Code for European Severe Accident Management (CESAM)

CESAM is a R&D project that aims in particular at the improvement of the European reference code ASTEC towards a usage in severe accident management analysis for nuclear power plants (NPP). The models of ASTEC that are available for the relevant phenomena during severe accidents in the reactor core as well as in the spent fuel ponds are assessed and recommendations for improvement are developed. The lessons learned from the severe accident in Fukushima will be especially considered. Based on these recommendations ASTEC models will be improved and validated by the partners.

In CESAM, PSI contributes by the evaluation of the effect of some of the mitigation systems as investigated in the PASSAM project on the source term from "Fukushima-like" scenarios. This contribution, performed with the MELCOR integral code, is carried out in the second half of CESAM in order to fully benefit from the PASSAM results. The integral calculations are carried out for a BWR plant of a Fukushima-type. This contribution will allow the assessment of effectivity of the mitigation measures as investigated in the PASSAM project, as well as a general comparison of the ASTEC plant calculations with MELCOR ones, and thus consolidate the reliability of the code results.

The CESAM project has been finished in 2017.