Nuclear Energy Agency Online Bulletin

Covers new material for May 2007

New publications
Nuclear safety
Radiological protection
Nuclear science
Data Bank

New publications

Publications on sale can be ordered at the OECD bookshop: www.oecd.org/scripts/publications/bookshop/redirect.asp.

Free publications are available at www.nea.fr/html/pub/webpubs/ . Paper copies may be requested by sending an e-mail to neapub@nea.fr .

Fifty Years of Radiological Protection
The CRPPH 50th Anniversary Commemorative Review
ISBN 978-92-64-99017-3. 112 pages (1.3 mb).

Disponible également en français :
Cinquante ans de radioprotection
Rapport commémoratif du 50ème anniversaire du CRPPH
ISBN 978-92-64-99018-0. 116 pages (1,3 mo).

Handbook on Lead-bismuth Eutectic Alloy and Lead Properties, Materials Compatibility, Thermal-hydraulics and Technologies
ISBN 978-92-64-99002-9. 692 pages (37 mb).

Radiation Protection in Today's World: Towards Sustainability
ISBN 978-92-64-99013-5. 74 pages (332 kb).

Disponible également en français :
La radioprotection aujourd'hui et la voie du développement durable
ISBN 978-92-64-99014-2. 80 pages (338 ko).

Speciation Techniques and Facilities for Radioactive Materials at Synchrotron Light Sources
Workshop Proceedings, Karlsruhe, Germany, 18-20 September 2006
ISBN 978-92-64-99006-7. 336 pages (13.5 mb).

Nuclear safety

The third NEA workshop on the transparency of regulatory activities was held in Tokyo and Tokai-Mura, Japan on 22-24 May 2007. Workshop participants discussed the communication practices of nuclear regulators in NEA member countries, stakeholder expectations of this communication and procedures for ensuring and measuring transparency. Many of the workshop participants also took part in an optional session in Tokai-Mura, which included an open discussion with local residents. The workshop proceedings are currently in preparation.

The NEA has just issued a set of best practice guidelines (BPG) for the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in nuclear reactor safety applications. The guidelines are expected to have significant value as a repository of expertise for training inexperienced CFD users, as they cover a range of single-phase CFD applications, provide guidance on key considerations in their application and offer general advice on how to resolve any remaining issues. The guidelines could also be used as a template for application-specific BPGs, such as pressurised thermal shock or induced break accidents, which would provide much more detailed information and examples. The full report is available at www.nea.fr/html/nsd/docs/2007/csni-r2007-5.pdf .

Related links

Documents from the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA)
Documents from the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI)
Forthcoming workshops and seminars

Radiological protection

The NEA Working Party on Nuclear Emergency Management (WPNEM) met on 15-16 May 2007 in Paris, France to discuss the INEX 3 consequence management exercises, which examined the decision-making processes employed after serious radiological contamination has taken place and the issues such an event raises in the medium to longer term. In addition to finalising its report on the INEX3 exercises, the WPNEM is also studying areas for improvement in national and international consequence management following a nuclear or radiological emergency. To this end, three new initiatives have been taken: a new expert group on post-emergency recovery issues (including agricultural countermeasures) has been formed; a workshop on stakeholder involvement in consequence management is being planned; and a joint study with the NEA Nuclear Law Committee to investigate the link between nuclear third party liability and consequence management decision making has been launched.

The NEA Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) Working Group on Data Analysis (WGDA) met on 21-24 May 2007 in Paris, France. The WGDA is responsible for the technical analysis of ISOE data, experience and practices related to the radiological protection of occupationally-exposed workers in operating and decommissioned nuclear reactors. The WGDA is currently improving ISOE resources for the protection of occupationally-exposed workers by developing a set of radiological protection indicators, reviewing the use of alpha values in optimisation and improving the data collection for occupationally-exposed workers in reactors being decommissioned. A parallel meeting of the ISOE ad hoc Expert Group on Work Management (EGWM) was also held to review progress to date in updating the 1995 ISOE report Work Management in the Nuclear Power Industry . The goal of the EGWM's work in updating this report is to better reflect the current state of knowledge, technology and experience in the occupational radiological protection of nuclear power plant workers.

Nuclear science

The Fifth International Workshop on the Utilisation and Reliability of High Power Proton Accelerators (HPPA5) was held on 6-9 May 2007 in Mol, Belgium. This series of NEA workshops aims to facilitate the exchange of information on research related to accelerator-driven systems (ADS), which could be used for the transmutation of nuclear waste. Workshop participants highlighted recent improvements in accelerator reliability and in the use of windowless spallation targets as neutron sources in a subcritical reactor. More information is available at http://www.nea.fr/html/science/hpa5/ .

Data Bank

Computer program services

Instructions on retrieving material from the NEA may be found at www.nea.fr . Please note that scientific database access is only available to residents of OECD/NEA Data Bank member countries.