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Title: Pulse superimposition calculational methodology for estimating the subcriticality level of nuclear fuel assemblies.

Journal Article · · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
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  1. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
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One of the most reliable experimental methods for measuring the subcriticality level of a nuclear fuel assembly is the Sjoestrand method applied to the reaction rate generated from a pulsed neutron source. This study developed a new analytical methodology simulating the Sjoestrand method, which allows comparing the experimental and analytical reaction rates and the obtained subcriticality levels. In this methodology, the reaction rate is calculated due to a single neutron pulse using MCNP/MCNPX computer code or any other neutron transport code that explicitly simulates the delayed fission neutrons. The calculation simulates a single neutron pulse over a long time period until the delayed neutron contribution to the reaction rate is vanished. The obtained reaction rate is then superimposed to itself, with respect to the time, to simulate the repeated pulse operation until the asymptotic level of the reaction rate, set by the delayed neutrons, is achieved. The superimposition of the pulse to itself was calculated by a simple C computer program. A parallel version of the C program is used due to the large amount of data being processed, e.g., by the Message Passing Interface (MPI). The analytical results of this new calculation methodology have shown an excellent agreement with the experimental data available from the YALINA-Booster facility of Belarus. This methodology can be used to calculate Bell and Glasstone spatial correction factor.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1015544
Report Number(s):
ANL/NE/JA-64003; TRN: US1102857
Journal Information:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 606; ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
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COMPUTER CODES
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DELAYED NEUTRONS
FISSION NEUTRONS
NEUTRON SOURCES
NEUTRON TRANSPORT
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTION KINETICS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Computer Codes
Criticality
Delayed Neutrons
Fission Neutrons
Neutron Sources
Neutron Transport
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