A proposed approach for the evaluation of consequences of a large aircraft crash accident at an RBMK type reactor site during decommissioning. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ragaišis, Valdas; Kaliatka, Tadas; Poškas, Povilas; Kaliatka, Algirdas; Šmaižys, Artūras; Janulionis, Remigijus; Narkūnas, Ernestas; Sirvydas, Arūnas; Babilas, Egidijus; Rimkevičius, Sigitas
• Is Part Of: Progress in nuclear energy. Volume 145(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: RBMK reactor -- Nuclear facility -- Decommissioning -- Aircraft crash -- Radiological consequences; Nuclear energy -- Periodicals; Nuclear engineering -- Periodicals; 333.7924
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2022.104135
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0149-1970

Abstract

Abstract: Nuclear power plants with RBMK reactors were designed in late sixties - early seventies and were built entirely in the European part of the Russian Federation, the Lithuanian Republic and the Ukrainian Republic. The plants in the Lithuanian and the Ukrainian Republics are in various stages of decommissioning. As currently planned, the most of RBMK reactors still operating in the Russian Federation will end their operation in this decade. The reactor building, spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste storage facilities, built at the time of construction of RBMK plants are not specially designed to withstand the direct impact of an aircraft crash. There were no such regulatory requirements at the time the plants were designed and, no such requirements were introduced by regulatory bodies later on. But for now, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States, the event of an aircraft crash on a nuclear facility can no longer be considered as extremely unlikely. This paper considers the state of a nuclear power plant with the RBMK type reactor(s) during certain decommissioning and dismantling stages and discusses the approach for the evaluation of radiological consequences to the public in the event of a large aircraft crash on potentially hazardous objects of the plant. The damage to spent nuclear storage facilities, the reactor graphite stack and storage facilities for the combustible waste may cause a significant release of radionuclides to the environment. Key components of the approach include the evaluation of a structural damage to the facilities, the evaluation of a fire propagation and impact, the evaluation of a spent nuclear fuel cooling capability in storage pools, the evaluation of an airborne radionuclide release, the evaluation of a radionuclide dispersion in the environment and the evaluation of the public exposure. A set of widely used software and methods for the performance of the specific tasks is discussed. The paper also describes how the proposed approach was applied for the evaluation of radiological consequences from a Boeing 767-400 type aircraft crash at the Ignalina NPP site where a plant with two RBMK-1500 type reactors is decommissioned. The paper does not address modern radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management and storage facilities that might be built at RBMK sites as well. As a rule, assessment and mitigation of an aircraft crash accident consequences is an integral part of design of these new facilities. Highlights: NPPs with RBMK reactors are not specially designed against an aircraft crash. Vulnerable objects are spent nuclear fuel and combustible waste storage facilities. The assessment approach consists of a set of specific assessment tasks. Methods for the performance of specific assessment tasks are discussed. The example of implementation of the proposed approach is described.