TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR HEAVY WATER COOLED REACTORSs (TWG-HWR)

Through activities conducted within the frame of the Technical Working Group on Advanced Technologies for Heavy Water Reactors (the TWG-HWR), the IAEA fosters the global realization and sharing of the benefits of technology advances for HWRs by facilitating international information exchange, collaborative assessments and co-operative research. The TWG provides a global forum for exchanging information on national programmes, provides advice to the IAEA on its activities in technology development for HWRs, marshals support in the home countries for conduct of the agreed activities, and is a means for the IAEA to provide balanced and objective information to all Member States on HWR technology status and advances.

The scope of the TWG-HWR includes design and technologies for current and advanced HWRs, economics, performance and safety, advanced fuel cycles and fuel options, and infrastructure specific to the development and deployment of HWRs. Activities of common interest to the TWG-LWR are conducted jointly. Also, the TWG-HWR scope cuts across complementary thematic topics which are also covered by IAEA's Division of Nuclear Installation Safety, Department of Safeguards, Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology, as well as the TWG-FPT, -NFCO, -LMNPP, -NPPCI, & -T&Q. Therefore, through the one-house approach, recommended activities are sometimes carried out in co-ordination with these groups.

Currently the activities within the frame of the TWG-HWR include:

Publication of a document presenting the results of an International Standard Problem on Inter-comparison of Computer Codes for Thermo-hydraulic Safety Analysis of HWRs
Planning of a collaborative assessment on Advanced Applications of Water-Cooled Reactors (jointly with the TWG-LWR)
Preparation of the Workshop on Nuclear Power Plant Simulators for Education (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, 8-19 November, 2004
Conduct of a CRP on "Inter-comparison of Techniques for Pressure Tube Inspection and Diagnostics"
Conduct of a Coordinated Research Programme on Natural Circulation Phenomena, Modelling and Reliability of Passive Safety Systems that Utilize Natural Circulation (jointly with the TWG-LWR)
Planning of a Coordinated Research Programme on Heat Transfer and Thermo-hydraulic Code Testing for Super-critical Water-Cooled Reactors (jointly with the TWG-LWR)
Documentation of the results of a Coordinated Research Programme on "Establishment of a Data Base on Thermo-physical Properties of Materials of LWRs and HWRs" - presenting new measurements contributed through the CRP as well as data assessments conducted by the participating institutes.
Contribution to a document on HWR PliM /PLEx/ Refurbishment Processes and Technology - led by the Nuclear Power Engineering Section.

MEMBERS STATES (established in 1997)

Argentina
Canada
China
India
Republic of Korea
Pakistan
Romania
The Russian Federation

PREVIOUS MEETING

The last meeting of the TWG-HWR was held at IAEA-HQ, Vienna from 9-11 June, 2004, with some joint sessions with the meeting of the TWG-LWR.

The following is the Chairperson's Assessment of the TWG-HWR:

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held from 7-9 December, 2005.

CONTACTS

For more information you may send an e-mail to Mr. John Cleveland (j.cleveland@iaea.org)