HAZARDS TO THE AREA SURROUNDING PWR DUE TO ATMOSPHERIC DIFFUSION OF RADIOACTIVITY

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1957

OSTI ID:4325314

Valentine, R F

Supplemental to WAPD-SC-54l. Results are presented of dosage calculations resulting from dissemination of radioactive contaminants to the atmosphere from the Shippingport reactor following a postulated loss-of-coolant accident. An evaluation is made of the hazards from gamma and beta radiation sustained directly from the passing cloud and from fallout and rain-out and the hazard resulting from inhalation of radioactive materials. Accumulated ground concentrations are calculated. The evaluation is made basically for four types of accidents; release to the atmosphere of primary coolant containing only corrosion products; release to the atmosphere of primary coolant containing fission products of the blanket UO/sub 2/; release of the primary coolant followed by core meltdown and release of the liberated core fission products to the atmosphere through a breached or open plant container; and release of the primary coolant followed by core meltdown and seepage of fission products from an intact plant container. In each case the quantity of fission products assumed to be involved is that amount present after 3,000 hours of operation at a power of 270,000 kw. Any accident which occurs earlier than this would result in a smaller degree of hazard because of the smaller quantity of fission products generated. (auth)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp. Bettis Plant, Pittsburgh
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-14
• NSA Number: NSA-12-002206
• OSTI ID: 4325314
• Report Number(s): WAPD-SC-548
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
ATMOSPHERE
BETA PARTICLES
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CONTAMINATION
COOLANTS
COPPER ALLOYS
CORROSION
DIFFUSION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCTS
GAMMA RADIATION
HEATING
LUNGS
MAN
MATHEMATICS
POWER PLANTS
PRECIPITATION
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOACTIVITY
RAIN
REACTOR CORE
RECOVERY
SHEETS
SOILS
URANIUM OXIDES
VESSELS