Radiological dose Assessment by Means of a Coupled WRF-HYSPLIT Model under Normal Operation of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract

In the present work WRF model is used to generate meteorological fields for the HYSPLIT dispersion model. Sensitivity and validation of the WRF model, is conducted by utilizing different combinations of physical parameterization schemes. For this purpose, eight different configurations are examined. Assessment of the predictions of the WRF model is carried out by computing the statistical parameters including correlation coefficient (CC) and root mean square error (RMSE). As an example of the results of the WRF model utilizing proper physical configuration at Bousher syoptic station at 03/01/2005 leads to CC=0.82007 and RMSE=1.91783 for wind speed parameter. Once the proper configuration of the WRF model is obtained, dispersion simulations and annual effective dose for adult age group are carried out by WRF-HYSPLIT coupled model under normal conditions for Bushehr power plant. Simulated annual effective dose for adult age group by the coupled model for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 are 5.8E-08 Sv/yr, 6.7E-08 Sv/yr and 1.1E-07 Sv/yr respectively. Results show that simulation and prediction of effective dose with coupled WRF-HYSPLIT model are in good agreement with observations and indicates the validity of the simulations. The ratio of predicted annual effective dose to dose limit (1E-04 Sv/yr) for normal operation is obtained less than 0.2 percent (