Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Cross section generation for a conceptual horizontal, compact high temperature gas reactor

  • Junsu Kang (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan) ;
  • Volkan Seker (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan) ;
  • Andrew Ward (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan) ;
  • Daniel Jabaay (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan) ;
  • Brendan Kochunas (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan) ;
  • Thomas Downar (Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan)
  • Received : 2023.06.19
  • Accepted : 2023.11.06
  • Published : 2024.03.25
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Abstract

A macroscopic cross section generation model was developed for the conceptual horizontal, compact high temperature gas reactor (HC-HTGR). Because there are many sources of spectral effects in the design and analysis of the core, conventional LWR methods have limitations for accurate simulation of the HC-HTGR using a neutron diffusion core neutronics simulator. Several super-cell model configurations were investigated to consider the spectral effect of neighboring cells. A new history variable was introduced for the existing library format to more accurately account for the history effect from neighboring nodes and reactivity control drums. The macroscopic cross section library was validated through comparison with cross sections generated using full core Monte Carlo models and single cell cross section for both 3D core steady-state problems and 2D and 3D depletion problems. Core calculations were then performed with the AGREE HTR neutronics and thermal-fluid core simulator using super-cell cross sections. With the new history variable, the super-cell cross sections were in good agreement with the full core cross sections even for problems with significant spectrum change during fuel shuffling and depletion.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge the support by U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Concepts-20 (ARC-20) program, under Award Number DE-NE0009049.

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