CASMO-2 Spent-Fuel-Rack Criticality Analysis

Conference · Sat Nov 15 23:00:00 EST 1986 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:6728638

Napolitano, D. G. ^[1]; Heinrichs, D. P. ^[1]; Gorski, J. P. ^[1]

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1. Yankee Atomic Electric Co.

In recent years, utilities have needed to increase their spent-fuel storage capacity. Both Maine Yankee pressurized water reactor (PWR) and Vermont Yankee boiling water reactor (BWR) have increased their spent-fuel rack capacity by decreasing the canister center-to-center spacing while adding fixed poison. Licensing criticality analysis of such changes in spent-fuel rack design have been performed at Yankee Atomic Electric Co. (YAEC) using NITAWL-KENO-IV and the 123-group XSDRN library. However, KENO/Monte Carlo analysis has inherent drawbacks when applied to spent-fuel rack design and modification. These include statistical uncertainty and long computer time. In contrast, the transport theory code, CASMO-2, provides deterministic and fast criticality analysis. Also, since collapsed and transport-corrected cross sections are generated, PDQ can be used to analyze large array problems which are prohibitively expensive using KENO. In this work, the authors apply the CASMO-PDQ methodology to the Maine Yankee and Vermont Yankee high-density spent-fuel rack designs and compare the final results against KENO.

• Research Organization: Yankee Atomic Electric Co.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 6728638
• Report Number(s): CONF-861102-
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 53; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
123-Group XSDRN Library
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210100* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
210200 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
42 ENGINEERING
BENCHMARKS
BURNABLE POISONS
BURNUP
BWR TYPE REACTORS
C CODES
CASMO-2
CASMO-PDQ Methodology
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRITICALITY
CROSS SECTIONS
DESIGN
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FUEL RACKS
K CODES
KENO
LICENSING
MAINE YANKEE REACTOR
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MODIFICATIONS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
Maine Yankee Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)
N CODES
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NEUTRON TRANSPORT THEORY
NITAWL-KENO-IV
NUCLEAR POISONS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PDQ
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR LICENSING
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SAFETY
SIMULATION
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
STORAGE
SUPPORTS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSPORT THEORY
VERMONT YANKEE REACTOR
Vermont Yankee Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
Yankee Atomic Electric Co. (YAEC)