Computational Nuclear Technology

The Computational Nuclear Technology Activity has aimed at conserving, expanding and transmitting the available know-how to the next generation of Nuclear Engineers. The best way to achieve this goal is to combine Education with the performance of high-level Research in the field. Therefore, the Activity focuses on important problems and open issues as set by the Nuclear Technology Community such as the introduction of the time dependence and the optimization of the thermal hydraulic feedback in the stochastic codes of neutronic analysis, the improvements of safety and efficiency achieved by innovative reactor designs, the minimization of nuclear waste and the optimization of the utilization of available Research Reactors.

Some of the most important activities of the group include:

• Development of ANET, an open source, dynamic, stochastic neutronics code with thermal hydraulic feedback and integrated capability of spallation source simulation. Application in the analysis of conventional Reactors as well as of innovative Accelerator Driven Systems (ADSs).
• Analysis of a water-cooled, thermal ADS with breeding capability (closed fuel cycle operation).
• Study of neutron screens’ technology for local neutron spectrum tailoring to meet special irradiation requirements in thermal Research Reactors.
• Optimization techniques for silicon doping by neutron irradiation in Research Reactors.
• Investigation of the nuclear propulsion option for large commercial ships.
• Monitoring of technological developments in the field of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): available designs, new concepts under study, safety levels, flexibility and capability to integrate into networks in combination with renewable energy sources, cogeneration capabilities (electricity generation – sea ​water desalination – hydrogen production – district heating – heat production for industrial uses), financial and licensing aspects.
• Security (in the sense of physical protection) of nuclear installations.