Using simulation for intervention design in radiating environment: first evaluation of NARVEOS

Abstract

Interventions design in radiating environment must bring answers to technical and economical constraints on one hand and, on the other hand, to radiation protection principles and rules. Simulation is a key point for a good understanding of the scene and for testing hypothesis. The paper presents how a simulation tool (called NARVEOS), based on Virtual Reality technology and on fast coupling between geometries descriptions and a solver, can provide si gnificant support to engineers in charge of scenario design. Besides feasibility study scenario design for specific projects such as dismantling operations, such a tool is well adapted also for dose projection reduction on regular operations such as mainte nance and outage. The technologies used to interactively and simultaneously compute the dose estimate within a CAD model are presented. By using CAD model and available radiological data (source term description), the software allows simulating the evolut ion of the different features of the digital mock-up (virtual human workers, robots, sources, biological protections, etc.) and evaluating the accessibility issues using interactivity with the end-user. Thanks to this software, users can virtually test the operation feasibility, optimize the costs and estimate the dose rate according to ALARA principle. This tool offers new perspectives for studies, costs and deadlines management of decommissioning projects, as well as for communication between project team s, providers and safety authority about integrated dose optimi zation. The first results of NARVEOS will be reported through several applications carried out within on - going decommissioning projects in several nuclear sites. Some evaluation tests are also presented and discussed.