Abstract
In the event of a nuclear accident, evacuation is the most effective protective action for the public. During the evacuation, total travel time is a key measure to protect the public because it is directly related to the public’s radiation exposure. Thus, strategies that reduce the total travel time are needed for a safer nuclear emergency plan. Many studies on evacuation strategies so far have suggested the methodology of effective routing decisions or delay management. Despite the application of those strategies during evacuation, the effectiveness of those strategies, in reality, varies depending on the level of travel demand. In this study, evacuation strategies based on travel demand levels were evaluated based on the case of the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of HANARO, the nuclear research reactor in the Republic of Korea. As a result, it was confirmed that effective evacuation strategies could be applied differently according to travel demand levels.
Highlights
Nuclear energy is considered a clean energy source globally because of its low level of carbon dioxide emissions and high energy efficiency
In order to analyze the difference in total travel time and total delay according to travel demand, the travel time data from the origin zones to the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) boundary were collected
This study proves the importance of the relationship between travel demand and evacuation strategies by comparing the impacts of travel demand to evacuation time according to strategies
Summary
Nuclear energy is considered a clean energy source globally because of its low level of carbon dioxide emissions and high energy efficiency. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the proportion of nuclear energy sources has increased globally and safety technologies for nuclear energy are being developed steadily [1,2]. After the Fukushima accidents in 2011, many environmental groups demanded reinforced safety measures, including the protection of the public who live in the surrounding area of nuclear facilities [3]. The importance of protective actions for the public increased. Since evacuation is one of the effective protective actions when a nuclear accident happens, studies on evacuation strategies for a nuclear accident should be conducted [4]
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