Alternative Implementations of the Monte Carlo Power Method

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/793906· OSTI ID:793906

Blomquist, R. N. ^[1]; Gelbard, E. M. ^[1]

---

1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

We compare nominal efficiencies, i.e. variances in power shapes for equal running time, of different versions of the Monte Carlo eigenvalue computation, as applied to criticality safety analysis calculations. The two main methods considered here are ''conventional'' Monte Carlo and the superhistory method, and both are used in criticality safety codes. Within each of these major methods, different variants are available for the main steps of the basic Monte Carlo algorithm. Thus, for example, different treatments of the fission process may vary in the extent to which they follow, in analog fashion, the details of real-world fission, or may vary in details of the methods by which they choose next-generation source sites. In general the same options are available in both the superhistory method and conventional Monte Carlo, but there seems not to have been much examination of the special properties of the two major methods and their minor variants. We find, first, that the superhistory method is just as efficient as conventional Monte Carlo and, secondly, that use of different variants of the basic algorithms may, in special cases, have a surprisingly large effect on Monte Carlo computational efficiency.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 793906
• Report Number(s): ANL-01/15; TRN: US0201070
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 18 Mar 2002
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
ALGORITHMS
CRITICALITY
EFFICIENCY
EIGENVALUES
FISSION
SAFETY ANALYSIS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
POWER DISTRIBUTION
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Nominal Efficiencies
Fission Process
Supergeneration
Eigenvalues