Image: Microscopic examination of U-bearing particles collected at Fukushima-Daiichi, JAEA
The second phase of the joint project on the Thermodynamic Characterisation of Fuel Debris and Fission Products Based on Scenario Analysis of Severe Accident Progression (TCOFF-II) focuses on generating knowledge and data for analysis of severe accidents sequences going from the early stages of the fuel degradation, through the fuel relocation, the molten pool formation in-vessel, reactor pressure vessel (RPV) failure, and the interaction between the corium and the concrete during ex-vessel phases. The project will also generate knowledge and data on fission products (FPs) behaviour in severe accidents and assess how this may affect source term evaluations.
The TCOFF-II project aims to improve the models describing the materials interactions and the role they play in the various phases of the severe accidents, the ultimate goal being the integration of such models in severe accident simulation codes to increase their accuracy. This improvement is driven in particular by state-of-the-art knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of the material systems relevant to the description of core materials degrading through a severe accident sequence.
The TCOFF-II project is launching a call for R&D proposals open to all NEA member countries. It aims to improve thermodynamic database and to validate thermodynamic calculation results of relevance to severe accident scenario analysis based on new experimental work. Priority systems and sub-systems have been identified by the TCOFF-II project members and are listed in the application form.
The overall budget for the second call is 70 000 K Euro 18 months. The maximum financial support that can be granted is EUR 30 000 per proposal.
The first call for proposals took place in the Fall of 2023.
This is the second call for R&D proposals.
The R&D proposal form should be submitted by email to alice.dufresne@oecd-nea.org and ian.hill@oecd-nea.org no later than 22 August 2024.
The selected projects will be expected to present their proposals at the next TCOFF-II project meeting, scheduled during the project meeting on 30 September-1 October 2024, and their progress as requested by the TCOFF-II project during subsequent TCOFF-II meetings.
At the end of their work, a summary report on the work done, including a description of the obtained results and their analysis, will be required.
TCOFF-II secretariat: Alice DUFRESNE
Interim secretariat support: Ian HILL