Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
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Acceptance rate24%
Submission to final decision110 days
Acceptance to publication14 days
CiteScore1.500
Journal Citation Indicator0.380
Impact Factor1.1

Quantitative Assessment of Gaseous Effluents during Routine Operation: A Comparative Study of Planned Nuclear Power Plants at Lubiatowo-Kopalino and Pątnów Sites in Poland

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 Journal profile

Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations publishes research on issues related to the nuclear industry, particularly the installations of nuclear technology, and aims to promote development in the area of nuclear sciences and technologies.

 Editor spotlight

Professor Michael I. Ojovan is the Chief Editor of the journal, and is currently based at the University of Sheffield, UK. He is known for many innovations in nuclear research, including metallic and glass-composite materials for nuclear waste immobilisation.

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Research Article

Time-Series Forecasting of a Typical PWR Undergoing Large Break LOCA

In this work, a machine learning (ML) metamodel is developed for the time-series forecasting of a typical nuclear power plant response undergoing a loss of coolant accident (LOCA). The plant model of choice is based on the APR1400 nuclear reactor. The key systems and components of APR1400 relevant to the investigated scenario are modelled using the thermal-hydraulic code, RELAP5/MOD3.4, following the description published in the design control document. The model is tested under a spectrum of initial and boundary conditions via propagation of key uncertain parameters (UPs) which are derived from the phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT). This is achieved by loosely coupling RELAP5/MOD3.4 with the statistical tool, Dakota. The most probable nuclear power plant (NPP) response was calculated using the best estimate plus uncertainty (BEPU) approach. Next, the database generated from the NPP system response was used as an input for the ML model. The NPP system response was represented by peak cladding temperature (PCT), safety injection system (SIT), mass flow rate, reactor power, and primary system pressure. In this research, two regression models were tested with reasonably good performance, namely, the gated recurrent unit (GRU) and the long short-term memory (LSTM).

Research Article

Enhancing Resilience through Nuclear Emergency Preparedness at El Dabaa Site

The research utilized advanced PCTRAN and RASCAL software to evaluate the potential radiological impacts of hypothetical accidents, specifically loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) and long-term station blackout (LTSBO), at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant. Over a span of ten years, comprehensive meteorological data were meticulously analyzed to assess the dispersion of radioactive substances within a 40-kilometer radius across all four seasons. The outcomes revealed that only in the case of LTSBO did the radiological levels surpass the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Notably, during spring, LTSBO exhibited a maximum total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) value of 13 millisieverts (mSv) at a distance of 3.2 kilometers, and the highest thyroid dose (TD) recorded was 63 mSv at 8 kilometers. These significant findings play a crucial role in shaping strategies related to the distribution of potassium iodide (KI) and further enhance the overall preparedness and evacuation planning protocols.

Research Article

Evaluation of Worker Radiation Exposure during the Kori Unit 1 Steam Generator Dismantling Process

Kori Unit 1 was permanently shut down on June 18, 2017. Since then, Korea is actively preparing for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant. Because decommissioning work is performed in a radioactive environment, worker radiation exposure is a significant consideration. In this study, worker radiation exposure is evaluated during the steam generator, one of the heavy components of nuclear power plant, dismantling process. A radiation evaluation for the dismantling process is performed using the code RESRAD-BUILD. A steam generator dismantling scenario and optimal cutting method are designed to evaluate worker radiation exposure, considering pipe dimensions, cutting tool speed, and experience in steam generator replacement. The evaluation results are derived for each work type and year. As a result of the evaluation, worker radiation exposure is 7.5 man-mSv at the year of planned decommissioning.

Research Article

Detecting Unauthorized Movement of Radioactive Material Packages in Transport with an Adam-Optimized BP Neural Network Model

The rapid expansion of nuclear technology across various sectors due to global economic growth has led to a substantial rise in the transportation of radioactive materials. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that approximately 20 million shipments of radioactive materials occur annually. In this context, ensuring the safety and security of radioactive material transportation is of significant importance. IAEA’s “Security of Radioactive Materials in Transport” (Nuclear Security Series No. 9-G) mandates that an effective transport security system should provide immediate detection of any unauthorized removal of the packages. In the present study, an innovative Adam-optimized BP neural network model is developed for detecting unauthorized movements of radioactive material packages. To analyze the performance of the proposed algorithm, numerous experiments were conducted. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a 99.17% accuracy rate in detecting unauthorized movements of radioactive materials, with a missed alarm rate of 0.72% and a false alarm rate of 0.1%. This method also enables real-time detection of unauthorized removal of radioactive materials and effectively enhances the security of radioactive materials during transport to reduce the risks of theft, loss, diversion, or sabotage.

Research Article

ELSMOR European Project: Experimental Results on an Innovative Decay Heat Removal System Based on a Plate-Type Heat Exchanger

This paper summarises the results of an experimental campaign carried out at SIET on the ELSMOR facility built in 2022 to validate a decay heat removal system for the E-SMR. Based on the passive mechanisms of natural circulation, the system aims to dissipate the reactor decay heat to a water pool, using two heat exchangers: a plate-type one coupling the primary side to the secondary side, and a vertical tube one coupling the secondary side to the water pool. Such a system is considered to be the most effective passive system, capable of safely managing the SMR accident and accidental situations, and achieving long-term decay heat removal without the need for electricity or external inputs. A description of the primary and secondary loops of the plant is given, together with the installed instrumentation and data acquisition system. In addition, the paper summarises the tests performed in terms of test procedures, test type and associated objectives, test matrix, test results, achievements, and open issues.

Research Article

Shaking Table Testing of a Scaled Nuclear Power Plant Structure with Base Isolation

To investigate the seismic performance and isolation effect of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, a 1/20 scale model including a reactor, a spent-fuel plant, and a nuclear auxiliary plant was fabricated. In addition, 220 mm lead-rubber bearings were designed and produced for use in the shaking table test, which included both isolated and nonisolated conditions. Two historical earthquake records and three artificial earthquake motions were used to input the ground motion in the tests. The results demonstrated that the seismic performance of the plant was better and that the structure was in an elastic state, under a safe shutdown earthquake event. Isolation bearings were found to effectively reduce the dominate frequency of the structure. The acceleration amplification factor of the superstructure was found to be less than 1. The isolation test results showed that the peak of the floor response spectrum at the pressure vessel support was less than 0.1 g. In the nonisolation test, the peak of the floor response spectrum was greater than 1 g. In the isolation test, the relative displacement of the structure was less than 1.1 mm, which was relatively small. The structure maintained a good isolation performance and exhibited improved safety under extreme ground motion.

Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate24%
Submission to final decision110 days
Acceptance to publication14 days
CiteScore1.500
Journal Citation Indicator0.380
Impact Factor1.1
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