ML20198G278
| ML20198G278 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington Public Power Supply System |
| Issue date: | 02/03/1975 |
| From: | Harold Denton US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| To: | Moore V Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| CON-WNP-1037 WNP-1037, NUDOCS 8605290401 | |
| Download: ML20198G278 (11) | |
Text
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FEB V. A. Moore, Assistant Director for LWRs, Group 2, L l
SAFNITEVALUATIONREPORTINPUT-HETEOROLOGY j
PLANT NAME: WPSS Nuclear Project No.1 - Units 1 & 4 i
LICENSING STAGE: CP DOCEET NUMBER: 50-460 & 50-513 l
RESPONSIBLE BRANCH: LWR 2-3 REQUESTED COMPLETION DATE: January 23, 1975 i
APPLICANTS RESPONSE DATE NECESSARY FOR NEKT ACTION PLANNED ON PROJECT: N/A i
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSE: None REVIEW STATUS: Meteorology Section, SAB - Complete Enclosed is the Meteorology Section for inclusion in the Safety Evaluation Report on the subject plant.
i This section was prepared by R. Kornasiewicz and E. H. Markee, Jr., Site
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Analysis Branch, L.
g signed by H.R.Denton Harold R. Denton, Assistant Director for Site Safety Division of Technical Review Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
DISTRIBUTION:
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WPPSS NUCLEAR PROJECTS NOS. 1 & 4 DOCKET NUMBERS 50-460 & 50-513 SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT INPUT 2.3 METEOROLOGY 2.3.1 Regional Climatology The applicant has provided an adequate description of the regional meteorological conditions of importance to the safe design and siting of the proposed plant.
The Columbia Basin of western Washington has a mild, dry
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climate as a result of frequent incursions of maritime polar air, from the Northern Pacific Ocean, into a basically continental steppe type climatic area. Although maritime polar air masses are the predomi-nant type over the Basin, the air has usually lost most of its moisture in ascending the western slopes of the Cascades and been warmed in descending the eastern slopes. Occasionally continental polar or continental tropical air, in winter and summer respectively, penetrates into the Columbia Basin from the interior of the continent. These continental air masses are responsible for the large annual range of temperatures in the region and also usually result in the occurrence of large diurnal temperature ranges. Temperatures of 90F or higher may be reached on about 33 days annually over the southeastern Columbia Easin while temperatures of 0F or lower may be expected on three days.
On 120 days annually, temperatures of 32F or lower may be expected.
Precipitation is light, averaging about 10 inches annually, since the Basin is in the " rain shadow"of the Cascades and occurs mostly in winter.
Severe weather occurrences in the vicinity of the plant site are associated mainly with severe thunderstorms. During the period 1955-1967, two tornadoes were reported within the one degree latitude-longitude' square containing the site, giving a mean annual frequency of 0.2 and a computed recurrence interval for a tornado at the plant site of 7,600 years. There were no wind storms with wind speeds of 50 knots (58 mph) or greater within this square during the same period and no reports of hail three-quarters of an inch in diameter or greater. The greatest peak wind gust recorded at Hanford since 1945 is 80 miles / hour. High air pollution potencial (air stagnation) can be expected to occur on seven days annually.
The design basis tornado, with a maximum wind speed of 240 miles /
hour consisting of a maximum rotational wind speed of 190 miles / hour and a maximum translational wind speed of 50 miles / hour, a maximum pressure drop of 1.5 psi and a maximum pressure drop rate of 0.6 psi /sec, conforms to the recommendations of Regulatory Guide 1.76 and is sufficient for the area in which the plant is located. The design wind velocity of 100 miles / hour at a height of 30 feet with a return period of 100 years is also sufficient for the site. The snow and ice load of at least 94 psf that the roofs of safety related buildings are capable of withstanding during normal plant operation is sufficient for the area.
2.3.2 Local Meteorology The applicant has provided sufficient information for us to make l
an adequate evaluation of the local meteorological conditions of importance i
to the safe design and siting of this plant. A 16 year period of meteorological data, collectad at the Hanford meteorological tower 14 miles northwest of the plant site, was provided by the applicant and used by us in making conservative atmospheric dispersion (X/Q) esti-mates for the site.
The plant site is on a relatively featureless plain about 100 feet above the level of the Columbia River, which is approximately 2.5 miles from the site toward the southeast through northeast directions.
Terrain elevations within five miles of the site vary by only about 100 feet to the south-southeast through north directions. Toward the north-northeast through southeast directions from the site, however, elevations of the Saddle Mountains and other hills are 400 to 500 feet above that of the site.
Long-term weather records from the Hanford, Washington area show that an extreme maximum temperature of 115F and an extreme minimum temperature of -27F have occurred in the site vicinity. A maximum 24-hour precipitation total of 1.9 inches and a 24-hour snowfall total of 7.1 inches have been recorded at Hanford. Thunderstorms may be expected to occur on 11 days annually and heavy fog (visibility one-quarter of a mile or less) on 24 days. Freezing precipitation may occur on seven days annually, although accumulations are usually light. Wind data collected at the 200 ft. level on the Hanford meteorological tower during the period 1955-1970 indicate that the predominant wind flow direction over the site is from the west-northwest with an occurrence frequency of 19.5%.
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. l 2.3.3 Onsite Meteorological Measurements Program The onsite meteorological measurements program has been compared with the recommendations and intent of Regulatory Guide 1.23 (Safety Guide 23). We conclude that the meteorological measurements program is expected to produce data which, in turn can be summarized to provide an adequate meteorological description of'the site and its vicinity for the purpose of making atmospheric diffusion estimates for accidental and routine airborne releases of effluents from the nuclear facility.
The applicant has installed a 245 ft. high tower 7000 feet west of t he plant site which became operational in February 1974. However, reliable data collection was not achieved prior to April 1974 because of calibration and other problems. Wind speed and direction, as well as air temperature, are measured at the 33 and 245 ft. levels on the' tower.
Vertical temperature difference (delta-T) is measured between the 33 and 245 ft. levels and dewpoint is measured at the 33 ft. level. Wind and temperature measurements are also made atop an auxiliary, seven foot high tower located 80 feet southwest of the main tower. A precipitation gage is located at ground level 40 feet west of the main tower. All instrumentation conforms to the recommendations of Regulatory Guide 1.23 (Safety Guide 23).
Since an annual period of onsite meteorological data are not yet available, we used joint frequency distributions of wind speed and direction by atmospheric stability class (based on vertical temperature
difference) from data collected at the Hanford Meteorological Station tower during the period 1955 through 1970 to evaluate dispersion con-ditions at the plant site. The dispersion estimates were based on wind direction and speed measured at the 200 f t. level, reduced to represent conditions at the 33 ft. level, and vertical temperature difference between the 3 and 200 ft. levels.
Upon completion of the annual data collection period the appli-cant should provide, in a timely manner, joint frequency distributions based on data collected onsite so that the conservatism of the dispersion estimates made using the data collected at the Hanford site can be verified.
2.3.4 Short-Term (Accident) Diffusion Estimates We have made conservative assessments of post-accident atmos-pheric diffusion conditions from the applicant's meteorological data and appropriate diffusion models. In the evaluation of short-term (0-2 hours at the exclusion distance and 0-8 hours at the LPZ distance) accidental releases from the buildings and vents, a ground-level release 2 was assumed. The relative with a building wake factor, cA, of 1048 m concentration for the various time periods following an accidental release were calculated using the diffusion model described in Regulatory Guide 1.4.
7 4 The relative concentration for the 0-2 hoar time period which is exceeded no more than 5% of the time was found to be 7.4 x 10-4 sec/m3 at the exclusion distance of 1927 meters. This relative concentration is equivalent to dispersion conditions produced by Pasquill type F stability with a wind speed of 0.3 meters /second. The relative concen-tration for the 0-8 hour time period at the outer boundary of the low population zone (6440 m) is estimated to be 8.1 x 10-5 sec/m. The 3
estimated relative concentration at the LPZ for the 8-24 hour time period is 5.2 x 10-5,,cy,3; for the 1-4 day perica is 1.9 x 10-5; and for the 4-30 day period is 4.7 x 10-6 sec/m,
3 These values will be verified by using onsite meteorological data in place of the data from the Hanford tower as soon as the data for a complete year are received from the applicant.
2.3.5 Long-Term (Routine) Diffusion Estimates We have made reasonable estimates of average atmospheric diffusion conditions from the applicant's meteorological data and appropriate diffusion models. The highest offsite annual average relative concen-tration of 1.7 x 10-0 sec/m3 for vent releases occurs at the site boundary 2.4 miles east southeast of the proposed reactor complex.
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. 2.3.6 Conclusions The applicant has provided adequate information concerning those meteorological conditions which are of importance to the safe design and siting of the plant. The applicant should provide onsite meteoro-logical data, in joint frequency distribution form as described in Regulatory Guide 1.23 (Safety Guide 23) for at least a full year period, in a timely manner upon completion of the annual cycle. These data will be used to verify the conservativeness of our dispersion value (X/Q) estimates. The applicant's onsite meteorological measurements program, which conforms to the intent and recommendations of Regulatory Guide 1.23, is expected to produce data which adequately describe onsite atmospheric dispersion conditions and can be used to verify our conservative
- and representative estimates of atmospheric dispersion characteristics for both accidental and routine gaseous releases from the plant.
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