Fuel Cycle & Performance, Thermal Mechanics

Nuclear fuel rod

.: Development, implementation and validation of models for  innovative fuel and cladding materials performance for LWRs and Gen IV (Lead-Cooled) reactors, by means of TRANSURANUS (JRC-Karlsruhe), BISON (INL), MFPR-F (IRSN) and SCIANTIX (in-house) codes

.: Investigation of UO2 and MOX fuels in operation and accident conditions – fission gas behavior, helium behavior, fuel cracking, PCMI, HBS – as well as accident tolerant fuel (ATF) systems with FeCrAl alloys / U3Si2

.: Development of parametric analysis for optimal core configurations (breeder or burner) and fuel burn-up, for Gen IV reactors (Lead-cooled and Molten Salt reactors)

 

.: Theoretical and numerical investigation on the collapse of thick tubes under external pressure, aimed at reducing their thickness with respect to existing requirements, so as to diminish the resistance given by conductivity through the metal (interaction with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code committees)

FEM model for seismic analysis

.: Numerical analysis of the response of Nuclear Power Plants to seismic excitation, aimed at:
(i) the definition of a simplified but accurate model to predict the acceleration history at the components supports, so as to reduce safety factors referring to analysis uncertainties
(ii) the assessment of soil damping influence on the component response, in order to obtain a precise definition of its effects
(iii) the definition of fragility curves for significant components, giving their probabilities of failure as function of the peak ground acceleration, also to the purpose of providing hints for a safer design