Introduction

A considerable international effort is being devoted to the development of new reactor concepts, known as Gen IV reactors, which differ essentially from the existing light water reactors. The new reactor types raise new engineering challenges with new operating regimes and safety features. In order to benefit of these new reactor technologies, it is necessary for Finland to join international projects and develop domestic expertise on the technologies involved. The NETNUC (New Type Nuclear Reactors) project is a multidisciplinary consortium to carry out basic research to generate scientific knowledge needed for Gen IV reactors and to educate a new generation of research scientists in the field. The consortium partners are LUT, TKK and VTT.

Main research areas in LUT are the supercritical water reactor (SCWR) and gas-cooled reactors. The SCWR research is linked to the existing experimental work on light water reactor thermal hydraulics. The gas-cooled reactor research is a new field in LUT and consists mainly of numerical modelling activities. Research in TKK includes thermal-hydraulics of SCWR and Monte Carlo calculations on reactors utilizing thorium fuel. The research focus at VTT is on fast reactors, SCWR materials testing, and the use of nuclear heat in integrated industry.

Contact information

Leader of Consortium
Prof. Riitta Kyrki-Rajamäki

Lappeenranta University of Technology
Riitta.Kyrki-Rajamaki@lut.fi