Validating Intra-Plate Power Distributions in the Advanced Test Reactor
Abstract
We report that the neutronics software, HELIOS, was validated in 2015 for performing core reload design and safety analysis of the Advanced Test Reactor. However, when HELIOS was benchmarked against historic fission-wire measurements (i.e., zero-power full-core measurements) a statistically resolved calculation-to-measurement bias was discovered. The azimuthal power along each fuel plate computed by HELIOS has consistently shown to under-predict measurements made by fission-wires in historic zero-power tests near the fuel element side-plates. It was hypothesized during the HELIOS software validation work, that this bias is attributable to local moderation in coolant vents in the side-plates axially just above and below the fission-wires on the fuel-plate edges. This work used detailed MCNP and MC21 models of the side-plate vents to test this hypothesis. By comparing the average azimuthal biases between HELIOS, and 2D and 3D MCNP models, and a 3D MC21 model, it was found that the HELIOS azimuthal bias is not due to the measurement.
- Authors:
-
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1897618
- Report Number(s):
- INL/JOU-19-52384
Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450; TRN: US2310813
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nuclear Technology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 208; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450
- Publisher:
- Taylor & Francis - formerly American Nuclear Society (ANS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; advanced test reactor; verification and validation; fission wire; HELIOS; MCNP; MC21
Citation Formats
Bays, Samuel E., Nielsen, Joseph, Cogliati, Joshua, and Wemple, Charles. Validating Intra-Plate Power Distributions in the Advanced Test Reactor. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1080/00295450.2021.1980320.
Bays, Samuel E., Nielsen, Joseph, Cogliati, Joshua, & Wemple, Charles. Validating Intra-Plate Power Distributions in the Advanced Test Reactor. United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1980320
Bays, Samuel E., Nielsen, Joseph, Cogliati, Joshua, and Wemple, Charles. Mon .
"Validating Intra-Plate Power Distributions in the Advanced Test Reactor". United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2021.1980320. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1897618.
@article{osti_1897618,
title = {Validating Intra-Plate Power Distributions in the Advanced Test Reactor},
author = {Bays, Samuel E. and Nielsen, Joseph and Cogliati, Joshua and Wemple, Charles},
abstractNote = {We report that the neutronics software, HELIOS, was validated in 2015 for performing core reload design and safety analysis of the Advanced Test Reactor. However, when HELIOS was benchmarked against historic fission-wire measurements (i.e., zero-power full-core measurements) a statistically resolved calculation-to-measurement bias was discovered. The azimuthal power along each fuel plate computed by HELIOS has consistently shown to under-predict measurements made by fission-wires in historic zero-power tests near the fuel element side-plates. It was hypothesized during the HELIOS software validation work, that this bias is attributable to local moderation in coolant vents in the side-plates axially just above and below the fission-wires on the fuel-plate edges. This work used detailed MCNP and MC21 models of the side-plate vents to test this hypothesis. By comparing the average azimuthal biases between HELIOS, and 2D and 3D MCNP models, and a 3D MC21 model, it was found that the HELIOS azimuthal bias is not due to the measurement.},
doi = {10.1080/00295450.2021.1980320},
journal = {Nuclear Technology},
number = 5,
volume = 208,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Mon Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}
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