A simple calculation of control assembly effectiveness in a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor by a transport-diffusion equivalence method

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Nuclear Science and Engineering; (USA)

OSTI ID:7228905

Benoist, P ^[1]; Carta, M ^[2]; Palmiotti, G ^[3]; Salvatores, M ^[4]

---

1. Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Saclay, IRDI/DEDR/DEMT, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, Cedex (FR)
2. ENEA, Casaccia, Via Anguillarese, 3060 Rome (IT)
3. Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Cadarache, 13108 St. Paul-les-Durance, Cedex (FR)
4. Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Cadarache IRDI/DEDR/DRP,SPRC, 13108 St. Paul-les-Durance, Cedex (FR)

A method to calculate the effectiveness of the control assembly in a fast neutron reactor is proposed. For each type of heterogeneous assembly (control or follower), a polar parameter, taking into account the assembly absorption and the axial leakage of neutrons inside the assembly, is defined. In a similar way, a bipolar parameter, taking into account the reaction of the assembly to a transverse flux gradient, is also defined. These two parameters, deduced from transport theory, are used to determine the absorption cross section and the diffusion coefficient of an equivalent homogeneous control or follower assembly. These new parameters are introduced in a one-group diffusion code, calculating the reactor as a whole with any number of control and follower assemblies. An approximate generalization to multigroup theory is proposed. Numerical comparisons show that this equivalent diffusion method gives results that are much closer to transport results than those obtained by the classical diffusion theory.

• OSTI ID: 7228905
• Journal Information: Nuclear Science and Engineering; (USA), Journal Name: Nuclear Science and Engineering; (USA) Vol. 103:3; ISSN 0029-5639; ISSN NSENA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220100 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Theory & Calculation
BARYONS
BREEDER REACTORS
CALCULATION METHODS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST NEUTRONS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FERMIONS
HADRONS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MULTIGROUP THEORY
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NEUTRON TRANSPORT
NEUTRON TRANSPORT THEORY
NEUTRONS
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
RADIATION TRANSPORT
REACTORS
TRANSPORT THEORY