Power Plant Area Research Articles

Radiological baseline around the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, UAE

Destructive and non-destructive analysis techniques were used to establish a radiological baseline around the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant area in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The natural radioactivity concentrations of 238U (226Ra), 232Th and 40K were measured for shore, soil and bottom sediment samples, using gamma spectrometry with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. Alpha spectrometry was used to measure the 234U/238U ratio for some selected samples using a silicon surface-barrier detector. The measured gamma activity concentrations in shore samples are much lower compared to those in soil and bottom samples. The average activity concentrations of 238U (226Ra) are 4.43 ± 1.12, 13.54 ± 4.16 and 4.73 ± 3.01 Bq/kg in shore, soil and bottom sediment samples, respectively. The corresponding values for 232Th are 1.68 ± 0.49, 8.31 ± 3.87 and 1.83 ± 1.67 Bq/kg, and those for 40K, are 106.30 ± 50.68, 349.72 ± 107.16 and 105.23 ± 130.14 Bq/kg. The 234U/238U activity ratios span a wide range from 0.59 to 2.24, indicating a system where the daughter/parent is out of secular radioactive equilibrium. The hazard parameters, radium equivalent and absorbed dose rates, showed low levels compared to the world average level reported by the UNSCEAR in 2000. The estimated activity concentrations in this study were lower than the world average values and lower than the levels reported in nearby countries.

Emission Dispersion Modelling using AERMOD on GT 1.3 PLTGU Muara Karang in Evaluate Combustor Upgrade Effect

Muara Karang power plant dominated by Gas Turbine Power Plant. One of those there is Gas Turbin 1.3 has been upgraded, thus make load ouput become increased. This study aims to see the emission dispersion generated from combustor before and after being upgraded. The emission data is obtained from combustion modelling on combustor GT 1.3 pre and post extendor using CFD methode. Then, the data will be used for emission dispersion modelling using AERMOD. The emission dispersion modelling uses two condition. First is the initial state based on environment assessment document in 2010 and second is in current environment state. The modelling shows that after the combustor upgraded, the NOx emission increase by 15%, CO emission decrease by 37%. Emission dispersion modelling result shows that there is a change in the area that has the highest concentration. In the initial environment state, area with highest concentration is on the west side of the power plant with NOx concentration is 35.46303 ug/m3, And CO concentration is 1.3362 ug/m3. In the current environment state, the area is on the east side of the power plant area with highest concentration is NOx concentration is 61.47481ug/m3 And CO concentration is 2.3163 ug/m3.

Thermal pollution zones on the aquatic environment from the coastal power plant: Numerical study

In this work the results of a numerical study of thermal pollution from the power plant operation using the Irtysh River as a natural water cooling system have been presented. In the paper, a 2D model has been used to numerically simulate a floating stream along with its mixing heated water discharge characteristics from lateral projections with a transverse flow. The values of computational modeling are in good adjustment with the measurement results, in particular, with the trajectories of the jets, the recirculation zone size and the distribution of the dimensionless excess temperature. The work was also conducted to study thermal pollution in various scenarios of the heated water discharge from the coastal power plant and thermal pollution areas were determined for various discharge speed cases. The general projections of the thermal pollutant transfers in the river during the placement of the discharge channels, both for short and for long distances from the city were evaluated. It could be noted that using several discharge channels leads to a reduction in the area of thermal pollution. So for the discrepancy in temperature value from the water temperature of 3 °C there was a reduction in the pollution area of almost 11 times.

Study on a feasible detection method based on acoustic characteristics of sea moon jellyfish

In order to solve the problem of water intake clogging by jellyfish in cold source water area of nuclear power plant, a jellyfish detection method based on high-resolution multi beam imaging is proposed. The sea moon jellyfish detection experiment in real environment is carried out in the laboratory pool, and the echo characteristics of individual jellyfish are analyzed. In the experiment, the acoustic images of jellyfish and other sea creatures are obtained by using acoustic means. It is found that the change of posture has an important influence on the echo energy of jellyfish. The feasibility of detecting jellyfish and other marine organisms by high frequency multi beam method is preliminarily verified.

Analysis of Oscillating Combustion for NOx−Reduction in Pulverized Fuel Boilers

Thermal power plants in different fields are regularly adapted to the state-of-the-art emissions standards, applying “The Best Available Techniques Reference”. Since 2016 in the power plant area new, more stringent limits for power plant units with a thermal output of more than 300 MW operated with black coal are valid. Usually, in order to reach the new limits e.g., for NOX emissions, downstream reduction processes (Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction, SNCR or Selective Catalytic Reduction) are applied, which use of operating resources (essentially ammonia water) thereby increase. By the means of an experimentally validated process, by which pulverized fuel is fed by oscillation through a swirl burner into a pilot combustion chamber with a thermal output of 2.5 MW, nitrogen oxides can be reduced without further activities, for instance from 450 mg/mN3 in non-oscillation operation mode (0 Hz) to 280 mg/mN3 in oscillation operation mode (3.5 Hz), normalized to an O2–content of 6% each. These findings were patented in EP3084300. Particularly promising are the experiments which utilize oscillation of a large portion of the burn out air instead of the fuel in order to minimize the fatigue of the pulverized fuel oscillator, amongst others. Thereby, the nitrogen conversion rate, which describes the ratio of NOX to fuel nitrogen, including thermal NOX can be reduced from 26% for non-oscillation operation mode down to 16%. The present findings show that fuel oscillation alone is not sufficient to achieve nitrogen oxides concentrations below the legislative values. Therefore, a combination of different primary (and secondary) measures is required. This paper presents the experimental results for oscillating coal-dust firing. Furthermore, an expert model based on a multivariate regression is developed to evaluate the experimental results.

Dynamic characteristics of single door electrical cabinet under rocking: Source reconciliation of experimental and numerical findings

Seismic qualifications of electrical equipment, such as cabinet systems, have been emerging as the key area of nuclear power plants in Korea since the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake, including the high-frequency domain. In addition, electrical equipment was sensitive to the high-frequency ground motions during the past earthquake. Therefore, this paper presents the rocking behavior of the electrical cabinet system subjected to Reg. 1.60 and UHS. The high fidelity finite element (FE) model of the cabinet related to the shaking table test data was developed. In particular, the first two global modes of the cabinet from the experimental test were 16 Hz and 24 Hz, respectively. In addition, 30.05 Hz and 37.5 Hz were determined to be the first two local modes in the cabinet. The high fidelity FE model of the cabinet using the ABAQUS platform was extremely reconciled with shaking table tests. As a result, the dynamic properties of the cabinet were sensitive to electrical instruments, such as relays and switchboards, during the shaking table test. In addition, the amplification with respect to the vibration transfer function of the cabinet was observed on the third floor in the cabinet due to localized impact corresponding to the rocking phenomenon of the cabinet under Reg.1.60 and UHS. Overall, the rocking of the cabinet system can be caused by the low-frequency oscillations and higher peak horizontal acceleration.

МИКРОБИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ АНАЛИЗ ОБРАЗЦОВ МАТЕРИАЛОВ, РАЗМЕЩЕННЫХ В ПРИБРЕЖНОЙ ЗОНЕ БАРЕНЦЕВА МОРЯ

The composition of the microbial community isolated from the surface of samples of structural materials located in the area of the Kislogubskaya tidal power plant in the Barents Sea was determined. Groups of potentially corrosion-active microorganisms were identified using selective culture media. The Pseudomonas fluorescens strain, belonging to the group of iron-oxidizing bacteria, characterized by a chemoorganotrophic type of nutrition was isolated. The morphological, physiological, biochemical and cultural characteristics of the strain and the analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences were determined.

Features of natural plant complexes restoration and land reclamation in the area of Ust-Srednekanskaya hydroelectric power plant on the Kolyma river

The low resistance of the landscapes of the North-East of Russia to anthropogenic influences is shown. The features of natural plant complexes restoration and land reclamation in the area of the Ust-Srednekanskaya hydroelectric power station are considered. In order to create conditions for the successful restoration of vegetation cover after the impact of anthropogenic factors, it is recommended to carry out measures for leveling the disturbed surface and terracing it. It is proposed to carry out artificial sowing of cereals, which are characterized by regular and abundant fruiting.

A Study on Information Behavior and Risk Perception of Residents in Located Area and Surrounding Area of Nuclear Power Plants:

A Study on Information Behavior and Risk Perception of Residents in Located Area and Surrounding Area of Nuclear Power Plants:

Optimization Options for Integrated Radioecological Monitoring in the Arctic Zone of Russia During Operation of the “Akademik Lomonosov” floating Nuclear Power PlantAssessment of Non-radioactive Factors Impact on the Natural Environment Components of the Floating Nuclear Thermal Power Plant Area

Optimization Options for Integrated Radioecological Monitoring in the Arctic Zone of Russia During Operation of the “Akademik Lomonosov” floating Nuclear Power PlantAssessment of Non-radioactive Factors Impact on the Natural Environment Components of the Floating Nuclear Thermal Power Plant Area

Soil mercury pollution caused by typical anthropogenic sources in China: Evidence from stable mercury isotope measurement and receptor model analysis

Abstract Human activities have caused serious soil mercury (Hg) pollution in industrial areas worldwide. Abatement of soil Hg pollution requires knowledge of Hg sources and transport pathways across various environmental media. In this study, four areas containing typical anthropogenic Hg emissions in China were selected to evaluate soil Hg pollution. Results showed that soil Hg contents were significantly elevated in areas of Hg mining, gold mining, and zinc smelting, but only slightly elevated in an area of coal-fired power plant, with averages of 44.0, 1.17, 0.73, and 0.14 μg g−1 (dry weight) in these four areas, respectively. The average percentage contributions from these anthropogenic sources to soil Hg in surrounding areas were estimated to be 92.2 ± 9.70% from Hg mining (among which 77.6 ± 12.0% from unroasted Hg ore and 14.6 ± 7.50% from Hg calcine), 63.5 ± 0.83% from the zinc smelting, 41.6 ± 1.90% from gold mining, and 21.1 ± 3.58% from coal-fired power plant. Atmospheric deposition was speculated to be the main pathway for soil Hg contamination, but mercury mining area contained significant runoff accumulation. Speciation and concentration of Hg in emission gas are crucial factors for Hg pollution in surrounding soils, because of short residence time of Hg2+/Hgp in the atmosphere. The results obtained in this study can provide scientific advices for risk assessment and soil remediation of Hg in China and other regions with similar industries.

The results of geothermal and geoelectric studies in the regions of Rivne, Khmelnitsky and Uzhno Ukrainsk NPPs

The main task of the work was to present for the first time the results of geothermal and geoelectric studies obtained in the tectonosphere department and comparing them with other geological and geophysical data. Unfortunately, geothermal data near all nuclear power plants are scarce. Despite this, a possible increasing of heat flow (HF) near Khmelnitsky NPP can be assumed. Such an assumption is correlated with data on increased values of modern vertical movements of the Earth’s surface. A comparison of the position of nuclear power plants with faults active in past 3 million years shows that all nuclear power plants are located near the Kamen-Kashirsk-Yalta fault. Khmelnitsky NPP is located near the intersection of the latter with the Khust-Koretsky fault, and the South Ukrainian — near the Ananyevsky-Khadzhibeysky fault. Based on the analysis of Earthquake Catalogs presented in the Seismological Bulletins of Ukraine for 1999—2016 and international seismicity databases, a map of the seismicity of nuclear power plant areas has been built. The most representative data (a significant number of earthquakes) are located south of the Khmelnitsky NPP, where they are well explained by the presence of the Ternopol heat flow anomaly. Based on the 2D inversion of magnetotelluric research data, the construction of a volumetric geoelectric model of the territory of Ukraine from 36° to 24° East in the earth's crust and at the top of the mantle, objects with less resistivity than 120 Ohm · m (OLR) and blocks of rocks with resistance of more than 10,000 Ohm · m, which characterize rocks with high basicity and lowest porosity, are distinguished. In all regions of NPPs, there are OLR that are consistent with fault zones active in the last 3 million years. In the regions of the Rivne and Khmelnitsky NPP, the OLR are consistent with areas of an anomalous increase in the average velocity gradients of neotectonic movements. According to the totality of the data reviewed, the most unfavorable, from the point of view of stability of the Earth's interior, deep structure is noted in the area of the Khmelnitsky NPP.

Performance of transition metal (Cu, Fe and Co) modified SCR catalysts for simultaneous removal of NO and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from coal-fired power plant flue gas

Emissions of NO and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in China are growing rapidly, thus it is necessary to develop a catalyst that can simultaneously remove them. In this study, a series of new V-W/Ti SCR catalysts modified by Cu, Fe and Co were prepared by wet impregnation method, which was used to simultaneously remove NO and typical VOCs (benzene and toluene) from coal-fired power plant flue gas. The catalyst activity evaluation was studied in selective catalytic reduction temperature window (260 °C, 300 °C, 340 °C, 380 °C and 420 °C) by a self-built device. Simulated flue gas was composed of 100 ppm benzene, 100 ppm toluene, 500 ppm NO, 1000 ppm SO2, 500 ppm NH3, 3.33% O2, and balanced N2, whose total flow was 750 mL/min. Characterization techniques such as SEM-EDS, XRD, XPS, and NH3-TPD were used to analyze the effect of Cu, Fe and Co loading on the catalyst's surface properties, physical structure, valence, and acid site, which further explained the removal efficiency result. The experimental results indicated that Cu0.1-V-W/Ti had the best denitration performance at low temperature and reached a maximum NO removal rate of 86.4% at 340 °C. All prepared catalysts had over 90% benzene removal and over 95% toluene removal rate. Cu0.1-V-W/Ti shows certain SO2 tolerance and has the potential to be used for simultaneous removal of NO and VOCs at SCR area of coal-fired power plants without extra capital cost.

The Complexity of Space Utilization and Environmental Pollution Control in the Main Corridor of Makassar City, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Population mobility, increasing demand for transportation, and the complexity of land use have an impact on environmental quality degradation and air quality pollution. This study aims to analyze (1) the effect of population mobility, increased traffic volume, and land use change on air quality pollution, (2) direct and indirect effects of urban activities, transportation systems, and movement patterns on environmental quality degradation and air pollution index, and (3) air pollution strategy and sustainable urban environmental management. The research method used is a sequential explanation design. Data were obtained through observation, surveys, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The results of the study illustrate that the business center and Daya terminal with a value of 0.18 µgram/m3 is polluted, the power plant and Sermani industrial area with a value of 0.16 µgram/m3 is polluted, the Makassar industrial area with a value of 0.23 is heavily polluted, and the Hasanuddin International Airport area with a value of 0.04 µgram/m3 is not polluted. Population mobility, traffic volume, and land use changes have a significant effect on environmental quality degradation, with a determination coefficient of 94.1%. The direct effect of decreasing environmental quality on the air pollution index is 66.09%. This study recommends transportation management on the main road corridor of Makassar City, which is environmentally friendly with regard to sustainable environmental management.

Respon Komunitas Burung terhadap Beberapa Tipe Habitat pada Ekosistem Artifisial di Wilayah PT. PJB UP Paiton

Individu burung yang terkumpul dari beberapa spesies dalam satu waktu di dalam ruang tertentu yang membentuk kelompok disebut komunitas burung. Komposisi vegetasi dan spesies tumbuhan merupakan faktor yang mempengaruhi kehadiran burung pada suatu habitat. Komposisi vegetasi yang terjadi akibat campur tangan manusia membentuk ekosistem artifisial atau ekosistem buatan. PT PJB UP Paiton merupakan objek vital nasional berupa area pembangkit listrik untuk Jawa dan Bali. Kehadiran PT PJB UP Paiton membentuk ekosistem artifisial pada kawasan tersebut. Indeks komunitas burung (IKB) adalah Teknik dalam menentukan kualitas suatu kawasan dengan menggunakan daftar spesies burung dan guild sebagai indikatornya. Pengambilan data burung dilakukan dengan metode point transects sampling dan data flora dilakukan dengan teknik sensus, yaitu menghitung dan mengukur setiap individu pada setiap spesies yang dijumpai di dalam lokasi pengamatan. Keanekaragaman spesies burung dihitung dengan indeks keanekaragaman Shannon-Wiener, dan indeks kemerataan. Keanekaragaman spesies tumbuhan diukur dengan menghitung jumlah spesies, dominansi, indeks keanekaragaman dan indeks kemerataan tumbuhan sedangkan komposisi vegetasi diukur dengan nilai persentase summed dominance rasio (SDR). Hasil penelitian mendapatkan keragaman spesies tertinggi (H’= 3,05; E=0,62) di lokasi Perumahan dan keragaman spesies terendah (H’=2,12; E=0,29) di lokasi Pareho. Spesies M. indica menjadi spesies pohon paling dominan pada lokasi perumahan (29.31%) dan kelontong & benduman (42.79%) sedangkan lokasi kantor didominasi oleh pohon A. indica (26.35%) dan pareho oleh A. saman (26.89%). Hasil analisa hubungan vegetasi terhadap burung mendapatkan nilai r2 direntang -0,8 hingga 0,9 dengan nilai uji signifikan Pvalue>0,05. Hasil hitung IKB mendapatkan kategori rendah hingga menengah. Nilai tertinggi (64.4) diperoleh pada lokasi perumahan, dan nilai terendah (42,8) pada lokasi perkantoran.

Risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in soils and vegetables around coal-fired thermal power plant: a case study of Dhanbad, India.

The present study was intended to determine the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) concentration in fly ash (FA), soil, plant, and vegetable to assess the impacts of pollution on the nearby areas of coal-fired thermal power plant (TPP). The PTEs concentrations (mg/kg) in FA were Cr (48-74) > Pb (41-65) > Cd (7.4-9.7) > As (3.19-4.43) > Hg (0.518-0.598). The contamination factor (Cf) for Cd was highest in agricultural soil (Cf = 22) followed by roadside soil (Cf = 20), and forest soil (Cf = 15), which showed that the soil was strongly polluted due to the presence of Cd. The ecological risk index (ERI) in the topsoil of roadside area was also very high (1130), due to the high value of ecological risk factor of Cd (898) and Hg (213). The health risk associated with the intake of soil containing PTEs were also estimated by calculating hazard index (HI), and the values showed that the risk posed to children was minimum (HI < 1). But in case of roadside area, the HI was very close to one (0.975) indicating that the prolong exposure may pose severe health risk. The bioaccumulation coefficient of all PTEs for Albizia lebbeck and Madhuca longifolia were < 1, indicating less PTEs accumulation in the plant species. The hazard quotient of all PTEs (except of Hg) through vegetable consumption (Allium cepa and Raphanus sativus) was > 1, which signifies that the long-time consumption of contaminated vegetables may cause severe risk to the people.

Area and LCOE considerations in utility-scale, single-axis tracking PV power plant topology optimization

This paper deals with the optimization of utility-scale, single-axis tracking PV power plant design, and suggests the use of a new evaluation metric YAREA, represented by the annual energy yield normalized by the PV power plant area. This metric takes into account both the energy yield (MWh/MWp) and the total energy production efficiency of the PV plant (MWh/m2), performing an optimization of both yield and available area. To illustrate and validate the proposed method, historical solar irradiation data were treated and used as input data for the creation of a large number of PV power plant topology scenarios spread over the Brazilian 8.5 million km2 national territory, and a case study was presented to illustrate the proposed method. The new metric showed important results for the PV plant design decision-making process, indicating a technical optimization complemented by the evaluation of the LCOE, leading to an economic optimization. While the topology defined through YAREA presents an average of 12.4% reduction of the maximum LCOE found, it presents a 58.9% enhanced YAREA and 91.4% more energy generated per surface area, almost doubling the investment potential over an area.

Assessment of health risks associated with soil contamination by heavy metal in an impact area of Novocherkassk power plant

Soil contamination with heavy metals (HM) due to emissions of fired power plants poses risks to ecological safety and human wellbeing. Total concentration of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in twelve surface soils (0-20 cm) around the Novocherkassk Power Plant (NPP) was determined using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. According to the level of non-carcinogenic risk for all age groups, metals form the following series in descending order: Pb> Ni> Mn> Cu> Cd> Zn> Cr. The total risk of general toxic effects of all studied elements for both age groups is assessed as low. The carcinogenic risk due to the combined exposure to Ni, Cd and Pb slightly exceeds the permissible level of 1 × 10−6 in the soils in the immediate vicinity of the plant, but in general, it corresponds to the acceptable level in the study area.

Experimental copper exposure, but not heat stress, leads to elevated intraovarian thyroid hormone levels in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Climate change and pollution are some of the greatest anthropogenic threats to wild animals. Transgenerational plasticity—when parental exposure to environmental stress leads to changes in offspring phenotype—has been highlighted as a potential mechanism to respond to various environmental and anthropogenic changes across taxa. Transgenerational effects may be mediated via multiple mechanisms, such as transfer of maternal hormones to eggs/foetus. However, sources of variation in hormone transfer are poorly understood in fish, and thus the first step is to characterise whether environmental challenges alter transfer of maternal hormones to eggs. To this end, we explored the population variation and environmental variation (in response to temperature and endocrine disrupting copper) in maternal thyroid hormone (TH), transfer to offspring in a common fish model species, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) using multiple approaches: (i) We compared ovarian TH levels among six populations across a wide geographical range in the Baltic Sea, including two populations at high water temperature areas (discharge water areas of nuclear power plants) and we experimentally exposed fish to (ii) environmentally relevant heat stress and (iii) copper for 7 days. We found that populations did not differ in intraovarian TH levels, and short-term heat stress did not influence intraovarian TH levels. However, copper exposure increased both T4 and T3 levels in ovaries. The next step would be to evaluate if such alterations would lead to changes in offspring phenotype.

A SWOT Analysis for Offshore Wind Energy Assessment Using Remote-Sensing Potential

The elaboration of a methodology for accurately assessing the potentialities of blue renewable energy sources is a key challenge among the current energy sustainability strategies all over the world. Consequentially, many researchers are currently working to improve the accuracy of marine renewable assessment methods. Nowadays, remote sensing (RSs) satellites are used to observe the environment in many fields and applications. These could also be used to identify regions of interest for future energy converter installations and to accurately identify areas with interesting potentials. Therefore, researchers can dramatically reduce the possibility of significant error. In this paper, a comprehensive SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis is elaborated to assess RS satellite potentialities for offshore wind (OW) estimation. Sicily and Sardinia—the two biggest Italian islands with the highest potential for offshore wind energy generation—were selected as pilot areas. Since there is a lack of measuring instruments, such as cup anemometers and buoys in these areas (mainly due to their high economic costs), an accurate analysis was carried out to assess the marine energy potential from offshore wind. Since there are only limited options for further expanding the measurement over large areas, the use of satellites makes it easier to overcome this limitation. Undoubtedly, with the advent of new technologies for measuring renewable energy sources (RESs), there could be a significant energy transition in this area that requires a proper orientation of plans to examine the factors influencing these new technologies that can negatively affect most of the available potential. Satellite technology for identifying suitable areas of wind power plants could be a powerful tool that is constantly increasing in its applications but requires good planning to apply it in various projects. Proper planning is only possible with a better understanding of satellite capabilities and different methods for measuring available wind resources. To this end, a better understanding in interdisciplinary fields with the exchange of updated information between different sectors of development, such as universities and companies, will be most effective. In this context, by reviewing the available satellite technologies, the ability of this tool to measure the marine renewable energies (MREs) sector in large and small areas is considered. Secondly, an attempt is made to identify the strengths and weaknesses of using these types of tools and techniques that can help in various projects. Lastly, specific scenarios related to the application of such systems in existing and new developments are reviewed and discussed.