My research addresses the safety and thermal-hydraulics of innovative nuclear systems. The work combines system modelling, multiphysics analysis, comparison with experimental data, sensitivity studies and uncertainty quantification.

GEN-IV reactors cooled by liquid metals transient analysis

• System level transient analysis for lead, lead-bismuth and sodium cooled reactors (as ALFRED, MYRRHA, AS-30) and related TH supporting experiments

• RELAP5-3D experimental validation in liquid metal and for pool-type primary circuit

• TH-NK coupled transient simulations (e.g. FFTF LOFWOS benchmark, ALFRED)

• Support in experimental facility preliminary design

Supporting projects

• ANSELMUS — competitive Horizon Euratom project, coordinated by SCK CEN (Belgium); 2022–2026; supports the safety assessment of the ALFRED and MYRRHA liquid-metal reactors

• LESTO — competitive Horizon Euratom project, coordinated by ENEA; 2024–2028; Sapienza contributes to experimental activities on the SIRIO facility for ALFRED's passive decay heat removal system

• GREEN-ENERGY — PRIN PNRR project (competitive grant from the Italian Ministry of University and Research) for hydrogen production from nuclear energy, coordinated by Politecnico di Milano; since 2023; Fabio Giannetti is Sapienza's Scientific Responsible 

• IAEA international benchmark on a simulated fuel pin bundle, conducted on the NACIE-UP experimental facility at ENEA Brasimone, dedicated to the study of the transition from forced to natural circulation in heavy liquid metals; Fabio Giannetti is Sapienza's reference contact

• IAEA international benchmark on the Fast Flux Test Facility experimental reactor (U.S.), conducted in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory; Fabio Giannetti is Sapienza's reference contact

Light Water Reactors safety  and severe accident analysis

• Severe accident analysis using MELCOR for PWR and BWR

• Fukushima accident study

• Sensitivity analysis using RAVEN

Supporting projects

• SASPAM-SA — competitive Horizon Euratom project, coordinated by ENEA; 2022–2026; Fabio Giannetti is Sapienza's Scientific Responsible; development of accident scenarios for integral-type small modular reactors

• EASI-SMR — competitive Horizon Euratom project, coordinated by EDF (France); 2024–2028; Fabio Giannetti is Sapienza's Scientific Responsible; validation of codes for passive safety systems of small modular reactors

• MUSA — competitive Horizon 2020 Euratom project, coordinated by CIEMAT (Spain); completed in 2023; uncertainty quantification for severe accidents in spent fuel pools

• OECD-NEA international benchmark on the PERSEO experimental facility (SIET, Piacenza), dedicated to passive decay heat removal systems; Fabio Giannetti is Sapienza's reference contact

• Revision of the OECD-NEA containment code validation matrix, for the validation of containment analysis codes in severe accident scenarios; Fabio Giannetti is Sapienza's reference contact

Fusion power plant development (magnetic confinement)

Participation in the EUROfusion consortium (Implementation of activities described in the Roadmap to Fusion during Horizon Euratom) — Sapienza is a Third Party, Scientific Responsible Prof. Gianfranco Caruso; Fabio Giannetti contributes as system engineer mainly in the Balance of Plant/Breeding Blanket work package

• ITER TBS: pre-conceptual and conceptual design of the WCLL TBM Water Cooling System and Li-Pb circuit; preliminary safety evaluations

• EU-DEMO WCLL: Power Conversion System design, Breeding Blanket design team member, safety analysis (LOCAs and LOFAs transients, First-Wall mock-up)

• Development of the RELAP5 for FUSION code version and the SAETTA tritium transport code

• • Liquid metals heat transfer

  • Helical coil Steam Generators and Heat Exchangers

  • MHD pressure drop evaluation

  • Tritium transport

Supporting projects

• EUROfusion — Euratom framework programme for fusion research, coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (Germany); active since 2014, Sapienza participates as an affiliated entity through ENEA; Fabio Giannetti works as system engineer in the breeding blanket and balance-of-plant work packages (euro-fusion.org)