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Atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) dispersion conditions relate to key natural factors that characterize radiation and environmental safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Therefore, the said conditions are studied in sufficient detail even at pre-design stages of NPPs construction. Given the ongoing development of nuclear power industry, synthesis of methodological approaches to NPP siting options with due account of atmospheric dispersion conditions is of great interest. Formal pursuit of requirements and recommen...

Considered here is the problem of cooling water-cooled reactors in an emergency, including in emergencies involving a blackout. This problem has become particularly important after the events that occurred at the Japanese nuclear power plant, ?Fukushima-1.? Here we present a new emergency reactor-cooling system developed at the Department of Energy Problems at the Saratov Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences. We propose a new way to provide redundant, auxiliary power for nuclear power plants (NPPs) throu...

Assurance of radiation and environmental safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) implies development of an automated radiation monitoring system. In its turn, such a system presupposes that hydrological and meteorological monitoring should be arranged on the NPP site and in its vicinity. Monitoring is launched at pre-design stages of the NPP construction project, and continues during the construction, operation and decommissioning (dismantling) of the plant. The goal of the study is to generalize the results of hydr...

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of concrete designed as a secondary barrier for radioactive waste deposition. Sorption materials, such as natural zeolite, have very good encapsulation ability to certain ions, which can be harmful for the environment, such as 137Cs. Incorporation of natural zeolite into concrete may increase the protection ability of secondary barriers against radionuclide release. Determination of water-transport- and water vapour transport properties of such concrete can ...

A sound measure for the overall efficiency and economy of a power plant is the Energy Return on Investment (EROI). The EROI values could be evaluated for different types of power plants including photovoltaics, wind energy, solar thermal, hydro, natural gas, biogas, coal and nuclear power applying the exergy concept with no ?primary energy weighting?. It makes possible to directly compare the overall efficiency of the power plants on a uniform mathematical and physical basis. Pump storage systems, needed for solar...

Influences of earthquakes on nuclear power plants and their parts are studied in frame of nuclear safety. In the past, the authors have dealt with the effects of earthquakes and vibrations in the primary circuit. However, it cannot be omitted that the seismic influences can show up also on the secondary circuit. Turbines installed in secondary circuits of nuclear power plants are big and heavy machines. For example the turbine installed in JETE (Temel?n Nuclear Power Station ? Czech Republic) generates 1003MWe. It...

Background: In the classical kinetics theory of a nuclear reactor, inserting the slightest reactivity-jump leads to an unlimited exponential increase in the reactor power. The purpose this study is the establishment of the nature of such a phenomenon. Methods: Theoretical research is based on the physics of the chain fission reaction as a sequence of cycles, each cycle of which is initiated by neutrons of the previous cycle. The study method consists in determining the change in the output neutron density of the c...

The study presents the possibilities, procedures and financial burden of mitigation and elimination of the consequences of radiation events within emergency zones of nuclear power plants regarding local contaminated plant biomass of agricultural crops. The agricultural land of Jiho?esk? kraj (South Bohemian Region ? Czech Republic) was chosen as the model area where Temel?n, a two-block nuclear power, plant is operated. In this area, emergency response planning is divided into two parts: the on-site zone and exter...

The study was carried out in cooperation with the State Institute for Radiation Protection of the Czech Republic as a pilot project for the 137Cs Residue after the Chernobyl accident. The prediction of the development of the radiation situation can be based on an extensive soil survey. The current contamination of the soil with 137Cs was contributed by 2 sources: the nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere that peaked in the 1960s and the Chernobyl accident. Surface contamination in the CR from the nuclear weapons...

The paper presents the results of the study of modern movements of the Earth's crust in the southern part of the Nizhnekanskiy massif according to global navigation satellite systems (GPS/GLONASS). The article presents preliminary results of geodynamic zoning of the Yeniseisky site based on the methods of system analysis. Nizhnekanskiy massif is located at the junction of major tectonic structures - the Siberian Platform and West Siberian Plate. Its southern part is characterized by stable tectonic regime, the ave...