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WinLeck: Predicting pipe leakage rates
As part of safety analyses for nuclear power plants it is to be demonstrated that leaks in pipes carrying coolant are safely controlled and managed. In order to be able to realistically describe the consequences of such leaks, especially with regard to the cooling of the reactor core, the quantity of the escaping coolant must be predicted as accurately as possible. With WinLeck, GRS calculates these leakage rates, taking into account all relevant influencing factors.
The sampling based GRS uncertainty and sensitivity software XSUSA (Cross Section Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis) has been developed for the use with nuclear data uncertainties as contained in the nuclear covariance matrices. To this end, many calculations for the problem under consideration are performed with varied input data. The variations of the input data are generated randomly from the given probability distributions of the parameters including possible correlations between them.
Nuclear installations are decommissioned and dismantled at the end of their operational use. Among experts, the term decommissioning covers all measures carried out after a nuclear power plant has been granted a decommissioning licence until nuclear regulatory supervision is no longer necessary.
Germany is currently looking for a site for a repository for about 27,000 cubic metres of highly radioactive waste. The future repository will be built in a geological formation of crystalline rock, salt rock, or clay rock. The radioactive materials are to be safely confined in the repository for one million years and retrievable for 500 years.
GRS’ Geoscientific Laboratory investigates geochemical and geotechnical issues (questions) with regard to the underground disposal of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste. The laboratory represents a unique position within GRS, as it is the only field of activity in which experimental basic research is practised.
If an incident or accident occurs at a nuclear installation in Germany or abroad, the GRS Emergency Centre will spring into action. Up to 60 experts will then gather at the Emergency Centre in Cologne and at our Garching location to inform the Federal Government about the situation at the affected plant.
Nuclear power plants, storage facilities and repositories as well as transports of radioactive materials must not only be safe against errors and accidents ("safety"). They must also be protected against malicious acts or other interference by third parties ("physical protection").
Against the background of a growing world population, the demand for energy, water, food and consumer goods is increasing. The environment is heavily burdened to meet these needs.
Man and the environment are constantly exposed to ionising radiation. It comes from space, from the groud or from technical applications such as nuclear technology, research, medicine or industry.