Radiological source term of nuclear power reactors
This article surveys current as well as past research efforts to estimate the types of radionuclide release that accompany a severe power-reactor accident. To elucidate the context in which current research receives its high priority, the article reviews the history of efforts to address the problem. A key to parsing the problem is to consider the release in two parts: (1) release of fission products from fuel within the primary system and their transport within that system and (2) release and transport of fission products within the containment and their possible release from it. This division reveals why efforts focus largely on maintaining containment integrity long enough for inevitable processes (aerosol settling) to remove most of the nuclides from the chain to the environment. Nevertheless, because some accidents will likely bypass containment, the problems of estimating the retention of fission products in the primary system require substantially more research before they can be considered resolved.
- Research Organization:
- Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Washington, DC
- OSTI ID:
- 6351523
- Journal Information:
- Nucl. Saf.; (United States), Vol. 27:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
RADIATION HAZARDS
AEROSOLS
AGGLOMERATION
BURNUP
CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
ECCS
EPRI
LOSS OF COOLANT
ORNL
PRESSURE VESSELS
PRIMARY COOLANT CIRCUITS
RADIOACTIVITY TRANSPORT
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR SAFETY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RISK ASSESSMENT
THREE MILE ISLAND-2 REACTOR
US DOE
US NRC
ACCIDENTS
COLLOIDS
CONTAINERS
CONTAINMENT
COOLING SYSTEMS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR PROTECTION SYSTEMS
REACTORS
SAFETY
SOLS
THERMAL REACTORS
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety