Comparison of statistical evaluation of criticality calculations for reactors VENUS-F and ALFRED

Limitations of correct evaluation of keff in Monte Carlo calculations, claimed in literature, apart from the nuclear data uncertainty, need to be addressed more thoroughly. Respective doubts concern: the proper number of discarded initial cycles, the sufficient number of neutrons in a cycle and the recognition and dealing with the keff bias. Calculations were performed to provide more information on these points with the use of the MCB code, solely for fast cores. We present applied methods and results, such as: calculation results for stability of variance, relation between standard deviation reported by MCNP and this from the dispersion of multiple independent keff values, second order standard deviations obtained from different numbers of grouped results. All obtained results for numbers of discarded initial cycles from 0 to 3000 were analysed leading for interesting conclusions

Comparison of statistical evaluation of criticality calculations for reactors VENUS-F and ALFRED

Limitations of correct evaluation of keff in Monte Carlo calculations, claimed in literature, apart from the nuclear data uncertainty, need to be addressed more thoroughly. Respective doubts concern: the proper number of discarded initial cycles, the sufficient number of neutrons in a cycle and the recognition and dealing with the keff bias. Calculations were performed to provide more information on these points with the use of the MCB code, solely for fast cores. We present applied methods and results, such as: calculation results for stability of variance, relation between standard deviation reported by MCNP and this from the dispersion of multiple independent keff values, second order standard deviations obtained from different numbers of grouped results. All obtained results for numbers of discarded initial cycles from 0 to 3000 were analysed leading for interesting conclusions

Correction methods for pulsed neutron source reactivity measurement in accelerator driven systems

Important issue in the perspective of nuclear energy development in the near future is the partitioning and transmutation (P&T) of spent nuclear fuel. For years the European Commission (EC) has sponsored this scientific activity through the Framework Programmes (FP). One of the milestones for P&T is the development of accelerator driven systems (ADS). Extensive research in this field was carried out within the EUROTRANS project of 6th FP of EURATOM. Part of this research was devoted to testing and development of reactivity monitoring techniques in ADS. This paper concerns the methods of the reactivity measurement using the pulsed neutron source (PNS). Due to the fact that basic methods devoted to determine the core reactivity are derived from point kinetics, while real subcritical core kinetics differs from this model, there is a need to improve these methods in order to deal with the observed spatial effects. There are several ways to make these methods work properly and finally it should be possible to achieve this. However, they still need a validation which is supposed to be done within next FP project FREYA

Simulation of the Measured Reactivity Distributions in the Subcritical MYRRHA Reactor

The designed MYRRHA reactor, in its subcritical version, will be equipped with a set of detectors monitoring its condition by measuring the current value of negative reactivity, which is a crucial parameter for its safe operation. In subcritical systems, accurate and precise measurement of negative reactivity is disturbed by the so-called spatial effect, i.e., the response of detectors depends on their placement in the reactor core. This paper focuses on the Monte Carlo simulations of reactivity measurements using the area method for natU, 238U, 241Am, 239Pu, and 232Th detectors. The simulations were performed in six positions with increasing distance from the center of the core and at three axial levels. The obtained results allow for selecting optimum locations for detectors and detector nuclides in terms of the accuracy of reactivity measurement and illustrate the dependence of the reactivity on the distance. Additionally, the possibility of using 103Rh in self-powered neutron detectors was investigated. The influence of spatial effect in calculations using the area method was directly indicated in the MYRRHA reactor core for chosen isotopes and in-core positions. The results closest to true values were obtained for the second fuel assembly for 239Pu, and the third fuel assembly for natU, 238U, 232Th, and 241Am; thus, these nuclides and positions should be preferred when selecting detectors for MYRRHA

Assessment of the control rods shadow effect in the VENUS-F core

The partitioning and transmutation (P&T) of spent nuclear fuel is an important fi eld of present development of nuclear energy technologies. One of the possible ways to carry out the P&T process is to use the accelerator driven systems (ADS). This technology has been developed within the EURATOM Framework Programmes for several years now. Current research in this fi eld is carried out within the scope of 7th FP project FREYA. Important parts of the project are experiments performed in the GUINEVERE facility devoted to characterising the subcritical core kinetics and development of reactivity monitoring techniques. The present paper considers the effects of control rods use on the core reactivity. In order to carry out the evaluation of the experimental results, it is important to have detailed core characteristics at hand and to take into consideration the differences in the effect of control rods acting separately or together (the so-called shadow effect) on both the reactivity value and the measured neutron fl ux. Also any core asymmetry should be revealed. This goal was achieved by both MCNP simulations and the experimental results. However, in the case of experimental results, the need for calculating respective correction factors was unavoidable

Assessment of the control rods shadow effect in the VENUS-F core

The partitioning and transmutation (P&T) of spent nuclear fuel is an important field of present development of nuclear energy technologies. One of the possible ways to carry out the P&T process is to use the accelerator driven systems (ADS). This technology has been developed within the EURATOM Framework Programmes for several years now. Current research in this field is carried out within the scope of 7th FP project FREYA. Important parts of the project are experiments performed in the GUINEVERE facility devoted to characterising the subcritical core kinetics and development of reactivity monitoring techniques. The present paper considers the effects of control rods use on the core reactivity. In order to carry out the evaluation of the experimental results, it is important to have detailed core characteristics at hand and to take into consideration the differences in the effect of control rods acting separately or together (the so-called shadow effect) on both the reactivity value and the measured neutron flux. Also any core asymmetry should be revealed. This goal was achieved by both MCNP simulations and the experimental results. However, in the case of experimental results, the need for calculating respective correction factors was unavoidable