The Corium Physics Study Laboratory (LEPC, ex-LESAM) is located in Cadarache, Bouches du Rhône (France) and conducted by Jean-Marc Ricaud.
Summary
Context and research themes
The main mission of the laboratory involves the production of knowledge and the development of ways to predict the behavior of nuclear fuel at accidentally induced high temperatures, even to the fusion of materials.
Research axes
Within this overall mission, the LEPC implement the knowledge and the following occupations:
- Biphasic thermal environments;
- Physico-chemistry and thermodynamics of materials: zirconium alloys, uranium oxide, steel, boron carbide, alloys of silver-indium-cadmium in aggressive conditions (high temperature, water vapor, air);
- Physical mass transfer and heat (convection / conduction, radiation, boiling, evaporation, biphasic);
- Physical mass transfer and heat in porous media;
- Numerical simulation of physical systems (state of the art, development of simulation tools, qualification relative to experience).
Specialties and researchers
Jean-Marc Ricaud, head of laboratory
Sébastien Belon, engineer
Guillaume Brillant, research engineer
Laure Carenini, engineer
Laure Cloarec, engineer
Olivia Coindreau, engineer
Alain Commande, research engineer
Patrick Drai, engineer
Florian Fichot, engineer
Laurent Foucher, engineer
Claude Jamond, engineer
Laurent Laborde, engineer
Catherine Marchetto, engineer
Libuse Piar, engineer
Vincent Topin, engineer
Facilities and techniques
Available means of the LEPC are codes of scientific computing developed by the laboratory and mastery of many other tools for calculating. In particular, codes Astec, Icare and Cathare which are covering the areas of biphasic thermal environments, the transfer of mass and energy, the physical chemistry of materials.
