Study on the Dispersion of Radionuclides under Different Hydrological Conditions of Spent Fuel Shipping in Daya Bay

Abstract

The radionuclide dispersion in coastal water is mainly controlled by the water flow and tidal effect. Tracing and analysis of radioactive pollutant dispersion in coastal water can predict distribution of radionuclide under marine transportation accident of spent fuel. In this work, factors such as continuous emission, radioactive decay, and water depth are considered, and a hydrodynamic model of radionuclide dispersion based on shallow water equations is established to simulate the dispersion of the radioactive pollutant in coastal waters under different hydrological conditions. As far as the characteristics of the radionuclide dispersion in coastal water are concerned, the simulation of pollutants by the hydrodynamic model is in good agreement with the work of Bailly du Bois et al., which validated the correctness of this model. The model has been applied to simulate the distribution of radionuclides in coastal water following a marine transport accident of spent fuel near Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in China. The simulation reveals that the distribution features are significantly affected by different hydrological conditions. In addition to limiting the diffusion range, the vortex effect can also cause the accumulation of radionuclides near the vortex, which helps to provide more practical information for nuclear emergency decision makers.