Development of a research reactor protocol for neutron multiplication measurements

Arthur, Jennifer; Bahran, Rian; Hutchinson, Jesson; Sood, Avneet; Thompson, Nicholas; Pozzi, Sara A.

doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.02.024

Title: Development of a research reactor protocol for neutron multiplication measurements

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Abstract

A new series of subcritical measurements has been conducted at the zero-power Walthousen Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) using a ³He neutron multiplicity detector. The Critical and Subcritical 0-Power Experiment at Rensselaer (CaSPER) campaign establishes a protocol for advanced subcritical neutron multiplication measurements involving research reactors for validation of neutron multiplication inference techniques, Monte Carlo codes, and associated nuclear data. There has been increased attention and expanded efforts related to subcritical measurements and analyses, and this work provides yet another data set at known reactivity states that can be used in the validation of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo computer simulation tools. The diverse (mass, spatial, spectral) subcritical measurement configurations have been analyzed to produce parameters of interest such as singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication. MCNP^®6.2 was used to simulate the experiment and the resulting simulated data has been compared to the measured results. Comparison of the simulated and measured observables (singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication) show good agreement. This work builds upon the previous years of collaborative subcritical experiments and outlines a protocol for future subcritical neutron multiplication inference and subcriticality monitoring measurements on pool-type reactor systems.

Authors:

Arthur, Jennifer; Bahran, Rian; Hutchinson, Jesson; Sood, Avneet;

; Pozzi, Sara A.

Publication Date:: Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1630761

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1431065; OSTI ID: 1798645

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-17-29576
Journal ID: ISSN 0149-1970; S0149197018300465; PII: S0149197018300465

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0002576; AC52-06NA25396; NA0002534

Resource Type:: Published Article

Journal Name:: Progress in Nuclear Energy

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: Progress in Nuclear Energy Journal Volume: 106 Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0149-1970

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

Subject:: 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; Research reactor; Neutron multiplicity; Monte carlo simulations; Protocol

Citation Formats


                    Arthur, Jennifer, Bahran, Rian, Hutchinson, Jesson, Sood, Avneet, Thompson, Nicholas, and Pozzi, Sara A. Development of a research reactor protocol for neutron multiplication measurements.  United Kingdom: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.02.024.

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                    Arthur, Jennifer, Bahran, Rian, Hutchinson, Jesson, Sood, Avneet, Thompson, Nicholas, & Pozzi, Sara A. Development of a research reactor protocol for neutron multiplication measurements.  United Kingdom.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.02.024

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                    Arthur, Jennifer, Bahran, Rian, Hutchinson, Jesson, Sood, Avneet, Thompson, Nicholas, and Pozzi, Sara A. Sun .  
"Development of a research reactor protocol for neutron multiplication measurements".  United Kingdom.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.02.024.

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@article{osti_1630761,

  title        = {Development of a research reactor protocol for neutron multiplication measurements},

  author       = {Arthur, Jennifer and Bahran, Rian and Hutchinson, Jesson and Sood, Avneet and Thompson, Nicholas and Pozzi, Sara A.},

  abstractNote = {A new series of subcritical measurements has been conducted at the zero-power Walthousen Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) using a 3He neutron multiplicity detector. The Critical and Subcritical 0-Power Experiment at Rensselaer (CaSPER) campaign establishes a protocol for advanced subcritical neutron multiplication measurements involving research reactors for validation of neutron multiplication inference techniques, Monte Carlo codes, and associated nuclear data. There has been increased attention and expanded efforts related to subcritical measurements and analyses, and this work provides yet another data set at known reactivity states that can be used in the validation of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo computer simulation tools. The diverse (mass, spatial, spectral) subcritical measurement configurations have been analyzed to produce parameters of interest such as singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication. MCNP®6.2 was used to simulate the experiment and the resulting simulated data has been compared to the measured results. Comparison of the simulated and measured observables (singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication) show good agreement. This work builds upon the previous years of collaborative subcritical experiments and outlines a protocol for future subcritical neutron multiplication inference and subcriticality monitoring measurements on pool-type reactor systems.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.02.024},

  journal      = {Progress in Nuclear Energy},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 106,

  place        = {United Kingdom},

  year         = {Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018},

  month        = {Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018}

}

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