SAFIR, Safety of nuclear power plants

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SAFIR, Safety of nuclear power plants Finnish
national research programme 2003-2006

• Overview of the programme
• prepared by Eija Karita Puska, Director of SAFIR
• http//www.vtt.fi/pro/tutkimus/safir

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Background Nuclear energy RD

• In Finland nuclear energy RD consist of research
  in three major areas
• nuclear power plant safety (reactor safety), 39
• waste management, 50
• fusion, 10
• In nuclear power plant safety nearly 40 of
  research is done in public research programmes
• In waste management only 2 of research is in
  the public research programmes

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Background - Nuclear Energy RD in Finland
(1999)Total volume 27 million
Research Areas
Funding Sources
Fusion Research 10
Others 6
Others 1
VTT 10
EU 6
FFUSION2
KTM 9
Reactor Safety 39
TEKES 11
XVO
4
3
ALWR
15
Power companies 53
STUK 5
FINNUS
Waste Management 50
4
JYT2001
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Background Research programmes

• The public NPP safety research in Finland is
  organised into reseach programmes and funded by
  several partners
• KTM Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• STUK Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety
  Authority
• Utilities Fortum Oyj and Teollisuuden Voima Oy
• NKS Nordic co-operation in nuclear safety

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Background - FINNUS 1999 - 2002

• FINNUS Finnish national research programme on
  nuclear power plants safety1999 2002
• Research areas NPP ageing, accidents and risk,
  with 11 separate research projects
• Total volume 14,4 million and 130 person years
• An extensive summary of the results is presented
  in the Final report and Executive summary
• FINNUS produced nearly 600 publications
• FINNUS took care of education of new generation
  by producing 26 academic degrees
• See http//www.vtt.fi/pro/tutkimus/finnus and the
  printed publications for detailed information

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Background - FINNUS 1999 - 2002

• FINNUS contributed to the safe and economic use
  of nuclear power in Finland as a strong link in
  the chain of national research programmes by
• developing tools and practices for safety
  authorities and utilities
• providing a basis for safety-related decisions
• educating new nuclear energy experts
• promoting technology and information transfer
• Research continues in SAFIR 2003 2006

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SAFIR is The mid-field of research and education
Safety of nuclear power plants Finnish national
research programme
SAFIR
Safetycase andlicensingevidence
Regulatoryinspectionsandreviews
Utility research
Regulatory research
2003-2006
National research programme
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SAFIR mid-field
Safety of nuclear power plants Finnish national
research programme
Mid-field research activities
Researchactivitiessupportingregulatoryinspecti
onsdo notbelong toSAFIR.
Researchactivitiessupportinglicensingdo
notbelong toSAFIR.
Utilities (TVO, Fortum)
Regulatory body (STUK)
Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)
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General SAFIR objectives

• Basic preparedness
• expertise
• methods
• Education
• new experts
• experienced experts
• Networks
• domestic
• international

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Planning of SAFIR - Future safety challenges
design analysis
integrity
function
physical barriers
plant functions
initiating events
operation
risks
safety management
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Planning of SAFIR - Grouping of challenges
1
2
1. New fuel designsand enhanced use
2. Ensurance of integrity ofan ageing reactor
circuit
4. New types ofnuclear power plants
9. Plant lifetime management
4
3
6. Automation modernizations
7. Control room modernizations
3. Ensurance of containmentintegrity and
leak-tightness
8. Operational developmentwith modern technology
5. Uncertainties associatedwith process safety
functions
5
11. Risk analysisof external effects
6
10. Development of organisationalculture and
safety management
12. Risk-informed safetyand operational
management
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SAFIR 2003 The Research

• 4 million and 31 person years
• 19 research projects
• VTT as the major research organisation (some 90
  of research), others
• Lappeenranta University of Technology
• Fortum Nuclear Services
• RAMSE Consulting
• plus some other partners as subcontractors

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SAFIR 2003 The Funding
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SAFIR 2003 The Expenses
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SAFIR 2003 Six Research Areas

• 1. Reactor fuel and core
• 2. Reactor circuit and structural safety
• 3. Containment and process safety functions
• 4. Automation, control room and information
  technology
• 5. Organisations and safety management
• 6. Risk-informed safety management
• Each area has a reference group that superwises
  the research
• Additional Ad hoc groups in large areas

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SAFIR 2003
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SAFIR 2003
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1. Reactor fuel and core
CRITICALITY
SAFETY
FUEL
ICFM
CORE
FUEL
THERMAL
MECHANICS
ICFM IN-CORE FUEL MANAGEMENT
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SAFIR projects in 2003

• 1. Reactor fuel and core
• Enhanced methods for reactor analysis (EMERALD),
• 525 k / 48 person months / VTT Processes
• High-burnup upgrades in fuel behaviour modelling
  (KORU),
• 210 k / 20,5 person months / VTT Processes

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2. Reactor circuit and structural safety
Plant lifetime management
Reactor circuit integrity
Requirements design manufacturing
Inspection characterisation predictions
Risk-informed safety management
Operational development with modern technology
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SAFIR projects in 2003

• 2. Reactor circuit and structural integrity
• Integrity and life time of reactor circuits
  (INTELI),
• 1057 k / 77,9 person months / VTT Industrial
  Systems
• Ageing of the Function of the Containment
  Building (AGCONT),
• 13 k / 1,1 person months / VTT Building and
  Transport
• Participation in the OECD NEA Task Group Concrete
  Ageing (CONAGE),
• 9,48 k / 0,6 person months / VTT Building and
  Transport
• Concrete Technological Studies Related to the
  Construction, Inspection and Reparation of the
  Nuclear Power Plant Structures (CONTECH),
• 100,6 k / 8 person months / VTT Building and
  Transport

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3. Containment and process safety functions
Containment
Potentialreleases,environmentaleffects
External threats
Effects of ageing oncontainment function
Integrity
Leak-tightness
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SAFIR projects in 2003

• 3. Containment and process safety functions
• Wall Response to Soft Impact (WARSI),
• 137,7 k /13 person months / VTT Industrial
  Systems
• The Integral Code for Design Basis Accident
  Analyses (TIFANY),
• 206,8 k / 17 person months / Fortum Nuclear
  Services
• Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of Nuclear Reactors
  (THEA),
• 187 k / 12 person months / VTT Processes
• Severe Accidents and Nuclear Containment
  integrity (SANCY),
• 315,6 k / 17 person months / VTT Processes
• Fission product gas and aerosol particle control
  (FIKSU),
• 98,2 k /10,5 person months / VTT Processes
• Emergency preparedness supporting studies (OTUS),
• 50 k /4,5 person months / VTT Processes
• Archiving experiment data (KOETAR),
• 60 k / 6 person months / Lappeenranta
  University of Technology
• Condensation pool experiments (POOLEX),
• 152,5 k / 15 person months / Lappeenranta
  University of Technology

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4. Automation, control room and information
technology
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SAFIR projects in 2003

• 4. Automation, control room and information
  technology
• Interaction approach to development of control
  rooms (IDEC),
• 140 k /12 person months / VTT Industrial
  Systems
• Application Possibilities of Systematic
  Requirements Management in the Improvement of
  Nuclear Safety in Finland (APSREM),
• 50 k / 3,8 person months / RAMSE Consulting

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5. Organisations and safety management
Theoreticaldevelopment
Practicalproblems
Pressurefor change
developmentoftechnology
understandingculturalaspects
implementationofchanges
improvedproductivity efficiency
changesinage structure
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SAFIR projects in 2003

• 5.Organisations and safety management
• Organisational culture and management of change
  (CULMA),
• 205,7 k / 17 person moths / VTT Industrial
  Systems

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6. Risk-informed safety management
Development of risk analysis
Level 1 PSAplant design
Level 1 PSAplant operation
Level 2 PSA severeaccident management
Fire safetyand risk analysis
Risk analysisof external effects
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SAFIR projects in 2003

• 6. Risk-informed safety management
• Potential of Fire Spread (POTFIS),
• 158 k / 12 person months / VTT Building and
  Transport
• Principles and Practices of Risk-Informed Safety
  MAnagement (PPRISMA).
• 258,55 k / 24,4 person months / VTT Industrial
  Systems

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SAFIR The Education

• SAFIR is an important forum for education of
  nuclear experts in Finland
• Education takes place via research work in the
  SAFIR projects
• Education is a continuous process
• New experts into the nuclear field - largely via
  tutoring by the old experts
• New challenging tasks for the old experts old
  experts have to acquire new skills

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SAFIR 2003 The Network

• SAFIR is a forum for information exchange and
  link between researchers and organisations
• some 130 persons involved in the research work in
  the projects of SAFIR
• 80 persons from safety authority STUK, utilities
  Fortum and TVO, VTT, universities and other
  organisations involved in the quidance of
  research via the steering group and six reference
  groups (meeting 3-4 times annually)

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6 Reference Groups
1. Reactorfuel core
2. Reactor circuitand structural safety
6. Risk-informedsafety management
3. Containmentand processsafety functions
5. Organisationsand safetymanagement
4. Automation,control room IT
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VTTs role in SAFIR

• VTT Processes has been selected as the
  coordination unit for the period 2002-2004
• VTT is the main/responsible partner in 15 out of
  the 19 research projects in 2003
• VTT has a key role in the funding of SAFIR for
  2003 with some 1 million
• VTTs research units decide independently on
  their funding in SAFIR and the direction of the
  funding within SAFIR