Discussing scientific issues in the design and qualification of reactor systems

WPRS 24 02 2023

The NEA Working Party on Scientific Issues and Uncertainty Analysis of Reactor Systems (WPRS) held its 20th annual meeting during the week of 20-24 February 2023. The hybrid meeting with 110 experts from 19 countries and 55 institutions addressed the scientific issues in the design and qualification of future and current reactor systems.

During this week, the Expert Group on Physics of Reactor Systems (EGPRS), the Expert Group on Reactor Systems Multi-Physics (EGMUP), the Expert Group on Reactor Fuel Performance (EGRFP) and the Expert Group on Reactor Core Thermal-Hydraulics and Mechanics (EGTHM) also held their meetings.

The discussions covered a range of topics, from practical short-term issues related to the ongoing VVER fuel diversification efforts to longer-term considerations like the trustworthiness and robustness of artificial intelligence applications in nuclear engineering. The WPRS also reviewed its activities supporting the validation and verification of new high-fidelity multi-physics reactor simulations and related benchmarks. A proposal for a new database of multi-physics benchmarks was presented. There was also a strong consensus on the future benefit of international co-operation in the qualification of future reactor concepts, and new benchmarks based on lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) and high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGRs) designs have started.

Data preservation is perceived as one of the key WPRS missions. In this context, the thermal hydraulics community started a new task force on further development of the International Experimental Thermal Hydraulics Systems Database (TIETHYS). In the fuel performance field, the DATabase for IFpe (DATIF) will be distributed together with the International Fuel Performance Experiments (IFPE) data collection, starting in mid-2023. In neutronics, the re-vitalisation of the Shielding Integral Benchmark Archive and Database (SINBAD), which now has a new development process with transparent quality control, has been welcomed.

The WPRS also discussed the launch of its new International School on Simulation of Nuclear Reactor Systems (SINUS), which will serve to educate the next generation of experts. The first session will take place in May 2023.

Please contact the WPRS secretariat if you are interested in joining the activities: wprs@oecd-nea.org.

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Members of the Expert Group on Reactor Fuel Performance (EGRFP)

EGTHM Feb21 2023

Members of the Expert Group on Reactor Core Thermal-Hydraulics and Mechanics (EGTHM)

EGPRS Feb 23 2023

Members of the Expert Group on Physics of Reactor Systems (EGPRS)

EGMUP 02 2023

Members of the Expert Group on Reactor Systems Multi-Physics (EGMUP)

See also