Benchmark calculations of the saxton plutonium program critical experiments

Naeem M. Abdurrahman; Georgeta Radulescu; Igor Carron

doi:10.13182/NT99-A3004

Benchmark calculations of the saxton plutonium program critical experiments

Naeem M. Abdurrahman, Georgeta Radulescu, Igor Carron

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Abstract

The Saxton critical experiments, which used mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel of 6.6 wt% PuO₂ in natural UO₂ and UO₂ fuel of 5.74 wt% ²³⁵U, are analyzed with MCNP-4B and continuous-energy cross-section libraries ENDF/B-V and ENDF/B-VI. An excellent agreement of calculated and experimental effective multiplication factors for the entire set of 1.3208-cm MOX lattices and 1.4224-cm MOX and UO₂ lattices was obtained. The analysis of criticality calculations for the five different lattice pitches show a bias with lattice pitch, which led to an increase of approx. 0.8% when doubling the lattice pitch. Good agreement between calculated and measured data was obtained for some of the relative power distribution experiments for MOX single-region cores and MOX/UO₂ multiregion cores; however, for others the agreement was less satisfactory. No significant difference in the results for relative power with the two libraries was observed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	315-331
Number of pages	17
Journal	Nuclear Technology
Volume	127
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.13182/NT99-A3004
State	Published - Sep 1999
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Benchmark calculations of the saxton plutonium program critical experiments",

abstract = "The Saxton critical experiments, which used mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel of 6.6 wt% PuO2 in natural UO2 and UO2 fuel of 5.74 wt% 235U, are analyzed with MCNP-4B and continuous-energy cross-section libraries ENDF/B-V and ENDF/B-VI. An excellent agreement of calculated and experimental effective multiplication factors for the entire set of 1.3208-cm MOX lattices and 1.4224-cm MOX and UO2 lattices was obtained. The analysis of criticality calculations for the five different lattice pitches show a bias with lattice pitch, which led to an increase of approx. 0.8% when doubling the lattice pitch. Good agreement between calculated and measured data was obtained for some of the relative power distribution experiments for MOX single-region cores and MOX/UO2 multiregion cores; however, for others the agreement was less satisfactory. No significant difference in the results for relative power with the two libraries was observed.",

author = "Abdurrahman, {Naeem M.} and Georgeta Radulescu and Igor Carron",

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T1 - Benchmark calculations of the saxton plutonium program critical experiments

AU - Abdurrahman, Naeem M.

AU - Radulescu, Georgeta

AU - Carron, Igor

PY - 1999/9

Y1 - 1999/9

N2 - The Saxton critical experiments, which used mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel of 6.6 wt% PuO2 in natural UO2 and UO2 fuel of 5.74 wt% 235U, are analyzed with MCNP-4B and continuous-energy cross-section libraries ENDF/B-V and ENDF/B-VI. An excellent agreement of calculated and experimental effective multiplication factors for the entire set of 1.3208-cm MOX lattices and 1.4224-cm MOX and UO2 lattices was obtained. The analysis of criticality calculations for the five different lattice pitches show a bias with lattice pitch, which led to an increase of approx. 0.8% when doubling the lattice pitch. Good agreement between calculated and measured data was obtained for some of the relative power distribution experiments for MOX single-region cores and MOX/UO2 multiregion cores; however, for others the agreement was less satisfactory. No significant difference in the results for relative power with the two libraries was observed.

AB - The Saxton critical experiments, which used mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel of 6.6 wt% PuO2 in natural UO2 and UO2 fuel of 5.74 wt% 235U, are analyzed with MCNP-4B and continuous-energy cross-section libraries ENDF/B-V and ENDF/B-VI. An excellent agreement of calculated and experimental effective multiplication factors for the entire set of 1.3208-cm MOX lattices and 1.4224-cm MOX and UO2 lattices was obtained. The analysis of criticality calculations for the five different lattice pitches show a bias with lattice pitch, which led to an increase of approx. 0.8% when doubling the lattice pitch. Good agreement between calculated and measured data was obtained for some of the relative power distribution experiments for MOX single-region cores and MOX/UO2 multiregion cores; however, for others the agreement was less satisfactory. No significant difference in the results for relative power with the two libraries was observed.

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Benchmark calculations of the saxton plutonium program critical experiments

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