Internationally recognised thermodynamic data to advance nuclear materials knowledge

TAF-ID-3 (002)

More than 20 international experts gathered for the commencement of the third phase of the TAF-ID project on 16-17 February 2023

The use of thermodynamic data is needed for various analyses involving nuclear fuels and materials. Detailed modelling of the fuel-cladding system is of major importance for studies related to safety improvements, lifetime extensions of Generation II and III reactors and the design of advanced Generation IV systems.

The Nuclear Energy Agency’s Thermodynamics of Advanced Fuels - International Database was established in 2013 to provide a comprehensive, internationally recognised and quality-assured database of phase diagrams and thermodynamic properties of advanced nuclear fuels to meet the specialised requirements of the development of advanced fuels for future generations of nuclear reactors.

More than 20 international experts gathered at the NEA in Paris for the commencement of the third phase of this joint project (TAF-ID-3) on 16-17 February 2023.

During the meeting, participants discussed the project scope, validation of the database through experimental work and educational activities, and confirmed the two next developments of the database that will be released in 2023. This third phase will continue to focus on systems relevant to the modelling of irradiated oxide and metal fuels, and severe accidents. It will also focus on accident tolerant fuels and claddings, and oxide fuel interactions with new coolants (sodium, lead and bismuth).

The current working version contains 237 binaries, 109 ternaries and 2 quaternaries, and is accessible to project signatories only. A public version containing a limited amount of systems, those that have been published in the open literature, is available to all NEA countries here and will be updated during the TAF-ID-3.

See also