A very important step during a prognosis is to estimate the source term - the amount and form of a radioactive source released to the environment over a certain period of time.
As part of the pre-defined data in ARGOS a number of model source terms has been defined, specifying amounts in percentage relative to the reactor inventory at the
time of reactor shutdown, taking radioactive decay and build-up into account.
A model source term can simulate whether a release originates from the stack or from the cooling system and how the release amount varies with time. Combining a model source term with a certain reactor will then produce estimated amounts of radioactive release expressed in Becquerels in a number of time intervals.
ARGOS can also work with a release scenario that includes several source points if the source are in transport.
Experienced users of ARGOS point out that the use of Argos during Fukushima accident had an emissive value. Foreign Embassies and Governments asked ARGOS Expert users how to orient citizens located in Japan. ARGOS provided the decision makers with realistic scenarios and resulted in an orientation message to the Expat’s located in Tokyo.
ARGOS is used during accident exercise. ARGOS is used to provide plume behavior during the "event"; everybody taking part in the Exercise take advantage of ARGOS, because the "accident" can assume a realistic sequence, in changing the plume behavior as many times as needed, making the exercise much more effective; Before ARGOS the scenarios created were just one single sequence, and the accident became limited, restricting strongly the scope of the exercise; without Argos Plant managers had to make a scenario doing the input and output by hand, which implied in about 3-5 days of working.
ARGOS is used to develop a methodology for licensing NPP in complex terrain. This type of task save thousands of man-hours.
ARGOS is used to develop a methodology for licensing NPP in complex terrain. This type of task saves thousands of man-hours.
The biggest advantage of ARGOS is the capacity of preview future alternatives. If you don’t have that capability, and prognosis of the future will be done only in a qualitative way. In case of real emergency things could go with a large fraction of "guessing's", and the use of personal feelings.
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ARGOS now provides situation awareness, overview, visibility and insights for emergency organizations in 13 countries covering more than 400 million people.
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Joining ARGOS also means joining the ARGOS user’s consortium, which is a strong network of 14 countries, research organizations and a committed software company - which all have the joint interest in maintaining ARGOS as strong tool that can be trusted during an incident.
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ARGOS is a robust and mature product developed from more than 15 years of strong user experience and involvement.