Members of the NEA joint project Thermodynamics of Advanced Fuels - International Database (TAF-ID) met on 23-25 October 2024, the 10th anniversary of the project's launch, to discuss ongoing work, which has made it possible to develop a reference thermodynamic database for the modelling of irradiated oxide and metal fuels, including accident-tolerant fuels and claddings, and their behaviour during severe accident scenarios.
The participants of the project's Programme Review Group gathered in Paris, France, from seven countries to take stock of progress made and discuss ongoing efforts to assess new systems and validate the database through use cases to improve understanding of severe accident propagation and new fuel designs. They also reviewed the experimental programme, starting in 2025, which aims to provide unique thermodynamic data on Pu-containing samples for a continuously improving validation of the TAF-ID. Finally, an update was provided on the restricted version of the TAF-ID, which will be open to non-participating countries. This new solution will be implemented in 2025.
A special session to mark the project’s tenth anniversary allowed participants to reflect on the main achievements of the project and the development of its work over time. It was an opportunity to discuss the preparation of future project phases and the possibility of new members joining.
The current working version of the database contains 250 binaries, 127 ternaries and 3 quaternaries, and is accessible to project signatories only. A public version containing a limited number of systems, those that have been published in the open literature, is available to all NEA member countries. More information can be found here.
The next meeting will be held in Aix-en-Provence, France, on 3-4 April 2025, in conjunction with a TAF-ID training course.
