Conversion of Input Data between KENO and MCNP File Formats for Computer Criticality Assessments

Technical Report · Thu Feb 08 04:00:00 EST 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/895741· OSTI ID:895741

Schwarz, Randolph A. ^[1]; Carter, Leland L. ^[2]; Schwarz, Alysia L. ^[3]

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1. Visual Editor Consultants, Richland, WA (United States); Visual Editor Consultants
2. Monte Carlo Analysis Inc., Keizer, OR (United States)
3. Visual Editor Consultants, Richland, WA (United States)

KENO is a Monte Carlo criticality code that is maintained by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). KENO is included in the SCALE (Standardized Computer Analysis for Licensing Evaluation) package. KENO is often used because it was specifically designed for criticality calculations. Because KENO has convenient geometry input, including the treatment of lattice arrays of materials, it is frequently used for production calculations. Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) is a Monte Carlo transport code maintained by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). MCNP has a powerful 3D geometry package and an extensive cross section database. It is a general-purpose code and may be used for calculations involving shielding or medical facilities, for example, but can also be used for criticality calculations. MCNP is becoming increasingly more popular for performing production criticality calculations. Both codes have their own specific advantages. After a criticality calculation has been performed with one of the codes, it is often desirable (or may be a safety requirement) to repeat the calculation with the other code to compare the important parameters using a different geometry treatment and cross section database. This manual conversion of input files between the two codes is labor intensive. The industry needs the capability of converting geometry models between MCNP and KENO without a large investment in manpower. The proposed conversion package will aid the user in converting between the codes. It is not intended to be used as a “black box”. The resulting input file will need to be carefully inspected by criticality safety personnel to verify the intent of the calculation is preserved in the conversion. The purpose of this package is to help the criticality specialist in the conversion process by converting the geometry, materials, and pertinent data cards.

• Research Organization: Visual Editor Consultants, Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-05ER84178
• OSTI ID: 895741
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/84178-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
Black Box
COMPUTERS
CRITICALITY
Calculations
Computers
Files
GEOMETRY
Input
KENO
LANL
LICENSING
Licensing
MANPOWER
MCNP
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo N-Particle
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
ORNL
PRODUCTION
SAFETY
SHIELDING
TRANSPORT
Transport Code
criticality