German Research Reactorsafter the Accident of Fukushima Daiichi

7/31/2019 German Research Reactorsafter the Accident of Fukushima Daiichi

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23.03.2012 Gabriele HampelTRIGA Mainz- TWGRR 2012 1

German Research Reactors after the Accident at Fukushima Daiichi

German Research Reactors

after the Accident of Fukushima Daiichi

Gabriele Hampel

Universitt Mainz -Institut fr Kernchemie


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23.03.2012 Gabriele HampelTRIGA Mainz- 2012 3


shut down since

March 2011

shut down year2017 (B) /2021 (C)

2015

2019

2021

2022

2021

2022

2022

17 NPP

Shut down of 7 eldest NNPand NPP Krmmel

Shut down of the other 9

NNP between 2015 and2022

July 2011: Novelation of the Atomic LawGermany

Nuclear power plant


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23.03.2012 Gabriele HampelTRIGA Mainz 2012 4


Aroused debate about the risks of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the

safety of nuclear power plants

Inspection of all German power reactors ordered by the German government

Development of a questionnaire

by the reactor safety commission (RSK)

for safety inspections of the German power reactors

published in April 2011.

June 2011, decision of the Federal Council of Germany

Stress test will be extended to all nuclear facilities including

research reactors with a thermal power higher than 50 kW.

Germany

Aim:

Could radioactivity be released on

a large scale ?


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Basic criteria of nuclear safety technology

Definition of the vitality of the facility:

reactivity decay heat

release of radioactivity and

safety limit of 50 mSv for nuclear accidents

Stress tests

Check of the vital functionsof the research reactor

Is the research reactor robust enough andcomplies with requirements after an accident

also for a combination of the events ?

Content of the stress test


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Questionnaire includes:

natural events as earthquakes, flooding, extreme weather situations

and combined events

civilian events, such as airplane crash, including the burning of

kerosene, leakages, release of gas and terrorist attacks (confidential)

other events, such as station blackout, loss of emergency power for

long periods, loss of cooling

discussion of actions in emergency cases in difficult situations

(possibilities of emergency aid when the infrastructure is destroyed)

Content of the stress test


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Location of different

Research Reactors

in Germany1 = FRG-1 Helmholtz Centre

Geesthacht

2 = BER-II Helmholtz Centre Berlin

3 = RFR Rossendorf

4 = FRMZ Johannes Gutenberg-

University Mainz5 = FRJ-2 Research Centre Jlich

6 = FRM-II Garching/Technical

University Munich

1

3

2

4

5

6


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Stress test for the 3 German research reactors

Different stress tests for each of these three reactor types

FRM II (20 MW; external experts envolved, report 600 pages)

BERII (10 MW; external experts envolved, published)

TRIGA Mainz (100 kW; external experts not envolved)

October 2011: Answers to the questionnaire to the respective

authorities

Documents forwarded to the RSK

March/ April 2012: Response of the RSK

Germany


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Stress test

Reduced questionnaire of 10 pages developed by the RSK

Including the same 4 subjects (natural events, civilianevents, other events,

actions in emergency cases) in a short form

Advantages of the RR of type TRIGA

Inherent safe RR

Low power (100 kW)

No active cooling after operation

necessary

maximum fuel temperature of 300C

Disadvantage: build in the early 1960th

TRIGA Mainz, Germany


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23.03.2012 Gabriele HampelTRIGA Mainz 2012 11


Worst case scenario: crash of a large airplane.

Assumtion:

Total damage of the building and the reactor tank

and all fuel elements destroyed

Support of the TRIGA Vienna

Diploma thesis at the Atominstitut in 2009

Accident Scenarios with Environmental Impact of

the TRIGA Mark II Reactor Vienna

Influence of a kerosene fire: Estimation of effect on

the properties of the Zirconium-Hydrogen matrix of

the TRIGA fuel



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23.03.2012 Gabriele HampelTRIGA Mainz- RRFM, Prague 2012 12


Information to the public

by the scientific personnel of the TRIGA Mainz to all public media and participation

in public debates during the accident

What is the reason for the different reactions regarding the politics, science and

society in the European countries?

How can the communication between public media and scientific personnel be

improved?


Symposium at the 8th 9th of March 2012

Radiation Protection one year after Fukushima


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Should research reactors in the stages of dismantling and/or in temporary

storages take part in the stress test?

Until now, no final decision by the German government.

Advantage: fuel is removed for most research reactors in dismantling

Disadvantage: Annullation of no-fly-zones for airplanes

Examination of the crash of an airplane in a stress test

Research reactors in dismantling and/or temporary storage, Germany


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Another aspect after the accident

Discussions on the utilisation of research reactors, their acceptance in the

society, and the support of research projects in competition to accelerator

facilities

Importance of education, training and research in nuclear safety

A differentiated consideration between power and research reactors

Expertise and knowledge of the scientif personnel of research reactors

For the furuture of research reactors

Neutrons from research reactors can provide an excellent service to the society