APAL autumn training course at Paul Scherrer Institute

On 25th and 26th of October 2023, the “Autumn training course on structural integrity analyses of RPV under PTS loads at PSI” took place at the premises of APAL partner Paul Scherrer Institute in Villingen, Switzerland. Six participants from different APAL partners and institutions external to the project attended the two-day training.

The course was divided into two parts. The first part of the course was an instructor-led training. It was dedicated to obtain intermediate knowledge on how to perform thermo-mechanical and fracture mechanics analyses of a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) subjected to pressurized thermal shock (PTS) loads with three-dimensional models of the RPV. The training involved the use of the ABAQUS software. The course covered deterministic integrity analyses of the RPV on the framework of the APAL project structural analysis benchmark.

In the second part of the course, two relevant facilities in Switzerland were visited:

• Hotlab at Paul Scherrer Institute - The PSI Hotlab facility is the only Swiss installation, allowing safe and secure handling as well as examination of highly toxic radioactive substances and components.
• Leibstadt power plant - Built in 1984, the Leibstadt nuclear power plant is the youngest and most powerful nuclear power plant in Switzerland.

Further training is planned for 2024. Information will be available on the website soon.

Training participants at the Paul Scherrer Institute

...and at the visitor centre of the Nuclear Power Plant Leibstadt