Development of fission source acceleration method for slow convergence in criticality analyses by using matrix eigenvector applicable to spent fuel transport cask with axial burnup profile

Kuroishi, Takeshi; Nomura, Yasushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 40(6), p.433 - 440, 2003/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.40.433

Effective source acceleration method is studied in criticality safety analysis for realistic spent fuel transport cask. Various axial burnup profiles based on in-core flux measurements are proposed in the OECD/NEA/BUC benchmark Phase II-C. In some cases, calculations by ordinary Monte Carlo method show very slow convergence of fission source distribution, and unacceptably large skipped cycles are needed. The matrix eigenvector calculation that has been developed and incorporated in the ordinary Monte Carlo calculation to improve the slow convergence is applied to the benchmark. The efficiency of this method depends on the precision of matrix elements. In a certain stage of insufficient convergence of fission source distribution, especially for this benchmark of very slow convergence, more acceleration procedure causes anomalous results because of large statistical fluctuations of matrix elements corresponding to low source levels. Therefore, we propose effective source acceleration method with less calculation time than increasing histories for the estimation of matrix elements.

Burnup importance function introduced to give an insight into the end effect

Okuno, Hiroshi; Sakai, Tomohiro*

Nuclear Technology, 140(3), p.255 - 265, 2002/12

https://doi.org/10.13182/NT02-A3337

In order to facilitate discussions based on quantitative analysis about the end effect, which is often talked about in connection to burnup credit in criticality safety evaluation of spent fuel, we introduced in this paper a burnup importance function. This function shows the burnup effect on the reactivity as a function of the fuel position; an explicit expression of this function was derived according to the perturbation theory. The burnup importance function was applied to the Phase IIA benchmark model that was adopted by the OECD/NEA Expert Group on Burnup Credit Criticality Safety. The function clearly displayed that burnup importance of the end regions increases (1) as burnup, (2) as cooling time, (3) in consideration of burnup profile, and (4) in consideration of fission products.

PLUTON: Three-group neutronic code for burnup analysis of isotope generation and depletion in highly irradiated LWR fuel rods

Lemehov, S.; Suzuki, Motoe

JAERI-Data/Code 2001-025, 338 Pages, 2001/08

JAERI-Data-Code-2001-025.pdf:26.87MB

PLUTON is a three-group neutronic code analyzing, as functions of time and burnup, the change of radial profiles, together with average values, of power density, burnup, concentration of trans-uranium elements, plutonium buildup, depletion of fissile elements, and fission product generation in water reactor fuel rod with standard UO2, UO2-Gd2O3, inhomogeneous MOX, and UO2-ThO2. The PLUTON code, which has been designed to be run on Windows PC, has adopted a theoretical shape function of neutron attenuation in pellet, which enables users to perform a very fast and accurate calculation easily. The present code includes the irradiation conditions of the Halden Reactor which gives verification data for the code. The total list of trans-uranium elements included in the calculations consists of 92U233-239, 93Np237-239, 94Pu238-243, 95Am241-244 (including isomers), and 96Cm242-245. Verification has been performed up to 83 GWd/tU, and a satisfactory agreement has been obtained.

OECD/NEA burnup credit criticality benchmark; Result of phase IIA

; Okuno, Hiroshi

JAERI-Research 96-003, 170 Pages, 1996/02

JAERI-Research-96-003.pdf:5.24MB

no abstracts in English