Application of three-dimensional detailed analysis technology for nuclear facilities to seismic risk assessment

Nishida, Akemi  

To meet new regulatory standards and to improve the safety of nuclear plants, stability and fragility evaluation is being promoted against natural external events, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, for the buildings, foundation ground, surrounding slopes, and underground structures of nuclear plants. These are often evaluated via numerical analysis using a simplified analysis model, such as a two-dimensional one. Meanwhile, the research and development of high-performance computing, in which extra-large-scale models can be analyzed with high speed and accuracy, is progressing owing to advances in computers and solving methods for simultaneous equation. Research and development are conducted to analyze nuclear structures by employing a three-dimensional model using the aforementioned technology at a practical level. Here, we will discuss the use of such high-performance computing in the design and safety evaluation of nuclear power plants, as well as the potential issues that may arise.