Codes And Methods Improvements for VVER comprehensive safety assessment

SHORT DESCRIPTION

The water–water energetic reactor (known as VVER) represents an important part of the European energy market. Its safe long-term operation relies on the industrial use of neutrons and thermal-hydraulics codes and methods that allow us to study the conduct of the plant in regular and accidental conditions. However, these codes and methods are subject to international and extra-EU export controls. A new generation of innovative codes and methods that allow the opening of the VVER market to the EU nuclear industry has been developed. The EU-funded CAMIVVER project will improve the European codes and methods for the inclusive safety assessment of VVER reactors. It will take on the developments required for the new codes to be entirely applicable on VVER, generalise 3D multiphysics coupling and test safety assessment.

CAMIVVER will perform developments required for the new generation codes to be fully applied on VVER scope (and to PWR scope too), CAMIVVER will generalise 3D-multiphysics coupling, CAMIVVER will perform experimental validation and benchmark against current industrial codes used for VVER safety assessment, and CAMIVVER will demonstrate CFD utility and compatibility with uncertainty propagation in the frame of a safety assessment.

Finally, CAMIVVER will provide guidance to European Safety Authorities, to VVER operators, and to the international research community, concerning the use of these innovative approaches of codes and methods development.

Project beneficiaries from Ukraine:

  • LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ENERGORISK

Project coordinator:

  • FRAMATOME (FRANCE)

Project description on EU web-site: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/945081