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Phase IV of BEMUSE Program is a necessary step for a subsequent uncertainty analysis. It includes the simulation of the reference scenario and a sensitivity study. The scenario is a LBLOCA and the reference plant is Zion 1 NPP, a 4 loop PWR unit. Thirteen participants coming from ten different countries have taken part in the exercise. The BEMUSE (Best Estimate Methods plus Uncertainty and Sensitivity Evaluation) Programhas been promoted by the Working Group on AccidentManagement and Analysis (WGAMA) and endorsed by the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI). The paper presents the results of the calculations performed by participants and emphasizes its usefulness for future uncertainty evaluation, to be performed in next phase. The objectives of the activity are basically to simulate the LBLOCA reproducing the phenomena associated to the scenario and also to build a common, well-known, basis for the future comparison of uncertainty evaluation results among different methodologies and codes. The sensitivity calculations performed by participants are also presented. They allow studying the influence of different parameters such as material properties or initial and boundary conditions, upon the behaviour of the most relevant parameters related to the scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the results and the main lessons learnt from Phase V of BEMUSE, an international programme promoted by the Working Group on Accident Management and Analysis (GAMA) of OECD to address the issue of the capabilities of best-estimate computational tools and uncertainty analysis. The scope of Phase V is the uncertainty analysis of a Large Break Loss-Of-Coolant-Accident (LBLOCA) in a Pressurized Water Reactor. Fourteen participants from twelve organizations and ten countries participated in the Phase V of BEMUSE. The paper starts with a general description of the BEMUSE programme including the objectives, structure, and the outline of the Phase V specification. Then it summarizes some general aspects on the uncertain model parameters and the results for the uncertainty analysis and for the sensitivity evaluation. To end with, general recommendations and conclusions are presented as practical guidance for uncertainty analysis performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]