Crisis assistance to nuclear operators: the manufacturer missions and methods

Since 1985, the Framatome Company has provided to Electricite de France (EDF) a technical assistance in the case of major accident on a nuclear power plant. During the accident crisis, Framatome establishes a diagnosis and a forecast about the installation state and proposes the safest solutions to the operator for a limitation of accident consequences. Different tools have been developed by Framatome to identify the consequences of electric power outages or to control the state of coolant circuits using expert systems and a data base about reactor component characteristics. A thermo-hydraulic analysis of the accident is performed by the system, using data transmitted to the crisis center, and hypotheses about the origin of the accident are proposed by the expert. After validation, a classification of risks is established and the best strategy to follow is determined by the system, in particular when non-conventional means are required. (J.S.). 1 fig