Ascolta

Description:

The scientific-disciplinary sector Nuclear Engineering encompasses theoretical, experimental and computational studies of thermofluid dynamics, thermo-mechanical and neutronic problems related to the design, management and safety analysis of fission and fusion nuclear reactors; irradiation plants; nuclear fuel enrichment, fabrication and re-processing techniques; plant decommissioning; nuclear waste treatment.

Currently, the active research areas are:

• Thermo-mechanical analysis of components for fission and fusion nuclear reactors;
• Hydraulic and thermofluid dynamics analysis of cooling circuits for high energy density plants;
• Studies of neutron and photon transport in fission and fusion nuclear reactors;
• Analysis of the radionuclide inventory in systems exposed to irradiation by neutrons;
• Industrial applications of ionizing radiations;
• Safety analysis of nuclear plants and industrial systems exposed to risk of severe accidents;
• Analysis of the dispersion of airborne pollutants released from high energy density plants;
• Applications of Risk Analysis and Human Reliability Analysis in nuclear medicine;
• Study of heat and mass transfer in spacer-filled channels: experimental investigation by thermochromic liquid crystals and digital image processing, and numerical simulation by finite volume codes;
• Numerical simulation of electroconvection phenomena in electrolytic solutions adjacent to ion-selective membranes;
• Experimental and computational study of mass transport, fluid-structure interaction, maldistribution and limiting current density in electro-membrane processes;
• Modelling mass transfer in channels with transpiring walls;
• Study of mixing in mechanically stirred systems: experimental investigation and numerical simulation.

Main active research projects:

• Horizon 20-20 / Euratom research and training programmes 2014-2018 and 2019-2020, project EUROfusion, grant agreement No 633053, https://www.euro-fusion.org;
• RED-Heat-to-Power project (Conversion of Low Grade Heat to Power through closed loop Reverse Electro-Dialysis) - Horizon 2020 programme, Grant Agreement no. 640667, www.red-heat-to-power.eu.;
• REvivED project (Low energy solutions for drinking water production by a Revival of ElectroDialysis system) - Horizon 2020 programme, Grant Agreement no. 685579, www.revivedwater.eu;
• BAoBaB project (Blue Acid/Base Battery) - Horizon 2020 programme, Grant Agreement no. 731187, http://www.baobabproject.eu.

Key words: Nuclear plant, thermofluid dynamics, safety, risk analysis