2383 research outputs found
Sort by
VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNIQUES IN THE AID TO POPULATION AWARENESS AROUND A NUCLEAR WASTE
Get PDFNuclear energy has proved to be an extremely important source of energy for today's society. However, these achievements, even present in people's daily lives, often go unnoticed and suffer rejection by the same society that enjoys such contributions. Rejection, mainly due to the lack of information. In this context, this work used Virtual Reality technology to inform and make the population aware of the benefits and disadvantages of nuclear energy. For this purpose, an interactive virtual environment was produced that allowed the exploration of a nuclear waste repository. Subsequently, an educational video was developed to provide end-user information support. Finally, an educational game was also created with the aim of raising public awareness and demystifying the nuclear area by bringing knowledge, in a clear and engaging way, to the population around a nuclear repository. The developed environment allowed the user to walk through the virtual representation of the reject repository, and also enabled the creation of a video capable of transmitting the initial information and improving the spatial comprehension of the model as a whole. In conclusion, the tool developed in the present work has the capacity to assist in the production of nuclear projects before even entering the construction phase. In addition, it is possible to apply this technique to inform the population about the nuclear practices that will be applied, providing a greater involvement of the people and, consequently, a better assimilation of knowledge about nuclear energy
Methodology to Estimating Aquatic Dispersion of Effluents from Accidental and Routine Releases
Get PDFThis paper presents a methodology to analysis of dispersion of radioactive materials in an aquatic environment, specifically for estuaries, based on the Regulatory Guide 1.113. The objective is to present an adaptation of methodology for computational user, that it is possible by means of the use of numerical approximations techniques.
The methodology to be present consist in a numerical approximation of the Navier-Stokes Equation applied in a finite medium with known transport mechanisms, such as Coriolis Effect, floor drag, diffusion, salinity, temperature difference and adhesion per water molecule. The basis of methodology is substantiated in a transport diffusive-convection equation, which has similarity with the Partial Differential Burgues’ Equation for one dimension and with the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang Equation for multidimensional cases
A fuzzy method for the usability evaluation of nuclear medical equipment
Get PDFTo avoid errors when handling nuclear medical equipment, it is important to develop products with a high
degree of usability. This can be achieved by performing usability evaluations in the product development
process to detect and mitigate potential usability problems. Usability evaluation focuses on how well users can
learn and use a product to achieve their goals. Thus, the usability evaluation has become recognized as a
valuable complement to the established approaches to design good user interfaces, to reduce incidents and
accidents as well the time required to learn how to use the equipment. To gather information about usability,
practitioners use a variety of methods that gather feedback from users about an existing interface or plans
related to a new interface. A wide range of usability evaluation methods have been proposed, but few methods
focus on developing an objective and practical evaluation method for usability. Moreover, the usability evaluations are based on human judgments and most methods cannot fully solve the subjectivity of these
evaluations. In order to remedy this deficiency, the purpose of this work is to adopt a Fuzzy Set Theory (FST)
approach to establish a method for the usability evaluation of nuclear medical equipment based on usability
heuristics for user interface design and international standards for ergonomics of human-system interaction. To
exemplify the method we performed a usability evaluating of the Digital Spectrometer ESP 13004 by testing it
with representative users. The results showed that the method is a proactive tool to provide a basis for checking usability of medical device interfaces
Study of volume fractions on biphasic stratified regime using gamma ray
Get PDFIn the oil industries, interconnected pipelines are used to This modal has an advantage because they are more economical, eliminate a need for stocks and, in addition, great safety in operation minimizing a possibility of loss or theft when transported another way. In many cases, especially in the petrochemical industry, the same pipeline is used to carry more than one type of product. They are called poliduct. In the operation of a poliduct there is a sequence of products to be transported and during the exchange of the product, there are still fractions therefore important to identify precisely this region in order to reduce the costs of reprocessing and treatment of discarded products. In this way, this work presents a methodology to evaluate the sensitivity of the gamma densitometry technique in a study of the calculation of volume fractions in biphasic systems, submitted to the stratified flow regime. Using computational simulations using the Monte Carlo Method with the MCNP-X code measurement geometry was proposed that presented a higher sensitivity for the calculation of volume fractions. The relevant technical data to perform a simulation of the scintillator detectors were based on information obtained from the gammagraphy technique. The study had a theoretical validation thought analytical equations, and the results show that it is possible to identify volume fractions equivalent to 3%
Characterization of electrochemical cell for production of radiotracer in organic medium
Get PDFIn a petrochemical plant, precise knowledge of the flow of the compounds that flow inside the pipelines that carry oil and these derivatives is crucial. To perform these controls a series of flow meters are installed inside ducts in direct contact with the fluid to be monitored. This invasive method presents a great limitation because the oil aggressive proprieties that require these measurement devices are subjected to frequent calibrations which, in turn, cause the stoppage of the plant and low productivity. In this sense, radiotracers has been used in conjunction with the time transient method, by configuring a precise and non-invasive measurement technique. This work presents the study of the characterization of an electrolytic cell model for the production of petroleum derivatives labeled with Iodine-123 for use as radiotracer in the measurement of flow in ducts and the time transient method. Labelling of organic compounds usually a sequence of solvent separation and extraction steps which, when used for labeling oil and oil derivatives it causes high gamma exposition for the operator at considerable dose rates due to the need for direct interaction with the marking system. The objective of this work is to develop a cell model that is part of a compact, automatically operated labelling system with physics and chemistry parameters defined to optimize the organic phase labelling processes of petroleum derivatives. The labelling cell is composed of a cylindrical reaction vessel where the aqueous medium containing the iodine-123 in the form of sodium iodide (NaI-I123) is inserted with about 2 mCi of activity and the organic medium. In the system are introduced, two Platinum electrodes where a voltage of 0. 8 V is applied. This system allows the production of radiotracer for a rapid pulse injection. The results show that there was no significant variation of the stability of the system in the temperature range of 25 °C to 40 °C and showed a labelling efficiency around 85%
Escape route simulator utilizing augmented reality
Get PDFDue to increasing demand and interest in the interaction of technology platforms and integration of different types of systems and technologies, some tools are already providing practical ways to develop integrated applications. The tools explored by this article are Unity, a platform for game development, and Vuforia, an SDK, software development kit, for augmented reality creation. The coalition proposal of these resources is to create an intuitive escape route that can be used for the evacuation of buildings or open spaces in view of imminent danger, such as radiation leakage, and that can be accessed from a target available at the institution. It has also the intention of simulating situations that involve training of personnel in order to obtain methods that allow to save financial resources, and even to avoid that those who are involved are exposed to risks unnecessarily. The simulator is expected to help design, test, and improve ways to maintain the physical integrity of the facility and provide end users with a better sense of immersion and attractiveness
Caracterização de suportes cerâmicos de óxido de titânio para tratamento de efluentes da área nuclear
Get PDFO crescente desenvolvimento dos processos de separação por membranas (PSM) tem sido justificado por se tratar de uma técnica de separação de fácil operação e que, em geral, não envolve mudança de fase. Os PSM vêm se tornando uma tecnologia cada vez mais importante, com aplicação em diversas áreas para separar, concentrar ou purificar soluções. As membranas cerâmicas apresentam propriedades superiores as poliméricas, principalmente quanto a resistência química a solventes e condições extremas de temperatura e pH. Membranas cerâmicas são compostas por um suporte poroso, responsável pela resistência mecânica e recobertas por uma fina camada filtrante, responsável pela seletividade. Neste trabalho foram preparados suportes a base de óxido de titânio (TiO2), que apresenta alta estabilidade química, térmica, resistência a solventes orgânicos e aplicação em ampla faixa de pH (0-14). Foram preparadas três suspensões aquosas contendo, TiO2 e amido de milho nas concentrações de 0, 15 e 30%, agindo como formador de poros. As suspensões foram secas em Spray-Dryer, para obter uma mistura homogênea e granulada, o suporte foi compactado a pressão de 1,5 Kgfcm-2 na forma de discos cilíndricos de 2,5 cm de diâmetro e sinterizados nas temperaturas de 1100 e 1150°C. Os discos foram pesados e suas dimensões medidas para a determinação da densidade geométrica e porosidade. Testes de permeabilidade hidráulica foram realizados nas pressões de 1 a 4 bar. As condições de 1100°C sem adição de amido e 1150°C com 15% de amido apresentaram porosidades de 42% e 44%, respectivamente, valores próximos do sugerido na literatura, entre 35 – 40%
Análise numérica de transientes em um reator slab guiado por fonte externa
Get PDFIn this study, we aimed to analyze the equations of spatial kinetics applied in one-dimensional slab reactors for use in Accelerator-driven System (ADS) reactors. At first, the neutron stationary equations were discretized by finite differences with the mesh-centered scheme and, then, placed in the matrix form to monitor the Keff value. Subsequently, this parameter was applied in codes that solve the one-dimensional spatial kinetics equations in the reactor of interest, using as reference the Implicit Euler method. In addition, the Runge-Kutta method with time step control, modified with Kaps-Rentrop and Shampine parameters, was also used. In order to certify the correct resolution of the kinetic equations by the codes, their validation was performed in a known Benchmark, the BSS6, divided into two cases: A1 and A2. Thereafter, transients of relevance in ADS reactors and with the presence of an external source were simulated. With these simulations, it was possible to verify that the developed codes showed results consistent with the Benchmark, which allowed the simulation of the planned transients. Regarding the transients, the code which used the Runge-Kutta method behaved properly and presented a percentual deviation of less than 1, for both the Kaps-Rentrop and the Shampine parameters, when compared to the Implicit Euler method. In addition to that, the transients simulated through the Runge-Kutta method, independently from the parameter, in almost all cases, were faster than those which used the Implicit Euler method. Finally, from these data, it was possible to conclude that the code with control in the step time was efficient and can reduce the processing time in more complex transients.No presente estudo objetivou-se realizar a análise das equações da cinética espacial aplicada em reatores unidimensionais tipo slab visando utilização em reatores Accelerator-driven System (ADS). A princípio, as equações estacionárias de nêutrons foram discretizadas por diferenças finitas com o esquema centrado na malha e, então, colocadas na forma matricial, com o fim de se monitorar o valor do Keff. Posteriormente, esse parâmetro foi aplicado em códigos que resolvem as equações da cinética espacial unidimensional no reator de interesse, utilizando, como referência, o método de Euler Implícito. Além disso, também foi utilizado o método de de Runge-Kutta com o controle do passo no tempo, modificado com os parâmetros de Kaps-Rentrop e de Shampine. Para certificar a correta resolução das equações da cinética por parte dos códigos, realizou-se sua validação em um Benchmark conhecido, o BSS6, dividido em dois casos: A1 e A2. Em seguida, transientes de relevância em reatores ADS e com a presença de uma fonte externa foram simulados. Com estas simulações, foi possível verificar que os códigos desenvolvidos mostraram resultados coerentes com o Benchmark, o que possibilitou a simulação dos transientes planejados. Com relação aos transientes, o código que utilizou o método de Runge-Kutta se comportou adequadamente e apresentou erros relativos percentuais abaixo de 1%, tanto para o parâmetro de Kaps-Rentrop, quanto para o parâmetro de Shampine, quando comparados ao método de Euler Implícito. Ademais, os transientes simulados através do método Runge-Kutta, independente do parâmetro, em quase todos os casos, foram mais rápidos que aqueles do método de Euler Implícito. Por fim, a partir desses dados, conclui-se que o código com controle no passo tempo foi eficiente e pode reduzir o tempo de processamento em transientes mais complexos
Um simulador de transientes operacionais de potência em reatores para propulsão nuclear
Get PDFThe work presented highlights the need for the study to determine the reactivity variation ramps necessary and possible to meet the real operational conditions required by a nuclear submarine in this several operating stages. In accordance with the operational requirements and essential maneuvers in certain tactical situations, large power variations in the propulsion are demanded. As these sudden and severe changes in propulsion come from the thermal power of nuclear origin, the nuclear island operators must know what kind of answers and reactivity variations are necessary to meet each requested demand speed. It should be noted that these reactivity inserts are conditioned, not only by the propulsion requests, but fundamentally by the imperative need to ensure the core integrity and the chain reaction sustainability considering the complex, nonlinear and retro-feeding phenomena and effects involved. Considering the highlights, this dissertation presents as results the development, validation and evaluation of the SiTONP (Operational Nuclear Transient Simulator for Propulsion) computational code, used to simulate operational transients that meet the tactical demands of a submarine, and the studies of some simulated cases. This code was developed in this work in C programming language and based on reactor kinetics theories and the calculation of feedback effects, in addition to being based on the SIRER code, used to calculate accident transients. As a result, we did some hypothetical simulations and an analysis is made of how the behavior of the reactor influences the operation of the submarine. In this way, it can be concluded that the SiTONP program is able to generate consistent and real results for several nuclear parameters that may support an analysis of the behavior of the real reactor of the submarine project, in the light of the naval combat doctrine, creating support tools that will make feasible the operation of the submarine within the various tactical and strategic scenarios that may require its use.Este trabalho visa destacar a necessidade de um estudo para o cálculo das rampas de variação de reatividade indispensáveis e possíveis para atender as condições operacionais reais demandadas por um submarino nuclear em suas diversas fases de operação. Em função das exigências operativas e manobras imprescindíveis em determinadas situações táticas, grandes variações de potência na propulsão são requeridas. Como estas súbitas e severas mudanças na propulsão são oriundas da potência térmica de origem nuclear, os operadores do reator devem conhecer quais as respostas e que variações de reatividade são necessárias para atender à cada demanda de velocidade solicitada. É importante destacar que estas intervenções neutrônicas são condicionadas, não somente pela requisição oriunda na propulsão, mas fundamentalmente pela imperiosa necessidade de garantir a integridade do núcleo e sustentabilidade da reação em cadeia considerando os fenômenos e efeitos complexos, não-lineares e retroalimentados envolvidos. Considerando os aspectos destacados, esta dissertação apresenta como resultados o desenvolvimento, a validação e avaliação do código computacional SiTONP (Simulador de Transientes Operacionais Nucleares para Propulsão), utilizado para simulação de transientes operacionais que atendam as demandas táticas de um submarino, e os estudos de alguns casos simulados. Esse código foi desenvolvido nesse trabalho em linguagem de programação C, tendo como base as teorias de cinética de reatores e o cálculo dos efeitos de realimentação, além de ter como base o código SIRER utilizado para cálculo de transientes de acidente. Como resultado, são feitas algumas simulações hipotéticas e é realizada uma análise de como o comportamento do reator influencia a operação do submarino. Dessa maneira, conclui-se que o programa SiTONP gera resultados consistentes e reais para diversos parâmetros nucleares que possam vir a apoiar uma análise do comportamento do reator real do projeto, a luz da doutrina de combate naval, criando ferramentas de apoio que venham viabilizar a operação do submarino dentro dos diversos cenários táticos e estratégicos que possam requerer seu emprego
HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING APPLIED TO CONTROL CENTRE DESIGN OF A RESEARCH NUCLEAR REACTOR
Get PDFThe Human Factors Engineering (HFE) program is an essential aspect for the design of nuclear installations. The overall aim of the HFE program is the improvement of the operational reliability and safety of plant operation. The HFE program main purpose is to ensure that human factor practices are incorporated into the plant design, emphasizing man-machine interface issues and design improvement of the nuclear reactor Control Centre. The Control Centre of nuclear reactor is a combination of control rooms, control suites and local control stations, which are functionally connected and located on the reactor site. The objective of this paper is to present a design approach for the Control Centre of a nuclear reactor used to produce radioisotopes and for nuclear research, including human factor issues. The design approach is based on participatory design principles, using human factor standards, ergonomic guidelines, and the participation of a multidisciplinary team during all design phases. Using the information gathered, an initial sketch 3D of the Control Centre was developed