Fast Reactor Calculational Route for Pu Burning Core Design

Hunter

This document provides a description of a calculational route, used in the Reactor Physics Research Section for sensitivity studies and initial design optimization calculations for fast reactor cores. The main purpose in producing this document was to provide a description of and user guides to the calculational methods, in English, as an aid to any future user of the calculational route who is (like the author) handicapped by a lack of literacy in Japanese. The document also provides for all users a compilation of information on the various parts of the calculational route, all in a single reference. In using the calculational route (to model Pu burning reactors) the author identified a number of areas where an improvement in the modelling of the standard calculational route was warranted - the document includes a description of these changes. The calculational route makes use of several different computer programs. SLAROM calculates nuclear data from compositions, using either homogeneous or heterogeneous models. CITATION and MOSES do reactor burn-up and/or flux diffusion calculations; CITATION is used for 2D (RZ) calculations, whilst MOSES models 3D (hex-Z) geometry. PENCIL and CITDENS are essentially specialized versions of CITATION (PENCIL includes data preparation and other functions). MASSN calculates fuel cycle mass balances. PERKY performs perturbation and associated calculations, both 1'st order and exact perturbations. JOINT and RZOUT3 provide various dataset interface functions, including energy group condensation. Briefer descriptions of the calculational route are given, followed by a more detailed step-by-step approach to the calculations. This latter includes examples of all JCL and data files, and a description of all the data that a user may have to employ. The document does not give a complete description of the component programs: where options and/or data are not used in any of the calculations they have generally been ignored; ...