Numerical Study of Near-Field Radionuclides Dispersion Around Barakah Power Plant During Postulated Accidental Release Scenarios

Abstract

This study explores the assessment of hazards arising from nuclear power plant incidents, informed by the Fukushima catastrophe. It evaluates the environmental impact of noble gases, such as iodine-131 releases, recognizing the limitations of current local computational tools, particularly in predicting near-field dispersion accurately. Utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD), this study validates this approach’s effectiveness in predicting pollutant dispersion around buildings. Among the five turbulence models tested, the Lag Elliptic Blending (EB) k-ε model emerges as the most suitable for simulating radioactive pollutant dispersion due to its superior performance in capturing flow dynamics. The findings underscore the inadequacy of traditional Gaussian plume models in accounting for the effects of buildings on dispersion patterns. Notably, simulations around the Barakah nuclear site located in the United Arab Emirates reveal the significant influence of buildings on the trajectory of radioactive pollutants from hypothetical cracks. Consequently, it advocates caution in relying solely on classical Gaussian plume models for evacuation plans, as they may overlook crucial flow patterns due to building presence, potentially leading to distorted assessments of gas distribution and deposition rates.