[en] The main goal of TACIS 3.6 a project funded by the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), was the front-end engineering for upgrading the Fire Protection System (FPS) of the safety-related equipment of Novovoronezh, Units 3 and 4, and Kola, Units 1 and 2, VVER 440/230 nuclear power plants. As a first step, all the safety-related equipment had to be identified, evaluation criteria had to be established and the existing FPS reviewed against the criteria. In the second step, the selection of the upgrading measures, depending on feasibility and cost estimate, has been accomplished, room by room. The third step, carried out on schedule and completed end July 95, has been essentially the preparation of the Technical Specifications for procurement of the needed equipment including remaining detail engineering. The Russian sub-contactor Atom Energo Project (AEP), who have been the designers of these older NPP s, have done the work with the Italian Ansaldo as the consultants of their Russian colleagues. Practical aspects of the engineering work are discussed and examples of improvements selected for retrofitting described. (author)

[en] An inversion technique for estimating sea wave directional spectra from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images is applied to a set of ERS-1 data relevant to selected Mediterranean areas. The approach followed is based on the analytical definition of the transform which maps the sea wave spectrum onto the corresponding SAR image spectrum. The solution of the inverse problem is determined through a numerical procedure which minimises a proper functional. A suitable iterative scheme is adopted, involving the use of the above transform. Although widely applied to the ocean case, the method has not been yet extensively tested widely applied to the ocean case, the method has not been yet extensively tested in smaller scale basins, as for instance the Mediterranean sea. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of the numerical procedure discussed for retrieving the sea wave spectrum from SAR images. This work provides new experimental data relevant to the Mediterranean Sea, discusses the results obtained by the above inversion technique and compares them with buoy derived sea truth measurements

[en] Report presents problems related to design of accelerator-driven transmutation system (ADTS). In particular, paper describes a design of 80 kW capacity demonstration ADTS consisting of an accelerator (two-step cyclotron), subcritical reactor and target module. Paper presents layout of the mentioned facility as a whole and characteristics of its basic components and modules

[en] Research and development as well as design activities on a subcritical reactor driven by an external neutron source generated by high energy protons impinging on heavy nuclei, called an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) and aimed to fission transuranics and to transmute selected long lived fission fragments are in progress in several countries following the CERN proposal [1]. In 1998, the Research Ministers of France, Italy and Spain established a Technical Working Group (TWG), now enlarged to the most part of the European Union member countries, including members both from R and D organizations and industrial companies in charge of identifying the crucial technical issues for which R and D is needed for the subcritical system and the accelerator. The TWG has recommended to design and operate an experimental ADS (XADS) facility at a sufficiently large scale to become the precursor of an industrial transmuter [2]. A two-years program, for the preliminary design of such a facility, funded by the Italian Ministry of the University, Scientific and Technological Research started in Italy in 1999, with the participation of INFN (the National Institute for Nuclear Physics) for the Accelerator, of ENEA (the National Research Organization for Alternative Energies) and some major Italian Universities for the R and D activities of the subcritical reactor and of Ansaldo and CRS4 (a Research Institute based in Sardinia) for the overall XADS facility design. The involved Italian organizations, which had already started a self-funded activity since early 1998, with a team led by Ansaldo, have addressed the design of an 80 MWth XADS, a key-step towards the assessment of the feasibility and operability of a power ADS. The results obtained so far allow to outline a consistent XADS configuration. The main issues investigated and the associated solutions are concisely described in the paper. Some of the main features of the XADS are typical of the design of large pool-type LMFBRs, whereas a few are peculiar to the ADS (proton accelerator feeding a target unit placed inside an hollow core) or tailored to the use of a heavy coolant (gas injection instead of mechanical pumps) or consistent with the experimental mission of the facility (generated power heat dissipated by air coolers via an intermediate organic fluid loop). (authors)

[en] The CIRCE demonstration facility which is based on liquid Pb/Bi is described in detail. (P.A.)

[en] IRIS (International Reactor Innovative and Secure) is a light water cooled, 335 MWe power reactor which is being designed by an international consortium as part of the US DOE NERI Program. IRIS features an integral reactor vessel that contains all the main reactor coolant system components including the reactor core, the coolant pumps, the steam generators and the pressurizer. This integral design approach eliminates the large coolant loop piping, and thus eliminates large loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) as well as the individual component pressure vessels and supports. In addition, IRIS is being designed with a long-life core and enhanced safety to address the requirements defined by the US DOE for Generation IV reactors. The design of the steam generators, which are internally contained within the reactor vessel, is a major design effort in the development of the integral IRIS concept. The ongoing design activity about the steam generator is the subject of this paper. (authors)

[en] This paper presents the current status of development of ELSY - European Lead-cooled System - a pool-type lead-cooled 600 MWe fast reactor, under development since September 2006, within the Sixth EURATOM Framework Programme. ELSY aims to demonstrate the possibility of designing a fast reactor using simple engineered technical features, whilst fully complying with the Generation IV goals of sustainability, economics, safety, proliferation resistant and physical protection. The elimination of the Intermediate Cooling System and the compact and simple primary circuit with all internal components removable, are among the features to assure reduced capital cost and construction time, competitive electric energy generation and long-term investment protection. The relatively small vessel size is the result of advanced solutions adopted for the primary system which features a cylindrical inner vessel, primary pumps installed into the inner zone of innovative spiral-tube steam generators, fuel elements substantially supported by lead and whose head hanging system extends over the vessel lid through a steel stem, allowing fuel handling from the above reactor hall under full visibility. Safety relies on the physical characteristic of lead, redundant and diversified DHR systems, innovative features which make the primary system more tolerant to Steam Generator Tube Rupture accident. (authors)

[en] HTR projects have been launched within the European Union Framework Programmes (FP's) to consolidate and advance HTR and VHTR technology within Europe. This paper reviews the main achievements arising out of the work in the area of materials and component development. The programme to date addresses material and qualification requirements for the reactor pressure vessel, high temperature resistant alloys and technological development aspects of the power circuit components, material property needs and issues for the graphite core and requirements for Codes and Standards. The experimental programme includes irradiation and feature testing, tests on reduced scale mock-ups and bearings, corrosion, modelling and analysis issues. For the 6. Framework activities which are current, the main European research focus on VHTR is through the RAPHAEL-IP. Results and main conclusions from the work are reported, also a summary of the status of the test work and recommendations for future actions. This programme of work provides important results for the International Generation IV VHTR Materials and Components Research and Development programme as part of the EURATOM contribution. (authors)