NEA Mandates and Structures


Working Party on Multi-scale Modelling of Fuels and Structural Materials for Nuclear Systems (WPMM)

Chair(s): Theodore M. BESMANN, United States
Secretary:  Davide COSTA
(davide.costa@oecd-nea.org)
Member(s):All NEA member countries*
Russia (Suspended*)
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s): European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:14 June 2007
End of mandate:30 June 2020

Mandate (Document reference):

  • Agreed at the 18th meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee [NEA/SEN/NSC(2007)3]
  • Extended mandate at the 21st meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee [NEA/SEN/NSC(2010)3]
  • Extended mandate as a part of WPMM activities at the 23rd meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee in June 2012 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2012)3]
  • Extended and revised mandate at the 24th meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee in June 2013 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2013)2]
  • Extended at the 25th meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee, 11-13 June 2014 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2014)2]
  • Extended and revised at the 28th meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee, June 2017 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2017)3/REV1] 
  • Mandates of the Working Party on Multi-scale Modelling of Fuels and Structural Materials for Nuclear Systems (WPMM) and Its Expert Groups [NEA/SEN/NSC(2018)7]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/SEN/NSC(2018)7

Mandate

Scope

Under the guidance of the Nuclear Science Committee, the Working Party will deal with materials science aspects of nuclear fuels and structural materials, aiming at establishing multi-scale modelling and simulation as a validated predictive methodology for assessment and/or design purposes.

Objectives

To develop and maintain international cooperation between member countries on scientific and engineering subjects such as:

  • Atomistic modelling and simulation of fuels for advanced nuclear systems, specifically including aspects related to first principles description of the actinide bearing phases;
  • Atomistically informed modelling and simulation of nuclear fuels and structural materials at progressively longer time and length scales, focusing on radiation damage effects and on the methodologies needed to achieve multi-scale integration;
  • Verification and validation of simulations and model predictions through uncertainty analysis, evaluation of approximations, code benchmarking, analytical solutions, and experimental data. Identification of fundamental problems encountered in the development of fuels and structural materials and amenable to analysis by both modelling/simulation and experiment to reduce the time and resources needed to develop new fuels and structural materials;
  • Development of new applied mathematics and software tools, particularly those of common interest for fuels and structural materials;
  • Integration of results from multi-scale modelling and simulation into performance codes and materials qualification processes.

Methods of work

To carry out its objectives, the Working Party will provide a framework for joint undertakings to further develop issues under its scope, such as:

  • Organise meetings (workshops, teleconferences, e-mail discussions) to improve the exchange of information between the fuel and structural materials communities on progress and key issues in the multi-scale modelling and simulation approach;
  • Report progress at annual meetings of the NEA Nuclear Science Committee;
  • Continue activities in the following Expert Groups (EG):
    • Expert Group on Multi-scale Modelling Methods (M3);
    • Expert Group on Multi-scale Modelling of Fuels (M2F);
    • Expert Group on Structural Materials Modelling (SMM);
  • Establish tasks forces involving leading technical experts to address issues including gaseous fission products behaviour, links between modelling and validation in structural materials, review of options for replacement of empirical correlations with mechanistic models in fuel performance codes, microstructural description of mechanical properties, etc.;
  • Publish reports and journal articles stemming from the Working Party activities;
  • Sponsor or co-sponsor information exchange meetings and other outreach activities.

The Working Party will interact closely with other relevant NEA working parties, especially with the NSC Working Party on the scientific issues in Fuel Cycle (WPFC).

Deliverables

  • The Working Party will finalise the following state-of-the-art reports:
  • Multi-scale Modelling Methods;
    • Report from the Task Force on “Unit Mechanisms of Gaseous fission products behaviour”;
    • Report from the Task Force on “Fuel micromechanical behaviour”;
    • Report from the Task Force on “Modelling experimental techniques for characterising irradiation defects in structural materials”;
    • Compilation of available codes from the Task Force on “Available multiscale modelling codes ”;
  • The Working Party will establish the technical programme of work of other tasks forces as required;
  • Reports on priorities for collaborative research to be carried out within the framework of this Working Party.