Benchmarking point-kernel method against Monte Carlo simulations for an ALARA case study in occupational radiation...

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Radiation Protection
• Computational Physics

Background:

• The As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle is critical for worker safety during nuclear facility decommissioning.
• Accurate radiation dose assessment tools are essential for planning radiological work and ensuring safety protocols.
• Current tools primarily use point-kernel (PK) methods or Monte Carlo (MC) simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance and accuracy of VISIPLAN 4.0, a PK-based tool, against MC simulations.
• To evaluate the advantages and limitations of both PK and MC methods in nuclear decommissioning scenarios.
• To assess the dose overestimation by VISIPLAN compared to MC simulations.

Main Methods:

• Case studies were used to compare VISIPLAN 4.0 (PK-based) with MC simulations.
• Simulation times and dose assessment accuracy were key performance indicators.
• The number of source points in the PK method was varied to analyze its impact on simulation duration.

Main Results:

• Simulation times for the PK method can become comparable to MC simulations when a high number of source points are used.
• VISIPLAN 4.0, on average, overestimated radiation dose assessments by approximately 50% when compared to MC results.
• The study highlights trade-offs between computational burden and accuracy for PK and MC methods.

Conclusions:

• While PK methods offer computational advantages, their accuracy in dose assessment can be limited.
• MC simulations provide a benchmark for accuracy, though potentially with higher computational costs.
• VISIPLAN's dose overestimation necessitates careful consideration of its application in ALARA-compliant decommissioning planning.