A Review of Monte Carlo Criticality Calculations - Convergence, Bias, Statistics
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Monte Carlo criticality calculations have been performed for over 50 years for reactor physics and criticality safety applications. With today's faster computers, these calculations are being carried out to greater precision (smaller uncertainties) in keff; and detailed distributions of power and reaction rates are being computed routinely. This paper provides a review of the fundamental theory of Monte Carlo criticality calculations, with guidance on practical methods for: (1) assuring convergence of both keff and the source distribution, (2) minimizing the bias in keff and reaction rate distributions, and (3) dealing with the underprediction bias in uncertainties for keff and reaction rate distributions.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 960927
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-08-06558; LA-UR-08-6558; TRN: US201008%%832
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: ANS Mathematics & Computation Topical-2009 , Saratoga Springs, NY (United States), 3 May 2009
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
CALCULATION METHODS
CONVERGENCE
CRITICALITY
MONTE CARLO METHOD
REVIEWS
STATISTICS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Calculation Methods
Convergence
Criticality
Monte Carlo Method
Reviews
Statistics
Eigenvalue Calculations
K-Effective
Power Iteration