NEA Mandates and Structures


Expert Group on Radiation Transport and Shielding

Chair(s): Robert E. GROVE, United States
Secretary:  Shuichi TSUDA
(shuichi.tsuda@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:30 June 2011
End of mandate:29 June 2021

Mandate (Document reference):

  • Summary Record of the 22nd meeting of the Nuclear Science Committee held on 15-17 June 2011 [NEA/SEN/NSC(2011)3]
  • Summary Record of the 9th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems held on 17 February 2012 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2012)7]
  • Summary Record of the 10th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems held on 22 February 2013 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2013)2]
  • Summary Record of the 12th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems held on 20 February 2015 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2015)2]
  • Summary Record of the 13th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems held on 18 February 2016 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2016)2]
  • Summary Record of the 14th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems held on 16 February 2017 [NEA/SEN/NSC/WPRS(2017)2]
  • Draft Summary Record of the 16th meeting of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems held on 22 February 2019 [NEA/NSC/WPRS/DOC(2019)5/PROV]
  • Mandate of the Expert Group on Radiation Transport and Shielding [NEA/NSC/WPRS/DOC(2019)14]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/NSC/WPRS/DOC(2019)14

Mandate

Scope

Under the guidance of the Working Party on Scientific Issues of Reactor Systems (WPRS), the Expert Group will perform specific tasks associated with radiation transport and shielding aspects of present and future nuclear systems and accelerator-based irradiation facilities. Nuclear systems considered may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • present generation light-water reactors (LWRs) and heavy-water reactors (HWRs) with advanced and innovative fuels, evolutionary and innovative LWRs and HWRs;
  • high-temperature gas reactors (HTRs);
  • fast-spectrum systems and other advanced reactor systems;
  • neutronics issues associated fusion systems;
  • spent fuel and waste management operations.

The Expert Group may also consider radiation transport and shielding for some other types of facilities, including:

  • accelerator, target and irradiation facilities;
  • accelerator-driven (sub-critical) and critical systems for waste transmutation.

Objectives

  1. To provide expert advice to the WPRS and the nuclear/accelerator communities on the development needs (such as data and methods, models and codes, validation experiments) for various nuclear and accelerator systems and scenarios.
  2. To provide specific technical information regarding:
  • 3D Radiation Transport Codes and Methods;
  • pressure vessel and internals surveillance;
  • shielding and dosimetry aspects of accelerator, target and irradiation facilities;
  • neutron activation and shielding.

This technical information will generally be derived from a combination of direct experimental evidence and/or the results of theoretical benchmark analyses (including sensitivity/uncertainty analysis) using validated modelling methods. In either case, the availability of suitable experimental data is a fundamental requirement. A key objective of the group will therefore be to help identify, evaluate and preserve this type of experimental data. In this context, the Expert Group will monitor, steer and support the continued development of the International Radiation Shielding Experiments Database (SINBAD), in co-operation with the United States’ Radiation Safety Information Computational Centre (RSICC).

Links to other NEA bodies and international projects

This Expert Group will report to the Working Party on Scientific issues in Reactor Systems (WPRS) and will maintain close links with the International Reactor Physics Experiments (IRPhE) and International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation (ICSBEP) projects. It should also work in co-ordination with the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion File (JEFF) NEA Data Bank project and with the Shielding Aspects of Accelerators, Targets and Irradiation Facilities (SATIF) community of accelerator shielding specialists. Links will also be established with the Codes and Standards Working Group (CSWG) of the Multilateral Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP).

Deliverables

  • State-of-the-art report on 3D Radiation Transport Codes & Methods;
  • Contribution to the ICSBEP Technical Review Group activity for the shielding chapter;
  • Specification for Deterministic Time-Dependent Neutron Transport Benchmark C5-G7-TD without Spatial Homogenisation for Phase II and Phase III;
  • Organisation of C5-G7-TD benchmark meeting;
  • Co-ordinate the organisation of and publish the proceedings for the SATIF-15 Workshop.

Meeting frequency
The Expert Group shall meet once a year, with additional meetings in support of particular activities (e.g. SINBAD, SATIF).