• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.1917-1925
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• 2020

New versions of ENDF/B and JEFF data libraries have been released during the past two years with significant updates in the neutron reaction sublibrary and the thermal neutron scattering sublibrary. In order to get a more comprehensive impression of the criticality quality of these two latest neutron data libraries, and to provide reference for the selection of the evaluated nuclear data libraries for the science and engineering applications of the Reactor Monte Carlo code RMC, the criticality benchmarking of the two latest neutron data libraries has been performed. RMC was employed as the computational tools, whose processing capability for the continuous representation ENDF/B-VIII.0 thermal neutron scattering laws was developed. The RMC criticality validation suite consisting of 116 benchmarks was established for the benchmarking work. The latest ACE format data libraries of the neutron reaction and the thermal neutron scattering laws for ENDF/B-VIII.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, and JEFF-3.3 were downloaded from the corresponding official sites. The ENDF/B-VII.0 data library was also employed to provide code-to-code validation for RMC. All the calculations for the four different data libraries were performed by using a parallel version of RMC, and all the calculated standard deviations are lower than 30pcm. Comprehensive analyses including the C/E values with uncertainties, the δk/σ values, and the metrics of χ² and < |Δ| >, were conducted and presented. The calculated keff eigenvalues based on the four data libraries generally agree well with the benchmark evaluations for most cases. Among the 116 criticality benchmarks, the numbers of the calculated keff eigenvalues which agree with the benchmark evaluations within 3σ interval (with a confidence level of 99.6%) are 107, 109, 112, and 113 for ENDF/B-VII.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3, respectively. The present results indicate that the ENDF/B-VIII.0 neutron data library has a better performance on average.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2018

This article presents clean core criticality calculations and control rod worth calculations for TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotope production-General Atomics) Mark II research reactor benchmark cores using Winfrith Improved Multi-group Scheme-D/4 (WIMS-D/4) and Program for Reactor In-core Analysis using Diffusion Equation (PRIDE) codes. Cores 133 and 134 were analyzed in 2-D (r, ${\theta}$) and 3-D (r, ${\theta}$, z), using WIMS-D/4 and PRIDE codes. Moreover, the influence of cross-section data was also studied using various libraries based on Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF/B-VI.8 and VII.0), Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion File (JEFF-3.1), Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (JENDL-3.2), and Joint Evaluated File (JEF-2.2) nuclear data. The simulation results showed that the multiplication factor calculated for all these data libraries is within 1% of the experimental results. The reactivity worth of the control rods of core 134 was also calculated with different homogenization approaches. A comparison was made with experimental and reported Monte Carlo results, and it was found that, using proper homogenization of absorber regions and surrounding fuel regions, the results obtained with PRIDE code are significantly improved.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 2016

Background: The current status of ACE format MCNP/MCNPX libraries by NDC of KAERI is presented with a short description of each library. Materials and Methods: Validation calculations with recent nuclear data evaluations ENDF/BV-II. 0, ENDF/B-VII.1, JEFF-3.2, and JENDL-4.0 have been carried out by the MCNP5 code for 119 criticality benchmark problems taken from the expanded criticality validation suite supplied by LANL. The overall performances of the ACE format KN-libraries have been analyzed in comparison with the results calculated with the ENDF/B-VII.0-based ENDF70 library of LANL. Results and Discussion: It was confirmed that the ENDF/B-VII.1-based KNE71 library showed better performances than the others by comparing the RMS errors and ${chi}^2$ values for five benchmark categories as well as whole benchmark problems. ENDF/B-VII.1 and JEFF-3.2 have a tendency to yield more reliable MCNP calculation results within certain confidence intervals regarding the total uncertainties for the $k_{eff}$ values. Conclusion: It is found that the adoption of the latest evaluated nuclear data might ensure better outcomes in various research and development areas.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.3151-3157
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• 2021

Copper is an important structural material in various nuclear energy applications, therefore the correct knowledge of copper cross sections is crucial. The presented paper deals with a validation of different copper transport libraries by means of activation of selected samples. An intense ²⁵²Cf(sf) source with a reference neutron spectrum was used as a neutron source. After irradiation, the samples were measured using a high purity germanium detector and the dosimeter reaction rates were inferred. These experimental data were compared with MCNP6 calculations using CENDL-3.1, JENDL-4.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.2 and JEFF-3.3 evaluated Cu transport libraries. The experiment specifically focuses on ⁵⁸Ni(n,p)⁵⁸Co, ⁹³Nb(n,2n)^92mNb, ¹⁹⁷Au(n,g)¹⁹⁸Au and ⁵⁵Mn(n,g)⁵⁶Mn dosimetry reactions. Evaluated activation cross sections of these dosimetric reactions were taken from the IRDFF-II library. The best library performance depends on the energy region of interest.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.3888-3896
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• 2022

Nuclear data is the basis of reactor physics analysis. This paper aim at studying the influence of major evaluated nuclear data libraries, CENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.3, and JENDL-4.0u, on the neutronics modelling of CEFR start-up tests. Results show these four libraries have a good performance and consistency in the modelling CEFR start-up tests. The JEFF-3.3 results exhibit only an 8 pcm k_eff difference with the measurement. The difference in criticality is decomposed by nuclide, which shows the large overestimation of CENDL-3.2 is mainly from the cross-section of ⁵²Cr. Except for few cases, the calculation results are within 1σ of measurement uncertainty in control rod worth, sodium void reactivity, temperature reactivity, and subassembly swap reactivity. In the evaluation of axial and radial reaction distribution, there are about 65% of relative errors that are less than 5% and 82% of relative errors that are less than 10%.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.07a
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• pp.248-249
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• 2002

The gaseous molecular condensation retardation by laser excitation has been known, but with limited success. Condensation inhibition between the gas phase molecules by laser excitation was clearly shown in many experiments.(1)-(2) However, surface condensation inhibition of the excited molecules has been controversial for the last several decades.(3)-(4) In 1994, S. J, Sibener and Y. T. Lee published an experimental evidence of the internal energy dependence of the surface condensation of gaseous $SF_{6}$ and $CCl_4$ molecules. (omitted)

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.791-796
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• 2020

Nuclear fusion seems to be a good choice of energy source in the future. Nickel is one of the crucial structural materials for fusion devices. In this work, the cross section data of ⁵⁸Ni(n,p)⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁰Ni(n,p)⁶⁰Co, ⁶¹Ni(n,p)⁶¹Co, ⁶²Ni(n,p)⁶²Co and ⁶⁴Ni(n,p)⁶⁴Co reactions were calculated using the nuclear codes ALICE/ASH, EMPIRE 3.2 and TALYS 1.8. In addition, the cross sections were calculated with the empirical formulas obtained in our previous paper at 14-15 MeV. The obtained results were compared with the measured values in the literature, and with the evaluated data files (JEFF-3.3, TENDL-2017, ENDF/B-VIII.0).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.3352-3358
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• 2023

Nuclear medicine seems to be a decent choice of medicine in the recent decade. The radioactive isotopes ⁵¹Cr, ⁸⁹Sr, ⁹⁹Tc, ¹³¹I, ¹³³Xe, ¹³⁷Cs and ¹⁵³Sm are extremely essential in nuclear medicine. The excitation functions of the ⁵⁴Fe (n, α) ⁵¹Cr, ⁹²Zr (n, α) ⁸⁹Sr, ¹⁰²Rh (n, α) ⁹⁹Tc, 134Cs (n, α) ¹³¹I, ¹³⁶Ba (n, α) ¹³³Xe, ¹⁴⁰La (n, α) ¹³⁷Cs and ¹⁵⁶Gd (n, α) ¹⁵³Sm reactions were calculated in this study using the EMPIRE 3.2.3 and TALYS 1.95 nuclear codes. Additionally, the cross sections at 14-15 MeV were calculated using empirical formulae and the experimental data. The computer codes were compared to the experimental data and Empirical formulas as well as the evaluated data (TENDL 2021, JENDL 3.3, JENDL 5, JEFF 3.3, EAF 2010, CENDL 3.1, CENDL 3.2, ROSFOND 2010, FENDL 3.2 b, and BROND 3.1).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.170-175
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• 2019

Displacement cross-sections for an advanced assessment of radiation damage rates were obtained for a number of materials using the arc-dpa model at neutron incident energies from $10^{-5}eV$ to 10 GeV. Evaluated data files, CEM03 and ECIS codes, and an approximate approach were applied for the calculation of recoil energy distributions in neutron induced reactions. Three sets of displacement cross-sections based on the use of low-energy data from JEFF-3.3, ENDF/B-VIII.0, and JENDL-4.0u were prepared. Files contain also cross-sections calculated using the standard NRT model. Special efforts were made to estimate the uncertainty of obtained displacement cross-sections.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.3260-3271
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• 2022

Experience shows that the solution to waste management in any national programme is lengthy and burdened with uncertainties. There are several uncertainties that contribute to the costs associated with spent fuel management. In this work, we have analysed the impact of the current nuclear data on the isotopic composition of the spent fuel and consequently their influence on the main spent fuel observables such as decay heat, activity, neutron multiplication factor, and neutron and photon source terms. Nuclear libraries based on the most general nuclear data ENDF/B-VII.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3 are considered. A typical NPP Krško fuel assembly is analysed using the Monte Carlo code Serpent 2. The analysis considers burnup of up to 60 GWd/tU and cooling times of up to 100 years. The comparison of results showed significant differences, which should be taken into account when selecting the library and evaluating the uncertainty in determining the characteristics of the spent fuel.