The ELOCA Fuel Modelling Code: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

ELOCA is the Industry Standard Toolset (IST) computer code for modelling CANDU fuel under the transient coolant conditions typical of an accident scenario. Since its original inception in the early 1970's, the code has undergone continual development and improvement. The code now embodies much of the knowledge and experience of fuel behaviour gained by the Canadian nuclear industry over this period. ELOCA has proven to be a valuable tool for the safety analyst, and continues to be used extensively to support the licensing cases of CANDU reactors. This paper provides a brief and much simplified view of this development history, its current status, and plans for future development.