A study on the RIMPUFF module (ARGOS) and simulation of radiation dispersion from a hypothetical floating nuclear power plant accident in the East Sea
Main Article Content
Abstract
In this study, the RIMPUFF module (ARGOS) was used to simulate the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant accident (FNPPA), thereby assessing the research team’s capability in using the program. The FNPPA simulation results showed good agreement in trend and intensity with the environmental monitoring data and other simulation models. Based on these results, our research team used RIMPUFF to simulate the atmospheric dispersion from the hypothetical accident of a floating nuclear power plant operating in the East Sea (Phu Lam Island, the Paracel Islands, Da Nang Province, Vietnam), through which we analyzed the accident’s impacts on the Vietnamese mainland territory. Depending on weather conditions and specific locations, the impact area of the accident varies. Under conservative conditions, the wind blowed from the East Sea at a speed of 7.5 m/s, the radioactive cloud would reach the mainland territory (Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces) approximately 15 hours after the accident. Subsequently, the accident created an area of hundreds of square kilometers, with dose rate greater than 1 µSv/h; I-131 and Cs-137 deposition on the ground would exceed 10 kBq/m2 and 2 kBq/m2, respectively. According to the regulation on preparedness and responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies, people in the affected areas must immediately stop consuming local food and milk until the result of sample examination is available. The study results demonstrate the ARGOS usability and its value in supporting decision-making in the nuclear accident emergencies.
Article Details
Keywords
RIMPUFF, ARGOS, Radioactive despersion, simulation, floating nuclear power plant
References
[2]. K. L. Pham, H. Q. Nguyen, D. H. Pham, X. A. Do, D. T. Duong, and Q. T. Doan, “The ability to use FLEXPART in simulation of the long-range radioactive materials dispersed from nuclear power plants near Vietnam border,” Nucl. Sci. and Tech., vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 40–48, Dec. 2016, doi: 10.53747/jnst.v6i4.175.
[3]. H. Q. Nguyen, S. T. Hoang, D. T. Duong, and K. L. Pham, “Effects of number of simulated particles on the uncertainty in simulation of dispersion of radioactive material using FLEXPART program,” Nucl. Sci. and Tech., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 21–27, Mar. 2019, doi: 10.53747/jnst.v9i1.56.
[4]. “https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/china-nuclear-power.aspx.” Mar. 31, 2023. Accessed: Mar. 31, 2023. [Online]. Available:https://worldnuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/china-nuclear-power.aspx
[5]. Carelli, Mario D. and Ingersoll, Daniel T., Handbook of Small Modular Reactors. in Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy: Number 64. 2015.
[6]. S. Hoe et al., “ARGOS Decision Support System for Emergency Management,” 2009.
[7]. S. Thykier-Nielsen, S. Deme, and T. Mikkelsen, “RIMPUFF: Atmospheric Dispersion, Module Description.” Risø National Laboratory, 2005.
[8]. G. Katata, M. Ota, H. Terada, M. Chino, and H. Nagai, “Atmospheric discharge and dispersion of radionuclides during the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Part I: Source term estimation and local-scale atmospheric dispersion in early phase of the accident,” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, vol. 109, pp. 103–113, Jul. 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2012.02.006.
[9]. H. Terada, H. Nagai, K. Tsuduki, A. Furuno, M. Kadowaki, and T. Kakefuda, “Refinement of source term and atmospheric dispersion simulations of radionuclides during the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident,” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, vol. 213, p. 106104, Mar. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106104.
[10]. “ArgosWiki.” Accessed: Apr. 24, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://wiki.pdc-argos.com/argoswiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
[11]. T. Torii, T. Sugita, C. E. Okada, M. S. Reed, and D. J. Blumenthal, “Enhanced Analysis Methods to Derive the Spatial Distribution of 131I Deposition on the Ground by Airborne Surveys at an Early Stage after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident,” Health Physics, vol. 105, no. 2, pp. 192–200, Aug. 2013, doi: 10.1097/HP.0b013e318294444e.
[12]. T. Nakajima et al., “Model depiction of the atmospheric flows of radioactive cesium emitted from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident,” Prog. in Earth and Planet. Sci., vol. 4, no. 1, p. 2, Dec. 2017, doi: 10.1186/s40645-017-0117-x.
[13]. JAEA, “Results of the Environmental Radiation Monitoring Following the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant -Interim Report (Ambient Radiation Dose Rate, Radioactivity Concentration in the Air and Radioactivity Concentration in the Fallout).” 2011.
[14]. S. Boarin, M. Mancini, M. Ricotti, and G. Locatelli, “Economics and financing of small modular reactors (SMRs),” in Handbook of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, Elsevier, 2015, pp. 239–277. doi: 10.1533/9780857098535.3.239.
[15]. E. Berge et al., “Uncertainties in short term prediction of atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides. A case study of a hypothetical accident in a nuclear floating power plant off the West coast of Norway,” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, vol. 233, p. 106587, Jul. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106587.
[16]. US Environmental protection agency, “Reactor Safety study (WASH-1400): A review of the final report,” EPA-520/3-76-009, 1975.
[17]. G. F. Athey, L. K. Brandon, and J. V. Ramsdell, Jr, “RASCAL 4.3 WORKBOOK.” US NRC, 2013.
[18]. Sources, effects and risks of ionizing radiation: United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation : UNSCEAR 2013 report to the General Assembly with scientific annexes. New York, N.Y.: United Nations, 2013.
[19]. IAEA, “The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale,” p. 218, 2008.
[20]. IAEA and OECS/NEA, “The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale,” International Atomic Energy Agency, 2008.
[21]. “Historical weather data for đà nẵng | Visual Crossing.” Accessed: Apr. 26, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-history/%C4%91%C3%A0%20n%E1%BA%B5ng/metric/last30days.
[22]. PDC-ARGOS, “Description of the NOMADS GFS datasets.” 2021.
[23]. PDC, “Manual for ARGOS 9.0/9.1, Version 1.8.” PDC, Apr. 2012.
[24]. Ministry of Science and Technology, “Regulations on preparedness and responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies, formulation and approval for plans for responses to nuclear and radiological emergencies.” Vietnam, Hanoi, 2014.