ASTEC Software System - IRSN · Safety of nuclear facilities and systems ASTEC Software System...
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IRSN/PSN - May 2015 - Réalisation : Galets Bleus Group www.irsn.fr Enhancing Nuclear Safety Safety of nuclear facilities and systems ASTEC Software System [ SIMULATION OF CORE MELTDOWN ACCIDENTS ] The software system ASTEC - Accident Source Term Evaluation Code - is developed by IRSN as part of collaboration with its German counterpart, GRS. It simulates all the phenomena capable of occurring during a core meltdown accident in a nuclear reactor, from the initiating event to the release of radioactive products outside the reactor containment. It has become the European reference code for simulating this type of accident and is used by about forty different organisations in Europe, Canada, Russia, India and China. 1- Pressurised water reactor. 2- A kind of PWR developed by the Soviet Union 3- Boiling water reactor. 4- Heavy water reactor . 5- Probabilistic safety assessment. 6- European pressurised reactor. 7- Nuclear Energy Agency. 8- International Source Term Program. 9- International Standard Problems. 10- Severe Accident Research NETwork. Applications The V2 versions can be used for various types of 2 nd and 3 rd generation reactors (PWRs 1 including VVERs 2 , BWRs 3 and CANDU 4 reactors). This V2 series can be used for analysing nuclear reactor safety, assessing radioactive product releases (source term), performing level-2 PSAs 5 and studying core meltdown accident management situations. The applications at IRSN specifically focus on the 900 MWe and 1300 MWe PWRs and the EPR 6 , as well as the interpretation of data from the Fukushima disaster. A full reactor accident sequence can be calculated in just a few hours using a standard PC. Future prospects The code is still being developed as part of a dual approach. The aim is to implement reactor applications in a simple and fast manner, while being able to perform more precise calculations - reflecting the state of the art - of all or part of an accident scenario. Simulating the measures and devices designed to reduce the consequences of an accident has been given top priority in terms of model development. This specifically concerns the cooling of corium or a degraded core by injecting water and the reduction of radioactive releases into the environment. ASTEC’s field of application is progressively being extended to cover fuel storage pools, sodium-cooled fast reactors and fusion facilities such as ITER. Furthermore, IRSN continues to focus its efforts on increasing the diagnostic capacities of ASTEC to support the management of nuclear emergency situations arising from a reactor accident. Modelling and validation ASTEC covers all core meltdown accident phenomena, except for steam explosions and the mechanical resistance of the reactor containment. It comprises a series of software packages or modules that are designed to deal with a sub-set of phenomena occurring in part of the reactor or during an accident phase. This modular structure simplifies the validation process by comparison with the results from an experimental database that is continuously updated, including with data from international programmes carried out within the scope of the OECD/NEA 7 and EURATOM, e.g. ISTP 8 . IRSN’s participation in the ISP 9 exercises led by the OECD has helped contribute to this validation process. The state-of-the-art models are maintained at the highest levels thanks to the capitalisation of new data which is collected in particular through the SARNET 10 network of excellence. The strength of the ASTEC code lies in its ability to model the physicochemical behaviour of radioactive products, and it is considerably more advanced than the models used in similar software. Post-mortem state Phebus FPT4 test ASTEC calculation
Transcript of ASTEC Software System - IRSN · Safety of nuclear facilities and systems ASTEC Software System...
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Enhancing Nuclear Safety
Safety of nuclear facilities and systems
ASTEC Software System[SIMULATION OF CORE MELTDOWN ACCIDENTS]
The software system ASTEC - Accident Source Term Evaluation Code - is developed by IRSN as part of collaboration with its German counterpart, GRS. It simulates all the phenomena capable of occurring during a core meltdown accident in a nuclear reactor, from the initiating event to the release of radioactive products outside the reactor containment. It has become the European reference code for simulating this type of accident and is used by about forty different organisations in Europe, Canada, Russia, India and China.
1- Pressurised water reactor.
2- A kind of PWRdeveloped by theSoviet Union
3- Boiling water reactor.
4- Heavy water reactor .
5- Probabilistic safety assessment.
6- European pressurised reactor.
7- Nuclear Energy Agency.
8- International Source Term Program.
9- International Standard Problems.
10- Severe AccidentResearch NETwork.
Applications
The V2 versions can be used for various types of 2nd and 3rd generation reactors (PWRs1 including VVERs2, BWRs3 and CANDU4 reactors). This V2 series can be used for analysing nuclear reactor safety, assessing radioactive product releases (source term), performing level-2 PSAs5 and studying core meltdown accident management situations. The applications at IRSN specifi cally focus on the 900 MWe and 1300 MWe PWRs and the EPR6, as well as the interpretation of data from the Fukushima disaster. A full reactor accident sequence can be calculated in just a few hours using a standard PC.
Future prospects
The code is still being developed as part of a dual approach. The aim is to implement reactor applications in a simple and fast manner, while being able to perform more precise calculations - refl ecting the state of the art - of all or part of an accident scenario.Simulating the measures and devices designed to reduce the consequences of an accident has been given top priority in terms of model development. This specifi cally concerns the cooling of corium or a degraded core by injecting water and the reduction of radioactive releases into the environment.ASTEC’s fi eld of application is progressively being extended to cover fuel storage pools, sodium-cooled fast reactors and fusion facilities such as ITER. Furthermore, IRSN continues to focus its efforts on increasing the diagnostic capacities of ASTEC to support the management of nuclear emergency situations arising from a reactor accident.
Modelling and validation
ASTEC covers all core meltdown accident phenomena, except for steam explosions and the mechanical resistance of the reactor containment. It comprises a series of software packages or modules that are designed to deal with a sub-set of phenomena occurring in part of the reactor or during an accident phase. This modular structure simplifi es the validation process by comparison with the results from an experimental database that is continuously updated, including with data from international programmes carried out within the scope of the OECD/NEA7 and EURATOM, e.g. ISTP8. IRSN’s participation in the ISP9 exercises led by the OECD has helped contribute to this validation process.The state-of-the-art models are maintained at the highest levels thanks to the capitalisation of new data which is collected in particular through the SARNET10 network of excellence. The strength of the ASTEC code lies in its ability to model the physicochemical behaviour of radioactive products, and it is considerably more advanced than the models used in similar software.
Post-mortem state
Phebus FPT4 test
ASTEC calculation
