NEA Mandates and Structures


International Reactor Physics Experiments Technical Review Group

Chair(s): John BESS, United States
Secretary:  Ian HILL
(ian.hill@oecd-nea.org)
Member(s):All NEA member countries*
Russia (Suspended*)
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s): European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:16 February 2017
End of mandate:15 February 2019

Mandate (Document reference):

  •  Summary record of the 10th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems (WPRS) held in  February 2013 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2013)2]
  •  Reviewed at the 7rd meeting of the Expert Group on Reactor Physics and Advanced Nuclear Systems (EGRPANS) held in February 2017, [NEA/NSC/WPRS/DOC(2017)6]
  • Mandate adopted at the 14th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems (WPRS) held in February 2017 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2017)2] (forthcoming)
  • Mandate of the International Reactor Physics Experiments Technical Review Group (IRPHE) [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2017)3]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2017)3

Scope

Under the direction of the Expert Group on Reactor Physics and Advanced Nuclear Systems (EGRPANS), the IRPhE Technical Review Group will coordinate the programme of the International Reactor Physics Experiments project (IRPhE) and the development of the IRPhE Handbook and database. These comprise an evaluated set of benchmark specifications derived from experiments performed at various reactor facilities around the world. The benchmark specifications are primarily intended for use by reactor analysts to validate computational methods along with the associated basic data libraries.

The IRPhE Technical Review Group will also steer the development of a database tool (IDAT) to facilitate user access to the IRPhE benchmarks.

Objectives

The IRPhE Technical Review Group will have the objective to provide the nuclear industry and nuclear research community with an evaluated set of benchmark specifications derived from experiments performed at reactor facilities, world-wide. More specifically the objectives are as follows:

  • Identify and evaluate a comprehensive set of reactor physics benchmark data;
  • Verify the data, to the extent possible, by reviewing original and subsequently revised documentation, and by talking with the experimenters or individuals who are familiar with the experimenters or the experimental facility;
  • Evaluate the experimental data and uncertainties;
  • Compile the data into a standardised format;
  • Perform calculations of each experiment with standard reactor physics codes;
  • Formally document the work into a single source of verified benchmark data;
  • Based on an understanding of industry and research requirements, identify existing or potential sources of experimental data which would fill significant gaps in the evaluated set of benchmarks.

Working Methods

The IRPhE Technical Review Group will closely coordinate its work with other subsidiary bodies of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) developing and using databases of integral experiments. In particular there will be close links with the International Criticality Safety Benchmarks Evaluation Project (ICSBEP). The ICSBEP programme is coordinated through the ICSBEP Technical Review Group, which reports to the Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety (WPNCS). There will also be close links with the spent fuel inventory assessment and shielding areas. Spent fuel inventory assessment is coordinated under the database of measured isotopic concentrations of spent nuclear fuel, with operational histories and design data (SFCOMPO). Shielding assessments are coordinated under the Shielding Integral Benchmark Archive and Database (SINBAD).

A key element of the evaluation process is a rigorous analysis of the uncertainties, including quantification of correlations between experiments. There will be strong linkage between the IRPhE Technical Review Group and the WPNCS Expert Group on Uncertainty Analysis for Criticality Safety Assessment (EGUACSA).  Close liaison will be maintained between the IRPhEP Technical Review Group and the Expert Group on Multi-physics Experimental Data, Benchmarks and Validation (EGMPEBV).

The IRPhE Technical Review Group will also invite and co-operate with experts from non-member countries.

Deliverables

  • Provide new editions of the IRPhE Handbook on DVD at regular intervals (nominally 18 months) and provide downloadable versions through suitably protected websites in accordance with NEA Data Bank protocols.
  • Develop and maintain a database tool (IDAT) to allow users to search the database using keywords and create listings of experiments with matched characteristics. The tool is to be distributed with the handbook in accordance with NEA Data Bank protocols.
  • In liaison with the EGUACSA, prepare a proposal on how experimental correlations can be suitably estimated in a way that will allow their incorporation into the IDAT database. Identify a set of IRPhE benchmarks for inclusion in a pilot study on experiment correlations.
  • In liaison with the ICSBEP, develop guidance on uncertainty assessment and evaluation of experiments.  

 

*The International Reactor Physics Experiments (IRPhE) project was established in 2004. Until February 2017, this project was managed by the Expert Group on Reactor Physics and Advanced Nuclear Systems (EGRPANS) and reported to the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems.