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Re: dave's answer to one of your questions
Again, this is hardly any secret. This scenario is analyzed in the NRC's
Response Technical Manual (RTM-96, Vol. 1, Rev 4; March 1996). Section D of
this document is Spent fuel Pool Damage and Consequence Assessment. One of
the accidents analyzed is a Zircaloy cladding fire.
The most conservative estimates of the dose at one mile are 30 rem TABD
(acute bone dose) and 80 rem thyroid (Fig. D-2 BWR/PWR spent fuel pool
release event tree for a Zircaloy fire in one 3-month-old batch of fuel).
It should be noted that for the events analyzed, the highest thyroid dose
at one mile is 100 rem (Fig. D-4 BWR/PWR spent fuel pool release event tree
for a gap release from 15 1-year-old batches of fuel).
Other info:
1-h ground level release, D stability, wind speed 4 mph, no rain.
TABD includes 1 h of inhalation, 1 h of cloudshine, and 24 h of groundshine
to an adult performing normal activities.
Thyroid dose includes 1 h of inhalation exposure to an adult
Code used: RASCAL 2.1
Norman Cohen
<ncohen12@HOME.COM> To: "radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu" <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
Sent by: cc:
owner-radsafe@list.vand Subject: dave's answer to one of your questions
erbilt.edu
11/19/01 05:06 PM
Please respond to
Norman Cohen
Dave Lochbaum wrote:
> Hello Norm:
>
> The NRC's report from October 2000 documented that a spent fuel pool with
a partial water draindown can lead to a
> spent fuel fire. The zirconium cladding (i.e., the metal tubes that
contain the fuel pellets)
> can reach its ignition temperature in the presence of air when there's
inadequate cooling. The resulting fire leads
> to loss of integrity of the metal tubes, allowing the radioactive
material inside the tubes to be
> released. The radioactive gases and small particles can escape the fuel
handling building and reach the atmosphere.
> Due to its decay, iodine-131 is not much of a concern in this scenario.
But cesium-137
> poses a concern due to its longer half-life (about 30 years as opposed to
8 days).
>
> Take care,
>
> Dave
>
> >>> Norman Cohen <ncohen12@home.com> 11/19/01 09:40AM >>>
> Dave,
> Can you explain furtrher your comments about the fuel catching fire and
> being dispersed into the atmosphere.
> Norm
>
> Don Mercado wrote:
>
> > http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec01/nuclear_11-02.html
> >
> >
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