ gamma spectrometry using a high purity germanium detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauly, J.; Rojas-Palma, C.; Sohier, A.

1997-06-01

An alternative method to reconstruct the source term of a nuclear accident is proposed. The technique discussed here involves the use of in-situ gamma spectrometry. The validation of the applied methodology has been possible through the monitoring of routine releases of Ar-41 originating at a Belgian site from an air cooled graphite research reactor. This technique provides a quick nuclide specific decomposition of the source term and therefore will be have an enormous potential if implemented in nuclear emergency preparedness and radiological assessments of nuclear accidents during the early phase

Jet flow analysis of liquid poison injection in a CANDU reactor using source term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chae, Kyung Myung; Choi, Hang Bok; Rhee, Bo Wook

2001-01-01

For the performance analysis of Canadian deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor shutdown system number 2 (SDS2), a computational fluid dynamics model of poison jet flow has been developed to estimate the flow field and poison concentration formed inside the CANDU reactor calandria. As the ratio of calandria shell radius over injection nozzle hole diameter is so large (1055), it is impractical to develop a full-size model encompassing the whole calandria shell. In order to reduce the model to a manageable size, a quarter of one-pitch length segment of the shell was modeled using symmetric nature of the jet; and the injected jet was treated as a source term to avoid the modeling difficulty caused by the big difference of the hole sizes. For the analysis of an actual CANDU-6 SDS2 poison injection, the grid structure was determined based on the results of two-dimensional real- and source-jet simulations. The maximum injection velocity of the liquid poison is 27.8 m/s and the mass fraction of the poison is 8000 ppm (mg/kg). The simulation results have shown well-established jet flow field. In general, the jet develops narrowly at first but stretches rapidly. Then, the flow recirculates a little in r-x plane, while it recirculates largely in r-θ plane. As the time goes on, the adjacent jets contact each other and form a wavy front such that the whole jet develops in a plate form. his study has shown that the source term model can be effectively used for the analysis of the poison injection and the simulation result of the CANDU reactor is consistent with the model currently being used for the safety analysis. In the future, it is strongly recommended to analyze the transient (from helium tank to injection nozzle hole) of the poison injection by applying Bernoulli equation with real boundary conditions

Chernobyl radiocesium in freshwater fish: Long-term dynamics and sources of variation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundbom, M [Uppsala Univ., Dept. of Limnology, Uppsala (Sweden)

2002-04-01

The aim of this thesis was to investigate both the long-term temporal pattern and sources of individual variation for radiocesium in freshwater fish. The basis for the study is time series of {sup 137}Cs activity concentrations in fish from three lakes in the area North-west of Uppsala, Sweden that received considerable amounts of {sup 137}Cs from Chernobyl in may 1986. The lakes were Lake Ekholmssjoen, Lake Flatsjoen and Lake Siggeforasjoen, all small forest lakes, but with different morphometrical and chemical characteristics. The data were collected regularly, usually several times per year, during 1986-2000, using consistent methods. More than 7600 fish individuals from 7 species covering wide size ranges and feeding habits were analysed for {sup 137}Cs. For each fish was the length, weight, sex, and often the stomach contend recorded. The evaluation on long-term trends were based on data from all three lakes, while the study on sources of variation evaluated data from Lake Flatsjoen only. (au)

Chernobyl radiocesium in freshwater fish: Long-term dynamics and sources of variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundbom, M.

2002-01-01

The aim of this thesis was to investigate both the long-term temporal pattern and sources of individual variation for radiocesium in freshwater fish. The basis for the study is time series of 137 Cs activity concentrations in fish from three lakes in the area North-west of Uppsala, Sweden that received considerable amounts of 137 Cs from Chernobyl in may 1986. The lakes were Lake Ekholmssjoen, Lake Flatsjoen and Lake Siggeforasjoen, all small forest lakes, but with different morphometrical and chemical characteristics. The data were collected regularly, usually several times per year, during 1986-2000, using consistent methods. More than 7600 fish individuals from 7 species covering wide size ranges and feeding habits were analysed for 137 Cs. For each fish was the length, weight, sex, and often the stomach contend recorded. The evaluation on long-term trends were based on data from all three lakes, while the study on sources of variation evaluated data from Lake Flatsjoen only. (au)

Basic repository source term and data sheet report: Davis Canyon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This report is one of series describing studies undertaken in support of the US Department of Energy Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) Program. This study contains the derivation of values for environmental source terms and resources consumed for a CRWM repository. Estimates include heavy construction equipment; support equipment; shaft-sinking equipment; transportation equipment; and consumption of fuel, water electricity, and natural gas. Data are presented for construction and operation at an assumed site in Davis Canyon, Utah. 6 tabs

Algorithms and analytical solutions for rapidly approximating long-term dispersion from line and area sources

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Steven R. H.; Britter, Rex E.

Predicting long-term mean pollutant concentrations in the vicinity of airports, roads and other industrial sources are frequently of concern in regulatory and public health contexts. Many emissions are represented geometrically as ground-level line or area sources. Well developed modelling tools such as AERMOD and ADMS are able to model dispersion from finite (i.e. non-point) sources with considerable accuracy, drawing upon an up-to-date understanding of boundary layer behaviour. Due to mathematical difficulties associated with line and area sources, computationally expensive numerical integration schemes have been developed. For example, some models decompose area sources into a large number of line sources orthogonal to the mean wind direction, for which an analytical (Gaussian) solution exists. Models also employ a time-series approach, which involves computing mean pollutant concentrations for every hour over one or more years of meteorological data. This can give rise to computer runtimes of several days for assessment of a site. While this may be acceptable for assessment of a single industrial complex, airport, etc., this level of computational cost precludes national or international policy assessments at the level of detail available with dispersion modelling. In this paper, we extend previous work [S.R.H. Barrett, R.E. Britter, 2008. Development of algorithms and approximations for rapid operational air quality modelling. Atmospheric Environment 42 (2008) 8105-8111] to line and area sources. We introduce approximations which allow for the development of new analytical solutions for long-term mean dispersion from line and area sources, based on hypergeometric functions. We describe how these solutions can be parameterized from a single point source run from an existing advanced dispersion model, thereby accounting for all processes modelled in the more costly algorithms. The parameterization method combined with the analytical solutions for long-term mean

Determination of Key Risk Supervision Areas around River-Type Water Sources Affected by Multiple Risk Sources: A Case Study of Water Sources along the Yangtze’s Nanjing Section

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi Zhou

2017-02-01

Full Text Available To provide a reference for risk management of water sources, this study screens the key risk supervision areas around river-type water sources (hereinafter referred to as the water sources threatened by multiple fixed risk sources (the risk sources, and establishes a comprehensive methodological system. Specifically, it comprises: (1 method of partitioning risk source concentrated sub-regions for screening water source perimeter key risk supervision areas; (2 approach of determining sub-regional risk indexes (SrRI, which characterizes the scale of sub-regional risks considering factors like risk distribution intensity within sub-regions, risk indexes of risk sources (RIRS, characterizing the risk scale of risk sources and the number of risk sources; and (3 method of calculating sub-region’s risk threats to the water sources (SrTWS which considers the positional relationship between water sources and sub-regions as well as SrRI, and the criteria for determining key supervision sub-regions. Favorable effects are achieved by applying this methodological system in determining water source perimeter sub-regions distributed along the Yangtze’s Nanjing section. Results revealed that for water sources, the key sub-regions needing supervision were SD16, SD06, SD21, SD26, SD15, SD03, SD02, SD32, SD10, SD11, SD14, SD05, SD27, etc., in the order of criticality. The sub-region with the greatest risk threats on the water sources was SD16, which was located in the middle reaches of Yangtze River. In general, sub-regions along the upper Yangtze reaches had greater threats to water sources than the lower reach sub-regions other than SD26 and SD21. Upstream water sources were less subject to the threats of sub-regions than the downstream sources other than NJ09B and NJ03.

Development of dose calculation program (DBADOSE) incorporating alternative source term due to design basis accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Young Jig; Nam, Ki Mun; Lee, Yu Jong; Chung, Chan Young

2003-01-01

Source terms presented in TID-14844 and Regulatory Guide 1.4 have been used for radiological analysis of design basis accidents for licensing existing pressurized water reactor (PWR). However, more realistic and physically-based source term based on results of study and experiments for about 30 years after the publication of TID-14844 was developed and presented in NUREG-1465 published by U.S NRC in 1995. In addition, ICRP has revised dose concepts and criteria through the publication of ICRP-9, 26, 60 and recommended effective dose concepts rather than critical organ concept since the publication of ICRP-26. Accordingly, multipurpose computer program called DBADOSE incorporating alternative source terms in NUREG-1465 and effective dose concepts in ICRP-60 was developed. Comparison of results of DBADOSE with those of POSTDBA and STARDOSE was performed and verified and no significant difference and inaccuracy were found. DBADOSE will be used to evaluate accidental doses for licensing application according to the domestic laws that are expected to be revised in the near future

Benchmarking the New RESRAD-OFFSITE Source Term Model with DUST-MS and GoldSim - 13377

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, J.J.; Kamboj, S.; Gnanapragasam, E.; Yu, C. [Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

2013-07-01

RESRAD-OFFSITE is a computer code developed by Argonne National Laboratory under the sponsorship of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It is designed on the basis of RESRAD (onsite) code, a computer code designated by DOE and NRC for evaluating soil-contaminated sites for compliance with human health protection requirements pertaining to license termination or environmental remediation. RESRAD-OFFSITE has enhanced capabilities of modeling radionuclide transport to offsite locations and calculating potential radiation exposure to offsite receptors. Recently, a new source term model was incorporated into RESRAD-OFFSITE to enhance its capability further. This new source term model allows simulation of radionuclide releases from different waste forms, in addition to the soil sources originally considered in RESRAD (onsite) and RESRAD-OFFSITE codes. With this new source term model, a variety of applications can be achieved by using RESRAD-OFFSITE, including but not limited to, assessing the performance of radioactive waste disposal facilities. This paper presents the comparison of radionuclide release rates calculated by the new source term model of RESRAD-OFFSITE versus those calculated by DUST-MS and GoldSim, respectively. The focus of comparison is on the release rates of radionuclides from the bottom of the contaminated zone that was assumed to contain radioactive source materials buried in soil. The transport of released contaminants outside of the primary contaminated zone is beyond the scope of this paper. Overall, the agreement between the RESRAD-OFFSITE results and the DUST-MS and GoldSim results is fairly good, with all three codes predicting identical or similar radionuclide release profiles over time. Numerical dispersion in the DUST-MS and GoldSim results was identified as potentially contributing to the disagreement in the release rates. In general, greater discrepancy in the release rates was found for short

Benchmarking the New RESRAD-OFFSITE Source Term Model with DUST-MS and GoldSim - 13377

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, J.J.; Kamboj, S.; Gnanapragasam, E.; Yu, C.

2013-01-01

RESRAD-OFFSITE is a computer code developed by Argonne National Laboratory under the sponsorship of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It is designed on the basis of RESRAD (onsite) code, a computer code designated by DOE and NRC for evaluating soil-contaminated sites for compliance with human health protection requirements pertaining to license termination or environmental remediation. RESRAD-OFFSITE has enhanced capabilities of modeling radionuclide transport to offsite locations and calculating potential radiation exposure to offsite receptors. Recently, a new source term model was incorporated into RESRAD-OFFSITE to enhance its capability further. This new source term model allows simulation of radionuclide releases from different waste forms, in addition to the soil sources originally considered in RESRAD (onsite) and RESRAD-OFFSITE codes. With this new source term model, a variety of applications can be achieved by using RESRAD-OFFSITE, including but not limited to, assessing the performance of radioactive waste disposal facilities. This paper presents the comparison of radionuclide release rates calculated by the new source term model of RESRAD-OFFSITE versus those calculated by DUST-MS and GoldSim, respectively. The focus of comparison is on the release rates of radionuclides from the bottom of the contaminated zone that was assumed to contain radioactive source materials buried in soil. The transport of released contaminants outside of the primary contaminated zone is beyond the scope of this paper. Overall, the agreement between the RESRAD-OFFSITE results and the DUST-MS and GoldSim results is fairly good, with all three codes predicting identical or similar radionuclide release profiles over time. Numerical dispersion in the DUST-MS and GoldSim results was identified as potentially contributing to the disagreement in the release rates. In general, greater discrepancy in the release rates was found for short

Source Term Characteristics Analysis for Structural Components in PWR spent fuel assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kook, Dong Hak; Choi, Heui Joo; Cho, Dong Keun [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-12-15

Source terms of metal waste comprising a spent fuel assembly are relatively important when the spent fuel is pyroprocessed, because cesium, strontium, and transuranics are not a concern any more in the aspect of source term of permanent disposal. In this study, characteristics of radiation source terms for each structural component in spent fuel assembly was analyzed by using ORIGEN-S with a assumption that 10 metric tons of uranium is pyroprocessed. At first, mass and volume for each structural component of the fuel assembly were calculated in detail. Activation cross section library was generated by using KENO-VI/ORIGEN-S module for top-end piece and bottom-end piece, because those are located at outer core under different neutron spectrum compared to that of inner core. As a result, values of radioactivity, decay heat, and hazard index were reveled to be 1.32x1015 Bequerels, 238 Watts, 4.32x109 m3 water, respectively, at 10 years after discharge. Those values correspond to 0.6 %, 1.1 %, 0.1 %, respectively, compared to that of spent fuel. Inconel 718 grid plate was shown to be the most important component in the all aspects of radioactivity, decay heat, and hazard index although the mass occupies only 1 % of the total. It was also shown that if the Inconel 718 grid plate is managed separately, the radioactivity and hazard index of metal waste could be decreased to 25{approx}50 % and 35{approx}40 %, respectively. As a whole, decay heat of metal waste was shown to be negligible in the aspect of disposal system design, while the radioactivity and hazard index are important

A modification of the Regional Nutrient Management model (ReNuMa) to identify long-term changes in riverine nitrogen sources

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Minpeng; Liu, Yanmei; Wang, Jiahui; Dahlgren, Randy A.; Chen, Dingjiang

2018-06-01

Source apportionment is critical for guiding development of efficient watershed nitrogen (N) pollution control measures. The ReNuMa (Regional Nutrient Management) model, a semi-empirical, semi-process-oriented model with modest data requirements, has been widely used for riverine N source apportionment. However, the ReNuMa model contains limitations for addressing long-term N dynamics by ignoring temporal changes in atmospheric N deposition rates and N-leaching lag effects. This work modified the ReNuMa model by revising the source code to allow yearly changes in atmospheric N deposition and incorporation of N-leaching lag effects into N transport processes. The appropriate N-leaching lag time was determined from cross-correlation analysis between annual watershed individual N source inputs and riverine N export. Accuracy of the modified ReNuMa model was demonstrated through analysis of a 31-year water quality record (1980-2010) from the Yongan watershed in eastern China. The revisions considerably improved the accuracy (Nash-Sutcliff coefficient increased by ∼0.2) of the modified ReNuMa model for predicting riverine N loads. The modified model explicitly identified annual and seasonal changes in contributions of various N sources (i.e., point vs. nonpoint source, surface runoff vs. groundwater) to riverine N loads as well as the fate of watershed anthropogenic N inputs. Model results were consistent with previously modeled or observed lag time length as well as changes in riverine chloride and nitrate concentrations during the low-flow regime and available N levels in agricultural soils of this watershed. The modified ReNuMa model is applicable for addressing long-term changes in riverine N sources, providing decision-makers with critical information for guiding watershed N pollution control strategies.

SOURCE TERM ESTIMATION BASED on PLANT STATUS and on GAMMA DOSE RATES Measured by an ON-line environmental Monitoring Network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stubna, M.; Bujan, A.; Duranova, T.

1997-01-01

A number of severe accident analyses for reactor unit with WWER-440 (213) has been performed in order to evaluate the source term and radiological consequences. As a tool for these analyses the WWER modified version of Source Term Code Package and Real Time Accident Release Consequences codes have been used. A set of emergency procedures - manuals for quick estimation of the source term and countermeasures introduction during early -pre-release phase of severe accident progression has been developed at Nuclear Power Plants Research Institute Trnava, Inc. These manuals are subdivided into three groups: 1.) evaluation of the barriers integrity, 2.) source term estimation and 3.) estimation of the distances for the countermeasures introduction. A methodology and computer module for interpretation of environmental data - source term assessment during post-release phase from on-line environmental network has been developed at Nuclear Power Plants Research Institute Trnava, Inc. The method is based on the conversion of measured dose rates to the source term,i.e. airborne radioactivity release rate, taking into account real meteorological data and location of the measure points. The bootstrap method for the estimation of the mean value of source term Q as integral value of the release and confidence interval of Q has been selected. The methodology of Q distribution into fission product groups according to code Real Time Accident Release Consequences needs is based on known plant status, i.e. on the results of pre calculated accident sequences. The paper describes the methodologies introduced above and the way of their application

The Analytical Repository Source-Term (AREST) model: Description and documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liebetrau, A.M.; Apted, M.J.; Engel, D.W.; Altenhofen, M.K.; Strachan, D.M.; Reid, C.R.; Windisch, C.F.; Erikson, R.L.; Johnson, K.I.

1987-10-01

The geologic repository system consists of several components, one of which is the engineered barrier system. The engineered barrier system interfaces with natural barriers that constitute the setting of the repository. A model that simulates the releases from the engineered barrier system into the natural barriers of the geosphere, called a source-term model, is an important component of any model for assessing the overall performance of the geologic repository system. The Analytical Repository Source-Term (AREST) model being developed is one such model. This report describes the current state of development of the AREST model and the code in which the model is implemented. The AREST model consists of three component models and five process models that describe the post-emplacement environment of a waste package. All of these components are combined within a probabilistic framework. The component models are a waste package containment (WPC) model that simulates the corrosion and degradation processes which eventually result in waste package containment failure; a waste package release (WPR) model that calculates the rates of radionuclide release from the failed waste package; and an engineered system release (ESR) model that controls the flow of information among all AREST components and process models and combines release output from the WPR model with failure times from the WPC model to produce estimates of total release. 167 refs., 40 figs., 12 tabs

Analysis of the source term in the Chernobyl-4 accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, A.; Lopez Montero, J.V.; Pinedo Garrido, P.

1990-01-01

The report presents the analysis of the Chernobyl accident and of the phenomena with major influence on the source term, including the chemical effects of materials dumped over the reactor, carried out by the Chair of Nuclear Technology at Madrid University under a contract with the CEC. It also includes the comparison of the ratio (Cs-137/Cs-134) between measurements performed by Soviet authorities and countries belonging to the Community and OECD area. Chapter II contains a summary of both isotope measurements (Cs-134 and Cs-137), and their ratios, in samples of air, water, soil and agricultural and animal products collected by the Soviets in their report presented in Vienna (1986). Chapter III reports on the inventories of cesium isotopes in the core, while Chapter IV analyses the transient, especially the fuel temperature reached, as a way to deduce the mechanisms which took place in the cesium escape. The cesium source term is analyzed in Chapter V. Normal conditions have been considered, as well as the transient and the post-accidental period, including the effects of deposited materials. The conclusion of this study is that Chernobyl accidental sequence is specific of the RBMK type of reactors, and that in the Western world, basic research on fuel behaviour for reactivity transients has already been carried out

Dose assessments for Greifswald and Cadarache with new source terms from ITER NSSR-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raskob, W.; Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Technik und Umwelt; Hasemann, I.

1997-08-01

Probabilistic dose assessments for accidental atmospheric releases of various ITER source terms which contain tritium and/or activation products were performed for the sites of Greifswald, Germany, and Cadarache, France. No country specific rules were applied and the input parameters were adapted as far as possible to those used within former ITER studies to achieve a better comparability with site independent dose assessments performed in the frame of ITER. The calculations were based on source terms which, at the first time, contain a combination of tritium and activation products. This allowed a better judgement of the contribution of the individual fusion relevant materials to the total dose. The results were compared to site independent dose limits defined in the frame of ITER. Source terms for two different categories, representing 'extremely unlikely events' (CAT-IV) and 'hypothetical sequences' (CAT-V), were investigated. In no cases, the release scenarios of category CAT-IV exceeded the ITER limits. In addition, early doses from the hypothetical scenarios of type CAT-V were still below 50 mSv or 100 mSv, values which are commonly used as lower reference values for evacuation in many potential home countries of ITER. Only the banning of food products was found to be a potential countermeasure which may affect larger areas. (orig.) [de

Source term calculations - Ringhals 2 PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johansson, L.L.

1998-02-01

This project was performed within the fifth and final phase of sub-project RAK-2.1 of the Nordic Co-operative Reactor Safety Program, NKS.RAK-2.1 has also included studies of reflooding of degraded core, recriticality and late phase melt progression. Earlier source term calculations for Swedish nuclear power plants are based on the integral code MAAP. A need was recognised to compare these calculations with calculations done with mechanistic codes. In the present work SCDAP/RELAP5 and CONTAIN were used. Only limited results could be obtained within the frame of RAK-2.1, since many problems were encountered using the SCDAP/RELAP5 code. The main obstacle was the extremely long execution times of the MOD3.1 version, but also some dubious fission product calculations. However, some interesting results were obtained for the studied sequence, a total loss of AC power. The report describes the modelling approach for SCDAP/RELAP5 and CONTAIN, and discusses results for the transient including the event of a surge line creep rupture. The study will probably be completed later, providing that an improved SCDAP/RELAP5 code version becomes available. (au) becomes available. (au)

Basic repository source term and data sheet report: Lavender Canyon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This report is one of a series describing studies undertaken in support of the US Department of Energy Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) Program. This study contains the derivation of values for environmental source terms and resources consumed for a CRWM repository. Estimates include heavy construction equipment; support equipment; shaft-sinking equipment; transportation equipment; and consumption of fuel, water, electricity, and natural gas. Data are presented for construction and operation at an assumed site in Lavender Canyon, Utah. 3 refs; 6 tabs

A photon spectrometric dose-rate constant determination for the Advantage Pd-103 brachytherapy source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Zhe Jay; Bongiorni, Paul; Nath, Ravinder

2010-01-01

Purpose: Although several dosimetric characterizations using Monte Carlo simulation and thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) have been reported for the new Advantage Pd-103 source (IsoAid, LLC, Port Richey, FL), no AAPM consensus value has been established for the dosimetric parameters of the source. The aim of this work was to perform an additional dose-rate constant (Λ) determination using a recently established photon spectrometry technique (PST) that is independent of the published TLD and Monte Carlo techniques. Methods: Three Model IAPD-103A Advantage Pd-103 sources were used in this study. The relative photon energy spectrum emitted by each source along the transverse axis was measured using a high-resolution germanium spectrometer designed for low-energy photons. For each source, the dose-rate constant was determined from its emitted energy spectrum. The PST-determined dose-rate constant ( PST Λ) was then compared to those determined by TLD ( TLD Λ) and Monte Carlo ( MC Λ) techniques. A likely consensus Λ value was estimated as the arithmetic mean of the average Λ values determined by each of three different techniques. Results: The average PST Λ value for the three Advantage sources was found to be (0.676±0.026) cGyh -1 U -1 . Intersource variation in PST Λ was less than 0.01%. The PST Λ was within 2% of the reported MC Λ values determined by PTRAN, EGSnrc, and MCNP5 codes. It was 3.4% lower than the reported TLD Λ. A likely consensus Λ value was estimated to be (0.688±0.026) cGyh -1 U -1 , similar to the AAPM consensus values recommended currently for the Theragenics (Buford, GA) Model 200 (0.686±0.033) cGyh -1 U -1 , the NASI (Chatsworth, CA) Model MED3633 (0.688±0.033) cGyh -1 U -1 , and the Best Medical (Springfield, VA) Model 2335 (0.685±0.033) cGyh -1 U -1 103 Pd sources. Conclusions: An independent Λ determination has been performed for the Advantage Pd-103 source. The PST Λ obtained in this work provides additional information

Emergency preparedness source term development for the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards-Licensed Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutter, S.L.; Mishima, J.; Ballinger, M.Y.; Lindsey, C.G.

1984-08-01

In order to establish requirements for emergency preparedness plans at facilities licensed by the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) needs to develop source terms (the amount of material made airborne) in accidents. These source terms are used to estimate the potential public doses from the events, which, in turn, will be used to judge whether emergency preparedness plans are needed for a particular type of facility. Pacific Northwest Laboratory is providing the NRC with source terms by developing several accident scenarios for eleven types of fuel cycle and by-product operations. Several scenarios are developed for each operation, leading to the identification of the maximum release considered for emergency preparedness planning (MREPP) scenario. The MREPP scenarios postulated were of three types: fire, tornado, and criticality. Fire was significant at oxide fuel fabrication, UF 6 production, radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, radiopharmacy, sealed source manufacturing, waste warehousing, and university research and development facilities. Tornadoes were MREPP events for uranium mills and plutonium contaminated facilities, and criticalities were significant at nonoxide fuel fabrication and nuclear research and development facilities. Techniques for adjusting the MREPP release to different facilities are also described

Environmental radiation safety: source term modification by soil aerosols. Interim report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moss, O.R.; Allen, M.D.; Rossignol, E.J.; Cannon, W.C.

1980-08-01

The goal of this project is to provide information useful in estimating hazards related to the use of a pure refractory oxide of 238 Pu as a power source in some of the space vehicles to be launched during the next few years. Although the sources are designed and built to withstand re-entry into the earth's atmosphere, and to impact with the earth's surface without releasing any plutonium, the possibility that such an event might produce aerosols composed of soil and 238 PuO 2 cannot be absolutely excluded. This report presents the results of our most recent efforts to measure the degree to which the plutonium aerosol source term might be modified in a terrestrial environment. The five experiments described represent our best effort to use the original experimental design to study the change in the size distribution and concentration of a 238 PuO 2 aerosol due to coagulation with an aerosol of clay or sandy loam soil

Standardization of iridium-192 coiled source in terms of air kerma output

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shanta, A; Unnikrishnan, K; Tripathi, U B; Kannan, A; Iyer, P S [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India)

1996-08-01

ICRU (1985) recommended that the output of gamma ray brachytherapy sources should be specified in terms of reference air kerma rate, defined as the kerma rate to air in air at a reference distance of 1 meter, perpendicular to the long axis of the source, corrected for air attenuation and scattering. As these measurements are difficult to carry out in the routine clinical use, it is the common practice to calibrate the re-entrant ionization chamber with respect to open air measurements and use the re-entrant chamber for routine measurements. This paper reports on the measurements carried out to correlate the nominal activity and air kerma rate of {sup 192}Ir wire sources supplied by the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology, Department of Atomic Energy. (author). 3 refs, 1 tab.

Standardization of iridium-192 coiled source in terms of air kerma output

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shanta, A.; Unnikrishnan, K.; Tripathi, U.B.; Kannan, A.; Iyer, P.S.

1996-01-01

ICRU (1985) recommended that the output of gamma ray brachytherapy sources should be specified in terms of reference air kerma rate, defined as the kerma rate to air in air at a reference distance of 1 meter, perpendicular to the long axis of the source, corrected for air attenuation and scattering. As these measurements are difficult to carry out in the routine clinical use, it is the common practice to calibrate the re-entrant ionization chamber with respect to open air measurements and use the re-entrant chamber for routine measurements. This paper reports on the measurements carried out to correlate the nominal activity and air kerma rate of 192 Ir wire sources supplied by the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology, Department of Atomic Energy. (author). 3 refs, 1 tab

Social Determinants of Health in Environmental Justice Communities: Examining Cumulative Risk in Terms of Environmental Exposures and Social Determinants of Health

OpenAIRE

Prochaska, John D.; Nolen, Alexandra B.; Kelley, Hilton; Sexton, Ken; Linder, Stephen H.; Sullivan, John

2014-01-01

Residents of environmental justice (EJ) communities may bear a disproportionate burden of environmental health risk, and often face additional burdens from social determinants of health. Accounting for cumulative risk should include measures of risk from both environmental sources and social determinants. This study sought to better understand cumulative health risk from both social and environmental sources in a disadvantaged community in Texas. Key outcomes were determining what data are cu...

Particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sources and determinants in residential homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cattaneo, Andrea; Fermo, Paola; Urso, Patrizia; Perrone, Maria Grazia; Piazzalunga, Andrea; Tarlassi, Jessica; Carrer, Paolo; Cavallo, Domenico Maria

2016-11-01

Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor environments can be particularly relevant because people spend most of their time inside buildings, especially in homes. This study aimed to investigate the most important particle-bound PAH sources and exposure determinants in PM 2.5 samples collected in 19 homes located in northern Italy. Complementary information about ion content in PM 10 was also collected in 12 of these homes. Three methods were used for the identification of PAH sources and determinants: diagnostic ratios with principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses (PCA and HCA), chemical mass balance (CMB) and linear mixed models (LMMs). This combined and tiered approach allowed the infiltration of outdoor PAHs into indoor environments to be identified as the most important source in winter, with a relevant role played by biomass burning and traffic exhausts to be identified as a general source of PAHs in both seasons. Tobacco smoke exhibited an important impact on PAH levels in smokers' homes, whereas in the whole sample, cooking food and natural gas sources played a minor or negligible role. Nitrate, sulfate and ammonium were the main inorganic constituents of indoor PM 10 owing to the secondary formation of ammonium sulfates and nitrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determining profile of dose distribution for PD-103 brachytherapy source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berkay, Camgoz; Mehmet, N. Kumru; Gultekin, Yegin

2006-01-01

Full text: Brachytherapy is a particular radiotherapy for cancer treatments. By destructing cancerous cells using radiation, the treatment proceeded. When alive tissues are subject it is hazardous to study experimental. For brachytherapy sources generally are studied as theoretical using computer simulation. General concept of the treatment is to locate the radioactive source into cancerous area of related tissue. In computer studies Monte Carlo mathematical method that is in principle based on random number generations, is used. Palladium radioisotope is LDR (Low radiation Dose Rate) source. Main radioactive material was coated with titanium cylinder with 3mm length, 0.25 mm radius. There are two parts of Pd-103 in the titanium cylinder. It is impossible to investigate differential effects come from two part as experimental. Because the source dimensions are small compared with measurement distances. So there is only simulation method. In dosimetric studies it is aimed to determine absorbed dose distribution in tissue as radial and angular. In nuclear physics it is obligation to use computer based methods for researchers. Radiation studies have hazards for scientist and people interacted with radiation. When hazard exceed over recommended limits or physical conditions are not suitable (long work time, non economical experiments, inadequate sensitivity of materials etc.) it is unavoidable to simulate works and experiments before practices of scientific methods in life. In medical area, usage of radiation is required computational work for cancer treatments. Some computational studies are routine in clinics and other studies have scientific development purposes. In brachytherapy studies there are significant differences between experimental measurements and theoretical (computer based) output data. Errors of data taken from experimental studies are larger than simulation values errors. In design of a new brachytherapy source it is important to consider detailed

The Determinants of Korea’s Terms of Trade: The Real-Side Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongshik Lee

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Previous studies of the determinants of the terms of trade have typically failed to fully reflect the composition of imports and exports and the unique characteristics of trading partners, which have considerable influence on the terms of trade. In particular, most studies of Korea's terms of trade have focused only on the effects of the exchange rate on the terms of trade, and few studies have considered the supply or demand side, i.e., the real side. This study considers panel data on Korea's trading partners from 2000 to 2009 (excluding the period of the Korean's foreign exchange crisis to propose a model reflecting both the trading partner's characteristics as well as the share of manufactured goods in exports and the share of fuel products in imports and provides an analysis of the determinants of Korea's terms of trade by considering the individual features of each product. The proposed dynamic panel model of the effects of the terms of trade for the previous period on the terms of trade for the current period provides more consistent estimates. By using the system generalized method of moments, the proposed model can estimate the determinants of Korea's terms of trade from the real-side perspective. The results indicate that an increase in the lagged terms of trade, relative market potential, or relative per capita income improved Korea's terms of trade, whereas an increase in relative output or the share of fuel products in imports weakened the terms of trade, providing support for common theory. However, an increase in the share of manufactured goods in exports had a negative effect (although not significant on Korea's terms of trade, providing no support for the Prebisch-Singer hypothesis.

The Phebus Fission Product and Source Term International Programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clement, B.; Zeyen, R.

2005-01-01

The international Phebus FP programme, initiated in 1988 is one of the major research programmes on light water reactors severe accidents. After a short description of the facility and of the test matrix, the main outcomes and results of the first four integral tests are provided and analysed. Several results were unexpected and some are of importance for safety analyses, particularly concerning fuel degradation, cladding oxidation, chemical form of some fission products, especially iodine, effect of control rod materials on degradation and chemistry, iodine behaviour in the containment. Prediction capabilities of calculation tools have largely been improved as a result of this research effort. However, significant uncertainties remain for a number of phenomena, requiring detailed physical analysis and implementation of improved models in codes, sustained by a number of separate-effect experiments. This is the subject of the new Source Term programme for a better understanding of the phenomenology on important safety issues, in accordance with priorities defined in the EURSAFE project of the 5 th European framework programme aiming at reducing the uncertainties on Source Term analyses. It covers iodine chemistry, impact of boron carbide control rods degradation and oxidation, air ingress situations and fission product release from fuel. Regarding the interpretation of Phebus, an international co-operation has been established since over ten years, particularly helpful for the improvement and common understanding of severe accident phenomena. Few months ago, the Phebus community was happy to welcome representatives of a large number of organisations from the following new European countries: the Czech republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and also from Bulgaria and Romania. (author)

Radioactivity source terms for underground engineering application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tewes, H A [Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States)

1969-07-01

The constraints on nuclide production are usually very similar in any underground engineering application of nuclear explosives. However, in some applications the end product could be contaminated unless the proper nuclear device is used. This fact can be illustrated from two underground engineering experiments-Gasbuggy and Sloop. In the Gasbuggy experiment, appreciable tritium has been shown to be present in the gas currently being produced. However, in future gas stimulation applications (as distinct from experiments), a minimum production of tritium by the explosive is desirable since product contamination by this nuclide may place severe limitations on the use of the tritiated gas. In Sloop, where production of copper is the goal of the experiment, product contamination would not be caused by tritium but could result from other nuclides: Thus, gas stimulation could require the use of fission explosives while the lower cost per kiloton of thermonuclear explosives could make them attractive for ore-crushing applications. Because of this consideration, radionuclide production calculations must be made for both fission and for thermonuclear explosives in the underground environment. Such activation calculations materials of construction are performed in a manner similar to that described in another paper, but radionuclide production in the environment must be computed using both fission neutron and 14-MeV neutron sources in order to treat the 'source term' problem realistically. In making such computations, parameter studies including the effects of environmental temperature, neutron shielding, and rock types have been carried out. Results indicate the importance of carefully evaluating the radionuclide production for each individual underground engineering application. (author)

Radioactivity source terms for underground engineering application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tewes, H.A.

1969-01-01

The constraints on nuclide production are usually very similar in any underground engineering application of nuclear explosives. However, in some applications the end product could be contaminated unless the proper nuclear device is used. This fact can be illustrated from two underground engineering experiments-Gasbuggy and Sloop. In the Gasbuggy experiment, appreciable tritium has been shown to be present in the gas currently being produced. However, in future gas stimulation applications (as distinct from experiments), a minimum production of tritium by the explosive is desirable since product contamination by this nuclide may place severe limitations on the use of the tritiated gas. In Sloop, where production of copper is the goal of the experiment, product contamination would not be caused by tritium but could result from other nuclides: Thus, gas stimulation could require the use of fission explosives while the lower cost per kiloton of thermonuclear explosives could make them attractive for ore-crushing applications. Because of this consideration, radionuclide production calculations must be made for both fission and for thermonuclear explosives in the underground environment. Such activation calculations materials of construction are performed in a manner similar to that described in another paper, but radionuclide production in the environment must be computed using both fission neutron and 14-MeV neutron sources in order to treat the 'source term' problem realistically. In making such computations, parameter studies including the effects of environmental temperature, neutron shielding, and rock types have been carried out. Results indicate the importance of carefully evaluating the radionuclide production for each individual underground engineering application. (author)

Finite volume schemes with equilibrium type discretization of source terms for scalar conservation laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botchorishvili, Ramaz; Pironneau, Olivier

2003-01-01

We develop here a new class of finite volume schemes on unstructured meshes for scalar conservation laws with stiff source terms. The schemes are of equilibrium type, hence with uniform bounds on approximate solutions, valid in cell entropy inequalities and exact for some equilibrium states. Convergence is investigated in the framework of kinetic schemes. Numerical tests show high computational efficiency and a significant advantage over standard cell centered discretization of source terms. Equilibrium type schemes produce accurate results even on test problems for which the standard approach fails. For some numerical tests they exhibit exponential type convergence rate. In two of our numerical tests an equilibrium type scheme with 441 nodes on a triangular mesh is more accurate than a standard scheme with 5000 2 grid points

COMPASS: A source term code for investigating capillary barrier performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Wei; Apted, J.J.

1996-01-01

A computer code COMPASS based on compartment model approach is developed to calculate the near-field source term of the High-Level-Waste repository under unsaturated conditions. COMPASS is applied to evaluate the expected performance of Richard's (capillary) barriers as backfills to divert infiltrating groundwater at Yucca Mountain. Comparing the release rates of four typical nuclides with and without the Richard's barrier, it is shown that the Richard's barrier significantly decreases the peak release rates from the Engineered-Barrier-System (EBS) into the host rock

Proposal for implementation of alternative source term in the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde; Propuesta de implementacion del termino fuente alternativo en la central nuclear Laguna Verde

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazan L, A.; Lopez L, M.; Vargas A, A.; Cardenas J, J. B. [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Central Nucleoelectrica Laguna Verde, Km. 7.5 Carretera Veracruz-Medellin, Dos Bocas, Veracruz (Mexico)], e-mail: ariadna.bazan@cfe.gob.mx

2009-10-15

In 2010 the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde will implement the extended power upbeat in both units of the plant. Agree with methodology of NEDC-33004P-A, (constant pressure power up rate), and the source term of core, for accidents evaluations, were increased in proportion to the ratio of power level. This means that for the case of a design basis accident of loss of coolant an increase of power of 15% originated an increase of 15% in dose to main control room. Using the method of NEDC-33004P-A to extended power upbeat conditions was determined that the dose value to main control room is very near to regulatory limit established by SRP 6.4. By the above and in order to recover the margin, the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde will calculate an alternative source term following the criteria established in RG 1.183 (alternative radiological source term for evaluating DBA at nuclear power reactor). This approach also have a more realistic dose value using the criterion of 10-CFR-50.67, in addition is predicted to get the benefit of additional operational flexibilities. This paper present the proposal of implementing the alternative source term in Laguna Verde. (Author)

On the application of subcell resolution to conservation laws with stiff source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, S.

1989-11-01

LeVeque and Yee recently investigated a one-dimensional scalar conservation law with stiff source terms modeling the reacting flow problems and discovered that for the very stiff case most of the current finite difference methods developed for non-reacting flows would produce wrong solutions when there is a propagating discontinuity. A numerical scheme, essentially nonoscillatory/subcell resolution - characteristic direction (ENO/SRCD), is proposed for solving conservation laws with stiff source terms. This scheme is a modification of Harten's ENO scheme with subcell resolution, ENO/SR. The locations of the discontinuities and the characteristic directions are essential in the design. Strang's time-splitting method is used and time evolutions are done by advancing along the characteristics. Numerical experiment using this scheme shows excellent results on the model problem of LeVeque and Yee. Comparisons of the results of ENO, ENO/SR, and ENO/SRCD are also presented

Mobile sensing of point-source fugitive methane emissions using Bayesian inference: the determination of the likelihood function

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, X.; Albertson, J. D.

2016-12-01

Natural gas is considered as a bridge fuel towards clean energy due to its potential lower greenhouse gas emission comparing with other fossil fuels. Despite numerous efforts, an efficient and cost-effective approach to monitor fugitive methane emissions along the natural gas production-supply chain has not been developed yet. Recently, mobile methane measurement has been introduced which applies a Bayesian approach to probabilistically infer methane emission rates and update estimates recursively when new measurements become available. However, the likelihood function, especially the error term which determines the shape of the estimate uncertainty, is not rigorously defined and evaluated with field data. To address this issue, we performed a series of near-source (using a specialized vehicle mounted with fast response methane analyzers and a GPS unit. Methane concentrations were measured at two different heights along mobile traversals downwind of the sources, and concurrent wind and temperature data are recorded by nearby 3-D sonic anemometers. With known methane release rates, the measurements were used to determine the functional form and the parameterization of the likelihood function in the Bayesian inference scheme under different meteorological conditions.

A functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation of short-term source and item memory for negative pictures.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Karen J; Mather, Mara; Johnson, Marcia K; Raye, Carol L; Greene, Erich J

2006-10-02

We investigated the hypothesis that arousal recruits attention to item information, thereby disrupting working memory processes that help bind items to context. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we compared brain activity when participants remembered negative or neutral picture-location conjunctions (source memory) versus pictures only. Behaviorally, negative trials showed disruption of short-term source, but not picture, memory; long-term picture recognition memory was better for negative than for neutral pictures. Activity in areas involved in working memory and feature integration (precentral gyrus and its intersect with superior temporal gyrus) was attenuated on negative compared with neutral source trials relative to picture-only trials. Visual processing areas (middle occipital and lingual gyri) showed greater activity for negative than for neutral trials, especially on picture-only trials.

LS-APC v1.0: a tuning-free method for the linear inverse problem and its application to source-term determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Tichý

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Estimation of pollutant releases into the atmosphere is an important problem in the environmental sciences. It is typically formalized as an inverse problem using a linear model that can explain observable quantities (e.g., concentrations or deposition values as a product of the source-receptor sensitivity (SRS matrix obtained from an atmospheric transport model multiplied by the unknown source-term vector. Since this problem is typically ill-posed, current state-of-the-art methods are based on regularization of the problem and solution of a formulated optimization problem. This procedure depends on manual settings of uncertainties that are often very poorly quantified, effectively making them tuning parameters. We formulate a probabilistic model, that has the same maximum likelihood solution as the conventional method using pre-specified uncertainties. Replacement of the maximum likelihood solution by full Bayesian estimation also allows estimation of all tuning parameters from the measurements. The estimation procedure is based on the variational Bayes approximation which is evaluated by an iterative algorithm. The resulting method is thus very similar to the conventional approach, but with the possibility to also estimate all tuning parameters from the observations. The proposed algorithm is tested and compared with the standard methods on data from the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX where advantages of the new method are demonstrated. A MATLAB implementation of the proposed algorithm is available for download.

LS-APC v1.0: a tuning-free method for the linear inverse problem and its application to source-term determination

Science.gov (United States)

Tichý, Ondřej; Šmídl, Václav; Hofman, Radek; Stohl, Andreas

2016-11-01

Estimation of pollutant releases into the atmosphere is an important problem in the environmental sciences. It is typically formalized as an inverse problem using a linear model that can explain observable quantities (e.g., concentrations or deposition values) as a product of the source-receptor sensitivity (SRS) matrix obtained from an atmospheric transport model multiplied by the unknown source-term vector. Since this problem is typically ill-posed, current state-of-the-art methods are based on regularization of the problem and solution of a formulated optimization problem. This procedure depends on manual settings of uncertainties that are often very poorly quantified, effectively making them tuning parameters. We formulate a probabilistic model, that has the same maximum likelihood solution as the conventional method using pre-specified uncertainties. Replacement of the maximum likelihood solution by full Bayesian estimation also allows estimation of all tuning parameters from the measurements. The estimation procedure is based on the variational Bayes approximation which is evaluated by an iterative algorithm. The resulting method is thus very similar to the conventional approach, but with the possibility to also estimate all tuning parameters from the observations. The proposed algorithm is tested and compared with the standard methods on data from the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) where advantages of the new method are demonstrated. A MATLAB implementation of the proposed algorithm is available for download.

A photon spectrometric dose-rate constant determination for the Advantage Pd-103 brachytherapy source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Zhe Jay; Bongiorni, Paul; Nath, Ravinder [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States)

2010-02-15

Purpose: Although several dosimetric characterizations using Monte Carlo simulation and thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) have been reported for the new Advantage Pd-103 source (IsoAid, LLC, Port Richey, FL), no AAPM consensus value has been established for the dosimetric parameters of the source. The aim of this work was to perform an additional dose-rate constant ({Lambda}) determination using a recently established photon spectrometry technique (PST) that is independent of the published TLD and Monte Carlo techniques. Methods: Three Model IAPD-103A Advantage Pd-103 sources were used in this study. The relative photon energy spectrum emitted by each source along the transverse axis was measured using a high-resolution germanium spectrometer designed for low-energy photons. For each source, the dose-rate constant was determined from its emitted energy spectrum. The PST-determined dose-rate constant ({sub PST}{Lambda}) was then compared to those determined by TLD ({sub TLD}{Lambda}) and Monte Carlo ({sub MC}{Lambda}) techniques. A likely consensus {Lambda} value was estimated as the arithmetic mean of the average {Lambda} values determined by each of three different techniques. Results: The average {sub PST}{Lambda} value for the three Advantage sources was found to be (0.676{+-}0.026) cGyh{sup -1} U{sup -1}. Intersource variation in {sub PST}{Lambda} was less than 0.01%. The {sub PST}{Lambda} was within 2% of the reported {sub MC}{Lambda} values determined by PTRAN, EGSnrc, and MCNP5 codes. It was 3.4% lower than the reported {sub TLD}{Lambda}. A likely consensus {Lambda} value was estimated to be (0.688{+-}0.026) cGyh{sup -1} U{sup -1}, similar to the AAPM consensus values recommended currently for the Theragenics (Buford, GA) Model 200 (0.686{+-}0.033) cGyh{sup -1} U{sup -1}, the NASI (Chatsworth, CA) Model MED3633 (0.688{+-}0.033) cGyh{sup -1} U{sup -1}, and the Best Medical (Springfield, VA) Model 2335 (0.685{+-}0.033) cGyh{sup -1} U{sup -1} {sup 103}Pd

PHENOstruct: Prediction of human phenotype ontology terms using heterogeneous data sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahanda, Indika; Funk, Christopher; Verspoor, Karin; Ben-Hur, Asa

2015-01-01

The human phenotype ontology (HPO) was recently developed as a standardized vocabulary for describing the phenotype abnormalities associated with human diseases. At present, only a small fraction of human protein coding genes have HPO annotations. But, researchers believe that a large portion of currently unannotated genes are related to disease phenotypes. Therefore, it is important to predict gene-HPO term associations using accurate computational methods. In this work we demonstrate the performance advantage of the structured SVM approach which was shown to be highly effective for Gene Ontology term prediction in comparison to several baseline methods. Furthermore, we highlight a collection of informative data sources suitable for the problem of predicting gene-HPO associations, including large scale literature mining data.

Radioiodine source term and its potential impact on the use of potassium iodide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malinauskas, A.P.

1982-01-01

Information is presented concerning chemical forms of fission product iodine in the primary circuit; chemical forms of fission product iodine in the containment building; summary of iodine chemistry in light water reactor accidents; and impact of the radiodine source term on the potassium iodide issue

The Chandra Source Catalog: Background Determination and Source Detection

Science.gov (United States)

McCollough, Michael; Rots, Arnold; Primini, Francis A.; Evans, Ian N.; Glotfelty, Kenny J.; Hain, Roger; Anderson, Craig S.; Bonaventura, Nina R.; Chen, Judy C.; Davis, John E.; Doe, Stephen M.; Evans, Janet D.; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Galle, Elizabeth C.; Danny G. Gibbs, II; Grier, John D.; Hall, Diane M.; Harbo, Peter N.; He, Xiang Qun (Helen); Houck, John C.; Karovska, Margarita; Kashyap, Vinay L.; Lauer, Jennifer; McCollough, Michael L.; McDowell, Jonathan C.; Miller, Joseph B.; Mitschang, Arik W.; Morgan, Douglas L.; Mossman, Amy E.; Nichols, Joy S.; Nowak, Michael A.; Plummer, David A.; Refsdal, Brian L.; Siemiginowska, Aneta L.; Sundheim, Beth A.; Tibbetts, Michael S.; van Stone, David W.; Winkelman, Sherry L.; Zografou, Panagoula

2009-09-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) is a major project in which all of the pointed imaging observations taken by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory are used to generate one of the most extensive X-ray source catalog produced to date. Early in the development of the CSC it was recognized that the ability to estimate local background levels in an automated fashion would be critical for essential CSC tasks such as source detection, photometry, sensitivity estimates, and source characterization. We present a discussion of how such background maps are created directly from the Chandra data and how they are used in source detection. The general background for Chandra observations is rather smoothly varying, containing only low spatial frequency components. However, in the case of ACIS data, a high spatial frequency component is added that is due to the readout streaks of the CCD chips. We discuss how these components can be estimated reliably using the Chandra data and what limitations and caveats should be considered in their use. We will discuss the source detection algorithm used for the CSC and the effects of the background images on the detection results. We will also touch on some the Catalog Inclusion and Quality Assurance criteria applied to the source detection results. This work is supported by NASA contract NAS8-03060 (CXC).

Radioactivity determination of sealed pure beta-sources by surface dose measurements and Monte Carlo simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Chang Heon [Interdisciplinary Program in Radiation Applied Life Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Seongmoon [Program in Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Department of Transdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Kanghyuk; Son, Kwang-Jae; Lee, Jun Sig [Hanaro Applications Research, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ye, Sung-Joon, E-mail: sye@snu.ac.kr [Interdisciplinary Program in Radiation Applied Life Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Program in Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Department of Transdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Center for Convergence Research on Robotics, Advance Institutes of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-21

This study aims to determine the activity of a sealed pure beta-source by measuring the surface dose rate using an extrapolation chamber. A conversion factor (cGy s{sup −1} Bq{sup −1}), which was defined as the ratio of surface dose rate to activity, can be calculated by Monte Carlo simulations of the extrapolation chamber measurement. To validate this hypothesis the certified activities of two standard pure beta-sources of Sr/Y-90 and Si/P-32 were compared with those determined by this method. In addition, a sealed test source of Sr/Y-90 was manufactured by the HANARO reactor group of KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) and used to further validate this method. The measured surface dose rates of the Sr/Y-90 and Si/P-32 standard sources were 4.615×10{sup −5} cGy s{sup −1} and 2.259×10{sup −5} cGy s{sup −1}, respectively. The calculated conversion factors of the two sources were 1.213×10{sup −8} cGy s{sup −1} Bq{sup −1} and 1.071×10{sup −8} cGy s{sup −1} Bq{sup −1}, respectively. Therefore, the activity of the standard Sr/Y-90 source was determined to be 3.995 kBq, which was 2.0% less than the certified value (4.077 kBq). For Si/P-32 the determined activity was 2.102 kBq, which was 6.6% larger than the certified activity (1.971 kBq). The activity of the Sr/Y-90 test source was determined to be 4.166 kBq, while the apparent activity reported by KAERI was 5.803 kBq. This large difference might be due to evaporation and diffusion of the source liquid during preparation and uncertainty in the amount of weighed aliquot of source liquid. The overall uncertainty involved in this method was determined to be 7.3%. We demonstrated that the activity of a sealed pure beta-source could be conveniently determined by complementary combination of measuring the surface dose rate and Monte Carlo simulations.

A well-balanced scheme for Ten-Moment Gaussian closure equations with source term

Science.gov (United States)

Meena, Asha Kumari; Kumar, Harish

2018-02-01

In this article, we consider the Ten-Moment equations with source term, which occurs in many applications related to plasma flows. We present a well-balanced second-order finite volume scheme. The scheme is well-balanced for general equation of state, provided we can write the hydrostatic solution as a function of the space variables. This is achieved by combining hydrostatic reconstruction with contact preserving, consistent numerical flux, and appropriate source discretization. Several numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the well-balanced property and resulting accuracy of the proposed scheme.

CO₂ and O₂ respiration kinetics in hydrocarbon contaminated soils amended with organic carbon sources used to determine catabolic diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietravalle, Stéphane; Aspray, Thomas J

2013-05-01

Multiple substrate induced respiration (MSIR) assays which assess the response of soils to carbon source amendment are effective approaches to determine catabolic diversity of soils. Many assays are based on a single short term (hydrocarbon contaminated soils using continuous CO2 and O2 respiration measurements. Based on cumulative CO2 and O2 measurements at 4, 24 and 120 h, the soils were found to be distinct in terms of their catabolic diversity. Most noteworthy, however, was the response to the addition of maleic acid which provided strong evidence of abiotic CO2 efflux to be the overriding process, raising questions about the interpretation of CO2 only responses from organic acid addition in MSIR assays. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS)reg-sign: Source-term release formulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streile, G.P.; Shields, K.D.; Stroh, J.L.; Bagaasen, L.M.; Whelan, G.; McDonald, J.P.; Droppo, J.G.; Buck, J.W.

1996-11-01

This report is one of a series of reports that document the mathematical models in the Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS). Developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy, MEPAS is an integrated impact assessment software implementation of physics-based fate and transport models in air, soil, and water media. Outputs are estimates of exposures and health risk assessments for radioactive and hazardous pollutants. Each of the MEPAS formulation documents covers a major MEPAS component such as source-term, atmospheric, vadose zone/groundwater, surface water, and health exposure/health impact assessment. Other MEPAS documentation reports cover the sensitivity/uncertainty formulations and the database parameter constituent property estimation methods. The pollutant source-term release component is documented in this report. MEPAS simulates the release of contaminants from a source, transport through the air, groundwater, surface water, or overland pathways, and transfer through food chains and exposure pathways to the exposed individual or population. For human health impacts, risks are computed for carcinogens and hazard quotients for noncarcinogens. MEPAS is implemented on a desktop computer with a user-friendly interface that allows the user to define the problem, input the required data, and execute the appropriate models for both deterministic and probabilistic analyses

Influence of iodine chemistry on source term assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herranz Puebla, L. E.; Lopez Diez, I.; Rodriguez Maroto, J. J.; Martinez Lopez-Alcorocho, A.

1991-01-01

The major goal of a phenomenology analysis of containment during a severe accident situation can be spitted into the following ones: to know the containment response to the different loads and to predict accurately the fission product and aerosol behavior. In this report, the main results coming from the study of a hypothetical accident scenario, based on LA-4 experiment of LACE project, are presented. In order to do it, several codes have been coupled: CONTEMPT4/MOD5 (thermohydraulics), NAUA/MOD5 (aerosol physics) and IODE (iodine chemistry). It has been demonstrated the impossibility of assessing with confidence the Source Term if the chemical conduct of some radionuclides is not taken into account. In particular, the influence on the iodine retention efficiency of the sump of variables such as pH has been proven. (Author)12 refs

Source term assessment using inverse modeling of radiation dose measured with environmental radiation monitors located at different positions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivas, C.V.; Rakesh, P.T.; Baskaran, R.; Venkatraman, B.

2018-01-01

Source term is an important input for consequence analysis using Decision Support Systems (DSS) to project radiological impact in the event of nuclear emergencies. A source term model called 'ASTER' is incorporated in the Online Nuclear Emergency Response System (ONERS) operational at Kalpakkam site for decision making during nuclear emergencies. This computes release rates using inverse method by employing an atmospheric dispersion model and gamma dose rates measured by environmental radiation monitors (ERM) deployed around the nuclear plant. The estimates may depend on the distribution of ERMs around the release location. In this work, data from various gamma monitors located at different radii 0.75 km and 1.5 km is used to assess the accuracy in the source term estimation for stack releases of MAPS-PHWR at Kalpakkam

Final report of the inter institutional project ININ-CNSNS 'Source Terms specific for the CNLV'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anaya M, R.A.

1991-02-01

The purpose of the project inter institutional ININ-CNSNS 'Source Terms Specifies for the CNLV' it is the one of implanting in the computer CYBER (CDC 180-830) of the ININ, the 'Source Term Code Package' (STCP) and to make the operation tests and corresponding operation using the data of the sample problem, for finally to liberate the package, all time that by means of the analysis of the results it is consider appropriate. In this report the results of the are presented simulation of the sequence 'Energy Losses external' (Station blackout) and 'Lost total of CA with failure of the RCIC and success of the HPCS' both with data of the Laguna Verde Central. (Author)

Alpha spectrometry of thick sources. I. Application to alpha emitters determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acena, M.L.; Garcia-Torano, E.; Rivero, M.C.

1977-01-01

A method for determining alpha emitters by silicon surface barrier detector spectroscopy using thick sources is studied. Two types of spectra have been obtained. They have different shapes of line according to the procedure used for preparing the sources. For both spectra a computing least square programme has been developed. In this way it is possible to calculate line intensities with accuracy better than 20 percent. (author) [es

ORIGAMI Automator Primer. Automated ORIGEN Source Terms and Spent Fuel Storage Pool Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wieselquist, William A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Thompson, Adam B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bowman, Stephen M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Peterson, Joshua L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-04-01

Source terms and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage pool decay heat load analyses for operating nuclear power plants require a large number of Oak Ridge Isotope Generation and Depletion (ORIGEN) calculations. SNF source term calculations also require a significant amount of bookkeeping to track quantities such as core and assembly operating histories, spent fuel pool (SFP) residence times, heavy metal masses, and enrichments. The ORIGEN Assembly Isotopics (ORIGAMI) module in the SCALE code system provides a simple scheme for entering these data. However, given the large scope of the analysis, extensive scripting is necessary to convert formats and process data to create thousands of ORIGAMI input files (one per assembly) and to process the results into formats readily usable by follow-on analysis tools. This primer describes a project within the SCALE Fulcrum graphical user interface (GUI) called ORIGAMI Automator that was developed to automate the scripting and bookkeeping in large-scale source term analyses. The ORIGAMI Automator enables the analyst to (1) easily create, view, and edit the reactor site and assembly information, (2) automatically create and run ORIGAMI inputs, and (3) analyze the results from ORIGAMI. ORIGAMI Automator uses the standard ORIGEN binary concentrations files produced by ORIGAMI, with concentrations available at all time points in each assembly’s life. The GUI plots results such as mass, concentration, activity, and decay heat using a powerful new ORIGEN Post-Processing Utility for SCALE (OPUS) GUI component. This document includes a description and user guide for the GUI, a step-by-step tutorial for a simplified scenario, and appendices that document the file structures used.

Analysis of the Variability of Classified and Unclassified Radiological Source term Inventories in the Frenchman Flat Area, Nevada test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, P.; Zavarin, M.

2008-01-01

It has been proposed that unclassified source terms used in the reactive transport modeling investigations at NTS CAUs should be based on yield-weighted source terms calculated using the average source term from Bowen et al. (2001) and the unclassified announced yields reported in DOE/NV-209. This unclassified inventory is likely to be used in unclassified contaminant boundary calculations and is, thus, relevant to compare to the classified inventory. They have examined the classified radionuclide inventory produced by 10 underground nuclear tests conducted in the Frenchman Flat (FF) area of the Nevada Test Site. The goals were to (1) evaluate the variability in classified radiological source terms among the 10 tests and (2) compare that variability and inventory uncertainties to an average unclassified inventory (e.g. Bowen 2001). To evaluate source term variability among the 10 tests, radiological inventories were compared on two relative scales: geometric mean and yield-weighted geometric mean. Furthermore, radiological inventories were either decay corrected to a common date (9/23/1992) or the time zero (t 0 ) of each test. Thus, a total of four data sets were produced. The date of 9/23/1992 was chosen based on the date of the last underground nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site

Long-term trends in California mobile source emissions and ambient concentrations of black carbon and organic aerosol.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Brian C; Goldstein, Allen H; Harley, Robert A

2015-04-21

A fuel-based approach is used to assess long-term trends (1970-2010) in mobile source emissions of black carbon (BC) and organic aerosol (OA, including both primary emissions and secondary formation). The main focus of this analysis is the Los Angeles Basin, where a long record of measurements is available to infer trends in ambient concentrations of BC and organic carbon (OC), with OC used here as a proxy for OA. Mobile source emissions and ambient concentrations have decreased similarly, reflecting the importance of on- and off-road engines as sources of BC and OA in urban areas. In 1970, the on-road sector accounted for ∼90% of total mobile source emissions of BC and OA (primary + secondary). Over time, as on-road engine emissions have been controlled, the relative importance of off-road sources has grown. By 2010, off-road engines were estimated to account for 37 ± 20% and 45 ± 16% of total mobile source contributions to BC and OA, respectively, in the Los Angeles area. This study highlights both the success of efforts to control on-road emission sources, and the importance of considering off-road engine and other VOC source contributions when assessing long-term emission and ambient air quality trends.

Source term development for tritium at the Sheffield disposal site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKenzie, D.R.; Barletta, R.E.; Smalley, J.F.; Kempf, C.R.; Davis, R.E.

1984-01-01

The Sheffield low-level radioactive waste disposal site, which ceased operation in 1978, has been the focus of modeling efforts by the NRC for the purpose of predicting long-term site behavior. To provide the NRC with the information required for its modeling effort, a study to define the source term for tritium in eight trenches at the Sheffield site has been undertaken. Tritium is of special interest since significant concentrations of the isotope have been found in groundwater samples taken at the site and at locations outside the site boundary. Previous estimates of tritium site inventory at Sheffield are in wide disagreement. In this study, the tritium inventory in the eight trenches was estimated by reviewing the radioactive shipping records (RSRs) for waste buried in these trenches. It has been found that the tritium shipped for burial at the site was probably higher than previously estimated. In the eight trenches surveyed, which amount to roughly one half the total volume and activity buried at Sheffield, approximately 2350 Ci of tritium from non-fuel cycle sources were identified. The review of RSRs also formed the basis for obtaining waste package descriptions and for contacting large waste generators to obtain more detailed information regarding these waste packages. As a result of this review and the selected generator contacts, the non-fuel cycle tritium waste was categorized. The tritium releases from each of these waste categories were modeled. The results of this modeling effort are presented for each of the eight trenches selected. 3 references, 2 figures

Projected Source Terms for Potential Sabotage Events Related to Spent Fuel Shipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luna, R.E.; Neuhauser, K.S.; Vigil, M.G.

1999-01-01

Two major studies, one sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the other by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, were conducted in the late 1970s and early 1980s to provide information and source terms for an optimally successful act of sabotage on spent fuel casks typical of those available for use. This report applies the results of those studies and additional analysis to derive potential source terms for certain classes of sabotage events on spent fuel casks and spent fuel typical of those which could be shipped in the early decades of the 21st century. In addition to updating the cask and spent fuel characteristics used in the analysis, two release mechanisms not included in the earlier works were identified and evaluated. As would be expected, inclusion of these additional release mechanisms resulted in a somewhat higher total release from the postulated sabotage events. Although health effects from estimated releases were addressed in the earlier study conducted for U.S. Department of Energy, they have not been addressed in this report. The results from this report maybe used to estimate health effects

Preferred orientation determination using line source x-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimmel, G.; Shmarjahu, D.

1977-10-01

A texture goniometer has been attached to a diffractometer connected to a line-focus x-ray source. Reasonable results are obtained for the texture of rolled sheets and the test procedure is given. To illustrate the test procedure, the determination of preferred orientation in cold-rolled copper is described, as compared with random powder of sintered copper. Improvements of the measurements are proposed

The Chernobyl reactor accident source term: Development of a consensus view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guntay, S.; Powers, D.A.; Devell, L.

1997-01-01

In August 1986, scientists from the former Soviet Union provided the nuclear safety community with an impressively detailed account of what was then known about the Chernobyl accident. This included assessments of the magnitudes, rates, and compositions of radionuclide releases during the ten days following initiation of the accident. A summary report based on the Soviet report, the oral presentations, and the discussions with scientists from various countries was issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency shortly thereafter. Ten years have elapsed since the reactor accident at Chernobyl. A great deal more data is now available concerning the events, phenomena, and processes that took place. The purpose of this document is to examine what is known about the radioactive materials released during the accident. The accident was peculiar in the sense that radioactive materials were released, at least initially, in an exceptionally energetic plume and were transported far from the reactor site. Release of radioactivity from the plant continued for about ten days. A number of more recent publications and results from scientists in Russia and elsewhere have significantly improved our understanding of the Chernobyl source term. Because of the special features of the reactor design and the pecularities of the Chernobyl accident, the source term for the Chernobyl accident is of limited applicability of the safety analysis of other types of reactors

Functional group composition of ambient and source organic aerosols determined by tandem mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dron, J.; El Haddad, I.; Temime-Roussel, B.; Wortham, H.; Marchand, N. [Univ Aix Marseille, CNRS, Lab Chim Provence, Equipe Instrumentat and React Atmospher, UMR 6264, F-13331 Marseille 3 (France); Jaffrezo, J.L. [Univ Grenoble 1, CNRS, UMR 5183, Lab Glaciol and Geophys Environm, F-38402 St Martin Dheres (France)

2010-07-01

The functional group composition of various organic aerosols (OA) is investigated using a recently developed analytical approach based on atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (APCIMS/MS). The determinations of three functional groups contents are performed quantitatively by neutral loss (carboxylic and carbonyl groups, R-COOH and R-CO-R' respectively) and precursor ion (nitro groups, R-NO{sub 2}) scanning modes of a tandem mass spectrometer. Major organic aerosol sources are studied: vehicular emission and wood combustion for primary aerosol sources; and a secondary organic aerosol (SOA) produced through photooxidation of o-xylene. The results reveal significant differences in the functional group contents of these source aerosols. The laboratory generated SOA is dominated by carbonyls while carboxylics are preponderate in the wood combustion particles. On the other hand, vehicular emissions are characterised by a strong nitro content. The total amount of the three functional groups accounts for 1.7% (vehicular) to 13.5% (o-xylene photooxidation) of the organic carbon. Diagnostic functional group ratios are then used to tentatively discriminate sources of particles collected in an urban background environment located in an Alpine valley (Chamonix, France) during a strong winter pollution event. The three functional groups under study account for a total functionalization rate of 2.2 to 3.8% of the organic carbon in this ambient aerosol, which is also dominated by carboxylic moieties. In this particular case study of a deep alpine valley during winter, we show that the nitro- and carbonyl-to-carboxylic diagnostic ratios can be a useful tool to discriminate sources. In these conditions, the total OA concentrations are highly dominated by wood combustion OA. This result is confirmed by an organic markers source apportionment approach which assess a wood burning organic carbon contribution of about 60%. Finally, examples of functional

Functional group composition of ambient and source organic aerosols determined by tandem mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Dron

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The functional group composition of various organic aerosols (OA is investigated using a recently developed analytical approach based on atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (APCI-MS/MS. The determinations of three functional groups contents are performed quantitatively by neutral loss (carboxylic and carbonyl groups, R-COOH and R-CO-R´ respectively and precursor ion (nitro groups, R-NO₂ scanning modes of a tandem mass spectrometer. Major organic aerosol sources are studied: vehicular emission and wood combustion for primary aerosol sources; and a secondary organic aerosol (SOA produced through photooxidation of o-xylene. The results reveal significant differences in the functional group contents of these source aerosols. The laboratory generated SOA is dominated by carbonyls while carboxylics are preponderate in the wood combustion particles. On the other hand, vehicular emissions are characterised by a strong nitro content. The total amount of the three functional groups accounts for 1.7% (vehicular to 13.5% (o-xylene photooxidation of the organic carbon. Diagnostic functional group ratios are then used to tentatively discriminate sources of particles collected in an urban background environment located in an Alpine valley (Chamonix, France during a strong winter pollution event. The three functional groups under study account for a total functionalisation rate of 2.2 to 3.8% of the organic carbon in this ambient aerosol, which is also dominated by carboxylic moieties. In this particular case study of a deep alpine valley during winter, we show that the nitro- and carbonyl-to-carboxylic diagnostic ratios can be a useful tool to discriminate sources. In these conditions, the total OA concentrations are highly dominated by wood combustion OA. This result is confirmed by an organic markers source apportionment approach which assess a wood burning organic carbon contribution of about 60

Determination of void fraction from source range monitor and mass flow rate data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCormick, R.D.

1986-09-01

This is a report on the calculation of the TMI-2 primary coolant system local void fraction from source range neutron flux monitor data and from hot leg mass flowrate meter data during the first 100 minutes of the accident. The methods of calculation of void fraction from the two data sources is explained and the results are compared. It is indicated that the void fraction determined using the mass flowrate data contained an error of unknown magnitude due to the assumption of constant homogeneous volumetric flowrate used in the calculation and required further work. Void fraction determined from the source range monitor data is felt to be usable although an uncertainty analysis has not been performed

Photon spectrometry for the determination of the dose-rate constant of low-energy photon-emitting brachytherapy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Zhe Jay; Nath, Ravinder

2007-01-01

Accurate determination of dose-rate constant (Λ) for interstitial brachytherapy sources emitting low-energy photons (<50 keV) has remained a challenge in radiation dosimetry because of the lack of a suitable absolute dosimeter for accurate measurement of the dose rates near these sources. Indeed, a consensus value of Λ taken as the arithmetic mean of the dose-rate constants determined by different research groups and dosimetry techniques has to be used at present for each source model in order to minimize the uncertainties associated with individual determinations of Λ. Because the dosimetric properties of a source are fundamentally determined by the characteristics of the photons emitted by the source, a new technique based on photon spectrometry was developed in this work for the determination of dose-rate constant. The photon spectrometry technique utilized a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer to measure source-specific photon characteristics emitted by the low-energy sources and determine their dose-rate constants based on the measured photon-energy spectra and known dose-deposition properties of mono-energetic photons in water. This technique eliminates many of the difficulties arising from detector size, the energy dependence of detector sensitivity, and the use of non-water-equivalent solid phantoms in absolute dose rate measurements. It also circumvents the uncertainties that might be associated with the source modeling in Monte Carlo simulation techniques. It was shown that the estimated overall uncertainty of the photon spectrometry technique was less than 4%, which is significantly smaller than the reported 8-10% uncertainty associated with the current thermo-luminescent dosimetry technique. In addition, the photon spectrometry technique was found to be stable and quick in Λ determination after initial setup and calibration. A dose-rate constant can be determined in less than two hours for each source. These features make it ideal to determine

STATCONT: A statistical continuum level determination method for line-rich sources

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Schilke, P.; Ginsburg, A.; Cesaroni, R.; Schmiedeke, A.

2018-01-01

STATCONT is a python-based tool designed to determine the continuum emission level in spectral data, in particular for sources with a line-rich spectrum. The tool inspects the intensity distribution of a given spectrum and automatically determines the continuum level by using different statistical approaches. The different methods included in STATCONT are tested against synthetic data. We conclude that the sigma-clipping algorithm provides the most accurate continuum level determination, together with information on the uncertainty in its determination. This uncertainty can be used to correct the final continuum emission level, resulting in the here called `corrected sigma-clipping method' or c-SCM. The c-SCM has been tested against more than 750 different synthetic spectra reproducing typical conditions found towards astronomical sources. The continuum level is determined with a discrepancy of less than 1% in 50% of the cases, and less than 5% in 90% of the cases, provided at least 10% of the channels are line free. The main products of STATCONT are the continuum emission level, together with a conservative value of its uncertainty, and datacubes containing only spectral line emission, i.e., continuum-subtracted datacubes. STATCONT also includes the option to estimate the spectral index, when different files covering different frequency ranges are provided.

Basic repository source term and data sheet report: Deaf Smith County

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

This report is one of a series describing studies undertaken in support of the US Department of Energy Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) Program. This study contains the derivation of values for environmental source terms and resources consumed for a CRWM repository. Estimates include heavy construction equipment; support equipment; shaft-sinking equipment; transportation equipment; and consumption of fuel, water, electricity, and natural gas. Data are presented for construction and operation at an assumed site in Deaf Smith County, Texas. 2 refs., 6 tabs

Design parameters and source terms: Volume 1, Design parameters: Revision 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-09-01

The Design Parameters and Source Terms Document was prepared in accordance with DOE request and to provide data for the environmental impact study to be performed in the future for the Deaf Smith County, Texas site for a nuclear waste repository in salt. This document updates a previous unpublished report to the level of the Site Characterization Plan - Conceptual Design Report, SCP-CDR. The previous unpublished SCC Study identified the data needs for the Environmental Assessment effort for seven possible salt repository sites

New source terms: what do they tell us about engineered safety feature performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernero, R.M.

1985-01-01

The accident behavior models which are the basis of engineered safety feature design are generally simple, non-mechanistic and concentrated on volatile radioiodine. Now data from source term studies show that models should be more mechanistic and look at other species than volatile iodine. A complete reevaluation of engineered safety features is needed

Dose assessments for Greifswald and Cadarache with updated source terms from ITER NSSR-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raskob, W.; Hasemann, I.

1998-08-01

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ITER is in its late engineering phase. One of the most important safety aspects - in particular for achieving public acceptance - is to assure that the releases of harzardous material are minimal during normal operation and for accidental events, even if very unlikely. To this purpose probabilistic dose assessments for accidental atmospheric releases of various ITER source terms which contain tritium and/or activation products were performed for the sites of Greifswald, Germany, and Cadarache, France. In addition, routine releases into the atmosphere and hydrosphere have been evaluated. No country specific rules were applied and the input parameters were adapted as far as possible to those used within former studies to achieve a better comparability with site independent dose assessments performed in the frame of ITER. The calculations were based on source terms which, for the first time, contain a combination of tritium and activation products. This allowed a better judgment of the contribution to the total dose of the individual fusion relevant materials. The results were compared to site independent dose limits defined in the frame of ITER. Annual doses from routine releases (CAT-I) are below 0.1 μSv for the aquatic scenarios and are close to 1 μSv for the atmospheric source terms. Source terms for two different categories of accidental releases, representing 'extremely unlikely events' (CAT-IV) and 'hypothetical sequences' (CAT-V), were investigated. In none of these cases, the release scenarios of category CAT-IV exceed the ITER limits. In addition, relevant characteristic quantities of the early dose distribution from the hypothetical scenarios of type CAT-V are still below 50 mSv or 100 mSv, values which are commonly used as lower reference values for evacuation in many potential home countries of ITER. These site specific assessments confirmed that the proposed release limits and thus the derived dose

Semi-empirical Determination of Detection Efficiency for Voluminous Source by Effective Solid Angle Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, M. Y.; Kim, J. H.; Choi, H. D. [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Sun, G. M. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

In the field of γ-ray measurements, the determination of full energy (FE) absorption peak efficiency for a voluminous sample is difficult, because the preparation of the certified radiation source with the same chemical composition and geometry for the original voluminous sample is not easy. In order to solve this inconvenience, simulation or semi-empirical methods are preferred in many cases. Effective Solid Angle (ESA) Code which includes semi-empirical approach has been developed by the Applied Nuclear Physics Group in Seoul National University. In this study, we validated ESA code by using Marinelli type voluminous KRISS (Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science) CRM (Certified Reference Materials) sources and IAEA standard γ-ray point sources. And semi-empirically determined efficiency curve for voluminous source by using the ESA code is compared with the experimental value. We calculated the efficiency curve of voluminous source from the measured efficiency of standard point source by using the ESA code. We will carry out the ESA code validation by measurement of various CRM volume sources with detector of different efficiency.

Nomogram for Determining Shield Thickness for Point and Line Sources of Gamma Rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joenemalm, C; Malen, K

1966-10-15

A set of nomograms is given for the determination of the required shield thickness against gamma radiation. The sources handled are point and infinite line sources with shields of Pb, Fe, magnetite concrete (p = 3.6), ordinary concrete (p = 2.3) or water. The gamma energy range covered is 0.5 - 10 MeV. The nomograms are directly applicable for source and dose points on the surfaces of the shield. They can easily be extended to source and dose points in other positions by applying a geometrical correction. Also included are data for calculation of the source strength for the most common materials and for fission product sources.

Nomogram for Determining Shield Thickness for Point and Line Sources of Gamma Rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joenemalm, C.; Malen, K

1966-10-01

A set of nomograms is given for the determination of the required shield thickness against gamma radiation. The sources handled are point and infinite line sources with shields of Pb, Fe, magnetite concrete (p = 3.6), ordinary concrete (p = 2.3) or water. The gamma energy range covered is 0.5 - 10 MeV. The nomograms are directly applicable for source and dose points on the surfaces of the shield. They can easily be extended to source and dose points in other positions by applying a geometrical correction. Also included are data for calculation of the source strength for the most common materials and for fission product sources

Evaluation of the Non-Transient Hydrologic Source Term from the CAMBRIC Underground Nuclear Test in Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tompson, A B; Maxwell, R M; Carle, S F; Zavarin, M; Pawloski, G A.; Shumaker, D E

2005-01-01

Hydrologic Source Term (HST) calculations completed in 1998 at the CAMBRIC underground nuclear test site were LLNL's first attempt to simulate a hydrologic source term at the NTS by linking groundwater flow and transport modeling with geochemical modeling (Tompson et al., 1999). Significant effort was applied to develop a framework that modeled in detail the flow regime and captured all appropriate chemical processes that occurred over time. However, portions of the calculations were simplified because of data limitations and a perceived need for generalization of the results. For example: (1) Transient effects arising from a 16 years of pumping at the site for a radionuclide migration study were not incorporated. (2) Radionuclide fluxes across the water table, as derived from infiltration from a ditch to which pumping effluent was discharged, were not addressed. (3) Hydrothermal effects arising from residual heat of the test were not considered. (4) Background data on the ambient groundwater flow direction were uncertain and not represented. (5) Unclassified information on the Radiologic Source Term (RST) inventory, as tabulated recently by Bowen et al. (2001), was unavailable; instead, only a limited set of derived data were available (see Tompson et al., 1999). (6) Only a small number of radionuclides and geochemical reactions were incorporated in the work. (7) Data and interpretation of the RNM-2S multiple well aquifer test (MWAT) were not available. As a result, the current Transient CAMBRIC Hydrologic Source Term project was initiated as part of a broader Phase 2 Frenchman Flat CAU flow and transport modeling effort. The source term will be calculated under two scenarios: (1) A more specific representation of the transient flow and radionuclide release behavior at the site, reflecting the influence of the background hydraulic gradient, residual test heat, pumping experiment, and ditch recharge, and taking into account improved data sources and modeling

Source term and behavioural parameters for a postulated HIFAR loss-of-coolant accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

May, F.G.

1987-01-01

The fraction of the fission product inventory which might be released into the atmosphere of the HIFAR reactor containment building (RCB) during a postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) has been evaluated as a function of time, for each classification of airborne radioactivity. This appraisal will be used as the source term for a computer program, which uses realistic attenuation of the fission product aerosol in a single compartment model with a defined leakrate to predict possible radioactive releases into the environment in a hypothetical bounding case reactor accident which is rather more severe in all major aspects than any single LOCA. Also given are the parameters governing the attenuation of the aerosol and vapours in the atmosphere of the RCB so that their behaviour may be accurately modelled. The source terms for several other types of accident involving the meltdown of fuel elements have also been considered but in less detail than the LOCA case. In some of the cases, the fission products are released directly to atmosphere, so there is no attenuation of the release by deposition within the RCB

Fall determinants in older long-term care residents with dementia: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kröpelin, Tobias F; Neyens, Jacques C L; Halfens, Ruud J G; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M; Hamers, Jan P H

2013-04-01

Persons with dementia are two to three times more likely to fall compared to persons without dementia. In long-term care settings, the dementia prevalence is highest. Therefore, older long-term care residents with dementia can be considered a high-risk group for falls. Nevertheless, no systematic evaluation of fall determinants in this population was found. The purpose of this study was to identify fall determinants among older long-term care residents with dementia or cognitively impaired persons in long-term care, by conducting a systematic literature review. We searched English, French, Dutch, and German articles listed in: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Additionally, references of included articles were screened. Studies were included if determinants or circumstances of falls in older persons with dementia living in long-term care were assessed. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Three studies were excluded from detailed analysis because of insufficient quality. Use of psychotropic drugs, a "fair or poor" general health, gait impairments, and age were associated with an increased fall risk. Also trunk restraints were associated with an increased number of falls while full bedrails and wandering behavior were protective against falls. Fall risk factors known from other populations, e.g. use of psychotropic drugs, physical restraints, and health conditions, are found in long-term care residents with dementia as well. Due to the limited evidence available, future studies with adequate sample sizes and prospective designs are required to determine specific fall risk factors and verify existing results in this population.

An optimisation technology for more precise determination of a source for modelling radioactive releases to the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golubenkov, A.V.; Borodin, R.V.

1993-01-01

This paper deals with refining meteorological parameters and source term characteristics required for models of atmospheric dispersion and deposition of radioactivity in the area adjacent to facilities affected by a nuclear accident. The proposed methodology involves the minimisation of an objective function that is the sum of weighted norms of deviations between measured and model values. The measured values are spatially interpolated and the weights determined by the type of measurement and the precision of interpolation. Consideration is given to a technique of initial approximation based on calculating regression functions for the parameters to be refined using measured radioactivity. Coefficients for these functions are calculated by analysis of a multitude of simulated situations. Also discussed is a heuristic method, using multiple random perturbations on the data, for assessing the validity of the solution. Based on these calculations confidence intervals are determined for the refined model parameters. (author)

Reciprocity relations and the mode conversion-absorption equation with an inhomogeneous source term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, S.; Swanson, D.G.

1990-01-01

The fourth-order mode conversion equation is solved completely via the Green's function to include an inhomogeneous source term. This Green's function itself contains all the plasma responsive effects such as mode conversion and absorption, and can be used to describe the spontaneous emission. In the course of the analysis, the reciprocity relations between coupling parameters are proved

The EC CAST project (carbon-14 source term)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, S. J.

2015-01-01

Carbon-14 is a key radionuclide in the assessment of the safety of underground geological disposal facilities for radioactive wastes. It is possible for carbon-14 to be released from waste packages in a variety of chemical forms, both organic and inorganic, and as dissolved or gaseous species The EC CAST (CArbon-14 Source Term) project aims to develop understanding of the generation and release of carbon-14 from radioactive waste materials under conditions relevant to packaging and disposal. It focuses on the release of carbon-14 from irradiated metals (steels and zirconium alloys), from irradiated graphite and from spent ion-exchange resins. The CAST consortium brings together 33 partners. CAST commenced in October 2013 and this paper describes progress to March 2015. The main activities during this period were reviews of the current status of knowledge, the identification and acquisition of suitable samples and the design of experiments and analytical procedures. (authors)

Mapping of the flux and estimate of the radiation source term of neutron fields generated by the GE PETtrace-8 cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benavente Castillo, Jhonny Antonio

2017-01-01

The use of spectrometric techniques in a cyclotron facility is strongly advised for the complete characterization of the neutron radiation field. In recent years, several studies of neutron spectrometry have been carried out at the Cyclotron of the Development Center of Nuclear Technology (CDTN). The main objective of this work is to propose a methodology for mapping of the flux and estimate of the radiation source term of neutron fields generated by the GE PETtrace-8 cyclotron. The method of neutron activation analysis with gold, indium and nickel activation foils was used to measure the activities induced at specific points in the cyclotron bunker. The irradiations of the activation foils were performed using the intermittent irradiation method to optimize the radiation field during 18 F production. The study of the neutron spectrum was performed using three radiation source terms. The first source term was constructed based on data provided by the cyclotron manufacturer using the neutron cross sections of the ENDF/B-VII library. The other two were proposed considering the irradiation process used in the routine of 18 F production. Both radiation source terms used the LA150H proton cross sections and for the 18 O, the cross sections of the physical model CEM03 (Cascade-exciton model) and TENDL (TALYS-based Evaluated Nuclear Data Library) were used. The results of the source terms in relation to the experimental results, in terms of neutron fluence rates, reaction rates and dose equivalent rates, showed that are in the same order of magnitude as those obtained by Ogata et al, Fujibuchi et al, and Gallerani et al., for the same cyclotron; and by Mendez et al. for a different manufacturing cyclotron. The models of the proposed radiation source terms were validated to obtain the spectra generated during the 18 F production when water enriched at 18 O is bombarded with a proton beam of 16.5 MeV. Finally, the model of the LA150H - TENDL - 2015 radiation source term is

78 FR 66276 - Determination of Rates and Terms for Business Establishment Services

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-05

...). The revisions read as follows: Sec. 384.4 Terms for making payment of royalty fees and statements of... LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Copyright Royalty Board 37 CFR Part 384 [Docket No. 2012-1 CRB Business Establishments II] Determination of Rates and Terms for Business Establishment Services AGENCY: Copyright Royalty...

Loss of confinement of liquefied gases. Evaluation of the source term; Perte de confinement de gaz liquefies. Evaluation du terme source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alix, P.; Novat, E.; Hocquet, J.; Bigot, J.P. [Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines, Centre SPIN, 42 - Saint-Etienne (France)

2001-07-01

In this work, the states law corresponding to flow rate measurements of two-phase flows performed with five different fluid (water, butane, R11, ethyl acetate, methanol) is applied. This allows to show that the critical mass flux (which is used as source term in the scenario of loss of confinement in liquefied gas reservoirs) is a 'universal' function of the reduced initial pressure P{sub 0}{sup *}, which can be used for most of the single-constituent fluids of the processes industry. Thus it is easy to make a relatively precise estimation of the critical mass flux (uncertainty < 20% for P{sub 0}{sup *} < 15%) without the need of any model. It is shown also that no improvement of the models can be expected from the use of the vaporization kinetics. On the contrary, a qualitative consideration indicates that the use of the slip seems more promising. (J.S.)

Determining the VLF/ULF source height using phase measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Ryabov, A.; Kotik, D. S.

2012-12-01

Generation of ULF/VLF waves in the ionosphere using powerful RF facilities has been studied for the last 40 years, both theoretically and experimentally. During this time, it was proposed several mechanisms for explaining the experimental results: modulation of ionospheric currents based on thermal nonlinearity, ponderomotive mechanisms for generation both VLF and ULF signals, cubic nonlinearity, etc. According mentioned above mechanisms the VLF/ULF signal source could be located in the lower or upper ionosphere. The group velocity of signal propagation in the ionosphere is significantly smaller than speed of light. As a result the appreciable time delay of the received signals will occur at the earth surface. This time delay could be determine by measuring the phase difference between received and reference signals, which are GPS synchronized. The experiment on determining the time delay of ULF signal propagation from the ionospheric source was carried out at SURA facility in 2012 and the results are presented in this paper. The comparison with numerical simulation of the time delay using the adjusted IRI model and ionosonde data shows well agreement with the experimental observations. The work was supported by RFBR grant 11-02-00419-a and RF Ministry of education and science by state contract 16.518.11.7066.

Determinants, obstacles, sources and cooperation to innovation in Portuguese firms, using community innovation survey

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Aldina; Braga, Alexandra; Braga, Vitor

2017-06-01

Innovation is a topic of interest for the management researchers, confirmed by the creation of a Community Innovation Survey, which is an harmonised tool designed to provide information about Innovation in European Union enterprises. In this study, we use factorial analysis to identify the determinants and obstacles to innovation in Portuguese firms. The sources of innovation and cooperation to innovation are also analysed, using crossed information. For the determinants of innovation six factors were identified: Production costs and impacts to health and environment, Process and product innovation, Organizational innovation, Institutional sources of information, Others sources of information and Market sources of information. Obstacles to innovation were clustered into three groups: Knowledge and market factors, Cost factors and Reasons not to innovate. The main sources of innovation identified, in this study, are Suppliers and Clients, located in Portugal and in Europe. Cooperation partners are also majority Clients and Suppliers, in addition to other enterprises in the same group.

Event Coverage Detection and Event Source Determination in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhangbing Zhou

2015-12-01

Full Text Available With the advent of the Internet of Underwater Things, smart things are deployed in the ocean space and establish underwater wireless sensor networks for the monitoring of vast and dynamic underwater environments. When events are found to have possibly occurred, accurate event coverage should be detected, and potential event sources should be determined for the enactment of prompt and proper responses. To address this challenge, a technique that detects event coverage and determines event sources is developed in this article. Specifically, the occurrence of possible events corresponds to a set of neighboring sensor nodes whose sensory data may deviate from a normal sensing range in a collective fashion. An appropriate sensor node is selected as the relay node for gathering and routing sensory data to sink node(s. When sensory data are collected at sink node(s, the event coverage is detected and represented as a weighted graph, where the vertices in this graph correspond to sensor nodes and the weight specified upon the edges reflects the extent of sensory data deviating from a normal sensing range. Event sources are determined, which correspond to the barycenters in this graph. The results of the experiments show that our technique is more energy efficient, especially when the network topology is relatively steady.

Modification to ORIGEN2 for generating N Reactor source terms. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarz, R.A.

1997-04-01

This report discusses work that has been done to upgrade the ORIGEN2 code cross sections to be compatible with the WIMS computer code data. Because of the changes in the ORIGEN2 calculations. Details on changes made to the ORIGEN2 computer code and the Radnuc code will be discussed along with additional work that should be done in the future to upgrade both ORIGEN2 and Radnuc. A detailed historical description of how source terms have been generated for N Reactor fuel stored in the K Basins has been generated. The neutron source discussed in this description was generated by the WIMS computer code (Gubbins et al. 1982) because of known shortcomings in the ORIGEN2 (Croff 1980) cross sections. Another document includes a discussion of the ORIGEN2 cross sections

Regulatory Technology Development Plan - Sodium Fast Reactor. Mechanistic Source Term - Trial Calculation. Work Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grabaskas, David; Bucknor, Matthew; Jerden, James; Brunett, Acacia J.

2016-01-01

The overall objective of the SFR Regulatory Technology Development Plan (RTDP) effort is to identify and address potential impediments to the SFR regulatory licensing process. In FY14, an analysis by Argonne identified the development of an SFR-specific MST methodology as an existing licensing gap with high regulatory importance and a potentially long lead-time to closure. This work was followed by an initial examination of the current state-of-knowledge regarding SFR source term development (ANLART-3), which reported several potential gaps. Among these were the potential inadequacies of current computational tools to properly model and assess the transport and retention of radionuclides during a metal fuel pool-type SFR core damage incident. The objective of the current work is to determine the adequacy of existing computational tools, and the associated knowledge database, for the calculation of an SFR MST. To accomplish this task, a trial MST calculation will be performed using available computational tools to establish their limitations with regard to relevant radionuclide release/retention/transport phenomena. The application of existing modeling tools will provide a definitive test to assess their suitability for an SFR MST calculation, while also identifying potential gaps in the current knowledge base and providing insight into open issues regarding regulatory criteria/requirements. The findings of this analysis will assist in determining future research and development needs.

Source Term Characterization for Structural Components in 17 x 17 KOFA Spent Fuel Assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Dong Keun; Kook, Dong Hak; Choi, Heui Joo; Choi, Jong Won [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-12-15

Source terms of metal waste comprising a spent fuel assembly are relatively important when the spent fuel is pyroprocessed, because cesium, strontium, and transuranics are not a concern any more in the aspect of source term of permanent disposal. In this study, characteristics of radiation source terms for each structural component in spent fuel assembly was analyzed by using ORIGEN-S with a assumption that 10 metric tons of uranium is pyroprocessed. At first, mass and volume for each structural component of the fuel assembly were calculated in detail. Activation cross section library was generated by using KENO-VI/ORIGEN-S module for top-end piece and bottom-end piece, because those are located at outer core with different neutron spectrum compared to that of inner core. As a result, values of radioactivity, decay heat, and hazard index were reveled to be 1.40 x 10{sup 15} Bequerels, 236 Watts, 4.34 x 10{sup 9} m{sup 3}-water, respectively, at 10 years after discharge. Those values correspond to 0.7 %, 1.1 %, 0.1 %, respectively, compared to that of spent fuel. Inconel 718 grid plate was shown to be the most important component in the all aspects of radioactivity, decay heat, and hazard index although the mass occupies only 1 % of the total. It was also shown that if the Inconel 718 grid plate is managed separately, the radioactivity and hazard index of metal waste could be decreased to 20 {approx} 45 % and 30 {approx} 45 %, respectively. As a whole, decay heat of metal waste was shown to be negligible in the aspect of disposal system design, while the radioactivity and hazard index are important.

Review and evaluation of the Millstone Unit 3 probabilistic safety study. Containment failure modes, radiological source - terms and offsite consequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatib-Rahbar, M.; Pratt, W.; Ludewig, H.

1985-09-01

A technical review and evaluation of the Millstone Unit 3 probabilistic safety study has been performed. It was determined that; (1) long-term damage indices (latent fatalities, person-rem, etc.) are dominated by late failure of the containment, (2) short-term damage indices (early fatalities, etc.) are dominated by bypass sequences for internally initiated events, while severe seismic sequences can also contribute significantly to early damage indices. These overall estimates of severe accident risk are extremely low compared with other societal sources of risk. Furthermore, the risks for Millstone-3 are comparable to risks from other nuclear plants at high population sites. Seismically induced accidents dominate the severe accident risks at Millstone-3. Potential mitigative features were shown not to be cost-effective for internal events. Value-impact analysis for seismic events showed that a manually actuated containment spray system might be cost-effective

Model description for calculating the source term of the Angra 1 environmental control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, L.F.S. de; Amaral Neto, J.D.; Salles, M.R.

1988-01-01

This work presents the model used for evaluation of source term released from Angra 1 Nuclear Power Plant in case of an accident. After that, an application of the model for the case of a Fuel Assembly Drop Accident Inside the Fuel Handling Building during reactor refueling is presented. (author) [pt

Lysimeter data as input to performance assessment source term codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McConnell, J.W. Jr.; Rogers, R.D.; Sullivan, T.

1992-01-01

The Field Lysimeter Investigation: Low-Level Waste Data Base Development Program is obtaining information on the performance of radioactive waste in a disposal environment. Waste forms fabricated using ion-exchange resins from EPICOR-II c prefilters employed in the cleanup of the Three Mile Island (TMI) Nuclear Power Station are being tested to develop a low-level waste data base and to obtain information on survivability of waste forms in a disposal environment. In this paper, radionuclide releases from waste forms in the first seven years of sampling are presented and discussed. Application of lysimeter data to be used in performance assessment source term models is presented. Initial results from use of data in two models are discussed

Tank waste source term inventory validation. Volume 1. Letter report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brevick, C.H.; Gaddis, L.A.; Johnson, E.D.

1995-01-01

The sample data for selection of 11 radionuclides and 24 chemical analytes were extracted from six separate sample data sets, were arranged in a tabular format and were plotted on scatter plots for all of the 149 single-shell tanks, the 24 double-shell tanks and the four aging waste tanks. The solid and liquid sample data was placed in separate tables and plots. The sample data and plots were compiled from the following data sets: characterization raw sample data, recent core samples, D. Braun data base, Wastren (Van Vleet) data base, TRAC and HTCE inventories. This document is Volume I of the Letter Report entitled Tank Waste Source Term Inventory Validation

The determination of neutron energy spectra of radioisotope sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutkin, J.E.

1975-08-01

The neutron energy spectrum of a 241 Am-Be radioisotope neutron source has been determined by use of a time of flight neutron spectrometer; this spectrometer not being subject to the same uncertainties as a scintillation spectrometer. Neutron spectra have been determined using a scintillation spectrometer with which the effects of instrumental uncertainties, particularly the pulse shape discrimination have been assessed. In the course of the development of the time flight spectrometer a zero crossover pulse shape discrimination system was developed in order to reduce the unwanted background. Using this system a quantitative survey of pulse shape discrimination with experimental and commercial liquid and plastic organic scintillators were carried out. In addition the pulse shape discrimination properties of inorganic scintillators were also examined. (author)

Source term modelling parameters for Project-90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, W.; Smith, G.; Worgan, K.; Hodgkinson, D.; Andersson, K.

1992-04-01

This document summarises the input parameters for the source term modelling within Project-90. In the first place, the parameters relate to the CALIBRE near-field code which was developed for the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate's (SKI) Project-90 reference repository safety assessment exercise. An attempt has been made to give best estimate values and, where appropriate, a range which is related to variations around base cases. It should be noted that the data sets contain amendments to those considered by KBS-3. In particular, a completely new set of inventory data has been incorporated. The information given here does not constitute a complete set of parameter values for all parts of the CALIBRE code. Rather, it gives the key parameter values which are used in the constituent models within CALIBRE and the associated studies. For example, the inventory data acts as an input to the calculation of the oxidant production rates, which influence the generation of a redox front. The same data is also an initial value data set for the radionuclide migration component of CALIBRE. Similarly, the geometrical parameters of the near-field are common to both sub-models. The principal common parameters are gathered here for ease of reference and avoidance of unnecessary duplication and transcription errors. (au)

Source term assessment, containment atmosphere control systems, and accident consequences. Report to CSNI by an OECD/NEA Group of experts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-04-01

CSNI Report 135 summarizes the results of the work performed by CSNI's Principal Working Group No. 4 on the Source Term and Environmental Consequences (PWG4) during the period extending from 1983 to 1986. This document contains the latest information on some important topics relating to source terms, accident consequence assessment, and containment atmospheric control systems. It consists of five parts: (1) a Foreword and Executive Summary prepared by PWG4's Chairman; (2) a Report on the Technical Status of the Source Term; (3) a Report on the Technical Status of Filtration and Containment Atmosphere Control Systems for Nuclear Reactors in the Event of a Severe Accident; (4) a Report on the Technical Status of Reactor Accident Consequence Assessment; (5) a list of members of PWG4

Uncertainty analysis methods for quantification of source terms using a large computer code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Seok Jung

1997-02-01

Quantification of uncertainties in the source term estimations by a large computer code, such as MELCOR and MAAP, is an essential process of the current probabilistic safety assessments (PSAs). The main objectives of the present study are (1) to investigate the applicability of a combined procedure of the response surface method (RSM) based on input determined from a statistical design and the Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) technique for the uncertainty analysis of CsI release fractions under a hypothetical severe accident sequence of a station blackout at Young-Gwang nuclear power plant using MAAP3.0B code as a benchmark problem; and (2) to propose a new measure of uncertainty importance based on the distributional sensitivity analysis. On the basis of the results obtained in the present work, the RSM is recommended to be used as a principal tool for an overall uncertainty analysis in source term quantifications, while using the LHS in the calculations of standardized regression coefficients (SRC) and standardized rank regression coefficients (SRRC) to determine the subset of the most important input parameters in the final screening step and to check the cumulative distribution functions (cdfs) obtained by RSM. Verification of the response surface model for its sufficient accuracy is a prerequisite for the reliability of the final results obtained by the combined procedure proposed in the present work. In the present study a new measure has been developed to utilize the metric distance obtained from cumulative distribution functions (cdfs). The measure has been evaluated for three different cases of distributions in order to assess the characteristics of the measure: The first case and the second are when the distribution is known as analytical distributions and the other case is when the distribution is unknown. The first case is given by symmetry analytical distributions. The second case consists of two asymmetry distributions of which the skewness is non zero

A source term and risk calculations using level 2+PSA methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S. I.; Jea, M. S.; Jeon, K. D.

2002-01-01

The scope of Level 2+ PSA includes the assessment of dose risk which is associated with the exposures of the radioactive nuclides escaping from nuclear power plants during severe accidents. The establishment of data base for the exposure dose in Korea nuclear power plants may contribute to preparing the accident management programs and periodic safety reviews. In this study the ORIGEN, MELCOR and MACCS code were employed to produce a integrated framework to assess the radiation source term risk. The framework was applied to a reference plant. Using IPE results, the dose rate for the reference plant was calculated quantitatively

Basic repository source term and data sheet report, Cypress Creek Dome: Draft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This report is one of a series describing studies undertaken in support of the US Department of Energy Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) Program. This study contains the derivation of values for environmental source terms and resources consumed for a CRWM repository. Estimates include heavy construction equipment; support equipment; shaft-sinking equipment; transportation equipment; and consumption of fuel, water, electricity, and natural gas. Data are presented for construction and operation at an assumed site in Cypress Creek Dome, Mississippi. 2 refs., 6 tabs

Optimization method for identifying the source term in an inverse wave equation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arumugam Deiveegan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this work, we investigate the inverse problem of identifying a space-wise dependent source term of wave equation from the measurement on the boundary. On the basis of the optimal control framework, the inverse problem is transformed into an optimization problem. The existence and necessary condition of the minimizer for the cost functional are obtained. The projected gradient method and two-parameter model function method are applied to the minimization problem and numerical results are illustrated.

Measurement and apportionment of radon source terms for modeling indoor environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harley, N.H.

1990-01-01

This research has two main goals; (1) to quantify mechanisms for radon entry into homes of different types and to determine the fraction of indoor radon attributable to each source and (2) to model and calculate the dose (and therefore alpha particle fluence) to cells in the human and animal tracheobronchial tree that is pertinent to induction of bronchogenic carcinoma from inhaled radon daughters

The determination of an unknown source for a space fractional advection dispersion equation

KAUST Repository

Aldoghaither, Abeer

2014-09-01

In this paper, we are interested in the estimation of the source term for a space fractional advection dispersion equation using concentration and flux measurements at final time. An example of application is the identification of contamination source in groundwater transport. We propose to use the socalled modulating functions method which has been introduced for parameters estimation. This method allows to transfer the estimation problem into solving a system of algebraic equations. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed method. Finally, a comparison between a Tikhonov-based optimization method and the modulating functions approach is presented.

Modelling and simulation the radioactive source-term of fission products in PWR type reactors; Modelagem e simulacao do termo-fonte radioativo de produtos de fissao em reatores nucleares do tipo PWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Porfirio, Rogilson Nazare da Silva

1996-07-01

The source-term was defined with the purpose the quantify all radioactive nuclides released the nuclear reactor in the case of accidents. Nowadays the source-term is limited to the coolant of the primary circuit of reactors and may be measured or modelled with computer coders such as the TFP developed in this work. The calculational process is based on the linear chain techniques used in the CINDER-2 code. The TFP code considers forms of fission products release from the fuel pellet: Recoil, Knockout and Migration. The release from the gap to the coolant fluid is determined from the ratio between activity measured in the coolant and calculated activity in the gap. Considered the operational data of SURRY-1 reactor, the TFP code was run to obtain the source=term of this reactor. From the measured activities it was verified the reliability level of the model and the employed computational logic. The accuracy of the calculated quantities were compared to the measured data was considered satisfactory. (author)

Natural Radionuclides and Isotopic Signatures for Determining Carbonaceous Aerosol Sources, Aerosol Lifetimes, and Washout Processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaffney, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

This is the final technical report. The project description is as follows: to determine the role of aerosol radiative forcing on climate, the processes that control their atmospheric concentrations must be understood, and aerosol sources need to be determined for mitigation. Measurements of naturally occurring radionuclides and stable isotopic signatures allow the sources, removal and transport processes, as well as atmospheric lifetimes of fine carbonaceous aerosols, to be evaluated.

Natural Radionuclides and Isotopic Signatures for Determining Carbonaceous Aerosol Sources, Aerosol Lifetimes, and Washout Processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaffney, Jeffrey [Univ. of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR (United States)

2012-12-12

This is the final technical report. The project description is as follows: to determine the role of aerosol radiative forcing on climate, the processes that control their atmospheric concentrations must be understood, and aerosol sources need to be determined for mitigation. Measurements of naturally occurring radionuclides and stable isotopic signatures allow the sources, removal and transport processes, as well as atmospheric lifetimes of fine carbonaceous aerosols, to be evaluated.

Temporal determinants of long-term retention of olfactory memory in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Mizunami, Makoto

2002-05-01

Temporal determinants of olfactory long-term memory retention in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus were studied. Elementary appetitive and aversive conditioning procedures, as well as a differential conditioning procedure, were applied. In appetitive conditioning, peppermint odour was paired with a water reward. In aversive conditioning, vanilla odour was paired with saline solution. In differential conditioning, an appetitive conditioning trial was followed by an aversive conditioning trial. The odour preference of crickets was tested before and 2 h, 1 day and 4 days after training by allowing the crickets to choose between peppermint or vanilla sources. Differential conditioning or appetitive conditioning alone led to long-lasting memory retention with no significant decay from 2 h to 4 days after training, but retention after aversive conditioning was absent 1 day after training. Studies using differential conditioning have shown (i) that four trials are sufficient to cause a saturated level of acquisition, (ii) that conditioning is successful when the conditioned stimulus is presented immediately or 5 s before the onset of presentation of the unconditioned stimulus, (iii) that the optimal interval between trials is 2-5 min, and (iv) that anaesthetic treatment with CO2 given immediately after training results in memory disruption but that anaesthetic-resistant memory develops fully 20 min after training. This study demonstrates that a differential conditioning procedure is particularly effective for the formation of long-term memory.

Toward a Mechanistic Source Term in Advanced Reactors: Characterization of Radionuclide Transport and Retention in a Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunett, Acacia J.; Bucknor, Matthew; Grabaskas, David

2016-04-17

A vital component of the U.S. reactor licensing process is an integrated safety analysis in which a source term representing the release of radionuclides during normal operation and accident sequences is analyzed. Historically, source term analyses have utilized bounding, deterministic assumptions regarding radionuclide release. However, advancements in technical capabilities and the knowledge state have enabled the development of more realistic and best-estimate retention and release models such that a mechanistic source term assessment can be expected to be a required component of future licensing of advanced reactors. Recently, as part of a Regulatory Technology Development Plan effort for sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs), Argonne National Laboratory has investigated the current state of knowledge of potential source terms in an SFR via an extensive review of previous domestic experiments, accidents, and operation. As part of this work, the significant sources and transport processes of radionuclides in an SFR have been identified and characterized. This effort examines all stages of release and source term evolution, beginning with release from the fuel pin and ending with retention in containment. Radionuclide sources considered in this effort include releases originating both in-vessel (e.g. in-core fuel, primary sodium, cover gas cleanup system, etc.) and ex-vessel (e.g. spent fuel storage, handling, and movement). Releases resulting from a primary sodium fire are also considered as a potential source. For each release group, dominant transport phenomena are identified and qualitatively discussed. The key product of this effort was the development of concise, inclusive diagrams that illustrate the release and retention mechanisms at a high level, where unique schematics have been developed for in-vessel, ex-vessel and sodium fire releases. This review effort has also found that despite the substantial range of phenomena affecting radionuclide release, the

Refined Source Terms in WAVEWATCH III with Wave Breaking and Sea Spray Forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-30

dissipation and breaking, nonlinear wave-wave interaction, bottom friction, wave-mud interaction, wave-current interaction as well as sea spray flux. These...shallow water outside the surf zone. After careful testing within a comprehensive suite of test bed cases, these refined source terms will be...aim to refine the parameterization of air-sea and upper ocean fluxes, including wind input and sea spray as well as dissipation, and hence improve

A Source Term Calculation for the APR1400 NSSS Auxiliary System Components Using the Modified SHIELD Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hong Sik; Kim, Min; Park, Seong Chan; Seo, Jong Tae; Kim, Eun Kee

2005-01-01

The SHIELD code has been used to calculate the source terms of NSSS Auxiliary System (comprising CVCS, SIS, and SCS) components of the OPR1000. Because the code had been developed based upon the SYSTEM80 design and the APR1400 NSSS Auxiliary System design is considerably changed from that of SYSTEM80 or OPR1000, the SHIELD code cannot be used directly for APR1400 radiation design. Thus the hand-calculation is needed for the portion of design changes using the results of the SHIELD code calculation. In this study, the SHIELD code is modified to incorporate the APR1400 design changes and the source term calculation is performed for the APR1400 NSSS Auxiliary System components

Running the source term code package in Elebra MX-850

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guimaraes, A.C.F.; Goes, A.G.A.

1988-01-01

The source term package (STCP) is one of the main tools applied in calculations of behavior of fission products from nuclear power plants. It is a set of computer codes to assist the calculations of the radioactive materials leaving from the metallic containment of power reactors to the environment during a severe reactor accident. The original version of STCP runs in SDC computer systems, but as it has been written in FORTRAN 77, is possible run it in others systems such as IBM, Burroughs, Elebra, etc. The Elebra MX-8500 version of STCP contains 5 codes:March 3, Trapmelt, Tcca, Vanessa and Nava. The example presented in this report has taken into consideration a small LOCA accident into a PWR type reactor. (M.I.)

Tank waste source term inventory validation. Volume II. Letter report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-04-01

This document comprises Volume II of the Letter Report entitled Tank Waste Source Term Inventory Validation. This volume contains Appendix C, Radionuclide Tables, and Appendix D, Chemical Analyte Tables. The sample data for selection of 11 radionuclides and 24 chemical analytes were extracted from six separate sample data sets, were arranged in a tabular format and were plotted on scatter plots for all of the 149 single-shell tanks, the 24 double-shell tanks and the four aging waste tanks. The solid and liquid sample data was placed in separate tables and plots. The sample data and plots were compiled from the following data sets: characterization raw sample data, recent core samples, D. Braun data base, Wastren (Van Vleet) data base, TRAC and HTCE inventories.

Tank waste source term inventory validation. Volume II. Letter report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-04-01

This document comprises Volume II of the Letter Report entitled Tank Waste Source Term Inventory Validation. This volume contains Appendix C, Radionuclide Tables, and Appendix D, Chemical Analyte Tables. The sample data for selection of 11 radionuclides and 24 chemical analytes were extracted from six separate sample data sets, were arranged in a tabular format and were plotted on scatter plots for all of the 149 single-shell tanks, the 24 double-shell tanks and the four aging waste tanks. The solid and liquid sample data was placed in separate tables and plots. The sample data and plots were compiled from the following data sets: characterization raw sample data, recent core samples, D. Braun data base, Wastren (Van Vleet) data base, TRAC and HTCE inventories

LMFBR source term experiments in the Fuel Aerosol Simulant Test (FAST) facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrykowski, J.C.; Longest, A.W.

1985-01-01

The transport of uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) aerosol through liquid sodium was studied in a series of ten experiments in the Fuel Aerosol Simulant Test (FAST) facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The experiments were designed to provide a mechanistic basis for evaluating the radiological source term associated with a postulated, energetic core disruptive accident (CDA) in a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR). Aerosol was generated by capacitor discharge vaporization of UO 2 pellets which were submerged in a sodium pool under an argon cover gas. Measurements of the pool and cover gas pressures were used to study the transport of aerosol contained by vapor bubbles within the pool. Samples of cover gas were filtered to determine the quantity of aerosol released from the pool. The depth at which the aerosol was generated was found to be the most critical parameter affecting release. The largest release was observed in the baseline experiment where the sample was vaporized above the sodium pool. In the nine ''undersodium'' experiments aerosol was generated beneath the surface of the pool at depths varying from 30 to 1060 mm. The mass of aerosol released from the pool was found to be a very small fraction of the original specimen. It appears that the bulk of aerosol was contained by bubbles which collapsed within the pool. 18 refs., 11 figs., 4 tabs

Determination of radium isotopes by BaSO4 coprecipitation for the preparation of alpha-spectrometric sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lozano, J.C.; Fernandez, F.; Gomez, J.M.G.

1997-01-01

A coprecipitation procedure for the preparation of α-spectrometric sources for radium, using BaSO 4 as carrier, has been applied to the determination of alpha radium isotopes in water samples. The use of 133 Ba as a suitable tracer for radium determination and possible losses of radon isotopes from the sources are studied and discussed. (author)

Source terms associated with two severe accident sequences in a 900 MWe PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fermandjian, J.; Evrard, J.M.; Berthion, Y.; Lhiaubet, G.; Lucas, M.

1983-12-01

Hypothetical accidents taken into account in PWR risk assessment result in fission product release from the fuel, transfer through the primary circuit, transfer into the reactor containment building (RCB) and finally release to the environment. The objective of this paper is to define the characteristics of the source term (noble gases, particles and volatile iodine forms) released from the reactor containment building during two dominant core-melt accident sequences: S 2 CD and TLB according to the ''Reactor Safety Study'' terminology. The reactor chosen for this study is a French 900 MWe PWR unit. The reactor building is a prestressed concrete containment with an internal liner. The first core-melt accident sequence is a 2-break loss-of-coolant accident on the cold leg, with failure of both system and the containment spray system. The second one is a transient initiated by a loss of offsite and onsite power supply and auxiliary feedwater system. These two sequences have been chosen because they are representative of risk dominant scenarios. Source terms associated with hypothetical core-melt accidents S 2 CD and TLB in a French PWR -900 MWe- have been performed using French computer codes (in particular, JERICHO Code for containment response analysis and AEROSOLS/31 for aerosol behavior in the containment)

Source term evaluation model for high-level radioactive waste repository with decay chain build-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Chopra, Manish; Sunny, Faby; Oza, R B

2016-09-18

A source term model based on two-component leach flux concept is developed for a high-level radioactive waste repository. The long-lived radionuclides associated with high-level waste may give rise to the build-up of activity because of radioactive decay chains. The ingrowths of progeny are incorporated in the model using Bateman decay chain build-up equations. The model is applied to different radionuclides present in the high-level radioactive waste, which form a part of decay chains (4n to 4n + 3 series), and the activity of the parent and daughter radionuclides leaching out of the waste matrix is estimated. Two cases are considered: one when only parent is present initially in the waste and another where daughters are also initially present in the waste matrix. The incorporation of in situ production of daughter radionuclides in the source is important to carry out realistic estimates. It is shown that the inclusion of decay chain build-up is essential to avoid underestimation of the radiological impact assessment of the repository. The model can be a useful tool for evaluating the source term of the radionuclide transport models used for the radiological impact assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories.

An appreciation of the events, models and data used for LMFBR radiological source term estimations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keir, D.; Clough, P.N.

1989-01-01

In this report, the events, models and data currently available for analysis of accident source terms in liquid metal cooled fast neutron reactors are reviewed. The types of hypothetical accidents considered are the low probability, more extreme types of severe accident, involving significant degradation of the core and which may lead to the release of radionuclides. The base case reactor design considered is a commercial scale sodium pool reactor of the CDFR type. The feasibility of an integrated calculational approach to radionuclide transport and speciation (such as is used for LWR accident analysis) is explored. It is concluded that there is no fundamental obstacle, in terms of scientific data or understanding of the phenomena involved, to such an approach. However this must be regarded as a long-term goal because of the large amount of effort still required to advance development to a stage comparable with LWR studies. Particular aspects of LMFBR severe accident phenomenology which require attention are the behaviour of radionuclides during core disruptive accident bubble formation and evolution, and during the less rapid sequences of core melt under sodium. The basic requirement for improved thermal hydraulic modelling of core, coolant and structural materials, in these and other scenarios, is highlighted as fundamental to the accuracy and realism of source term estimations. The coupling of such modelling to that of radionuclide behaviour is seen as the key to future development in this area

Long-term monitoring of molecular markers can distinguish different seasonal patterns of fecal indicating bacteria sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Riedel, Timothy E; Thulsiraj, Vanessa; Zimmer-Faust, Amity G; Dagit, Rosi; Krug, Jenna; Hanley, Kaitlyn T; Adamek, Krista; Ebentier, Darcy L; Torres, Robert; Cobian, Uriel; Peterson, Sophie; Jay, Jennifer A

2015-03-15

Elevated levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) have been observed at Topanga Beach, CA, USA. To identify the FIB sources, a microbial source tracking study using a dog-, a gull- and two human-associated molecular markers was conducted at 10 sites over 21 months. Historical data suggest that episodic discharge from the lagoon at the mouth of Topanga Creek is the main source of bacteria to the beach. A decline in creek FIB/markers downstream from upper watershed development and a sharp increase in FIB/markers at the lagoon sites suggest sources are local to the lagoon. At the lagoon and beach, human markers are detected sporadically, dog marker peaks in abundance mid-winter, and gull marker is chronically elevated. Varied seasonal patterns of FIB and source markers were identified showing the importance of applying a suite of markers over long-term spatial and temporal sampling to identify a complex combination of sources of contamination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Calculation of the source term for a S1B-sequence at a VVER-1000 type reactor. Part 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sdouz, G.

1990-10-01

The behaviour of the source term in a VVER-1000 type reactor is calculated using the 'Source Term Code Package' (STCP). The input data are based on the russian plant Zaporozhye-5. The selected accident sequence is a small break LOCA in the hot leg followed by loss offsite and onsite electric power (S 1 B-sequence). According to the course of the calculation the results are presented and analyzed for each program. Except for the noble gases all release fractions are lower than 10 -4 . 18 refs., 10 tabs. (Author)

Analysis of the primary source term for meltdown accidents using MELCOR 1.8.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmuck, P.

1995-01-01

The MELCOR code describing accident phenomena in the core and primary systems was used for source term calculations and - in the context of the MELCOR Cooperative Assessment Programme - for studying two-phase flows through components such as valves and chokes. Results of the latter studies in comparison to experiments gave hints for an improved calculation of momentum transfer between the phases. (orig.)

Different spectra with the same neutron source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vega C, H. R.; Ortiz R, J. M.; Hernandez D, V. M.; Martinez B, M. R.; Hernandez A, B.; Ortiz H, A. A.; Mercado, G. A.

2010-01-01

Using as source term the spectrum of a 239 Pu-Be source several neutron spectra have been calculated using Monte Carlo methods. The source term was located in the centre of spherical moderators made of light water, heavy water and polyethylene of different diameters. Also a 239 Pu-Be source was used to measure its neutron spectrum, bare and moderated by water. The neutron spectra were measured at 100 cm with a Bonner spheres spectrometer. Monte Carlo calculations were used to calculate the neutron spectra of bare and water-moderated spectra that were compared with those measured with the spectrometer. Resulting spectra are similar to those found in power plants with PWR, BWR and Candu nuclear reactors. Beside the spectra the dosimetric features were determined. Using moderators and a single neutron source can be produced neutron spectra alike those found in workplaces, this neutron fields can be utilized to calibrate neutron dosimeters and area monitors. (Author)

20 CFR 416.902 - General definitions and terms for this subpart.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... source if your relationship with the source is not based on your medical need for treatment or evaluation... INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Determining Disability and Blindness General § 416.902 General definitions and terms for this subpart. As used in this subpart— Acceptable medical source refers to one of...

Development of an open source software of quantitative analysis for radionuclide determination by gamma-ray spectrometry using semiconductor detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maduar, Marcelo Francis

2010-01-01

Radioactivity quantification of gamma-ray emitter radionuclides in samples measured by HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry relies on the analysis of the photopeaks present in the spectra, especially on the accurate determination of their net areas. Such a task is usually performed with the aid of proprietary software tools. This work presents a methodology, algorithm descriptions and an open source application, called OpenGamma, for the peak search and analysis in order to obtain the relevant peaks parameters and radionuclides activities. The computational implementation is released entirely in open-source license for the main code and with the use of open software packages for interface design and mathematical libraries. The procedure for the peak search is performed on a three step approach. Firstly a preliminary search is done by using the second-difference method, consisting in the generation of a derived spectrum in order to find candidate peaks. In the second step, the experimental peaks widths are assessed and well formed and isolated ones are chosen to obtain a FWHM vs. channel relationship, by application of the Levenberg-Marquardt minimization method for non-linear fitting. Lastly, regions of the spectrum with grouped peaks are marked and a non-linear fit is again applied to each region to obtain baseline and photopeaks terms; from these terms, peaks net areas are then assessed. (author)

Source term for the bounding assessment of the Canadian nuclear fuel waste disposal concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flavelle, P.

1996-02-01

This is the second in a series to derive the bounds of the post-closure hazard of the Canadian nuclear fuel waste disposal concept, based on the premise that it is unnecessary to predict accurately the real hazard if the bounding hazard can be shown to be acceptable. In this report a reference used (Bruce A fuel, 865 GJ/kgU average burnup) is used to derive the source term for contaminant releases from the emplacement canisters. This requires development of a container failure function which defines the age of the fuel when the canister is perforated and flooded. The source term is expressed as the time-dependent fractional release rate from the used fuel or as the time-dependent contaminant concentrations in the canister porewater. It is derived as the superposition of an instant release, comprising the upper bound of the gap and grain boundary inventory in the used fuel, and the long-term dissolution of the used fuel matrix. Several dissolution models (stoichiometric dissolution/preferential leaching) under different conditions (matrix solubility limited/ unlimited; oxidizing/ reducing solubility limits; groundwater flow/ no flow) are evaluated and the one resulting in the highest release rate/ highest porewater concentration is adopted as the bounding case. Comparisons between the models are made on the basis of the potential ingestion hazard of the canister porewater, to account for differences in the hazard of different radionuclides. (author) 20 refs., 4 tabs., 9 figs

An Organizational-Technical Concept to Deal with Open Source Software License Terms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergius Dyck

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Open source software (OSS released under various license terms is widely used as third party libraries in today's software projects. To ensure open source compliance within an organization, a strategic approach to OSS management is needed. As basis for such an approach, we introduce an organizational-technical concept for dealing with the various OSS licenses by using procedural instructions and build automation software. The concept includes the careful consideration of OSS license conditions. The results obtained from this consideration and additional necessary commitments are documented in a so-called license playbook. We introduce procedure instructions enabling a consistent approach for software development using OSS libraries. The procedure instructions are described in a way such that they can be implemented for example for Java projects using the popular build automation tool Apache Maven and the software repository tool Nexus. We give guidance on how to realize such an implementation on basis of automation tools in practice.

Source term experiments project (STEP): aerosol characterization system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlenger, B.J.; Dunn, P.F.

1985-01-01

A series of four experiments has been conducted at Argonne National Laboratory's TREAT Reactor. These experiments, which are sponsored by an international consortium organized by the Electric Power Research Institute, are designed to investigate the source term, i.e., the type, quantity and timing of release of radioactive fission products from a light water reactor to the environment in the event of a severe accident in which the core is insufficiently cooled. The STEP tests have been designed to provide some of the necessary data regarding the magnitude and release rates of volatile fission products from degraded fuel pins, their physical and chemical characteristics, and aerosol formation and transport phenomena of those fission products that condense to form particles in the cooler regions of the reactor beyond the core. These are inpile experiments, whereby the test fuels are heated in a nuclear test reactor by neutron induced fission and subsequent cladding oxidation in steam environments that simulate as closely as practical predicted severe reactor accident conditions. The test sequences cover a range of pressure and fuel heatup rate, and include the effect of Ag/In/Cd control rod material. 1 ref., 8 figs., 1 tab

Source term calculations - Ringhals 2 PWR. Interim report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johansson, Lise-Lotte

1998-03-01

This project was performed within the fifth and final phase of sub-project RAK-2.1 of the Nordic Co-operative Reactor Safety Program, NKS. RAK-2.1 has also included studies of reflooding of degraded core, recriticality and late phase melt progression. Earlier source term calculations for Swedish nuclear power plants are based on the integral code MAAP. A need was recognised to compare these calculations with calculations done with mechanistic codes. In the present work SCDAP/RELAP5 and CONTAIN were used. Only limited results could be obtained within the frame of RAK-2.1, since many problems were encountered using the SCDAP/RELAP5 code. The main obstacle was the extremely long execution times of the MOD3.1 version, but also some dubious fission product calculations. However, some interesting results were obtained for the studied sequence, a total loss of AC power. The report describes the modelling approach for SCDAP/RELAP5 and CONTAIN, and discusses results for the transient including the event of a surge line creep rupture. The study will probably be completed later, providing that an improved SCDAP/RELAP5 code version becomes available 8 refs, 16 figs, 5 tabs

Coming to Terms: A conflict analysis of the usage, in official and unofficial sources, of 'security fence', 'apartheid wall', and other terms for the structure between Israel and the Palestinian Territories

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rogers, R.A.; Ben-David, A.

2010-01-01

The official terms for the dividing wall are ‘security fence’ on the Israeli side and ‘apartheid wall’ on the Palestinian side. Both terms fuse two contextually charged notions to describe the construction project. Beyond the two official terms, the structure has been given other names by sources

Short-Term Memory Stages in Sign vs. Speech: The Source of the Serial Span Discrepancy

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Matthew L.; Bavelier, Daphne

2011-01-01

Speakers generally outperform signers when asked to recall a list of unrelated verbal items. This phenomenon is well established, but its source has remained unclear. In this study, we evaluate the relative contribution of the three main processing stages of short-term memory--perception, encoding, and recall--in this effect. The present study…

Measurement and apportionment of radon source terms for modeling indoor environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harley, N.H.

1992-01-01

This research has two main goals; (1) to quantify mechanisms for radon entry into homes of different types and to determine the fraction of indoor radon attributable to each source and (2) to model and calculate the dose (and therefore alpha particle fluence) to cells in the human and animal tracheobronchial tree that is pertinent to induction of bronchogenic carcinoma from inhaled radon daughters. The dosimetry has been extended to include organs other than the lung

A critical assessment of flux and source term closures in shallow water models with porosity for urban flood simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Guinot, Vincent

2017-11-01

The validity of flux and source term formulae used in shallow water models with porosity for urban flood simulations is assessed by solving the two-dimensional shallow water equations over computational domains representing periodic building layouts. The models under assessment are the Single Porosity (SP), the Integral Porosity (IP) and the Dual Integral Porosity (DIP) models. 9 different geometries are considered. 18 two-dimensional initial value problems and 6 two-dimensional boundary value problems are defined. This results in a set of 96 fine grid simulations. Analysing the simulation results leads to the following conclusions: (i) the DIP flux and source term models outperform those of the SP and IP models when the Riemann problem is aligned with the main street directions, (ii) all models give erroneous flux closures when is the Riemann problem is not aligned with one of the main street directions or when the main street directions are not orthogonal, (iii) the solution of the Riemann problem is self-similar in space-time when the street directions are orthogonal and the Riemann problem is aligned with one of them, (iv) a momentum balance confirms the existence of the transient momentum dissipation model presented in the DIP model, (v) none of the source term models presented so far in the literature allows all flow configurations to be accounted for(vi) future laboratory experiments aiming at the validation of flux and source term closures should focus on the high-resolution, two-dimensional monitoring of both water depth and flow velocity fields.

Modeling the contribution of point sources and non-point sources to Thachin River water pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffner, Monika; Bader, Hans-Peter; Scheidegger, Ruth

2009-08-15

Major rivers in developing and emerging countries suffer increasingly of severe degradation of water quality. The current study uses a mathematical Material Flow Analysis (MMFA) as a complementary approach to address the degradation of river water quality due to nutrient pollution in the Thachin River Basin in Central Thailand. This paper gives an overview of the origins and flow paths of the various point- and non-point pollution sources in the Thachin River Basin (in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus) and quantifies their relative importance within the system. The key parameters influencing the main nutrient flows are determined and possible mitigation measures discussed. The results show that aquaculture (as a point source) and rice farming (as a non-point source) are the key nutrient sources in the Thachin River Basin. Other point sources such as pig farms, households and industries, which were previously cited as the most relevant pollution sources in terms of organic pollution, play less significant roles in comparison. This order of importance shifts when considering the model results for the provincial level. Crosschecks with secondary data and field studies confirm the plausibility of our simulations. Specific nutrient loads for the pollution sources are derived; these can be used for a first broad quantification of nutrient pollution in comparable river basins. Based on an identification of the sensitive model parameters, possible mitigation scenarios are determined and their potential to reduce the nutrient load evaluated. A comparison of simulated nutrient loads with measured nutrient concentrations shows that nutrient retention in the river system may be significant. Sedimentation in the slow flowing surface water network as well as nitrogen emission to the air from the warm oxygen deficient waters are certainly partly responsible, but also wetlands along the river banks could play an important role as nutrient sinks.

Determination of the growth of nematophagous fungi on diverse carbon sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martha Orozco

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Organic amendments have been widely used to stimulate the populations of predatory nematophagous fungi (PNF in soil; however, the use of organic amendments has produced inconsistent results in the control of parasitic nematodes. The inconsistencies have been partially attributed to the chemical composition of the organic amendments, specifically to carbon and nitrogen contents. Therefore, to know the carbon preferences of these fungi could be helpful to promote the predatory phase of the PNF in soil. The aim of this study was to determine the growth of native PNF strains from Costa Rica in diverse carbon sources. The PNF Arthrobotrys oligospora and Candelabrella musiformis were grown in artificial culture media containing the following carbon sources: cellulose, chitin, pectin, starch, and skim milk. The growth rate developed by the PNF in each one of the culture media was determined and compared. The growth rates developed by both fungal species followed the next order: cellulos e>chitin>pectin>starch>skim milk. Significant differences in the growth rates developed by the fungal strains were detected only in culture medium containing cellulose, in comparison with culture media containing other carbon sources. In culture medium containing cellulose both A. oligospora and C. musiformis grew faster with respect to the other culture media, but A. oligospora strains grew faster in comparison with C. musiformis strains. Both fungal species developed the lowest growth rates in culture media containing starch and skim milk.

Unclassified Source Term and Radionuclide Data for Corrective Action Unit 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peter Martian

2009-05-01

This report documents the evaluation of the information and data available on the unclassified source term and radionuclide contamination for CAU 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine. The total residual inventory of radionuclides associated with one or more tests is known as the radiologic source term (RST). The RST is comprised of radionuclides in water, glass, or other phases or mineralogic forms. The hydrologic source term (HST) of an underground nuclear test is the portion of the total RST that is released into the groundwater over time following the test. In this report, the HST represents radionuclide release some time after the explosion and does not include the rapidly evolving mechanical, thermal, and chemical processes during the explosion. The CAU 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine has many more detonations and a wider variety of settings to consider compared to other CAUs. For instance, the source term analysis and evaluation performed for CAUs 101 and 102: Central and Western Pahute Mesa and CAU 98: Frenchman Flat did not consider vadose zone attenuation because many detonations were located near or below the water table. However, the large number of Yucca Flat/Climax Mine tests and the location of many tests above the water table warrant a more robust analysis of the unsaturated zone.

Adiabatic energization in the ring current and its relation to other source and loss terms

Science.gov (United States)

Liemohn, M. W.; Kozyra, J. U.; Clauer, C. R.; Khazanov, G. V.; Thomsen, M. F.

2002-04-01

The influence of adiabatic energization and deenergization effects, caused by particle drift in radial distance, on ring current growth rates and loss lifetimes is investigated. Growth and loss rates from simulation results of four storms (5 June 1991, 15 May 1997, 19 October 1998, and 25 September 1998) are examined and compared against the y component of the solar wind electric field (Ey,sw). Energy change rates with and without the inclusion of adiabatic energy changes are considered to isolate the influence of this mechanism in governing changes of ring current strength. It is found that the influence of adiabatic drift effects on the energy change rates is very large when energization and deenergization are considered separately as gain and loss mechanisms, often about an order of magnitude larger than all other source or loss terms combined. This is true not only during storm times, when the open drift path configuration of the hot ions dominates the physics of the ring current, but also during quiet times, when the small oscillation in L of the closed trajectories creates a large source and loss of energy each drift orbit. However, the net energy change from adiabatic drift is often smaller than other source and loss processes, especially during quiet times. Energization from adiabatic drift dominates ring current growth only during portions of the main phase of storms. Furthermore, the net-adiabatic energization is often positive, because some particles are lost in the inner magnetosphere before they can adiabatically deenergize. It is shown that the inclusion of only this net-adiabatic drift effect in the total source rate or loss lifetime (depending on the sign of the net-adiabatic energization) best matches the observed source and loss values from empirical Dst predictor methods (that is, for consistency, these values should be compared between the calculation methods). While adiabatic deenergization dominates the loss timescales for all Ey,sw values

An improvement of estimation method of source term to the environment for interfacing system LOCA for typical PWR using MELCOR code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Seok Jung; Kim, Tae Woon; Ahn, Kwang Il [Risk and Environmental Safety Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

Interfacing-system loss-of-coolant-accident (ISLOCA) has been identified as the most hazardous accident scenario in the typical PWR plants. The present study as an effort to improve the knowledge of the source term to the environment during ISLOCA focuses on an improvement of the estimation method. The improvement was performed to take into account an effect of broken pipeline and auxiliary building structures relevant to ISLOCA. An estimation of the source term to the environment was for the OPR-1000 plants by MELOCR code version 1.8.6. The key features of the source term showed that the massive amount of fission products departed from the beginning of core degradation to the vessel breach. The release amount of fission products may be affected by the broken pipeline and the auxiliary building structure associated with release pathway.

Geometric discretization of the multidimensional Dirac delta distribution - Application to the Poisson equation with singular source terms

Science.gov (United States)

Egan, Raphael; Gibou, Frédéric

2017-10-01

We present a discretization method for the multidimensional Dirac distribution. We show its applicability in the context of integration problems, and for discretizing Dirac-distributed source terms in Poisson equations with constant or variable diffusion coefficients. The discretization is cell-based and can thus be applied in a straightforward fashion to Quadtree/Octree grids. The method produces second-order accurate results for integration. Superlinear convergence is observed when it is used to model Dirac-distributed source terms in Poisson equations: the observed order of convergence is 2 or slightly smaller. The method is consistent with the discretization of Dirac delta distribution for codimension one surfaces presented in [1,2]. We present Quadtree/Octree construction procedures to preserve convergence and present various numerical examples, including multi-scale problems that are intractable with uniform grids.

The source term and waste optimization of molten salt reactors with processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gat, U.; Dodds, H.L.

1993-01-01

The source term of a molten salt reactor (MSR) with fuel processing is reduced by the ratio of processing time to refueling time as compared to solid fuel reactors. The reduction, which can be one to two orders of magnitude, is due to removal of the long-lived fission products. The waste from MSRs can be optimized with respect to its chemical composition, concentration, mixture, shape, and size. The actinides and long-lived isotopes can be separated out and returned to the reactor for transmutation. These features make MSRs more acceptable and simpler in operation and handling

Determination of the power of multielement aerosol composition emission from distant industrial sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popova, S.A.; Kutsenogij, K.P.; Chankina, O.V.

2008-01-01

The results from the monitoring of the temporal variability of the multielement composition of atmospheric aerosols are presented. They are used to determine the emission power of a series of elements from distant sources.

A Source Term for Wave Attenuation by Sea Ice in WAVEWATCH III (registered trademark): IC4

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-07

blue and 4 locations in the ice: 1, 2, 5, and 10 km. Notice the steepening of the high frequency face and the shift of the peak to slightly lower...Term for Wave Attenuation by Sea Ice in WAVEWATCH III®: IC4 ClarenCe O. COllins iii W. eriCk rOgers Ocean Dynamics and Prediction Branch Oceanography...Wave model Sea ice Ocean surface waves Arctic Ocean WAVEWATCH III Spectral wave modeling Source terms Wave hindcasting 73-N2K2-07-5 Naval Research

Preliminary PM2.5 and PM10 fractions source apportionment complemented by statistical accuracy determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samek Lucyna

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Samples of PM10 and PM2.5 fractions were collected between the years 2010 and 2013 at the urban area of Krakow, Poland. Numerous types of air pollution sources are present at the site; these include steel and cement industries, traffic, municipal emission sources and biomass burning. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence was used to determine the concentrations of the following elements: Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, As and Pb within the collected samples. Defining the elements as indicators, airborne particulate matter (APM source profiles were prepared by applying principal component analysis (PCA, factor analysis (FA and multiple linear regression (MLR. Four different factors identifying possible air pollution sources for both PM10 and PM2.5 fractions were attributed to municipal emissions, biomass burning, steel industry, traffic, cement and metal industry, Zn and Pb industry and secondary aerosols. The uncertainty associated with each loading was determined by a statistical simulation method that took into account the individual elemental concentrations and their corresponding uncertainties. It will be possible to identify two or more sources of air particulate matter pollution for a single factor in case it is extremely difficult to separate the sources.

Determination of the maximum-depth to potential field sources by a maximum structural index method

Science.gov (United States)

Fedi, M.; Florio, G.

2013-01-01

A simple and fast determination of the limiting depth to the sources may represent a significant help to the data interpretation. To this end we explore the possibility of determining those source parameters shared by all the classes of models fitting the data. One approach is to determine the maximum depth-to-source compatible with the measured data, by using for example the well-known Bott-Smith rules. These rules involve only the knowledge of the field and its horizontal gradient maxima, and are independent from the density contrast. Thanks to the direct relationship between structural index and depth to sources we work out a simple and fast strategy to obtain the maximum depth by using the semi-automated methods, such as Euler deconvolution or depth-from-extreme-points method (DEXP). The proposed method consists in estimating the maximum depth as the one obtained for the highest allowable value of the structural index (Nmax). Nmax may be easily determined, since it depends only on the dimensionality of the problem (2D/3D) and on the nature of the analyzed field (e.g., gravity field or magnetic field). We tested our approach on synthetic models against the results obtained by the classical Bott-Smith formulas and the results are in fact very similar, confirming the validity of this method. However, while Bott-Smith formulas are restricted to the gravity field only, our method is applicable also to the magnetic field and to any derivative of the gravity and magnetic field. Our method yields a useful criterion to assess the source model based on the (∂f/∂x)max/fmax ratio. The usefulness of the method in real cases is demonstrated for a salt wall in the Mississippi basin, where the estimation of the maximum depth agrees with the seismic information.

Experimental determination of the neutron source for the Argonauta reactor subcritical assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renke, Carlos A.C.; Furieri, Rosanne C.A.A.; Pereira, Joao C.S.; Voi, Dante L.; Barbosa, Andre L.N., E-mail: renke@ien.gov.b [Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2011-07-01

The utilization of a subcritical assembly for the determination of nuclear parameters in a multiplier medium requires a well defined neutron source to carry out the experiments necessary for the acquisition of the desired data. The Argonauta research reactor installed at the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear has a subcritical assembly, under development, to be coupled at the upper part of the reactor core that will provide the needed neutrons emerging from its internal thermal column made of graphite. In order to perform neutronic calculations to compare with the experimental results, it is necessary a precise knowledge of the emergent neutron flux that will be used as neutron source in the subcritical assembly. In this work, we present the thermal neutron flux profile determined experimentally via the technique of neutron activation analysis, using dysprosium wires uniformly distributed at the top of the internal thermal neutron column of the Argonauta reactor and later submitted to a detection system using Geiger-Mueller detector. These experimental data were then compared with those obtained through neutronic calculation using HAMMER and CITATION codes in order to validate this calculation system and to define a correct neutron source distribution to be used in the subcritical assembly. This procedure avoids a coupled neutronic calculation of the subcritical assembly and the reactor core. It has also been determined the dimension of the graphite pedestal to be used in the bottom of the subcritical assembly tank in order to smooth the emergent neutron flux at the reactor top. Finally, it is estimated the thermal neutron flux inside the assembly tank when filled with water. (author)

Prevalence and determinants of pre-term deliveries in the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. A. Mokuolu

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In Nigeria, over 900,000 children under the age of five years die every year. Early neonatal death is responsible for a little over 20% of these deaths. Prematurity remains a significant cause of these early neonatal deaths. In some series, it is reported to be responsible for 60-70% of these deaths. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of pre-term deliveries at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin. This was a prospective cohort study conducted over a 9-month period at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. Records of deliveries and data on maternal socio-biological and antenatal variables were collected during this period in order to determine the prevalence and determinants of pre-term deliveries. Out of the 2,489 deliveries that took place over a 9-month period, there were 293 pre-terms, giving a pre-term delivery rate of 120 per 1,000 deliveries. Of the total deliveries, 1,522 singleton deliveries that satisfied inclusion criteria were recruited; 185 of them were pre-term deliveries giving a case:control ratio of 1:7. Significant determinants of pre-term delivery identified were previous pre-term delivery (P=0.001; OR=3.55; 95% CI=1.71-7.30, antepartum hemorrhage (P=0.000; OR=8.95; 95%CI=4.06-19.78, premature rupture of the membranes (P=0.000; OR=6.48; 95%CI=4.33-9.67, maternal urinary tract infection (P=0.006; OR=5.89; 95%CI=1.16-27.57, pregnancy induced hypertension (P=0.007; OR=3.23; 95%CI=2.09-4.99, type of labor (P=0.000; OR=6.44; 95%CI=4.42-9.38 and booking status (P=0.000; OR=4.67; 95%CI=3.33-6.56. The prevalence of pre-term delivery was 120 per 1,000 live births. Factors significantly associated with pre-term delivery were low socio-economic class, previous pre-term delivery, antepartum hemorrhage, premature rupture of fetal membranes, urinary tract infection, pregnancy induced hypertension, induced labor, and booking elsewhere outside the teaching hospital.

Determination of dosimetric characteristics of OptiSeedTM a plastic brachytherapy 103Pd source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhonglu; Hertel, Nolan E.

2005-01-01

A new 103 Pd plastic brachytherapy source, OptiSeed TM Model 1032P, is being introduced by International Brachytherapy sa (IBt). Measurements of the dose distributions about the source were performed using LiF thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD-100) in Virtual Water TM . MCNP5 calculations were performed to determine the dose distributions in Virtual Water TM and liquid water. The source dose rate constant, radial dose function, anisotropy function and anisotropy factor have been determined following the updated AAPM TG-43 recommendations. The measured dose rate constant in the Virtual Water TM phantom was determined to be 0.727±6.9% cGy h -1 U -1 , and the computed value is 0.716±2.1% cGy h -1 U -1 . The Monte-Carlo simulation yielded a dose rate constant of 0.665±2.1% cGy h -1 U -1 in water. The measured dose rate constant in water is 0.675±7.5% cGy h -1 U -1 . It is determined by multiplying the dose rate constant measured in the Virtual Water TM phantom with the ratio of the value calculated in water to that in Virtual Water TM . The average of the measured and calculated dose rate constant is 0.670±5.5% cGy h -1 U -1 . The radial dose functions of the new source were measured for distances ranging from 1 to 7 cm in a Virtual Water TM phantom. The anisotropy functions in Virtual Water TM phantom were measured for distances of 2, 3, 5, and 7 cm. The Monte-Carlo computed radial dose functions, anisotropy functions, and anisotropy factors in both Virtual Water TM phantom and water are reported

Determination of the X, Y coordinates of a pulsed ultrasonic source of signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokolov, B.V.; Shemyakin, V.V.

1975-01-01

A range of problems in predicting the emergency state of large-scale vessel housings are determined for subsequent solution involving acoustic emission phenomena. The authors specify the position of a given problem and present substantial grounds for selecting the minimum number of group signal receivers for unambiguous calculation of the location of the source. Relationships are obtained between X, Y - the coordinates of the pulse signal source - and experimentally measured time differences in recording of signals by group receivers. A criterion is given for selecting the true signal group combination when the receivers simultaneously record waves from several sources. Specific suggestions are made regarding the experimental information to be stored in a central computer for subsequent processing [ru

Integral migration and source term experiments on cement and bitumen waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewart, F.T.; Howse, R.M.; Sharpe, B.M.; Smith, A.J.; Thomason, H.P.; Williams, S.J.; Young, M.

1986-01-01

This is the final report of a programme of research which formed a part of the CEC joint research project into radionuclide migration in the geosphere (MIRAGE). This study addressed the aspects of integral migration and source term. The integral migration experiment simulated, in the laboratory, the intrusion of water into the repository, the leaching of radionuclides from two intermediate level wasteforms and the subsequent migration through the geosphere. The simulation consisted of a source of natural ground water which flowed over a sample of wasteform, at a controlled redox potential, and then through backfill and geological material packed in columns. The two wasteforms used here were cemented waste from the WAK plant at Karlsruhe, W. Germany and bitumenised intermediate concentrates from the Marcoule plant in France. The soluble fission products such as caesium wire rapidly released from the cemented waste but the actinides, and technetium in the reduced state, were retained in the wasteform. The release of all nuclides from the bitumenised waste was very low. (author)

Integral migration and source-term experiments on cement and bitumen waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewart, F.T.; Howse, R.M.; Sharpe, B.M.; Smith, A.J.; Thomason, H.P.; Williams, S.J.; Young, M.

1986-01-01

This is the final report of a programme of research which formed a part of the CEC joint research project into radionuclide migration in the geosphere (MIRAGE). This study addressed the aspects of integral migration and source term. The integral migration experiment simulated, in the laboratory, the intrusion of water into the repository, the leaching of radionuclides from two intermediate-level waste-forms and the subsequent migration through the geosphere. The simulation consisted of a source of natural ground water which flowed over a sample of waste-form, at a controlled redox potential, and then through backfill and geological material packed in columns. The two waste forms used here were cemented waste from the WAK plant at Karlsruhe in the Federal Republic of Germany and bitumenized intermediate concentrates from the Marcoule plant in France. The soluble fission products such as caesium were rapidly released from the cemented waste but the actinides, and technetium in the reduced state, were retained in the waste-form. The released of all nuclides from the bitumenized waste was very low

The European source term code ESTER - basic ideas and tools for coupling of ATHLET and ESTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, F.; Schuch, A.; Hinkelmann, M.

1993-04-01

The French software house CISI and IKE of the University of Stuttgart have developed during 1990 and 1991 in the frame of the Shared Cost Action Reactor Safety the informatic structure of the European Source TERm Evaluation System (ESTER). Due to this work tools became available which allow to unify on an European basis both code development and code application in the area of severe core accident research. The behaviour of reactor cores is determined by thermal hydraulic conditions. Therefore for the development of ESTER it was important to investigate how to integrate thermal hydraulic code systems with ESTER applications. This report describes the basic ideas of ESTER and improvements of ESTER tools in view of a possible coupling of the thermal hydraulic code system ATHLET and ESTER. Due to the work performed during this project the ESTER tools became the most modern informatic tools presently available in the area of severe accident research. A sample application is given which demonstrates the use of the new tools. (orig.) [de

Numerical method of identification of an unknown source term in a heat equation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatullayev Afet Golayo?lu

2002-01-01

Full Text Available A numerical procedure for an inverse problem of identification of an unknown source in a heat equation is presented. Approach of proposed method is to approximate unknown function by polygons linear pieces which are determined consecutively from the solution of minimization problem based on the overspecified data. Numerical examples are presented.

Dependence of proton beam polarization on ion source transition configurations; Determination de la polarisation du faisceau de protons pour les quatre configurations des transitions de la source d`ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arvieux, J.; Ausset, P.; Ball, J.; Beauvais, P.Y.; Bedfer, Y.; Chamouard, P.A.; Fontaine, J.M.; Kunne, R.; Lagniel, J.M.; Sans, J.L. [Laboratoire National Saturne - Centre d`Etudes Nucleaires de Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Allgower, Ch.; Kasprzyk, T.E.; Spinka, H.M. [ANL-HEP, Argonne (United States); Bystricky, J.; Lehar, F.; Lesquen, A. de [CEA Centre d`Etudes de Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Dept. d`Astrophysique, de la Physique des Particules, de la Physique Nucleaire et de l`Instrumentation Associee; Demiere, Ph.; Rapin, D.; Teglia, A. [Geneva Univ. (Switzerland). Dept. de Physique Nucleaire et Corpusculaire; Janout, Z. [Czech Technical Univ., Prague (Czech Republic). Faculty of Civil Engineering; Kalinnikov, V.A.; Khachaturov, B.A.; Popov, A.A. [Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, JINR, Moscow (Russian Federation); Prokofiev, A.N.; Vikhrov, V.V.; Zhdanov, A.A. [Nuclear Physics Inst., St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)

1997-12-31

Considerable anomalies were observed in recorded pp elastic scattering spin dependent data at several proton beam energies at SATURNE II. These results suggested that the discrepancies are related to the polarized ion source. In order to understand the observed effects, the proton beam polarizations for each ion source state were determined separately. Convenient procedures, allowing to determine the beam polarization from a beam-line polarimeter are presented. Two distinct experiments are necessary for this purpose. In the first one the LEFT-RIGHT instrumental asymmetry of the beam polarimeter arms is determined. In the second one this correction factor is applied to asymmetries measured with the beam from the polarized ion source in different polarization states. Both experiments determined the scattering asymmetries for all four polarized source states as functions of different source parameters. The measurements were carried out at the proton beam kinetic energy 0.80 GeV, where the pp elastic scattering analyzing power is at its maximum. Results show that the so called `unpolarized states` of the source are polarized, whereas the absolute values of the beam polarizations in `polarized states` are equal. It was observed that the hexapole lens of the ion source provides some beam polarization in the absence of any transition. The beam polarization as function of the hexapole current, of the transition efficiencies and of the rotation solenoid current has been studied. It is also shown, how one way obtain a strictly unpolarized beam using the polarized source only. The results obtained with the SATURNE II ion source HYPERION may be also valid for other accelerators and sources. (authors) 10 refs.

Open-Source Low-Cost Wireless Potentiometric Instrument for pH Determination Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hao; Qin, Yiheng; Pan, Si; Alam, Arif U.; Dong, Shurong; Ghosh, Raja; Deen, M. Jamal

2018-01-01

pH determination is an essential experiment in many chemistry laboratories. It requires a potentiometric instrument with extremely low input bias current to accurately measure the voltage between a pH sensing electrode and a reference electrode. In this technology report, we propose an open-source potentiometric instrument for pH determination…

Determination of optimal geometry for cylindrical sources for gamma radiation measurements; Odredjivanje optimalne geometrije za mjerenje gama zracenja cilindrichnih izvora

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinjeri, Lj; Kulisic, P [Elektra - Zagreb, Zagreb (Yugoslavia)

1990-07-01

Low radioactive sources were used for experimental determination of optimal dimensions for cylindrical source using coaxial Ge(Li) detector. Then, calculational procedure is used to find optimal dimensions of cylindrical source. The results from calculational procedure confirm with experimental results. In such way the verification of calculational procedure is done and it can be used for determination of optimal geometry for low radioactive cylindrical sources. (author)

A simple method for determining the activity of large-area beta sources constructed from anodized aluminum foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanga, D.

2014-01-01

A simple method has been developed for determining the activity of large-area beta reference sources in anodized aluminum foils. It is based on the modeling of the transmission of beta rays through thin foils in planar geometry using Monte Carlo simulation. The method was checked experimentally and measurement results show that the activity of large-area beta reference sources in anodized aluminum foils can be measured with standard uncertainties smaller than the limit of 10% required by ISO 8769. - Highlights: • A method for determining the activity of large-area beta sources is presented. • The method is based on a model of electron transport in planar geometry. • The method makes use of linear programming for determining the activity. • The uncertainty of the method is smaller than 10%

Parameterizing unresolved obstacles with source terms in wave modeling: A real-world application

Science.gov (United States)

Mentaschi, Lorenzo; Kakoulaki, Georgia; Vousdoukas, Michalis; Voukouvalas, Evangelos; Feyen, Luc; Besio, Giovanni

2018-06-01

Parameterizing the dissipative effects of small, unresolved coastal features, is fundamental to improve the skills of wave models. The established technique to deal with this problem consists in reducing the amount of energy advected within the propagation scheme, and is currently available only for regular grids. To find a more general approach, Mentaschi et al., 2015b formulated a technique based on source terms, and validated it on synthetic case studies. This technique separates the parameterization of the unresolved features from the energy advection, and can therefore be applied to any numerical scheme and to any type of mesh. Here we developed an open-source library for the estimation of the transparency coefficients needed by this approach, from bathymetric data and for any type of mesh. The spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III was used to show that in a real-world domain, such as the Caribbean Sea, the proposed approach has skills comparable and sometimes better than the established propagation-based technique.

Determination of the reference air kerma rate for 192Ir brachytherapy sources and the related uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dijk, Eduard van; Kolkman-Deurloo, Inger-Karine K.; Damen, Patricia M. G.

2004-01-01

Different methods exist to determine the air kerma calibration factor of an ionization chamber for the spectrum of a 192 Ir high-dose-rate (HDR) or pulsed-dose-rate (PDR) source. An analysis of two methods to obtain such a calibration factor was performed: (i) the method recommended by [Goetsch et al., Med. Phys. 18, 462-467 (1991)] and (ii) the method employed by the Dutch national standards institute NMi [Petersen et al., Report S-EI-94.01 (NMi, Delft, The Netherlands, 1994)]. This analysis showed a systematic difference on the order of 1% in the determination of the strength of 192 Ir HDR and PDR sources depending on the method used for determining the air kerma calibration factor. The definitive significance of the difference between these methods can only be addressed after performing an accurate analysis of the associated uncertainties. For an NE 2561 (or equivalent) ionization chamber and an in-air jig, a typical uncertainty budget of 0.94% was found with the NMi method. The largest contribution in the type-B uncertainty is the uncertainty in the air kerma calibration factor for isotope i, N k i , as determined by the primary or secondary standards laboratories. This uncertainty is dominated by the uncertainties in the physical constants for the average mass-energy absorption coefficient ratio and the stopping power ratios. This means that it is not foreseeable that the standards laboratories can decrease the uncertainty in the air kerma calibration factors for ionization chambers in the short term. When the results of the determination of the 192 Ir reference air kerma rates in, e.g., different institutes are compared, the uncertainties in the physical constants are the same. To compare the applied techniques, the ratio of the results can be judged by leaving out the uncertainties due to these physical constants. In that case an uncertainty budget of 0.40% (coverage factor=2) should be taken into account. Due to the differences in approach between the

Unclassified Sources Term and Radionuclide Data for Corrective Action Unit 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Revision 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peter Martian

2009-08-01

This report documents the evaluation of the information and data available on the unclassified source term and radionuclide contamination for CAU 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine. The total residual inventory of radionuclides associated with one or more tests is known as the radiologic source term (RST). The RST is comprised of radionuclides in water, glass, or other phases or mineralogic forms. The hydrologic source term (HST) of an underground nuclear test is the portion of the total RST that is released into the groundwater over time following the test. In this report, the HST represents radionuclide release some time after the explosion and does not include the rapidly evolving mechanical, thermal, and chemical processes during the explosion. The CAU 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine has many more detonations and a wider variety of settings to consider compared to other CAUs. For instance, the source term analysis and evaluation performed for CAUs 101 and 102: Central and Western Pahute Mesa and CAU 98: Frenchman Flat did not consider vadose zone attenuation because many detonations were located near or below the water table. However, the large number of Yucca Flat/Climax Mine tests and the location of many tests above the water table warrant a more robust analysis of the unsaturated zone. The purpose of this report is to develop and document conceptual models of the Yucca Flat/Climax Mine HST for use in implementing source terms for the Yucca Flat/Climax Mine models. This document presents future plans to incorporate the radionuclide attenuation mechanisms due to unsaturated/multiphase flow and transport within the Yucca Flat CAU scale modeling. The important processes that influence radionuclide migration for the unsaturated and saturated tests in alluvial, volcanic, and carbonate settings are identified. Many different flow and transport models developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), including original

Hydrochemical determination of source water contributions to Lake Lungo and Lake Ripasottile (central Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire Archer

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Lake Lungo and Lake Ripasottile are two shallow (4-5 m lakes located in the Rieti Basin, central Italy, that have been described previously as surface outcroppings of the groundwater table. In this work, the two lakes as well as springs and rivers that represent their potential source waters are characterized physio-chemically and isotopically, using a combination of environmental tracers. Temperature and pH were measured and water samples were analyzed for alkalinity, major ion concentration, and stable isotope (δ2H, δ18O, δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon, and δ34S and δ18O of sulfate composition.  Chemical data were also investigated in terms of local meteorological data (air temperature, precipitation to determine the sensitivity of lake parameters to changes in the surrounding environment. Groundwater represented by samples taken from Santa Susanna Spring was shown to be distinct with SO42- and Mg2+ content of 270 and 29 mg/L, respectively, and heavy sulfate isotopic composition (δ34S=15.2 ‰ and δ18O=10‰. Outflow from the Santa Susanna Spring enters Lake Ripasottile via a canal and both spring and lake water exhibits the same chemical distinctions and comparatively low seasonal variability. Major ion concentrations in Lake Lungo are similar to the Vicenna Riara Spring and are interpreted to represent the groundwater locally recharged within the plain. The δ13CDIC exhibit the same groupings as the other chemical parameters, providing supporting evidence of the source relationships. Lake Lungo exhibited exceptional ranges of δ13CDIC (±5 ‰ and δ2H, δ18O (±5 ‰ and ±7 ‰, respectively, attributed to sensitivity to seasonal changes. The hydrochemistry results, particularly major ion data, highlight how the two lakes, though geographically and morphologically similar, represent distinct hydrochemical facies. These data also show a different response in each lake to temperature and precipitation patterns in the basin that

A photon spectrometric dose-rate constant determination for the Advantage™ Pd-103 brachytherapy source

OpenAIRE

Chen, Zhe Jay; Bongiorni, Paul; Nath, Ravinder

2010-01-01

Purpose: Although several dosimetric characterizations using Monte Carlo simulation and thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) have been reported for the new Advantage™ Pd-103 source (IsoAid, LLC, Port Richey, FL), no AAPM consensus value has been established for the dosimetric parameters of the source. The aim of this work was to perform an additional dose-rate constant (Λ) determination using a recently established photon spectrometry technique (PST) that is independent of the published TLD and ...

Lessons Learned from Characterization, Performance Assessment, and EPA Regulatory Review of the 1996 Actinide Source Term for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, K.W.; Moore, R.C.; Nowak, E.J.; Papenguth, H.W.; Jow, H.

1999-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a US Department of Energy (DOE) facility for the permanent disposal of transuranic waste from defense activities. In 1996, the DOE submitted the Title 40 CFR Part 191 Compliance Certification Application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (CCA) to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CCA included a probabilistic performance assessment (PA) conducted by Sandia National Laboratories to establish compliance with the quantitative release limits defined in 40 CFR 191.13. An experimental program to collect data relevant to the actinide source term began around 1989, which eventually supported the 1996 CCA PA actinide source term model. The actinide source term provided an estimate of mobile dissolved and colloidal Pu, Am, U, Th, and Np concentrations in their stable oxidation states, and accounted for effects of uncertainty in the chemistry of brines in waste disposal areas. The experimental program and the actinide source term included in the CCA PA underwent EPA review lasting more than 1 year. Experiments were initially conducted to develop data relevant to the wide range of potential future conditions in waste disposal areas. Interim, preliminary performance assessments and actinide source term models provided insight allowing refinement of experiments and models. Expert peer review provided additional feedback and confidence in the evolving experimental program. By 1995, the chemical database and PA predictions of WIPP performance were considered reliable enough to support the decision to add an MgO backfill to waste rooms to control chemical conditions and reduce uncertainty in actinide concentrations, especially for Pu and Am. Important lessons learned through the characterization, PA modeling, and regulatory review of the actinide source term are (1) experimental characterization and PA should evolve together, with neither activity completely dominating the other, (2) the understanding of physical processes

Overview of waste isoltaion safety assessment program and description of source term characterization task at PNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradley, D.

1977-01-01

A project is being conducted to develop and illustrate the methods and obtain the data necessary to assess the safety of long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste in geologic formations. The methods and data will initially focus on generic geologic isolation systems but will ultimately be applied to the long-term safety assessment of specific candidate sites that are selected in the NWTS Program. The activities of waste isolation safety assessment (WISAP) are divided into six tasks: (1) Safety Assessment Concepts and Methods, (2) Disruptive Event Analysis, (3) Source Characterization, (4) Transport Modeling, (5) Transport Data and (6) Societal Acceptance

Effect of Fuel Structure Materials on Radiation Source Term in Reactor Core Meltdown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hae Sun; Ha, Kwang Soon

2014-01-01

The fission product (Radiation Source) releases from the reactor core into the containment is obligatorily evaluated to guarantee the safety of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) under the hypothetical accident involving a core meltdown. The initial core inventory is used as a starting point of all radiological consequences and effects on the subsequent results of accident assessment. Hence, a proper evaluation for the inventory can be regarded as one of the most important part over the entire procedure of accident analysis. The inventory of fission products is typically evaluated on the basis of the uranium material (e.g., UO2 and USi2) loaded in nuclear fuel assembly, except for the structure materials such as the end fittings, grids, and some kinds of springs. However, the structure materials are continually activated by the neutrons generated from the nuclear fission, and some nuclides of them (e.g., 14 C and 60 Co) can significantly influence on accident assessment. During the severe core accident, the structure components can be also melted with the melting points of temperature relatively lower than uranium material. A series of the calculation were performed by using ORIGEN-S module in SCALE 6.1 package code system. The total activity in each part of structure materials was specifically analyzed from these calculations. The fission product inventory is generally evaluated based on the uranium materials of fuel only, even though the structure components of the assembly are continually activated by the neutrons generated from the nuclear fission. In this study, the activation calculation of the fuel structure materials was performed for the initial source term assessment in the accident of reactor core meltdown. As a result, the lower end fitting and the upper plenum greatly contribute to the total activity except for the cladding material. The nuclides of 56 Mn, '5 1 Cr, 55 Fe, 58 Co, 54 Mn, and 60 Co are analyzed to mainly effect on the activity. This result

Determining the temperature and density distribution from a Z-pinch radiation source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matuska, W.; Lee, H.

1997-01-01

High temperature radiation sources exceeding one hundred eV can be produced via z-pinches using currently available pulsed power. The usual approach to compare the z-pinch simulation and experimental data is to convert the radiation output at the source, whose temperature and density distributions are computed from the 2-D MHD code, into simulated data such as a spectrometer reading. This conversion process involves a radiation transfer calculation through the axially symmetric source, assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), and folding the radiation that reaches the detector with the frequency-dependent response function. In this paper the authors propose a different approach by which they can determine the temperature and density distributions of the radiation source directly from the spatially resolved spectral data. This unfolding process is reliable and unambiguous for the ideal case where LTE holds and the source is axially symmetric. In reality, imperfect LTE and axial symmetry will introduce inaccuracies into the unfolded distributions. The authors use a parameter optimization routine to find the temperature and density distributions that best fit the data. They know from their past experience that the radiation source resulting from the implosion of a thin foil does not exhibit good axial symmetry. However, recent experiments carried out at Sandia National Laboratory using multiple wire arrays were very promising to achieve reasonably good symmetry. For these experiments the method will provide a valuable diagnostic tool

Methods for the determination of lunisolar precession from observations of extragalactic radio sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsmore, B.

1976-01-01

Although it is not practicable at present to determine the position or motion of the equinox using radio techniques, lunisolar precession may be determined from measurements at two epochs of differences of (i) Right Ascension -RA, and (ii) Declinations - Dec., of extragalactic radio sources. The determinations are largely free from systematic errors, and the magnitudes of random errors, arising principally from tropospheric irregularities, are given for observations with the Cambridge 5-km telescope. Some first epoch measure-ments have been made with this instrument and it is estimated that by carrying out second epoch measurements after an interval of 5 yr, the centennial value of lunisolar precession will be determined with a standard error of +- 0''.25. (author)

Numerical simulation of flow induced by a pitched blade turbine. Comparison of the sliding mesh technique and an averaged source term method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majander, E.O.J.; Manninen, M.T. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1996-12-31

The flow induced by a pitched blade turbine was simulated using the sliding mesh technique. The detailed geometry of the turbine was modelled in a computational mesh rotating with the turbine and the geometry of the reactor including baffles was modelled in a stationary co-ordinate system. Effects of grid density were investigated. Turbulence was modelled by using the standard k-{epsilon} model. Results were compared to experimental observations. Velocity components were found to be in good agreement with the measured values throughout the tank. Averaged source terms were calculated from the sliding mesh simulations in order to investigate the reliability of the source term approach. The flow field in the tank was then simulated in a simple grid using these source terms. Agreement with the results of the sliding mesh simulations was good. Commercial CFD-code FLUENT was used in all simulations. (author)

Numerical simulation of flow induced by a pitched blade turbine. Comparison of the sliding mesh technique and an averaged source term method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majander, E O.J.; Manninen, M T [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-31

The flow induced by a pitched blade turbine was simulated using the sliding mesh technique. The detailed geometry of the turbine was modelled in a computational mesh rotating with the turbine and the geometry of the reactor including baffles was modelled in a stationary co-ordinate system. Effects of grid density were investigated. Turbulence was modelled by using the standard k-{epsilon} model. Results were compared to experimental observations. Velocity components were found to be in good agreement with the measured values throughout the tank. Averaged source terms were calculated from the sliding mesh simulations in order to investigate the reliability of the source term approach. The flow field in the tank was then simulated in a simple grid using these source terms. Agreement with the results of the sliding mesh simulations was good. Commercial CFD-code FLUENT was used in all simulations. (author)

Determination of air kerma standard of high dose rate 192Ir brachytherapy source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pires, E.J.; Alves, C.F.E.; Leite, S.P.; Magalhaes, L.A.G.; David, M.G.; Almeida, C.E. de

2015-01-01

This paper presents the methodology developed by the Laboratorio de Ciencias Radiologicas and presently in use for determining of the air kerma standard of 192 Ir high dose rate sources to calibrate well-type chambers. Uncertainty analysis involving the measurements procedure are presented. (author)

Sources of variability in the determination by evaporation method of gross alpha activity in water samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baeza, A.; Corbacho, J.A. [LARUEX, Caceres (Spain). Environmental Radioactivity Lab.

2013-07-01

Determining the gross alpha activity concentration of water samples is one way to screen for waters whose radionuclide content is so high that its consumption could imply surpassing the Total Indicative Dose as defined in European Directive 98/83/EC. One of the most commonly used methods to prepare the sources to measure gross alpha activity in water samples is desiccation. Its main advantages are the simplicity of the procedure, the low cost of source preparation, and the possibility of simultaneously determining the gross beta activity. The preparation of the source, the construction of the calibration curves, and the measurement procedure itself involve, however, various factors that may introduce sufficient variability into the results to significantly affect the screening process. We here identify the main sources of this variability, and propose specific procedures to follow in the desiccation process that will reduce the uncertainties, and ensure that the result is indeed representative of the sum of the activities of the alpha emitters present in the sample. (orig.)

Theoretical and experimental determination of dosimetric characteristics for ADVANTAGETM Pd-103 brachytherapy source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meigooni, Ali S.; Dini, Sharifeh A.; Awan, Shahid B.; Dou, Kai; Koona, Rafiq A.

2006-01-01

ADVANTAGE TM Pd-103 brachytherapy source has been recently introduced by IsoAid TM for prostate permanent implants. Dosimetric characteristics (Dose rate constant, radial dose function, 2D-, and 1D-anisotropy functions) of this source model have been determined using both theoretical and experimental methods, following the updated TG-43U1 protocol. Derivation of the dose rate constant was based on recent NIST WAFAC calibration performed in accordance with the 1999 Standards. Measurements were performed in Solid Water TM using LiF TLD chips and the theoretical calculations were performed in Solid Water TM and liquid water phantom materials using PTRAN Monte Carlo code. The results of the Monte Carlo simulation have shown a dose rate constant of 0.69 cGy h -1 U -1 in liquid water and 0.67 cGy h -1 U -1 in Solid Water TM medium. The measured dose rate constant in Solid Water TM was found to be 0.68±8% cGy h -1 U -1 , which is in a good agreement (within ±5%) to the Monte Carlo simulated data. The 2D- and 1D-anisotropy functions of the ADVANTAGE TM Pd-103 source were calculated for radial distances ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 cm. Radial dose function was determined for radial distances ranging from 0.2 to 8.0 cm using line source approximation. All these calculations are based on L eff equal to 3.61 cm, calculated following TG-43U1 recommendations. The tabulated data for 2D-anisotropy function, 1D-anisotropy function, dose rate constant and radial dose function have been produced for clinical application of this source model

Determination of activation level energy of nuclear isomers by calibration of microspectra of radioactive sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veres, A.; Pavlicsek, I.

1980-01-01

Nuclear isomers with unknown activation level were irradiated by calibrated radioactive sources. The integral cross sections were calculated for different energies of the sources. The activation energy was given by values coinciding with each other within the limits of error. The method made the determination of the unknown level of 1180+-10 keV of 195 Pt nucleus possible. (author)

Preparation and determination of kerma for Iridium 192 sources of low dose rate for brachytherapy; Preparacion y determinacion del kerma de fuentes de iridio-192 de baja tasa de dosis para braquiterapia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tendilla, J.I.; Tovar M, V.; Mitsoura, E.; Aguilar H, F.; Alanis M, J. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, C.P. 52045-1, Salazar, Esrado de Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2000-07-01

The practice of Brachytherapy with Iridium-192 sources of low dose rate (0.4 - 0.8 Gy/h) is a technique used in the treatment of diverse illnesses. in this work the preparation, quality control and calibration are presented in terms of kerma in air of Iridium-192 using as target these recycled Iridium-Platinum wires. The targets were obtained as decayed sources of different radio therapeutical centers in the country and they were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy in order to determine their chemical composition. Subsequently it was developed an experimental design to establish the effect of neutron flux, geometrical array and irradiation time over the activity and percentage of the sources homogeneity. The homogeneity was determined by auto radiography and by Gamma spectroscopy. Once the optimal irradiation conditions were established, it is determined the apparent activity and kerma in air using a well type ionization chamber with traceability to a primary laboratory. Iridium-192 sources were obtained with an average homogeneity 96 %, apparent activity 282.129 {+-} 0.531 M Bq and kerma in air 0.03200 {+-} 0.00006 m Gy m/h A. (Author)

A simplistic view of the iodine chemistry influence on source term assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herranz, L.E.; Rodriguez, J.J.

1994-01-01

The intrinsic characteristics of iodine make it a relevant concern as to its potential radiobiological impact in case of a hypothetical severe accident in nuclear power plants. This paper summarizes the major results drawn from a very simple but illustrative calculation exercise aimed at weighing how significant could be taking iodine chemistry in containment into account for source term assessments in case of a postulated severe reactor accident. The scenario chosen as representative of expected conditions in containment was LA-4 test of LACE programme. Several approximations and hypothesis concerning the scenario were necessary. Iodine chemistry analyses were performed with IODE code, as long as thermalhydraulic and aerosol behaviour analyses, providing initial and boundary conditions for iodine calculations, were carried out with CONTEMPT4/MOD5 and NAUA/MOD5 codes, respectively. In general, the results obtained agreed qualitatively with the current knowledge on the area; from a quantitative point of view, one of the major results was that iodine chemistry on acidic conditions could provide a substantial increase in the leaked mass from containment under the postulated circumstances. Hence, this study underlines the need of including iodine chemistry in source tenn assessments. (author)

Determination of the Absolute Disintegration Rate of Cs-137 sources by the Tracer Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hellstroem, S; Brune, D

1963-07-15

{sup 137}Cs - sources were absolutely measured by the 'tracer method', with {sup 82}Br as a tracer nuclide and with application of the 4{pi} {beta}-{gamma} coincidence technique. A self-absorption of 6 % was found in sources obtained from a solution with a carrier-content of 400 {mu}g/ml. The precision of the method for the determination of the {beta}-emission rate was estimated to {+-} 1 %. The results were compared with those of other works.

Determination of the Absolute Disintegration Rate of Cs-137 sources by the Tracer Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellstroem, S.; Brune, D.

1963-07-01

137 Cs - sources were absolutely measured by the 'tracer method', with 82 Br as a tracer nuclide and with application of the 4π β-γ coincidence technique. A self-absorption of 6 % was found in sources obtained from a solution with a carrier-content of 400 μg/ml. The precision of the method for the determination of the β-emission rate was estimated to ± 1 %. The results were compared with those of other works

Determination of sulfur in food by high resolution continuum source flame molecular absorption spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Zambrzycka, Elżbieta; Godlewska-Żyłkiewicz, Beata

2014-11-01

In the present work, a fast, simple and sensitive analytical method for determination of sulfur in food and beverages by high resolution continuum source flame molecular absorption spectrometry was developed. The determination was performed via molecular absorption of carbon monosulfide, CS. Different CS rotational lines (257.959 nm, 258.033 nm, 258.055 nm), number of pixels and types of standard solution of sulfur, namely: sulfuric acid, sodium sulfate, ammonium sulfate, sodium sulfite, sodium sulfide, DL-cysteine, and L-cystine, were studied in terms of sensitivity, repeatability of results as well as limit of detection and limit of quantification. The best results were obtained for measurements of absorption of the CS molecule at 258.055 nm at the wavelength range covering 3 pixels and DL-cysteine in 0.2 mol L- 1 HNO3 solution as a calibration standard. Under optimized conditions the limit of detection and the limit of quantification achieved for sulfur were 10.9 mg L- 1 and 36.4 mg L- 1, respectively. The repeatability of the results expressed as relative standard deviation was typically beverage samples with added known amount of sulfur standard. The recovery of analyte from such samples was in the range of 93-105% with the repeatability in the range of 4.1-5.0%. The developed method was applied for the determination of sulfur in milk (194 ± 10 mg kg- 1), egg white (2188 ± 29 mg kg- 1), mineral water (31.0 ± 0.9 mg L- 1), white wine (260 ± 4 mg L- 1) and red wine (82 ± 2 mg L- 1), as well as in sample rich in ions, such as bitter mineral water (6900 ± 100 mg L- 1).

Social Determinants of Health in Environmental Justice Communities: Examining Cumulative Risk in Terms of Environmental Exposures and Social Determinants of Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Prochaska, John D; Nolen, Alexandra B; Kelley, Hilton; Sexton, Ken; Linder, Stephen H; Sullivan, John

2014-01-01

Residents of environmental justice (EJ) communities may bear a disproportionate burden of environmental health risk, and often face additional burdens from social determinants of health. Accounting for cumulative risk should include measures of risk from both environmental sources and social determinants. This study sought to better understand cumulative health risk from both social and environmental sources in a disadvantaged community in Texas. Key outcomes were determining what data are currently available for this assessment, clarifying data needs, identifying data gaps, and considering how those gaps could be filled. Analyses suggested that the traditionally defined EJ community in Port Arthur may have a lower environmental risk from air toxics than the rest of the City of Port Arthur (although the entire city has a higher risk than the average for the state), but may have a larger burden from social determinants of health. However, the results should be interpreted in light of the availability of data, the definitions of community boundaries, and the areal unit utilized. Continued focus on environmental justice communities and the cumulative risks faced by their residents is critical to protecting these residents and, ultimately, moving towards a more equitable distribution and acceptable level of risk throughout society.

PARTITION: A program for defining the source term/consequence analysis interface in the NUREG--1150 probabilistic risk assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iman, R.L.; Helton, J.C.; Johnson, J.D.

1990-05-01

The individual plant analyses in the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's reassessment of the risk from commercial nuclear power plants (NUREG-1150) consist of four parts: systems analysis, accident progression analysis, source term analysis, and consequence analysis. Careful definition of the interfaces between these parts is necessary for both information flow and computational efficiency. This document has been designed for users of the PARTITION computer program developed by the authors at Sandia National Laboratories for defining the interface between the source term analysis (performed with the XXSOR programs) and the consequence analysis (performed with the MACCS program). This report provides a tutorial that details how the interactive partitioning is performed, along with detailed information on the partitioning process. The PARTITION program was written in ANSI standard FORTRAN 77 to make the code as machine-independent (i.e., portable) as possible. 9 refs., 4 figs

Depth determination of buried caesium-137 and cobalt-60 sources using scatter peak data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, J. C.; Joyce, M. J.; Mellor, M.

2009-01-01

An investigation into an alternative approach to 3D (3-dimensional) source mapping is proposed, by combining the insights of two existing techniques. The first of these is a 3D 'imaging' tool, N-Visage TM that has been developed by REACT Engineering Ltd. This technique is efficient and robust, but is not a true 3D technique as it relies on user-supplied 2D (2-dimensional) manifolds to constrain source locations. The second technique uses the γ-photopeak and an X-ray peak to determine radionuclide source depth using a relative attenuation method. We look at the possibility of combining both techniques to constrain both the location and depth of a radiological source buried under shielding. It is believed a combined method using spectra recorded above the shielding object will be of use in the nuclear decommissioning and land contamination industries. N-Visage TM has previously been used to map source distributions of mixed radionuclides with complex geometries through shielding media. The software works by producing a computer model which recreates the experimental setup. A survey is imported, comprising a set of γ-spectra recorded with an instrument of known efficiency and isotropy taken at a variety of locations around the area of interest. A survey plan recording the location and orientation of the instrument for each reading is also reconstructed. N-Visage TM is then able to determine the locations of the source(s) without prior knowledge of exactly where they are located, by building and inverting a simple physical model relating potential source locations to the recorded spectra. This research sets out to investigate the possibility of combining the geometric insights of N-Visage TM with a method of extracting depth information from scatter data, rather than the X-ray peak. By combining the γ-photopeak and scatter areas of a spectrum, the thickness of the shielding media between source and detector can potentially be inferred. Using scattered photons rather

DESIGN OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popa Stefania

2013-11-01

Full Text Available By energy sources we understand technologies and materials used to obtain various forms of energy necessary for the development of society. These sources must be in adequate quantities and be conveniently exploited in terms of technical, economic and sustainable perspective. Alternative energy uses the inherent power of natural sources like wind, tides, the sun. Alternative energy is a term used for some energy sources and energy storage technologies. Generally it indicates energies that are nontraditional and have low impact to the environment. The alternative energy term is used in contrast with the term fossil fuel according to some sources, while other sources use it with the meaning of renewable energy purposes.

Determination of noise sources and space-dependent reactor transfer functions from measured output signals only

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoogenboom, J.E.; van Dam, H.; Kleiss, E.B.J.; van Uitert, G.C.; Veldhuis, D.

1982-01-01

The measured cross power spectral densities of the signals from three neutron detectors and the displacement of the control rod of the 2 MW research reactor HOR at Delft have been used to determine the space-dependent reactor transfer function, the transfer function of the automatic reactor control system and the noise sources influencing the measured signals. From a block diagram of the reactor with control system and noise sources expressions were derived for the measured cross power spectral densities, which were adjusted to satisfy the requirements following from the adopted model. Then for each frequency point the required transfer functions and noise sources could be derived. The results are in agreement with those of autoregressive modelling of the reactor control feed-back loop. A method has been developed to determine the non-linear characteristics of the automatic reactor control system by analysing the non-gaussian probability density function of the power fluctuations.

Determination of noise sources and space-dependent reactor transfer functions from measured output signals only

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoogenboom, J.E.

1982-01-01

The measured cross power spectral densities of the signals from three neutron detectors and the displacement of the control rod of the 2 MW research reactor HOR at Delft have been used to determine the space-dependent reactor transfer function, the transfer function of the automatic reactor control system and the noise sources influencing the measured signals. From a block diagram of the reactor with control system and noise sources expressions were derived for the measured cross power spectral densities, which were adjusted to satisfy the requirements following from the adopted model. Then for each frequency point the required transfer functions and noise sources could be derived. The results are in agreement with those of autoregressive modelling of the reactor control feed-back loop. A method has been developed to determine the non-linear characteristics of the automatic reactor control system by analysing the non-gaussian probability density function of the power fluctuations. (author)

Non-Fourier conduction model with thermal source term of ultra short high power pulsed laser ablation and temperature evolvement before melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Duanming; Li, Li; Li Zhihua; Guan Li; Tan Xinyu

2005-01-01

A non-Fourier conduction model with heat source term is presented to study the target temperature evolvement when the target is radiated by high power (the laser intensity is above 10 9 w/cm 2 ) and ultra short (the pulse width is less than 150 ps) pulsed laser. By Laplace transform, the analytical expression of the space- and time-dependence of temperature is derived. Then as an example of aluminum target, the target temperature evolvement is simulated. Compared with the results of Fourier conduction model and non-Fourier model without heat source term, it is found that the effect of non-Fourier conduction is notable and the heat source plays an important role during non-Fourier conduction which makes surface temperature ascending quickly with time. Meanwhile, the corresponding physical mechanism is analyzed theoretically

INEEL Subregional Conceptual Model Report Volume 3: Summary of Existing Knowledge of Natural and Anthropogenic Influences on the Release of Contaminants to the Subsurface Environment from Waste Source Terms at the INEEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul L. Wichlacz

2003-09-01

This source-term summary document is intended to describe the current understanding of contaminant source terms and the conceptual model for potential source-term release to the environment at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), as presented in published INEEL reports. The document presents a generalized conceptual model of the sources of contamination and describes the general categories of source terms, primary waste forms, and factors that affect the release of contaminants from the waste form into the vadose zone and Snake River Plain Aquifer. Where the information has previously been published and is readily available, summaries of the inventory of contaminants are also included. Uncertainties that affect the estimation of the source term release are also discussed where they have been identified by the Source Term Technical Advisory Group. Areas in which additional information are needed (i.e., research needs) are also identified.

Determination of covariant Schwinger terms in anomalous gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelnhofer, G.

1991-01-01

A functional integral method is used to determine equal time commutators between the covariant currents and the covariant Gauss-law operators in theories which are affected by an anomaly. By using a differential geometrical setup we show how the derivation of consistent- and covariant Schwinger terms can be understood on an equal footing. We find a modified consistency condition for the covariant anomaly. As a by-product the Bardeen-Zumino functional, which relates consistent and covariant anomalies, can be interpreted as connection on a certain line bundle over all gauge potentials. Finally the commutator anomalies are calculated for the two- and four dimensional case. (Author) 13 refs

Determination of covariant Schwinger terms in anomalous gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelnhofer, G.

1991-01-01

A functional integral method is used to determine equal time commutators between the covariant currents and the covariant Gauss-law operators in theories which are affected by an anomaly. By using a differential geometrical setup we show how the derivation of consistent- and covariant Schwinger terms can be understood on an equal footing. We find a modified consistency condition for the covariant anomaly. As a by-product the Bardeen-Zumino functional, which relates consistent and covariant anomalies, can be interpreted as connection on a certain line bundle over all gauge potentials. Finally the covariant commutator anomalies are calculated for the two- and four dimensional case. (orig.)

Term Relevance Feedback and Mediated Database Searching: Implications for Information Retrieval Practice and Systems Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Spink, Amanda

1995-01-01

This study uses the human approach to examine the sources and effectiveness of search terms selected during 40 mediated interactive database searches and focuses on determining the retrieval effectiveness of search terms identified by users and intermediaries from retrieved items during term relevance feedback. (Author/JKP)

Source terms; isolation and radiological consequences of carbon-14 waste in the Swedish SFR repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hesboel, R.; Puigdomenech, I.; Evans, S.

1990-01-01

The source term, isolation capacity, and long-term radiological exposure of 14 C from the Swedish underground repository for low and intermediate level waste (SFR) is assessed. The prospective amount of 14 C in the repository is assumed to be 5 TBq. Spent ion exchange resins will be the dominant source of 14 C. The pore water in the concrete repository is expected to maintain a pH of >10.5 for a period of at least 10 6 y. The cement matrix of the repository will retain most of the 14 CO 3 2- initially present. Bacterial production of CO 2 and CH 4 from degradation of ion-exchange resins and bitumen may contribute to 14 C release to the biosphere. However, CH 4 contributes only to a small extent to the overall carbon loss from freshwater ecosystems. The individual doses to local and regional individuals peaked with 5x10 -3 and regional individuals peaked with 5x10 -3 and 8x10 -4 μSv y -1 respectively at about 2.4x10 4 years. A total leakage of 8.4 GBq of 14 C from the repository will cause a total collective dose commitment of 1.1 manSv or 130 manSv TBq -1 . (authors)

The uranium source-term mineralogy and geochemistry at the Broubster natural analogue site, Caithness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milodowski, A.E.; Pearce, J.M.; Basham, I.R.; Hyslop, E.K.

1991-01-01

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has been conducting a coordinated research programme at the Broubster natural analogue site in Caithness, north Scotland. This work on a natural radioactive geochemical system has been carried out with the aim of improving our confidence in using predictive models of radionuclide migration in the geosphere. This report is one of a series being produced and it concentrates on the mineralogical characterization of the uranium distribution in the limestone unit considered as the 'source-term' in the natural analogue model

Relationship between the pitch of modulation collimators and the determination accuracy of source positions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Masami; Nishimura, Jun

1989-01-01

The celestial positions of X-ray bursters and gamma-ray burst sources can be accurately determined with rotating modulation collimators which possess wide fields of view and also high angular resolutions. Since the determination accuracy is dependent on the signal to noise ratio of incident photons, the distribution of signal power is analysed and the optimum pitch of the modulation collimator for a burst of a given size is discussed. (author)

Study of the source term of radiation of the CDTN GE-PET trace 8 cyclotron with the MCNPX code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benavente C, J. A.; Lacerda, M. A. S.; Fonseca, T. C. F.; Da Silva, T. A. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear / CNEN, Av. Pte. Antonio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Vega C, H. R., E-mail: jhonnybenavente@gmail.com [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98068 Zacatecas, Zac. (Mexico)

2015-10-15

Full text: The knowledge of the neutron spectra in a PET cyclotron is important for the optimization of radiation protection of the workers and individuals of the public. The main objective of this work is to study the source term of radiation of the GE-PET trace 8 cyclotron of the Development Center of Nuclear Technology (CDTN/CNEN) using computer simulation by the Monte Carlo method. The MCNPX version 2.7 code was used to calculate the flux of neutrons produced from the interaction of the primary proton beam with the target body and other cyclotron components, during 18F production. The estimate of the source term and the corresponding radiation field was performed from the bombardment of a H{sub 2}{sup 18}O target with protons of 75 μA current and 16.5 MeV of energy. The values of the simulated fluxes were compared with those reported by the accelerator manufacturer (GE Health care Company). Results showed that the fluxes estimated with the MCNPX codes were about 70% lower than the reported by the manufacturer. The mean energies of the neutrons were also different of that reported by GE Health Care. It is recommended to investigate other cross sections data and the use of physical models of the code itself for a complete characterization of the source term of radiation. (Author)

Application for approval of derived authorized limits for the release of the 190-C trenches and 105-C process water tunnels at the Hanford Site: Volume 2 - source term development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denham, D.H.; Winslow, S.L.; Moeller, M.P.; Kennedy, W.E. Jr.

1997-03-01

As part of environmental restoration activities at the Hanford Site, Bechtel Hanford, Inc. is conducting a series of evaluations to determine appropriate release conditions for specific facilities following the completion of decontamination and decommissioning projects. The release conditions, with respect to the residual volumetric radioactive contamination, are termed authorized limits. This report presents the summary of the supporting information and the final application for approval of derived authorized limits for the release of the 190-C trenches and the 105-C process water tunnels. This document contains two volumes; this volume (Vol. 2) contains the radiological characterization data, spreadsheet analyses, and radiological source terms

Methodology for the calculation of source terms related to irradiated fuel accumulated away from nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima Filho, R.M.; Oliveira, L.F.S. de

1984-01-01

A general method for the calculation of the time evolution of source terms related to irradiated fuel is presented. Some applications are discussed which indicated that the method can provide important informations for the engineering design and safety analysis of a temporary storage facility of irradiated fuel elements. (Author) [pt

Determination of the chemical yield on the Fricke dosimetry for 192Ir sources used in brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, M.G.; Albuquerque, M.A.G.; Almeida, C.E. de; Rosado, P.H.

2015-01-01

With the aim of developing a primary standard for the absorbed dose to water, for the 192 Ir sources used in high dose rate brachytherapy, this work focuses on the determination of the chemical yield, G(Fe +3 ), using Fricke dosimetry, for the energy of those sources . The G(Fe +3 ) were determined the for three qualities of x-ray beams (150, 250 and 300 kV ) and for 60 Co energy. The G(Fe +3 ) value for the average energy of 192 Ir was obtained by linear fit, the found value was 1,555 ± 0,015 μmol/J. (author)

DETERMINANTS OF THE ACCURACY OF NURSING DIAGNOSES : INFLUENCE OF READY KNOWLEDGE, KNOWLEDGE SOURCES, DISPOSITION TOWARD CRITICAL THINKING, AND REASONING SKILLS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paans, Wolter; Sermeus, Walter; Nieweg, Roos; Van der Schans, Cees

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how knowledge sources, ready knowledge, and disposition toward critical thinking and reasoning skills influence the accuracy of student nurses' diagnoses. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the influence of knowledge sources. We used

Determinants of the accuracy of nursing diagnoses : influence of ready knowledge, knowledge sources, disposition toward critical thinking, and reasoning skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paans, Wolter; Sermeus, Walter; Nieweg, Roos; van der Schans, Cees

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how knowledge sources, ready knowledge, and disposition toward critical thinking and reasoning skills influence the accuracy of student nurses' diagnoses. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the influence of knowledge sources. We used

Development of Coupled Interface System between the FADAS Code and a Source-term Evaluation Code XSOR for CANDU Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Han Seong; Song, Deok Yong; Kim, Ma Woong; Shin, Hyeong Ki; Lee, Sang Kyu; Kim, Hyun Koon

2006-01-01

An accident prevention system is essential to the industrial security of nuclear industry. Thus, the more effective accident prevention system will be helpful to promote safety culture as well as to acquire public acceptance for nuclear power industry. The FADAS(Following Accident Dose Assessment System) which is a part of the Computerized Advisory System for a Radiological Emergency (CARE) system in KINS is used for the prevention against nuclear accident. In order to enhance the FADAS system more effective for CANDU reactors, it is necessary to develop the various accident scenarios and reliable database of source terms. This study introduces the construction of the coupled interface system between the FADAS and the source-term evaluation code aimed to improve the applicability of the CANDU Integrated Safety Analysis System (CISAS) for CANDU reactors

Source Term Analysis for the Nuclear Power Station Goesgen-Daeniken; Quelltermanalysen fuer das Kernkraftwerk Goesgen-Daeniken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hosemann, J.P.; Megaritis, G.; Guentay, S.; Hirschmann, H.; Luebbesmeyer, D.; Lieber, K.; Jaeckel, B.; Birchley, J.; Duijvestijn, G

2001-08-01

Analyses are performed for three accident scenarios postulated to occur in the Goesgen Nuclear Power Plant, a 900 MWe Pressurised Water Reactor of Siemens design. The scenarios investigated comprise a Station Blackout and two separate cases of small break loss-of-coolant accident which lead, respectively, to high, intermediate and low pressure conditions in the reactor system. In each case the accident assumptions are highly pessimistic, so that the sequences span a large range of plant states and a damage phenomena. Thus the plant is evaluated for a diversity of potential safety challenges. A suite of analysis tools are used to examine the reactor coolant system response, the core heat-up, melting, fission product release from the reactor system, the transport and chemical behaviour of those fission products in the containment building, and the release of radioactivity (source term) to the environment. Comparison with reference values used by the licensing authority shows that the use of modern analysis tools and current knowledge can provide substantial reduction in the estimated source term. Of particular interest are insights gained from the analyses which indicate opportunities for operators to reduce or forestall the release. (author)

Neutron and photon measurements through concrete from a 15 GeV electron beam on a target-comparison with models and calculations. [Intermediate energy source term, Monte Carlo code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jenkins, T M [Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, CA (USA)

1979-02-15

Measurements of neutron and photon dose equivalents from a 15 GeV electron beam striking an iron target inside a scale model of a PEP IR hall are described, and compared with analytic-empirical calculations and with the Monte Carlo code, MORSE. The MORSE code is able to predict both absolute neutron and photon dose equivalents for geometries where the shield is relatively thin, but fails as the shield thickness is increased. An intermediate energy source term is postulated for analytic-empirical neutron shielding calculations to go along with the giant resonance and high energy terms, and a new source term due to neutron capture is postulated for analytic-empirical photon shielding calculations. The source strengths for each energy source term, and each type, are given from analysis of the measurements.

Direct Position Determination of Multiple Non-Circular Sources with a Moving Coprime Array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yankui Zhang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Direct position determination (DPD is currently a hot topic in wireless localization research as it is more accurate than traditional two-step positioning. However, current DPD algorithms are all based on uniform arrays, which have an insufficient degree of freedom and limited estimation accuracy. To improve the DPD accuracy, this paper introduces a coprime array to the position model of multiple non-circular sources with a moving array. To maximize the advantages of this coprime array, we reconstruct the covariance matrix by vectorization, apply a spatial smoothing technique, and converge the subspace data from each measuring position to establish the cost function. Finally, we obtain the position coordinates of the multiple non-circular sources. The complexity of the proposed method is computed and compared with that of other methods, and the Cramer–Rao lower bound of DPD for multiple sources with a moving coprime array, is derived. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is not only applicable to circular sources, but can also improve the positioning accuracy of non-circular sources. Compared with existing two-step positioning algorithms and DPD algorithms based on uniform linear arrays, the proposed technique offers a significant improvement in positioning accuracy with a slight increase in complexity.

Direct Position Determination of Multiple Non-Circular Sources with a Moving Coprime Array.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yankui; Ba, Bin; Wang, Daming; Geng, Wei; Xu, Haiyun

2018-05-08

Direct position determination (DPD) is currently a hot topic in wireless localization research as it is more accurate than traditional two-step positioning. However, current DPD algorithms are all based on uniform arrays, which have an insufficient degree of freedom and limited estimation accuracy. To improve the DPD accuracy, this paper introduces a coprime array to the position model of multiple non-circular sources with a moving array. To maximize the advantages of this coprime array, we reconstruct the covariance matrix by vectorization, apply a spatial smoothing technique, and converge the subspace data from each measuring position to establish the cost function. Finally, we obtain the position coordinates of the multiple non-circular sources. The complexity of the proposed method is computed and compared with that of other methods, and the Cramer⁻Rao lower bound of DPD for multiple sources with a moving coprime array, is derived. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is not only applicable to circular sources, but can also improve the positioning accuracy of non-circular sources. Compared with existing two-step positioning algorithms and DPD algorithms based on uniform linear arrays, the proposed technique offers a significant improvement in positioning accuracy with a slight increase in complexity.

Evaluation Plan on In-vessel Source Term in PGSFR