• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.249-253
• /
• 2001

Neutron dose assessment in criticality accidents using Whole Body Counter (WBC) was proved to be an effective method as rapid neutron dose estimation at the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura. The 1.36MeV gamma-ray of $^{24}Na$ in a body can be detected easily by a germanium detector. The Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA) of $^{24}Na$ is approximately 50Bq for 10miniute measurement by the germanium-type whole body counter at JNC Tokai Works. Neutron energy spectra at the typical shielding conditions in criticality accidents were calculated and the conversion factor, whole body activity-to-organ mass weighted neutron absorbed dose, corresponding to each condition were determined. The conversion factor for uncollied fission spectrum is 7.7 $[(Bq^{24}Na/g^{23}Na)/mGy]$.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.39-49
• /
• 2018

Background: A model to assess the activity concentration of agricultural products and the public ingestion dose as result of a nuclear accident is necessarily required to manage the contaminated agricultural systems by the accident, or to estimate the effects of chronic exposure due to food ingestion at a Level 3 PSA. Materials and Methods: A dynamic compartment model, which is composed of three sub-modules, namely, an agricultural plant contamination assessment model, an animal product contamination assessment model, and an ingestion dose assessment model has been developed based on Korean farming characteristics such as the growth characteristics of rice and stockbreeding. Results and Discussion: The application study showed that the present model can predict well the characteristics of the activity concentration for agricultural products and ingestion dose depending on the deposition date. Conclusion: The present model is very useful to predict the radioactivity concentration of agricultural foodstuffs and public ingestion dose as consequence of a nuclear accident. Consequently, it is expected to be used effectively as a module for the ingestion dose calculation of the Korean agricultural contamination management system as well as the Level 3 PSA code, which is currently being developed.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.123-132
• /
• 2014

After the nuclear accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plants (FDNPPs) on 11 March 2011, a large amount of radioactive materials has been released into the atmosphere and the ocean. A compartment model is used to evaluate the circulation characteristics and the spatiotemporal concentration distributions of radionuclides in the ocean. In the comparison with observed concentrations of $^{137}Cs$ in seawater, calculated concentrations by the compartment model were well agreed with them. On the basis of these results, we performed evaluation of the effective dose and the cancer risk. In the early stage of the accident, the effective doses from ingestion of the seafood near the Fukushima region were much higher than 1 mSv which is the value of the annual effective dose limit to individual recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). However, the effective doses by ingestion of the seafood decreased below 1 mSv as distance from the FDNPPs increased and time passed. In addition, it was estimated that the cancer risks by intake of the contaminated marine products were less than natural occurrence probability of cancer. Consequently, it was inferred that the health risk due to the $^{137}Cs$ was low after since mid-term period of the accident.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2022

This study is to develop a mobile type environmental radiation measurement system for emergency response or environmental radiation monitoring of local governments near nuclear facilities. A mobile radiation measurement system can monitor radiation by field beyond the spatial constraints of a fixed environmental radiation monitor. If installed in local government infrastructure such as public transportation, environmental radiation can be monitored without additional manpower and measurement work. In addition, it is designed to enable monitoring and measurement of radiation from low to high doses as well as the environment in preparation for radioactive disasters such as nuclear power plant accidents. It is expected that this system will be utilized not only in normal times but also in the event of a radiation accident to improve the disaster prevention capabilities of local governments.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 2016

We analyzed the terminology and classification related to the risk management of radiation treatment overseas to establish the terminology and classification system for Korea. This study investigated the terminology and classification for radiotherapy risk management through overseas research materials from related organizations and associations, including the IAEA, WHO, British group, EC, and AAPM. Overseas risk management commonly uses the terms "near miss", "incident", and "adverse event", classified according to the degree of severity. However, several organizations have ambiguous terminologies. They use the term "near miss" for events such as a near event, close call, and good catch; the term "incident" for an event; and the term "adverse event" for the likes of an accident and an event. In addition, different organizations use different classifications: a "near miss" is generally classified as "incident" in most cases but not classified as such in BIR et al. Confusion might also be caused by the disunity of the terminology and classification, and by the ambiguity of definitions. Patient safety management of medical institutions in Korea uses the terms "near miss", "adverse event", and "sentinel event", which it classifies into eight levels according to the severity of risk to the patient. Therefore, the terminology and classification for radiotherapy risk management based on the patient safety management of medical institutions in Korea will help in improving the safety and quality of radiotherapy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2013.05a
• /
• pp.1017-1019
• /
• 2013

The radiation sources leaked from large-scale radiation leak accident like the Hukushima nuclear power plant accident or nuclear explosions can cause to the very large damage for us. So that the damage can be minimized, we have being developed a detector that can providing information about the location of the source to remove dangerous substances quickly than the conventional single detector. In this paper, we designed the shielding and collimator for the development of the Stereo Radiation detector in order to detect contaminants using MCNP Code. And we analyzed the results that is detected from the discretionary position of the radiation source. The results of this paper will be used as the basis for designing efficient structure for the radiation detectors.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.291-298
• /
• 2003

The KN-12 transport cask has been designed to transport 12 PWR spent nuclear fuel assemblies and to comply with the regulatory requirements for a Type B(U) package. The containment boundary of the cask is defined by a cask body, a cask lid, lid bolts with nuts, O-ring seals and a bolted closure lid. The containment vessel for the cask consists of a forged thick-walled carbon steel cylindrical body with an integrally-welded carbon steel bottom and is closed by a lid made of stainless steel, which is fastened to the cask body by lid bolts with nuts and sealed by double elastomer O-rings. In the cask lid an opening is closed by a plug with an O-ring seal and covered by the bolted closure lid sealed with an O-ring. The cask must maintain a radioactivity release rate of not more than the regulatory limit for normal transport conditions and for hypothetical accident conditions, as required by the related regulations. The containment requirements of the cask are satisfied by maintaining a maximum air reference leak rate of $2.7{\times}10^{-4}ref.cm^3s^{-1}$ or a helium leak rate of $3.3{\times}10^{-4}cm^3s^{-1}$ for normal transport conditions and for hypothetical accident conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2013

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of the ex-vessel core melt (corium) were investigated using a commercial CFD code along with the experimental data on the spreading of corium available in the literature (VULCANO VE-U7 test). In the numerical simulation of the unsteady two-phase flow, the volume-of-fluid model was applied for the spreading and interfacial surface formation of corium with the surrounding air. The effects of the key parameters were evaluated for the corium spreading, including the radiation, decay heat, temperature-dependent viscosity and initial temperature of corium. The results showed a reasonable trend of corium progression influenced by the changes in the radiation, decay heat, temperature-dependent viscosity and initial temperature of corium. The modeling of the viscosity appropriate for corium and the radiative heat transfer was critical, since the front progression and temperature profiles were strongly dependent on the models. Further development is required for the code to consider the formation of crust on the surfaces of corium and the interaction with the substrate.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.52-57
• /
• 2023

Background: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) operates several nuclear research facilities licensed by Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC). The emergency preparedness requirements, GSR Part 7, by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) request protection strategy based on the hazard assessment that is not applied in Korea. Materials and Methods: In developing the protection strategy, it is important to consider an accident scenario and its consequence. KAERI has tried the hazard assessment based on a hypothesis accident scenario for the major nuclear facilities. During the assessment, the safety analysis report of the related facilities was reviewed, the simulation using MELCOR, MACCS2 code was implemented based on a considered accident scenario of each facility, and the international guidance was considered. Results and Discussion: The results of the optimized protective actions were 300 m evacuation and 800 m sheltering for the High-Flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO), the evacuation to radius 50 m, the sheltering 400 m for post-irradiation examination facility (PIEF), 100 m evacuation or sheltering for HANARO fuel fabrication plant (HFFP) facility. Conclusion: The results of the optimized protective actions and its distances for the KAERI facilities for the maximum postulated accidents were considered in establishing the emergency plan and procedures and implementing an emergency exercise for the KAERI facilities.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.12
• /
• pp.4715-4721
• /
• 2022

A comprehensive approach for modeling the pulse height spectra of gamma-ray detectors from passing radioactive cloud in a case of accident at NPP has been developed. It involves modeling the transport of radionuclides in the atmosphere using Lagrangian stochastic model, WRF meteorological processor with an ARW core and GFS data to obtain spatial distribution of radionuclides in the air at a given moment of time. Applying representation of the cloud as superposition of elementary sources of gamma radiation the pulse height spectra are calculated based on data on flux density from point isotropic sources and detector response function. The proposed approach allows us to obtain time-dependent spectra for any complex radionuclide composition of the release. The results of modeling the pulse height spectra of the scintillator detector NaI(Tl) Ø63×63 mm for a hypothetical severe accident at a NPP are presented.