Verification and validation tests of gamma library of MC2-3 for coupled neutron and gamma heating calculation. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Park, H.; Jeon, B.K.; Yang, W.S.; Smith, M.A.; Lee, C.H.; Lell, R.M.
• Is Part Of: Annals of nuclear energy. Volume 146(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Coupled neutron and gamma heating -- Verification -- Validation -- Fast reactor -- MC2-3 -- GAMSOR -- ZPPR-15D gamma dose measurement; Nuclear energy -- Periodicals; Nuclear engineering -- Periodicals; 621.4805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anucene.2020.107609
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4549

Abstract

Highlights: Gamma libraries of MC 2 -3 for coupled neutron and gamma heating calculation. Heating calculation results of EBR-II agree well with MCNP6.2 results. Calculated gamma doses agree well with TLD measurements of ZPPR-15D. Abstract: For the accurate assessment of the heat generation rate in fast reactors, the gamma library of MC 2 -3 and the MC 2 -3 + GAMSOR procedure employing the coupled neutron and gamma heating calculation has been thoroughly verified against Monte Carlo results and validated using the ZPPR-15D gamma dose measurement data. NJOY outputs are post-processed in a consistent way with the NJOY procedure to avoid any missing data or double counting of data. Prompt heating for 379 out of 391 isotopes in the gamma library was verified against MCNP6.2 to within 1% relative error in total heating for most isotopes. For both a simple one-dimensional slab problem representing a sodium cooled fast reactor and the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) benchmark problem, the root-mean-square values of assembly power error were less than 0.5% for fuel assemblies, ~1% in blankets and ~1 to ~3% in reflectors compared to MCNP6.2 results. The most plausible cause for the 3% error in a reflector assembly is believed to be the error in the multigroup neutron cross sections for the reflector assembly. For validation, gamma doses measured with thermoluminiscent dosimeters (TLDs) in the ZPPR-15D experiment were calculated using GAMSOR. Due to the uncertainty in the TLD measurement with regards to the energy deposition of photons and neutrons, the validation data leads to a 12.7% uncertainty on the experimental measurement. With this uncertainty bound, the calculated doses all fell within one standard deviation of the measured value. Combined with the accurate calculation of reaction rate distributions and neutron spectrum measurements, these results indicate good agreement for the neutron and gamma heating calculations that were performed.