A Deterministic Study of the Deficiency of the Wigner-Seitz Approximation for Pu/MOX Fuel Pins

Conference · Mon Sep 27 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:7425

DeHart, Mark D. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); ORNL

The Wigner-Seitz pin-cell approximation has long been applied as a modeling approximation in analysis of UO2 lattice fuel cells. In the past, this approximation has been appropriate for such fuel. However, with increasing attention drawn to mixed-oxide (MOX) fuels with significant plutonium content, it is important to understand the implications of the approximation in a uranium-plutonium matrix. The special geometric capabilities of the deterministic NEWT computer code have been used to assess the adequacy of the Wigner-Seitz cell in such an environment, as part of a larger study of computational aspects of MOX fuel modeling. Results of calculations using various approximations and boundary conditions are presented, and are validated by comparison to results obtained using KENO V.a and XSDRNPM.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-96OR22464
• OSTI ID: 7425
• Report Number(s): ORNL/CP--102622; EW 40 90 10 0; ON: DE00007425
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
Fuel Pins
Mixed Oxide Fuels
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Plutonium
Wigner-Seitz Method