Nuclear Engineering Division personnel have considerable experience in the field of deterministic and probabilistic safety analysis. In deterministic analyses, facilities and systems are analyzed to show that operating conditions will remain within design tolerances. In probabilistic studies, hazards and risk evaluation models are used to show, either qualitatively or quantitatively, which elements are most likely to contribute to failure of a system or facility, and to indicate corresponding design improvements.

This field covers a wide range of disciplines, usually requiring expertise in a number of areas (heat transfer, structural mechanics, materials properties, etc.) as well as familiarity with formal hazards and risk evaluation methods. Because of their extensive experience in many engineering disciplines, NE Division personnel are highly qualified to conduct the type of in-depth hazards and risk evaluations that are necessary for modern facilities to compete in today's highly regulated environment.

Areas of Application and Evaluation Methods

The following methods have been combined into state-of-the-art computer code packages which can be integrated with systems and components reliability databases to form a powerful tool for both qualitative and quantitative safety analyses, and hazards and risk evaluations.

• Seismic analysis
• Steam explosion studies
• Radionuclide and hazardous chemical disposition methods
• Thermal-hydraulic analysis
• Fault tree analysis
• Event tree analysis
• Preliminary Hazards Analysis (PHA)
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• Hazards and Operability (HazOp) studies
• Human error analysis
• Common cause failure analysis

Recent Projects

• Safety Analyses of experimental facilities
• Probabilistic Risk Assessments of Nuclear Power Plants
• Comparative risk assessments of power generation plants
• Hazards analyses of radioactive and chemical waste storage facilities
• Safety analyses of fuel storage facilities
• Reviews of Federal safety-related rules and regulations