12/7/2009 Colloquium - Vincent A. Mousseau

Vincent A. Mousseau Idaho National Laboratory

Event Info

Title:  Modern Reactor Safety Software

Date: Dec 7, 2009
Location: 3105 Etcheverry Hall
Time: 4-5pm

Abstract

A new project is starting up at the Idaho National Laboratory to advance the field of nuclear reactor safety. The existing reactor safety tools (TRACE, RELAP, and RETRAN) are appropriate for existing reactors. Their “accuracy” comes from large quantities of experimental data and thousands of years of operating experience (100 reactors * 40 years = 4000 years). However, new tools are required as we move into modern reactors where there is less operating experience and the coverage of experimental data is sparse. For new reactors, modern reactor safety codes will be required to be able to predict with confidence the nuclear reactor behavior in parts of state space with limited data and operating experience. In addition, modern reactor safety codes will also have to combine the traditional deterministic methods of thermal hydraulics and neutronics with the statistical methods of probabilistic risk assessment. This is required as we move from a reactor safety case based on conservative estimates to a risk informed decision making process.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Vincent Mousseau has over 20 years of experience in thermal hydraulics and numerical methods development. In his career, he has worked on RELAP5 and CFD at the Idaho National Laboratory, TRACE at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and numerical methods development at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Before taking a lead role in the new reactor safety project at INL, Dr. Mousseau worked on numerical methods for accurately coupling neutronics and thermal hydraulics.