|
|
|
OECD/NEA Halden Reactor ProjectThe Halden Reactor Project has been in operation for 50 years and is the largest NEA joint project. It brings together an important international technical network in the areas of nuclear fuel reliability, integrity of reactor internals, plant control/monitoring and human factors. The programme is primarily based on experiments, product developments and analyses carried out at the Halden establishment in Norway, and is supported by 130 organisations in 17 countries. The programme of work in the fuel and materials area includes fuel assessments in postulated accident conditions and investigations in the high and very high burn-up range (both under normal operating conditions and transients). The material work also encompasses the embrittlement and cracking behaviour of internal reactor materials. These investigations are carried out under representative reactor conditions using advanced instrumentation. Key programme areas are:
The programme on plant control and monitoring has provided verification and upgrades of systems for signal validation, performance monitoring and alarm handling. The latter has been investigated within the framework of the human factor programme, mainly by means of experiments in the Halden man-machine laboratory. Key programme areas are:
While offering a stable and well-experienced organisation, the technical infrastructure and the project objectives have undergone substantial upgrades and continual adaptation to users' needs over the years. The 2006-2008 work programme the nuclear fuel area included important loss-of-coolant accident tests (LOCA) carried out with high burn-up fuel. These are the only LOCA tests that are currently performed in-pile worldwide, and complement the work done on a laboratory scale in other institution. The tests carried out in 2006 have provided valuable insights which need to find confirmatory evidence in hot cell post-irradiation examinations. Properties of UO2, gadolinia and MOX fuels in a variety of conditions relevant to operation and licensing were investigated during 2006. Long term irradiations have been carried out with advanced and standard nuclear fuel at high initial rating conditions. Corrosion and creep behaviour of various alloys were studied. The experimental programme on the effect of water chemistry variants on fuel and reactor internals materials have been expanded. Tests to investigate the cracking behaviour of reactor internals material in boiling water reactors and pressurised water reactor s continued, with the aim of characterising the effect of water chemistry and material ageing. The programme on human factors focused on tests and data analyses carried out in the Halden man-machine laboratory, encompassing new designs and evaluations of human-system interfaces and control rooms. This involves, inter alia, the use of the Halden Virtual Reality Facility. Progress has been made in the area of human reliability assessment, aiming to provide data suitable for probabilistic safety assessments. The work on cable ageing has resulted in a technique that is being used at an industrial level for assessing whether cable insulation is damaged, and in those cases to determine the extent and location of the damage. A regular summer school programme to encourage the transfer of nuclear technology and know-how to the younger generation is organised under the aegis of the project. The summer school programme is supported by the NEA Nuclear Safety Division. The Halden Reactor Project operates by way of three-year renewable mandates; the current mandate runs until the end of 2008.
Participating organisations
Programme periodJanuary 2006 to December 2008. Budget360 million Norwegian kroner (~US$45 million)
Recent publications of general interest and press releases
Related links
Last updated: 10 June 2008 |
||
Home - About Us - Work Areas - Data Bank - Publications - Press Room - List of acronyms - Search
