Main findings, remaining uncertainties and lessons learned from the OECD/NEA BSAF Project

Pellegrini, M.*; Herranz, L.*; Sonnenkalb, M.*; Lind, T.*; Maruyama, Yu ; Gauntt, R.*; Bixler, N.*; Morreale, A.*; Dolganov, K.*; Sevon, T.*; Jacquemain, D.*; Song, J. H.*; Hoshi, Harutaka*; Nishi, Yoshihisa*; Mizokami, Shinya*

The OECD/NEA Benchmark Study at the Accident of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS project (BSAF) has started in 2012 until 2018 as one of the earliest responses to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi NPS. The project addressed the investigation of the accident at Units 1, 2 and 3 by severe accident (SA) codes focusing on thermal-hydraulics, core relocation, molten core/concrete interaction (MCCI) and fission products release and transport. The objectives of BSAF were to make up plausible scenarios based primarily on SA forensic analysis, support the decommissioning and inform SA codes modeling. The analysis and comparison among the institutes have brought up vital insights regarding the accident progression identifying periods of core meltdown and relocation, reactor vessel (RV) and primary containment vessel (PCV) leakage/failure through the comparison of pressure, water level and CAMS measurement. The combination of code results and inspections has provided a picture of the current state of the debris distribution and plant state. All units present a large relocation of core materials and all of them present ex-vessel debris with units 1 and 3 showing evidences of undergoing MCCI. Uncertainties have been identified in particular on the time and magnitude of events such as corium relocation in RV and into cavity floor, RV and PCV rupture events. Main uncertainties resulting from the project are the large and continuous MCCI progression predicted by basically all the SA codes and the leak pathways from RV to PCV and PCV to reactor building and environment. The BSAF project represents a pioneering exercise which has set the basis and provided lessons learned not only for code improvement but also for the development of new related projects to investigate in details further aspects of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS accident.