Validation of MPACT BWR capabilities against critical experiments

Conference · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/PHYSOR22-37393· OSTI ID:23203830

Liu, Yuxuan; Jabaay, Daniel; Kochunas, Brendan ^[1]; Kim, Kang Seog ^[2]

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1. University of Michigan, 2355 Bonisteel Blv, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

Over the years, significant validation work for the neutronics code MPACT has been performed against zero-power critical benchmarks and measured data from operating nuclear power plants. As a part of the Modeling and Analysis of Exelon BWRs for Eigenvalue and Thermal Limits Predictability project, new validation efforts relevant to boiling water reactor (BWR) core applications have been performed. This paper presents the results of the critical experiment portion of the BWR validation efforts for MPACT. The Kritz-4 experiments and IPEN/MB-01 BWR-relevant configurations are modeled with MPACT. The Kritz-4 BWR critical experiments were performed at both cold and hot conditions, which is a unique feature among other critical experiment facilities. The MPACT results with linear source (LS) Method of Characteristics (MOC) have very good agreement with the measured criticality. When using the 60-group BWR library with LS and P2 scattering, the maximum k{sub eff} error is 109 pcm, and the average cold-hot bias is only -0.11 pcm/K. The fission rate distributions of MPACT are also verified with Serpent calculations. For the IPEN facility, two configurations are considered: one with a large central void, and one with a cruciform control rod. The MPACT k{sub eff} errors are less than 50 pcm for all IPEN problems. (authors)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society - ANS, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 23203830
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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