PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics Academic year

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Nuclear installations in Belgium 2 (Source: SPF Economie, AMPERE Commission report) (Source: World Nuclear Association website, 22/09/2014)

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Detailed installed power in MWe 3 Final shutdown in 2015 (nuclear phaseout law, governmental decision of Summer 2012) Lifetime extension until 2025 (nuclear phaseout law, governmental decision of Summer 2012) (Source: World Nuclear Association website, 22/09/2014) Temporary shutdown from June (D3)/September (T2) 2012 until May 2013, then from March 25, 2014 on: microcracks in the reactor vessel detected during their decennial revision Total capacity larger than originally (installed power increased when steam generators (see description of a PWR) were replaced Beginning of August 2014

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Detailed installed power in MWe 4 Lifetime extension till 20?? (security of supply, future governmental decision) Lifetime extension until 2025 (nuclear phaseout law, governmental decision of Summer 2012) (Source: World Nuclear Association website, 22/09/2014) Temporary shutdown from June (D3)/September (T2) 2012 until May 2013, then from March 25, 2014 on: see doel-3-tihange-2/1488.aspx doel-3-tihange-2/1488.aspx Sabotage at the turbine level in Doel 4, August 5, 2014 : expected restart of operation in early December 2014, early January 2015? And now… ? ? ?

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Nuclear installations in the world (1/2) 5 (Source: World Nuclear Association website, 22/09/2014)

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Nuclear installations in the world 6 (Source: World Nuclear Association website, 22/09/2014)

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Some facts… Between 50 and 55% of electricity generation in Belgium due to the electronuclear channel Law concerning nuclear phase-out still applicable in Belgium… and already not literally applied for Tihange 1 Construction of MYRRHA at the Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK-CEN) in Mol (expected for )  Research reactor with a fast spectrum: accelerator-driven system, both subcritical and critical configurations possible, cooled down by a liquid Pb-Bi eutectic, prototype of a generation-IV reactor 7 (Source: SCK-CEN Mol)

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Some facts… (cont’d) Even in the assumption of… +Dismantling of the Belgian power plants +Management of radioactive waste  huge needs in the world nuclear industry of highly- qualified staff Despite the Fukushima event, many plants are under construction or planned, both in neighbouring and emerging countries (new plants (Finland), EPRs in France, projects of new constructions (UK)…) Few countries took a decision against nuclear energy after Fukushima (Germany, Switzerland, Italy) Other applications of nuclear energy beside electricity generation 8

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year And probably … Lifetime extension of (some of) the current Belgian nuclear power plants (lack of technologically effective or mature alternatives) Environmental constraints and climate changes Necessary short- and mid-term reflection on the Belgian and European energy policy Ambitious research programs for the development of new concepts of reactors: inherently safer, producing less waste and operationally more flexible (Generation IV) 9

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Objectives of the program in nuclear engineering Technical expertise –Nuclear engineering  modeling of power plants  For their exploitation (including control/safety)  For research  Contacts with the nuclear industry and research institutions like e.g. SCK-CEN in Mol –Ionizing radiations  dosimetry and radiation protection Open-mindedness to the energy generation issue in a broad sense 10

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year The educational program in Nuclear Engineering at ULB MA1 PHYS-H406 – Nuclear reactor physics (3-2-0) – P.E. Labeau PHYS-H408 – Operation, control and safety of nuclear power plants (2-1-0) – J.J. Van Binnebeek et N. Hollasky (Bel- V) PHYS-H405 – Physique nucléaire (3-2- 0) – P. Capel PHYS-H407 – Métrologie nucléaire (2-0- 4) – N. Pauly (+ possibly the project) Visit of a power plant (Tihange or Doel) 11

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year MA2 – option nuclear engineering PHYS-H512 – Thermalhydraulics of nuclear power plants (2-1-1) – P. Raymond (CEA, France) PHYS-H513 – Advanced reactors and nuclear fuel cycles (3-0-0) – D. Haas (European Commission) and P. Baeten (SCK-CEN) PHYS-H514 – Reliability and safety ( ) – P.E. Labeau PHYS-H523 – Nuclear safety methodologies (1-1-1) – P.E. Labeau Lab sessions (on research reactors!!) at the Belgian nuclear research center SCK- CEN in Mol Lab sessions using industrial codes in the GDF Suez-Tractebel premises 12

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year MA2 – option nuclear engineering (cont’d) GEST-H506 – Energy Policy and Management (2-0-0) – S. Furfari (Commission Européenne) PHYS-Y017 – Thermal Power Plants and their Environmental impact (3-0-0) – VUB MATH-H507 – Méthodes de Monte Carlo (1-1-0) – A. Dubus 13

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year MA2 Opportunities of a 3-month, 10-ECTS internship (possibly abroad) Master thesis (in the faculty or in the nuclear sector) Study year at the INSTN (Institut National des Sciences et Techniques Nucléaires, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique)  program called “Génie Atomique” :  One term of courses (CEA Saclay or Cadarache)  A second term for the internship (possibly in the USA) 14

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Objectives of this course Knowing that the energy produced in a nuclear reactor comes from fissions of heavy nuclei induced by incident neutrons:  Set up the balance of the neutron population in a reactor, given all possible interactions between the neutrons and their environment  Study solution methods for this balance equation  Establish under which conditions the fission chain reaction reaction is self-sustained  … … and more generally:  Study the modeling of particle transport phenomena  Interpret physically the associated mathematical formalism 15

PHYS-H406 – Nuclear Reactor Physics – Academic year Course organisation: 60% theory, 40% exercises  Lecture notes of R.Beauwens in French (but slight differences) + Powerpoint files on  Reference book: Nuclear reactor analysis, J.J. Duderstadt, L.J. Hamilton (all figures, unless otherwise stated, come from these two references)  Presentation of a PWR design and operation: (French), (English)  Calendar of lectures and exercises: see excel file on web page  Exercises: compulsory!  No project this year  Absences during the tutorials: mark obtained for the exercises during the exam weighted by the percentage of presence during the tutorials  Mark made of 60% for the theory and 40% for the exercises of the exam Written exam (th+ex) for the 1 st session, oral exam for the 2 nd  Course still being modified  comments welcome 16