NUMERICAL ESTIMATE OF THE EFFECT OF SHIP PROPELLERS ON BOTTOM SEDIMENTS IN THE ZONE OF THE NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN CHAZHMA BAY

V. N. Soyfer, Yu. N. Zhukov, and N. P. Rubtsov

A problem of erosion of bottom sediments by currents generated by a rotating propeller of a continuously operating power plant of a ship at the pier where the nuclear accident occurred earlier is considered as a continuation of work on radioecology [7—10] carried out in the zone of the nuclear accident in Chazhma Bay [14] in the framework of a number of projects of the Russian Federation Federal Targeted Program. A theoretical basis for the problem solution is the theories of fully developed turbulence and hydro- and lithodynamic processes in the coastal area. It is assumed that the time of a non-stop operation of the ship diesel (about 24 h) is sufficient to create a dynamically balanced turbulent regime of the water flow in the accident zone. Assuming that the capacity of the power plant, density of bottom sediments, and bottom sediment particle size distribution are known, possible erosion of the surface bottom sediments of a certain diameter is estimated. Spreading of radioactive contamination from the ground zero over the bay bottom is also estimated.