scholarly journals Comprehensive Evaluation of Long-Term Radiation Safety in the Vicinity of Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiyao Cao ◽  
Junping Lin ◽  
Kangle Zhai ◽  
Wei Jiang ◽  
Hua Zou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Zhejiang Province ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Ambient Environment ◽  
The Impact

Abstract To evaluate the impact of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant (Qinshan NPP) in normal operation on the surrounding environment and population, the radioactivity levels of drinking water and the ambient environment, as well as the residents’ cancer incidence, were continuously monitored for a period of 9 years (2012-2020). All of the gross α and β radioactivity concentrations in drinking water were less than the WHO recommended values (0.5 Bq/L for gross α and 1 Bq/L for gross β). The results of ambient environment accumulated dose monitored by thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) indicated that the ambient environment radioactive level around Qinshan NPP is consistently at natural background radiation levels. The age-dependent annual effective doses due to the ingestion of tap water or exposure to the outdoor ambient environment are lower than the reference dose of 0.1 mSv/y. The corresponding excess risks are at relatively low levels. Thus, the consumption of drinking water and outdoor activities are not expected to give rise to any detectable adverse effects on the health of the public around the Qinshan NPP. For all cancers combined, the age-standardized incidence rate by the Chinese 2000 standard population of the inhabitants living around Qinshan NPP is consistent with that of Zhejiang Province as a whole. No excess incidence of leukaemia was observed around the Qinshan NPP. The incidence of thyroid cancer is high and increasing, but it is also in line with the increasing trends in Zhejiang Province and all of China. Based on current radiation risk estimates, radiation exposure is not a plausible explanation for any excess cancers observed in the vicinity of the Qinshan NPP.

Human Factors Considerations for Implementation of A “Green Board” Concept in an Existing “Red/Green” Power Plant Control Room

1981 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Osborne ◽  
H. F. Barsam ◽  
D. C. Burgy
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Control Room ◽  
Power Plant Control ◽  
Control Rooms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Plant Control

Various human factors issues have been raised in recent years concerning the operability of nuclear power plant control rooms. The plethora of status indicator lights which must be monitored effectively has prompted the development of alternative control board design layouts to increase ease of operation. A study was conducted to address the feasibility of implementing the “green board” concept in a nuclear power plant control room which has an existing “red/green” board. The research included a comparison of current control room display and design concepts as well as an identification of the impact that the “green board” modification could have upon various aspects of daily plant operation. Recommendations based on the information gathered during the study specify that existing control rooms should be modified to incorporate the “green board” concept for more effective operation. In addition, a recommendation was made that further research should be conducted to investigate the following parameters: (1) detection time, (2) the effects of stress, training and different approaches to computerizing status indicators on operability; and (3) CRT color-coding compatability during off-normal operation.

The Reproductive Health of Male Staff of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
И. Петоян ◽  
I. Petoyan ◽  
А. Лягинская ◽  
A. Lyaginskaya ◽  
А. Ермалицкий ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Live Births ◽  
Group Frequency ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: To assess the reproductive health of male staff in the main departments of the Kursk nuclear power plant (NPP). Material and methods: The fertility and health of newborns were investigated. Data on marital status of 626 men of the staff and data about 813 newborns in families of male staff were analyzed. In the control group the data on the health status of newborns and pregnant groups of the population of Kurchatov city was used. Sources of information on doses to the personnel were the forms of a single system for monitoring and recording individual doses of radiation № 1-DOS “Information on the doses to persons in the conditions of normal operation of technogenic sources of ionizing radiation”. Results: Total occupational doses to the end of the main reproductive period (20–40 years) did not exceed 210 mSv, which is significantly below the threshold for temporary sterility during long-term irradiation (400 mSv/year, ICRP). Cases of infertile marriages in the families of the men of the staff (0.17 %) are below the estimation of the frequency of male infertility in Russia (1–2 %). Infant health in families of male staff and in the control group had no differences. The frequency of birth of health children was 65.3 % in families of male staff and 66.0 % for the control group. Frequency of birth of children with malformations was 35.7±6.5 per 1,000 live births and statistically (p = 0.84) did not differ from the frequency in the control group (37.4±5.3 per 1,000 live births) and was below the level adopted by the ICRP to calculate the radiation genetic risk (60 per 1,000 live births). There were no differences influenced by mother factors (age, diseases and complications during pregnancy) on fetal development and newborn health in families of the staff and control group. According to the calculations, the total occupational doses to men before the conception of children for more than 98 % of cases did not exceed 100 mSv, i.e. it was below the doses (>100 mSv), for which the genetic effects were observed in the number of epidemiological studies. However, it should be noted that 25.6 % of childbirth were in families, where men were older than 30 years, i.e. at the age, which is not subject to the additional job restrictions under the planned increased exposure. Conclusions: The impact of occupational exposure on the reproductive health status of men staff of the Kursk NPP was not identified.

14C Distribution in Atmospheric and Aquatic Environments Around Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 1107-1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongtang Wang ◽  
Dan Hu ◽  
Hong Xu ◽  
Qiuju Guo
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Surface Seawater ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Specific Activities ◽  
Water Reactors

Atmospheric CO2 and aquatic water samples were analyzed to evaluate the environmental 14C enrichment due to operation of the Qinshan nuclear power plant (NPP), where two heavy-water reactors and five pressurized-water reactors are employed. Elevated 14C-specific activities (2–26.7 Bq/kg C) were observed in the short-term air samples collected within a 5-km radius, while samples over 5 km were close to background levels. The 14C-specific activities of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the surface seawater samples ranged from 196.8 to 206.5 Bq/kg C (average 203.4 Bq/kg C), which are close to the background value. No elevated 14C level in surface seawater was found after 20 years of operation of Qinshan NPP, indicating that the 14C discharged was well diffused. The results of the freshwater samples show that excess 14C-specific activity (average 17.1 Bq/kg C) was found in surface water and well water samples, while no obvious 14C increase was found in drinking water (groundwater and tap water) compared to the background level.

scholarly journals Efficiency of Using the Auxiliary Boiler for Peak Power Generation by a Steam Turbine of NPP

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-90
Author(s):  
V. A. Khrustalev ◽  
M. V. Garievskii
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Heat Output ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
System Effect ◽  
Industrial Enterprises

The article presents the technique of an estimation of efficiency of use of potential heat output of an auxiliary boiler (AB) to improve electric capacity and manoeuvrability of a steam turbine unit of a power unit of a nuclear power plant (NPP) equipped with a water-cooled water-moderated power reactor (WWER). An analysis of the technical characteristics of the AB of Balakovo NPP (of Saratov oblast) was carried out and hydrocarbon deposits near the NPP were determined. It is shown that in WWER nuclear power plants in Russia, auxiliary boilers are mainly used only until the normal operation after start-up whereas auxiliary boiler equipment is maintained in cold standby mode and does not participate in the generation process at power plants. The results of research aimed to improve the systems of regulation and power management of power units; general principles of increasing the efficiency of production, transmission and distribution of electric energy, as well as the issues of attracting the potential of energy technology sources of industrial enterprises to provide load schedules have been analyzed. The possibility of using the power complex NPP and the AB as a single object of regulation is substantiated. The authors’ priority scheme-parametric developments on the possibility of using the thermal power of the auxiliary boilers to increase the power of the steam turbine of a nuclear power plant unit equipped with WWER reactors unit during peak periods, as well as the enthalpy balance method for calculating heat flows, were applied. The surface area of the additional heater of the regeneration “deaerator – high pressure heaters” system and its cost were calculated. On the basis of calculations, it was shown that the additional power that can be obtained in the steam turbine of the NPP with a capacity of 1200 MW due to the use of heat of the modernized auxiliary boiler in the additional heat exchanger is 40.5 MW. The additional costs for the implementation of the heat recovery scheme of the auxiliary boiler at different prices for gas fuel and the resulting system effect were estimated in an enlarged way. Calculations have shown the acceptability of the payback period of the proposed modernization.

scholarly journals Comparison and Evaluation of Domestic and Foreign Radiation Environmental Standards for Nuclear Power Plants

2021 ◽  
Vol 2083 (2) ◽  
pp. 022020
Author(s):  
Jiahuan Yu ◽  
Xiaofeng Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Discharge System ◽  
Radioactive Effluent ◽  
Effluent Discharge ◽  
The Impact

Abstract With the development of the nuclear energy industry and the increasing demand for environmental protection, the impact of nuclear power plant radiation on the environment has gradually entered the public view. This article combs the nuclear power plant radiation environmental management systems of several countries, takes the domestic and foreign management of radioactive effluent discharge from nuclear power plants as a starting point, analyses and compares the laws and standards related to radioactive effluents from nuclear power plants in France, the United States, China, and South Korea. In this paper, the management improvement of radioactive effluent discharge system of Chinese nuclear power plants has been discussed.

Root Cause of Thermal Sleeve Loosening in a Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang-Nyung Kim ◽  
Sang-Gyu Lim
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Design Modification ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Explosive Expansion ◽  
The Impact

The safety injection (SI) nozzle of a 1000MWe-class Korean standard nuclear power plant (KSNP) is fitted with thermal sleeves (T/S) to alleviate thermal fatigue. Thermal sleeves in KSNP #3 & #4 in Yeonggwang (YG) & Ulchin (UC) are manufactured out of In-600 and fitted solidly without any problem, whereas KSNP #5 & #6 in the same nuclear power plants, also fitted with thermal sleeves made of In-690 for increased corrosion resistance, experienced a loosening of thermal sleeves in all reactors except KSNP YG #5-1A, resulting in significant loss of generation availability. An investigation into the cause of the loosening of the thermal sleeves only found out that the thermal sleeves were subject to severe vibration and rotation, failing to uncover the root cause and mechanism of the loosening. In an effort to identify the root cause of T/S loosening, three suspected causes were analyzed: (1) the impact force of flow on the T/S when the safety SI nozzle was in operation, (2) the differences between In-600 and In-690 in terms of physical and chemical properties (notably the thermal expansion coefficient), and (3) the positioning error after explosive expansion of the T/S as well as the asymmetric expansion of T/S. It was confirmed that none of the three suspected causes could be considered as the root cause. However, after reviewing design changes applied to the Palo Verde nuclear plant predating KSNP YG #3 & #4 to KSNP #5 & #6, it was realized that the second design modification (in terms of groove depth & material) had required an additional explosive energy by 150% in aggregate, but the amount of gunpowder and the explosive expansion method were the same as before, resulting in insufficient explosive force that led to poor thermal sleeve expansion. T/S measurement data and rubbing copies also support this conclusion. In addition, it is our judgment that the acceptance criteria applicable to T/S fitting was not strict enough, failing to single out thermal sleeves that were not expanded sufficiently. Furthermore, the T/S loosening was also attributable to lenient quality control before and after fitting the T/S that resulted in significant uncertainty. Lastly, in a flow-induced vibration test planned to account for the flow mechanism that had a direct impact upon the loosening of the thermal sleeves that were not fitted completely, it was discovered that the T/S loosening was attributable to RCS main flow. In addition, it was proven theoretically that the rotation of the T/S was induced by vibration.

scholarly journals Blowout Accident Impact Analysis Method for the Siting of Offshore Floating Nuclear Power Plant in Offshore Oil Fields

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Zhigang Lan
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Oil Fields ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
The Impact

Focused on the utilization of nuclear energy in offshore oil fields, the correspondence between various hazards caused by blowout accidents (including associated, secondary, and derivative hazards) and the initiating events that may lead to accidents of offshore floating nuclear power plant (OFNPP) is established. The risk source, risk characteristics, risk evolution, and risk action mode of blowout accidents in offshore oil fields are summarized and analyzed. The impacts of blowout accident in offshore oil field on OFNPP are comprehensively analyzed, including injection combustion and spilled oil combustion induced by well blowout, drifting and explosion of deflagration vapor clouds formed by well blowouts, seawater pollution caused by blowout oil spills, the toxic gas cloud caused by well blowout, and the impact of mobile fire source formed by a burning oil spill on OFNPP at sea. The preliminary analysis methods and corresponding procedures are established for the impact of blowout accidents on offshore floating nuclear power plants in offshore oil fields, and a calculation example is given in order to further illustrate the methods.

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