Publications by Axel Guy Marie Laureau

CORTEX experiments – Part I: Modulation campaigns in AKR-2 & CROCUS for the validation of neutron noise codes

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Mathieu Hursin, Oskari Ville Pakari, Pavel Frajtag, Nicolas Weiss, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet, Axel Guy Marie Laureau, Adolfo Rais, Fanny Vitullo

We present the experimental campaigns – namely, three per facility – carried out between 2018 and 2021 in the AKR–2 and CROCUS zero power reactors within the framework of the Horizon 2020 European project CORTEX. Their purpose was to produce high-quality a ...

2025

Tool Developments in the OpenMC Code: Correlated Sampling and Transient Fission Matrix Approach Coupled to OpenFOAM

Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet, Axel Guy Marie Laureau, Elsa Merle

This article outlines the advancements made in broadening the application scope of the OpenMC neutron transport code to include thermohydraulic coupling and nuclear data uncertainty propagation. These developments primarily involve the incorporation of the ...

Taylor & Francis Inc2024

Design of an Open-Loop Pile-Oscillation Program in the CROCUS Reactor

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet, Axel Guy Marie Laureau

As a follow-up to the CEA-EPFL PETALE experimental program on stainless steel nuclear data, the EPFL initiated an open-loop pile-oscillation experimental program in the CROCUS reactor: BLOOM. A reproduction of the critical experiments of PETALE, the progra ...

2024

CORTEX experiments, Part II: Postprocessing of neutron noise time series to determine reliable mean and uncertainties

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Mathieu Hursin, Oskari Ville Pakari, Axel Guy Marie Laureau, Adolfo Rais

In this paper we present the methodology developed to analyze the detector response of neutron noise experiments performed at EPFL CROCUS and TUD AKR-2 reactors in the framework of the H2020 CORTEX project. The noise, or modulation, is induced by controlle ...

2024

Revision of PSI calculation capabilities and validation experience on the BEPU-type reactor dosimetry applications

Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Axel Guy Marie Laureau

The present paper summarizes the experience accumulated at the Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Thermal-Hydraulics (LRT) of the Paul Scherrer Institute in the field of reactor dosimetry, as well as outlines the recent progress achieved in relation to the ...

EDP Sciences2024

High-Resolution Modeling Without Computation Slowdown for PETALE in CROCUS

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet, Axel Guy Marie Laureau

In a collaboration between Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and CEA, in the fall of 2020, the experimental Programme d’Étude en Transmission de l’Acier Lourd et ses Eléments (PETALE) was successfully carried out in the CROCUS reactor of EPFL ...

2024

Analysis of the preliminary campaign for the PETALE program

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Thomas Jean-François Ligonnet, Axel Guy Marie Laureau

The PETALE program aims to provide new experimental data to constrain the stainless steel nuclear data. In this frame, a preliminary measurement campaign has been performed to characterize the neutron flux in key positions of the CROCUS reactor and to deve ...

EDP SCIENCES S A2023

Unmoderated molten salt reactors design optimisation for power stability

Andreas Pautz, Axel Guy Marie Laureau, Andrea Bellè

The critical region of unmoderated molten salt reactors consists in a cavity filled with a liquid fuel. The lack of internal structure implies a complex flow structure of the circulating fuel salt. A preliminary core shape optimization has been performed d ...

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD2022

Analysis of the first COLIBRI fuel rods oscillation campaign in the CROCUS reactor for the European project CORTEX

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Mathieu Hursin, Carlo Fiorina, Oskari Ville Pakari, Pavel Frajtag, Axel Guy Marie Laureau, Adolfo Rais, Daniel Godat

The Horizon2020 European project CORTEX aims at developing an innovative core monitoring technique that allows detecting anomalies in nuclear reactors, such as excessive vibrations of core internals, flow blockage, or coolant inlet perturbations. The techn ...

2021

Dosimetry modeling and experimental validation for the PETALE program in the CROCUS reactor

Andreas Pautz, Vincent Pierre Lamirand, Pavel Frajtag, Axel Guy Marie Laureau

The PETALE experimental program in the CROCUS reactor intends to provide integral measurements on reactivity worth and dosimetry measurement to constrain nuclear data relative to stainless steel heavy reflectors. The experimental setup consists in eight su ...

2021