Ex-vessel break in ITER divertor cooling loop analysis with the ECART code

A hypothetical double-ended pipe rupture in the ex-vessel section of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) divertor primary heat transfer system during pulse operation has been assessed using the nuclear source term ECART code. That code was originally designed and validated for traditional nuclear power plant safety analyses, and has been internationally recognized as a relevant nuclear source term codes for nuclear fission plants. It permits the simulation of chemical reactions and transport of radioactive gases and aerosols under two-phase flow transients in generic flow systems, using a built-in thermal-hydraulic model. A comparison with the results given in ITER Generic Site Safety Report, obtained using a thermal-hydraulic system code (ATHENA), a containment code (INTRA) and an aerosol transportation code (NAUA), in a sequential way, is also presented and discussed. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.