Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “MCNP Model”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9

Developing a Nuclear Quality Assurance Compliant Design Methodology for Neutronic Analysis of Xe-100 Design

The primary objective of this work is to develop a design methodology compliant with nuclear quality assurance standards for the Xe-100 neutronic design verification studies. To achieve this, a Monte Carlo model of the Xe-100 reactor was constructed using the exclusion principle, transformation technique, and universe-based level specification following Idaho National Laboratory (INL) NQA level-1 compliant standards and an NQA-1 compliant version of MCNP6. The model encompasses the entire reactor core structures, including the upper plenum, core region, and lower plenum sections, along with all sub-components. The active core section was represented using the spectral regions, each comprising a particular fuel composition and temperature averaged over the considered zone, calculated by X-energy using Very Superior Old Programs (VSOP). Additionally, a component-wise temperature map was implemented into the model, not only for the core region but also for the structural components. Temperature-dependent cross-section libraries, along with thermal scattering law libraries, generated using INL NQA-1 compliant version of NJOY21, were utilized for each isotope in the burnt fuel and the structural materials. Furthermore, the volume of each modeled component was estimated using a stochastic approach with the ray tracing method in MCNP and criticality calculations were performed.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Eigenvalue sensitivity studies for the Fort St. Vrain high temperature gas-cooled reactor to account for fabrication and modeling uncertainties

Uncertainties in the composition and fabrication of fuel compacts for the Fort St. Vrain (FSV) high temperature gas reactor have been studied by performing eigenvalue sensitivity studies that represent the key uncertainties for the FSV neutronic analysis. The uncertainties for the TRISO fuel kernels were addressed by developing a suite of models for an 'average' FSV fuel compact that models the fuel as (1) a mixture of two different TRISO fuel particles representing fissile and fertile kernels, (2) a mixture of four different TRISO fuel particles representing small and large fissile kernels and small and large fertile kernels and (3) a stochastic mixture of the four types of fuel particles where every kernel has its diameter sampled from a continuous probability density function. All of the discrete diameter and continuous diameter fuel models were constrained to have the same fuel loadings and packing fractions. For the non-stochastic discrete diameter cases, the MCNP compact model arranged the TRISO fuel particles on a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. This lattice-based fuel compact was compared to a stochastic compact where the locations (and kernel diameters for the continuous diameter cases) of the fuel particles were randomly sampled. Partial core configurations were modeled by stacking compacts into fuel columns containing graphite. The differences in eigenvalues between the lattice-based and stochastic models were small but the runtime of the lattice-based fuel model was roughly 20 times shorter than with the stochastic-based fuel model. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

A Prototype Thick-Target Bremsstrahlung Model with Angularly-Dependent Emission in the MCNP6 ® Code

This document summarizes the current thick-target bremsstrahlung (TTB) model in MCNP and provides test results for an alternative implementation to improve the accuracy with reduced cost compared to full electron transport. It has been observed that the current TTB model produces inaccurate results in problems where the medium is thick with respect to electrons, but the photon distribution in the problem has a strong directionality. An example of such a simulation is detectors surrounding a metal target irradiated with a radiographic beam of high energy photons. The primary cause of this discrepancy is the current TTB method emits all bremsstrahlung photons in the same direction as the primary electron produced from each (γ, e ± ) interaction, leading to artificially forward peaked photon distributions for intermediate to high-energy incident photons. To improve the TTB model, we have implemented an angularly-dependent TTB model in a developer version of the MCNP6 ® code; for developers, this was done on the branch prototype/angular_ttb in the mcnp6 repo on bitbucket. The angularly-dependent TTB model accounts for the energy and scattering of electrons as they slow down in the current material, but does not sample the computationally expensive energy straggling, secondary electron events, and tracking electrons; this approach is significantly less computationally expensive than full electron transport and can be comparable to the original TTB method for problems with sufficiently complex materials and geometry. To evaluate the method, we have modeled a simple problem of a beam of 5 MeV photons incident on a sphere of plutonium surrounded by detectors at different deflection angles. For this problem, the angularly-dependent TTB produces a photon flux within 8.0% for a 90 degree deflection angle and 0.8% along the beam axis, as compared to the electron transport solution. This is an improvement compared to a 43% and 81% discrepancy with the original TTB method, respectively. The rest of this work includes the following: the first section details the current TTB treatment in MCNP, which has not been well documented elsewhere. Then, the modified TTB algorithm is detailed and the approximations compared to the condensed history algorithm are compared. Results are given comparing the two TTB methods to the condensed history transport algorithm. The appendix includes details for code developers on relevant electron transport implementation details and potential code improvements for future work.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Neutronic Performance of a Compact 10 MWe Nuclear Reactor with Low Enrichment (ThxU1−x)N Fuel

Abstract Recent interest in compact nuclear reactors for applications in space or in remote locations drives innovation in nuclear fuel design, especially non-oxide ceramic nuclear fuels. This work details neutronic modeling designed to support the development of a new nuclear fuel concept based on a mixture of thorium and uranium nitride. A Monte Carlo N-Particle Version 6.2 (MCNP-6) model of a compact 10 MWe reactor design which incorporates (Th x U 1− x )N fuel is presented. In this context, a “compact” reactor is a completely assembled reactor which may be emptied of coolant and transported by specialized commercial vehicle, deployed by a C130J aircraft, or launched into space. Core geometry, reflector barrels, and the heat exchange zones are designed to support reduction of overall reactor volume of core components while maintaining criticality with a fixed total fuel mass of 4500 kg. Dense mixed nitrides of thorium nitride (ThN) additions in uranium nitride (UN) in 5 wt.% increments between $$0.05 \le x \le 0.5$$ 0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.5 have been considered for calculation of $$k_{\infty }$$ k ∞ and $$k_{{{\text{effective}}}}$$ k effective . ThN additions in UN results in a slight increase in the magnitude of the temperature coefficient of reactivity, which is negative by design. The isotopic distribution of the principal actinide inventory as a function of burnup, time, and initial fuel composition is presented and discussed within the context of the proliferation risk of this core design.

Parker, S. S. (ORCID:000000018597440X)↗

Effect of Lateral Conduction in a Rectangular Fuel Plate and Optimum Stripe Widths for the OPAL Reactor

The impetus for this work is the Proliferation Resistance Optimization (PRO-X) program, which was created by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the US Department of Energy (DOE) to provide a framework for developing reactor designs that minimize the production of special nuclear materials while maximizing performance for peaceful uses. The Argentine company INVAP and Argonne National Laboratory collaborated to share knowledge and expertise regarding the thermal analysis of research reactors. Working together, they designed a series of test problems based on the Open Pool Australian Light Water (OPAL) reactor, whose fuel is in the form of flat plates cooled by water flowing through narrow rectangular channels. ANL used their PLTEMP/ANL code. INVAP used their TERMIC code (and its new multi-plate version, TERMIC-MP). Then, INVAP and ANL compared the two sets of results. 1-D models were used during the collaboration since for research reactor analysis, largely 1-D thermal-hydraulics models are commonly used because they are simple to apply and technically defendable. The collaboration between the two organizations aims for improvements in thermal-hydraulic models. Improvements to methods and models can reduce modeling uncertainties and excessive conservatism, allowing greater reactor performance without reducing predicted safety margins. Therefore, these improvements potentially expand the design space, making additional designs feasible, which, in turn, may achieve better fuel utilization and proliferation resistance in the designs. This report provides justification for the lateral node size (stripe width) chosen for the 1-D computer models during the collaboration. The lateral heat conduction in OPAL fuel plates is evaluated using the two-dimensional conduction capability of PLTEMP/ANL to determine a representative hot-stripe width that can be conservatively used for one-dimensional steady-state thermal-hydraulic analysis. Basically, a representative hot-stripe width needs to be selected so that the actual heat flux averaged over this stripe width is greater than or equal to the maximum heat flux obtained by the two-dimensional analysis. Detailed results in this report show that a hot-stripe width of 8.125 mm can be conservatively used for the one-dimensional thermal-hydraulics analysis of all plates. Therefore, eight equal stripes (8.125 mm each) are recommended to be modeled in the MCNP and PLTEMP/ANL full core models of the OPAL reactor.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

STARTR: An Open-Source MARVEL model for the NRIC Virtual Test Bed [Poster]

The National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) seeks to improve the understanding of microreactor physics in industry and academia through the development of a Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) reactor-based model, published on the Virtual Test Bed (VTB). To achieve this goal, the Sodium-cooled Thermal-spectrum Advanced Research Test Reactor (STARTR) model was built using publicly available MARVEL specifications where possible and approximations where applicable, and was optimized for fast runtimes for researchers to receive rapid simulation feedback. STARTR will fill a gap between stakeholder interest and available models, as the first Sodium-cooled Thermal Reactor (STR) hosted on the VTB with baseline performance sanctioned by INL. This project involved the definition of all materials used in the reactor, geometry and all reactor subcomponents, and assertion of tallies and simulation settings within OpenMC 0.13.3. This poster details a small subset of the overall reactor physics testing: the two-dimensional power peaking factors and the flux energy spectrum, as well as plots of the created geometry. Future work includes code-to-code verification between the OpenMC-based model and a separately designed MCNP 6.2-based model.

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLAN↗

Fuel Cycle Modeling and Simulation of the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor

The purpose of this work is to perform a neutronic and fuel cycle analysis of the single-fluid Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Molten Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR) as described in ORNL-4541 [1]. Expected design requirements and system outputs were published in this referenced report; the work described herein is focused on building a model of the core, determining the best strategy for modeling the reactor core, and ultimately implementing this modeling/analysis strategy for future research in liquid fueled reactors. Similar analyses for the MSBR using unit cell and full-core models performed using MCNP [2] showed that multiregion models can accurately represent the spectral properties of the multizone MSBR [3,4].

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Benchmarking Monte Carlo codes for the modelling of low-energy neutron production target reactions

The increasing adoption of accelerator-based neutron sources (ABNS) for applications including neutron capture therapy (NCT) research has highlighted the need for accurate simulation tools. Precise modelling of the neutron production target is crucial to ensure that simulated predictions of neutron beam characteristics used for subsequent beam shaping assembly design are reliable. This work presents a comprehensive benchmarking of four widely-used Monte Carlo codes - Geant4, PHITS, FLUKA (CERN), and MCNP - for modelling low-energy neutron production target reactions. Using their recommended physics models and cross-section libraries, we evaluate each code’s performance in simulating four beam-target reactions: 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be, 9 Be(p,n) 9 B, 9 Be(d,n) 10 B, and C(d,n)N. Predictions of neutron yield, angular distributions, and energy spectra are compared against available thick target experimental data. Results show varying levels of agreement between the codes depending on the reaction type, energy range, and beam characteristics. Geant4, MCNP and PHITS are the overall best performing codes for the simulation of total neutron yield and yield in the forward direction across most reactions. Across energies where experimental benchmarks exist, inter-code discrepancies in total and forward-directed yield are typically 10 to 30%, with larger deviations at near-threshold incident ion energies. PHITS provides the best overall reproduction of experimental spectra, particularly for the 9 Be(p,n) 9 B reaction. Additionally, PHITS demonstrates superior computational performance for most reactions. These findings provide valuable guidance for ABNS design, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each code for the simulation of low-energy neutron production reactions.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Neutron and Gamma Correlations using CGM in MCNP 6.2.0

The general-purpose Monte Carlo radiation-transport code MCNP6{sup TM} came from the integration of MCNP5{sup TM} and MCNPX{sup TM}. The most recent release of MCNP, version 6.2.0, is scheduled for release in early 2017, which includes a variety of bug fixes and new features to the code. MCNP traditionally models nuclear reactions using Monte Carlo sampling techniques on measured and modeled cross-sectional data contained within ACE (A Compact Evaluated Nuclear Data File) libraries. In addition to reaction cross-sections, ACE libraries contain information relating to the production of secondary particles, such as secondary neutrons and photons. For example, an incident neutron on a nucleus can produce a nuclear reaction in the form (n, M{sub n}n'), where n is the incident neutron and M{sub n} is the number of secondary neutrons n' produced. Using this notation, different reactions can be described based on their neutron multiplicity, such as neutron capture (M{sub n} = 0), elastic and inelastic scattering (M{sub n} = 1), and reactions with multiple secondary neutrons (M{sub n} > 1). Accounting for secondary γ-rays emitted from the residual nuclei, this reaction can further be generalized as n, Mnn'M to describe a reaction producing M{sub n} neutrons and M -rays. These values M{sub n} and M are referred to as the neutron and multiplicities, respectively. ACE libraries contain the cross-sectional data for each reaction, and their corresponding statistically averaged multiplicities for neutrons and photons, M-bar{sub n} and M-bar{sub γ}. However, there are several limitations to reaction sampling using ACE libraries. First, the data contained within ACE libraries is limited by the accuracy of the model and/or experiment, which out of necessity can greatly simplify the true physics behind a reaction. For example, the value M{sub γ} in a (n, M{sub n}n'M{sub γ}γ) reaction is determined by the statistically averaged multiplicity M-bar{sub γ} instead of a distribution. Consequently, MCNP, unable to produce a continuous distribution, will utilizes a binary sampling around M-bar{sub γ}. While this sampling method provides a statistically average M{sub γ} over a large simulation, it is an inaccurate representation of an individual reaction and its corresponding secondary particles. Secondary neutrons are affected in a similar manner, such that different kinds of secondary neutrons can be sampled from the same interaction (eg., an inelastic neutron with an [n, 2n] neutron). Lastly, the random sampling technique for secondary particles remains completely independent of the sampled reaction, eliminating the ability to correlate secondary particles for a given reaction. To supplement these data libraries, additional codes and models describing certain nuclear reactions are employed. These codes can fill in the information missing from ACE, provide a better model to the true physics distribution, and can provide true correlated secondary particles, which has many useful applications in research and industry.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

A comparison of Monte Carlo fission models for safeguards neutron coincidence counters

Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful tool used to model neutron coincidence detectors for international safeguards. The simulation has typically sampled properties such as the fission neutron multiplicity, energy, and direction, from independent probability density functions. However, multiplicity counters detect event-based neutron correlations and thus more accurate fission event modeling is needed. To respond to this need, the Fission Reaction Event Yield Algorithm (FREYA) and the Cascading Gamma-ray Multiplicity with Fission (CGMF) models were added in the newest version of MCNP, MCNP6.2. The models simulate individual fission events conserving momentum, energy, and angular momentum such that correlated particles are emitted. The effects of the new models on simulations of safeguards neutron coincidence counters were studied and compared to standard MCNP simulations. The MCNPX-PoliMi model was also included in the comparison. The properties of fission neutrons from safeguards relevant isotopes were compared to literature references. Then a hypothetical simplified detector was modeled to isolate the effects of specific differences between models. Experimental measurements from previous work were modeled and agreements were compared. Lastly, the probabilities of correlated events occurring in the experimental measurements were calculated with the different models. For example, the probability was calculated of detecting neutrons from both induced fission in uranium and spontaneous fission of Cf-252 in the same fission chain.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Criticality Calculations with MCNP6 - Practical Lectures

These slides are used to teach MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle) usage to nuclear criticality safety analysts. The following are the lecture topics: course information, introduction, MCNP basics, criticality calculations, advanced geometry, tallies, adjoint-weighted tallies and sensitivities, physics and nuclear data, parameter studies, NCS validation I, NCS validation II, NCS validation III, case study 1 - solution tanks, case study 2 - fuel vault, case study 3 - B&W core, case study 4 - simple TRIGA, case study 5 - fissile mat. vault, criticality accident alarm systems. After completion of this course, you should be able to: Develop an input model for MCNP; Describe how cross section data impact Monte Carlo and deterministic codes; Describe the importance of validation of computer codes and how it is accomplished; Describe the methodology supporting Monte Carlo codes and deterministic codes; Describe pitfalls of Monte Carlo calculations; Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Monte Carlo and Discrete Ordinants codes; The diffusion theory model is not strictly valid for treating fissile systems in which neutron absorption, voids, and/or material boundaries are present. In the context of these limitations, identify a fissile system for which a diffusion theory solution would be adequate.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Analysis of SPND Material Candidates for Real-Time Neutron Spectrum Monitoring Poster

The future of the nuclear industry will be shaped by advanced reactor designs requiring innovative instrumentation for safe operation. A key area of innovation is the ability to accurately and reliably monitor the neutron energy spectrum during operations, which would also enhance the experimental capabilities of existing research reactors. To address this need, our research focuses on the potential use of Self-Powered Neutron Detectors (SPNDs) for real-time neutron spectrum monitoring. We investigated various candidate materials for SPNDs by evaluating their energy-dependent reaction rates. Promising materials were further modeled using MCNP to determine the free electron production per neutron across the neutron energy spectrum, approximating their energy-dependent signal sensitivity. Our findings identified Samarium (Sm) and Gadolinium (Gd) as top candidates for thermal neutrons, Hafnium (Hf) and Thulium (Tm) for epithermal neutrons, and Tantalum (Ta) for fast neutrons. These materials will undergo future experimental validation to confirm the modeled responses and assess their feasibility for real-time neutron spectrum measurements.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗

DNDO Report

My internship program was the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Summer Internship Program. I worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory with Trevor A. Wilcox and Gregg W. McKinney in the NEN-5 group. My project title was “MCNP Physical Model Interoperability & Validation”. The goal of my project was to write a program to predict the solar modulation parameter for dates in the future and then implement it into MCNP6. This update to MCNP6 can be used to calculate the background more precisely, which is an important factor in being able to detect Special Nuclear Material. We will share our work in a published American Nuclear Society (ANS) paper, an ANS presentation, and a LANL student poster session. Through this project, I gained skills in programming, computing, and using MCNP. I also gained experience that will help me decide on a career or perhaps obtain employment in the future.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Comparison of UF{sub 6} cylinder dose rate measurements and Monte Carlo calculations - 25593

In uranium compounds that contain fluorine, such as uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}), neutron radiation fields are naturally created as a result of a reaction between fluorine and the alpha particle emitted by uranium. In order to gain a true appreciation for the true conditions of any system, it is vital to have access to true-to-life documented information, such as when performing dose rate calculations. This UF{sub 6} cylinder dose rate experiment aims at validating computational tools, i.e., MCNP, for predicting both the photon and neutron dose rates from tails (depleted uranium) 48Y cylinders. Two sets of measured neutron and photon dose rates are featured herein. The first set is taken of a semi-isolated single tails (UF{sub 6}) cylinder stored on the Uranium Byproduct Cylinder (UBC) storage pad at the URENCO USA (UUSA) site in Eunice, New Mexico. The second set is also from a tails cylinder, stored on the UBC pad, which is located on the bottom row inside an array of triple stacked 48Y tails cylinders. These cylinder storage scenarios are modeled in MCNP and the calculated photon and neutron dose rates are compared to the measured values. The comparisons between the MCNP predictions and the measured total dose rates show good agreement. Small differences can be attributed to incomplete filling of the cylinder, variations in density and uncertainties in the measurement precision as well as external conditions of the TLD. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Quantifying the Potential of Argon Detection Capabilities for Nuclear Explosion Monitoring

Abstract Current noble gas detection systems for nuclear explosion monitoring are based on the detection of four radioxenon isotopes—Xe-131m, -133, -133m and -135. The data provided by radioxenon detection could be enhanced by other radionuclide signatures such as Ar-37. Activation of Ca-40 in rock by neutrons produces Ar-37, and monitoring for this additional nuclide could help distinguish detections of nuclear explosions from background sources, such as medical isotope production. This work studies the capabilities of a hypothetical argon detection network. A 10 kt explosion was modeled using MCNP and SCALE to determine the inventory of Ar-37 created in a representative granite rock layer, assuming either 0.1, 1 or 10% of the total inventory was released. The Ar-37 inventory was combined with atmospheric transport data from HYSPLIT compiled in a previous study, along with the detection limits of standard Ar-37 detection systems, to determine how many hypothetical monitoring stations would detect Ar-37 from an explosion. This method was repeated for 365 HYSPLIT data sets to create a year’s worth of hypothetical explosions, releases, and detections. The study quantified the average number of detections per release, the number of stations detecting Ar-37, and the possibility of detecting Ar-37 in coincidence with xenon.

37Ar↗

Validation of a Monte Carlo HPGe detector model against irradiated foil gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements

In this study, a high-purity germanium detector Monte Carlo model was evaluated for its ability to predict activation product ratios in Fe, Cr, Ni, and stainless-steel foils. To evaluate the model, activation product ratios calculated from simulated gamma-ray spectra were compared against those from experiment measurements. Analysis shows that the detector model accurately predicts activation product ratios within 10% when free of interferences. Presence of a shield chamber greatly increases computation time, but does not provide any quantitative advantages. Overall, the model is useful for predicting activation product ratios and experiment planning.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Measurement of Fission Neutron Spectrum and Multiplicity using a Gamma Tag Double Time-of-flight Setup

Recent efforts have been made to improve the prompt fission neutron spectrum and nu-bar measurements for Uranium and Plutonium isotopes particularly in the keV region. A system has been designed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) utilizing an array of EJ-301 liquid scintillators as well as lithium glass and plastic scintillators to experimentally determine these values. An array of BaF2 detectors was recently obtained from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to be used in conjunction with the neutron detectors. The system uses a novel gamma tagging method for fission which can offer an improvement over conventional fission chambers due to increased sample mass. A coincidence requirement on the gamma detectors from prompt fission gammas is used as the fission tag for the system as opposed to fission fragments in a conventional fission chamber. The system utilizes pulse digitization using Acqiris 8 bit digitizer boards which allow for gamma/neutron pulse height discrimination on the liquid scintillators during post processing. Additionally, a 252Cf fission chamber was designed and constructed at RPI which allowed for optimization and testing of the system without the need for an external neutron source. The characteristics of the gamma tagging method such as false detection rate and detection efficiency were determined using this fission chamber and verified using MCNP Polimi modeling. Prompt fission neutron spectrum data has been taken using the fission chamber focusing on the minimum detectable neutron energy for each of the various detectors. Plastic scintillators were found to offer a significant improvement over traditional liquid scintillators allowing energy measurements down to 50 keV. Background was also characterized for all detectors and will be discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) Component Critical Experiments

A series of critical experiments were conducted at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) in Nevada to evaluate the operational performance of a compact reactor that eventually will resemble the flight unit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will use for deep space exploration. The results from the experiments are compared to preliminary results from computational models using MCNP and ENDF/B-7.1 neutron cross-section data.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗