Facilities
Type of Facility
This programme is dedicated to studying iodine chemistry under thermal non equilibrium (impact of chemical kinetics) in the primary cooling system in the event of a core meltdown accident in a water reactor.
The CHIP programme follows two axes which respectivly aims to:
Complex measurements were performed at the integral high temperature test facility CODEX (COre Degradation Experiment) between 1995-2002 with electrically heated UO2 fuel rod bundles. The test matrix included the first VVER-440 type integral severe accident experiment.
This emission has an impact on the iodine chemistry (AgI) and on the behavior of aerosols in the reactor primary circuit and in the containment. The presence of control rod material influences the source term potentially present in a PWR containment and likely to in the atmosphere.
The Institute for Nuclear Research Pitesti (ICN) has as main activity objective the scientific research, the fundamental and applied technological development, the exploitation of its own research through technology transfer, design, investments, consultancy, expertise and technical specialized a
SOURCE TERM is an international research programme carried out by IRSN and CEA (Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique) with the support of Electricité de France, the European Commission, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US), GDF/ SUEZ/ Tractebel (Belgium), Atomic Energy Canada Limited (Canada),
Since the core meltdown accident in the Three Mile Island reactor in 1979, a series of experimental safety research programmes has been conducted by a number of international research organisations, including the IRSN, which manages the European SARNET network.
The purpose of the SISYPHE (Simulation du Système Phébus Enceinte) facility at Cadarache was to build a 1:1 replica of the Phébus FP experimental containment vessel, assisting the Phébus test interpretation, for all phenomena concerning thermal-hydraulics and fission product behaviour.
The test section was located downstream of the mixing vessel; it consisted of four steel pipes connected in series and/or parallel.