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Les Réacteurs Expérimentaux Et Leur Contrôle ▼ Les Réacteurs Expérimentaux Et Leur Contrôle Experimental Reactors and Their Regulation

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Les Réacteurs Expérimentaux Et Leur Contrôle ▼ Les Réacteurs Expérimentaux Et Leur Contrôle Experimental Reactors and Their Regulation Dossier: Les réacteurs expérimentaux et leur contrôle ▼ Les réacteurs expérimentaux et leur contrôle Experimental reactors and their regulation Chargement de la cuve du réacteur à haut flux (RHF). 2 Dossier: Les réacteurs expérimentaux et leur contrôle ▼ Éditorial 4 Foreword Le contrôle des réacteurs expérimentaux : la démarche de l’Autorité de sûreté nucléaire 5 Experimental reactor regulation: the Nuclear Safety Authority’s approach LE RÔLE DES RÉACTEURS EXPÉRIMENTAUX Le poids des réacteurs expérimentaux dans les programmes de recherche : l’exemple de l’énergie nucléaire 15 The importance of experimental reactors for research programs: The example of nuclear energy Les réacteurs expérimentaux 20 The experimental nuclear reactors La contribution des réacteurs d’expérimentation aux recherches sur la sûreté 27 Contribution of research reactors to the programmes for research and technological development on the safety LES SPÉCIFICITÉS DU CONTRÔLE DES RÉACTEURS EXPÉRIMENTAUX La spécificité du contrôle des réacteurs expérimentaux: le point de vue de l’inspecteur de l’ASN 35 The specific nature of experimental reactor regulation: the viewpoint of ASN’s inspectors La sûreté des réacteurs de recherche vue du Groupe permanent réacteurs 41 Research reactor safety from the advisory committee for nuclear reactors standpoint Les facteurs organisationnels et humains et la sûreté des réacteurs d’expérimentation 47 The human factors and the safety of experimentation reactors Les réexamens de sûreté des réacteurs d’expérimentation en France 52 Periodic safety review management for french research reactors CONCILIER RECHERCHE ET SÛRETÉ: LES RÉPONSES DES EXPLOITANTS ET DES CONCEPTEURS Un enjeu majeur: concilier recherche et sûreté. Le point de vue du CEA 58 A major issue: reconciling research and safety. The CEA’s viewpoint Institut Laue-Langevin – Mise à disposition de faisceaux de neutrons auprès des expérimentateurs 64 Laue-Langevin Institute – Neutron beams made available for experimentation Présentation du réacteur Jules Horowitz 68 Presentation of the Jules Horowitz reactor CONCILIER RECHERCHE ET SÛRETÉ: LES RÉPONSES INTERNATIONALES Le programme de l’AIEA sur la sûreté des réacteurs de recherche 74 The IAEA programme on research reactor safety Les normes de sûreté de l’AIEA pour les réacteurs de recherche 79 IAEA safety standards for research reactors Le réacteur rapide expérimental chinois 84 China experimental fast reactor NRG-Petten: management de la sûreté 88 Safety management at NRG-Petten POINTS DE VUE EXTÉRIEURS SUR LES RÉACTEURS EXPÉRIMENTAUX L’enquête d’utilité publique sur la création du “Réacteur Jules Horowitz” à Cadarache et la participation locale 91 Enquiry in the public interest, held at Cadarache into the construction of the reactor “Jules Horowitz” and the problems related to the public dialogue La recherche et la sûreté 96 Research and safety LE CAS PARTICULIER DU RÉACTEUR THERMONUCLÉAIRE ITER ITER: la “voie” vers une nouvelle source d’énergie 100 ITER: the “path” to a new energy source Coordinateur du dossier: Jérôme Rieu Dossier: Les réacteurs expérimentaux et leur contrôle ▼ Éditorial par André-Claude LACOSTE Président de l’ASN Les réacteurs expérimentaux sont des installations particu- lières. Ce sont à la fois des réacteurs, dans lesquels se déroule une réaction de fission en chaîne qu’il faut maîtriser avec l’en- semble des risques qui y sont associés. Mais ce sont également des installations conçues pour réaliser des recherches qui ne doivent pas être entravées par des contraintes de sûreté trop rigides. J’ai donc souhaité consacrer ce numéro aux réponses possibles à la problématique suivante: comment concilier recherche et sûreté? L’ASN s’attache, depuis plusieurs années, à mettre en œuvre le Foreword contrôle le plus adapté de ces réacteurs expérimentaux. Contrôle qui doit permettre d’atteindre un niveau de sûreté optimal; mais contrôle qui doit également se concentrer sur les Experimental reactors are unique installations in as much as enjeux les plus importants en termes de sûreté et permettre à they are reactors in which a fission chain reaction occurs and l’exploitant d’exercer pleinement sa responsabilité. Le système which has to be controlled along with all its attendant risks, but des autorisations internes, qui fonctionne depuis plusieurs an- they are also installations designed for research work, which nées pour un certain nombre de réacteurs expérimentaux, vise must not be hampered by excessively rigid safety constraints. à atteindre ce double objectif. Je souhaite que ce dispositif, I therefore wanted to devote this issue of Contrôle to the fol- d’abord créé pour les installations de recherche afin de répondre lowing problem: how to reconcile research and safety? à leurs exigences, s’étende à un certain nombre d’autres instal- lations nucléaires de base. For a number of years, ASN has been striving to optimise reg- ulation of these experimental reactors. This regulation must Être précurseurs, c’est d’ailleurs bien la principale caractéris- lead to an optimum level of safety, but it must also concentrate tique des réacteurs expérimentaux. Bien sûr, depuis la pile ZOE on the most important safety issues and enable the licensee to qui a “divergé” en 1948, ils ont ouvert la voie au développement exercise its responsibilities in full. The internal authorisations de la filière nucléaire française en en accompagnant toutes les system, which has been in operation for several years with a étapes. Je n’oublie pas également leur contribution essentielle number of experimental reactors, is designed to achieve this à l’amélioration de la sûreté grâce aux expériences menées two-fold objective. This system was first of all created for re- dans des réacteurs comme PHEBUS ou CABRI et qui ont par search installations, in order to meet their own particular re- exemple servi à mieux comprendre le déroulement d’un certain quirements, with the aim of subsequently extending it to a nombre d’accidents graves dans les réacteurs électrogènes. number of other nuclear installations. C’est bien parce qu’ils ont cette caractéristique de précurseurs Breaking new ground is naturally the primary role of experi- que l’ASN s’attache à ce que les réacteurs expérimentaux soient mental reactors. Since the Zoé pile first went critical in 1948, exemplaires en termes de sûreté. Elle est d’autant plus vigilante they paved the way for the development of the French nuclear que les réacteurs expérimentaux actuellement en service en power industry and were present at all steps along the route. France sont des installations anciennes, datant souvent des an- One must also bear in mind their essential contribution to im- nées soixante. Inspections, analyse des incidents, réexamens de proving safety through the experiments conducted in reactors sûreté, appréciations sur la prise en compte des facteurs such as PHEBUS or CABRI, which were used for example to humains et organisationnels, etc., je veille à ce que la panoplie gain a clearer understanding of what actually happened dur- des outils que l’ASN met en œuvre pour exercer son contrôle y ing a number of serious accidents in electricity generating re- soit appliquée de manière rigoureuse. actors. Mais, d’autres enjeux nous attendent également à l’heure où de It is because of this trailblazing role that ASN wants to see ex- nouveaux réacteurs expérimentaux doivent être mis en service. perimental reactors setting an example in the field of safety. It Ainsi, l’ASN se positionnera dans les prochains mois sur la is all the more vigilant, as the experimental reactors currently demande d’autorisation de création du réacteur Jules Horowitz in service in France are old installations, often dating back to à Cadarache. Le réacteur à fusion ITER, installation à forte visi- the 1960s. Inspections, incident analysis, safety reviews, and bilité internationale, doit également être construit à Cadarache. assessment of the extent to which human and organisational L’enjeu pour l’ASN est d’être en mesure d’exercer sur cette ins- factors are taken into account are among the wide range of tallation un contrôle aussi exhaustif que pour les autres INB, et tools rigorously implemented by ASN for its regulatory work. en tenant compte du statut international de son exploitant. However, there are other issues on the horizon, at a time when new experimental reactors are to enter service. In the coming months, ASN will issue an opinion concerning the application for authorisation to create the Jules Horowitz reactor in Cadarache. The ITER fusion reactor, an installation with a high international profile, is also to be built in Cadarache. The chal- lenge for ASN will be its ability to regulate this installation as exhaustively as the other BNIs, taking into account the inter- national status of its licensee. 4 Dossier: Les réacteurs expérimentaux et leur contrôle ▼ Le contrôle des réacteurs expérimentaux: la démarche de l’Autorité de sûreté nucléaire Experimental reactor regulation: the Nuclear Safety Authority’s approach par Jérôme Rieu, directeur des installations de recherche et des déchets, Dorothée Conte, adjointe au directeur des installations de recherche et des déchets, Alexandre Chevallier, chargé d’affaires à la Direction des installations de recherche et des déchets – ASN La France possède sur son territoire plusieurs de neutrons produits dans certains réacteurs peu- types de réacteurs expérimentaux et de recherche. vent également être utilisés par les chercheurs À la différence des réacteurs à eau sous pression pour l’exploration de la matière. (REP) destinés à produire de l’électricité, construits presque à l’identique, ils ont tous une vocation spé- On trouve en France un panel de réacteurs expéri- cifique liée aux grands axes de la recherche fran- mentaux représentatifs de ceux existants à travers çaise et, de ce fait, des particularités qui font de le monde. Ainsi, on peut regrouper ces réacteurs en chacun un modèle unique auquel sont associés des 5 grandes catégories, à chacune desquelles cor- enjeux de sûreté particuliers. respond un ou plusieurs enjeux de sûreté dont l’ASN s’assure qu’ils sont bien pris en compte.
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