LONG RANGE RADIOACTIVE PLUME TRANSPORT SIMULATION MODEL/CODE

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE I RESEARCH IS TO DETERMINE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LONG RANGE RADIOACTIVE PLUME TRANSPORT MODEL/CODE FOR THE NRC. THIS CODE WOULD BE USED TO SIMULATE THE MOVEMENT, DISPERSION, DECAY, AND DEPOSITION OF RADIONUCLIDES RELEASED FROM SEVERE NUCLEAR REACTOR ACCIDENTS, SUCH AS THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT. IT IS DESIRED THAT ALL RELEVANT PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES BE INCLUDED IN THE MODEL CODE. IN PARTICULAR THE CODE SHOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A COMPLEX SOURCE GEOMETRY, WHICH MAY RESULT IN THE INJECTION OF RADIONUCLIDESINTO MULTIPLE ATMOSPHERIC LAYERS. THE OUTPUT OF THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY WILL BE A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE DESIRED MODEL CODE. A FRAMEWORK FOR THE MODEL CODE WILL BE SUGGESTED. AFTER COMPLETION OF PHASE I AND II OF THIS RESEARCH, THE NRCWILL HAVE A MODEL/CODE THAT CAN BE USED TO ANALYZE THE LONG-RANGE EFFECTS OF RELEASES FROM SEVERE NUCLEAR REACTOR ACCIDENTS. THIS MODEL SHOULD ALSO BE USEFUL TO OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND INDUSTRIAL GROUPS WHO HAVE A NEED TOMODEL THE LONG RANGE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF RELEASES OF OTHER TOXIC CHEMICALS.