CASL

About CASL

Vision

To accomplish the vision for VERA to embody predictive capability, CASL will focus on a set of challenge problems that encompass the key phenomena limiting the performance of PWRs, with the expectation that much of the capability developed will be applicable to other types of reactors. Broadly, CASL's mission is to develop and apply M&S capabilities to address three critical areas of performance for nuclear power plants (NPPs):

  • Reduce capital and operating costs per unit energy by enabling power uprates and lifetime extension for existing NPPs and by increasing the rated powers and lifetimes of new Generation III+ NPPs;
  • Reduce nuclear waste volume generated by enabling higher fuel burn-up; and
  • Assure nuclear safety by enabling high-fidelity predictive capability for component performance through failure.

Work to develop VERA will be executed in six technical focus areas (FAs) selected to ensure that VERA

  • is equipped with the necessary physical and analytical models and multiphysics integrators;
  • functions as a comprehensive, usable, and extensible system for addressing essential issues for NPP design and operation; and
  • incorporates the validation and UQ needed for credible predictive M&S. CASL's management plan also includes tasks designed to ensure the utility of VERA to reactor designers, NPP operators, nuclear regulators, and a new generation of nuclear energy professionals.

To deliver on its mission within the prescribed time and budget constraints CASL places priority on improved simulation of the reactor core, internals, and vessel for a PWR. The developed capability (VERA) will be tightly coupled to an existing and evolving out-of-vessel simulation capability. VERA will be applicable to other NPP types, in particular boiling water reactors (BWRs) and LWR-based small modular reactors (SMRs). During its second 5 years of operation, CASL activities will expand to include structures, systems, and components (SSC) beyond the reactor vessel and will more directly consider BWRs and small modular reactors (SMR).