Overview of Helium Cooled System Applications with RELAP at ENEA

Some years ago, within the framework of the study for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), ENEA assessed the RELAP5 code capability to simulate Helium cooled systems on the experimental data provided by the helium facility HEFUS3 (Brasimone, Italy). This activity allowed acquiring a certain experience on the limits and capabilities of the code that, in the following years, was used for a wide range of applications concerning transient and accident analysis of helium cooled systems. At first the paper summarizes the results of the assessment activity, then describes the accident analyses performed for the conceptual study of the Fusion Power Reactor with Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed Blanket (HCPBB) and the studies to support the safety design of the gas cooled Accelerator Driven System (ADS) concept. The paper concludes highlighting the RELAP adaptations to realize within the framework of the feasibility studies for a combined cycle concept of the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). (authors)