Article: An update of the probabilistic safety assessment of the Radiation Monitor Calibration Laboratory of a Brazilian nuclear power station Journal: International Journal of Low Radiation (IJLR) 2007 Vol.4 No.2 pp.136 - 148 Abstract: In 2001, a probabilistic safety assessment of the Radiation Monitor Calibration Laboratory of a Brazilian nuclear power station was performed to estimate its radiological risk. Owing to the lack of data, many conservative assumptions were considered. The purpose of this paper is to obtain the updated laboratory radiological risk. A human reliability analysis of the procedure for calibrating the monitors was performed by applying the Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP) methodology. For facing the lack of failure data, the Bayesian approach was used for the calculation of the irradiator failure probability. The exponential distribution was used to model the failure times of the electronic dosimeters. The radiological risk was obtained through an event tree, in which all relevant scenarios were considered. Although more accident scenarios were considered in the analysis, like external events, the approach was by no means conservative, and a radiological risk about one order of magnitude smaller was obtained. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: An update of the probabilistic safety assessment of the Radiation Monitor Calibration Laboratory of a Brazilian nuclear power station

Authors: E.C. Gomes, P.F. Frutuoso e Melo, A.S.M. Alves, E.M. Passos

Addresses: COPPE/UFRJ – Programa de Engenharia Nuclear, Caixa Postal 68509, 21941–972 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. ' COPPE/UFRJ – Programa de Engenharia Nuclear, Caixa Postal 68509, 21941–972 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. ' Eletronuclear – Eletrobras Termonuclear SA, Nuclear Safety Division – Technical Area, Rua da Candelaria 65, 20091–020 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. ' Eletronuclear – Eletrobras Termonuclear SA, Nuclear Safety Division – Technical Area, Rua da Candelaria 65, 20091–020 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Abstract: In 2001, a probabilistic safety assessment of the Radiation Monitor Calibration Laboratory of a Brazilian nuclear power station was performed to estimate its radiological risk. Owing to the lack of data, many conservative assumptions were considered. The purpose of this paper is to obtain the updated laboratory radiological risk. A human reliability analysis of the procedure for calibrating the monitors was performed by applying the Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP) methodology. For facing the lack of failure data, the Bayesian approach was used for the calculation of the irradiator failure probability. The exponential distribution was used to model the failure times of the electronic dosimeters. The radiological risk was obtained through an event tree, in which all relevant scenarios were considered. Although more accident scenarios were considered in the analysis, like external events, the approach was by no means conservative, and a radiological risk about one order of magnitude smaller was obtained.

Keywords: probabilistic safety assessment; Bayesian reliability analysis; human reliability analysis; technique for human error rate prediction; THERP; event trees; received dose; radiological risks; radiation monitoring; monitor calibration; Brazil; nuclear power stations; low radiation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2007.015438

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2007 Vol.4 No.2, pp.136 - 148

Published online: 17 Oct 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article

Title: An update of the probabilistic safety assessment of the Radiation Monitor Calibration Laboratory of a Brazilian nuclear power station

Keep up-to-date