Multispectral video (MSV) images were used to measure phenological changes in cultivated and uncultivated vegetation communities surrounding the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS). Multispectral video imagery was acquired from aircraft on seven dates between the middle of June and the end of September, 1986. Images representing three sites near the PVNGS were selected to calculate Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI) values for seven surface cover types. Mean RVI values were tested sequentially for change, plotted as a function of time, and then compared to a moisture index and the crop calendar. MSV detected changes in cultivated vegetation corresponding to the crop calendar. Changes in natural vegetation and the non-vegetated cover types were also detected, but did not correlate to the moisture index. There is insufficient evidence to determine if detected changes in uncultivated vegetation were the result of phenological changes or electronic noise.

Detta är en fallstudie där SKBs genomförda samråd i Östhammars kommun under åren 2002-2011 har studerats. Inför den ansökan som SKB lämnade till mark- och miljödomstolen 2011 behövde bolaget upprätta en miljökonsekvensbeskrivning (MKB). För att kunna göra detta behövde samråd genomföras. Det planerade slutförvaret är en komplex verksamhet och kan upplevas besvärlig att samråda kring, både av verksamhetsutövaren och av deltagare. Syftet med samrådet är att få in synpunkter och frågor kring den tänkta verksamheten som sedan kan användas till att utveckla och förbättra miljökonsekvensbeskrivningen. Vanliga sätt att bedriva samråd är att hålla informationsmöten, vilket också var det sätt som SKB valde. Det material som finns från dessa samråd är sammanställningar som SKB själva har gjort. När SKB lämnade in sin ansökan lämnades det också in en samrådsredogörelse där de genomförda samråden beskrivs. SKB har genomfört sina samråd på ett ganska förutsägbart sätt. Då det bara finns skriftligt material från samråden så är det svårt att avgöra om de har återgivits på ett rättvisande sätt. Det är med tveksamhet som syftet med samråd kan ses som uppfyllt. / This is a case study where Swedish nuclear fuel and waste management company's (SKB) consultations in the municipality of Östhammar during the years 2002-2011 have been studied. Together with the application submitted by SKB to the Land and Environmental Court in 2011, the company needed an environmental impact assessment (EIA). In order to do this, consultations was a necessity. The planned repository is a complex activity and may be difficult to consult, both by the operator and by participants. The purpose of the consultation is to bring in comments and questions about the intended activities, which can then be used to develop and improve the environmental impact assessment. Common ways of conducting consultations are holding information meetings, which was also the way SKB chose. The material available from these consultations is summaries that SKB itself has made. When SKB submitted its application, a consultation report was also submitted, describing the consultations conducted. SKB has conducted its consultations in a fairly predictable manner. Since there is only written material from the consultations, it is difficult to determine whether they have been reproduced in a fair way. It is with hesitation that the purpose of the consultations can be seen as fulfilled. / <p>2019-09-13</p>

This diploma thesis is based on an analysis of knowledge of inhabitants within the emergency planning zone of operations, security and behaviour in case of an accident in the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant (TNPP). Operation a nuclear equipment in connected with certain risks which can´t be utterly eliminated. From this reason, security precautions are made, which are based on an accident preparedness, or on emergency plans. Emergency planning serves to a preparedness for non-standard or emergency situations for an area which is called an emergency planning zone. The emergency preparedness, not only within this zone, has a key role for a successful performance of inhabitants´ protection in case of an emergency event. The concept of emergency preparedness includes both the emergency planning and inhabitants´ awareness and knowledge of operations, risks and following precautions in case of an accident in TNPP. The aim of this diploma thesis is to inquire about "What is knowledge of inhabitants within an emergency planning zone of the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant operations?" The theoretical part is based on consulting the employees of ČEZ Ltd. Who work in the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant as well as on a study of professional literature, articles and related legislation. The practical part is based on a questionnaire survey and it is divided into three parts: operations, risks, security, knowledge and behaviour during an accident. The results revealed some margins in respondents´ knowledge concerning issues of operations as well as knowledge and behaviour during an accident. A positive evaluation concerns respondents´ knowledge of used nuclear fuel, the meaning of containment building and the procedures in case of evacuation. On the other hand, the respondents showed insufficient knowledge of the function of a reactor, what barriers are between the active zone and environment and when to use iodine prophylaxis. I consider the present status of inhabitants´ knowledge of TNPP operations insufficient and I propose some improvements. It is important to focus on inhabitants older than 50 years, whose lack of knowledge is even alarming.

Sistemas de transmissão de energia elétrica em corrente contínua e alta tensão baseados em tecnologia de conversores a fonte de tensão (VSC-HVDC), ao contrário de linhas de transmissão em corrente alternada, operam como elementos de controle de variáveis elétricas, podendo ser úteis na estabilidade do sistema de potência. Mas apesar desta vantagem, sistemas VSC-HVDC possuem limitações no desempenho estável, o que enseja o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para mapeamento de suas zonas de operação estável e possíveis regiões de instabilidade. Inicialmente estudou-se os detalhes da tecnologia VSC-HVDC tais como o funcionamento da eletrônica de potência e estratégias de controle utilizadas. Em seguida, investigou-se os modelos de geradores síncronos para interconexão com o lado CA das estações conversoras do VSC-HVDC. E, finalmente, aplicou-se a tecnologia VSC-HVDC sobre um modelo de sistema de potência com uma estação conversora localizada em um porto offshore e uma outra no continente, próxima à rede de alta tensão em corrente alternada. Simulações e análise deste sistema foram executadas considerando várias condições operacionais. O gráfico de potência gerada e consumida, obtido pela aplicação da metodologia, apresenta grande potencial de uso prático como por exemplo sua implementação na interface homem-máquina da estação de operação do porto offshore, provendo informação em tempo real de alto nível ao operador do sistema elétrico do porto offshore e consequentemente aumentando sua consciência situacional quanto a proximidade dos limites de instabilidade. / High voltage direct current power transmission systems based on voltage source converters (VSC-HVDC), as opposed to alternating current ones, operates as elements of control of electrical variables, being useful for stability of power system. Besides this advantage, VSC-HVDC systems have limitations in stable performance, which instigates the development of a methodology for mapping its operational zones of stability and possible regions of instability. The author initially studied the details of the VSC-HVDC technology such as the power electronic principles and the control strategies used on this research. Subsequently, the author investigated synchronous generator models for interconnection on the AC side of the VSC-HVDC converter stations. Finally, the author applied the VSC-HVDC technology on a model of power system with two converter stations, one located on an offshore port and the other on the shore, next to an alternating current high voltage power grid. Simulations and analysis of this system were carried out considering various operational conditions. The graphic of generated and consumed power on offshore port, obtained by the application of the methodology for mapping operational zones, presents a great potential of being implemented in the man-machine interface of an operation workstation, thus providing high level online information for the operator of the offshore port electrical system and consequently improving its situational awareness of the proximity to instability limits.

Sistemas de transmissão de energia elétrica em corrente contínua e alta tensão baseados em tecnologia de conversores a fonte de tensão (VSC-HVDC), ao contrário de linhas de transmissão em corrente alternada, operam como elementos de controle de variáveis elétricas, podendo ser úteis na estabilidade do sistema de potência. Mas apesar desta vantagem, sistemas VSC-HVDC possuem limitações no desempenho estável, o que enseja o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para mapeamento de suas zonas de operação estável e possíveis regiões de instabilidade. Inicialmente estudou-se os detalhes da tecnologia VSC-HVDC tais como o funcionamento da eletrônica de potência e estratégias de controle utilizadas. Em seguida, investigou-se os modelos de geradores síncronos para interconexão com o lado CA das estações conversoras do VSC-HVDC. E, finalmente, aplicou-se a tecnologia VSC-HVDC sobre um modelo de sistema de potência com uma estação conversora localizada em um porto offshore e uma outra no continente, próxima à rede de alta tensão em corrente alternada. Simulações e análise deste sistema foram executadas considerando várias condições operacionais. O gráfico de potência gerada e consumida, obtido pela aplicação da metodologia, apresenta grande potencial de uso prático como por exemplo sua implementação na interface homem-máquina da estação de operação do porto offshore, provendo informação em tempo real de alto nível ao operador do sistema elétrico do porto offshore e consequentemente aumentando sua consciência situacional quanto a proximidade dos limites de instabilidade. / High voltage direct current power transmission systems based on voltage source converters (VSC-HVDC), as opposed to alternating current ones, operates as elements of control of electrical variables, being useful for stability of power system. Besides this advantage, VSC-HVDC systems have limitations in stable performance, which instigates the development of a methodology for mapping its operational zones of stability and possible regions of instability. The author initially studied the details of the VSC-HVDC technology such as the power electronic principles and the control strategies used on this research. Subsequently, the author investigated synchronous generator models for interconnection on the AC side of the VSC-HVDC converter stations. Finally, the author applied the VSC-HVDC technology on a model of power system with two converter stations, one located on an offshore port and the other on the shore, next to an alternating current high voltage power grid. Simulations and analysis of this system were carried out considering various operational conditions. The graphic of generated and consumed power on offshore port, obtained by the application of the methodology for mapping operational zones, presents a great potential of being implemented in the man-machine interface of an operation workstation, thus providing high level online information for the operator of the offshore port electrical system and consequently improving its situational awareness of the proximity to instability limits.

Advanced computational tools are applied to simulate a nuclear power plant (NPP) control rod assembly ejection (CRE) accident. The impact of these reactivity-initiated accidents (RIAs) on core reactivity behavior, 3D power distribution and stochastic reactivity estimation are evaluated. The three tools used are: the thermal-hydraulic (TH) RELAP5 (R5) code, the neutronic (NK) PARCS (P3D) code, and the coupled version P3D/R5, with specially developed linkage using the environment code MATLAB. This study considers three different-size cores: NPP1 (2772 MWt); NPP2 (530 MWt); and NPP3 (1061 MWt). The three cores have the same general design and control rod assembly (CRA) positions, and the ejected CRA has similar worth and at the same rod ejection pace. The CRE is assessed under both hot zero power (HZP) and hot full power (HFP) conditions. The analyses indicate that RIA modeling and simulation should be carried out through a systematic coding and configuration approaches, otherwise the results will not capture the true transient behavior of the core under analysis. The simulation of one code depends on the appropriate configuration of parameters generated by the other code and on the correct determination of the TH/NK mapping weight factors for the various mesh regions in each of the models. From the design point of view, the standalone codes predict milder magnitude of power and reactivity increase compared to the coupled P3D/R5 simulation. The magnitudes of reduced peak power and reactivity become larger as the core size shrinks. The HFP simulation shows that the three NPPs have the same transient peak value, but the post-transient steady power is lower for a smaller core. The HZP analysis indicates that the transient peak is lower for the smaller core, but the post-transient power occurs at the same level. The three-dimensional (3D) power distributions are different among the HFP and HZP cases, but do not depend on the size of the core. The results indicate: i) HFP: core power increases in the area surrounding the ejected rod/bank assembly, and this increase becomes lower as the NPPs shrinks however, the power is well-distributed after the transient; and ii) HZP: the area surrounding the CRA stays hotter, but the 3D peak assembly factor becomes lower, during and after the transients, as the NPPs shrinks. These features confirm that the smaller cores yield a safer response to a given inserted reactivity compared to larger cores. A stochastic extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm is implemented to estimate the reactivity based on the reactor power profile, after the addition of random noise. The inverse point kinetics (IPK) deterministic method is also implemented and the results of the application of EKF and IPK are compared to the P3D/R5 simulation. The following sophisticated strategies made the EKF algorithm robust and accurate: the system is modeled by a set of continuous time nonlinear stochastic differential equations; the code uses a time step directly based on the power measured and applies that to the model for online discretization and linearization; filter tuning goes automatically up from the first time step; and the state noise covariance matrix is updated online at each time step. It was found that the IPK reactivity has higher noise content compared to the EKF reactivity for all cases. Thus, the EKF presents superior and more accurate results. Furthermore, under a small reactivity insertion, the IPK reactivity varies widely from positive to negative values: this variation is not observed within the EKF. A sensitivity analysis for three distinct standard deviation (SD) noise measurements suggests that EKF is superior to IPK method, independent of the noise load magnitude. As the noise content increases, the error between the IPK and P3D/R5 reactivity also increases. A sensitivity analysis for five distinct carry-over effects of different random noise loads indicates that the random addition of different noise loads to the reactor power does not change the overall performance of both algorithms. / Este trabalho aplica métodos computacionais avançados para simular a ejeção de barras de controle (CRE) em uma planta térmica nuclear (NPP). São avaliados o impacto da ocorrência de acidentes iniciados por reatividade (RIAs) na reatividade total, na distribuição da potência em três dimensões (3D) e na determinação da reatividade. As ferramentas utilizadas são: o código termo-hidráulico (TH) RELAP5 (R5), o código neutrônico (NK) PARCS (P3D), a versão acoplada P3D/R5, e o ambiente computacional MATLAB. Este estudo considera três reatores nucleares de diferentes tamanhos: NPP1 (2772 MWT); NPP2 (530 MWt); e NPP3 (1061 MWt). Os três núcleos possuem projeto similar e idêntica posição dos grupos das barras de controle (CRA), além do mesmo valor de reatividade diferencial das CRA ejetadas e idêntica velocidade de ejeção. A ocorrência da CRE é avaliada sob condições de hot zero power (HZP) e de hot full power (HFP). As análises indicam que a modelagem e a simulação de RIAs devem ser realizadas sistematicamente, caso contrário os resultados não irão refletir o comportamento em regime transitório do núcleo. A simulação de um modelo em um código depende da apropriada configuração de parâmetros gerados pelo outro código e da determinação adequada do mapeamento TH/NK para as várias malhas dos modelos. Do ponto de vista de projeto, a utilização de códigos independentes resulta em cálculos de potência e reatividade conservadores em comparação com os resultados utilizando-se P3D/R5. Os picos de potência e de reatividade são menores à medida que o núcleo encolhe. A simulação em condições de HFP resulta em valores de pico de potência similares durante transitório para as três NPPs, mas a potência de pós-transitórios é menor para o menor núcleo. A análise em condições de HZP também indica que o valor máximo durante o transitório é menor para o menor núcleo, mas o pós-transitórios ocorre aos mesmos níveis de potência das demais NPPS. A distribuição de potência em 3D também apresenta resultados distintos para condições de HFP e HZP, mas tais resultados são independentes do tamanho do núcleo: i) HFP: há um aumento da potência do núcleo em torno da CRE, mas tal comportamento diminui para núcleos menores - no entanto, a potência é bem distribuída após o transitório; e ii) HZP: há aumento de potência na área do CRE, mas o pico de potência em 3D é menor durante e depois dos transitórios para núcleos menores. Tais características indicam que os núcleos menores respondem de forma mais segura quando da inserção de reatividade em comparação a reatores de maiores dimensões. O método estocástico de filtragem de Kalman estendido (EKF) foi codificado para estimar a reatividade com base no perfil de potência da NPP, após a adição de ruído aleatório. O método determinístico da cinética pontual inversa (IPK) também foi implementado e os resultados da aplicação dos algoritmos do EKF e IPK foram comparados com os resultados da simulação do P3D/R5. As seguintes estratégias, implementadas neste trabalho, possibilitaram a aplicação robusta e precisa do EKF: o sistema foi modelado por um conjunto de equações diferenciais não-lineares estocásticas de tempo contínuo; o algoritmo obtém o passo de tempo diretamente da potência medida e aplica-o ao modelo para a discretização e linearização online; o ajuste do filtro ocorre automaticamente a partir do primeiro passo de tempo; e a matriz de covariância do ruído no estado é atualizada online. Verificou-se que a reatividade calculada pelo método IPK possui maior nível de ruído quando comparada ao EKF para todos os casos estudados. Portanto, o EKF apresenta resultados superiores e mais precisos. Além disso, sob uma pequena inserção de reatividade, a reatividade calculada pelo método IPK varia consideravelmente de valores positivos para negativos: esta variação não é observada com o EKF. Uma análise de sensibilidade para três desvios padrão (SD) sugere que o algoritmo EKF é superior ao método IPK, independente da magnitude do ruído. Com o aumento da magnitude do ruído, o erro entre as reatividades calculadas pelo IPK e pelo P3D/R5 aumenta. A análise de sensibilidade para cinco ruídos aleatórios indica que a adição de ruído na potência do reator não altera o desempenho global de ambos os algoritmos.

This thesis is based on the assumption that the intersection of moral philosophy and practical risk management is a rewarding area to study. In particular, the thesis assumes that concepts, ideas, and methods that are used in moral philosophy can be of great benefit for risk analysis, but also that practices in risk regulation provide a useful testing ground for moral philosophical theories. The thesis consists of an introduction and five articles. Article I is a review article on social and ethical aspects of radiation protection related to nuclear power generation. The paper concludes that four areas of social and ethical issues stand out as central: The first is uncertainty and the influence of value judgments in scientific risk assessments. The second is the distributions of risks and benefits between different individuals, in both space and time. The third is the problem of setting limits when there is no known level of exposure associated with a zero risk. The fourth is related to stakeholder influence and risk communication. Article II discusses ethical issues related to the proposal that doses (or risks) below a certain level should be excluded from the system of radiation protection, without any regard for the number of people exposed. Different arguments for excluding small radiation doses from regulation are examined and a possible solution to the problem of regulating small risks is proposed in the article: Any exclusion of small doses (or risks) from radiation protection ought to be based on a case-by-case basis, with the condition that the expected value of harm remains small. Article III examines what makes one distribution of individual doses better than another distribution. The article introduces a mathematical framework based on preference logic, in which such assessments can be made precisely in terms of comparisons between alternative distributions of individual doses. Principles of radiation protection and from parallel discussions in moral philosophy and welfare economics are defined using this framework and their formal properties analyzed. Article IV argues that the ethical theory of “responsibility-catering prioritarianism” is well positioned to deal with the reasonable requirements in an ethical theory of risk. The article shows how responsibility-catering prioritarianism can be operationalized using a prioritarian social welfare function based on hypothetical utilities. For this purpose, a hypothetical utility measure called ‘responsibility-adjusted utility’ is proposed, which is based on the utility that would normally be expected given circumstances outside of the control of the individual. Article V was written as a response to the Fukushima disaster. Several authors have called the Fukushima disaster a ‘black swan.’ However, the article argues that the hazards of large earthquakes and tsunamis were known before the accident, and introduces and defines the concept of a ‘black elephant,’ as (i) a high-impact event that (ii) lies beyond the realm of regular expectations, but (iii) is ignored despite existing evidence. / QC 20120816

The role of trust in social, economic, political, and organizational relations is a research topic that has received much attention during the last decade. Trust has been considered a key variable in various contexts, although it should be noted that many theorists pay little attention to empirically testing their arguments about the importance of trust. It is in the present thesis examined whether trust is an important variable in the context of risk policy.This question was addressed from different perspectives in three empirical studies, which were based on extensive survey data. The first article concerned the case of energy policy and the relationship between people’s perceptions of nuclear risks and their attitudes towards various aspects of energy policy was examined. In the second article it was studied whether trust was an important predictor of perceived risk within and across four European countries. Finally, in the third article, determinants of public trust in organizations were studied. An important finding in the thesis was that determinants of trust varied depending on the organization studied. It was also found that trust was a significant predictor of perceived risk, but the relationship was not very strong. It was suggested that the overall policy implications for risk management should be that there are limits to the possibilities to increase the level of trustworthiness and build public trust. An organization could make strong efforts to build an image of being a competent, open, fair, and credible organization, but still not gain the necessary degree of trust, because public perceptions can be based on certain organizational characteristics that are very fundamental and not easily changed. Furthermore, even if an organization succeeds in building a high degree of public trust, it was found in the thesis that it is possible to trust those responsible for risk management to be very competent and honest, yet perceive risks as high. A number of possible causes for this interesting finding are presented in the thesis. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2003</p>

This master's thesis is an investigation and evaluation of MELCOR (a software tool for severe accident analyses regarding nuclear power plants), or more correctly of the (ASEA-Atom BWR 75) reactor model developed for version 1.8.6 of MELCOR. The main objective was to determine if MELCOR, with the reactor model in question, is able to produce satisfactory results in severe accident analyses compared to results made by MAAP, which is currently the only official software tool for this application in Sweden. The thesis work is related to the RASTEP project. This project has been carried out in several stages on behalf of SSM since 2009, with a number of specific issues explored within an NKS funded R&amp;D project carried out 2011-2013. This investigation is related to the NKS part of the project. The purpose with the RASTEP project is to develop a method for rapid source term prediction that could aid the authorities in decision making during a severe accident in a nuclear power plant. A software tool, which also gave the project its name, i.e. RASTEP (RApid Source TErm Prediction), is therefore currently under development at Lloyd's Register Consulting. A software tool for severe accident analyses is needed to calculate the source terms which are the end result from the predictions made by RASTEP. A set of issues have been outlined in an earlier comparison between MAAP and MELCOR. The first objective was therefore to resolve these pre-discovered issues, but also to address new issues, should they occur. The existing MELCOR reactor model also had to be further developed through the inclusion of various safety systems, since these systems are required for certain types of scenarios. Subsequently, a set of scenarios was simulated to draw conclusions from the additions made to the reactor model. Most of the issues (pre-discovered as well as new ones) could be resolved. However the work also rendered a set of issues which are in need of further attention and investigation. The overall conclusion is that MELCOR is indeed a promising alternative for severe accident analyses in the Swedish work with nuclear safety. Several potential benefits from making use of MELCOR besides MAAP have been identified. In conclusion, they would be valuable assets to each other, e.g. since deviations in the results (between the two codes) would highlight possible weaknesses of the simulations. Finally it is recommended that the work on improving the MELCOR reactor model should continue. / RASTEP

As the United States expands its quantity of nuclear reactors in the near future, the amount of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) will also increase. Closing the nuclear fuel cycle has become the next major technical challenge for the nuclear energy industry. By separating the transuranics (TRU) from the SNF discharged by Light Water Reactors, it is possible to fuel Advanced Burner Reactors to minimize the amount of SNF that must be stored in High Level Waste Repositories. One such ABR concept is the Subcritical Advanced Burner Reactor (SABR) being developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology. SABR is a subcritical, sodium-cooled fast reactor with a fusion neutron source capable of burning up to 25% of the TRU fuel over an 8.2 year residence time. In the SABR concept an annular core with a thickness of 0.6 m and an active height of 3.2 m surrounds the toroidal fusion neutron source. Neutron multiplication varies during the lifetime of the reactor from keff = 0.95 at the beginning of reactor life to 0.83 at the end of an equilibrium fuel cycle. Sixteen control rods worth 9$ are symmetrically positioned around the reactor. This thesis describes the dynamic safety analysis of the coupled neutron source, reactor core and reactor heat removal systems. A special purpose simulation model was written to predict steady-state conditions and accident scenarios in SABR by calculating the coupled evolution of the power output from the fusion and fission cores and the axial and radial temperature distributions of a fuel pin in the reactor. Reactivity Feedback was modeled for Doppler and sodium coolant voiding. SABR has a positive temperature reactivity feedback coefficient. A series of accident scenarios were simulated to determine how much time exists to implement corrective measures during an accident before damage to the reactor occurs.