CONFERENCE SCOPE

• Fuel performance and operational experience

  • fuel operation regimes
  • refueling and reloading patterns
  • fuel and control rods performance
  • technologies and equipment for fuel visual inspection
  • fuel discharge burnup
  • fuel element and fuel assembly failures
  • mixed core performance and methods
  • reprocessed uranium fuel operation

• Improvement of fuel design and operation

  • extended fuel cycles
  • new requirements for fuels
  • new/advanced fuels for LWRs and other reactors (including for SMRs)
  • cladding and F/A component materials development
  • fuel fabrication experience and perspectives/advanced techniques including additive manufacturing
  • neutronic absorbers (Gadolinium, Erbium and etc.)
  • power uprate impacts
  • upgraded and new type fuels for extendеd burn-up and load-follow regimes
  • operational requirements for fuels fabricated from reprocessed uranium
  • Specific session on Accident Tolerant Fuel
  • Supply chain stakes
  • European projects

• Fuel modelling and experimental support

  • general concepts and
  • computer codes in TH, TM, neutronics, mechanics for design and licensing
  • sub-models for individual processes and components
  • material properties, fabrication specifications, tolerances
  • on-line measurements and results of post-irradiation examinations at pool-side and in hot-cells
  • irradiation tests in commercial and research reactors
  • nuclear fuel data bases
  • uncertainties quantification
  • modelling and experimental simulation of RIA, LOCA and severe accident conditions
  • use of Artificial Intelligence
  • academic and international research cooperations
  • engineering services
  • core monitoring systems
  • LWR CHF correlations and advanced CFD modelling
  • modelling of E-ATF

• Fuel safety and QA

  • safety criteria, safety programs, safety analyses and research
  • licensing in operational conditions including mixed cores
  • licensing in RIA, LOCA and severe accident conditions
  • licensing criteria for fuel assembly design improvements
  • fresh fuel safety transportation and handling
  • quality assurance and advanced controls
  • LWR fuel issues in the light of Fukushima accident

• Spent fuel performance and management

  • back end options: interim storage, dry storage, wet storage, and long-term storage strategies, MOX
  • spent fuel performance at short-term and long-term storage
  • advanced methods for safe spent fuel storage
  • spent fuel transportation and transportation licensing
  • spent fuel accident analysis and management
  • handling and transportation of damaged and leaking fuels

• Specific issues of LWR fuel reliability

  • operational experience of LWR fuel
  • manufacturing technology and quality assurance
  • measures to identify the failure causes
  • on site exams and services