CIEMAT is a Public Research Agency for excellence in energy and environment, as well as in many vanguard technologies and in various areas of fundamental research. It is part of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
Relevant experience
The group involved in the project is the Nuclear Innovation Unit of the Nuclear Division, belonging to the Energy Department. The group works in nuclear data research since its formation in 1997, participating in the EU projects NTOF-ND-ADS of FP5 and the CANDIDE network of FP6 and coordinating the NUDATRA Domain of IP-EUROTRANS and the ANDES project. It has also participated in the nuclear data experiments n_TOF at CERN, at the JRC-IRMM and the preparation of experiments at FAIR.
The nuclear data activity is part of a wider research program on nuclear advanced nuclear cycles including the nuclear waste transmutation and advanced reactors for sustainable nuclear energy. The group has contributed to FEAT and TARC FP4 projects at CERN, the MUSE4, PDS-XADS y ADOPT of FP5; in EUROTRANS, PATEROS, RED-IMPACT, JHR-CA, MTR-I3 and SNF-TP of FP6; ANDES (as coordinator), CP-ESFR, CDT, MAXSIMA and FAIRFUELS of FP7 as well as several ISTC projects. The Nuclear innovation group also participates in the NEA Working Party on scientific issues of Advanced Fuel Cycles, WPFC previously WPPT, and in several expert groups of IAEA. Finally, CIEMAT is founder member of the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technological Platform (SNETP), with representation on the Governing Board and on the Executive committee.
Role and main tasks
CIEMAT will contribute with the experience in nuclear data measurements at n_TOF, where it is responsible for the actinides capture measurements. It is responsible of an innovative experimental technique for measuring capture cross sections of fissile materials and applied to 235U.
CIEMAT has developed the EVOLCODE2 system designed to simulate any type of advanced fuel cycle and which is able to propagate the uncertainties in the simulations, taking into account any form of covariance matrices. It has also developed experimental experience in fast critical and subcritical systems within the experimental facilities MASURCA, YALINA and the VENUS-F reactor, developing methodologies for reactivity monitoring and specific measurement technologies.
Finally, its participation in RED-IMPACT, PATEROS, CANDIDE, WPFC, SNETP and ANDES provided this team with the know-how and experience to identify the relevance and potential impact of the progress in nuclear data for the reactor systems, its fuel cycle and the final disposal.
Scientific and technical personnel involved
- Dr. E. Gonzalez-Romero: Head of the Nuclear Fission Division. Coordinator of the CHANDA proposal, of the ANDES project and the NUDATRA Domain of IP-EUROTRANS. Chairman of the n_TOF collaboration board. Deputy-chairman of the SNETP Executive Committee. Member of the WPFC/NEA.
- Dr. D. Cano-Ott: Head of the Nuclear Innovation Unit and responsible for the actinide capture measurements at n_TOF. He has participated in FP6 and FP7 nuclear data projects and supervises various PhD. and Master theses. Coordinates WP8 and participates in WP1, WP2, and WP7.
- R. D. Villamarin: Responsible of the experimental activities in experimental reactors, MASURCA and YALINA, and coordinates the participation of CIEMAT in the FREYA project and the integral experiments activities of ANDES. He participates in WP1, WP2, WP10 and is contact person in WP12.
- Dr. F. Alvarez Velarde: Author of the EVOLCODE2 system. Expert in the evaluation of nuclear data needs and fuel cycle calculations, and participant in EU projects such as IP-EUROTRANS, ANDES, CDT- FASTEF, CP-ESFR, ARCAS. He supervises various PhD. theses and is the contact person for WP10.
- E. Mendoza: Researcher. Participates in ANDES and ENSAR FP7 projects. He is responsible of the data analysis of the 235U measurements at n_TOF. He will participate in WP7 and is a task coordinator in WP8.
- V. Bécares: Researcher. He is participating in the ANDES and FREYA projects and is heavily involved in the experimental programme carried out at the VENUS-F reactor. He will participate in WP10 and WP12.