Experimental and analytical investigation of the ITU TRIGA Mark-II reactor core

Experimental and analytical studies have been performed to determine the temperature distribution as a function of reactor power in the TRIGA Mark-II reactor at the Istanbul Technical University (ITU). The lumped parameter model with four governing equations was used in the analytical model. Based on the mathematical model, a computer code has been developed for calculating fuel and coolant temperatures in the reactor core. The calculated results for fuel and coolant temperature in the reactor core for different reactor power levels have been compared with the experimental data. Agreements between experiment and results from the computer code are fairly good.

Assessment of the health damage costs of radionuclides releases from Muğla provinces lignite-fired power plants

The health impacts and corresponding damage costs of radioactive emission of Muğla province lignite-fired power plants have been assessed by using the simplified impact pathway approach. Radiation dose and risk calculations have been carried out by the code CAP88-PC around the power plants. Specific isotopes, 238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K in the flying ash samples are considered as radioactive sources. Power plants intersecting regions are also considered in the collective dose calculation. The estimated total collective dose around Muğla province due to Yatağan, Yeniköy and Kemerköy power plants is 5.25 × 10−2 man.Sv/year. The total health effects damage cost around the Muğla province due to the radioactive emissions from the power plants is 2504.3 US $ 2000/year. The results obtained from the calculations are under the dose limits of International Commission of Radiation Protection and it does not any risk for public health around the plant environment.

Assessment of the radiological health damage costs of the Yeniköy and Kemerköy lignite-fired power plants in Muğla

The health impacts and corresponding damage costs of radioactive emissions of Yeniköy and Kemerköy lignite-fired power plants in Muğla have been assessed by using the simplified impact pathway approach. Radiation dose and risk calculations have been carried out by the code CAP88-PC around the power plants. Specific isotopes, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 238U in the flying ash samples are considered as radioactive sources. The estimated total collective doses around Yeniköy and Kemerköy power plants are 3.15 × 10−4 man Sv/year and 3.77 × 10−4 man Sv/year. Health effects and the corresponding damage costs around the power plants due to radioactive emissions from the power plants are negligible.

Evaluation of radioactive emissions of lignite-fired power plants in Turkey using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

Radioactive emissions of 13 lignite-fired power plants in Turkey are of great concern to the public and to scientists alike. The purpose of this study is to evaluate these power plants, according to their radioactive emissions by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Control criteria are in particular 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 238U emissions from the power plants. These control criteria are weighted according to the objective assessment. The calculations are repeated for three different objective assessments of control criteria namely the mortality risk coefficients for inhalation, ingestion, external exposure of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 238U. It has been calculated that the Çan lignite-fired power plant is ranking first while the Soma-B plant is ranking last according to the radioactive emissions of the power plants when the average of three different objective control criteria are used in the calculations.

Sipping tests for the irradiated fuel elements of the TR-2 research reactor

Sipping tests have been performed for fuel elements of the TR-2 reactor at Çekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center (ÇNRTC), in order to find out which one failed in the core. A sipping assembly has been constructed and placed in the pool of the TR-2 reactor. The assembly identifies leaking fuel elements by collecting and measuring 137Cs that leak out from the defective fuel elements. 31 fuel elements in the reactor have been tested for the clad integrity. The measured 137Cs activity of the fuel element with an identification number S-104 is a 10247 Bq/(0.3 l). This value is approximately 234 times greater than the average of the other tested fuel elements in the reactor.