A Review of Monte Carlo Criticality Calculations - Convergence, Bias, Statistics

Conference · Sun May 03 04:00:00 EDT 2009

OSTI ID:960927

Brown, Forrest B. ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Monte Carlo criticality calculations have been performed for over 50 years for reactor physics and criticality safety applications. With today's faster computers, these calculations are being carried out to greater precision (smaller uncertainties) in k_eff; and detailed distributions of power and reaction rates are being computed routinely. This paper provides a review of the fundamental theory of Monte Carlo criticality calculations, with guidance on practical methods for: (1) assuring convergence of both k_eff and the source distribution, (2) minimizing the bias in k_eff and reaction rate distributions, and (3) dealing with the underprediction bias in uncertainties for k_eff and reaction rate distributions.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-06NA25396
• OSTI ID: 960927
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--08-06558; LA-UR--08-6558
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
CALCULATION METHODS
CONVERGENCE
CRITICALITY
Calculation Methods
Convergence
Criticality
Eigenvalue Calculations
K-Effective
MONTE CARLO METHOD
Monte Carlo Method
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Power Iteration
REVIEWS
Reviews
STATISTICS
Statistics