A perturbation-based susbtep method for coupled depletion Monte-Carlo codes
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Authors
Shwageraus, E
Kotlyar, D
Aufiero, M
Fratoni, M
Publication Date
2017-04-01Journal Title
Annals of Nuclear Energy
ISSN
0306-4549
Publisher
Elsevier
Volume
102
Pages
236-244
Type
Article
This Version
AM
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Shwageraus, E., Kotlyar, D., Aufiero, M., & Fratoni, M. (2017). A perturbation-based susbtep method for coupled depletion Monte-Carlo codes. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 102 236-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2016.12.022
Abstract
Coupled Monte Carlo (MC) methods are becoming widely used in reactor physics analysis and design. Many research groups therefore, developed their own coupled MC depletion codes. Typically, in such coupled code systems, neutron fluxes and cross sections are provided to the depletion module by solving a static neutron transport problem. These fluxes and cross sections are representative only of a specific time-point. In reality however, both quantities would change through the depletion time interval. Recently, Generalized Perturbation Theory (GPT) equivalent method that relies on collision history approach was implemented in Serpent MC code. This method was used here to calculate the sensitivity of each nuclide and reaction cross section due to the change in concentration of every isotope in the system. The coupling method proposed in this study also uses the substep approach, which incorporates these sensitivity coefficients to account for temporal changes in cross sections. As a result, a notable improvement in time dependent cross section behavior was obtained. The method was implemented in a wrapper script that couples Serpent with an external depletion solver. The performance of this method was compared with other existing methods. The results indicate that the proposed method requires substantially less MC transport solutions to achieve the same accuracy.
Keywords
Monte Carlo, coupled codes, depletion, general perturbation theory, Serpent
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2016.12.022
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/295935
Rights
Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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