A collision history-based approach to sensitivity/perturbation calculations in the continuous energy Monte Carlo code SERPENT. (November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aufiero, Manuele; Bidaud, Adrien; Hursin, Mathieu; Leppänen, Jaakko; Palmiotti, Giuseppe; Pelloni, Sandro; Rubiolo, Pablo
• Is Part Of: Annals of nuclear energy. Volume 85(2015:Nov.)
• Page Start: 245
• Page End: 258
• Publication Date: 2015-11
• Subjects: Sensitivity -- Perturbation -- Monte Carlo -- SERPENT -- Scattering distribution; Nuclear energy -- Periodicals; Nuclear engineering -- Periodicals; 621.4805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2015.05.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4549

Abstract

Highlights: We present a new Monte Carlo method to perform sensitivity/perturbation calculations. Sensitivity of k eff, reaction rates, point kinetics parameters to nuclear data. Fully continuous implicitly constrained Monte Carlo sensitivities to scattering distributions. Implementation of the method in the continuous energy Monte Carlo code SERPENT. Verification against ERANOS and TSUNAMI generalized perturbation theory results. Abstract: In this work, the implementation of a collision history-based approach to sensitivity/perturbation calculations in the Monte Carlo code SERPENT is discussed. The proposed methods allow the calculation of the effects of nuclear data perturbation on several response functions: the effective multiplication factor, reaction rate ratios and bilinear ratios (e.g., effective kinetics parameters). SERPENT results are compared to ERANOS and TSUNAMI Generalized Perturbation Theory calculations for two fast metallic systems and for a PWR pin-cell benchmark. New methods for the calculation of sensitivities to angular scattering distributions are also presented, which adopts fully continuous (in energy and angle) Monte Carlo estimators.