Future plans for NRC thermal-hydraulic research

NRC has been developing thermal-hydraulic Systems Codes for 15+ years. The codes have now reached an acceptable level of accuracy and maturity for current generation LWRs. Further development is not likely to produce major changes in their understanding of plant performance or the consequences of initiating events. Thus, NRCs objective is to bring the current thermal-hydraulic code development program to a successful conclusion while, at the same time, maintaining capability for thermal-hydraulic analysis at the minimum level necessary to apply developed codes to reactor issues. Within their overall plan are several specific elements that are designed to achieve this overall objective. NRC intends to maintain a cadre of experts (contractor and in-house) to perform thermal-hydraulic analysis of LWRs such as those required for operating reactor events (e.g., Davis-Besse, LaSalle), licensing issues, and generic research (e.g., front-end of severe accident sequences). NRC also plans to maintain code development/research at the minimum level necessary to ensure codes are acceptable for advanced LWR and CANDU analyses. It is also planned to continually review new information to see if it invalidates their current understanding of code accuracy. It is anticipated that NRC will retain involvement in international thermal-hydraulic activities provided the resource commitment is minimized and there is substantial benefit to NRC. Finally NRC expects to establish and maintain low-cost, experimental capability at universities through construction and operation of scaled loops representing major US Reactor types