​Safety Analysis & Quantification of Margins

The CATHARE code was first developed to perform safety analyses with best estimate computations of thermalhydraulic transients in Pressurized Water Reactors for postulated accidents or other incidents, such as Large or Small Break Loss Of Coolant Accidents, Steam Generator Tube Rupture, Loss of Residual Heat Removal, Secondary breaks, Loss of Feed-water, etc. Below, the CATHARE simulation of a large break Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA) is explained in details.

Plant Operating & Accident Procedures: integration into full scope training simulators

The CATHARE code is used as a plant analyser, in a full scope training simulator providing real time results. A simplified version of CATHARE 1, CATHARE-SIMU, is implemented in the SIPA & SIPACT simulators used at EDF & IRSN. The standard CATHARE 2 version is implemented in the next generation of simulators: SOFIA, SIRENE, TREFLE & SIROCCO. For some years, the CATHARE parallelism is investigated and improved in order to guarantee real time results for future CATHARE3 versions. Thus, these versions will be integrated into the simulators of our partners.

Small Modular Reactors, NUWARD: a French concept for the future

On September 17th 2019, during the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, CEA, EDF, Naval Group and TechnicAtome unveiled NUWARDTM, their jointly developed SMR project, a PWR-based solution to meet the growing world demand for decarbonized, safe and competitive electricity generation, in the 300-400 MWe range. Based on proven technology, "NUWARD"TM will be a modular solution introducing some significant innovations with major benefits to the operator and product's competitiveness: compactness and simplicity of an integrated design, flexibility for construction and operation, innovative safety approach in line with world's best standards. Skills in research and qualification from CEA, systems integration and operation from EDF, structures and modular experience from Naval Group as well as compact reactor design expertise from TechnicAtome are strongly mobilized to serve these objectives.

We are very proud that our partners have reiterated their confidence in the CATHARE code by integrating it in this project. We enhance CATHARE validation field to be able to achieve studies with specific component SMR design (e.g. steam generators and small containment). We carry out some best estimate calculations with uncertainties propagation.

For the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) concept is part of the innovative solutions needed by the nuclear energy to keep its role as energy supplier. The other innovative solutions presented in this video, fast neutron reactor and fusion energy, are also part of the CATHARE applications.