Monte Carlo Performance Benchmark for Detailed Power Density Calculations in a Full Size Reactor Core

Background

Monte Carlo codes are capable of calculating integral parameters such as the effective multiplication factor of a reactor, in a way that allows modeling of geometrical details for each individual fuel pin of each fuel assembly.

However, when more detailed information is required (e.g. the detailed space-energy flux distribution or the power distribution), obtaining reliable results becomes much more difficult, especially with respect to the associated statistical uncertainty within an acceptable computation time.

Given that an acceptable computation time is a requirement for current design calculations of a nuclear reactor core, a suitable benchmark test exhibiting sufficient realistic details for a modern full size core calculation is needed.

Objectives

This benchmark aims at monitoring, over many years, the performance of Monte Carlo codes with a view to calculating the detailed power map of a full size power reactor core.

The ultimate goal is to demonstrate that over time it will become increasingly more practical to calculate the detailed power map of a large reactor core through the Monte Carlo method in a reasonably short time and with sufficient statistical accuracy.

Specifications and participation

For further information on how this Benchmark study is structured, its full specifications as well as the kind of results we expect to obtain please refer to the Monte Carlo Benchmark Guideline.

It should be noted that anyone who has access to a Monte Carlo code for power density estimation in a nuclear reactor can participate. Moreover, your registration is not mandatory for participating in the project.

Results

In the near future, a link enabling participants to upload their results will be available at this page.

Uploaded results will be considered by a moderator before being stored and made public. Participants who do not wish to have their results made public should indicate so before actually uploading them. However, the publication of obtained results is strongly encouraged especially for the advancement of the project.

An overview of results and an extrapolation to the year should also be presented from time to time at international conferences.

If results allow, a chart will be put online allowing a convenient assessment of the progress obtained in Monte Carlo performance of codes for detailed power density calculations easily accessible.

Related contacts

• J. Eduard Hoogenboom, Delft University of Technology
  j.e.hoogenboom@tudelft.nl
• William R. Martin, University of Michigan
  wrm@umich.edu
• Bojan Petrovic, Georgia Institute of Technology
  Bojan.Petrovic@gatech.edu
• NEA, Data Bank - Computer programs
  programs@nea.fr

Last reviewed: 15 January 2010