Weibull parameter calculation and estimation of wind speeds for the return period: A case study in the Kori and Wolsong NPP areas

This paper presents the results of a case study on a wind characteristic analysis performed using a probabilistic distribution function to evaluate the meteorology of the Kori and Wolsong nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the Republic of Korea. The return period for daily extreme wind speed considering the wind direction was estimated using a Weibull distribution for the Kori and Wolsong NPP sites. From the directional wind calculation, the Weibull scale parameter c ranged from 5.83 to 9.06 at the Kori site and from 4.53 to 6.79 at the Wolsong site. The shape parameter k ranged from 1.97 to 3.59 at the Kori site and from 2.56 to 4.77 at the Wolsong site. The minimum and maximum directional wind speeds for the return period were 10.29 and 21.00 m/s in the WSW and WNW directions, respectively, at the Kori site and 6.54 and 12.07 m/s, respectively, at the Wolsong site. The results of this research offer a useful reference to evaluate the site safety assessment for the construction of Shin-Kori units 5 and 6 near the Kori site and a 2nd-stage low-intermediate level radioactive waste depository site near the Wolsong site. The study results can also be utilized to plan an evacuation pathway during unexpected radiation emergency conditions.