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A Pathway for the Development of Advanced Reactor Mechanistic Source Term Modeling and Simulation Capabilities

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1812897· OSTI ID:1812897
 [1];  [1]
  1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Source term analysis, or the estimation of the potential radionuclide release to the environment during reactor events, is a central focus of the reactor licensing process and a vital part of risk-informed reactor design approaches. A mechanistic source term (MST) analysis is designed to realistically model the release and transport of radionuclides from the source to the environment for specific scenarios, while accounting for retention or transmutation phenomena and associated uncertainties. The objective of MST analyses, in comparison to bounding or conservative source term assessments, is to provide a non-biased representation of reactor risk and improve the information available for siting, emergency planning, and reactor design decisions. In support of the advanced reactor community in its pursuit of MST analysis capabilities, this work outlines a recommended research pathway for the development of MST modeling and simulation (mod/sim) tools.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1812897
Report Number(s):
ANL/NSE--21/21; 169504
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English