Facilities

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.

Facility is not operating.

RECI is a 2½ year experimental programme that was brought to completion as of October 2004.

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.

In case of a hypothetical severe accident in a nuclear LWR (light water reactor), the high radiation fields reached in the reactor containment building due to the release of fission products from the reactor core could induce air radiolysis.

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),

This programme will help to better estimate the quantity of radioactive iodine released during a core meltdown accident taken into account when elaborating specific emergency plans.

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:

Iodine is a fission product of major importance, because volatile species can be formed under severe nuclear reactor accident conditions, and may potentially be released into the environment, leading to significant radiological consequences.