Publications related to Development of a High Fidelity Model of the CROCUS Experimental Reactor

Related publications (21)

Assessment of JEFF Nuclear Data Libraries for Reactor Physics and Spent Fuel Composition Applications

Informa UK Limited2025

Advancing Multi-Dimensional Simulation of Nuclear Fuel Behavior: from LOCA Analysis to Fast Reactor Applications

Current research on nuclear fuel focuses on two primary objectives. The first is to optimize the fuel used in the current generation of nuclear reactors in terms of safety, efficiency, and economics. This has driven efforts to increase discharge burnup and ...

EPFL2025

Investigation of Hydrogen Behaviour in Irradiated Zirconium-Based Fuel Claddings by Neutron Imaging and Complementary Techniques

Okan Yetik

Zirconium-based cladding tubes, mainly used as fuel cladding materials in light water reactors, serve as the primary barrier insulating the radioactive fission products from the environment. During operation, the cladding interacts with the coolant water, ...

EPFL2024

Gamma-ray Spectroscopy in Low-Power Nuclear Research Reactors

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Oskari Ville Pakari

Gamma-ray spectroscopy is an effective technique for radioactive material characterization, routine inventory verification, nuclear safeguards, health physics, and source search scenarios. Gamma-ray spectrometers typically cannot be operated in the immedia ...

MDPI2024

Multi-physics Sub-pin Resolution Analysis of a PWR core with nTRACER/CTF for the OECD/NEA TVA Watts Bar 1 Benchmark

Andreas Pautz, Marianna Papadionysiou

The systematic use of high-fidelity high-resolution codes which allow the prediction of safety parameters on a local scale, can result in more efficient use of the nuclear fuel and of the nuclear reactor.The Laboratory of Reactor Physics and Thermal-Hydrau ...

American Nuclear Society2024

Gamma noise to non-invasively monitor nuclear research reactors

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Oskari Ville Pakari, Pavel Frajtag, Tom Mager

Autonomous nuclear reactor monitoring is a key aspect of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s strategy to ensure nonproliferation treaty compliance. From the rise of small modular reactor technology, decentralized nuclear reactor fleets may strain the ...

Nature Research2024

Validation of Intrapin Reaction Rate Distributions from Deterministic Transport Codes

Tom Mager

Efforts are underway worldwide to develop advanced simulation methods of nuclear power plants, with an improved resolution in space, angle and energy. These tools aim to enhance operational efficiency through the predictions of local phenomena critical for ...

EPFL2024

Investigation of the PCMI failure of pre-hydrided Zy-4 cladding during Reactivity Initiated Accidents with ALCYONE and OFFBEAT fuel performance codes

Alessandro Scolaro, Matthieu Alain Max Reymond

This paper presents simulations of Reactivity Initiated Accident on PWR fuel rods performed with two fuel performance codes: ALCYONE and OFFBEAT. These simulations were carried out in the framework of the first phase of the High-Burnup Experiments of React ...

2024

Analysis of transient measurements with thermal feedback and coupled TRACE/PARCS calculations performed on the BME Training Reactor

Mathieu Hursin

This paper presents nuclear reactor transient measurements with thermal feedback and corresponding coupled neutronic-thermohydraulic simulations performed for the natural circulation cooled Training Reactor of Budapest University of Technology and Economic ...

2023

On the Capability of Wall-Modeled Large Eddy Simulations to Predict Particle Dispersion in Complex Turbulent Flows

Mohamed Aly Hashem Mohamed Sayed

Predicting particle transport in turbulent flows has a plethora of applications, some of which are: the transport of atmospheric aerosols, the deposition of blood cells in the arteries of human bodies and the atomization of fuel droplets in combustion cham ...

EPFL2022

The OFFBEAT multi-dimensional fuel behavior solver

Andreas Pautz, Alessandro Scolaro, Carlo Fiorina

The OpenFOAM Fuel BEhavior Analysis Tool, or OFFBEAT, is a multi-dimensional fuel performance code under collaborative development at the Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour (LRS) of the EPFL and at the PSI. The code can be used both for s ...

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA2020

Performance assessment of a 3-D steady-state and spatial kinetics model for the CROCUS reactor

Adolfo Rais

This dissertation covers both experimental and numerical neutronics studies to evaluate the adequacy of the Serpent/PARCS code sequence for modeling the steady-state and kinetics behavior of the CROCUS reactor. The reactor presents design characteristics t ...

EPFL2018

Development and characterization of the control assembly system for the large 2400 MWth Generation IV gas-cooled fast reactor

Rakesh Chawla, Konstantin Mikityuk, Gaëtan Girardin

The present paper is related to the design and neutronic characterization of the principal control assembly system for the reference large (2400 MWth) Generation IV gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), which makes use of ceramic-ceramic (CERCER) plate-type fuel- ...

Elsevier Science Ltd.2008

Comparison of 3D reaction rate distributions measured in an optima2 BWR assembly with MCNPX predictions

Rakesh Chawla, Michaël Plaschy

As part of a joint research programme between the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and swissnuclear, with the co-operation of the Leibstadt nuclear power plant in Switzerland and fuel suppliers Westinghouse Sweden, measurements and calculations have been made ...

Elsevier Science Ltd.2008

BWR stability and bifurcation analysis using reduced order models and system codes: Identification of a subcritical Hopf bifurcation using RAMONA

Rakesh Chawla, Abdelhamid Dokhane

The system code RAMONA, as well as a recently developed BWR reduced order model (ROM), are employed for the stability analysis of a specific operational point of the Leibstadt nuclear power plant. This has been done in order to assess the ROM's applicabili ...

2007

Validation of 134Cs, 137Cs and 154Eu single ratios as burnup monitors for ultra-high burnup UO2 fuel

Rakesh Chawla, Stefano Caruso

A measurement station has been built for the non-destructive investigation of burnt fuel rod segments through high-resolution gamma spectrometry. Four UO2 pressurised water reactor fuel rod segments with different burnup levels between 50 and 100GWd/t and ...

Elsevier2007

Reactivity and neutron emission measurements of highly burnt PWR fuel rod samples

Rakesh Chawla

Fuel rods with burnup values beyond 50GWd/t are characterised by relatively large amounts of fission products and a high abundance of major and minor actinides. Of particular interest is the change in the reactivity of the fuel as a function of burnup and ...

Elsevier2006

Scale-down approach : chemical process optimisation using reaction calorimetry for the experimental simulation of industrial reactors dynamics

Benoît Zufferey

This thesis deals with the combined utilisation of a reaction calorimeter, the RC1® commercialised by Mettler Toledo and equipped with a 2 L glass reactor, and the heat transfer dynamics modelling of industrial reactors. By doing so, the temperature evolut ...

EPFL2006

Zeolite/sintered metal fibers composites as effective structured catalysts

Albert Renken, Lioubov Kiwi

The catalytic filters of sintered metal fibers (SMF) coated by thin MFI-type zeolite (silicalite-1, ZSM-5) films have been synthesized and tested in the reactor with structured catalytic bed. The catalysts show multifunctional behavior, combining catalysis ...

2005

Effects of neutron irradiation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the heat affected zone of stainless steel welds

Raluca Schibli

The effects of neutron irradiation on austenitic stainless steels, usually used for the manufacturing of internal elements of nuclear reactors (e.g. the core shrouds), are the alteration of the microchemistry and the microstructure, and, as a consequence, ...

EPFL2005