EC - SARNET: A Proposal of Network of Excellence for a Sustainable Integration of European Research on Severe Accident Phenomenology and Management

Objective

In spite of the accomplishments reached in severe accident research, a limited number of specific items remain where R&D is still necessary to reduce further uncertainties considered of importance for nuclear reactor safety, and to consolidate severe accident management plans. Facing and anticipating budget reductions, 51 European R&D organizations, including technical supports of safety authorities, industry, utilities and universities, have decided to join their efforts in SARNET in a durable way to resolve outstanding severe accident safety issues for enhancing the safety of existing and future NPPs.SARNET will: tackle the fragmentation existing in defining/carrying out research programmes; harmonize and improve Level-2 PSA methodologies; diffuse the knowledge to Associated Candidate Countries more efficiently; bring together top scientists in severe accident research so as to be a world leader in advanced computer tools for severe accident risk assessment; The integral severe accident analysis code ASTEC will provide the backbone of the integration. The current knowledge and all the future knowledge generated within SARNET will be integrated in ASTEC.In addition, ASTEC will be adapted so as to be used for any water-cooled reactor applications in Europe. Island GRS will do their best to provide the necessary capacity for maintenance, training and developments. The Network management will coordinate the knowledge generation through joint projects, monitor its integration in ASTEC, make sure that access rights are correctly implemented, disseminate appropriate information using electronic communication links, preserve the knowledge in scientific databases, and identify the missing knowledge. These actions will be decided and controlled by a Governing Board assisted by appropriate advisory capacities. Most the organisations involved will contribute to the diffusion of the knowledge by contributing to the education and training programme.

Fields of science

• natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabases
• engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesnuclear engineering

Keywords

• Severe accident Phenomenology
• severe accident management research

Programme(s)

• FP6-EURATOM-NUCTECH - Thematic priority - Other activities in the field of nuclear technologies and safety of the specific framework programme for the European Atomic Energy Community within the multi-annual framework programme 2002-2006.

Topic(s)

• NUCTECH-2003-3.4.3.1-2 - Sustainable integration of European research on severe accident phenomenology and management

Call for proposal

EURATOMCALL2003-FIXEDDEADLINE
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Coordinator

Participants (52)