A first step towards bringing (European) containment simulations to a common level

One outcome of the OECD/NEA ISP-47 (TOSQAN, MISTRA, THAI) activity was the recommendation to elaborate a 'Generic Containment' including all important components. On the one hand, this Generic Containment will help to rate analyses being performed with different lumped-parameter models. On the other hand, it can serve as a basis for testing new model developments on a commonly available and accepted basis. Within the SARNET2 Network of Excellence, such a Generic Containment nodalisation, based on a German PWR 1300 MWel, has been developed and is applied for a lumped parameter code-to-code comparison with increasing complexity. The initial benchmark step, 'Generic Containment-run-0', considered a strongly simplified SB LOCA transient in order to have a clear basis for the preparation of the inputs, their verification and to investigate the transferability of assumptions and specifications among different codes. Within the current step of the benchmark exercise, run-1, a more detailed evaluation is performed in order to achieve an understanding of the basic differences among the codes and models and the resulting deviations. This includes an identification and reduction of the user-dependent impact. This paper summarises the initial benchmark step run-0 and gives an outlook to the results of the current run-1, which is expected to be finished in mid 2012.