Comparison of radiation spectra from selected source-term computer codes

Technical Report · Sat Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6218812· OSTI ID:6218812

Brady, M C; Hermann, O W; Wilson, W B

This report compares the radiation spectra and intensities predicted by three radionuclide inventory/depletion codes, ORIGEN2, ORIGEN-S, and CINDER-2. The comparisons were made for a series of light-water reactor models (including three pressurized-water reactors (PWR) and two boiling-water reactors (BWR)) at cooling times ranging from 30 d to 100 years. The work presented here complements the results described in an earlier report that discusses in detail the three depletion codes, the various reactor models, and the comparison by nuclide of the inventories, activities, and decay heat predictions by nuclide for the three codes. In this report, the photon production rates from fission product nuclides and actinides were compared as well as the total photon production rates and energy spectra. Very good agreement was observed in the photon source terms predicted by ORIGEN2 and ORIGEN-S. The absence of bremsstrahlung radiation in the CINDER-2 calculations resulted in large differences in both the production rates and spectra in comparison with the ORIGEN2 and ORIGEN-S results. A comparison of the CINDER-2 photon production rates with an ORIGEN-S calculation neglecting bremsstrahlung radiation showed good agreement. An additional discrepancy was observed in the photon spectra predicted from the CINDER-2 calculations and has been attributed to the absence of spectral data for /sup 144/Pr in those calculations. 12 refs., 26 figs., 36 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6218812
• Report Number(s): ORNL/CSD/TM-259; ON: DE89010193
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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