On the diffusion coefficient calculation in two-step light water reactor core analysis. Issue 6 (3rd June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Choi, Sooyoung; Smith, Kord S.; Kim, Hanjoo; Tak, Taewoo; Lee, Deokjung
• Is Part Of: Journal of nuclear science and technology. Volume 54:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 705
• Page End: 715
• Publication Date: 2017-06-03
• Subjects: Reactor physics -- light water reactor -- two-step procedure -- diffusion coefficient -- transport correction -- critical spectrum -- equivalence theory; Nuclear engineering -- Periodicals; Nuclear physics -- Periodicals; Nuclear energy -- Periodicals; 621.4805
• DOI: 10.1080/00223131.2017.1299648
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3131

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper presents consistent and rigorous accuracy assessments of various methods for calculating the diffusion coefficients in a two-step reactor core analysis of light water reactors (LWRs). The diffusion coefficients are significantly affected by the transport correction and critical spectrum calculations. There are various methods for the transport corrections (inflow/outflow/hybrid corrections) and critical spectrum calculations (B1 /P1 /CASMO-4E methods) so that it is necessary to decide the best combination to achieve a high accuracy in the transport/diffusion two-step analysis. Numerical tests are performed step-by-step to search for the best combination of the methods by comparing each other the transport one-step results, transport/diffusion two-step results, and Monte Carlo results. Numerical test results with a large and a small LWR core show that the combination of inflow transport correction and CASMO-4E critical spectrum calculation is most accurate than the other combinations in terms of eigenvalues and assembly power distributions.