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In this paper we demonstrate the application of timed Petri Net methodology to the frequency of initiating faults in the coolant circulation system of a fictional nuclear reactor design. A second model is presented where the Petri Net is coupled with a Bond Graph representation of reactor thermodynamics, and distributions of temperatures reached by core coolant and fuel cladding during component failures is produced.

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An optimisation methodology is presented using the primary coolant circulation system of a nuclear reactor as its case study, the purpose of which is to find combinations of selected design and maintenance parameters to maximise the reactor safety and minimise monetary expenditure. The parameter space was sampled by a Monte Carlo method and Petri net modelling was used to predict the performance of each of these options. The optimal solutions were then extracted from the data via computation of the Pareto front, with further analysis conducted on parameter sets of interest.

The exact formulation of the correspondence principle and in particular understanding the quantum-to-classical transition remains an open problem in quantum mechanics. In this paper we present our investigation into the quantumto-classical transition of the most trivial of quantum systems -a particle in a box. Whilst it is perhaps surprising, even this example can produce new physical insight into these fundamental problems. With modern fabrication techniques of nano-mechanical systems we will be able to experimentally investigate these results and directly observe the quantum-to-classical transition. This will enable us to build technologies that probe the fundamental questions of quantum mechanics, such as the maximum size of a quantum object.