Power Plant Area Research Articles

МЕТОДИЧЕСКИЕ ПОДХОДЫ К МОНИТОРИНГУ УГЛЕРОДА-14 ДЛЯ КОНТРОЛЯ ЕГО РАДИАЦИОННОГО ВОЗДЕЙСТВИЯ НА ПЕРСОНАЛ И НАСЕЛЕНИЕ

Purpose: Analysis of the current regulatory and methodological framework on control of doses from intake of 14C for the personnel and the public living in the control area of the nuclear power plant (NPP). Identifying the most informative methods of controlling radiation impact of 14C on a human being. Material and methods: Research literature on radiation impact of naturally occurring 14C; 14C entering the environment as a result of nuclear weapon tests; and 14C entering workplaces and the control area of NPP has been reviewed. Dose coefficients and other radiation characteristics of 14C provided in IAEA, ICRP and UNSCEAR publications have been summarized. Results: According to UNSCEAR, annual radiation burden caused by global 14C is the highest one (about 80 %) among radiation burdens associated with four critical naturally occurring cosmogenic radionuclides: 3H (0.01 µSv/year), 7Be (3.0 µSv/year), 14C (12 µSv/year) and 24Na (0.2µSv/year). The main way of 14C intake is the alimentary one when this isotope enters the human body with food. Dose from this kind of intake of global 14C can reach 40 µSv. The annual dose caused by aerogenic (inhalation) way of intake of global 14C does not exceed 1 µSv. The most informative methods of dose assessment for the personnel of NPP and the public living in the control area involve measurement of content of 14C in top soil, vegetation and food products. Conclusions: Significant amount of 14C enters the environment within the control area during operation of NPP, which causes the public radiation dose exceeding the dose from global 14C. The most informative objects characterizing content of technogenic 14C in the control area of NPP are top soil (humus) and vegetation. The liquid scintillation spectrometry involves sample preparation by burning of samples in oxygen with capturing of generated carbon dioxide and its transfer into organic solvent. This is the most technologically viable method for mass control of 14C content in samples of top soil and vegetation.

Dispersion pattern of Mansonia in the surroundings of the Amazon Jirau Hydroelectric Power Plant

Mansonia spp. are voracious hematophagous mosquitoes whose mature stages usually breed in freshwater bodies containing aquatic vegetation. The reduction in water flow leads to a proliferation in aquatic plants, increasing their populations. Besides, some species are potential vectors of pathogens such as arboviruses and microfilariae. We evaluated the degree of active dispersion of females of Mansonia spp. in the surrounding area of the Jirau hydroelectric power plant in the Amazon, Rondônia, Brazil, using mark-release-recapture techniques. The flight behavior of the recaptured specimens was summarized with a set of average and maximum distances traveled. We show that the dispersal movement of Mansonia spp. is predominantly performed by random, low, and short flights, with a tendency to remain near the breeding sites in certain vegetation fragments. However, the maximum distances traveled were 2000 m from the release point for Mansonia amazonensis during 2018 and Mansonia humeralis during 2019.

Shaking table tests on seismic response of discontinuous suspended ceilings

In recent earthquakes, we can obtain that the failure of the suspended ceiling systems is part of the most widely reported types of nonstructural damages in building structures. As a nonstructural component, the suspended ceiling systems are not included in the main load-bearing, but the dropping and damage of the suspended ceiling systems resulted in lengthy functional disruptions and extended recovery time. So many researchers studied a large number of ceiling systems in past decades. However, few studies on the application of discontinuous suspended ceiling (DSC) used in some crucial construction with higher rigidity and frequency. Consequently, a full-scale DSC system, including steel runners and metal panels, was designed, fabricated and installed in on a steel frame in this study. Three different ground motions were selected as the vibration input, and the different damages of the ceiling system under different working conditions were found in detail. The results show that the DSC system has good integrity, excellent seismic performance, and four limit states are determined on the basis of this test. Meanwhile, a series of seismic construction measures and suggestions that need to be given attention were proposed in this study, which can be better applied in crucial industrial buildings such as the main control area of nuclear power plants.

Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Control-Based Frequency Control of Hybrid Power System Using DMGS of PI Controller

The load frequency control of a microgrid is one of the emerging areas due to the changes in demand and supply in power system. So the controllers’ implementation must be changed accordingly. This paper proposes an interval type-2 fuzzy logic-based, dual-mode gain scheduling (DMGS) of the proportional and integral controller in which the gains of the PI controller werescheduled through the dynamic selector. This proposed controller was implemented ina hybrid microgrid power system in which nonconventional energy sources wereadded to each area of the conventional power plant, which madethe system much more prone to frequency variations. The controller was designed for three areas, consisting of a photovoltaic (PV) system, a wind power system, a fuel cell and a diesel engine/hydropower generator in which the generation rate constraint (GRC) was considered as a nonlinearity. The proposed power system was investigated under various load conditions in the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. A comparative evaluation of changes in frequency, tie-line power fluctuations and variations in area control errors for the test system showed the effectiveness of the current approach over simple fuzzy PI and a conventional PI-controlling approach.

Assessment of the content of tritium and its compounds in soil and vegetation in the region of nuclear power plants with VVER type reactors

Currently, scientists pay great attention to the intake of tritium and its compounds when assessing the impact of radiation-hazardous objects on the environment and humans. Now, there are no acceptable industrial technologies for the effective capture of this radionuclide; therefore, all tritium generated during the operation of nuclear power plants enters the environment with emissions and discharges. Consequently, it leads to an increase in its concentration in environmental objects, including soil and vegetation. This fact determines the need to assess its content in the ground and vegetation. The study aims to develop a method for determining the content of tritium in soil and vegetation. To develop a methodology for assessing the content of tritium in soil and vegetation, we used the technique of preparing counting samples based on burning the selected examples in a specialized Pyrolyser 6-Trio furnace. Previously, scientists conducted some laboratory studies to assess the acceptability of this method of sample preparation. We measured the counting samples on a Tri-CARB 3180 TR/SL liquid scintillation meter. Scientists have developed and certified a method for determining tritium in soil and vegetation. Furthermore, we investigated the content of tritium and its compounds in the environment in the area of the Nuclear Power Plant based on a comprehensive assessment. Researchers found tritium content in soil and vegetation in settlements near nuclear power plants with VVER type reactors. The main routes of entry of tritium and its compounds into vegetation are the air path and the access of tritium from the ground. The presented data determine the need for systematic studies on the accumulation of tritium in environmental objects.

Distribution of tritium and its compounds in the environment under normal conditions of operating of Kalininskaya nuclear power plant

Tritium is one of the most important dose-forming radionuclides that determine the radiation situation in the area where nuclear fuel cycle enterprises are located. At the same time, it is not possible to catch the tritium formed during the operation of a nuclear power plant using modern, efficient and cheap technologies. This causes an increase in its concentration in environmental objects and an increase in the contribution of technogenic tritium to the radiation load of the population. Therefore, the task of monitoring the formation of tritium during the operation of nuclear power plants, the content of tritium in emissions and discharges of nuclear power plants, as well as the distribution of this radionuclide in the environment is especially urgent today. The study aims to analyze the environmental pollution due to emissions and discharges of tritium from the Kalininskaya nuclear power plant, the process of spreading tritium by air, as well as the accumulation of this radionuclide in water bodies, soil and food products grown in the area of the nuclear power plant. The following methods, developed by the specialists of the Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center were used during the research: 1) "Method for determining the volumetric activity of organic and inorganic tritium compounds in water bodies by liquid scintillation spectrometry". 2) "Methodology for determining the concentration of organic and inorganic tritium compounds in the air of the environment and industrial premises". 3) "The method for determining the specific activity of tritium compounds in soil and vegetation" was developed and tested in the course of field studies at the Kalinin NPP. As a sample preparation we used the method based on burning a selected sample in a specialized Pyrolyser-6 Trio oven. All prepared counting samples were measured by liquid scintillation spectrometry on a counter Tri-Carb 3180TR/SL. On the basis of an integrated approach to assessing the content of tritium and its compounds in air, water, soil and food, an analysis of the formation of environmental pollution due to emissions and discharges of tritium from the Kalinin NPP was carried out. It is shown that the transport of emissions from the NPP by air and the wind direction prevailing in the territory of the NPP location have a significant importance in the formation of the contribution to the ingress of tritium into foodstuffs. The necessity of taking into account the ingress of tritium and its compounds with nuclear plant emissions into the environment in the task of optimization of radiation protection of the population under conditions of normal operation of NPP is shown.

Natural radioactivity level in fly ash samples and radiological hazard at the landfill area of the coal-fired power plant complex, Vietnam

In this study, natural radioactivity concentrations and dosimetric values of fly ash samples were evaluated for the landfill area of the coal-fired power plant (CFPP) complex at Binh Thuan, Vietnam. The average activity concentrations of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were 93, 77, 92 and 938 Bq kg−1, respectively. The average results for radon dose, indoor external, internal, and total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) were 5.27, 1.22, 0.16, and 6.65 mSv y−1, respectively. The average emanation fraction for fly ash were 0.028. The excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCR) were recorded as 20.30 ×10−3, 4.26 ×10−3, 0.62 ×10−3, and 25.61 ×10−3 for radon, indoor, outdoor exposures, and total ELCR, respectively. The results indicated that the cover of shielding materials above the landfill area significantly decreased the gamma radiation from the ash and slag in the ascending order: Zeolite < PVC < Soil < Concrete. Total dose of all radionuclides in the landfill site reached its peak at 19.8 years. The obtained data are useful for evaluation of radiation safety when fly ash is used for building material as well as the radiation risk and the overload of the landfill area from operation of these plants for population and workers.

Study of concrete de-bonding assessment technique for containment liner plates in nuclear power plants using ultrasonic guided wave approach

In this work, the guided wave de-bonding area-detecting technique was studied for application to containment liner plates in nuclear power plant areas. To apply this technique, an appropriate Lamb wave mode, symmetric and longitudinal dominance, was verified by the frequency shifting technique. The S0 2.7 MHz mm Lamb wave mode was chosen to realize quantitative experimental results and their visualization. Results of the bulk wave, longitudinal wave mode, and comparison experiments indicate that the wave mode was able to distinguish between the de-bonded and bonded areas. Similar to the bulk wave cases, the bonded region could be distinguished from the de-bonded region using the Lamb wave approach. The Lamb wave technique results showed significant correlation to the de-bonding area. As the de-bonding area increased, the Lamb wave energy attenuation effect decreased, which was a prominent factor in the realization of quantitative tomographic visualization. The feasibility of tomographic visualization was studied via the application of Lamb waves. The reconstruction algorithm for the probabilistic inspection of damage (RAPID) technique was applied to the containment liner plate to verify and visualize the de-bonding condition. The results obtained using the tomography image indicated that the Lamb wave-based RAPID algorithm was capable of delineating debonding areas.

Modes of Occurrence of Artificial Radionuclides in Soils in the Area of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant

Modes of Occurrence of Artificial Radionuclides in Soils in the Area of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant

Multi frequency Ground-Penetrating Radar method for mapping underground pipes and man-made objects

Mapping of subsurface infrastructure such as pipelines, pipe ducts as well as man-made objects located below the earth surface is a difficult task in geotechnical engineering due to the need to direct contact to the object. Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) method as one of geophysical methods is an appropriate technique to solve such problems due to its capability to effectively provide the existence, the location and the depth of buried shallow objects. Despite many advantages, the application of GPR method is limited by achieved depth and resolution range that is frequency dependent. To overcome such problems, the so-called multi-frequency compositing method with Optimal Spectral Whitening (OSW) technique is studied and applied on real data acquired in the Muarakarang Combined Cycle Power Plant area located in the Northern part of Jakarta, the Capitol of Indonesia. Datasets from GPR measurement with 100 MHz and 250 MHz was used. Each radargram from the same path was processed individually and then joined to become multiple composite radargram. The resulted composite radargram from a GPR line we studied has shown clearer image for interpretation rather than individual interpretation. The applicability of this multi-frequency compositing recommend further study to solve some facing problems in geotechnical engineering.

Optimization and Application of Primary Frequency System for Real-Time Communication Using PMU Data

By integrating the network-related parameters of the electrical and thermal control specialty in the network-related system, communicating with the Pi real-time database in the power plant Area II, and further realizing the Web application function in the Production Information Area III. Secondly, using these real-time big data, it analyzes the operation of primary frequency regulation and optimizes it accordingly, establishes the standard table, carries out monthly analysis and daily index supervision, so as to make the pass rate of primary frequency regulation close to or reach 100%, and increase the compensation cost, so that the unit is not only in energy-saving operation but also not assessed by the power grid.

Thermal discharge-induced seawater warming alters richness, community composition and interactions of bacterioplankton assemblages in a coastal ecosystem

Despite accumulating evidence on the impact of global climate warming on marine microbes, how increasing seawater temperature influences the marine bacterioplankton communities is elusive. As temperature gradient created by thermal discharges provides a suitable in situ model to study the influence of warming on marine microorganisms, surface seawater were sampled consecutively for one year (September-2016 to August-2017) from the control (unimpacted) and thermal discharge-impacted areas of a coastal power plant, located in India. The bacterioplankton community differences between control (n = 16) and thermal discharge-impacted (n = 26) areas, as investigated using 16S rRNA gene tag sequencing revealed reduced richness and varied community composition at thermal discharge-impacted areas. The relative proportion of Proteobacteria was found to be higher (average ~ 15%) while, Bacteroidetes was lower (average ~ 10%) at thermal discharge-impacted areas. Intriguingly, thermal discharge-impacted areas were overrepresented by several potential pathogenic bacterial genera (e.g. Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Sulfitobacter, Vibrio) and other native marine genera (e.g. Marinobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Alteromonas, Pseudidiomarina, Halomonas). Further, co-occurrence networks demonstrated that complexity and connectivity of networks were altered in warming condition. Altogether, results indicated that increasing temperature has a profound impact on marine bacterioplankton richness, community composition, and inter-species interactions. Our findings are immensely important in forecasting the consequences of future climate changes especially, ocean warming on marine microbiota.

Effect of Power Plant Ash and Slag Disposal on the Environment and Population Health in Ukraine.

Background.Ash and slag disposal areas of Ukrainian thermal power plants accumulate large amounts of waste annually.Objectives.The aim of the present study was to analyze the composition of ash and slag wastes generated during combustion of coal at Ukrainian thermal power plants and the potential affects of disposal areas on the environment.Methods.A literature search was conducted using the Google search engine to access online academic publications indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science), ScienceDirect, ResearchGate and Springer Link from 2011 in English and Ukrainian.Results.After analyzing the 25 academic articles included in the present review, the results indicated that hazardous constituents (oxides of silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium and magnesium) of ash can migrate from the ash dump surface by air and water to contaminate the atmosphere, soil, groundwater and surface water in areas located within a few kilometers from the waste site.Conclusions.By-products of the fuel and energy complex of Ukraine are potentially dangerous sources of environmental pollution. They create risks to the health of the population living in the surrounding territories. Further studies should focus on the features of pollutant transfer from ash dumps, and development of appropriate mathematical models of the pollutant migration to assess pollution levels in soil, groundwater and air.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fine road dust from a coal-utilization city: Spatial distribution, source diagnosis and risk assessment

Coal combustion can release large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which persist in various environment matrices (e.g., road dust) and hence cause the carcinogenic risk to human health. In this study, an exhaustive characterization of road dust samples coupling their physicochemical characteristics and stable isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N) was conducted to evaluate the source, level, spatial distribution, and carcinogenic risk of PAHs in a typical coal-utilization city. Concentrations of Σ16 PAHs ranged from 605.5 to 25,374.3 ng/g with a mean concentration of 4083.0 ng/g. Pollution levels of sites around the coal-fired power plant (Zone 1) were significantly higher than those in other zones (p < 0.05). PAH concentration showed significant correlations with both C and N fractions (p < 0.01). Compositions of δ13C and δ15N in road dust coupled to principal component analysis and the partitions and diagnostic ratios of PAHs contributed to associating road dust to several local sources of contamination. Coal combustion and vehicular exhaust were major sources of PAHs around the power plant and urban area. Results of incremental lifetime cancer risk showed 81.5% of all sampling sites suffered potential risk (>10−6) for both adults and children, while children around the power plant suffered the highest risk. Despite the estimation of only potential risk being posed by PAHs in road dust, human exposure to the various environmental matrices, scientific and systematic assessment of carcinogenic risks by PAHs in the total environment warrants further investigations.

Design of flyback power supply of DC equipment in PV power plant

In photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected power generation systems, the needs of low-voltage DC power supply for equipment in PV power plant areas are common. This article provides a design of wide-range high-input voltage flyback power supply. Firstly, the needs of the input voltage range are analysed, and the power supply indexes are defined. Then, the design of the power supply and the transformer circuit are given. The prototype trial results are also given at the last. The results show that the designed power supply meets the requirements of equipment in PV power plant.

Role of media in managing environmental conflicts in Rovinari Thermal Power Plant area, Gorj County, Romania

Role of media in managing environmental conflicts in Rovinari Thermal Power Plant area, Gorj County, Romania

Remote fiber optic sensor for monitoring the radiological situation

The necessity of remote monitoring the radiological situation in the different areas of nuclear power plants, adjacent territories, etc. is sustained. One of the most important conditions for this control is the duration of the system work (for ten or more years) without human intervention (only in a special case). It is noted that a feature of this environmental monitoring for the presence of radiation is the ability to transmit information over long distance in real time without distortion. And constant receipt of information about the value of the exposure dose in the sensor area is also important. In a case of using the system of a large number of sensors, there are no problems information processing, because it is contained in the optical signal. The design of the fiber optic communication line with using the fiber optic sensor is proposed. The measurement limits of the exposure dose of radiation are marked. The results of experimental researches of various fibers for using in these sensors are presented. The method of radiation control with their use is determined.

Evaluation of groundwater suitability for different applications in the area of West Assiut Power Plant, Egypt

Evaluation of groundwater suitability for different applications in the area of West Assiut Power Plant, Egypt

Probabilistic Flood Assessment Methodology for Nuclear Power Plants Considering Extreme Rainfall

Abnormal weather conditions due to climate change are currently increasing on both global and local scales. It is therefore important to ensure the safety of the areas where major national facilities are located by analyzing risk quantitatively and re-evaluating the existing major facilities, such as nuclear power plants, considering the load and capacity of extreme flood conditions. In this study, a risk analysis method is developed that combines flood hazard curves with fragility curves using hydraulic and hydrological models by GIS tools and the @RISK model for the probabilistic flood analysis of nuclear power plant sites. A two-dimensional (2D) analysis is first carried out to estimate flood depths in various watershed scenarios, and a representative hazard curve for both external and internal flooding is made by applying a verified probability distribution type for the flood watersheds. For the analysis of flooding within buildings, an internal grid is constructed using GIS with related design drawings, and based on the flood depth results of the 2D analysis, a hazard curve for the representative internal inundation using a verified probability distribution type is presented. In the present study, walkdowns with nuclear experts are conducted around the nuclear power plant area to evaluate the fragile structures and facilities under possible flooding. After reviewing the 2D inundation analysis results based on the selected major equipment and facilities, the zones requiring risk assessment are re-assigned. A fragility curve applying probability distribution for the site’s major equipment and facilities is also presented. Failure risk analysis of the major facilities is then conducted by combining the proposed hazard and fragility curves. Results in the form of quantitative values are obtained, and the indicators for risks as well as the reliability and optimal measures to support decision-making are also presented. Through this study, it is confirmed that risk assessment based on the proposed probabilistic flood analysis technique is possible for flood events occurring at nuclear power plant sites.

Annoyance, perception, and physiological effects of wind turbine infrasound.

Even though some individuals subjectively associate various symptoms with infrasound, there are very few systematic studies on the contribution of infrasound to the perception, annoyance, and physiological reactions elicited by wind turbine sound. In this study, sound samples were selected among long-term measurement data from wind power plant and residential areas, both indoors and outdoors, and used in laboratory experiments. In the experiments, the detectability and annoyance of both inaudible and audible characteristics of wind turbine noise were determined, as well as autonomic nervous system responses: heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin conductance response. The participants were divided into two groups based on whether they reported experiencing wind turbine infrasound related symptoms or not. The participants did not detect infrasonic contents of wind turbine noise. The presence of infrasound had no influence on the reported annoyance nor the measured autonomic nervous system responses. No differences were observed between the two groups. These findings suggest that the levels of infrasound in the current study did not affect perception and annoyance or autonomic nervous system responses, even though the experimental conditions corresponded acoustically to real wind power plant areas.