Technical Meeting on Severe Accident Analysis and Management for Non-Water Cooled Reactors

The primary objective of this event is to facilitate the exchange of information among Member States concerning the analysis and management of severe accidents in non-water cooled reactors, with special emphasis on high temperature gas-cooled reactors and molten salt reactors. Key topics to be explored include relevant design approaches for the consideration of defence in depth in the design for the control of severe plant conditions; identification of severe accident scenarios (postulated or resulting from a sequence of events); severe accident phenomena; computer codes for severe accident analyses; and identification of severe accident management measures.

During the event, participants will discuss experiences and technological challenges associated with design, safety analysis approaches, and licensing aspects concerning severe accidents of non-water cooled reactors.

This event serves as a platform for fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, contributing to the continuous improvement in the safety demonstration of non-water cooled reactors.

Target Audience

Participation is targeted at professionals from reactor research and design organizations, licensee organizations, national regulatory bodies, and technical support organizations who have specialized knowledge of, or experience in design and safety assessment, analysis, and modelling of severe accidents for non-water-cooled reactors.

The event is open to representatives of all Member States with an active nuclear power programme, including those from embarking countries in Phase 3 of their nuclear programme.

The event is in principle open to all officially designated persons. The IAEA, however, reserves the right to restrict participation due to limitations imposed by the available meeting facilities. It is, therefore, recommended that interest persons take the necessary steps for the official designation as early as possible.

Topics

The scope of this event will be focused on severe accident analysis and management of non-water cooled reactors, in particular high temperature gas-cooled reactors and molten salt reactors, and is intended to cover the following topics:

• Consideration of defence in depth in the design for the control of severe plant conditions, including containment philosophy.
• The concept of 'severe accident’ as applied to the various non-water cooled reactor technologies, including definition of ‘core degradation’.
• Understanding of severe accident related phenomena.
• Accident progression: severe accident sequences/scenarios, computer codes used for severe accident analyses for those reactor technologies, and evaluation of source terms.
• Design and safety assessment of safety features for the management of severe accidents including:
   
  • severe accident management strategies,
  • inherent safety features,
  • engineered safety features, including equipment survivability,
  • severe accident management guidelines, including radiation protection aspects.
     
• Regulators’ perspective, including regulatory approaches and guidance for, and insights from, assessments of severe accident submissions for non-water cooled reactors.