Depletion calculation of subcritical system with consideration of spontaneous fission reaction

Riyana, E. S.; Okumura, Keisuke; Sakamoto, Masahiro; Matsumura, Taichi; Terashima, Kenichi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(4), p.424 - 430, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1974970

Numerical investigations on the coolability and the re-criticality of a debris bed with the density-stratified configuration

Li, C.; Uchibori, Akihiro; Takata, Takashi; Pellegrini, M.*; Erkan, N.*; Okamoto, Koji*

Dai-25-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2021/07

The capability of stable cooling and avoiding re-criticality on the debris bed are the main issues for achieving IVR (In-Vessel Retention). In the actual situation, the debris bed is composed of mixed-density debris particles. Hence, when these mixed-density debris particles were launched to re-distribute, the debris bed would possibly form a density-stratified distribution. For the proper evaluation of this scenario, the multi-physics model of CFD-DEM-Monte-Carlo based neutronics is established to investigate the coolability and re-criticality on the heterogeneous density-stratified debris bed with considering the particle relocation. The CFD-DEM model has been verified by utilizing water injection experiments on the mixed-density particle bed in the first portion of this research. In the second portion, the coupled system of the CFD-DEM-Monte-Carlo based neutronics model is applied to reactor cases. Afterward, the debris particles' movement, debris particles' and coolant's temperature, and the k-eff eigenvalue are successfully tracked. Ultimately, the relocation and stratification effects on debris bed's coolability and re-criticality had been quantitatively confirmed.

Continuous energy Monte Carlo criticality calculation of random media under power law spectrum

Ueki, Taro

Proceedings of International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2019) (CD-ROM), p.151 - 160, 2019/00

A dynamical system under extreme physical disorder has the tendency of evolving toward the equilibrium state characterized by an inverse power law spectrum. In this paper, the author proposes a practically implementable modeling of random media under such a spectrum using a randomized form of the Weierstrass function. The proposed modeling is demonstrated by the continuous energy Monte Carlo particle transport with delta tracking for the criticality calculation of a randomized version of the Topsy spherical core in International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project.

Monte Carlo criticality analysis under material distribution uncertainty

Ueki, Taro

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 54(3), p.267 - 279, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2016.1260066

Analysis framework under material distribution uncertainty is investigated for the Monte Carlo (MC) criticality calculation of continuously mixed media formed via molten core concrete interaction. Deterministic trigonometric functions and randomized Weierstrass functions are utilized to represent the spatially continuous variation. Numerical results indicate that the effective multiplication factor (k) under random spatial variation can depart significantly from the k of a reference uniform medium. It is also shown that the deterministic modeling provides an upper-bound measure for extreme results from random realizations.

Assessment of human body surface and internal dose estimations in criticality accidents based on experimental and computational simulations

Sono, Hiroki; Ono, Akio*; Kojima, Takuji; Takahashi, Fumiaki; Yamane, Yoshihiro*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 43(3), p.276 - 284, 2006/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.43.276

For a study on the applicability of a personal dosimetry method to criticality accident dosimetry, an assessment of the human body surface and internal dose estimations was performed by experimental and computational simulations. The experimental simulation was carried out in a criticality accident situation at the TRACY facility. The neutron and -ray absorbed doses in muscle tissue were separately estimated by a dosimeter set of an alanine dosimeter and a thermoluminescence dosimeter made of enriched lithium tetra borate with a phantom. The computational simulation was conducted with a Monte Carlo code taking account of dose components of neutrons, prompt -rays and delayed -rays. The computational simulation was ascertained to be valid by comparison between the calculated dose distributions in the phantom and the measured ones. The assessment based on the experimental and computational simulations confirmed that the personal dosimetry using the dosimeter set provided a first estimation of the body surface and internal doses with precision.

Evaluation of -ray dose components in criticality accident situations

Sono, Hiroki; Yanagisawa, Hiroshi*; Ono, Akio*; Kojima, Takuji; Soramasu, Noboru*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 42(8), p.678 - 687, 2005/08

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.42.678

Component analysis of -ray doses in criticality accident situations is indispensable for further understanding on emission behavior of -rays and accurate evaluation of external exposure to human bodies. Such dose components were evaluated, categorizing -rays into four components: prompt, delayed, pseudo components in the period of criticality, and a residual component in the period after the termination of criticality. This evaluation was performed by the combination of dosimetry experiments at the TRACY facility using a thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) made of lithium tetra borate and computational analyses using a Monte Carlo code. The evaluation confirmed that the dose proportions of the above components varied with the distance from the TRACY core tank. This variation was due to the difference in attenuation of the individual components with the distance from the core tank. The evaluated dose proportions quantitatively clarified the contribution of the pseudo and the residual components to be excluded for accurate evaluation of -ray exposure.

Impact of perturbed fission source on the effective multiplication factor in Monte Carlo perturbation calculations

Nagaya, Yasunobu; Mori, Takamasa

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 42(5), p.428 - 441, 2005/05

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.42.428

A new method to estimate a change in the effective multiplication factor due to the perturbed fission source distribution has been proposed for Monte Carlo perturbation calculations with the correlated sampling and differential operator sampling techniques. The method has been implemented into the MVP code for verification. Simple benchmark problems have been set up for fast and thermal systems and the applicability of the method has been verified with the problems. In consequence, it has been confirmed that the method is very effective to estimate the change. It has been also shown that there are some cases where the perturbed source effect is significant and the change in reactivity cannot be estimated accurately without taking the effect into account. Even in such cases, the new method can estimate the perturbed source effect and the estimation of the change in reactivity has been remarkably improved.

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.

Dose assessment from activated sodium within a body in criticality accidents

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Endo, Akira; Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 106(3), p.197 - 206, 2003/00

https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a006350

Some data were derived using recent sophisticated methods to convert rapidly specific activity of induced sodium-24 to average dose over a whole body in criticality accidents. Monte Carlo calculations using the MCNP-4B code were performed to study energy spectra of neutrons and gamma rays for some criticality systems with fissile uranium. Absorbed dose to human body and activation of sodium were also analysed against external radiation by simulations using a phantom. It was found that neutron dose assessment from induced Na would be important to give an initial guidance of a treatment. The condition of neutron exposure, however, did not influence the quantitative relation dose by gamma rays induced within a body and activity of Na. Analyses were made to clarify the dependence of conversion from Na specific activity to dose on the orientation and the size of human body. This study suggested that the size of uranium solution and material around the fuel should be informed to properly estimate dose against external photons from neutron dose.

New acceleration method of source convergence for loosely coupled multi unit system by using matrix K calculation

Kuroishi, Takeshi; Nomura, Yasushi

Proceedings of International Conference on the New Frontiers of Nuclear Technology; Reactor Physics, Safety and High-Performance Computing (PHYSOR 2002) (CD-ROM), 10 Pages, 2002/10

To accelerate the slow convergence of the fission source distribution, the matrix k calculation has been developed and incorporated in the ordinary Monte Carlo method. The acceleration can be performed by the fission source correction using the eigenvector of the fission matrix, if the coupling coefficients are approximately evaluated in the middle of Monte Carlo calculation. In this paper, we propose two effective applications of the matrix k, that is, the acceleration repetition method and the source generation method. The former simply repeats the matrix k calculation, and the result for the irradiated fuel pin cell shows enough effective to accelerate the fission source on the criticality estimation. However, in some cases of the loosely coupled multi unit system, the repetition of matrix k more than twice could not be carried out to get into convergence because of many units of low source level. The latter is newly devised here to apply to such cases. The checkerboard fuel storage rack is one of the typical cases, and the calculated results show the effectiveness of this method.