CSNI Technical Opinion Papers
Nuclear Energy Agency
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Technical opinion papers (TOPs) are the summary consensus of experts for a particular topic in the field of nuclear safety. They are the result of work carried out under the aegis of the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI). The first TOP was released in 2002. Topics addressed in TOPs have included: Fire Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA); Recurring Events; Human Reliability Analysis in PSA for Nuclear Power Plants; Managing and Regulating Organisational Change in Nuclear Installations; Living PSA and its Use in the Nuclear Safety Decision-making Process; Development and Use of Risk Monitors at Nuclear Power Plants; Level-2 PSA for Nuclear Power Plants; The Role of Human and Organisational Factors in Nuclear Power Plant Modifications; Better Nuclear Plant Maintenance: Improving Human and Organisational Performance; Research on Human Factors in New Nuclear Plant Technology; Loss-of-Coolant Accidents Criteria Basis and Test Methodology; Nuclear Licensee Organisational Structures, Resources and Competencies: Determining their Suitability; Ageing Management of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities; and Defence in Depth of Electrical Systems.
- ISSN: 27073009 (online)
- https://doi.org/10.1787/91cedea8-en
Applicability of Nuclear Fuel Safety Criteria to Accident-Tolerant Fuel Designs
Following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, many countries began funding research and development on nuclear fuel designs with enhanced accident tolerance (ATFs). ATFs have improved designs, materials and performance features compared with those of the current generation of slightly enriched UO2 ceramic pellets within cylindrical zirconium alloy cladding. This report evaluates the applicability of existing fuel design and performance requirements to some of the new ATF designs (coated zirconium alloy fuel rod cladding, FeCrAl fuel rod cladding, silicon carbide fuel rod cladding, doped uranium dioxide ceramic fuel pellets, uranium silicide ceramic fuel pellets),identifies new phenomena which create the need for new or different performance metrics and design requirements, identifies data gaps and discusses opportunities for international collaborative research to fill them. A variety of new phenomena were identified for the examined ATF designs which challenged the applicability of existing performance metrics and analytical limits or created the need for new criteria. Recommendations to address these challenges are provided with the intention to inform future international research programmes and support ATF licensing.
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