Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Calculation of kinetic parameters βeff and L with modified open source Monte Carlo code OpenMC(TD)

  • Romero-Barrientos, J. (Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear) ;
  • Dami, J.I. Marquez (Spallation Physics Group, European Spallation Source ERIC) ;
  • Molina F. (Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear) ;
  • Zambra, M. (Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear) ;
  • Aguilera, P. (Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear) ;
  • Lopez-Usquiano, F. (Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear) ;
  • Parra, B. (Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular, Parque Cientifico) ;
  • Ruiz, A. (Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear)
  • Received : 2021.07.16
  • Accepted : 2021.09.20
  • Published : 2022.03.25
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Abstract

This work presents the methodology used to expand the capabilities of the Monte Carlo code OpenMC for the calculation of reactor kinetic parameters: effective delayed neutron fraction βeff and neutron generation time L. The modified code, OpenMC(Time-Dependent) or OpenMC(TD), was then used to calculate the effective delayed neutron fraction by using the prompt method, while the neutron generation time was estimated using the pulsed method, fitting Λ to the decay of the neutron population. OpenMC(TD) is intended to serve as an alternative for the estimation of kinetic parameters when licensed codes are not available. The results obtained are compared to experimental data and MCNP calculated values for 18 benchmark configurations.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

J.Romero-Barrientos acknowledges support from Programa Nacional de Becas de Postgrado under grant 21151413, and from FONDECYT Regular Project 1171467.

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