Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling for Future Typhoon Estimates at Nuclear Sites

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for assessing typhoon impacts on nuclear power plants fail to accurately account for future sea surface temperature rises and their effects on typhoon intensity, leading to potential overestimation of sea level rise and flooding risks.

Innovation Solution

A method using an ocean-atmosphere coupled model to strengthen a historical typhoon by incorporating future sea surface temperature rise values and water depth-specific sea temperature profiles, simulating the sea surface cooling effect due to typhoon-ocean interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If Atlantic typhoon intensity empirical formula and atmospheric model are used to strengthen reference typhoon, then future typhoon intensity can be estimated, but sea level rise and flooding risks are overestimated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetyphoon intensity estimation accuracyVSAvoidsea level rise and flooding risks
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the key parameter of sea surface temperature from the Atlantic empirical formula to the Western North Pacific specific formula, and adjusts the typhoon intensity parameters according to regional characteristics. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by making the estimation more accurate for the specific region, thereby reducing overestimation of sea level rise and flooding risks while maintaining precise typhoon intensity prediction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a region-specific empirical formula model for the Western North Pacific instead of directly copying the Atlantic typhoon model. By developing a localized copying model that accounts for regional ocean-atmosphere interaction characteristics, the patent achieves accurate typhoon intensity estimation without the overestimation problems that arise from applying non-regional models

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If sea surface temperature rise is incorporated into typhoon strengthening, then future climate change effects are accounted for, but complexity of calculation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuture climate change considerationVSAvoidcalculation model complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary determination of sea surface temperature rise values based on climate change scenarios before conducting typhoon strengthening calculations. By pre-calculating and establishing the sea surface temperature parameters, the patent reduces the complexity of the main typhoon model while still incorporating future climate change effects into the analysis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the calculation process into distinct modules: sea surface temperature rise determination, empirical formula selection, and typhoon intensity calculation. This segmentation allows each component to be handled separately with appropriate complexity, making the overall system more manageable while maintaining the ability to account for future climate changes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Reduces the estimated sea level rise and flooding risks at nuclear power plants by accurately modeling future typhoon intensity, minimizing the impact on safety structures.

Implementation Method 1

The ocean-atmosphere coupled model may simulate a sea surface cooling effect due to an interaction between a typhoon and the ocean using the future sea surface temperature rise value and the water depth-specific future sea temperature profile.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSea surface cooling effect: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentEP4625001A1Method for estimating strongest possible future typhoon for nuclear power plant site
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR POWER CO LTD
  • EP4625001A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4625001A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4625001A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method of calculating a future possible maximum typhoon for a nuclear power plant site, and the method includes analyzing historical typhoons to select a previous maximum typhoon as a reference typhoon, and calculating the future possible maximum typhoon by strengthening the reference typhoon using an ocean-atmosphere coupled model.