Uncertainty in the delayed neutron fraction in fuel assembly depletion calculations

Alexander Aures, Friederike Bostelmann, Ivan A. Kodeli, Kiril Velkov, Winfried Zwermann

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study presents uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of the delayed neutron fraction of light water reactor and sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel assemblies. For these analyses, the sampling-based XSUSA methodology is used to propagate cross section uncertainties in neutron transport and depletion calculations. Cross section data is varied according to the SCALE 6.1 covariance library. Since this library includes nu-bar uncertainties only for the total values, it has been supplemented by delayed nu-bar uncertainties from the covariance data of the JENDL-4.0 nuclear data library. The neutron transport and depletion calculations are performed with the TRITON/NEWT sequence of the SCALE 6.1 package. The evolution of the delayed neutron fraction uncertainty over burn-up is analysed without and with the consideration of delayed nu-bar uncertainties. Moreover, the main contributors to the result uncertainty are determined. In all cases, the delayed nu-bar uncertainties increase the delayed neutron fraction uncertainty. Depending on the fuel composition, the delayed nu-bar values of uranium and plutonium in fact give the main contributions to the delayed neutron fraction uncertainty for the LWR fuel assemblies. For the SFR case, the uncertainty of the scattering cross section of U-238 is the main contributor.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationND 2016
Subtitle of host publicationInternational Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology
EditorsPeter Siegler, Wim Mondelaers, Arjan Plompen, Franz-Josef Hambsch, Peter Schillebeeckx, Stefan Kopecky, Jan Heyse, Stephan Oberstedt
PublisherEDP Sciences
ISBN (Electronic)9782759890200
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 13 2017
Externally publishedYes
Event2016 International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, ND 2016 - Bruges, Belgium
Duration: Sep 11 2016Sep 16 2016

Publication series

NameEPJ Web of Conferences
Volume146
ISSN (Print)2101-6275
ISSN (Electronic)2100-014X

Conference

Conference2016 International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, ND 2016
Country/TerritoryBelgium
CityBruges
Period09/11/1609/16/16

Funding

This work is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

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