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Investigation of Dose Rates Exterior to an Above-Ground Waste Storage Facility Using Radiation Transport Models.
Jenelle Elicia Mann1, Norbert Zoeger, Roman Koppitsch
11Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Health Physics
|August 28, 2018
Summary
Radiation dose rates near an above-ground waste storage facility unexpectedly peaked away from the walls due to scattering and skyshine effects. Measurements close to the wall may not be conservative for extended radioactive waste sources.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Engineering
- Radiation Protection
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Above-ground waste storage facilities house significant radioactive material.
- Shielding design is critical for mitigating radiation exposure.
- Understanding dose rate distribution is essential for safety assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the dose rate profile around an above-ground waste storage facility.
- To investigate the impact of shielding and geometry on radiation transport.
- To evaluate the conservativeness of dose rate measurements near the facility walls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Monte Carlo n-Particle Transport eXtended (MCNPX) code for radiation transport simulation.
- Modeled a facility containing 9,996 conditioned waste barrels.
- Calculated dose rates at various heights and distances from facility walls, assuming homogeneous Co-60 distribution.
Main Results:
- Dose rates exhibited a peak at a distance from the north and west walls, contrary to expectations.
- This peak is attributed to radiation scattering within shielding and atmospheric effects (skyshine).
- A significant difference was observed between dose rates at 1m from the wall and the peak dose rate.
Conclusions:
- Dose rate measurements near the wall may not be conservative for extended sources like waste storage facilities.
- Scattering and skyshine phenomena significantly influence external radiation fields.
- Facility design and source geometry are crucial factors in radiation dose assessment.
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