Quintessa is very pleased to announce that the latest version of AMBER was released to existing customers with software maintenance agreements in December 2015. AMBER 6.0 represents the culmination of several years of intensive work that has resulted in: spatial awareness and 3D visualisation of AMBER models, capabilities that are unparalleled in this calibre of contaminant transport and risk assessment code; a complete update to the user interface that further improves its user-friendliness, while being consistent with the look and feel of previous versions of AMBER; and additional features, including intelligent text input for the building of expressions.
A demonstration version of AMBER 6.0 is available to download for free. It allows new users to explore example models implemented in AMBER and to implement a tutorial model for themselves. The tutorial model represents a relatively simple total-system model for radioactive waste disposal, allowing the user to include contaminant release and transport in groundwater as well as potential human exposure. The free demonstration version is designed to be used as an educational tool for exploring issues relating to contaminant transport and risk assessment. Users are able to implement and/or extend the example and tutorial models, e.g. to introduce parameter distributions and undertake probabilistic calculations.
Six new example cases have been included with AMBER 6.0, including five based on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) models.
- The Vault Test Case from the IAEA’s guidance on Improving Safety Assessment Methodologies (ISAM). This provides an example of a model for groundwater transport and subsequent exposure arising from a vault-based design for near-surface disposal of radioactive waste.
- A model demonstrating the application of AMBER for calculating Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for another vault-based design for near-surface disposal of radioactive waste. This case is also based on IAEA documentation.
- An example model representing groundwater and erosive releases from near-surface disposal of wastes containing naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). The model reflects one of the scenarios considered within the IAEA programme on Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety (EMRAS).
- A model for a further EMRAS scenario, representing atmospheric dispersion and subsequent deposition of radionuclides from NORM discharges via a chimney stack for a coal-fired power station.
- A biosphere model for radionuclide transport with groundwater discharges to a small lake catchment and subsequent exposures. The model represents one of the cases from the IAEA report on Biosphere Modelling and Assessment (BIOMASS).
- A novel model for migration of carbon dioxide and methane from landfill disposal of municipal wastes to an overlying house, including calculations of concentrations within the building.
Quintessa supports AMBER, both through applying the software to safety and performance assessment studies of contaminants in the environment and in supporting the AMBER user base. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about AMBER, its application and/or about our support programme.