Research in the RDS field

The activities in the field "Reactor Dynamic and Safety" (RDS) are focused on the development and validation of methods for the safety assessment of the plant behaviour under nominal and accidental situations caused by internal and external events. In this connection, also fundamental problems of the neutronics, thermal hydraulics, reactor dynamics and material behaviour are the subject of the investigations. The focus of research activities are safety-related studies and analysis as well as strategic questions regarding sustainability. Furthermore, research is done regarding improved sources utilisation of operating nuclear power plants, and critical/subcritical concepts for transmutation of waste.

The RDS group is fully embedded in the Nuclear Safety Research Program (NUKLEAR) of KIT Energy Centre and in the HGF Research Area ENERGY. Moreover, there exist a close cooperation with the Reactor Physics and Dynamic group of the Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology (INR) at Campus North.

The Research and Education activities within the RDS field are focused on the following topics:

  • Reactor physical and dynamic models, processing of nuclear data, methods and calculation procedures
  • Design analyses and safety assessment of reactors and subcritical systems
  • "High-fidelity" multi-scaled procedures
  • Verification, validation and uncertainty quantification on reactor simulation data and tools
  • Neutron physical calculation procedures and methods, nuclear data processing
  • Reactor physics and dynamic of reactors and subcritical systems
  • Development of coupling approaches for neutronic, thermal hydraulic and pin mechanic models safety analysis codes
  • Extension of coupled neutronic/thermal hydraulic codes for safety related core simulations on pin basis
  • Further development of uncertainty and sensitivity assessment methods for the qualification of multi-physics simulation codes
  • Qualification of multi-physics codes using experimental and nuclear power plant data
  • Contribution to education and competence conservation
    • Internships, bachelor/master thesis, doctoral thesis
    • Lectureship on reactor physics, reactor dynamic and nuclear safety
    • Frederic Joliot / Otto-Hahn Summer School of CEA and KIT
    • AREVA Nuclear Professional School