Analysis of the TRIGA MARK-II benchmark IEU-COMP-THERM-003 with Monte Carlo code MVP

Mahmood, M. S.; Nagaya, Yasunobu  ; Mori, Takamasa

The benchmark experiments of the TRIGA Mark-II reactor in the ICSBEP handbook have been analyzed with the Monte Carlo code MVP using the cross section libraries based on JENDL-3.3, JENDL-3.2 and ENDF/B-VI.8. MCNP calculations have been also performed with the ENDF/B-VI.6 library for comparison between the MVP and MCNP results. For both cores labeled 132 and 133, which have different core configurations, the ratio of the calculated to the experimental results (C/E) for keff obtained by the MVP code is 0.999 for JENDL-3.3, 1.003 for JENDL-3.2, and 0.998 for ENDF/B-VI.8. For the MCNP code, the C/E values are 0.998 for both the Core 132 and 133. All the calculated results agree with the reference values within the experimental uncertainties. The results obtained by MVP with ENDF/B-VI.8 and MCNP with ENDF/B-VI.6 differ only by 0.02% for Core 132, and by 0.01% for Core 133.