MC21/COBRA-IE and VERA-CS multiphysics solutions to VERA core physics benchmark problem #6
- Naval Nuclear Lab., Knolls Atomic Power Lab., Schenectady, NY (United States)
- Naval Nuclear Lab., Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
The Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) core physics benchmark problem #6, 3D Hot Full Power (HFP) assembly, from the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) was simulated using the MC21 continuous energy Monte Carlo code coupled with the COBRA-IE subchannel thermal-hydraulics code using the R5EXEC coupling framework. The converged MC21/COBRA-IE solution was compared to results from CASL's VERA-CS code system, MPACT coupled to COBRA-TF (CTF). MPACT is a three-dimensional (3D) whole core transport code, executed in a 2D/1D approach employing planar method of characteristics (MOC) solutions with SP3 in the axial direction, and CTF is a subchannel thermal-hydraulics code designed for Light Water Reactor analysis. Eigenvalues agreed within 63 pcm, axially-integrated normalized radial fission distributions agreed within ±0.2% (root mean square (RMS) difference of 0.1%), local volume-averaged fuel pin temperatures agreed within +8.8/-4.3 C (RMS difference of 3.9 C), and local subchannel coolant temperatures agreed within +0.8/-1.5 C (RMS difference of 0.5 C). A sensitivity study to guide tube heat transfer indicated that a statistically-significant increase in reactivity and shift in radial pin power distribution occurred within the assembly when guide tube heating was enabled.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1364065
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1565664
- Journal Information:
- Progress in Nuclear Energy, Vol. 101, Issue PC; ISSN 0149-1970
- Publisher:
- ElsevierCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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