Effect of energy self-shielding methods on²³⁸U for criticality safety problems

Multigroup cross sections are obtained by weighting point-wise nuclear data with a flux spectrum. For nuclides having a resonance structure, energy self-shielding calculations are performed to calculate a more detailed flux spectrum. Subsequently, self-shielded multigroup cross sections are generated. Different methods exist for energy self-shielding calculations. Among them are the Bondarenko method, the NJOY flux calculator, and the CENTRM method. The CENTRM method is a more advanced technique that utilizes both multigroup and point-wise cross sections in a one-dimensional transport calculation to solve for a point-wise flux distribution. The method of energy self-shielding is one of the elements in a multigroup cross-section generation that may have a significant impact on the multiplication factor in criticality safety calculations. This paper compares the three aforementioned self-shielding methods applied to ²³⁸U. A criticality problem having 23 cases is considered. This system includes water-moderated, low-enriched UO₂ fuel rods in square-pitched array, with a thermal flux spectrum. Multiplication factors obtained from transport calculations that use multigroup and continuous energy data are compared. It is observed that multiplication factors calculated with multigroup data containing different self-shielding methods for ²³⁸U have less than 500 pcm difference with continuous energy results.