Inspectorate of Housing Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM-Inspectorate) Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation The Netherlands Safety of Research Reactors Research Reactors. Nuclear Safety in Europe First Regulatory Conference Dr. P .J.W.M. (Piet) Müskens Session 2: Challenges and Director - inspector, Department for Nuclear Safety Security Department for Nuclear Safety, Security, perspectives perspectives Safeguards and Radiation Protection
contents • research reactors in Europe (and world wide) • safety for people and safety for patients • stress test on research reactors 2 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
research reactors in Europe & w orld w ide sources of information WENRA - enquiry • research reactors under supervision of the WENRA regulatory bodies (nov. 2010) IAEA data base d b • “Nuclear Research Reactors in the World” (www.iaea.org/ worldatom/ rrdb) 3 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
research reactors in Europe & w orld w ide reactor status 60% in operation 50% 6 3 ( E) 2 4 1 ( w w ) 40% actors shut down centage of rea 30% 30% 3 6 % ( E) 3 6 % ( ) 3 3 1 % ( w w ) % ( ) 20% decommissioned 10% not incl not incl. 3 2 % ( w w ) 3 2 % ( w w ) perc 0% in operation shut down planned or decommissioned in construction (sources: W ENRA-enquiry & I AEA data base ) 4 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
research reactors in Europe & w orld w ide reactor age 60% in operation 50% 6 3 ( E) 6 6 0 ( w w ) f reactors 40% > 30 years 30% 8 0 % ( 8 0 % ( E) ) 7 0 % ( w w ) 0 % ( ) percentage o 20% > 40 years 10% 6 0 % ( E) 6 0 % ( E) 5 5 % ( w w ) 5 5 % ( w w ) 0% 0 - 10 10 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 > 40 0 - 10 10 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 > 40 age [ years] age [ years] (sources: W ENRA-enquiry & I AEA data base ) 5 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
research reactors in Europe & w orld w ide most important safety issues 1. ageing 2. shut down reactors to be decommissioned also 3. safety culture Beware of “small reactor operated by scientists”- Beware of small reactor operated by scientists complacency. 6 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
safety for people and safety for patients the HFR-problem deformations and suspected leak in the reducer of the bottom plug liner of the primary cooling system 7 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
safety for people and safety for patients 8 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
safety for people and safety for patients Governmental decision making proces assessment by y assessment by assessment by Nuclear Supervisor Ministry of Health reactor operation production of radioisotopes not as safe as should be is necessary is necessary but safe ' enough ' Government consideration balance of safety interests Government decision: restart allow ed Government decision: restart allow ed 9 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
safety for people and safety for patients Governmental decision making process three golden rules: � transparency � peer scrutiny p y � responsibility 10 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
safety for people and safety for patients follow-up • careful planning including setbacks and misfortunes • February 2010: start repair • September 2010: start repaired reactor (according to planning) p p ( g p g) • reactor operates without significant problems for 15 months • INSARR mission (March 2011) showed good results INSARR mission (March 2011) showed good results • careful monitoring of the cooling continues 11 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
stress test on research reactors • all nuclear reactors will be subjected to a stress test • voluntary decision by the licensees - Petten: High Flux reactor (open pool, 50 MW th ) th Low Flux reactor (Argonaut, 30 kW th ) - Delft: University reactor (open pool, 3 MW th ) 12 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
stress test on research reactors Reasons to subject research reactors to stress test • vicinity of other nuclear installations (Petten) • vicinity of populated areas (Delft) • flooding susceptible area g p 13 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
concluding remarks • Important safety issues world wide with research reactors are the ageing or the reactors and the large number of shut down reactors, which are not decommissioned. reactors, which are not decommissioned. • In Petten the effects of ageing of the cooling pipes have been temporary overcome by successful repair; careful monitoring continues. ti • The stress test on research reactors will lead to the identification of possible measures to improve nuclear safety of the reactors in operation • Hopefully the stress test will also lead to real decommissioning of the many reactors in shut down state the many reactors in shut down state 14 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
15 Piet Müskens; Safety of Research Reactors Nuclear Safety in Europe; Brussels; 28 & 29 June 2011
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