Insights into calculating Reference Discontinuity Factors with Serpent Monte Carlo code

IF 1.9 3区工程技术 Q1 NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Annals of Nuclear Energy Pub Date : 2024-10-21 DOI:10.1016/j.anucene.2024.110997

Emil Fridman , Jacob D. Smith , Dan Kotlyar

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Abstract

This study explores the calculation of Reference Discontinuity Factors (RDFs) using the Serpent Monte Carlo code, focusing on the methodology and potential pitfalls. In two-step reactor analyses, consistently generated RDFs are crucial for aligning homogeneous nodal diffusion results with the reference heterogeneous transport solution. However, the Serpent internal diffusion solver, based on the Analytic Function Expansion Nodal (AFEN) method, may not be compatible with other nodal methods such as the Nodal Expansion Method (NEM). Additionally, the solver can suffer from instabilities, particularly in multi-group calculations, leading to erroneous RDFs. Despite these challenges, Serpent can generate the necessary raw data for RDF calculation, which can be accurately processed using external diffusion solvers. Two numerical examples − a 1D fuel-reflector model and a 2D SMR core model − illustrate the effects of consistent and inconsistent RDFs on simulation accuracy. The study emphasizes the importance of using compatible diffusion solvers and thoroughly assessing RDFs to avoid errors in reactor simulations.

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使用蛇形蒙特卡洛代码计算参考不连续因数的启示

本研究探讨了使用 Serpent Monte Carlo 代码计算参考不连续因子 (RDF)，重点是计算方法和潜在误区。在两步反应器分析中，一致生成的 RDF 对于使均质节点扩散结果与参考异质输运解决方案保持一致至关重要。然而，基于解析函数展开节点法（AFEN）的蛇形内部扩散求解器可能与节点展开法（NEM）等其他节点法不兼容。此外，该求解器可能会出现不稳定的情况，特别是在多组计算中，从而导致错误的 RDF。尽管存在这些挑战，Serpent 仍能生成 RDF 计算所需的原始数据，并使用外部扩散求解器对其进行精确处理。两个数值实例--1D 燃料反射器模型和 2D SMR 核心模型--说明了一致和不一致的 RDF 对模拟精度的影响。该研究强调了使用兼容的扩散求解器和彻底评估 RDF 以避免反应堆模拟错误的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Annals of Nuclear Energy 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

21.10%

发文量

632

审稿时长

7.3 months

期刊介绍： Annals of Nuclear Energy provides an international medium for the communication of original research, ideas and developments in all areas of the field of nuclear energy science and technology. Its scope embraces nuclear fuel reserves, fuel cycles and cost, materials, processing, system and component technology (fission only), design and optimization, direct conversion of nuclear energy sources, environmental control, reactor physics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics, structural analysis, fuel management, future developments, nuclear fuel and safety, nuclear aerosol, neutron physics, computer technology (both software and hardware), risk assessment, radioactive waste disposal and reactor thermal hydraulics. Papers submitted to Annals need to demonstrate a clear link to nuclear power generation/nuclear engineering. Papers which deal with pure nuclear physics, pure health physics, imaging, or attenuation and shielding properties of concretes and various geological materials are not within the scope of the journal. Also, papers that deal with policy or economics are not within the scope of the journal.