skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Benchmark Evaluation of HTR-PROTEUS Pebble Bed Experimental Program

Abstract

Benchmark models were developed to evaluate 11 critical core configurations of the HTR-PROTEUS pebble bed experimental program. Various additional reactor physics measurements were performed as part of this program; currently only a total of 37 absorber rod worth measurements have been evaluated as acceptable benchmark experiments for Cores 4, 9, and 10. Dominant uncertainties in the experimental keff for all core configurations come from uncertainties in the ²³⁵U enrichment of the fuel, impurities in the moderator pebbles, and the density and impurity content of the radial reflector. Calculations of keff with MCNP5 and ENDF/B-VII.0 neutron nuclear data are greater than the benchmark values but within 1% and also within the 3σ uncertainty, except for Core 4, which is the only randomly packed pebble configuration. Repeated calculations of keff with MCNP6.1 and ENDF/B-VII.1 are lower than the benchmark values and within 1% (~3σ) except for Cores 5 and 9, which calculate lower than the benchmark eigenvalues within 4σ. The primary difference between the two nuclear data libraries is the adjustment of the absorption cross section of graphite. Simulations of the absorber rod worth measurements are within 3σ of the benchmark experiment values. The complete benchmark evaluation details are availablemore » in the 2014 edition of the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
  2. Axpo Power AG, Dottingen (Switzerland). Kernenergie Beznau
  3. Jozef Stefan Inst. (IJS), Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
OSTI Identifier:
1178047
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU-13-30829
Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5639; TRN: US1600471
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Science and Engineering
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 178; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5639
Publisher:
American Nuclear Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; Benchmark; IRPhEP; Pebble; PROTEUS; TRISO

Citation Formats

Bess, John D., Montierth, Leland, Köberl, Oliver, and Snoj, Luka. Benchmark Evaluation of HTR-PROTEUS Pebble Bed Experimental Program. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.13182/NSE14-13.
Bess, John D., Montierth, Leland, Köberl, Oliver, & Snoj, Luka. Benchmark Evaluation of HTR-PROTEUS Pebble Bed Experimental Program. United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE14-13
Bess, John D., Montierth, Leland, Köberl, Oliver, and Snoj, Luka. 2014. "Benchmark Evaluation of HTR-PROTEUS Pebble Bed Experimental Program". United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE14-13. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1178047.
@article{osti_1178047,
title = {Benchmark Evaluation of HTR-PROTEUS Pebble Bed Experimental Program},
author = {Bess, John D. and Montierth, Leland and Köberl, Oliver and Snoj, Luka},
abstractNote = {Benchmark models were developed to evaluate 11 critical core configurations of the HTR-PROTEUS pebble bed experimental program. Various additional reactor physics measurements were performed as part of this program; currently only a total of 37 absorber rod worth measurements have been evaluated as acceptable benchmark experiments for Cores 4, 9, and 10. Dominant uncertainties in the experimental keff for all core configurations come from uncertainties in the ²³⁵U enrichment of the fuel, impurities in the moderator pebbles, and the density and impurity content of the radial reflector. Calculations of keff with MCNP5 and ENDF/B-VII.0 neutron nuclear data are greater than the benchmark values but within 1% and also within the 3σ uncertainty, except for Core 4, which is the only randomly packed pebble configuration. Repeated calculations of keff with MCNP6.1 and ENDF/B-VII.1 are lower than the benchmark values and within 1% (~3σ) except for Cores 5 and 9, which calculate lower than the benchmark eigenvalues within 4σ. The primary difference between the two nuclear data libraries is the adjustment of the absorption cross section of graphite. Simulations of the absorber rod worth measurements are within 3σ of the benchmark experiment values. The complete benchmark evaluation details are available in the 2014 edition of the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments.},
doi = {10.13182/NSE14-13},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1178047}, journal = {Nuclear Science and Engineering},
issn = {0029-5639},
number = 3,
volume = 178,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 09 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Thu Oct 09 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 3 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share: