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Analysis of institutional authors

Sánchez Galdón, Ana IsabelAuthorCarlos, SCorresponding AuthorSanchez, AAuthorGinestar, DAuthorMartorell, SAuthor

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October 31, 2024
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Article

Using finite mixture models in thermal-hydraulics system code uncertainty analysis

Publicated to: NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN. 262 (0): 306-318 - 2013-01-01 262(0), DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2013.04.030

Authors:

Carlos Alberola, Sofía; Sánchez Galdón, Ana Isabel; Ginestar Peiro, Damián; Martorell Alsina, Sebastián Salvador
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Affiliations

Univ Politecn Valencia, Dept Engn Quim & Nucl - Author
Univ Politecn Valencia, Dept Estadist Aplicada & Qualitat - Author
Univ Politecn Valencia, Dept Matemat Aplicada - Author
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Abstract

Nuclear Power Plant safety analysis is mainly based on the use of best estimate (BE) codes that predict the plant behavior under normal or accidental conditions. As the BE codes introduce uncertainties due to uncertainty in input parameters and modeling, it is necessary to perform uncertainty assessment (UA), and eventually sensitivity analysis (SA), of the results obtained. These analyses are part of the appropriate treatment of uncertainties imposed by current regulation based on the adoption of the best estimate plus uncertainty (BEPU) approach. The most popular approach for uncertainty assessment, based on Wilks' method, obtains a tolerance/confidence interval, but it does not completely characterize the output variable behavior, which is required for an extended UA and SA. However, the development of standard UA and SA impose high computational cost due to the large number of simulations needed. In order to obtain more information about the output variable and, at the same time, to keep computational cost as low as possible, there has been a recent shift toward developing metamodels (model of model), or surrogate models, that approximate or emulate complex computer codes. In this way, there exist different techniques to reconstruct the probability distribution using the information provided by a sample of values as, for example, the finite mixture models. In this paper, the Expectation Maximization and the k-means algorithms are used to obtain a finite mixture model that reconstructs the output variable probability distribution from data obtained with RELAP-5 simulations. Both methodologies have been applied to a separated effects experiment, and to an integral effects simulation. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Keywords

Adjoint sensitivity-analysisArtificial neural-networksComputational costsComputer simulationCurrent regulationsExpectation - maximizationsFinite mixture modelsK-means algorithmMixturesNeural-networksNuclear power plant safetiesNuclear power plantsParametersProbability distributionsReactor safety marginsSensitivity-analysisThermal hydraulicsUncertainty analysisUncertainty assessment

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency Scopus (SJR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2013, it was in position , thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 1.03. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 13, 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2026-04-02, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 14
  • Scopus: 16
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Impact and social visibility

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: United Kingdom.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Carlos Alberola, Sofía) and Last Author (Martorell Alsina, Sebastián Salvador).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Carlos Alberola, Sofía.

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