Thermal Hydraulics Challenges and Opportunities for LWR Initiatives

In an age that advanced nuclear reactors are at the forefront of the research community, we should not forget that future of the nuclear industry heavily depends on the safe, reliable, economic operation of the current LWR fleet. With the advances in modeling and simulation techniques, methodologies, tools, and with the significant operating experience, LWR fleet capacity factor and reliability have improved significantly over the last few decades. That said, changing economic priorities, development, and advancement of competing technologies, evolving regulatory requirements, the LWR industry has been continuously investigating new initiatives using innovative solutions to further improve fleet’s economics as well as overall safety of the plants. However, these new opportunities often present technical and regulatory challenges. Experts from LWR industry will discuss these challenges as well as the new opportunities identified while addressing these challenges via application of innovative solutions, such as for the fuel fragmentation relocation and dispersion (FFRD) and time at temperature (t@T) concepts.