- Author
- Simiu, E. | Cordes, M. R.
- Title
- Probabilistic Assessment of Tornado-Borne Missile Speeds. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Sponsor
- National Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBSIR 80-2117, September 1980,
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- nuclear power plants; tornadoes; flow fields; aerodynamic forces; wind velocity; ballistic trajectories; probability theory; computer programs
- Identifiers
- windborne debris
- Abstract
- A procedure was developed for estimating speeds with which postulated missiles hit any given set of targets in a nuclear power plant or similar installation. Hit speeds corresponding to probabilities of occurrence of .0000001 were calculated for a given nuclear power plant under various assumptions concerning the magnitude of the force opposing missile take-off, direction of tornado axis of translation, number and location of missiles, and size of target area. The results of the calculations are shown to depend upon the parameters: CDA/m, where CD = drag coefficient, A = projected area, m = mass of missiles, and the ratio, k, between the minimum aerodynamic force required to cause missile take-off, and the weight of the missile.