Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour : General mission

The Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour (LRS) at EPFL is closely linked to its namesake in the Nuclear Energy and Safety Research Department (NES) of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) at Villigen. Nuclear energy related teaching and students’ research at the Master and doctoral levels are the primary responsibilities borne at EPFL. A wide range of R&D topics, related to both operating and advanced nuclear power plants, is being pursued by the LRS research teams at PSI.

CROCUS: a teaching reactor on the Campus

LRS is responsible for the efficient and safe operation of CROCUS, the zero-power teaching reactor on the EPFL campus. This nuclear facility offers a unique opportunity for a wide range of students. Thus, while providing a crucial framework for detailed experimentation to students of the recently implemented Master in Nuclear Engineering, it also serves to introduce Physics and Mechanical Engineering undergraduates to the basic principles of the operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs).

Links with LRS at Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

LRS at PSI forms part of de Department of Nuclear Energy and Safety (NES). The global objective of the R&D activities carried out by LRS at PSI is to contribute to keeping the nuclear option open in Switzerland. Another important aim is to maintain a high potential for doctoral research, as reflected by the close links with the students' research at EPFL.

The R&D activities at PSI are organized in terms of three research projects, viz.

- Large-scale Irradiated Fuel Experiments at PROTEUS (LIFE@PROTEUS)
- Safety research related to Transient Analysis of Reactors in Switzerland (STARS)
- Fast-spectrum Advanced Systems for power production and resource managemenT (FAST)

The first of the above projects is related to utilization of the PROTEUS research reactor at PSI, the corresponding R&D being conducted in close collaboration with swissnuclear, the group of nuclear utilities in Switzerland. Operation of the PROTEUS reactor, as in the case of CROCUS, is placed under the surveillance of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI).

The second project, STARS, is related to the detailed safety analysis of the five operating Swiss NPPs, which account for 40% of the country’s electricity generation. The corresponding R&D is carried out in close collaboration with ENSI.

Finally, the third project, FAST, is related to closure of the nuclear fuel cycle through the use of advanced fast neutron-spectrum systems. The research is carried out largely in the framework of international collaborations.