Lecture Series "Liquid Metal Cooled Nuclear Systems: Advanced Safety and Thermohydraulic Design Approaches”

Abstract: “Liquid metal-cooled fast reactors (LMFRs) are central to the development of next-generation nuclear systems, offering unique advantages in sustainability, safety, and performance. Their design and deployment require a deep understanding of advanced safety features and complex thermohydraulic behavior, including natural circulation, passive decay heat removal, and transient phenomena in large pool configurations. These aspects are critical for ensuring compliance with stringent safety standards and for validating reactor performance under normal and off-normal conditions.

 This Lecture Series aims to provide participants with a strong foundation in LMFR technology and a comprehensive overview of recent developments in safety analysis and thermohydraulic design.

Over four days, leading experts participating in the EU-funded projects ANSELMUS and LESTO will address key topics such as reactor design principles, core physics with a primary focus on thermal-hydraulics, coolant chemistry, and material challenges. These discussions will include validation processes supported by state-of-the-art experimental facilities.

Additional sessions will address Phenomena Identification and Ranking Technique (PIRT), uncertainty quantification, digital twins, and inspection strategies at high temperatures, as well as passive safety systems.

Moreover, an interactive panel on the social impact of heavy liquid metal technology will provide participants with valuable insights and practical perspectives on how safety and thermo-hydraulics together influence the future deployment of LMFRs. The session will include an open discussion with the experts.”