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Technical Meeting on Progress in Performance Assessment and Regulation of Passive Safety Systems in Advanced Nuclear Power Plant Designs
Objectives
The primary objective of the event is to create a platform for discussion, experience sharing, and knowledge dissemination regarding the performance assessment and regulation of advanced nuclear power plant designs (including SMRs) that use passive safety systems.
The focus will be on categories B-D passive safety systems, as described above, that utilize moving fluids (liquid or gas) for heat removal from the reactor, fuel storage, or containment, as well as those that use moving fluids for reactivity control. Additionally, the event will feature presentations on ongoing IAEA activities related to passive systems in nuclear power plants.
Target Audience
The event is aimed at professionals from organizations involved in the design of nuclear power plants (NPPs), operating organizations, universities, nuclear regulatory authorities, technical support organizations, and research institutions engaged in activities related to or supporting the development or regulation of advanced NPPs.
It is open to representatives from all Member States with an active nuclear power programme, including those from countries in the advanced stages of their nuclear programme.
Topics
The following topics (tracks) are proposed for discussion during the event:
- Failure modes of passive systems. Identification and modelling of phenomenological (functional) failures.
- Methods for reliability analyses for passive systems.
- Safety margins and cliff-edge effect considerations in designing passive systems.
- Development and validation of passive system models. Experimental and calculational tools and studies to support passive system performance demonstration. Qualification programmes.
- Dynamic behavior of passive systems. Instabilities in passive systems.
- Defence in depth in plant designs with passive systems (Independence of defence in depth levels. Protection against common cause failures. Redundancy and diversity. Application of single failure criterion).
- Impact of environmental conditions, as well as internal and external hazards, on the performance of passive systems.
- Deterministic and probabilistic considerations in designing NPPs with passive systems.
- Commissioning programmes for NPP designs with passive systems. Operating limits and conditions. Maintenance, calibration, testing and inspections. Ageing management aspects. Considerations optimal operator performance and monitoring of passive systems during operation.
- Regulatory perspectives: requirements, guidance, and expectations for the safety demonstration of passive systems.
- Lessons learned in designing and regulating NPPs with passive systems.
Key Deadlines
17 January 2025 is a deadline for designations to be sent to IAEA through the official channels.