Weimin Ma

Weimin Ma conducts research in nuclear power safety, focusing on risk assessment and accident analysis in both existing and future nuclear reactors. His work examines fundamental physical phenomena in reactor accidents, such as boiling two-phase flow, heat transfer, and molten fuel-coolant interactions. A key objective is to enhance safety margins and reduce uncertainties in risk assessments through advanced modeling and experimental studies.

His research spans three main areas: accident phenomena, modeling and simulation, and safety analysis of nuclear power plants. He investigates core meltdown scenarios, steam explosions, and debris bed formation using experimental and computational methods. His team develops predictive models and computer codes, including best-estimate plus uncertainty (BEPU) methods and thermo-mechanical simulations of reactor pressure vessels under extreme conditions. He also conducts risk assessments for both design basis accidents (DBA) and beyond design basis accidents (BDBA) to minimize accident risks.

His group has contributed to improving accident management strategies by generating new data, models, and methodologies relevant to severe reactor accidents, such as those observed in the Fukushima disaster. Their work informs safety measures aimed at stabilizing and mitigating accident consequences. In addition to existing reactors, his research extends to the safety of next-generation reactor concepts, including lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) and small modular reactors (SMRs), developing innovative methodologies to support their deployment.