Modelling and simulations of reactor neutron noise induced by mechanical vibrations

Mechanical vibrations of core internals are among the main perturbations that induce oscillations in the neutron flux field, also known as neutron noise. In this work, different simulation models for the study of the influence of the mechanical vibrations of fuel assemblies on the neutron flux in the reactor core have been discussed. These methodologies employ the diffusion approximation, with or without a previous homogenization model, to simulate the neutron noise in the time or the frequency domain. The diffusion-based approach is expected to be less accurate in the vicinity of the vibrating fuel assemblies, but correct when considering distances larger than a few diffusion lengths away from the perturbation. All methodologies provide consistent results and can reproduce typical features of the neutron noise induced by mechanical vibrations of core components. First, FEMFFUSION can perform simulations in both the time and frequency domains. Second, CORE SIM + can be used to study various neutron noise scenarios in realistic three-dimensional reactor configurations. The third methodology is centred on using commercial codes as CASMO-5, SIMULATE-3 and SIMULATE-3K. This methodology allows time domain simulations of the neutron noise induced by different neutron noise sources in a nuclear reactor. Finally, a model for time-dependent geometry is implemented for the code system ATHLET/QUABOX-CUBBOX employing a cross-section-based approach for encoding water gap width variations at the reflector

Combined Characterisation of GOME and TOMS Total Ozone Using Ground-Based Observations from the NDSC

Several years of total ozone measured from space by the ERS-2 GOME, the Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), and the ADEOS TOMS, are compared with high-quality ground-based observations associated with the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC), over an extended latitude range and a variety of geophysical conditions. The comparisons with each spaceborne sensor are combined altogether for investigating their respective solar zenith angle (SZA) dependence, dispersion, and difference of sensitivity. The space- and ground-based data are found to agree within a few percent on average. However, the analysis highlights for both Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) and TOMS several sources of discrepancies, including a dependence on the SZA at high latitudes and internal inconsistencies

Treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus: a systematic review

The aim of this study was to summarize all eligible studies to compare the effectiveness of treatment strategies for osteochondral defects (OCD) of the talus. Electronic databases from January 1966 to December 2006 were systematically screened. The proportion of the patient population treated successfully was noted, and percentages were calculated. For each treatment strategy, study size weighted success rates were calculated. Fifty-two studies described the results of 65 treatment groups of treatment strategies for OCD of the talus. One randomized clinical trial was identified. Seven studies described the results of non-operative treatment, 4 of excision, 13 of excision and curettage, 18 of excision, curettage and bone marrow stimulation (BMS), 4 of an autogenous bone graft, 2 of transmalleolar drilling (TMD), 9 of osteochondral transplantation (OATS), 4 of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), 3 of retrograde drilling and 1 of fixation. OATS, BMS and ACI scored success rates of 87, 85 and 76%, respectively. Retrograde drilling and fixation scored 88 and 89%, respectively. Together with the newer techniques OATS and ACI, BMS was identified as an effective treatment strategy for OCD of the talus. Because of the relatively high cost of ACI and the knee morbidity seen in OATS, we conclude that BMS is the treatment of choice for primary osteochondral talar lesions. However, due to great diversity in the articles and variability in treatment results, no definitive conclusions can be drawn. Further sufficiently powered, randomized clinical trials with uniform methodology and validated outcome measures should be initiated to compare the outcome of surgical strategies for OCD of the talus

Note de lecture sur" Reconversion économique et développement territorial"

National audienc

A Deterministic against Monte-Carlo Depletion Calculation Benchmark for JHR Core Configurations

International audienceThe Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) is the next international Material-Testing Reactor (MTR) under construction in the south of France at CEA Cadarache research center. Its first criticality is foreseen by the end of the decade. The innovative character of the JHR led to the development of a specific neutronic calculation scheme called HORUS3D/N for performing design and safety studies. HORUS3D/N is based on the deterministic codes APOLLO2 and CRONOS2 and on the European nuclear data library JEFF-3.1.1. Up to now, the biases and uncertainties due to the HORUS3D/N calculation scheme in depletion have been assessed by comparing HORUS3D/N deterministic calculations with 2D APOLLO2-MOC reference route calculations. The recent development of the Monte-Carlo code TRIPOLI-4 in its depletion mode (TRIPOLI-4D) offers the opportunity to study the JHR 3D core configurations under fuel depletion conditions. This paper presents the first CRONOS2/TRIPOLI-4D benchmark results obtained for 3 core configurations of interest including control rods and experimental devices up to a burnup value of 60 GWd/t$_{HM}$. The main parameters of interest are the reactivity and the isotopic concentrations as functions of burnup. This first study of actual JHR configurations in depletion demonstrates the reliability of TRIPOLI-4D to calculate a complex geometry using a large number of depleting regions. In particular, a good agreement between the two codes is observed concerning the $^{235}$U consumption with discrepancies values less than -0.5% at 60 GWd/tHM. Nevertheless, a global CRONOS2 overestimation of the plutonium inventory can be noticed. Compared with 3D assembly calculation in an infinite lattice, this overestimation was tracked down to the condensation of the nuclear constants provided by APOLLO2, showing the limits of a two steps calculation

Validation of horus3d/n against tripoli-4R^Rd for core depletion calculation of the jules horowitz reactor

ISBN: 978-0-89448-726-2International audienceThe international Jules Horowitz material testing Reactor (JHR) is under construction at CEA Cadarache research center, in southern France. Its first criticality is foreseen by the end of the decade. In order to perform JHR design and safety studies, a specific neutronics calculation tool, HORUS3D/N, based on the deterministic codes APOLLO2 and CRONOS2 and on the European nuclear data library JEFF3.1.1, was developed to calculate JHR neutronics parameters taking into account fuel depletion reactivity, power distribution, control rod reactivity worth, etc. Up to now, the biases and uncertainties on the different neutronics parameters computed with HORUS3D/N were assessed, in particular, by comparing HORUS3D/N deterministic calculations with reference route calculations based on APOLLO2-MOC and TRIPOLI-4$^R$. The use for JHR of the recent Monte-Carlo TRIPOLI-4 in its new Depletion mode (TRIPOLI-4$^R$D) will also allow providing biases for the main neutronics parameters under fuel depletion conditions. These biases will give a quantitative estimation of the impact of the approximations of the flux calculation in the deterministic route. This paper presents a contribution to the validation of HORUS3D/N based on the first comparisons between the calculations performed with APOLLO2-MOC and CRONOS2, and the ones from TRIPOLI-4$^R$D. The study is performed on 2-D calculations for two different clusters in an infinite lattice configuration. It focuses on the main parameters of interest isotopic concentrations, plate power distributions, reactivity, as functions of burnup. The results obtained show reasonable discrepancies with APOLLO2 calculation and allow to be confident on the APOLLO2.8/REL2005/CEA2005 package recommendations developed by CEA for light water reactor studies used in HORUS-3D/N. In particular, the main fuel isotopes are well predicted with TRIPOLI-4$^R$D with discrepancies values lower than -1.5 percent