Implementation of Variance Reduction Methods for Efficient Monte Carlo Criticality Calculations of Gaseous Core Reactors

Conference · Sat Nov 10 23:00:00 EST 1990 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:6844727

Panicker, M. M. ^[1]; Dugan, E. T. ^[1]

---

1. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

Gas core reactor (GCR) research efforts at the Innovative Nuclear Space Power Institute (INSPI) of the University of Florida currently focus on ultrahigh-temperature vapor core reactors (UTVRs) using magnetohydrodynamic energy conversion with direct nuclear-driven, nonequilibrium ionization of the working fluid as a power source for burst-mode multimegawatt space power. The vapor core reactor concept currently being investigated at INSPI employs uranium tetrafluoride (UF₄) as the fissile fuel and metal fluoride (KF, NaF, or LiF⁷) as the working fluid. This summary describes the efforts in identification and implementation of vapor core reactor-specific variance reduction techniques in the generalized-geometry, continuous-energy Monte Carlo Transport code, MCNP in order to increase the efficiency of GCR criticality (KCODE) calculations on the CRAY Y-MP8/864 at the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

• Research Organization: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 6844727
• Report Number(s): CONF-901101--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 62; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210600* -- Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCULATION METHODS
COMPUTER CODES
CRAY Y-MP8/864
CRITICALITY
EFFICIENCY
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
Gas Core Reactor (GCR) Research
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
KCODE
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM FLUORIDES
LITHIUM HALIDES
M CODES
MOBILE REACTORS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
NEUTRON TRANSPORT
PHYSICS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM FLUORIDES
POWER REACTORS
PULSED REACTORS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR PHYSICS
REACTORS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM FLUORIDES
SPACE POWER REACTORS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM FLUORIDES