Monte Carlo Testing of New Cross Section Data Sets for Thermal and Intermediate Highly Enriched Uranium Critical Assemblies

Conference · Sun Jun 07 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:319814

Weinman, J. P. ^[1]

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1. Lockheed Martin Corp., Schenectady, NY (United States)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the eigenvalue sensitivity to new ²³⁵U, hydrogen, and oxygen cross section data sets by comparing RACER Monte Carlo calculations for several thermal and intermediate spectrum critical experiments. The new ²³⁵U library (Version 107) was derived by L. Leal and H. Derrien by fitting differential experimental data for ²³⁵U while constraining the fit to match experimental capture and fission resonance integrals and Maxwellian averaged thermal K1 (v fission minus absorption). The new hydrogen library (Version 45) consists of the ENDF/B-VI release 3 data with a 332.0 mb 2,200 m/s cross section which replaces the value of 332.6 mb in the current library. The new oxygen library (Version 39) is based on a recent evaluation of ¹⁶O by E. Caro. Nineteen Oak Ridge and Rocky Flats thermal solution benchmark critical assemblies that span a range of hydrogen-to-²³⁵U (H/U) concentrations (2,052 to 27.1) and above-thermal neutron leakage fractions (0.555 to 0.011) were analyzed. In addition, three intermediate spectrum critical assemblies (UH3-UR, UH3-NI, and HISS-HUG) were studied.

• Research Organization: Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), Niskayuna, NY (United States); Lockheed Martin Corp., Schenectady, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC12-76SN00052
• OSTI ID: 319814
• Report Number(s): KAPL-P--000200; K--97142; CONF-980606--; ON: DE99001966
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
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97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EIGENVALUES
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NUCLEAR DATA COLLECTIONS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RESONANCE INTEGRALS
URANIUM 235
ZERO POWER REACTORS