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JAEA Reports

Investigation of the core neutronics analysis conditions for evaluation of burn-up nuclear characteristics of the next-generation fast reactors

Takino, Kazuo; Oki, Shigeo

JAEA-Data/Code 2023-003, 26 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA-Data-Code-2023-003.pdf:1.66MB

Since next-generation fast reactors aim to achieve a higher core discharge burn-up than conventional reactors do, core neutronics design methods must be refined. Therefore, a suitable analysis condition is required for the analysis of burn-up nuclear characteristics to accomplish sufficient estimation accuracy while maintaining a low computational cost. We investigated the effect of the analysis conditions on the accuracy of estimation of the burn-up nuclear characteristics of next-generation fast reactors in terms of neutron energy groups, neutron transport theory, and spatial mesh. This study treated the following burn-up nuclear characteristics: criticality, burn-up reactivity, control rod worth, breeding ratio, assembly-wise power distribution, maximum linear heat rate, sodium void reactivity, and Doppler coefficient for the equilibrium operation cycle. As a result, it was found that the following conditions were the most suitable: 18-energy-group structure, 6 spatial meshes per assembly with diffusion approximation. Additionally, these conditions should apply to correction factors for energy group structure, spatial mesh and transport effects.

JAEA Reports

Development of the unified cross-section set ADJ2017R

Yokoyama, Kenji; Maruyama, Shuhei; Taninaka, Hiroshi; Oki, Shigeo

JAEA-Data/Code 2021-019, 115 Pages, 2022/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2021-019.pdf:6.21MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2021-019-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:435.94MB

In JAEA, several versions of unified cross-section set for fast reactors have been developed so far; we have developed a new unified cross-section set ADJ2017R, which is an improved version of the unified cross-section setADJ2017 for fast reactors. The unified cross-section set is used for reflecting information of C/E values (analysis / experiment values) obtained by integral experiment analyses in reactor core design via the cross-section adjustment methodology; the values are stored in the standard database for FBR core design. In the methodology, the cross-section set is adjusted by integrating the information such as uncertainty (covariance) of nuclear data, uncertainty of integral experiment / analysis, sensitivity of integral experiment with respect to nuclear data. ADJ2017R basically has the same performance as ADJ2017, but we conducted an additional investigation on ADJ2017 and revised the following two points. The first is to unify the evaluation method of the correlation coefficient of uncertainty caused by experiments (hereinafter referred to as the experimental correlation coefficient). Because it was found that the common uncertainty used in the evaluation of the experimental correlation coefficient was evaluated by two different methods, the experimental correlation coefficients were revised for all experimental data, and the evaluation method was unified. The second is the review of the integral experiment data used for the cross-section adjustment calculation. It was found that one of the experimental values of composition ratio after irradiation of the Am-243 sample has a problem in uncertainty evaluation because its experimental uncertainty is extremely small compared to the others. The cross-section adjustment calculation was, therefore, redone by excluding the experimental value. In the creation of ADJ2017, a total of 719 data sets were analyzed and evaluated, and eventually adopted 620 integral experimental data sets. In contrast, a total of 61

JAEA Reports

Evaluation of neutronic characteristics of TRACY water-reflected core system

Sono, Hiroki; Yanagisawa, Hiroshi*; Miyoshi, Yoshinori

JAERI-Tech 2003-096, 84 Pages, 2004/01

JAERI-Tech-2003-096.pdf:3.6MB

Prior to the supercritical experiments using a water-reflected core of the TRACY Facility, neutronic characteristics regarding criticality and reactivity of the core system were evaluated. In the analyses, a continuous energy Monte Carlo code, MVP, and a two-dimensional transport code, TWOTRAN, were used together with a nuclear data library, JENDL-3.3. By comparison to the characteristics in the former-used bare core system of TRACY, the water reflector was estimated not to change the kinetic parameter and to reduce the critical solution level by 20 %, the temperature coefficient of reactivity by 610 %, and the void coefficient of reactivity by 18 %, respectively. According to the Nordheim-Fuchs model, the first peak power during a power excursion was evaluated to be 15 % smaller than that in the bare system under the same conditions of fuel and reactivity insertion. The influence of the void feedback effect of reactivity, which is left out of consideration in the model, on the power characteristics will be evaluated from the results of the experiments.

JAEA Reports

Thermal hydraulic analysis of the JMTR improved LEU-core

Tabata, Toshio; Nagao, Yoshiharu; Komukai, Bunsaku; Naka, Michihiro; Takeda, Takashi*; Fujiki, Kazuo

JAERI-Tech 2002-100, 108 Pages, 2003/01

JAERI-Tech-2002-100.pdf:4.44MB

After the investigation of the new core arrangement for the JMTR reactor in order to enhance the fuel burn-up and consequently extend the operation period, the "improved LEU core" that utilized 2 additional fuel elements instead of formerly installed reflector elements, was adopted. This report describes the results of the thermal-hydraulic analysis of the improved LEU core as a part of safety analysis for the licensing. The analysis covers steady state, abnormal operational transients and accidents, which were described in the annexes of the licensing documents as design bases events. Calculation conditions for the computer codes were conservatively determined based on the neutronic analysis results and others. The results of the analysis, that revealed the safety criteria were satisfied on the fuel temperature, DNBR and primary coolant temperature, were used in the licensing. The operation license of the JMTR with the improved LEU core was granted in March 2001, and the reactor operation with new core started in November 2001 as 142nd operation cycle.

JAEA Reports