News from ETSON and its members*
22 Feb 2023 | ETSON | Statement of the ETSON Board on the renewed interest and initiatives in nuclear energy In view of the renewed interest and initiatives in nuclear energy in numerous countries in Europe and around the world, the members of the European Technical Safety Organisations Network (ETSON) – a grouping of 17 EU TSOs and their associated members in Japan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom – have started a network-wide reflection on its future strategy. |
28 Dec 2022 | PSI | ![]() |
“More objectivity would be helpful” The current energy debate could do with more facts and less gut feeling – argue Thomas J. Schmidt, renewables expert, and Andreas Pautz, nuclear energy specialist. The current energy debate could do with more facts and less gut feeling – argue Thomas J. Schmidt, renewables expert and head of the PSI Energy and Environment Research Division, and Andreas Pautz, nuclear energy specialist and head of the PSI Nuclear Energy and Safety Research Division. In this joint interview, they set out the challenges that science needs to address in connection with the Swiss government’s Energy Strategy 2050 and why nuclear energy and renewables experts must work closely together. |
28 Dec 2022 | LEI | ![]() |
LEI involvement in EURAD HITEC benchmarks Lithuanian Energy Institute contributes to the analysis of temperature influence on clay-based material behaviour |
28 Dec 2022 | ENEA | ![]() |
Innovation in Nuclear Safety: design, experience and lessons learned International Workshop to share knowledge about innovative systems and technologies related to the safety of future and current reactors, supporting the technology transfer from research to industry in the field. |
28 Dec 2022 | Vuje | ![]() |
Completion of Steam-Generators fragmentation at V1 NPP From October 2017, the Consortium Westinghouse Electric Spain, Westinghouse Electric Sweden and VUJE is implementing the Project: “D4.2 Dismantling of Reactor Coolant System Large Components” being a crucial part of V1 Nuclear Power Plant (two units with VVER– 440 reactors located in Jaslovské Bohunice site in Slovakia) decommissioning process managed by Slovak company Jadrová a vyraďovacia spoločnosť (JAVYS) and co-funded by the European Union through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. |
28 Dec 2022 | Bel V | ![]() |
Practical example of application of an Integrated Safety Approach (ISA): NSRD of the post-operational phase of the Belgian NPPs In order to establish the Nuclear Safety Requirements Document (NSRD) for the post-operational phase (POP) of the Belgian NPPs, the licensee (Electrabel) applied an efficient Integrated Safety Approach (ISA) based on Bel V recommandations. |
28 Dec 2022 | PSI | ![]() |
Award winning work on high-resolution X-ray radiography methods for boiling experiments at high pressure Light Water Reactors (LWRs) such as the ones operating in Switzerland work at relatively high temperatures and pressures. As a consequence, thermal-hydraulics experiments investigating relevant LWRs phenomena at prototypical conditions require test sections with relatively thick steel walls. This poses significant challenges for the implementation of suitable instrumentation to capture phenomena of interest, such as the flow regimes during transition from liquid to steam. The characterization of flow regimes in the presence of boiling is rather complex, and their better understanding would allow to develop mathematical modeling tools that can be used to optimize equipment and better assess safety margins. To perform in-situ measurements of the boiling process under high-pressure conditions, the team of authors from PSI, ETH, and the University of Michigan has developed a new high-fidelity and high-speed imaging system based on x-ray radiography, which provides high-resolution details on the boiling process while being non-intrusive. Since the instrumentation is located outside of the test section, it has also the advantage that can be easily moved to take measurements in different region of the test sections. |
28 Dec 2022 | LEI | ![]() |
LEI researcher’s internship at IRSN with respect to R2CA project mobility program During the internship the phenomena of High Burnup Structure (HBS) formation was investigated. Working with locally developed mechanistic fission product release code called MFPR-F researcher participated in the code coupling effort, where MFPR code was integrated into TRANSURANUS fuel performance code. |
28 Dec 2022 | ENEA | ![]() |
NACIE-UP CRP on transition form forced to natural circulation An IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Forced to natural circulation transition in the Heavy liquid metal loop NACIE-UP is currently ongoing. A numerical benchmark will assess the capabilty of numerical codes to reproduce experimental data. |
28 Dec 2022 | Vuje | ![]() |
New plugging manipulator designed for Zaporizhzhia NPP arrived to Ukraine VUJE has delivered a manipulator for remote controlled plugging of VVER-1000 steam generator heat exchanging tubes for Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Following South Ukraine NPP, Khmelnitsky NPP and Rivne NPP , Zaporizhzhia is the fourth nuclear power plant in Ukraine which will be using this unique device manufactured by VUJE, a.s. |
28 Dec 2022 | PSI | ![]() |
Synthesis of Metallic Lanthanide Thin Samples This work aimed to produce intermetallic samples of platinoid metals (active metal matrix) and lanthanides (co-metal) and via the method of Coupled Reduction, i.e. a thermal treatment of the combination of the lanthanide oxide and noble metal at high temperature, as high as 1100 °C, under a constant flow of H2. We have demonstrated by means of several techniques, such as Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, Alpha Spectrometry and Radiographic Imaging, that this method, at defined experimental conditions (temperature, pressure and concentration) yields a metallic lanthanide thin film when using platinum as active metal matrix. Conversely, the formation of a bulk intermetallic compound was obtained when using Pd as matrix. Those systems will have applications in different nuclear physic and radiochemistry studies, such as irradiation targets for production of superheavy elements and for nuclear data determination. |
28 Dec 2022 | LEI | ![]() |
ICONDE research project “Innovation in concrete design for hazardous waste management applications” workshop at Lithuanian Energy Institute ICONDE project conducts research into concrete design for hazardous waste management applications. |
28 Dec 2022 | ENEA | ![]() |
Noble gas sampling in air and subsurface using ultra low background high purity germanium Instead of automated sampling for noble gases and analysing stations, manual system can be used to better accommodate costs for the equipment and flexibility of usage. One of this system has been developed by the Traceability Laboratory at the ENEA Research center of Brasimone, which was specially designed in order to keep the sampling equipment separate from the processing and measurement. |
28 Dec 2022 | Vuje | ![]() |
Mochovce NPP Unit 3 commissioning begun VUJE participation at Mochovce NPP Unit 3 commissioning. |
28 Dec 2022 | PSI | ![]() |
MC-EBIS-ICP-MS – a unique dual Ion Source Mass Spectrometer This highlight presents a successful, in-house developed integration of an Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) able to ionize gases to high charge states with a customized commercial MC-ICP-MS. The successful joining of the two ion flight paths is a milestone towards comprehensive routine analyses of solids, liquids, and gases using THE SAME MASS SPECTROMETER, the latter analyses free from atmospheric contamination. After implementation of an introduction system for gas mass spectrometry, routine analyses will comprise isotope ratio and relative abundance determinations of fission gases in used nuclear fuel. In addition to the unique versatility of the MC-EBIS-ICP-MS, inclusion of the EBIS further opens the little-studied field of mass spectrometry of highly charged ions. |
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