Advancements in Safety Assessment Methods and Techniques for Analysis of Internal and External Hazards

Nuclear energy has been witnessing rapid developments worldwide with majority of operating plants preparing for life extension, newcomer countries deploying conventional high-power reactors and organisations working on evolutionary and innovative reactor designs including small modular reactors. A key element of nuclear power plant operation is to demonstrate compliance with regulations related to safety. International organisations like the IAEA, USNRC, EPRI, ASME, etc. have launched several initiatives and programs to improve the safety assessment methods and techniques to meet the increasing requirements, considering ageing and obsolescence of plant equipment, innovative designs, technologies, systems, etc. This keynote talk will touch upon some of the interesting advancements in the safety assessment domain with focus on analysis of internal and external hazards such as internal fire, internal flooding, seismic, and combination hazards like seismically induced fire and flood events. The talk will also touch upon the special aspects associated with next generation reactors and the endeavors taken by international organizations in view of safety demonstrations.