Model development and safety assessments for Generation IV reactors
The development and validation of new simulation tools should be performed for GEN IV reactors, aimed at the prevention of severe accidents. The action can cover concepts for barriers to accidents and their modelling for example GEN IV coolants, liquid fuels, fissile and fertile mixtures, fuel for transmutation, innovative automatic control and passive systems, etc. Proposed models for safety demonstrations as well as quantitative risks' estimate should be evaluated and will encompass experiments as well as numerical simulations. Therefore, this action will include the generation of data from experiments aimed at the validation of simulation tools. This activity will also ensure that research and technical expertise on GEN IV reactors' safety is shared effectively at EU level.
At least 5% of the total action budget must be dedicated to Education and Training activities for PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and trainees supported through the action.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the Euratom Programme of between EUR 1.75 and up to a maximum of EUR 3.5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
The first deployable Generation-IV (GEN IV) reactors are expected to be operational in less than 30 years' time and in the meantime, GEN IV concepts and designs currently under development will need to demonstrate compliance with more stringent safety requirements. In this context, a significant increase in the safety levels compared to current technologies is expected to be demonstrated. Gen IV should exhibit more controlled behaviour in the case of severe accidents. The challenge is to develop new assessment and simulation tools for GEN IV with respect to expected safety features.
This action is expected to bring new simulation models and tools to the research community, able to support GEN IV reactors safety assessment in the next decades. These simulation codes, validated on the basis of GEN IV-focussed experimental data and determination of risks will lead to increased safety margins for this generation's designs and concepts. Development in GEN IV fission technology must be driven by key safety goals to meet EU nuclear safety standards. It is also expected that progress achieved in GEN IV models could contribute to safety improvements in other nuclear energy systems and components and have an impact on public understanding whilst also boosting the EU technological progress.