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

Related publications (41)

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

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

Mathieu Hursin

Informa UK Limited2025

Implementation of an Iter-relevant Qp-based Current Limit Avoidance Algorithm in the Tcv Tokamak

Stefano Coda, Cristian Galperti, Adriano Mele

The problem of avoiding saturation of the coil currents is critical in large tokamaks with superconducting coils like ITER. Indeed, if the current limits are reached, a loss of control of the plasma may lead to a major disruption. Therefore, a current limi ...

IOP Publishing Ltd2025

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

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

Atomic level insight into irradiation effects in nuclear fuel materials

Shaileyee Bhattacharya

Microstructural evolution during in-pile irradiation, radiation damage effects and fission products behavior in UO2 nuclear fuel are key issues in understanding and for the modeling of the performance as well as safety characteristics of nuclear fuels in t ...

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

Investigation of scrape-off layer and divertor transport using infrared thermography and SOLPS-ITER simulations

Claudia Colandrea

Nuclear fusion, with its potential to provide a nearly unlimited energy source, has inspired scientists to work on the development of fusion power plants. Among the various devices designed to harness nuclear fusion, the tokamak confines the fusion fuel, w ...

EPFL2024

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

Intra-pin Reaction Rate Measurements in the CROCUS Experimental Reactor

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Mathieu Hursin, Oskari Ville Pakari, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet, Tom Mager

In response to the need for validating high-fidelity deterministic neutronics solvers capable of providing pin-resolved neutron flux distributions, intra-pin reaction rates measurements were performed in the CROCUS experimental reactor. A specially designe ...

2024

Innovative thermophysical characterization of an ATF composite cladding: the case of silicon carbide

Andrea Cavaliere

Nuclear power is a powerful technology that plays an important role in the fight against climate change, and research is continuously engaged in studies that could further improve its safety. After the Fukushima accident, Accident Tolerant Fuels research h ...

EPFL2024

Quantifying functional group compositions of household fuel-burning emissions

Satoshi Takahama, Amir Yazdani

Globally, billions of people burn fuels indoors for cooking and heating, which contributes to millions of chronic illnesses and premature deaths annually. Additionally, residential burning contributes significantly to black carbon emissions, which have the ...

Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh2024

Experimental study and interpretative modelling of the Power Exhaust in Configurations with Multiple X-Points in TCV

Sophie Danielle Angelica Gorno

Nuclear fusion presents a promising clean energy source to mitigate future energy crises, with magnetic confinement fusion well-positioned to provide a baseload scenario to power future reactors. The unmitigated power exhaust of such reactors threatens its ...

EPFL2024

Neutron-Gamma Noise Measurements in a Zero-Power Reactor Using Organic Scintillators

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Oskari Ville Pakari

Noise measurements in light water reactor systems aid in generating validation data for integral point kinetic parameter predictions and generating monitoring parameters for reactor safety and safeguards. The CROCUS zero-power reactor has been used to supp ...

Ieee-Inst Electrical Electronics Engineers Inc2024

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

Monte Carlo analysis of BWR geometries using a cycle check-up methodology

Mathieu Hursin, Hakim Ferroukhi, Dimitri Rochman, Abdelhamid Dokhane

Recent fuel anomalies at a Swiss power plant have motivated the development at PSI of the "Cycle Check-Up" (CHUP) methodology which consists in performing Monte Carlo transport calculations using nuclide compositions and thermal-hydraulic boundary conditio ...

Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd2023

Gamma-Blind Fast Neutron Detection for Spent Nuclear Fuel Characterization

Alexander Wolfertz

In this thesis, the development and testing of a system for measuring the axial distribution of fast neutron emission of spent nuclear fuel rods is presented. Emphasis is placed on the novel fast neutron detector used which can reliably work in extremely h ...

EPFL2023

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

Extension of the OFFBEAT fuel performance code to finite strains and validation against LOCA experiments

Andreas Pautz, Alessandro Scolaro, Carlo Fiorina, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

The mechanical analysis of nuclear fuel behavior under base-irradiation conditions has traditionally been performed adopting the small-strain approximation. However, many cases of interest for fuel behavior involve the occurrence of large rod deformations ...

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA2023

Design and operational guidelines of solar-driven catalytic conversion of CO2 and H2 to fuels

Sophia Haussener, Sha Li

Sunlight-powered catalytic conversion of CO2 and (green) H2 into fuels and chemicals via Sabatier and reverse water gas shift (RWGS) processes offers a promising solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable energy utilization. The suc ...

ELSEVIER SCI LTD2023