Resonance treatment using pin-based pointwise energy slowing-down method

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Journal of Computational Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCP.2016.11.007· OSTI ID:22622243

Choi, Sooyoung ^[1]; Lee, Changho ^[2]; Lee, Deokjung ^[1]

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1. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan 44919 (Korea, Republic of)
2. Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

A new resonance self-shielding method using a pointwise energy solution has been developed to overcome the drawbacks of the equivalence theory. The equivalence theory uses a crude resonance scattering source approximation, and assumes a spatially constant scattering source distribution inside a fuel pellet. These two assumptions cause a significant error, in that they overestimate the multi-group effective cross sections, especially for {sup 238}U. The new resonance self-shielding method solves pointwise energy slowing-down equations with a sub-divided fuel rod. The method adopts a shadowing effect correction factor and fictitious moderator material to model a realistic pointwise energy solution. The slowing-down solution is used to generate the multi-group cross section. With various light water reactor problems, it was demonstrated that the new resonance self-shielding method significantly improved accuracy in the reactor parameter calculation with no compromise in computation time, compared to the equivalence theory.

• OSTI ID: 22622243
• Journal Information: Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 330; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCURACY
APPROXIMATIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CORRECTIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
DISTRIBUTION
EQUATIONS
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL RODS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
REACTOR PHYSICS
RESCATTERING
RESONANCE
RESONANCE SCATTERING
SELF-SHIELDING
SHADOW EFFECT
SLOWING-DOWN
URANIUM 238
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS