CHAPTER 11

1. (a) Show that the constant C in Eq. (1 1 .6) is given by

C = _M_g_(_y_-__l )
Ry ,
where M is the gram molecular weight of air and the other symbols are defned in the
text. (b) Evaluate C using M = 29 g, R = 8.3 1 X 107 ergs/gram-mole K, g = 980
cmsec2
, and y = 1 .4.
2. Compute and plot the dilution factor for ground release under Pasquill A and F conditions with 1
m1sec wind speed.
3. Verify the location of the maximum X in Fig. 1 1 . 1 3 for Pasquill C conditions.
4. Had Example 1 1 . 1 been carried out for type G conditions, where would the maximum
concentration have occured?
5. Argon-41 (TI/2 = 1 .83 hr) is produced in reactors cooled with air and CO2 and in
some reactors cooled with water (see Section 10. 12). It decays by the emission of
approximately one f-ray per disintegration, which has a maximum energy of 1 .20
MeV, and one y-ray, with an energy of 1 .29 MeV. Suppose that a research reactor
releases 41Ar from a 100-ft vent at a rate of 1 mCi/sec. Calculate the external dose
rate at the point of highest concentration on the ground in a wind of 1 .5 m1sec under
unfavorable (type F) dispersion conditions.
6. Equations (1 1 .50) and (1 1 .52) give the dose rate from external exposure to radioactive
gases at constant concentration. Show that if the concentration varies as
X = xoe
the dose received in the time to sec from y-ray
and from f-rays is
Reactor Licensing
0.229XoEf '
H = ( 1 - e-AtO) rem.
A
Chap. 1 1
7. The air-cooled Brookhaven Research Reactor discharged as much as 750 Ci of 41 Ar
per hour into the atmosphere through a 400-ft stack. Estimate the doses to persons in
the town of Riverhead, located approximately 1 1 miles downwind from the reactor,
under Pasquill F, 1 m/sec conditions. [Note: Under unfavorable meteorological conditions, this reactor,
which is now decommissioned, was reduced in power because of
the 41 A.]
8. Gas leaks from a containment structure at the constant rate of 0.2% per day. How long
is it before 90% of the gas has escaped?
9. Parameters for the Berger form of the point source exposure buildup factor for air,
are given in Table 1 1 . 16. Another often-used approximation attributed to Goldstein
is Bp (Jt) = 1 + kI where k = � - 1 . Compute and plot the Berger Bp and
Ja
the Goldstein Bp as a function of distance up to 20 mean free paths for I-MeV and
CHAPTER 11

10-MeV y-rays.
TABLE 1 1 .16 PARAMETERS F O R BERGER FORM OF POI NT
SOU RCE EXPOSU RE B U I LDU P FACTOR FOR AIR
E(MeV) C f E(MeV) C f
0.5 1 .541 1 0.09920 4 0.6020 0.00323
1 1 . 1305 0.05687 6 0.5080 -0.00289
2 0.8257 0.02407 8 0.4567 -0.00349
3 0.6872 0.01002 10 0.4261 -0.00333
10. Show that the buildup flux at ground level from an infnite cloud of y-emitting radionuclides
computed using the Berger form of the point buildup factor is given by
4b = 2: [I + ( I �pj2],
where C and f are defned in Problem 1 1 .9.
11. Recompute the dose in Example 1 1 .8, taking into account the reactor building, which
is concrete and 30 in thick.
12. Radionuclides are distributed uniformly over the ground and emit S y .rays/cm2-sec
at the energy E. (a) Show that the buildup flux at a point x em above the ground is
given by
where Bp(/r) is the point buildup factor. (b) Using the Berger form for Bp(/r), show
that
and using the Goldstein fon given in Problem 1 1 .9, show that
[Note: In using these results, it is frequently necessary to evaluate the E1 function for
small argument. For this purpose, the following expansion is helpful:
E1 (x) = -y + In (x-1) + x - x- + - 42 x183 -
where y = 0.57722 is Euler's constant.]
13. A bad accident leaves 1 3 1I deposited on the ground outside a nuclear plant at a density
of approximately 0.01 Cilm2 Compute the gonadal dose from this radionuclide in
mremJhr that a person would receive if standing near the plant. [Note: For simplicity,
assume that 131 I decays by emitting one y-ray per disintegration with an energy of
0.37 MeV.]
14. A utility submits an application and PSAR for a nuclear plant to be located at site A,
with site B as an alterative. During the CP hearings, an intervenor brings out the fact
that a major housing development is being planned for the low population zone of site
A. The NRC subsequently advises the utility to abandom site A in favor of site B.
Hearing this, the mayor ofthe town encompassing site B writes to the NRC asking, in
effect, "If the plant is not safe enough for the people
5. Show that the equilibrium activity of 135Xe in the thermal flux ¢T is
a = 5.60 x 104P (1 + :) Ci,
where P is in megawatts and ¢x is the parameter defned in Eq. (7.97).
16. An accident releases 25% of the inventory of the fssion product gases from a 3,500-
MW reactor into a containment building that leaks at 0. 15% per day. Calculate for a
point 2,000 m from the plant and under Pasquill F, 1 m1sec conditions (a) the 2-hr
exteral dose; (b) the 2-hr thyroid dose. [Note: The effective energy equivalents of the
CHAPTER 11

iodine fssion products are given in Table 1 1 . 17. The value of q is the same for all
isotopes.]
TABLE 1 1 . 1 7 EFFECTIVE
E N ERGY EQUIVALE NTS
FOR IODI N E ISOTOPES I N
T H E THYRO I D
Isotope �
131 I 0.23
1321 0.65
1331 0.54
1341 0.82
1351 0.52
17. A reactor core consists of n identical fuel rods. Show that the largest fssion product
inventory in any of the rods is given by
(j Qr
(jmax = - ,
n
where (j is the total fssion product inventory as given by Eq. ( 1 1 .97) and Qr is the
maximum-to-average power ratio in the r direction. (See Problem 8. 1 1 .)
18. Assumng that the off-site thyroid dose is entirely due to 131 I, calculate the radii of the
exclusion area and the LPZ for a 3,000-MW reactor. [Note: Assume a 0.2%-per-day
leakage rate and type F, 1 msec dispersion conditions.] What is the population center
distance?
19. In a steam pipe accident in a BWR, 1 .6 Ci of 131I is released outside of containment
before the isolation valve closes. (a) If it is assumed that this nuclide immediately
escapes at ground level to the atmosphere under type F, I msec dispersion conditions,
what are the 2-hr thyroid doses at the 700-m exclusion zone boundary and I-mi LPZ?
(b) If credit is taken for the building wake effect, what are these doses? [Note: The
cross-sectional area of the building is 2,240 m2, and the shape factor is C = 0.5.]
severe transient, 8 of these valves must open in order to prevent an overpressure in
the vessel. If the probability that a single valve does not open is estimated to be 10-4,
what is the probability that fewer than 8 valves open? Hint: The probability P(k, n)
of a total of k successes out of n tries, with an individual success probability p and
failure probability q = 1 - p, is given by the binomial distribution
n'
P(k n) -
. k n -k
, - k! (n - k)! P q
32. Statistics show that off-site power to a nuclear plant can be expected to be interupted
about once in 5 years. The probability of the loss of on-site (diesel) AC power is 1 0-2
per year. If the probability of the loss of on-site DC power is 10-5 per year, what is the
probability of loss of electrical power to the engineered safety features of the plant?
CHAPTER 11

33. Engine failures occur in a military aircraf at the rate of one per 900,000 miles. The
ejection mechanism, which cares the pilot clear of the plane, fails once in 800 operations. Parachutes fail
to open approximately once in 1 ,300 jumps, but pilots land
safely, even with an open parachute, only 95% of the time. (a) Draw basic and reduced
event trees for engine failure leading to death or survival of the pilot. (b) Compute the
rsk in deaths per mile from engine failure with this airplane.
34. The average annual releases of gaseous fission products from a PWR plant are given in
the accompanying list. Compute the average annual exteral and interal doses to the
public at a point 5,000 m from the plant under Pasquill type E, 1 .5 m/sec conditions.
[Note: The fssion products are released from a vent 120 m high.]
Nuclide
85mK
85K
133Xe
1311
1331
Cures
4.46 X 101
1 .21 X 103
1 .01 X 104
3.35 X 10-2
1 .5 X 10-3
35. Compare the maximum annual average concentration of l31I released from the PWR
plant described in the preceding problem under type-E, 1 .5 m/sec dispersion conditions, with the
requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix I.
36. A dairy farm is located approximately 3,000 m from a nuclear plant that emits an
average of 4.9 x 10-2 Cilyr of 131I from a vent 300 f above ground level. The average
observed meteorological conditions in the direction of the farm are as follows:
Condition Wind speed (msec) Percent
A 2 17
B 2 15
C431
D 3.7 17
E 2.5 1 2
F28
Calculate (a) the average deposition rate of 131 I onto vegetation on the farm; (b) the
annual dose to an infant thyroid from drinking milk from the farm.
37. Argon-41 (see Problem 1 1 .5) is released from the surface of a pool-type researchtraining reactor at
the rate of 3.3 x 107 atoms/sec. The reactor is housed in a cubical
reactor building 40 f on a side, which is exhausted by fans at the rate of 1 ,000 cfm (cubic feet per
minute). (a) What is the equilibrium activity Of 41Ar in the reactor building
in Ci/cm3? (b) What is the dose rate in mrems/hr from 41 Ar received by persons in the
CHAPTER 11

reactor building? (c) At what rate is 41 Ar exhausted from the building? (d) Compare
the concentration of 41 A immediately outside the building with the nonoccupational
(MPC)a .[Note: Use a building shape factor of 0.5 and a wind speed of 1 msec.]
38. It is proposed to raise mussels in the warm freshwater discharged from a nuclear
power plant. If the average concentration of 56Mn in the diluted discharge is 6.3 x
10-12pCi/cm3 and certain persons can be assumed to eat an average of 800 cm3 of
mussels per day, what annual dose would these people receive from this radionuclide
alone? [Note: The general population (MPC)w for 56Mn is 1 x 10-4p,Ci/cm3.]
39. Calculate the inventory offssion-produced Tritium in a reactor that has been operating
at a power of 3,400 MW for two years.
40. The average activity of 3H in the discharge canal of a nuclear plant is 2 x l0-8pCi/cm3
Calculate the annual dose to persons who eat fsh from the canal at an average rate of
90 g/day. [Note: The general population (MPC)w of 3H is 3 x 10-3pCi/cm3.]