Advanced numerical simulation and modelling for reactor safety - contribution from the CORTEX, HPMC, McSAFE and NURESAFE projects

Predictive modelling capabilities have long represented one of the pillars of reactor safety. In this paper, an account of some projects funded by the European Commission within the seventh Framework Program (HPMC and NURESAFE projects) and Horizon 2020 Program (CORTEX and McSAFE) is given. Such projects aim at, among others, developing improved solution strategies for the modelling of neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and/or thermo-mechanics during normal operation, reactor transients and/or situations involving stationary perturbations. Although the different projects have different focus areas, they all capitalize on the most recent advancements in deterministic and probabilistic neutron transport, as well as in DNS (direct numerical simulation), LES (large eddy simulation), CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and macroscopic thermal-hydraulics modelling. The goal of the simulation strategies is to model complex multi-physics and multi-scale phenomena specific to nuclear reactors. The use of machine learning combined with such advanced simulation tools is also demonstrated to be capable of providing useful information for the detection of anomalies during operation. (authors)